Weekend at Pohangina Valley

We had a busy and very interesting time over Waitangi weekend at our caravan club weekend away, staying at the pretty Pohangina School Reserve.  Sited in the old school grounds, and surrounded by lovely old trees, this is a favourite place of ours to stay.  The weather was perfect, but then, February is usually a great month weather-wise here in New Zealand.

Staying at Pohangina School Reserve

There was a very full weekend of activities planned, so only a little stitching got done.  Plus a little knitting, although I pulled out what I had started and went down a needle size as I thought it looked too loose.  So I’m starting again, but I’m much happier with the tension.

A little knitting got done

On our trip up we stopped at the track to the viewing platform at the Wind Farm, and  I came across these two kereru sitting on top of the fence.  And managed to snap a photo before they realised I was there and flew away.  The kereru or New Zealand pigeon is the only pigeon endemic to the New Zealand mainland, a big heavy bird which gorges itself on the berries from native trees.

Two kereru sunning themselves

Have you heard of the Hat Game?  Rather like Musical Chairs for oldies, but instead of racing around we stayed seated in a circle.  Everyone except one person was given a hat to wear, and as the music played the idea was to remove the hat from the head in front and place it on your head, over and over again.  Once the music stopped the person without a hat left the circle, which got smaller and smaller, until it was a fight to the death with the last two players, who were now facing each other. 

Reaching for those hats

Kath and I were in the final round, with Cath being the eventual winner.  Such a fun game, for players and onlookers alike.

Myself and Cath in the finals

The next morning kicked off with a Champagne Breakfast.  Everyone was up bright and early to fire up the BBQs for bacon, eggs, sausages, whatever took their fancy.  One couple cooked up some pancakes, served with blueberries and whipped cream, that looked so nice.

Enjoying our Champagne Breakfast

In the afternoon there was yet another social occasion, Devonshire Tea at the local café, Country Fayre,  just a short walk from where we were camped.  The tea rooms are run by a bunch of very dedicated volunteers, doing their bit to keep the Pohangina Village viable.  The café also sells a range of cheeses from local cheesemakers, Cartwheel Creamery, and I purchased an interesting selection to take back home, including a piece of their interesting “Blue Rhapsody”, I’m sure it will taste as good as it sounds.  The café building was the former Pohangina County Council rooms, and we were seated at the rather impressive boardroom table.  

Scones with jam and cream served at Country Fayre

There were the usual quizzes and games in the evenings to keep our brains active.  One evening we were invited, if we wished, to give a short 5 minute talk about aspects of our lives, which others may not necessarily know.  Geoff talked about how he and his parents happened to make the decision to emigrate from England to New Zealand, they were advised that New Zealand was a tropical country and they would not need winter clothes of coats – not true, of course, while others talked about their early working lives.  I spoke about my life when I ran a dairy (corner shop) with my former husband and two young children.  Getting up at 5.00am, and closing the shop doors at 9.00pm, it was a very busy and rather stressful time in my life. 

Our beautiful Birman Gemma always seems to enjoy our caravan weekends away.  Safely tethered with her harness and lead, she likes to venture out into the great outdoors.  There are birds to watch, insects to pounce on, and what’s this, someone left the outside locker door open.  That’s worth exploring, she thinks.

What’s in here, I wonder?

And this is what she gets up to while I am sitting at the caravan table while I’m busy blogging.  The lap top case makes a great place for a snooze, she thinks.

I’ll watch the bag while you are tapping away

First Sew Wot Meeting of the Year

It’s been a long time coming, but today was the first Sew Wot get-together of the year.  I had the honour of being the hostess, and our little home was packed with a bunch of happy stitchers.  It was a full house, with all the usual suspects, plus we welcomed two new members, (another) Jenny, and Sandra.  Gemma greeted all the visitors with a sniff or two, then settled down for a snooze on the dining chair, with her head tucked away under the table cloth. 

Who cares about the visitors?

I had acquired some rolls of silky tie fabric going free late last year from Sander Tie Co in Otaki and had them out on display to see if anyone was interested.  Yes, some of them were, so lengths were cut and stowed away in the ladies bags to take home.  Some of the fabric would be suitable for lining bags, I think, and I’m pleased that some of it is going to new homes.

Ready to share

Show and Tell is always fun, and Helen showed us all the tiny baby hats she had knitted recently for the hospital – so tiny, with some a little bigger, and all for a good cause.

Helen’s knitting

Mary had been providing us with heart block patterns over the last coupe of months – sadly mine had been put on hold.  But Carol had made completed quilt for herself, and stitched another top together for her daughter, done in Christmas fabrics.

Carol’s been stitching Christmas

Moira had completed her heart quilt too, stitched in the muted “old rose” colours that she prefers.  It is all pinned up and she has started hand quilting.

Moira’s Heart quilt

Heather had made her second Cat quilt from printed blocks, this one in lovely rich shades of coffee and cream – this will be donated to the Hospice.  There were still plenty of these cute cat blocks left over, so she presented us all with one each and set us a challenge, to make something with them!  No time frame, just take them off her hands and use them up.

Heather’s Cat quilt

So what else was happening?  Most of the ladies were doing some knitting, myself included.  Mary was working on a stitchery, Moira was starting a new Sashiko project, and our new member Jenny was embroidering foxgloves.

Jenny’s foxgloves

There was a box of lace and old doilies doing the rounds, thanks Heather,  and I took a couple to recycle, possibly to use as quilt labels.  Very pretty, here they are with my cat block from Heather.

I’m giving these treasures a new home

It was so nice to catch up with everyone today, and welcome our two new ladies to the group.  Sadly, I will be way for the next two fortnightly meetings as we are off on another three week caravan safari shortly.  With a different group, and a different itinerary than our last trip, but we will be returning to a couple of places we had been to recently.  It’s sure to be another fun caravan trip away.

Colour Point Cats

With the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2020 underway, I decided to make fairly simple blocks for two charity (donation) quilts, and then, although I really should know better, to work on something for me.  This third pattern involves both curved piecing and foundation piecing – would it all prove too much, I wondered? Firstly, I had to take the pattern down to Warehouse Stationery to get multiple copies made.  The shop was really busy, it was just before the schools opened after the long summer break, and was full of harried looking parents and school kids getting their stationery requirements for the new year.  I remember buying books, pencils, stationery for my own two children many years ago.

It took me a while to come to grips with the foundation piecing, it all seems rather back to front to me, which it is, of course.  But then I was soon into the rhythm of cut a piece of fabric, pin it in place, make sure it will cover the next sewing line and adjust if necessary, stitch along the line, fold back and trim, then press in place – and do this all over again.  Slow but steady, I eventually got there.  And as orange had already been announced as February’s colour, I stitched two blocks at once.

Stitching arcs

I cut all the pieces out for the cats, one green and one orange, and did have a moment when I wondered how I would get the curved pieces fitted together.  Just as well I checked the instructions, I had to match the dots, and it all went together fairly smoothly, using lots of pins to hold the pieces in place.  And look, I now have two completed colour point cats!

My two cats

They will need faces of course, and I’m really pleased with how they turned out.  I’m calling them Birmans, like our Gemma.  I know this breed comes in all sorts of colour points with cream, orange, blue, lilac, chocolate, or seal point like our Gemma – although I’m not too sure about green cats. 

My very first taste of foundation piecing was quite some years ago, and I didn't date it, sadly.  This was done at a night class, and stitched over pre printed cotton strip.  I remember the teacher calling them Marvelous Minis at the time, and she had brought the strips back from one of the big quilt shows in USA.  Robin had a large silver grey cat called Mistie when we met, so once we married, I became her new Mum.  This little mini was done in honour of Mistie.

Pink and Grey Cats, this hangs in our bedroom

First Finish of 2020

Its a small cot quilt, so didn't take too long at all.  The top was already constructed, so it was just a matter of smoothing the three layers and pinning it together.  Gemma always like to help when a quilt is on the floor.  After all, cats seem to think, isn't that what it is all about, just for them.  Then I spent some quality time over several afternoons at the sewing machine, doing some easy straight line quilting with my walking foot, and a few wavy lines in the borders.

Quilting time

When it was time for a break, Gemma was on (sleeping) duty making sure those diggers and bull-dozers didn't run amuck.

Keeping an eye on things while I was absent

Yesterday I applied the binding by machine to the front of the quilt, and had a happy time hand stitching it  down on the back.   Sitting at the table with the sunshine filtering through the windows - I always enjoy this part of the process.  Then it was photo time.

Boy’s cot quilt

As mentioned earlier, I’m finishing off quilt tops started in 2019 from my List of Six.  This is from Number 3, Horse Panel Quilt, when I decided to make two for one and assemble the digger squares as leader and enders, while I was stitching the panel together.  Hope that makes sense to you.

So I have a choice of what to finish next.  Shall it be the horse panel quilt, or maybe a pretty little girl’s cot quilt also made leader and ender style?  (You can tell I do like this method of stitching smaller pieces together, you always seem to get so much done without too much effort.)   I don't think I've shared working photos of this cot quilt.  Either one, they will both be completed before I make a new list for 2020. 

Big Stitch Quilting and Mail

This is “slow stitching” alright with the emphasis on slow………  Probably because this project only gets picked up and worked on every now and again.  But I’m OK with that, it will be done when it’s done.  And now I’ve completed big stitch quilting block number eight (of nine),  the New Zealand Clematis.

NZ Clematis block

All the lovely designs in my  New Zealand Botanical blocks were designed by Jenny Hunter as applique blocks, but I traced them out to do as stitcheries.   As the white flowers in this block tended to merge into my pale green background fabric, I decided to outline around them.

The mail man brought me an exciting little Christmas parcel, from pen friend Carol of South Dakota, just recently received as we have been away over the holidays for several weeks.  Inside were  Christmas ornaments selection preprinted onto a long fabric strip, all ready to stitch.   Carol had kindly fused  wool to the little designs as applicable, which makes it so much easier for me when I start on this project.  These designs can also be made into a small wall-hanging.  More slow stitching -  I’m  going to have fun working on these little darlings. 

From Carol, thanks so much

Going Green

This is my second year of taking part in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, organised by Angela of Sew Scrappy.  I really enjoyed my inaugural year so I’m raring to go again.  The only problem is deciding what to make from all the designs and patterns I have printed off!  Finally, the decision has been made, I’ve been looking through my scraps, and some blocks have been sewn.

The colour chosen for January is light/bright green.  First I made some checkerboard blocks, eventually to become a donation quilt for a boy.  I’m doing the suggested colour with white, as it will be for a boy no pink or flower prints will be allowed!  All the blocks will be edged with a black and white print.  Once the pieces are cut and prepared, this is a nice easy block to make.

Green checkerboard blocks

Next up were butterfly blocks for a girls donation quilt.  A little more fiddly to make, with some smaller pieces, and I now have three green butterflies ready to spread their wings. The butterflies will need strips around the blocks, I think, but maybe I’ll wait till they are all done and I’m ready to assemble them.   I think the secret with these RSC blocks is to get everything cut and prepared earlier  then sit and do the stitching another day.  That’s what I’ll be doing.

Three green butterflies

Believe it or not, but I have a third RSC project – this one will be for me.  It involves some foundation piecing, and I’m yet to start, so wish me luck.  I just hope the design is not too ambitious for me – I’ll keep you posted.

Home Again

As much as we love being away in the caravan, it’s always nice to return home safe and sound after a trip away.  That’s what I think, anyway, Robin said he would be happy to stay away even longer!  My first job was to put the Christmas stuff away.  Down came the Christmas wall hangings and table runner, the wreath, my cheeky Santas were packed away, as were my trio of “golden” trees which adorn the small window sill.  These were replaced with the more usual brass jugs, after I’d given them a quick clean.  I didn't put out all my ornaments this year, as we were going away for three weeks straight after Christmas.  Everything is now back in the crates, which need to be taken back up to the loft.  And Gemma has settled down to being at home again.  Here she is stretched out in front of the big sitting room windows, soaking up the warm sunshine streaming in.

Gemma is happy to be home

So what else have I been doing?  Checking out my projects for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge was top of the list.  I had to decide on exactly what I wanted to stitch, and had several designs to choose from.  Maybe I can do one or other of the designs the following year for RSC.   And sorted out some green fabrics.  Hope to get stitching those greens in the next day or so.

Remember my “Roll the Dice” trick to pick a UFO project each week?  It’s certainly been a while.   I’ve decided to complete those “”half done” items which have been hanging around before I start the list again for 2020.  First up is the baby boy (donation) cot quilt with diggers hard at work – big boys toys for a little boy.  Gemma thinks she is helping me layer the quilt on the floor!  This will get some simple straight line quilting with my walking foot. 

Baby boy quilt

I’ve got roast chicken in the oven and it smells divine.  After plenty of BBQ meals and salads while we were away, it’s nice to have something slow cooked again.