I had a lot of Help

It all started with this, a felt kit containing all the pieces for a family of snow people.  I found it at a charity fabric fair some years ago selling both new and used fabrics, linens, wool, kits and quilting and embroidery supplies.  That's cute, I thought, and I seem to remember I only paid a small amount for it, about $5 or so.  So it came home with me and sat for a while.

The Snowman Family kit

Why don't I just get on with it, I asked myself, and I have to say I really enjoyed doing the simple embroidery on the felt hats, gloves and scarves.  But then what?  I had no idea how to put it all together.  To be truthful, I don't really like making and stuffing toys, let alone stitching their heads and arms on.  So once again, it was put aside.

Then last year on one of my daughter's visits, I got the kit out and asked if she would like to help me as I was stuck.  I had the pieces already cut out and stitched and Nicky spent the afternoon stuffing their limbs and bodies.  Luckily I had some toy stuffing and beads for the bottom.  

Naked snow bodies

You can guess what happened next - it was packed up and left again.  And just before Christmas I took the bag along to my Monday Craft Group, asking if anyone would like to take it off my hands, otherwise I would be disposing of it.  I don't enjoy making toys, I declared, and I don't know why I bought the kit in the first place!  Carolyn, one the the members, is an accomplished toymaker, and came to have a look.  I'll finish them for you, she said.  And when the group started up again in the New Year, she brought the Snow Family back, all finished.  How kind was that!  

Here they are, all finished

Carolyn had to make and then stuff the heads, assembled the bodies, stitched the clothing onto them so it wouldn't get lost, created their faces and made Mother a little hat.  And she didn't want anything for her trouble, except maybe a little dark chocolate, she whispered.  So the following week I packed my lunch to take to the group, gathered up my knitting and wrapped up some chocolate for her to enjoy.

A small gift for Carolyn

I'm not sure what I'll do with the Snow Family, or even if I want to keep them.  Perhaps I can offer them to the co-ordinator of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren later in the year, if she wants them.  They could given as a set to a child, or split up and be gifted to three children, whatever she she thinks best.  I'll look after them in the meantime.

Although I've said I don't like making toys, I'd like to try making a bunny out of a square of knitting sometime, surely I could manage that.  And I have a pattern for a trauma teddy I'd like to try.  This design only has a front and back, no separate head and legs, and a simple embroidered face.  But maybe I need to get over the trauma of the snow family first!

Green Butterflies and Checkerboard Blocks

I’ve been stitching up dark green this week, and it’s that time again to share what we have made for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  This time I’ve made three more butterflies, and here they are, waiting to join their other colourful cousins in the butterfly collection.  This is a pretty little block, especially with their feelers added, and will make a nice girl’s donation quilt, I think.

Three dark green butterflies

Then it was on to the Checkerboard blocks, using dark green again. Can you see the little kiwi peeping out?  There is not a great deal of contrast between the dark green and the black and white sashing fabric, I feel.  But there are blocks of brighter colours already made, so I’m sure it will all be fine in the end.  This one will eventually become a boys donation quilt.

 

Four Checkerboard blocks

Our Lockdown restrictions have been eased here in New Zealand a little so Yellow Ted has stood down from his window duties, looking out at people walking by and giving them a cheery wave.  Well, he would if he could move his arms, I’m sure about that. Teddy Bears have been placed in windows all over the country over the last couple of months.  Yellow Ted was very proud to be part of the National Pandemic Home Guard Team, he told me!

Good on you, Yellow Ted

Looking for Teddies

Teddy bears are playing their part by bringing a little joy into people’s lives as we live in the Covid 19 Lockdown.   The teddies have been placed into windows around the country, and all around the world too, a fun idea to keep children entertained as they go for a walk with their parents around their local streets.   There are no children in our village, but many of our neighbours go for a daily walk.  Big Ted is doing his best to cheer our neighbours up a little as they walk by.

Big Ted in our window

Big Ted is getting on a bit now, he must be in his late 20s now I think.  I remember knitting him while the grand-daughters were little and they liked to play with him when they came to visit.  He has been tucked away out of sight in the sewing room for quite some time, and is really pleased to be now doing his bit for the good of the  country.  Our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern admitted she also has a teddy in her window, so Big Ted is in good company.

And what’s this I spotted just across the road from us?  There were two faces peeping out through the window – looks like Bugs Bunny and is that Wiley E Coyote perhaps?

Hello Bugsy, keep well away from your window mate

We took a walk around our village, camera in hand to see if we could spot any more teddies or other toys in the windows.  The only other one was  this little teddy in a red hat – sorry, not a very good photo with the reflection in the window.

Life continues as usual during this lockdown phase of our lives, and I seem to be spending a lot of time in the kitchen lately.  We purchased a box of vegetables yesterday, it was pot luck what we received, and included three heads of broccoli, that’s a lot for two people.  A quick check with Mr Google (he knows everything) told me how to go about blanching and freezing them, so that’s what I did today, for the first time.  Not too hard at all, but if I do it again I know I will need lots more ice!  But the broccoli is all done, and free flow frozen and packed away in the freezer, so I feel rather virtuous. 

Preparing the broccoli

Still working on stitching  my caravan place mats and apron, hopefully I’ll have more time to sew tomorrow. 

The Cutest Little Sweet Shop

During our weekend away in Hastings, we found the cutest little sweet shop.  In fact, it was recommended to us, as Robin had commented to a local that he really loved black ball sweets and was having trouble finding them anywhere.  So we were sent along to Birdwoods, not too far away in  in Havelock North.  As well as having a sweet shop, there is also a gift gallery, a café, and a sculpture garden to wander through.

Lots of cute ceramic birds for sale

We walked down the path to the tiny sweet shop, made out of recycled materials, we were told.  There were a pair of topiary birds by the fence.

This way to the sweet shop

And it was such a wonderland inside.  Large glass jars filled with sweets of every description lined the shelves.  Robin soon found his black balls, and I decided on acid drops and raspberry drops.  We find boiled sweets are handy to have in the car when we are on long journeys.

Robin busy checking out the sweets

There were all sorts of old toys, kitchen items  and containers displayed from days gone by, including these two little darlings, Teddy and his girlfriend Dolly.

Happy hanging out in the sweet shop

With our purchases made we checked out the gallery, peeped into the café which was full with customers enjoying their lunches.  Everyone looked happy and the food smelt divine.   The sculpture garden outside had such a variety of things to check out, and I was rather taken with flock of sheep.  Closer inspection showed that they were created from lots of tiny beads – amazing indeed.

Beaded sheep

This was such an interesting place to visit, Birdwoods will definitely be on our list next time we visit this area again – I can’t wait to try the cafe and Robin is sure to need some more black balls again.

Give Thanks Cushion – version 2

I’ve been quietly stitching away on my cushion panel for some time, and at last the stitchery was completed.  An afternoon or two at the sewing machine, and I’d completed the cushion cover.  Or had I?  No – I decided I hadn’t made the cover firm enough, so it had to be unpicked and re-stitched a little smaller.  Can’t have a saggy cushion now, can we?   There – that’s much better.  I made it especially to sit on the couch in my sewing room.

“Give Thanks” cushion

If this cushion looks familiar, it is because I stitched another one last year and sent it off to South Dakota as a Christmas gift for my penfriend Carol.  I enjoyed doing it so much, I decided that I wanted to make one for myself too.  The pattern is by Kim Goodrich of “Once Upon a Vine”.

Lucy the rabbit also sits on the couch.  She was a lovely hand-made gift from Lucy who used to live in Hawaii – sadly Lucy moved away to the main-land and I lost touch with her.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if she just happened to be reading this blog?

Lucy the rabbit came from Hawaii

Bunny Blanket Bunny

With some yarn left after finishing my little baby cardigan, I wondered what to do with it.  I just hate having those part balls hanging about, don’t you?  Then I remembered a free pattern I had downloaded on the internet, called Bunny Blanket Buddy.  I didn’t have the correct yarn, so mine is a lot smaller, though just as cute. 

This little bunny must be a girl, I’ve decided, and she is one of those “flat” toys.  When I find someone to gift my little baby cardy too, the bunny can go along too.  They look so nice together, I think.