Holiday Bliss

Oh how nice it is to spend an extra hour sleeping in, and those lazy kind of days. I must admit, I was pretty strung out come the end of the year and it's only now that I am feeling relaxed. 

My Christmas was spent in Wellington with the girls. It was lovely to get away for a few days. The weather was perfect, and for Wellington to have so many perfect days in a row..... well it was magic. I stayed a couple of extra days it was so nice. I have a fantastic neighbour who feeds and cares for the boys, she was just a text away. 

The view from Lauren's balcony. Hard to believe she lives right in the middle of the city. 

Anna and JP Christmas Day. They make a lovely couple.

The last few days have been spent at home just hanging out. I have done minimal stitching sadly. Having said that, I have been planning my outside a little better. It's amazing what a relaxed brain can come up with! I have even attempted to make a sweet pea frame...... Mmmmm. Work in progress!

I have Lauren here with me for a few days. She's been feeling a bit under the weather so we have just laid low. We did put the new BBQ together.... A beautiful Weber Q, and had our first meal from it last night. Perfectly cooked steak! Delicious. I have great plans for this area. 

So that is the holidays so far. Another week to go. The days seem to go by so quick somehow.

Whatever you down under people are doing on your summer break, I hope it's a good one!

Thanks for dropping by. 

The Simple Things

I had a bit of a potter around in my garden the other day. God knows it needed it. I find a lot of Solace in my garden, such that it is. I am not a natural gardener sadly. Planning a garden is definitely not my forte sadly. The other thing is sheer frustration. Now that I am on my own it is the little things like banging and sawing that really get me a bit fired up because I just can't quite do it. Having said that, I am really trying to do more for myself and make things happen for me. 

Anyway, out in the garden my roses were blooming. In 2014 I was given roses for my birthday. I just love them and the memory they came from close friends, and one from Lauren.  I hope some more come one day.  They are very special. 

I picked a few blooms that were there to bring inside. The weather was about to turn nasty and I wanted to enjoy them a little more. 

Paddy Stephens quite prolific in it's flowering. 

In Loving Memory. This rose always reminds me of my dear mother and has the most beautiful perfume. Lauren gave me this one, so it is sitting in her bedroom. She loved it when she walked in. 

Thanks for dropping by.

Happy New Year

And what a year it has been!

As I get older, and it happens to us all sadly, the years sure do go faster. This year has had some real lows and some great highs to it. The company I worked for moved us all to Hastings, and meant a lot of traveling for us. Although we car pooled, it was the time away from home that took its toll. I wasn't keen leaving in the dark and getting home in the dark over the winter months. It also meant I couldn't have my slow cooker on, food would have been totally over cooked by the time I got in. Although I  loved my job and the Company, I knew I had to do something about it. It really was a hard decision, and I did give it a go for 15 months. I  have a new position now, back home, and are enjoying a completely new direction. Not easy as you get older!! An Accountants office this time, completely new language for me lol. I will put my stamp on the position and hope to be there for a good few years.

As I sat in front of a computer most days, it was the last thing I wanted to do when I got home. So MIA I have been from blog land. I do use Facebook a bit more now and love Instagram too. There is something nice about the blogs though and I do read them regularly from my iPad. Not very good on commenting though, keep forgetting my passwords! See what I mean about getting older lol. 

I have continued to stitch, and sew. Not as much as I would have liked, getting better at picking things up though. Here is a bit of a sample....

Just a wee sample of what I have done and the stitching is all complete on these.  

So onward and upward and I shall post  a bit more while I am on holiday.

Thanks for dropping by.

Winter is Here.

I love Autumn, no doubt about that. Those frosty cold mornings and the beautiful sunny days is my dream. Can sleep at nights, and rest well. Well, this weekend we had a taste of winter. And tomorrow, we'll it's going to be colder than we have had in a long, long time. Time to snuggle up by the fire of an evening and stitch, quilt and knit. 

So what have I been stitching and making.....

A project pouch for Clare 

A project pouch for Katrina

And a project pouch for Pat.

And a stitched scissor case for Wendy with her project bag too. We all love our project bags an I just love making them. 

I always enjoy stitching for these ladies. 

I have been stitching for myself and will share those photos in a day or two. I am trying, for the first time to blog from myip iPad. Let's see how it all goes!

Kath 

Waitangi Day Doings

I love having a day off, it has to be said. We all work darned hard at work and there is never a dull moment. So, when one of these precious days off is here it is always nice to sit and stitch for a while. 

I am working my way through some Lizziekate Cross stitch patterns I have. Wanting to make a wall in my entrance way full of these inspirational sayings. Through January I stitched these two, Promise Me 

And Good Friends a wee kit given to me by Katrina for my birthday. 

I am not sure how I will finish them yet though.

So with it being the long weekend this is the next one I have started.... At Our House. 

These designs make such great TV stitching too so it's not long before they are finished either.

So to all you Kiwis out there enjoying our national day, I hope you are doing something you love to do too.

New Year Resolutions - Maybe

Happy New Year. Gosh one month down already. It's been almost a year since I last wrote on my blog. I was given an iPad for Christmas last year so don't sit at my PC so much anymore. So.... I am going to give blogging a go on the iPad if I can. Wish me luck as I am not the most techy of people.

So what's been happening.....

The firm I work for moved cities in July last year. A huge upheaval for many of us. Extra two hours travel a day and for me it has really affected how I now can't do things. I used to go home for lunch, hung washing out sorted out dinner etc and even sewed sometimes. Life was great. Being on my own was having some benefits .... Until we moved.  So for the last 6 months I have struggled with this a lot and my health has suffered significantly. But, I still stitch, sew, enjoy the friends I have and of course my treasured boys, Zeus and Billy.  

                                                    

Waiting for mum to come to bed.

Lauren and Chris split up. Anna now has JP in her life. They are both good.

So, what have I been up to? I have sorted out my front garden. Gee there was a lot of digging a sweat going on there for a few weeks. Didn't help that I had damaged my right knee, but well, living on ones own you just have to get on with it.  I am happy with the progress.

Next step.... Learn how to upload photos from the iPad to my blog!,😀  I am guessing I may have to use Picassa.

Easter Treats

I am always a bit behind in blogging, but I am definitely trying to be better.  Hello to my new followers, lovely to meet you.

Each year Katrina and I stitch a wee exchange for each other for Easter.  I always enjoy seeking out a pattern, where it be a freebie or one I have bought.  This year is we a wee freebie and I so enjoyed stitching this one.  I am going to stitch it for myself too.

Here is what I gave her this year....

and Katrina gave me this stitched little beauty....

a wee design by Homespun Elegance.  Katrina had hand dyed the trim too, matched perfectly.  I love it and it will take pride of place with my bunnies in my Easter decorations.  There was chocolate too!!!  Nom nom nom!

So that was Easter 2014.

Kath

Some Shepherds Bush Sewing and Stitching

It is ANZAC day here in New Zealand and Australia, we remember our fallen soldiers.  Lest we forget.

Hi All

What a great few days it has been.  Off from work for ten days, being able to sort the house out once more, sew and stitch and have a day or two away from the normal routine.

Last year, about October I think, I bought this wee pattern

and promptly stitched it up.  While I was stitching it, I had other ideas of how I would like to make it.  Never just a one thing in my mind!!  So here is what I made Katrina for her birthday... in her favourite spots of course and lined.  I even changed the colours to match the fabric.  Love how it looks.

a bag to keep her stitching in.  Well, I loved that one so much I have made myself one too!  Of course that was always the plan, so that I could keep my Shepherd's Bush 2014 Fold all together.

So here is mine....

and the original little bag that I stitched way back in October...

Speaking of Shepherd's Bush, my mail had a great parcel in the on Tuesday.  I had been waiting patiently,  hahaha, not really, for it to arrive.  Was tickled pink when the courier delivered it to me.

Here is where I am at right now, and I was not happy having to rip out the house that I had all stitched. Count twice, stitch one Kath!  I think that pink heart is going to have to come out, I may have left an entire line out.  Nevertheless, a very addictive stitch.

So that is me for now.

Thanks for dropping in.

Kath

Happy Easter One and All

Happy Easter to everyone out there in blogland.  Gosh don't know if anyone still follows my blog, I am pretty spasmodic in posting.  I think I need to learn how to do things from the ipad as that is where I do most of my browsing from these days.  Little and often! (It's very time wasting that ipad!!!)

Katrina, Clare and I are eagerly awaiting our Shepherds Bush Fold kits so we can start on those.  It seems a long wait!  Hopefully this week for sure.  It would have been nice to have for the entire Easter break, but that was not to be.

It's not that I have not been stitching and sewing either, I sure have.  I will update in a few days when I have some more finishes.  I am on leave this week, yippee, and I need the break too.  So there will be some serious sewing in the next few days.  Lauren is coming for a few days, so that will be a bit of a down time too.  I am looking forward to that.

Kath

Shepherds Bush 2014 Fold Series - First Pics!!!

Hi All

Hot off the press first photos of the upcoming Shepherds Bush 2014 Fold series.

Cant wait for mine to arrive!!  If you would like to join the SAL send me an email and I will send you and invitation to join.

Happy Stitching

Kath

Happy New Year

Hi All

Yes, it's been a good while since I posted.  I really had lost my blog mojo, but of course that did not stop me reading blogs and there has been some great goings on by so many over the last year.

I have a few finishes to show too, that will be the next post.  I am setting up a blog for those who would like to join the Shepherds Bush 2014 Fold. It will be a SAL.  I could not let this one go!  I have no idea what I am doing, lol, so email me and we will go from there.

Take care, it is a beautiful day here, just a bit warm to be outdoors!

Kath

Easter Break

Hi All

Oh yes, I know I am a little late in posting this, just the way things are in my house these days.  One thing at a time lol.  I do hope you all had a fabulous Easter though, as we sure did.

Easter was lovely, the days were hot - yes, very warm for this time of the year.  Lauren and Chris came and we all had a lot of laughs and did things which was good.  I wasn't allowed to take photos..... they are just private people really - of what we did, but I did manage to get one of them before they left.

Lauren and Chris, April 2013

So what did we do....

Chris put the chairs together for my new outside table and chairs.  I had managed to get the table together, but the screws on the chairs were certainly elusive.  Chris fixed them though by sorting out the thread for the screws.  Will have to wait for new seasons things to arrive before I can get an umbrella though as there was not one to be found for love nor money!  Here is the results....

All ready for next summer now.

We went to Napier, did a little shopping - haha, I bought a new clothes basket as mine was totally falling apart. My only purchase.  Lauren did a little bit of shopping too and we had fish and chips on the beach for lunch.  Totally delicious and relaxing, and with fresh fish, mmmm nothing better.

I baked....yummy, some Caramel Cookies.

After the kids had left for home, I popped around and spend an hour or so with Katrina, shared a glass or two of bubbly, something we have not done in an age - and yum, it was just so lovely,  Katrina and I swapped our little Easter gifts, as we do every year.

From Katrina to me

From me to Katrina

My little Easter display

So that is Easter for 2013.  Far too many Easter buns and chocolate, but that is Easter!

I have also had a few days off from work, not that it seemed like it with things that cropped up.  But all good.  I just needed a bit of a break.  This year has been extremely busy and with the drought things have really been busy.  For all of us.

I have stitched and sewed a bit, and that has been wonderful.  I will share pictures next post.

I thought I would have a bit of a stitchy afternoon yesterday, Katrina, Janet and Lisa popped in to share.

Janet

Lisa

Katrina

It was a fine old time with lots of catching up, stitchy talk and eating!

The days have turned very cold all of a sudden.  I have not had the urge to light the fire, but crikey, it is sure close.  It is certainly soup time and my lunch today was this...

Don't you just love soup!

Thanks for stopping in, I do love your comments and read every one.  I want to make changes there too, so I can reply to your comments.  I think I have become a bit computer unsavvy with blogger of late and need to check a few things out.  I have added my Pinterest tag into my side bar if you would like to pop in there.  I love Pinterest!

Take care...

Kath

A Bag for Wendy

Hello All

Thanks for popping in!

I have made my first bag and have so enjoyed making it.  Came from Red Home book by Natalie Bird and this book has some lovely goodies in it.

I gave Wendy her bag on Friday as it was her birthday.  Katrina and I met up with Wendy and had a wonderful catch up and lunch.

Fabrics used were mostly Shangri La by Three Sisters.  DMC 3328 for the stitching.  DMC 3328 is my favourite DMC right now.  Not too red, not too orange.

So now to get to and make a bag for me..... I cant wait!

Have a lovely weekend...

Kath

A Fabulous Giveaway is...

on over at Barbara's blog.  Barbara is a lovely lady and wonderful stitcher, and maker of beautiful things.

I am sure she would be tickled pink to see you!

I am home today with a stinking migraine, my whole head hurts, nose, cheeks, eyes, you name it.  Not a happy camper.  No stitching for me today.

Kath

Up To Date on Santa's Village

Hello Friends

What a lovely weekend I had, much stitching and even some sewing was done.  I did manage to finish Santa's Post Office....

As I upload this photo, I see there is something missing... I have not stitched the other line and envelope flap... a job for tonight.  Must have been tired and that is my excuse your honour... lol!

The blocks in there entirety... this is a really lovely project to stitch.

Thanks for stopping by, and thank your for the lovely comments you leave me.

Kath

 

February Finishes

Hello Friends

It is the last few hours of February and I have got a few finishes to show.  Friend Clare had a birthday yesterday and I made her these little goodies to go with a lovely pattern I had seen for her.

Blackbird, by Blackbird Designs, Tea Time a wee freebie from The Little Stitcher , and a phone case in fabrics that I have used for Clare before.

I also managed to make up this Shepherds Bush kit that I had had on the go for a while now, do love how it has turned out.

Righto, it is well past my bedtime now, so I better say good night!

Thanks for stopping by to visit, I do love getting your comments.

White Rabbits!

Kath