Out and About

We are away on another caravan trip, this time for three weeks, from Urenui in New Plymouth down to Waikanae with the ICA (International Caravan Assoc) group.  I’ve found time to do some handwork, stitching a little more on the tea towels I’m making for my grand-daughters.  I’ve got this far on the pink one, and still have the boy fish slice to stitch.

Tea towel stitchery

I’ve got my knitting bag with me, and thought it would be a good opportunity to start stitching up a pair of burgundy socks I completed a while ago.  This task is not quite finished, but I’m getting there.  And if these socks look familiar, it’s probably because I’ve showed the current pair I’m knitting, in the same wool.  I’d always intended to knit two pairs, one for me and one to gift.

Burgundy Socks

There's been plenty of interesting things to see while we’ve been travelling.  While in New Plymouth we drove down to see the lovely Te Rewa Rewa bridge, shaped like the ribs of a whale.  Arriving there we came to a glorious photo of Mt Taranaki framed by the bridge with the words “We’re giving the bridge a face lift but don't want you to miss a pic.  Take a photo of yourself with this backdrop until the real one reopens”.  So we did.  Was the bridge closed, we wondered, as we walked around the path.  No, it wasn’t but there were signs where work had been started on repainting the structure.  Streams of bikers whizzed past, and walkers ambled over the bridge, while we waited a turn to get a picture.  The mountain is there, but very hard to see on a cloudy day and without a snowy top, so this is a much better view.

Such n unusual bridge structure

Stopping at the local butcher down town we were amused to see the door handle going into the shop.  A meat cleaver, no less!  We certainly hadn't seen a door handle like this before. Here we purchased some sausages and black pudding.  The black pudding ended up as part of our BBQed Sunday breakfast.

Cleaver handle and BBQ breakfast

On our final morning in New Plymouth one of our group mentioned that there was a police dog training  close to where we were camping.  So I walked up and asked if I could take a photo of the dog.  Guess an old lady on a walking stick didn’t look too threatening to those big strong policemen and the dog.  No problem at all, the handler walked his dog over closer to the fence and instructed him to get down, so I could take a quick photo.  He certainly was a fine looking animal and posed nicely for me.

Handsome police dog

Then we were on our way, following Surf Highway 45.  This is quite an interesting road, passing several small beach towns on the way.  Oakura Beach holds special memories for Robin, as he spent quite some time at this surf beach in his younger years doing Surf Life Saving training.  We stopped for lunch at Cape Egmont Boating Club, pulling into a large grassy area.  The boat club has a replica lighthouse attached, which also serves as a museum, not open when we were there as it it run by volunteers on an occasional basis.

Replica Lighthouse at Cape Egmont

After a relaxing lunch we continued on our way around the coast to Opunake, passing hundreds of small rounded hills in the paddocks, as far as the eye could see..  These were created by ancient lahars flowing from Mount Taranaki.  A lahar is a rapidly flowing mixture of rock debris and water (other than normal streamflow) originating from a volcano.  New Zealand is dotted with volcanoes, and the experts say no volcano can ever be declared extinct.

Ancient lahar mounds

We are currently staying at the Opunake Beach Holiday Park for several days, and on arrival I made a beeline to the laundry.  You know me, doing the laundry is a necessary part of my life, on holiday or not.  The camp clothesline was behind the laundry and in the shade, so Robin erected my dinky little traveling clothesline for me.

Happiness is clean washing

Gemma seems to enjoy the caravan life.  She was determined to get into my tiny caravan wardrobe, it didn't matter that shoes and my bag were on the wardrobe floor.  She was getting in there, by hook or by crook!  I can’t imagine it was very comfy lying there, but she got her way.

Hunkered down in the wardrobe

I may not get a lot of stitching done while we are traveling, but there are sure to be adventures on the way.  Until next time….

A Busy Weekend

Over the long three day Wellington Anniversary Weekend, our Caravan Club was running the bi-annual Regional Rally, and we were joined by Wairarapa and Wainuiomata clubs.  This was held at Naenae College, the weather was  hot and sunny, and we were grateful to have several large shady trees to sit under.

Some of the vans at Naenae College

Our caravan club members

The highlight of the weekend, as far as I was concerned, was the mystery bus trip to Taylorville – I’d never been there before so it really was a complete mystery to me.  The bus arrived and we all climbed aboard – we had been instructed to take a packed lunch, water bottles, and cups, hot drinks to be supplied. Taylorville is the dream collection of a workaholic retired transport operator with a love of early American cars on a two acre section.  Mr Taylor has collected and been given all manner of mementoes of the past.  The owner gave us a talk about how it all started, then we were free to wander about, admiring trucks, cars, and all manner of things which took our fancy.

Horse drawn transport

Oh, look what I found, a laundry from days gone by.  Not quite what I’m used to, with a big copper to fire up to boil water,corsets hanging on the clothesline, and a peg bag made from a sack.  No wonder it took our great-grandmothers all day to do the family wash.

Doing the laundry the old way

And then there was the diner.  With red counters and furniture, a jukebox, black and white lino on the floor, and Coco Cola emblazoned everywhere, it was like stepping back into Happy Days TV programme.  Look, there’s Elvis, waiting for me to get my photo taken beside him!  We sat for a while on the bright red seats, escaping from the hot sun outside, and soaking up the ambience.

The American Diner

Next I found a replica cabin, with a quilt on the bed, no less.  The tiny kitchen was choc-a-block full of old fashioned utensils, it was very nicely decorated indeed.

Little old cabin

We ate our lunch inside the cozy saloon, welcomed by one of the dancing girls.  Willie Nelson serenaded us and we admired the western furnishings – cartwheels hanging from the ceiling, calf skins scattered everywhere, antlers and western paraphernalia displayed on the walls, this place screamed “Wild West”.  This was my favourite place at Taylorville.

Taylorville Saloon

Back in the bus we climbed, and due to a couple of earlier road accidents the trip home was rather slow.  As we were crawling along the road we could look down onto the cars in the inside lane and were appalled at the number of drivers we saw texting on their phones.  Younger drivers, all of them, us oldies know better, don't we?

Back at the rally we had a free afternoon the following day so took a trip to Pete’s Emporium in Lower Hutt.  There I purchased some cord for the draw string bags I make and donate to Foster Hope.  The children taken into care use these bags for toiletries, or pens and pencils.  This cord should keep me going for a while.

Cord for drawstring bags

While I’m busy blogging away in the caravan, Gemma likes to help too, and takes her duties very seriously.  She lays in the lap top bag to keep it from escaping, what a clever girl.

She’s helping too

Even the Cat is Vaccinated

Gemma took a visit to the vet recently for her annual vaccination.  We got the cat cage out early and left it in the sitting room, so she could sniff around and get used to it.  But there was no fooling our cat, in  her mind this cage is related to bad times ahead so she wasn’t at all keen being bundled inside and taken for a ride to the vets.

Hiding in the back

Her vaccination call-up had been delayed a few months due to Covid but it didn't matter too much, the vet assured us.  Only one “parent” was allowed in with the pet, due to distancing concerns, so I went in with her.  The vaccination for cat flu and whatever else went well, with not even a squeak being made, but getting the worming pill down her throat was a bit of a mission.  Poor Gemma, I did feel sorry for her, as it took several tries, no wonder she was stressing out.

The vet clinic

I'm pleased to say that Gemma was judged fit and healthy, her teeth are in good condition, as is her coat.  So we paid the bill, and took her home to get over her trying time.  Out of the cage, she went to hide in the wardrobe for several hours, to settle down.  Several hours later I found her much more relaxed, legs akimbo, lying on the chair in front of my sewing machine.  All was forgiven, what’s for my dinner, she wanted to know.

She’s happy and relaxed again

Gemma didn’t know it, but she is soon to have another holiday, this time for three weeks or so, traveling here and there around the country.  So its good that her vaccinations are up to date.  She travels in the car on a harness with her lead attached to the seat belts, so that nasty cage doesn’t come along on our caravan trips away.

I Love Camping

I've enjoyed the slow stitching on my current project from Stitcher’s Revolution Camping Adventures, the iron on transfer is called “I Love Camping”.  This will be the middle section of  a pair of place mats to use in our caravan.  Featuring a cup of coffee, trees in the forest and the full moon rising over the mountains, it was very enjoyable to stitch.

Then they were trimmed to size, and borders added which features a leafy print.  I’ve had a rummage through my batting offcuts and will be stitching together two small franken-battings to suit.  And with some backing fabric at the ready, these two small pieces will soon be pinned up ready for quilting.  I did contemplate hand quilting, but no, it will be a simple job to machine quilt these two place mats, I decided.

Borders added

Gemma deserved a treat last night, so I put some of her little crunchies inside her mouse and called her over.  That was exciting, she could hardly wait to bat that little mouse around with her paw, and gobble up the treats as they fell out of the holes.

Gemma and her little mouse toy

Still Sewing Red

I’ve often read that other quilters don't do mending – that’s not true in my case.  I’ve recently stitched a few buttons on here, fixed a neckline or two there, mended one of Robin’s polo shirts, and shortened a pair of three quarter pants into a pair of shorts.   It certainly is true, a stitch in time saves nine, and I can feel virtuous at the end of it.

After that mending stint, I did some more red sewing for my Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  And yes, there is a new project or two.  I’ve long wanted to make some scotty dogs, and decided to use some small pieces of tartan fabrics found in the bottom of the box I received from my neighbour Dorothy.  Just right for scotty dogs, I thought.  The applique  pattern is an old one I’ve had tucked away for years.  And here they are, five red Scotties, edged in black.  I don't have the whole rainbow spectrum in my little pile of tartan,  so will work with what I have.

Five scotty dogs

The other new project added to the list could probably be whipped up in no time at all, but I decided to stitch it month by month as the colours are selected.  Also included in Dorothy’s cartons of “stuff” was a multitude of 5in squares.  I picked out some to make a boy’s donation quilt, starting with this month’s colours of red, and added a border around each square.  It doesn't really matter, I decided, if it was the square or the border which will be in the colour of the month.  As I’m not in a hurry for this quilt, it will be interesting choosing blocks to suit each month from my selection.

Three framed blocks

I’ve been on a bit of a roll with red, and have to say it’s not my favourite colour.  (I often think of red as the colour of violence, probably because of all the serial killer books I read).  The final red thing I stitched was a draw string bag for Foster Hope, the charity I support, using a four patch block from another RSC project.  I had made three red blocks and decided two would be sufficient for the quilt, so recycled the extra one into a bag.  This is now put away with several other bags I made before Christmas, and will get donated when I have a reasonable amount of items to give away.

Drawstring bag

So that’s my stitching for the week.  We are currently making the most of the hot sunny summer weather.  It’s been really pleasant sitting outside after dinner when the heat of the sun has gone, and it is still pleasantly warm.

Time to put Christmas away

The Christmas quilts are down and put away, as are the other ornaments, so it was time to hang a fresh quilt over the sofa.  As the weather is nice and summery, I decided it was time to give my Aotearoa Blooming another chance to shine.  Designed by Jenny Hunter as applique patterns, featured in the New Zealand Quilter magazine some years ago, I decided to make my blocks as stitcheries.  The centre block showcases the pohutukawa, a large tree which bursts  into crimson red blossoms with yellow tips in the heat of summer, and is also known as the New Zealand Christmas tree.

Pohutukawa Wreath

The stitchery blocks were hand quilted, and I big stitched the NZ floral fabric used in the borders.  Yes, I admit it took me quite some time to complete, but I loved very moment of working on it.

Aotearoa Blooming

And folded over the other sofa is Our Aussie Adventures, made to commemorate our fabulous rail trips and beyond in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.  These little blocks (made with Australian fabrics) and their sashing together with my pigma pen came on holiday too.  Each evening I would write down our adventures of the day.  Gemma is giving it her seal of approval.

Our Aussie Adventures

The Year that Was

I’m a little late sharing my 2021 quilting progress with you, but then, I’ve only just returned home from holiday.  It doesn’t seem that I’ve achieved a great deal in the quilting stakes this last year, and a look back through the blog confirms this.  Guess my back problem, subsequent diagnosis, surgery and recovery had a lot to do with this.  But I did finish a few, and here they are.  First up were two donation quilts,one for a boy and one for a girl, and some draw string bags for donation as well.

Donation quilts

I really loved working on Teddy Darling,  it’s a small little quilt, only 25 inches square, and the pre-printed  panel was a gift from my quilting penfriend Carol from South Dakota.  Must admit I've had it tucked away quite some time before I finally started stitching it, then hand quilted it in big stitch quilting.  And of course, after all my hand work, I’ll be keeping Teddy Darling at home with me, perhaps one day we will welcome a little great grand-child into the family.  Won’t that be wonderful.

Teddy Darling

Later in the year I received a big pile of quilting fabric when my neighbour Dorothy was moved into a rest home.  Included in the boxes were two partially completed small quilts, which I finished as donation quilts.  And just recently I stitched Gemma a couple of cat mats backed with toweling  to place under her litter box in the caravan, using two pretty pussy cat fat quarters that I had tucked away.  These look nice, much better than the piece of matting  I was using, and wash very well indeed.

Made for Gemma

I did complete two caravan themed stitcheries, a tea towel for me, and a place mat for my friend Dot.  I quite enjoy doing this sort of thing, and have several more stitcheries on the go.  They are so easy to pick up and do a little stitching, usually while I’m away in the caravan.

As for knitting,  I completed a pink and white baby jumper, and a blue toddler sized cardigan, both are now residing in my baby box, waiting for my grand-daughters to produce…. sometime.  I knitted a small rug out of selvedges to use in my laundry, and some baby beanies.  And socks galore, four pair of thick 12ply wool socks, and six pair of 4 ply socks!  I have to admit that I’m really proud of this achievement.  And believe it or not, I’ve two more pair that I’ve started this year, but there’s no hurry on these.  I did a lot more knitting this year, probably because I found it very uncomfortable to sit at the sewing machine  for quite some months after my spinal surgery.

Socks made for Christmas

I like to send some donations to Foster Hope Charity, and according to my notes have sent four children’s quilts (two of these were my neighbour Dorothy’s which I finished), baby beanies and a knitted scarf, about a dozen draw string bags for the children to use for toiletries, or coloured pencils and such.  Some of these had been waiting to be delivered for quite some time, because of lock-down, so I’m pleased I could finally pass them on.

So that’s my year, Covid lockdowns  kept us home for a while, but we managed to get away in the caravan for club rallies and other trips.  And I enjoyed meeting up with the Sew Wot ladies when I could, that’s always fun.    One thing I have missed is listing my UFOs and rolling the dice to see what I should be working on.  Perhaps I can resurrect this again, I know I have several Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects which need finishing.

Many thanks to all of you who read my blog, and all the other bloggers out there.  I really do appreciate your interest and friendship.  May we all have a better year in 2022 keeping Covid at bay, and may lots of stitching happen.