Wardrobe Malfunction

I heard a funny noise the other morning, but didn't think too much about it, perhaps it was the traffic on the road out the back.  But later in the morning when I went to hang some freshly ironed clothes  away, I saw what it was.  The wardrobe shelf and clothes rail had parted company with the wall, and was hanging by a screw!  Oh dear, what to do now?

Ooops, it gave way

I had an electrician around the following day, Callum, a nice young man just starting out in business on his own,  to replace the light fitting in the front porch.  Perhaps he would be able to recommend someone who could help.  Yes he could, there was another tradesman who he knew and had worked with, so passed on his phone number to me.  I must admit that I find this recent spate of home maintenance  a bit of a trial to organise, it's not something I have had to do before.  Something else went wrong recently too, which completely overwhelmed me, but that's another story.

So the day that Brent was coming to look at both wardrobe fittings, the other one in the sewing room had collapsed earlier and looked in danger of doing it again, I spent hours removing everything.  Various items were taken off the top shelf, shoes were bundled into a big bag, and clothes were stacked on the bedroom chair and on top of the bed.

That wasn't so bad, but the wardrobe in the sewing room was much more of a challenge.  I had a basket full of project bags sitting on the floor at the wardrobe door, which had to be moved, and umpteen RSC projects in bags piled up beside the basket, waiting to be completed.

This is just part of it

Inside the wardrobe were our winter clothes, they all came out.  Who knew that Robin had so many jackets hanging up including two sets of bright yellow vinyl wet weather trousers and jackets?  The hangers were cleared, then I had to deal with what was on the wardrobe floor.  Four large plastic crates chock full, and  bags containing unfinished projects, or materials gathered for new ones. And quite a few fleecy backings too, I noticed, and batting.

How did it all fit in the wardrobe?

I couldn't resist peeking inside this one - string pieced blocks, sashing cut ready to go, chickens to stitch, and several lengths of fabric for backings.  I'd completely forgotten all about these.  There was even another bag of neutral strings hidden away.  Everything was piled up - so much stuff I had put away and forgotten about.

I'd forgotten all about this bag

Tradesman Brent called around, we discussed what needed doing, and he will also trim back a tree for me which has a branch growing over the top of the clothesline.  He will come back bright and early on Friday morning he told me.  Oh dear, that means I have to move that big pile of clothes on hangers for the following two nights so that I can get into bed.  

The wardrobe fittings are now fixed, Brent added an extra piece of timber behind them for added strength.  I was a bit mortified when he asked for a soft broom so he could brush a few spider webs away!  But as someone told  me, a few whispy spider webs means that the home is warm and dry, according to a real estate agent.  So that has to be good, just sloppy housekeeping I guess.

Arrived bright and early on a cold wet morning

So now things have to be put away.  The bedroom is almost back to normal, and it is a chance to sort through Robin's clothes as well.  But the sewing room is another story.  I really need to go through those crates and umpteen bags before they get placed back.  And sort out all those rain jackets which Robin had tucked away.

With so many RSC block sets discovered, don't let me start any new ones next year!  I knew I had a few, but there really are a lot more that I realised.  Plus several assembled RSC quilts piled up on the chair waiting to be layered, pinned and quilted.    Oh dear, wish me luck with all this!

Red Sewing for RSC

 The colour red has been chosen for April for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  After a couple of weekend trips away, I've finally stitched some red blocks for my projects.  First were my easy black and white blocks for a boy's donation quilt.  With four done in red, I decided I liked the way they fitted together, so that's how I will assemble these blocks.  Originally, I had thought about having the colours scattered about the quilt top, but I think I like them better this way now.

These didn't take long to stitch

The second RSC block set I'm making is framed four patches, trying to use up my bag full of 2.5in squares. The bag is not going down much at all, and I found some red and burgundy squares to use this month - made three blocks from these.

 One red and two burgundy blocks to add to the pile

So I just have my red selvedge double handed oven mitt to stitch now, I'll get on to that shortly.

There was a bit of excitement here at home this week.  I came home to discover the small front window was smashed.  Goodness knows how that happened and I went and asked a couple of neighbors if they had seen or heard anything, I was worried about someone wandering around the village and smashing windows for fun. Seems it happened when the lawns were being mowed, and a stone had been flicked up by the lawnmower.  The stone made a hole about 6 inches across, with cracks running off it, but didn't smash through the internal glass pane.  After a bit of searching the stone was found in the grass.

Oooops

Being double glazed, the glass company had to purchase a complete window set, which took a couple of days to arrive.  But it's all fixed now, thank goodness.  

Be Grateful, and Daylight Saving starts

Spring has sprung here in my part of Paradise, and last night was time to turn the clocks forward one hour for Daylight Saving time.  Our evenings will be  little longer, more time to enjoy the balmy early evenings.  It must be said that I love Summer.

I’ve been a bit preoccupied lately with several appointments in the lead up to Robin’s knee replacement, and his operation last Tuesday.  It went well, I’m pleased to say, and he was home within a few days.  He wasn't allowed home until he could get out of bed and back in unaided, attend to his ablutions, and walk up and down a few steps by himself.  Now he is home he is resting up, doing his exercises, walking slowly around, and healing.  I’m sure he will improve day by day.

This is something I finished earlier, but hadn't yet blogged about it.  My second apron using another lovely transfer from Stitcher’s Revolution.  Be Grateful is from the Cute Kitchen Sayings series.  It started off looking like this.

In the beginning

I’ve been stitching along bit by bit, and I’m really pleased how it turned out.  I do my stitcheries using Perle No 5 (no thin stranded cottons for me)  and the purchased apron is made with something like a drill fabric.

All finished

This is the second of these aprons I have made with stitching on the front.  The first was made for the caravan, and this one will be used in the kitchen at home.  I have made a start on another stitching project, so will work on that next in my slow stitching time. 

Have a great day, and happy slow stitching to everyone.

In on Tuesday, Home on Friday

It was an early morning start on Tuesday with the alarm clock set to 5.00am.  After Covid had disrupted the hospital surgery lists for the last two years, the day had arrived at last.  We departed from home at 6.00am, arrived at the hospital at 7.00am, and Robin was soon settled into his room.  Questions asked, tests taken, including the ever important RAT test, and then he was changed into his hospital gown.

Several weeks earlier the surgeon had told us, “Don't get Covid”, and remarked that several patients on the theatre list had to be sent home due to having Covid and their surgery rescheduled some months later.  Whew – luckily Robin passed the test so we were good to go.  The anesthetist came for a chat and tell us of possible side effects, horrible things which we didn't really want to hear.  Then the surgeon popped in with his marker pen and drew an arrow on the correct leg.

Ready and waiting

The operation went well, and I got a call to say he was back in his room.  The next day he had been helped out of bed several times, shown how to use the crutches, walked around a little, and spent some time sitting up in the chair.  Then back to bed again till the next time.  And yes, he does feel much better wearing his own pajamas, instead of that hospital gown.

Crutches at the ready

I travelled up to Crest Hospital  on the Health Shuttle on Wednesday and Thursday, a wonderful service indeed.  I got my knitting out, and one of the passengers related how his mother used to knit when the family were young, and asked what I was making.  It’s a dish cloth, I told him.  Never heard of knitting them, he replied.

Taking the Health Shuttle for a couple of days gave me three hours at the hospital with Robin before it was time to leave again.  Plenty of time to see how he was getting on, catch up with recovery news, read the paper which each patient is given in the morning, and help him with his menu choices for the next day.  As every patient knows, the highlight of every hospital stay is choosing from the menu for the next day.  The food here seems great, his mains have been a choice of lamb shanks and gravy, fresh salmon, coq a vin, sausages and mash, all very tasty indeed.  I had time to do a little more on my knitting when he wanted a rest after doing his exercises and going for a short walk in the corridor.

Working on a dish cloth

And before we knew it, Friday came around and it was time to depart for home.  Once he was able to attend to bathroom ablutions, and walk up and down a few steps with confidence, he was cleared for discharge.  I packed his bag, collected the prescription and the nurse helped him get into the car, that was rather painful for the first time, but will surely improve in time.

Dressed and waiting to go home

After being absent from home for the last three nights, Gemma showed no inclination at all to welcome him home.  She was much too comfy tucked up inside her cat tower.  She is not too sure of those crutches, I think.

I’m keeping well clear of those big sticks!

Things always seem better when you are back in your own home, don't they.  With gentle exercises to do, ice packs for his knee, and pain killers, we will just take things one day at a time.  And there will be plenty of TLC too, of course.

X-ray of the new knee joint

Knitting and Stitching in the Sunshine

Sunday morning looked promising, blue skies and sunshine, so I decided to spend a bit of time outside on the patio.  Perhaps a little knitting to start with, I thought.  My secret socks are coming along well, but no photo opportunities for them.  Instead I did some knitting on a pretty yellow baby beany, using some yarn gifted to me recently.

Another baby beany

My hand stitching consisted of stitching the binding down on a child’s donation quilt, so I happily sat outside and worked on that for a while.  But then the wind got up, and the temperatures dropped, so I moved back inside.  Spring weather is rather temperamental here in New Zealand.

Hand stitching the binding

I hope to have this job finished soon, then I can show you the front of the quilt.  The green and gold star fabric used on the back was a donation looking for a good home, brought along to the Sew Wots by Heather one morning.  Thanks so much Heather, it looks good on the back of this quilt.

Hello Spring

It is Spring here now in New Zealand, the days are slowly lengthening but we wonder if Winter is really over?  I found a few brave little hyacinths poking their pretty heads up in one of the pots – that's surely a sign of Spring, isn’t it.

Time for a few Spring bulbs to appear

A change of season means a change of wall-hangings.  Down came my dark hued Maple Leaf quilt hanging over the sofa.  It was time for the kitties to come out to play.  Hanging in place are  the Colourpoint Cats, much lighter and cheerful for the new season.  This was a Rainbow Scrap Challenge finish last year.

Colourpoint Cats

A couple of other changes were made to the sitting room décor.  Tane Mahuta is having a turn on the wall, as are my New Zealand Native Birds.  There, it looks much more like Spring now.

Tane Mahuta and the birds

A Couple of Firsts

It was an exciting morning today, when I drove the car down to an appointment, after not driving for several months because of my back problems.  Just a short drive, but very successful.  I had an appointment with my oncologist as a follow up on my breast cancer five years ago, all remaining well, I’m pleased to say.  And I’m forever grateful to the wonderful Dr Claire, as she was the one who ordered me an MRI which pin pointed my compressed spinal cord condition, and then referred me to the neurosurgical team.

The other first was a trip to the supermarket, something I hadn't been able to manage for quite some time.  All I can say is that I’m pleased I had my walker to get around on, and I really needed a cuppa and a lie down when we got back home!  While I had been absent from supermarket duties over the last couple of months the shop has had quite a makeover, with all fridges and freezers replaced.  And just to keep the shoppers on their toes, many items are not where they used to be, now placed somewhere completely different.

I decided that now was a good time to get my sewing machine serviced, as I was having a little trouble sitting comfortably at the machine.  So my Bernina has been away in the care of Barry, and will come back soon as good as new after the annual service.

So while it has been away, I’ve been cutting fabric for a couple of new projects, and done a little more knitting.  There are a couple of cot quilts I need to get pinned up reading for machine quilting, but I don’t think my back is quite up at all that bending and stretching just yet.  I’ve also rediscovered my stitchery projects – there were four of these tucked away in the bag.  Two for gifts and two for me, so I really should get busy and get the two gift projects finished.

Another trip was to get our second Covid vaccination.  We were warned that some people will get a reaction, rather like flu symptoms, but both of us were fine.  There, all done now but…….. we heard on the news that maybe a third dose will be needed later on, we will have to wait and see.  Not that we will have a problem with that, in fact, I imagine the Covid jab will probably become an annual vaccination, just like the flu jab we get each year.

After long last we are going away for a weekend caravan club rally, it’s been a while since we were able to attend.  Robin is champing at the bit, he really enjoys his time away in the caravan.  And it will be a nice change of scene for Gemma as well, she is a well seasoned caravan cat indeed.  Meanwhile, she has been tucked up inside  keeping herself warm while the rain is coming down in buckets.

Curled up on her cat tower

Winter Time

It’s winter here now in my part of paradise.  The temperatures have dropped, the rain has been falling, and its been rather cold and miserable here lately.  Much worse though in other areas of New Zealand, there has been flooding, and even a tornado causing all sorts of damage!

A rather wet and cold day

Its time for a seasonal change with my wall hangings.  Down came my Autumn stitchery, replaced by my Welcome Winter hanging.  The sewing room (spare bedroom) had a change too.  My Spools wall-hanging was replaced by Winter Quilt Festival.  As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, we don't get snow on the ground where I live, although snow does cover the tops of the mountain ranges behind our home.

Snowy winter wall-

hangings

Once the colder weather kicks in, I usually start making soup for lunch.  This is my latest, leek and potato soup, made in the microwave.  So warm and filling!

Leek and potato soup for lunch

Hope you are all keeping warm, or cool, depending on where in the world you live.  Take care, and enjoy your stitching.

Slow Stitching over Easter

I have to admit that I’ve been rather slow working on this project, “All Through the Night” by Bonnie Sullivan.  The first three blocks are completed – however I’ve worked on several more of these blocks when I had the correct coloured thread on the needle.  And I’ve also got a couple of other stitchery projects started, just can’t seem to help myself!

Three blocks done

We decided to stay home for Easter this year instead of heading away in our caravan, I’m getting over my recent procedure and Robin has an appointment straight after Easter.  Reflecting back, we were home over Easter last year (2020), because of New Zealand being in lockdown.  Never mind, I’m sure there will be plenty more caravan trips to look forward to.   But I’ve been keeping creative,  spending time at the sewing machine, and doing a little knitting too.

The roads were very busy when we took a trip to Foxton on Saturday morning to visit the museum Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom.   Caravan club member Sue was taking part in an exhibition with her art group, so we went along to check it out.  And there she was, working on a commission.  All the artists had work on display and we had a lovely time admiring the different styles on show.  I particularly loved the New Zealand scenes, mountains, rivers, farmland and the like.

Sue and some of her work

It was a lovely day indeed in Foxton, calm and sunny, and at Sue’s suggestion we had a light lunch at Sweet Dreams Café sitting outside under the sun shade.  This gave us ample opportunity for “people watching” as there were streams of visitors walking up and down the foot path, and coming into the café too.

Lunch at Sweet Dreams.

Today, Sunday, it is quite a bit cooler, so much so that I’ve decided that wearing three quarter length summer trousers is not a good idea any more.  So it’s long trousers today, and my feet are keeping warm clad in my hand knitted blue wooly  socks.  Mind you, our Daylight Saving Time has just finished, so the nights will be getting darker much earlier.

Warm feet make me happy

The Easter Bunny didn’t come calling to our home this year, we obviously weren’t on his list.  So  we have missed out on marshmallow eggs and on a recent trip to the supermarket we couldn't track down a single Crème Egg.  Just as well we have a packet or two of Hot Cross Buns to enjoy, plus an iced gingerbread bunny each.

We nibbled on these gingerbread Easter Bunnies

Happy Easter to all, and if you are traveling on the busy roads this long Easter Weekend, safe travels.

Special Deliveries

Its been a busy old day today with deliveries.  First was some more  “happy mail”, all the way from Germany.  Postmarked 8th December, it's now early March so it was a long time coming.  Christmas wishes from Judy, and she had enclosed a cute little Christmas Stocking, with the hope that we will find a place in the caravan to hang it over Christmas.  I’ll sure we will, thanks so much Judy.

Merry Christmas wishes from Germany

Our other delivery was a new fridge.  While we were away on our three week trip, our fridge died and we arrived back home to find a stinking mess, particularly in the top freezer compartment.  Frozen berries, home cooked meals in containers, and some salmon filets, they all got chucked out, together with whatever had been left behind in the fridge, mainly sauces, pickles, cheese and butter.  The smell was awful, and we had to set to and give the fridge a good wash out with hot soapy water.

Then came the job of finding a replacement fridge, not at all easy these days.  There was stock on the wharves, on ships in transit, but not so in the stores themselves.  Robin managed to talk the local manager into selling us one “off the floor”  as we were desperate.  But we still had to wait 10 days till it could be delivered.

The best option for us was to move the caravan into the car park in front of our home, (it is usually in the motorhome park around a corner or two) plug it into power and use the caravan fridge.

Before each meal we loaded up the chilly bag with whatever was required, and then did the return trip to replace the items back in the caravan fridge.  At least it wasn’t too far to walk.

Then finally today, two nice young men delivered our new fridge, and took away the dead one – we had worked out that it was about 12 years old.  And the new one has a sign saying “10 Year Warranty” so appliances are not really built to last these days, are they.

New fridge delivered at last

I also had time today to do a quick sewing job for Robin.  He had recently purchased two new pairs of shorts, one pair had belt loops attached and the other hadn't.  “I can add some for you”, I declared.  So I cut and stitched some navy drill fabric into lengths, checked the other pair of shorts for placement, and got stitching.  Just about ran out of navy thread though, but the job got done, and Robin is very thankful.

Making belt loops

Working outside in the sun shine

There is nothing nicer that spending an hour or so outside on the patio in the sunshine.  So what was I working on?  Another pair of socks, and a mystery bag, which Gemma found so interesting.  And no, she shouldn't really be up on the table, but cats do what they want, don't they.

Mmmm, wonder what’s in this bag?

It didn’t take too long to finish the toe shaping on my second sock, and get it stitched up.  These are nice warm woolen socks, knitted with 12 ply wool, knitted on two needles with a seam up one side.  Just what I need to keep my toes warm come winter.

My new socks

As for whatever is in that mystery bag, it didn’t even get looked at.  This is yet another rather old project, and I’ll get it finished, sooner or later, I hope.  The nice sunny weather has now gone, replaced by wind, rain and rather chilly temperatures.

It’s Thursday down here in my part of the world, Wednesday in USA, and Inauguration Day.  We set the alarm clock for 5.30am to watch the ceremony, and were so pleased that it all went off so well, without any riots, demonstrations, or upsets.  Wishing USA peace and healing to recover from the turbulent times you have all been through.

Packing Up

Gemma let her feelings known, Christmas is over and it’s time to pack it all away, she thinks.  Why else would she be taking a swipe at Santa and knock him over?  She does look a little guilty, doesn’t she?

Poor Santa

So the last day or two I’ve been packing the Christmas  things away, and putting the normal things back in place.  The brass needed a bit of attention, so I sat outside on the patio, rubber gloves on, cleaner and cloths to the ready, and started a little polishing.  These jugs usually reside on the windowsill in the dining room, and had been temporarily replaced with a trio of “golden” Christmas trees for the season. 

Bertie the crocodile is practically a family heirloom and used to reside in my parent’s home.  He got a bit of a clean and buff up too before being replaced in his usual position.  I believe that these crocodiles were made in the Railway Workshops in the Hutt Valley years ago, and just about every employee took one home.  Ill gotten gains, on reflection, but I'm rather fond on good old Bertie the nut cracker.

Cleaning the brass

I’ve had a bit of culture too, and went to the movies with a friend to see Blithe Spirit, by Noel Coward.  Previously, I had seen this on stage, so I was keen to see how it would be as a film.  Very enjoyable, with the fabulous Judi Dench, who accidentally calls up the spirit of her clients first wife.  Good fun, gorgeous fashions, and of course Noel Coward’s wonderful writing.

An afternoon at the movies

There has been time for a little stitching too, and I’ve been putting together the blocks for my RSC checkerboard project.  So I’m getting there slowly.

Assembling the checkerboard quilt

Our weather has ben nice, so we have been enjoying time outdoors when we can, and cooked a tasty roast chicken on the BBQ the other evening.  Our Weber cooks roast so well, and of course the smell is always mouth watering.  I cooked extra veggies inside.

Roast Chicken dinner

So that’s been my first week in the New Year, have you been busy too, or just relaxing  over the holiday season?