It Was a Monster!

It's finished.  Leanne's quilt is very big and beautiful.  I finished loading it yesterday and started quilting just before lunch. Did the last row about 8.30 tonight. Phew! Back is killing me, eyes are blurred, but I am happy.  The pattern is lovely and complements the William Morris fabrics scattered throughout the quilt. I used a variegated Superior King Tut thread in purples on the top and a purple Bottom line on the back.  Looks good. Here are a couple of photos.

The Scone Making Story....

Yesterday was our Anniversay Day in Hawkes Bay which means, of course, that we lucky people get a four day weekend with Labour Day on Monday.  It's a great reason to move here!!  So it was a slow start in the morning, and as we ( DH and I) were sitting up in bed gazing out on the garden and sipping tea, we discussed our plans for the day.  Then the phone rang and our friend Catherine announced that she would be around at 9am for a cuppa.  We leapt in to the shower (NO! not together lol) and then it was out to the kitchen to tidy up.  Had this great idea that I would make scones, so told Kerry to put oven on to heat up while I made myself squeaky clean. Cheese scones were duly made just in time for Catherine to enjoy and we had an unexpectedly delicious breakfast. 

I must tell you my scone making story though.  It was one of those homely, good housekeeping, efficient wife type things to be able to make delicious scones I thought.  However, my vain attempts at scones always ended up in disaster.  In fact, Kerry eventually asked me to refrain from even trying to make these strange, small hard things that he felt were more useful as fill in a concrete foundation than for eating!!!  I was, of course, quite put out with this and so said it suited me fine not to even try anymore!!!  It's called throwing a tantrum actually....lol.

However, as I matured in my life as a good housekeeping type of wife (NOT), I felt it was time to have another go at these delicious treats that other women seemed to have no trouble whipping up here and there.  A very kind friend (and excellent scone maker) gave me some good advice about how not to mix them and for the first time in about 20 something years of marriage...I mastered the art of scones.  Wowee, whoopie, and all sorts of great excitement type words.  My life as a wife (forgive the pun) was now complete!!

So there you have it...the saga of the scone making and my hard earned advice to all would be scone makers is...dont mix the life out of your scone mix....in fact, barely work the flour in before you chuck the mix on to your board, knead quickly and cook!!

Today it was back to the cereal and milk for brekkie. 

It was the most beautiful day again here in Waipukurau....hot, sunny and not a cloud in the sky.  The wind was bearable until about 3.30pm and then it blew like crazy. 

As our grandson is no longer staying with us, it has become a little harder for Kerry to keep up with everything, so I felt that I should offer to help out somewhere (drats).  I have very rarely mowed the lawns as there has usually been a handy kid or grandkid around that one could make good use of.  Now it was just us and the only one to be made good use of was yours truly.  Why did I open my mouth and say I would have a go at mowing the lawns...silly girl.  Well I did it!!  I am feeling extremely pleased with myself and consider I have been a most virtuous wife today...and I have the aches and pains arriving to tell me I done something stupid!  Reminder to self...do not volunteer for manual labour!  Seriously though, it was good to be able to help out, and Kerry would empty the catcher for me (some lifting issues) and that made the job a little easier.

We took a huge load of garden waste down the the Transfer station where they were having a FREE day for green waste.  Wow, what a treat.  I would have mowed the lawns again just to get another free trip!!  We now have another couple of spots for some extra gardens and tomorrow we will plant maybe some more tomatoes and those extra swan plants I couldnt resist.  We just love watching the monarch butterflies flying around the place and it is so amazing watching the caterpillars munch away, go into their crysalis and then....a miracle happens and out comes the most amazingly beautiful butterfly!.  Special.

Well it is time to stop this saga and go put my feet up.  Hope you have all had a great day too.  Here are a couple of photos just to show that I really did do some work...lol. 
See you again soon.

All spic 'n span

 

 

My favourite - pansies peeking through the straw

Thanks for visiting.
Blessings
Clare

Renee's Wonderful Massage and other tidbits...

Sometime during yesterday I managed to pull a muscle that ran from my left shoulder up into my neck.  I could move quite well until I lifted my head a certain way or turned oddly.  Wow did it hurt.  After an SOS last night to  my awesome friend Renee Tobin I was booked in for a massage this morning. It saved me as the neck has continued to improve all day and here I am writing in my blog this evening with only a small amount of pain even though I finished quilting the Kaliedoscope quilt.

I am so pleased with the way this quilt has come up.  The allover pattern has a lovely flower on it and then a little feather or two and some scroll work.  It enhances the quilt well I feel.  Now to get the binding done so I can take it up to Auckland next weekend.  It is being donated to ESI to help raise funds for their premises they are restoring in Oke Bay, Bay of Islands. Then they will set up an evangelism school.  It's a great place and a great idea.

Nice drop of rain overnight and this morning meant all our new plants had a great watering in.  Just cant beat that real rain with all those magic minerals in it.  Talking about minerals, I have been taking huge doses of magnesium plus selenium and a few other things I cannot pronounce.  Was getting awful cramps at night until the last straw was cramp in the right lower leg last week, then by the time I managed to get to the kitchen to eat some salt, I had cramp in the other lower leg as well.  Awfully difficult to stand when both legs are cramping!!  Much better now that I have been upping my magnesium.

Thursday already tomorrow people.  Yay, then it is our long weekend.  Here in Hawkes Bay we have a four day weekend as our anniversary day falls on Friday.  What a lovely break before the madness of the Christmas run up becomes maniacal.

My lovely daughter in law Kea has offered to do a nice graphic for the top of my blog.  Talk about being spoilt.  Kea and Richard celebrated their 4th wedding anniversay yesterday...it has been such a pleasure having Kea in our family and I know our son is really blessed with his wife.  May you both have many more years of happiness - I was going to say bliss but I think that word is overated!

Here are the pics of the finished quilt...hope you like it.

What a blow...

When I first got up at 6am this morning there was the most magnificent sunrise...one of those that illuminates your house and those around you.  It was so bright I was drawn to go outside and see more of it of this wonderful sight on a calm Tuesday morning.  Within a couple of hours all had changed!!!  Up came the most terrible wind that hammered the newly planted tomatoes and anything else it could in its path.  These equinox winds are ones of those things that I dislike the most about spring weather.  Hawkes Bay seems to get more than its fair share of them too...I guess we get so much sunshine we can hardly complain.  The wind just dries everything out so much and the endless rounds of watering begin.

To make myself feel a little better I took Kerry out for morning coffee.  Oooh I just love that frothy stuff they put on the top of my cappuchino....says she who could never stand drinking coffee.  I have developed a taste for espresso coffee (still dont drink the instant) and in particular I just love that frothy stuff (even repeating myself here :).  I get my spoon and play in it, mixing it all up and then scooping it out spoon by spoon.  I'm not actually sure that I even enjoy drinking the rest of the coffee....I think I just like playing in it....hmmm was I deprived in my childhood?

This afternoon it was off to Life Group, which is a group of people from church who meet together weekly each term and we discuss stuff to do with faith, life and anything else that happens to come up.  As the current leader of the group I have to work out what will happen each week.  Right now we are just starting a church-wide course called "Culture of Honour" which is a lot about treating people with honour.  It has definitely been taxing the brain as I work through the material to pass on.  Good though as they are a lovely bunch.

Next it was into quilting my Kaliedoscope quilt.  Had a bit of a hiccupp when I started my first row, but luckily I only did one motif....forgot to line up the laser light with the bottom of the quilt.....duh!  Once that was sorted I managed to get a couple of rows done before it was time to call it quits....I have taken a couple of photos to show you. Isnt that border fabric delicious.  It is so hard to realise that just by stacking and cutting you get all those beautiful blocks...each one different.  I chose a lovely Superior Threads King Tut variegated cotton thread that picked up the lemony greeny colour that almost shines.  The photos don't do justice to it actually.  Really happy with the way it is going so far.

Well off to see how Kerry is going with the corned beef he has cooked for dinner...the smell from the kitchen was so delicious.  I am extremely spoilt to have a husband who likes to cook!! 

Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you again soon.

Blessings
Clare

A Beautiful Sunny Day

What a cracker of a day. ..26° and the sun hat was definitely required.  Hubby and I ended up spending most of the day in the garden. We planted almost all of our purchases from yesterday and felt very pleased with ourselves. Repotted some pots that have been sitting neglected in the corner.
The geraniums at front of the shop building are looking good. One of them in particular is looking quite splendid. ..it is a bright fire engine red and almost glows.
Tomorrow it is definitely back to quilting.

Another Day Out

Today I attended a seminar at the Pirimai Baptist Church in Napier.  A group of us from St Andrews went together. We learned about having conversations with people about our faith. Enjoyed the day, especially the yummy slices at morning tea. Have had my sugar allowance for the next year in one day.  Oops! 
When I got home Kerry had spent all day getting our vegie garden in order. He had done a wonderful job and it looked great.  It is now ready for planting at Labour Weekend. Already got the tomato plants.  We had such an awesome crop from our Beefsteak plant last year we are putting lots in this year.
The boys (canine type) also had a great time helping. They thought the boss was making them a new place to cavort in and mess up.
Off to church early as I am operating the computer graphics for the first time. That's going to be interesting. ..they will probably be singing the wrong words because I pressed the wrong button. ..lol. oh well,  gotta start somewhere.
These are the boys. Quite handsome brothers.

Lovely Day Out

Spent the day in Hastings with my son's partner and my gorgeous grandson Hamish. He is 3 months old and just discovering his voice. Making all those funny little gurgles that turn Nana into a blithering idiot who talks a strange language herself. Reminder to self. ..dont do the baby talk. It only confirms that I   look and sound like an idiot.
Dayn and I had a yummy lunch at the Thai Orchid, it's our favorite eating place.
Then we went to the Hawkes Bay Patchwork exhibition in Russell Street. Spent a lovely time admiring all the amazing quilts. There are such talented people around the Bay
Hamish has his baby quilt hanging in this exhibition.

Petunia Party

The 3 punnets of petunias have been sitting outside for a good week, so decided it was the first job of the day. Round the front I went with my purple garden gloves and my trusty trowel and fork. Of course there were a few small weeds coming through so dealt to those first. Then in went the white, followed by the purple and lastly the reds. It is going to look really colorful once they bulk up and flower. I forgot to take a photo but will do so over the weekend.
Then it was over to the shop to check out my email. Once that was taken care of it was time to set up the next quilt. It is a stunning kaleidoscope quilt and the large border fabric was the fabric that the blocks came from. I will put a photo up tomorrow.
Off to bed now. Spending the day in Napier so need to be up early.
Thanks for visiting. Come back soon.

Blessings
Clare

Another learning curve

Hello everyone,

I have finally taken the plunge and decided to create a blog.  Now that I am slightly less busy without the shop I thought it was time to become upskilled!!  This technology stuff can be taxing on a brain that is slightly the worse for wear.
It has been great to be quilting again on my longarm (Nolting) and over the past year I have had to do lots of research into what the different styles of quilting are out there now.  With being out of full time quilting for the some years, styles have changed and it is always important to be up with the play.
Yesterday I finished another custom quilt and was very pleased with the way the quilt came out.  Had pondered for quite some time on how to quilt this particular heart quilt as this lovely quilter friend had put her interpretation on a quilt pattern of  mine.  I have put some photos up for you to see.
I look forward to meeting lots of fellow quilter and hope you enjoy my blog.

 The finished quilt. It was quite difficult to see when quilting.  I used a So Fine thread in a dark charcoal as black would have just disappeared.

 A close up of the echoing around the hearts.  It was very difficult to take photos because it is a black quilt.

 A view from the back....the flash made the black seem quite light!

Another look at the back.  It did look good when finished and Felicity was pleased with it.

Thank you for looking at my blog and I hope you will come back again.

Blessings
Clare