A weekend away

Recently we spent a couple of nights with a large group of friends at a crib(small rustic Kiwi holiday house) on the beautiful south coast of the Catlins.  This was the view from the house, so peaceful and relaxing.  Note the fence to keep any visiting seals from your front lawn .......

We were lucky enough to see a little yellow-eyed penguin, also known as hoiho, making his way back up the beach at dusk one night.   I hope you can see him in front of the rocks in these pictures.

The following morning we went for a wander, and saw where he(or maybe she!) was going to........ back to the nest behind the safety of this fence.......

We also found these penguin tracks heading back out to sea...... clearly penguins get out of bed earlier than we did!

A wonderful weekend with great friends, if only it happened more often........

Most of my stitching time in the last couple of weeks has been working on my SSCS gift for Chookyblue's exchange which has headed off on a long journey to ?????

There has been so much happening here lately.  I have recently retired from my off-farm job so that I can spend a lot more time working on the farm.  I was thoroughly spoiled with a farewell gift of a beautiful dress ring, which was a combined gift from the board members, colleagues and some of our lovely residents.  We had a fantastic meal out together, where I was treated to beautiful flowers and some very kind speeches..... felt more than a little embarrassed by it all.  I will miss my little job, but know I have made the best choice for my family.  I am looking forward to being at home with the girls during the upcoming summer holidays, without having those few days a week away from the farm.  Who knows, I might even  find some more stitching and gardening time amongst the farm work!  (I wish....)

This weekend is our local A & P show, where I will be helping out as a steward in the Craft and Flower show.... looking forward to that, it's always a great day out.

I hope you have a lovely weekend too........ will see you on the other side.......... Nicky

Friday night with Friends

Last night I joined with lots of blogging friends in Cheryls Friday Night with Friends.  I finished my Scrappy Stars for October in Terrys great Sew Along.  I have now run out of the background I was using, and will be mixing it up a bit from here on.

I also put quite a few more stitches into my SSCS exchange gift, but of course that's all got to be a secret for a little longer....

Hard to believe that it is November, when this is what it is doing outside this morning.

So much for late Spring and heading into Summer!!  It is expected to be moving on through fairly quickly though - I hope they are right about that, I got into my garden yesterday, but I think today is going to be an inside day as much as possible!

If you joined in Friday Night with Friends, I hope you had a productive evening........ and have a great weekend too................. Nicky

SSCS and another BOM

Yet again, it's been a while since I've been around.......for many reasons, mostly just life!  I have been doing a little stitching, mainly working on my gift for Chookyblue's SSCS exchange, which I think I have mostly under control now.  For very obvious reasons, you won't be seeing exactly what though, but it is fun to be working on an SSCS gift for the third year, wonder where it's going this time around.......?

In one of the first few posts I ever blogged, I shared my Leanne's House Block of the Month quilt which I had started quite a few years ago. Below is where I was up to on Block 4 back in 2010.

(If you clicked through to that last post you may have also seen I said I MUST NOT START ANYTHING ELSE!   Ha ha ha ha ....... One thing that blogging has made me even worse at is starting new things and taking a VERY long time to get them finished .......lol) 

 I've dug it out again and almost finished the stitchery on this block, added some finishing touches to another couple, and made up another one ready for stitching.

This little vase is one of my favourite mini blocks....

It's been great to put some stitches into a long-neglected, but not-forgotten project.  I've also been trying to get some gardening done, though the weather has been truly awful for the last week or two, always raining, or even like today, lots of thunder, lightning and hail!  This is my new red pot on our deck with some parsley, chives, strawberries and my favourite 'Maggie Mott' violas.  I've scattered some Mesclun salad seeds among it all, and they are just coming through now and trying to fight the hail. 

We have got about half of our lambs tailed, just waiting on some settled weather to get the rest done.  The forecast for our holiday Labour Weekend is terrible, so it may not be till next week now, but I will enjoy my extra day off from the paid job though and make the most of a Monday at home!  I hope all the Kiwi girls have a lovely long weekend too............. till next time........... happy stitching....Nicky

PS:   GO the All Blacks tomorrow night in Brisbane  -  make it a clean sweep for 2012!!

Friday Night Sew-In

Last night I joined in with lots of girls all around the globe for Friday Night Sew-In.  I made up Blocks 2 and 3 of the FQS Designer Mystery Quilt last night, and finished up Block 4 this morning.  It feels great to be up to date on this, as you know me, it doesn't take much for me to get behind and then never get these things finished!

Block 2 - Mint Julep - Designed by Lisa Bongean

Block 3 - Weather Vane - Designed by Barbara Groves and Mary Jacobson

Block 4 - Breezy Afternoon - Designed by Aneela Hoey

Thanks for all the kind comments on the canvas I made for Miss 10's recent birthday.  A big thankyou too for all the visits to my Miss 12's little blog.  She has really appreciated your visits and encouraging comments.  I am not letting her email people directly at this stage, so please accept hers and my thanks!  

Right then, I'm off to mow the lawn, and make the most of a beautiful Saturday afternoon........  and maybe get some stitching tonight after the lambs are all fed.......... have a great weekend......... Nicky

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

Beautiful gifts & Scrappy stars

Last week I was thrilled to receive a surprise gift in the mail from Clare, a lovely lady who I have 'met' through blogging.  Clare started her blog Craftlady in Kiwiland late last year and she does the most amazing stitching and quilting, and now I've been so lucky to be able to experience it firsthand...... a most welcome and very much appreciated gift, this gorgeous bag, and matching blockroll.  The bag is now filled with the little hexies from my recent post, which I have been working on now and then, it's nice to have them close by in this sweet little bag, when I have a few spare minutes to stitch. 

I've never used a block roll before, but what a neat idea, this will keep my little Butterfly Garden miniblocks together and wrinkle free while I finish the rest of each block.

Isn't this fabric so cute, couldn't help but make you smile to read those cheerful words.... thank you Clare, you absolutely made my day, your workmanship is faultless, and I am so grateful to be the recipient of your wonderful stitching.

I have been getting a little stitching done, and have picked up my Butterfly Garden blocks again. Here are some newly finished miniblocks ..........these bring me to 28/81 completed.

Recently I spotted some scrappy stars over at Terry's blog Terry's Treasures, where she is co-ordinating a Scrappy Stars Sew Along.  In a desperate attempt to tame my scrap bin, I have joined in the scrappy fun.  I think there are meant to be two blocks a month starting in August.  I am late joining, so I've made my first four blocks .........each block is 12.5" unfinished.

These are so much fun, a little addictive, and I've decided to have no rules whatsoever, no fabric will be too ugly/loud/wrong for these blocks!  So who knows what the next ones will look like .........

I hope you've had a great weekend............. Nicky

Not so much breaking news anymore .........

Do you remember this, and this, and finally this last July............... wouldn't blame you if you don't, cos' that is more than a year ago.  Oh dear, I hate losing, but I was very happy to stitch something for Chookyblue as a result of me losing our little wager on the Diamonds v Silver Ferns netball match.  The main part of the stitching was completed last year, but as ever with me, the finishing is what takes me so long. SHAME on me!

Well, finally I got a little something on it's way to Chookyblue a couple of months ago, then I waited and waited to hear it had arrived................ and eventually it landed right back in my mail box.  (A true Aussie boomerang.....lol)  Thankfully it was none the worse for its travels, so I checked address details and had another go.........well I am happy to know that it reached it's destination all the way in the land of Oz.  I was lucky enough to have Chooky herself stitch for me in her Secret Santa Christmas Swap last year, so it was nice to finally return the favour.......

I stitched this little piece by Little House Needleworks called Necessities Sampler, added both Chookyblues and my initial, and finished it up as a little pillow.  You can see some other bits I sent for Chooky and her Fairy Girl over at this post........ can you believe that she called it 'Australia beats New Zealand'...... she may as well have added 'again' at the end of that title.........LOL

Thanks for all the 'encouraging' comments about those little hexagons on my last post, I have left them sitting out where I can see them, hoping they will inspire me again........... yeah right!

Till next time ......... Happy Stitching ................ Nicky

PS:  On Saturday all these little ones were born to this lucky ewe.......... doesn't she look a bit panicky about the prospect of dealing with 4 all at once....... I had to smile when hubby sent me the photo from his phone and titled it 'Busy Mum'.....