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

A new year?

So have you heard the news, we're in a new year already.......... I only just got the memo....lol.  I didn't intend to take this long to return to the blog, but that's just how it's turned out.  I'm finding it difficult to even remember what I've been up to so far in 2013, there's been some farm work, some nurse-maiding to my ill family who all had a nasty gastro bug, lots of rain, and a little sewing and stitching.   The family are all well again, and I think I have successfully dodged it this time round!

Just prior to Christmas I had a couple of finishes that had been a long time in the making.  Firstly my block from Stitching Round the Block was finally finished into a cushion.  This is the lovely round robin block stitched on by Raewyn, Janis, Leanne/Maria(no blog) and me.  I had it returned to me over a year ago, and it has waited all that time to have me spend about 20 minutes actually making it into a cushion!!

Below is my New Couch Companion, designed by Leanne's House, which has also been a long time in the finishing!  

I have signed up for the new 2013 Stitch-A-Long where we will be making lots of small projects from 3 books, Some Kind of Wonderful, Tis the Season and Red Home.  I have finished my January task and made this little thread catcher. 

And since I made it, it's had a good workout with the trimmings of a little project I've been working on in the last few days...... hope to be back soon with something to share......

I'm not going to make any rash statements about 2013, about finishing everything I've ever started, or not buying another scrap of fabric, or not starting any new projects, because I've decided that this year I'm just going to work on whatever I'm feeling the love for!!  No setting myself up to fail before I've even begun...... yes, it will be a bonus if I do finish any old stuff and I have even been working on a couple of longstanding items recently, but I am putting NO pressure on myself outside of the Stitch-A-Long commitments I've made, and my plans to join in again with OPAM, which will be kicking off later this month.  There are a couple of new quilt alongs I've been looking at, no decisions yet, but it could be fun!  

Thanks for all the kind comments about my Gardener's Journal quilt, it has been so exciting to get it finally finished.  I hope the New Year has been a good one for you so far.......... take care and happy stitching............. Nicky x