Out and About

We've been away on a caravan trip for the last week or so.  Our destination was Cambridge, and we had a nice leisurely time getting there.  The first stop was the Gumtree Motorhome Park at Taihape.     Checking out the sign, I wondered what the overseas visitors would think, there are no koalas in New Zealand.  Although there were plenty of gum trees in the park.

Gemma travels quite well in the car, but I suspect she just puts up with it.  But once we get to our destination, she bounds into the caravan, jumps up on the bed, and relaxes.  She heard some magpies calling and was keen to check them out through the caravan windows.

Those are very big birds, Mum

Then we moved on to Taupo for two nights.  The iconic Love Taupo sign was still there, but not so easy to get to with the road changes and no parking available in front of the sign these days.  Tourists love taking their photos in front of this sign, so I was lucky to snap it with no one in front as we drove slowly by.

Love Taupo sign on the lake side

I had read about the award winning new Taupo Airport building, so we went inside to have a coffee and check it out.  The interior of the building reflects the local area.  Huge rimu logs salvaged from Pureroa Forest are a feature, as is the mauri stone that came from Tauhara Quarry.  Giant photos of majestic scenery adorn the walls.  It is certainly very well done.

Inside Taupo Airport building

The following day we pulled into the Cambridge Race Course, to meet up with the International Caravan Club (ICA) group for our four day rally.  This group come from different parts of the North Island and only have 3-4 rallies each year.  It was great to catch up with them all again.  Most of this group have motor-homes, we are one of two caravans attending.  Once settled, we joined the others in the large circle out in the wintry sunshine. 

Meeting up in Cambridge

The following morning we all headed off to the Muscle Car Garage, and the petrol heads in the group were in seventh heaven.  Inside the museum was a multitude of bright shiny cars and motorbikes.  Racing cars and street cars galore - where to start looking, there was so much on display.  The walls and ceilings were decorated with posters, and there was an assortment of car related items dotted around.

Such a lot on display

I’d had enough of being on my feet by this stage so went back to the main hall to sit down.  Robin joined me on the shiny sofa by the 60s style Milk Bar, just a pity it wasn't open and serving milk shakes.  There were plenty of photos of rock bands on the wall which I recognized.

Ready to sit down

The final evening at our rally was the celebration “0 and  5” dinner, all about sharing with those of our members who are celebrating big birthdays and anniversaries during the year, ending in an 0 or 5.  After our meal the names were called out.  Birthdays first, up they came to be handed a gorgeous hand made card.  Anniversaries were next, and we were called up, along with others, as we are celebrating our 40th anniversary later this year.  Of course there was a cake to share as well.

The anniversary couples

Our beautiful hand made keepsake

The rain had set in overnight, and the next morning the ground was sodden.  Everyone was packing up to leave but some of the large motor homes had a little trouble and needed help to get off the wet slushy grass.  No problem, Robin was happy to help again. With the strop in place, it was a matter of gently, gently, and the motor home was pulled off the grass and onto the shingle.  It was lucky that we had a car and could help.

Robin pulling the motor-home off the grass

The weather conditions were checked the following morning, a winter storm was travelling up the country, with cold temperatures, wind, rain and snow  forecast.  That was a worry, but we would just take it easy and drive carefully.   We saw several groups of snow ploughs parked up on the Desert Road, ready and waiting for the snow to fall.  That’s not something we ever see down where we live.

Waiting to clear the snow fall

The snow did fall as we drove along, falling  soft and sludgy on the windscreen.  And the temperature dropped lower and lower, right down to –1C.  Goodness me, that’s rather cold for us.  There was no chance of getting a glimpse of Mt Ruapehu in these conditions with the clouds so low.

Once past Waiouru the temps started to slowly rise and we left the low clouds, rain and sleet  behind us.  We decided to stop at Flat Hills for lunch, but a bus load of passengers beat us to the lunch counter, so we tagged onto the end of the queue.  This is just one of three buses which stop here each day for lunch, we were told, which must make such a difference to the turnover, I imagine.  As it was such a chilly day I was so pleased to see soup on the menu.  So it was pumpkin soup for me, a steak and cheese pie for him, a nice hot coffee each, and we shared a piece of carrot cake.

Sitting by the fire at the café for lunch

A couple of hours later we were pulling into our village.  I don’t know how Gemma always knows when she is almost home, but she does.  The caravan was unpacked and put away in its parking area, the first load of laundry was put on, and we sat and had a cuppa.  It was good to arrive home safe and sound, and luckily the expected bad weather did not arrive during our trip.

Winter Solstice

It’s the winter solstice here – the shortest day and the longest night.  You know what that means – it’s time to change the seasonal quilts.  Down came the Autumn wall-hanging, to be replaced with Welcome Winter.  I know we don't have the hardship of snow on the ground where we live here in New Zealand, but I rather like this little wintry piece.  It was a kit sent to me by my quilting penfriend from South Dakota.

Welcome Winter

International Maples has been hung over the sofa, and the black background makes it a winter quilt in my eyes.  This was a block swap I took part in, with blocks arriving from Australia, Canada, USA and Indonesia, with two stitched by me.  And I machine quilted this quilt.

International Maples

And across the back of the other sofa is another Maple Leaf quilt.  These blocks were received during a birthday block swap I took part in some years ago.  We were put into a group of twelve, and stitched blocks for each of us as the appropriate birthday months arrived.  We could request which particular block we would like to receive.  I wanted maple leaf blocks and supplied the background fabric, and machine quilted this one as well.  This sofa is right under the heat pump and Gemma often arranges herself along the top in the winter.

Gemma on the Maple Leaf quilt

On the bed is my winter House Cats quilt, nice and cozy with wool batting.  This is a real oldie, and the first quilt I ever got commercially quilted.  I love this photo, Gemma is asleep on the cat quilt, which was made to honour our part chinchilla cat Misty when she died, with her head on the cushion which has a picture of our previous Birman Muffy. The three cats were not related, but this seems like a three generation cat picture to me.

Gemma on the cat quilt

After some glorious weather winter has decided to make it’s presence felt.  Today is cloudy, windy, and definitely chilly.  The heat pump has been on all day, it’s been a good day to stay tucked up inside doing a little knitting.

Sew Wot Tuesday

These Sew Wot Tuesdays always seem to roll around very quickly.  This time we gathered at Jude’s home, just a reasonably short drive away for me.  Mind you, I still like to have guidance from the Sat Nav, just on case.  I’ve got a reputation for being navigationally challenged, you know.

It was a nice crowd, with only one of our members unable to join us today.  The fire was lit, and we sat and chatted while we organised our show and tell.  Sandra had completed a quilt top, using Jude's pattern of a pinwheel variation.  Lots of little bits and pieces in this, and I rather like the pieced border.

Sandra's pinwheel variation top

Heather then showed us a gorgeous fair isle jumper she had just completed for her great grand daughter, just in time for winter.  I really admired the yoke, so clever to be able to knit in the round like this. 

Beautiful knitting by Heather

Carol had quite a pile of knitting to show us.  Three sets of vests and matching hats, plus two little knitted toys, all for donation.  I really don’t know how she gets so much done, what with the sewing up and stuffing to do as well.

Carol’s lovely knitting

After seeing Mary’s lovely grey and white  crocheted blanket, Jude decided to make one as well.  Here is  her version using a pretty variegated yarn.

Beautiful work by Jude

As always, there was plenty to chat about, and news to catch up.  The tea trolley was wheeled out mid morning, brimming with goodies, as usual.  We certainly don't go hungry, do we.

Thanks so much to Jude for being our hostess today, I always so enjoy these mornings together.

Noah, Giraffes, and Family Visits

Sunday mornings here always start with a cooked breakfast, which is Robin’s task.  This morning he cooked up some bacon and eggs.  Always a good start to a lazy Sunday morning when things aren't too rushed.

My stitchery block of Noah and his giraffes needed finishing, so I sat and stitched for a wee while today.  There, that’s one more block from my Noah’s Ark stitchery completed.  I had a count up and there are only two more blocks left to do.

Hello Noah

I’ve also been plodding away on my navy cardigan, I’m not a fast knitter at all, but I’m OK with that.  The button bands on the fronts have now been finished, and I’m almost up to the underarm shaping on the sleeves.  So it’s moving along slowly.

Two sleeves at once

My son Michael flew up from Christchurch to photograph a dance competition in Wellington over the weekend.  WE last met up earlier in the year when we were traveling the South Island on our caravan trip.  He borrowed his Dad’s car and drove up to see us on Friday.  Michael was lamenting the fact that next year he is having a BIG birthday, where have all the years gone?

Michael and his Mum

I didn't realise that my daughter Nicky had also traveled to Wellington for the weekend.  She had come down to take part in an advanced sewing class and called in to see us on her way home today, Sunday.

With daughter Nicky

So how about that – a visit from each of my children.  Adult children do lead busy lives, it was so nice to see them both.  It doesn't take too much to make a Mum happy, does it.

More Blue Stitching

There was one more Rainbow Scrap Challenge project to work on this week, my Horizon blocks in blacks and greys.  I'm making this donation quilt to suit an older boy, and adding splashes of colour as required each month.  These are nice simple blocks, so very suitable for RSC blocks.

Horizon blocks with blue

With these blocks out of the way, I had time to work on another blue project.  This one started with a fat quarter of Artic wildlife, which came from my neighbour’s Dorothy’s stash.  Much too nice to cut up into smaller pieces, I decided..  A few borders, and there, a cot quilt size.  The internal cream border features happy looking polar bears cavorting around, a long ago gift from Canada, and I’m pleased at last to have a place to use it.

I’ve already got another donation quilt pinned up ready to be machine quilted, so this one will have to patiently wait it’s turn.

Flitting from this to that

Although I always seem to be busy with my projects, I have to admit that I’ve been flitting from one thing to the other over the last week.  So consequently, nothing really gets finished.  With my knitting, I've been working on the sleeves of my navy blue cardigan, then also on the button hole bands as well.  Then I’ve two pair of socks on the go, sometimes I work on one set, later I work on the other.  I've been doing a little machining here and there, working on a couple of projects.  So nothing much to show at all.

And then, with the weather being so nice and mild lately, I’ve been sitting outside on the patio to work on my Noah’s Ark stitchery.  Sure, the temperatures are lower, but the days have been sunny without any wind, so it’s hard to imagine that Winter starts next week.

We had a day out in Kapiti the other day, with a list of  several things to do. I dropped off another quilt for Foster Hope, this one is for a girl and I’m sure it will find a good home before winter starts biting.

Donated to Foster Hope

The sun was shining, and it was a beautiful day. With the chores ticked off the list, and lunch time fast approaching – fish and chips on the beach sounded rather appealing.  So that’s that we did.  Robin used to eat his lunch in his truck on this beach occasionally when he was driving for Toops, back in the day, so knew just the spot to drive to.  That’s Kapiti Island off the beach.  Those greedy demanding sea gulls didnt get a single chip from us, our lunch was so delicious we ate them all.

Lunch on Paraparaumu Beach

What was happening, we wondered, as a workman started laying a line of traffic cones down the beach.  It all became clear when he started up a yellow digger.  He was going to cut another channel for the stream which dribbled into the sea.  Goodness knows how long that will last once the tide comes in.  All this activity kept us interested for a while.

Digging at the beach

I really fancied a hot drink after our lunch on the beach, and the best place to get one in Kapiti was Butlers Chocolate Café in Paraparaumu Mall.  So decadent and delicious, plus they are served with hand crafted chocolate as well.  What a lovely conclusion to our lunch.

So delicious

RSC Sewing Blue

It’s blue again for those taking part in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) stitching.  No problem for me, I’ve got plenty of blue fabric here, so I got busy making some Little Bricks.  I'm working on two different quilts using the little bricks pattern.   I stitched a row of my zig zag bricks in dark blue, then made six of the original design in lighter blue.

Little bricks

Then came the Happy Blocks, such a fun and easy block to make.  Once again, I’m making blocks for two kiddies quilts, one each for a little boy and girl.  This time I found 5in squares featuring some comic looking insects, an elephant, pukekos, and an aeroplane for a boy, and cup cakes and flowers for a girl.  I really enjoy making these, selecting the appropriate coloured square and fabric to frame it.  My pile of boys squares are just about finished, but I have plenty for girls, enough for another couple of quilts at least.

Happy Blocks for children