Where do I start?

So much has been happening here over the last few weeks, I have finally made it to the blog to check in..... 

Firstly my Secret Santa Christmas Swap gift has arrived from Cheryl in Australia, just look at this beautiful angel ornament she made me, it is adorable, thankyou so much Cheryl, I am waiting very patiently(OK, not so very patiently) for the big day to arrive when I can tear into the other parcels!  A very big thanks to Miss Chookyblue and her team for organising this lovely swap....

My SSCS gifts finally went on the sleigh and were delivered to Maria in Australia, where she has now opened her ornament.  From my stalking of Maria's blog I knew that her favourite colour was purple, so it may not be the most 'Christmassy' of colours I wanted to make her a purple ornament, though it shows blue in the picture.

Recently I was thrilled to receive my Scrappy Trip quilt back from Linda at Razzle Dazzle Quilter. Earlier in the year I won the quilting of a quilt in a generous giveaway by Linda.  The quilting Linda has done for me is nothing short of beautiful, and I plan to get the binding attached over the Christmas break, and then I will take some photos of the finished quilt.  So excited about this one!

We've had a busy few weeks of weaning lambs, cultivation work, school concerts and prizegivings. Our Miss 11 has finished at primary school and was rewarded for her hard work this year with a trophy for Diligence for her class at the Leavers celebrations.  She is super excited to be heading off to the college next year.  And Miss 13 received the General Excellence prize for her class with firsts in 5 subjects, we are just so proud of her and her hard work this year.  Two very proud parent moments! 

Christmas shopping to be finished this week, and the aim is to get our crops all sown before Christmas, and hopefully the old ewes shorn, and about 2 weeks of blog posts to catch up on, so if someone could find me a few extra days in there somewhere that would be much appreciated.  

Hope all your holiday season plans are coming together for you and that there might be some time for stitching in there too......    Nicky x

Garden tour

The girls and I went for a little drive the other day with my Dad and brother, through some local districts that had lots of significance to my family.  We drove through the farming area where my Mum's grandparents farmed and then on to this beautiful garden called Maple Glen.  The farm that this garden is situated was once owned by my grandparents and Dad spent his earliest years there until 1954.  He assures me it didn't look like this then, it was a small farm, not the magnificent garden it is now....... if you click on any of these pics they should enlarge for you. 

This is a stunning garden, beautiful in all seasons, and there is a wonderful nursery with plants for sale too. It is an absolute credit to almost 50 years dedication by the family who own it.  I hope you enjoyed this little garden tour today........see you later..... Nicky x

Hello November

Oh dear, yet again it's been a while since I posted, but here are a few things I worked on in October.  Firstly my Fresh quilt, from Camille Roskelley's book Simply Retro.  It's made from five different Bonnie and Camille fabric collections, I love how their fabrics all work together so well.  

This is my Sugar Dish top completed for a friends gorgeous little girl.  A design my Cluck Cluck Sew, I made this top using Posy by Aneela Hoey, and I discovered that I love dresdens!!  They are so cute!  Now to decide on backing fabric and how to quilt this......

Last month I was also lucky enough to win a giveaway from Leeanne at Quilt Me.  Isn't the quilty wrapping paper and card adorable!  A full set of Lynette Andersons H&F Wagtime patterns and a lovely Cottage Garden Thread.... thank you so much Leeanne, these musical cats and dogs are adorable....

There has been some building happening in the vege garden, my hubby has built some new garden beds and planter boxes, it is a work in progress but I have some planted and things are growing quickly now.  This is the before shot, the old glasshouse will eventually be replaced with a poly tunnel when the big trees in the back have been cut down.  My little mini greenhouse was well pinned down with stakes, as a few days before this it blew over the fence and right across the paddock!

I've been waterblasting the outside wooden fence in preparation for painting.  There are two more boxes to be built yet beside the first two.....and decisions to be made about what material to use for pathways..... any suggestions....? 

                            

I had to keep a big secret recently, and it was not easy!  My big brother planned a surprise trip out to visit from the UK, to spend some time with Dad who's been having a very rough year healthwise.  I had to tell a few fibs about plans and sneak off to the airport to collect him a couple of weeks ago.  The look on Dad's face was worth it though!  So we have been having a lovely time together, I miss my brothers lots as one lives in Perth, Australia and this one in London, I wish they were both closer to home..... 

During the last week or two I've been working away on my SSCS gift, it will be time to mail it off in a couple of weeks so I need to get a wriggle on...... I'm off now to finish waterblasting my fence....... fun times.....hope you have a lovely weekend planned.....

January roundup

Time for a catchup on January............ lots happening on the farm...... some random farm pics from December and January.......

Yesterday I was thrilled to catch up over lunch with Michelle and her lovely family.  They are on a family holiday travelling around the South Island, and it was so nice to meet and finally put a face to the name/blog.  Michelle is a beautiful quilter and stitcher, her lovely blog is called It's Sew Me.  Here we are outside the cafe - I didn't notice how much taller I was till I saw the photos today.....lol.  I hope you and the family had a safe journey north Michelle......... and thanks for taking the time to meet us.....

Last week we headed to the beach with the girls, they had lots of fun boogie boarding in the waves, and we all had a little R & R for a couple of days, before heading home and back into lots of sheep work.  Today is the last day of four days shearing, great to get a good spell of weather to get that job done.....

On the sewing/stitching front, here is the little Ruby project I started earlier in the month.  It is almost quilted, and I have decided to send this one over to Chookyblue for her Caring with Quilts appeal for those who have lost everything in recent bushfires in her area.  This is not a big quilt, but would be OK for a cot quilt I think.  I will finish quilting it this afternoon and get it on it's way ASAP.  I can always make another one for me!!  If you can help by sending a completed quilt please get in touch with Chookyblue...... most of us can only imagine how heartbreaking it is to lose everything.

This bundle of loveliness arrived in the mail ....... I've had my eye on this since I first saw it and I could resist no longer.  This is Flower Girl by Thimble Blossoms using Bonnie and Camille's Marmalade range.

 I was also asked to make a pencil case in the same bike fabrics I made a pouch from last year, sorry no pics, it's in use at school today!!  So that together with my Stitch-A-Long Thread Catcher makes 2 OPAM finishes for me this month.

And finally here is a lovely cool desert I made for the family last night........... meringues, piled with whipped cream/yoghurt and lots of fresh berries.... yum!

Well, if you've made it all the way to the end...... thanks for sticking with me!!

Till next time....... happy stitching............Nicky x

Fairy Friends

A couple of weeks ago my littlest girl celebrated her 10th birthday.  Back when she was 4, and attending preschool I started to stitch this design by Natalie Bird for her.  The plan was to make it into a bolster cushion, but then I had all sorts of trouble with the weaveline I used wrinkling, and puckering, and I put it aside in disgust.  This issue sent me looking to fellow bloggers for help, a post which still remains one of my most visited, even now over two years later.  I decided if it was ever going to happen it would have to be very simple, so here we have it finished onto a canvas instead!  The look on her face when she opened it was priceless.  It certainly was a big surprise - she had asked me every now and then if I was ever going to finish her fairy cushion, I don't think she thought it would ever happen!

Stitchery from Fairyland book by Natalie Bird of The Birdhouse

In the end, I used some starch spray and gave it another press before attaching some light batting and covering the canvas.  The starch has definitely helped the wrinkles, they are much improved ........ still a few there but I am trying not to notice them and hopefully anyone who sees them will be polite enough not to mention them ...... wishful thinking maybe!

After lots of discussion(and more than a little begging) I have agreed that my big girl could start a little blog of her own.  She is a girl who is crazy about animals and is keen to become a vet one day.  Her blog is focusing mostly on her pets and animals at the moment, but who knows where it might lead ......... maybe you might be so kind as to click through and have a little look at Farm Girl Junior....... thank you in advance from Miss FGJ and myself!  She is keen to find some blogs of other young girls similar in age or interests to her(she is 12) so if you know of any, or maybe your own daughter or granddaughter has a blog, perhaps you could leave a link either here or over at Farm Girl Junior.

I have the next four days at home on the farm, I'm finished at my off-farm job for the week, so I see lots more lamb-feeding ahead for a couple of days.  There were about 20 pets/orphans to feed tonight, so it all takes time!!

Thanks for looking.......... happy stitching......Nicky

(Semi)Normal transmission resumes

Oh boy, it's been so long since I did this that the whole blogger thing seems unfamiliar to me.......

It feels great to be back though, and I know I've missed reading everyone's news and happenings!

Things are good here, my Dad is recovering from surgery and looking forward to a smooth journey ahead now.      These kinds of bumps in the road are what makes me appreciate my family and also our wonderful friends even more, we simply couldn't get there without them.  I have had lots of 'checking in on you' emails and messages, so thanks for thinking of us!!

You'd think that in a 2 and a half month break from blogging I'd have lots of stitching to share but sorry that is not the case at all.  Very little stitching happened here, it's not through a lack of wanting to, but it just hasn't happened.    We did have a week in April in beautiful Noosa in Queensland, Australia, and what a fantastic place.  Noosa can be as busy or relaxing as you want it to be........ we fitted in some horse riding, kayaking, shopping, lots of swimming, and a whole lot of reading and relaxing!  I also managed to squeeze in a trip to The Patchwork Angel in Forest Glen, what a wonderful shop, I had a good old discussion with my credit card there, but of course I won in the end... lol ..... and some lovely goodies came home with me.

I believe it is Friday Night Sew In tonight, sadly for my sewing, we won't be home tonight, but I might try and sneak in a couple of hours stitching this afternoon instead.  I have a sick girl home from school today with a nasty head cold, so the perfect reason for a day indoors for me too!

If you're joining FNSI this month I hope you have an enjoyable evening stitching tonight, and I will catch up with you all again soon.

Take care ............. Nicky

PS: I've just had a look back to February on my blog and realise I didn't share a pic of Janis' finished Stitching Round the Block piece, so here it is...... Janis stitched Round 1, Raewyn stitched Round 2, Janis stitched Round 3(she and Leanne each did their own round threes) and I stitched Round 4 for Janis ...finally!!!  Thanks to Helen of Hugs and Kisses for a great round robin pattern and to Janis, Raewyn and Leanne for putting up with me!

Sunday in Summer

We had a fantastic day boating yesterday in beautiful Central Otago.  It was cloudy at times, but very warm and we made the most of the time spent on the water.

Our Kelly loved being on the boat, she wanted to sit up front and help navigate!  Guess it felt like riding with us on the motorbike at home for her......... 

Below is the view we had of the Clyde Dam from Lake Dunstan, the storage reservoir lake behind the dam.  I remember as a child how controversial this whole 'Think Big' project was in New Zealand in the late seventies and early 80's, and it divided communities and indeed still does today as there are more dam projects mooted periodically for the Clutha River.  Many of New Zealand's lakes and rivers support hydroelectric power stations and the Clyde Dam is one of the more recently built ones(finally commissioned in 1992).

And the view of the dam from the lookout on the bottom side ..........

... and looking down the Clutha River from the lookout towards Alexandra at the foot of the hills in the distance.  Alexandra regularly records the highest daily temperature in NZ in the summer and also the coldest daily temps in the winter - Central Otago is the home of seasonal extremes in weather!

On the way home this is a shot looking down on the Clutha from the road high above..........

I hope you enjoyed a little trip on the Clutha, stitching will likely make a return on my next post  :-)

Till next time.................Nicky

PS: There is a little surprise coming soon, following on from my last post, watch this space.

My SSCS gift .....

......... one of the highlights of Christmas Day yesterday was opening my Secret Santa Christmas Swap gift, sent to me by the lovely Chookyblue......... if I had known just what was inside there is no way I could have waited until Christmas morning.  But because I was trying so hard to be nice not naughty, I waited and boy was I excited at about 5.45 yesterday morning......... that's what happens when the girls wake you at 5.35am begging to get into their loot!    I have been so spoilt ............ this is the most gorgeous wallhanging - I absolutely love it - it is so me ........ and if I am completely honest I may have even shed some tears when I saw it!

I can't put in to words how much I love this........ the verse is SO true........ 

and the gorgeous little stitcheries are so pretty ............. here are closeups of a few ..........

I was going to email Chooky to tell her how thrilled I was, but decided to track her down in the online whitepages ............. first time lucky with the right number ........... her Book Worm answered the phone and yelled out to Mum that it was 'someone called Nicky and she's a Kiwi' ......... well spotted Book Worm, it's hard to hide my NZ accent LOL.  It was fun to catch up with you Chookyblue,  I hope all your plans for Christmas Day went well and that I didn't hold you up too long! And of course a HUGE thankyou for my fantastic gifts including these other lovely cards and notepads .........  isn't her photography cool??

Chookyblue does a wonderful job of organising the SSCS exchange, and there are lots of happy and grateful people posting about their gifts today, so Thankyou for organising the whole 'event'!

So Christmas Day was a very hot day here, we enjoyed a lovely Christmas dinner at home, before heading to the beach with Kelly for some cooling down in the water.  What  a lovely spot where the river meets the sea........... and then followed by an evening meal at my Dad's place.

I hope your Christmas was a happy one, enjoyed with family or friends and that Santa was as good to you as he was to us.   We have some busy days of farm work coming up, so we are making the most of a couple of days off to relax, hope you're finding some quiet time too ................I'll be back later with what I sent in the SSCS exchange.

Till then, thanks for visiting ..................... Nicky