Stitched Sewing Bird for Kate

 My great niece Kate is turning 25 and having a get together to celebrate this milestone with friends and family.  Sadly we are unable to travel up to Hastings to join in the fun, as we had planned.  My son Michael turns 60 this month (gulp, how did that happen?) and we will be having a short caravan trip  down to the South Island to see him.  

I made Kate a cushion for her birthday and sent it up by mail.  She received it the following day, that was really quick, I though.  Kate likes blue, and she is one of those clever girls who can stitch hexagons together with ease - I'm sure I couldn't do that.  

The cushion features a pretty little stitchery of a sewing bird, which I had done some time ago.  It was sitting waiting patiently to be made into something and I'm sure it is one of  Michelle Ridgeway's lovely designs.

Happy Birthday to Kate

Donations, and Lunch with SLG Friends

It was time for our monthly lunch with our Super Leisure Group (SLG) friends, and Calvin had arranged for us to meet down at Porirua.  That suited us fine, as on the way I could do a donation drop off at Paraparaumu Beach, on the way to Porirua.  So I packed up some goodies for Foster Hope, and we set off bright and early.  These had been finished some time ago, and were waiting patiently to be delivered.

Three draw string bags for toiletries or pencils

Three toddlers aprons, a woolly beanie and two pencil cases with pencils

Two quilts, one for a boy with Happy blocks, and one for a girl with floral nine patches

These were handed over to the local Lotto and book shop which accepts donations for Foster Hope.

We had plenty of time to spare before our lunch date so parked up on Paraparaumu Beach for a while.  The tide was out, and empty several boat trailers attested that a  few fishermen were out to sea.  Sea gulls were busy calling and it's always nice to see Kapiti Island offshore.  Robin remarked that when he was truck driving for Toops he often used to park up on this beach during his lunch break.

Kapiti Island off shore

Then it was time to continue with our journey down to Porirua to meet our friends.  This was at a "new to us" cafe in Mitre 10 hardware store, and it certainly was busy.  Just as well that Calvin had booked a table for us.  There was a further donation at the cafe.  You may remember that I had gifted Trish's GGD Charlotte a quilt featuring pretty unicorns a while ago.  With some of the unicorn panels left over, I stitched up three unicorn cushions recently, and gave this one to Trish to pass on to Charlotte as a little extra.  

Trish with a cushion for Charlotte

As usual, we had plenty to chat about as we checked out the menu and the cabinet food.  The cafe was humming with customers.  Then it was time for the draw.  Our group originally started with 12 members, so the draw was done annually.  Sadly, with only five remaining SLG members the drawing of the months comes around much more regularly.  The name of the months we each organise our outing were pulled out of a cup, and notated, always very necessary in case we forget.  Robin's month is September, so he will have to put his thinking cap on and decide where we will meet.  In the group's early years we were all so much more actine, and went for tramps up and down hills, along beaches, and walked through fancy gardens which were open to the public.  These days with our various sore knees, backs, feet etc we just meet somewhere for lunch.

Helen, Calvin, Robin, Jenny and Trish

It's always so nice to get together and Trish had brought along some photos of our escapades from earlier years.  Goodness me, not a grey hair in sight back then!  Many thanks to Calvin for planning our day.

The following day I received an unexpected phone call from a lady thanking me for the donations, and the quilts in particular.  She is the founder of a group "Grandparents raising Grandchildren" and obviously works alongside the Foster Hope charity.  She told me she was very impressed with my thoughtful donations and told me she was going to take the two quilts to use in her own group.  I commented that I had no problem with that, and also that she was the only person ever to acknowledge my donations that I had made over the years.  She was astounded by this, and thanked me profusely, explaining what her group did, and how many grandparents end up taking care of the grandies for various reasons, usually drinking and drugs.  I'm sure like all who donate to good causes, I don't do it for thanks, but as I always leave a note inside the bags with my phone and email details, would just like to be acknowledged.  

   

Sew Wot Tuesday

Sew Wot Tuesday had rolled around again, and this time we met at Jude's home.  It was good to see Mary again, she is in recovery mode and getting better.  Jude showed us her new mystery quilt, a Kaffe Fasset design in pretty blues.  That will keep her busy for a while.  

Jude was first up with the Show and Tell too.  She had a wonderfully graphic quilt back from the commercial quilter, and what a beauty it was.  I  rather like the way she did the borders too.  There is just the binding to be done, and then it will be going to a grandson.

Jude's quilt for her grandson

Helen showed  us   a boy's jumper she had made with interesting patterns in the various stripes.  Well worth a closer look as it was passed around the group.

Helen's knitting

The only other Show and Tell was mine.  One item was being sent away as a birthday gift, so I won't show that till I know it has been received.  And the other was my recently completed selvedge bag.

My selvedge bag

There was a lot of knitting going on as we chatted away, and looked through some magazines looking for a new home.  Then the tea trolly was wheeled in, full of tasty goodies for morning tea.

Our delicious  morning tea

We were kept entertained watching the family dog racing around outside through the window, he is a gorgeous  young blue merle Border Collie and full of energy.  He picked up a shoe, and off he went, round and round the front garden.  Then he found an item of clothing, that was just as much fun as the shoe.  Jude was kept busy trying to rescue these items.

It was another lovely morning, thanks so much Jude.  I won't be at the next Sew Wots morning, we will be away on a short South Island trip.

High Tea

 What a delightful afternoon we had.  My friend Dot and I attended the Daffodil Day High Tea, a fundraiser for the Cancer Society.

There were raffles on sale, so I purchased tickets in several gift baskets, they always look enticing.  And there was a sales table too, manned by the volunteer ladies from the Cancer Society.  I bought two jars of homemade jam, plus some shortbread biscuits.  All for a good cause.

The beautifully decorated tables soon filled up.  

Fancy cups and saucers were set out at each place setting.  And a little later, the food arrived.  Sandwhiches, and savouries first, then the fancy tiered cake plates arrived with little dainty cakes and slices.  Plus scones with jam and cream, and delicious sticky chocolate eclairs.  We certainly didn't go hungry.

Lots of tasty goodies

Pupils from the local High School were busy refilling our cups with tea or coffee, and brought the food out to each table.  

The tea and coffee brigade

Our Mayor, Bernie Wanden was MC for the afternoon.  He spoke of the dedication of the Cancer Society volunteers, and everyone else who helped with the food, raffles, kitchen duties, and thanked us all for coming to support the fund raising afternoon.

Dot and Jenny

It was a lovely afternoon indeed.  And as for those raffles - no luck at all, I didn't win a thing.

What's on the Table?

Another tablecloth, another story.  This tablecloth was purchased as a kit, way back in the mists of time.  So long ago I can't even remember where and when I bought it.  I thought it was lovely, the design was marked on the linen fabric, the lace edging was attached, and all the threads were ready and waiting.  But, I'm not really an embroiderer, and long ago I decided that I really didn't like working with stranded threads.  So the kit sat, lonely and forgotten, and I seem to remember it was discovered when we moved homes from the Hutt Valley to here in in Levin.

Several years ago I asked my daughter Nicky  if she was interested and would take it off my hands.  Yes, she said, took it away, and out of sight, out of mind, I forgot about it again.  I presumed that she would perhaps stitch it and keep it for herself.  She diligently stitched away, and presented it back to me a while ago as a birthday gift, or maybe Christmas.    I was speechless

 Hand embroidered by my daughter Nicky

There is such a lot of work in this, it must have taken her ages.  I really appreciate each and every one of those stitches she made, this gift is so beautiful.

Orange blocks for Rainbow Scrap Challenge

 Orange is the RSC colour of the month.  How much orange do I have, I wondered?  Not too much but enough to make some blocks.  First up were some Hollow Nine blocks.  I'm only using cut squares tucked away in a small bag.  There were enough little squares to make two orange blocks, and then I found some cream squares to make two more blocks.  That will do for August.

Hollow Nines

I've used up the final  previously prepared four patch blocks this month, to turn them into bordered four patches.  There are spots, cats, flowers and afternoon tea settings.  Guess I'll need a count up and see if there are enough blocks stitched for a small donation quilt.

Bordered four patches

There was only one more block set to work on, Happy blocks.  Wonder if there is anything in orange tones in my collection of 5 inch squares?  Only three - orange pumpkins, orange sheep, and pale orange/cream batik leaves.  

Happy Blocks

So that's all I have in orange this month.  Happy stitching everyone.

Sew Wot Tuesday

 I was the hostess this week so I didn't have to venture out in the wet weather, just wait till the guests arrived.  Two of our friends couldn't make it so there were just 5 of us this time.

Heather, Jude, Helen and Carol

Show and tell is always exciting, so nice to see what the others have been busy making,  Carol had knitted another baby woolly set for donation, a warm and cozy vest and matching teddy in orange yarn for some lucky little baby to take home from hospital.

Carol's baby knitting

Helen brought along a couple of house blocks she had made for the quilt club challenge. There are all sorts of details in these.   Ooops, the photos won't turn around.

Helen's house blocks

Heather had found an assortment of cat fabrics trucked away which she put together to make a donation quilt.  This is nice and cuddly with a pink fleece backing.  Some cat loving child is sure to love snuggling up with this.

Heathers cat quilt for donation

And I had brought out my recently finished children's unicorn cushions I had made.  These will be donated too.

My children's cushions

Morning tea was served but I forgot to take a photo.  But I'd made some delicious hot cheese rolls, a South Island delicacy, warm and tasty on a rather chilly morning.  As well as chatting the morning away, most of us were busy knitting and Heather was adding stitches to her pretty pink Kawandi piece, which will eventually get made into a bag.

Heather's stitching

We had a lovely morning together, and it was so nice to host the Sew Wots here at our home.