Treasures at the Library

August is Family History Month and the Historical Society have set up some lovely displays in my local library.   So I was delighted to come across some gorgeous vintage goodies of yesteryear.  The Crawford Family christening gown and petticoat were found in a secret drawer inside an old Scotch chest when the children were orphaned in 1908.  It is thought that the garments were hand made by the nuns and that they have possibly been shortened at some time.

Crawford Family christening gown and petticoat

This display shows what every well dressed lady would wear to a night out at the opera.  With her set of opera glasses, long white gloves, a gold bracelet, a pretty shawl and a lace hanky, she was all set for a grand night out.  These items were brought to New Zealand from Australia by Amelia Wonnocatt in the early 1900s.

A night at the opera

Also belonging to Amelia Wonnocott was this lovely Royal Albert tea set.  I can just imagine her presiding over the tea trolley as she served her visitors with afternoon tea.

Royal Albert tea set

There was several of these beautiful little hand embroidered envelopes on display.   These were purchased by soldier Enoch Eastham while he was in France during WW1, and sent home to his wife in England.

Hand embroidered envelopes from France 

It was a real treat to look at these lovely treasured items at the library.  As a real book lover, I go there every week or so to get my fix of reading material. My choice today was: one royal historical novel, one about a killer virus circling the world, and two serial killer detective books.  That will keep me going for a wee while. 

Pin, Stitch and Press

It’s a miserable rainy Sunday so what could be better than spending some “quality time” in my sewing room?  But what to work on?  I’ve plenty of options but decided that I really felt like starting on the runner for the coffee table.  The strips were cut out, and as directed, I had already sewn some squares on to the end of half of them.  But before I started, perhaps I should read the pattern thoroughly.  It looked easy, but I couldn’t quite figure out how to put it all together.  Finally, the light bulb went on in my tiny brain, and I was away, pinning, stitching, then pressing.  Up and down, up and down, just like a jack-in-the-box, going from the sewing machine to the ironing board and back again.  All this exercise has got to be good for me!

Pressing time

Things are very compact here in our new house.  I use the top of chest freezer to do my cutting out, as it is just the right height for me.  Then I’ve set the ironing board up in front of the freezer and the laundry corner.  It may look a bit squashed, but I really do have enough room.   This is at the far (house) end of the internal garage, and my sewing room is just through the hallway. 

‘There's just the borders to do now, but I’ll leave that till tomorrow.  Such a miserable wet Sunday deserves a roast dinner with perhaps apple crumble to follow, so I had better get on and start getting everything in the oven.  There’s nothing nicer than a home cooked meal made with love, is there?

Unpicking and a little Stitching

It may well be the middle of winter in my part of Paradise, but it was warm enough today that I could sit outside in the sunshine.  This winter has been very mild indeed -  I really marvel that I can be seated outside at this time of year!  There I was, sitting at the picnic table, doing that least favoured job – unpicking.  On reflection, I seem to have done a fair bit of unpicking lately.  It’s all been because I haven’t been happy with my machine quilting efforts lately.  But the last bit has finally gone, and I can remind myself to “try harder” at the next attempt.

Unpicking!!

Next job was to be a “builder’s mate” and lend a hand where required while Robin cut, sawed, nailed and screwed timber together.  After all that bending over, measuring, and banging about, he really needed that nice cold glass of beer to perk himself up again.  And a few crackers and cheese.  What’s he making?  All will be revealed when it is completed.

Then late in the afternoon I finally got to sit down at they sewing machine.  But not for too long, as it was almost time to get the evening meal organised.  But I did have time to shorten the legs on a new pair of jeans for Robin, then do a little stitching on my new table runner.  Hopefully I’ll spend more time in my sewing room tomorrow.

Getting there

I’m getting there as far as sewing goes, although I haven’t actually sat at the sewing machine yet for a wee while.  But I have done a little cutting out.  First up was some cushions, cut and pinned, all ready to go.  Then today I cut out the pieces for another table runner.  As far as I’m concerned when sewing, I like to have things all ready to go. 

Pieces for my new table runner

It’s been a busy day in the kitchen too, as I’ve been boiling up some jam.  Kiwi fruit jam this time, nice and tasty with lemon juice in the mix.  Yum, that will be nice on a piece of toast for breakfast.  Then I cooked up a nice big bowl of home grown rhubarb and apples.  I just know that Robin will want to add some icecream to his stewed fruit dessert tonight.

Kiwifruit jam

Maybe I will get around to doing some actual stitching tomorrow?  I hope so – there’s a big pile of UFO’s calling to me.  Plus another pair of new jeans to shorten for Robin.  Days are certainly busy when one is retired.

We can’t Disturb the Cat

There’s something about cats, isn’t there?  Somehow they seem to rule the roost, get their own way in all things, and the whole household revolves around their wishes and desires.  This morning was no exception.  We all seem to have our household routines, and I generally make our bed after breakfast, while Robin attends to the dishes.  But not today.  Muffy was fast asleep on our bed, and I didn’t have the heart to disturb her.  Bed making can wait a while, I decided, we can’t disturb the cat.

Fast asleep in the morning

Now Muffy is getting into her twilight years, she seems to be quite restless and wide awake during the night.  She often jumps on and off the bed and can’t settle.  And if I get up for a nocturnal walk, she is always wide awake and meowing and needs a cuddle to settle down again.  No wonder she is worn out once morning arrives – she needs to catch up on her beauty sleep.

Nursing Duties

There’s not been much sewing going on lately.  I’ve had nursing duties to perform.  Soothing a fevered brow, offering encouraging words, and keeping the hot drinks coming.  Poor Robin is feeling poorly.  With a sore red nose, watery eyes, a raised temperature and a head ache, he seems to have caught a dose of Man Flu from our friend Geoff.  Of course, it’s not really flu, as we are vigilant about having our flu jabs every year.  Just a nasty cold, which can leave the patient feeling rather grotty, especially with those restless nights and not much sleep.  Perhaps I can offer a nice lemon and honey drink?  Our baby lemon tree has just produced it’s very first lemon!

Our very first lemon

My patient does seem a little better today, but the poor dear was really quite miserable over the last couple of days.  I hope those germs realise that Man Flu is for men only, and should definitely not be a trans gender disease and jump over to me!  Oh well, it must be time to put the kettle on again.  Would you like a nice hot drink and a home baked cookie, dear?

Trying to stay Tidy

My sewing room is tidy, my sewing machine is all packed away in it’s cabinet and the room as a whole has never looked so good.  I’ve imposed a self ban on machining this week.  But why, you may well ask?  Several lots of visitors are calling in to see us and our new home this week, who have not been here before.  So I don’t really want to show them through the house and take them into a sewing room with things every which way, as they tend to be.  Just a few days more, then I can liberate my sewing machine and make as much mess as I want to.  (Yesterday’s visitors brought us two jars of home made plum jam, which is most appreciated).

So I’ve been finding things to do this week which don’t involve the sewing machine.  Recently I spent the afternoon cutting, snipping and pressing my ultra suede project together.  But I’m not 100% happy with how it all turned out so this project needs some more time spent making some adjustments.

Today, for a change, I’ve been on the computer working on my quilt documentation.  All the current finishes have been photographed, written about, printed off, and filed away in my special folder.  But I’m still working my way through the details of some older quilts.  Like my “Memories of Misty” quilt, which was made to commemorate our previous cat, Misty.  This was a friendship quilt, and I asked my overseas quilting pen friends, local quilters,  family and friends to make me a signed block or two for my quilt.  Cosy warm wool batting was used in this, and it is my quilt of choice for our bed during winter.

Wrapped in in my  Memories of Misty quilt

This quilt was completed back in 2001 – you could probably guess this quilt has been around for some time, by the colour of my hair in this photo!  I’m much greyer now.  Wonder if that means I’m wiser as well as older?