Sew sew sew…

My week has changed course sew often this week I am having trouble keeping up! Yesterday DD1 and DS1 left for Youth Camp, then DS2 and I joined another home school family for a day of car washing to raise funds for Christchurch.

 

Today DS2 and I joined the Stratford Home School group and we started a community garden!

We made our own paper seedling pots from old newspapers dug over the garden patch and collected some pony poo too! After a quick lunch we whizzed home as I was supposed to be on babysitting duty for my sister only to find out I was no longer needed! Sew… with only two children at home the house is very quiet:o) and hubby is going to buy tea when we pick up the other car from the panel beaters(that’s a whole other story!)sew that leaves me with a free evening to just sew sew sew!

I can’t help but smile…

Michelle

Cath Kidston Cuteness…

Go on over to Georgies blog she is having a Cath Kidston scrap bag giveaway…

Go on… you know you want too!

No words…

Yesterday while out shopping in Farmers we witnessed the horrific scenes on the television from the quake that struck Christchurch. No words can fully express the heartbreak, the turmoil and the loss of life. The city is in ruins. This event will affect all New Zealanders. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Christchurch(and surrounding areas).

On a much lighter note… I have been sewing! I have finished the two skirts from my Goals List as well as a third! Sorry I have no photo’s to share so you will just have to take my word for it! I have also finished 2 pillowcases(from my goals list) they are visiting with my mother at the moment, she is crocheting edges around them for me:o) As soon as I have them back I will take photos of them. I will update my goals list as soon as I decide what to do next!

Many of you have shown an interest in the dishcloths I’ve been knitting and asked where I found the pattern so I thought I would share a couple of links with you, here and here but be warned there are many to choose from! Please let me know if you make any, I would love to see them.

Housekeeping… oops there are a few of you who may not have received a copy of the ‘Quick and Easy Handmade Gifts List’ as you are set to noreply blogger. If you would still like a copy of the list please change the setting and leave me a comment below, Thanks.

Happy stitching…

Michelle

It’s time…

It’s time to announce the winner of my giveaway!

Firstly I want to say a BIG Thank you to all of you who left a comment, there were lot’s of great ideas! And really you are all winners as you can download your copy right umm here???

Hmm… well no you can’t actually download anything as we are experiencing a bit of a technical glitch(HELP! I can’t work out how to post a PDF on my blog!)You may laugh, my hands are over my ears!!! Lol

Ok that’s enough you may stop laughing now I have come up with an alternative plan…

I will email everyone who commented a copy until I can work out how to do it! (If any of you can help me out I will be very grateful) Sew after all that kafuffle let’s find out who the winner of my giveaway is (insert drum roll here…)

Congratulations Maria! (I will email you shortly to sort out the details) And the rest of you keep an eye out for the ‘Quick and Easy Handmade Gift List’ as it will be winging it’s way through cyber space to an inbox near you real soon!

My weekend was filled to the brim with busyness which I will share in a future post…What did you do over the weekend?

Keep smiling ;oD

Michelle

PS… If you have any questions about anything in the gift list please ask and I will do my best to help!

FNSI and stuff happens…

This is what I had planned to work on during the FNSI…

my log cabin quilt…

but unfortunately…

Stuff happened!!!

And I didn’t get to join in at all, Sew I have nothing to show for myself:O(

On a brighter note I made my very first knitted dish cloth this week…

I had some leftover cotton that was just sitting around and it whipped up in a jiffy! I can see many more being made in the near future in lot’s of lovely colours!

We’re off to town today sew I better go get myself organised, I’ll write again soon…

Keep smiling…

Michelle

Not a UFO…

I have a finish!!! Albeit a small finish, and not a finish I can cross of the UFO List but a finish none the less :o) 

I know you should never judge a book by it’s cover but how could you resist not having a peek inside one like this…

But I must confess I think I almost like the inside better than the outside…

I plan to make many more of these for gifts this year :o)

And speaking of gifts I have decided to extend the Giveaway until the 20th… Why? well I know there is a lot of inspiration and ideas out there and I thought I would give a few of you a bit longer to leave a comment(I know there are more of you out there!!!)

Sew please leave a comment on this post.

I’m guessing you want to know what I’m giving away… Well it will be a mixture of things, a few items made by moi and the winner will get to decide what colours or theme they would like:o) There will be fabric along with a few extra bits and pieces, I may even throw in a block of chocolate! Sew what are you waiting for???

Oh and thanks to those who have already left a comment! I appreciate it sew much:oD

Have a fabulous day!

Michelle

Cucumber Pickle…

We thoroughly enjoyed El Caballo Blanco(Dance of the White Stallion) on Saturday. Unfortunately we were not permitted to take any photo’s during the show :o( But afterwards we snuck out back to have a nosy and found them having a wash down…

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Such beautiful animals!

Sunday was a lazy sort of a day:o) after Church we had a roast lunch at DH’s Mum and Dad’s and later on DH took me out for a hot chocolate at The Tawhiti Cafe…

The decoration on the drinks resembles our local mountain!

Sunday evening I spent some time making a journal cover for a friends birthday(see previous post). 

During the past week I made my yearly batch of Cucumber Pickle and thought I might share the recipe with you…

 

Cucumber Pickle

4-6 cups of finely diced or minced telegraph cucumber

4 medium onions

1/4 cup salt

2 cups white vinegar

3 cups of sugar

1 red pepper and 1/2 a green pepper

1 tsp celery seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp dry mustard

Chop or mince onion and cucumber(I use a food processor), put in a dish and sprinkle with the salt and leave for approx 45 minutes .

Then drain off all the liquid(discard the liquid), and pour into a pot, add the vinegar and all the seeds, boil for 3 minutes.

Then add the sugar tumeric,  dry mustard and the finely diced red and green pepper and boil for a further 5 minutes.

Thicken with 2-3 tbsp of cornflour mixed with a little extra vinegar.

Put into clean jars and cover.

This pickle is a firm favourite in our home and I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t like it!

Until next time keep smiling…

Michelle

PS Happy Valentines Day!

Time for bed…

You know it’s time to call it a night when…

Tramping…

Yesterday we went tramping on Mt Taranaki with our home schooling group. In the morning we walked the Wilkies pool track… As it is summer here the riverbed is very dry.  If you look closely you can see the blue tinge in the water. The water is so clear and fresh! Here’s the view looking back down the mountain… Our house is out there somewhere;o) Unfortunately it wasn’t the clearest day so the view wasn’t as good as it could’ve been. On a clear day it is possible to see the South Island and Mt Ruapehu in the middle of the North Island. We headed back to the parking lot for a bite to eat before walking to Dawson falls… There was very little water going over today, it is much more impressive to see in the winter.  

Today Ruth and I are going to see el Caballo Blanco, a spanish dance/horse show, I am so excited!!! Here’s a link if you are interested…http://www.elcaballoblanco.com.au/

What have you got planned for the weekend???

Quick and Easy Gift ideas and a giveaway…

Are you ever at a loss for quick and easy handmade gift ideas? Every year I have big ideas about making all my family members and special friends something for their special day! Only to find that day fast approaching and all my inspiration and ideas have flown out the window and I’m left scrambling. Then the inevitable happens and I just end up going out and buying something. Does that ever happen to you?Well I have decided to collate a list of ideas I can refer to for inspiration. I would also like to invite you to join me, just leave a comment below with your idea/ideas and in doing so you will be entered into the giveaway! I haven’t decided what the giveaway will be just yet but it will include something handmade! Then I will share the list with all of you(hopefully as a PDF) for you to print off and use. So you will all end up being winners!!!

Giveaway ends February 17th.

In Stitching…

Michelle

Tickled Pink…

Look what has been arriving in the post over the last couple of days…Some lovely pink ‘Kona Cotton’ solids and the gorgeous butterfly fabric from Lakehouse and…a fat 1/4 pack of ‘Bliss’ yumminess… a little ‘Tickled Pink’ from Robyn Pandolph and… a few fat 1/4 panels with scripture verses that I plan on making into notebook covers and cushions for gifts as needed throughout the year.

I’m off to a local quilters house for the evening as a group of us that used to meet at Claire’s when her shop was open are getting together in each others homes to quilt and stitch and share what we are working on, so I better go get ready before my ride arrives.

A little ‘ME’ time…

Home schooling started in earnest this week…I am home schooling my 3 teenagers and boy do we have some interesting arguments debates there’s been lot’s of laughter and everyone’s the comedian! Lol It could be a good year or a long one. We are slowly getting ourselves into a routine that suits us and have been working really hard! Let’s hope it continues.And this is my youngest as you can see she is in uniform and she still attends our local Christian school. Sorry I could only get a photo of my youngest cherub as the teen-angels refuse to sit still for the camera(spoil sports) Sew I said all that to say this… the only sewing going on this week has been in my head! Until…

This afternoon, when I stole some ‘ME’ time, here’s what I have been working on…It’s a Natalie Bird design out of her book ‘from the heart’. The stitchery’s were finished during the summer holidays. It’s all ready just to sew sew sew, but unfortunately I have a home school planning meeting tonight. That’s just the way it goes sometimes but my fingers are sure itching to be stitching!

Better go get tea organised otherwise I might be late for my meeting, oh and no need to feel too sorry for me, we are going out for coffee and cake and there will be lot’s of chatter besides school work I’m sure!

Keep stitching…

Michelle