My signature

It is with great thanks to Deb for her comment that led me to .....

http://www.mylivesignature.com/

It was so so so easy....gee it is really wonderful when you know where to look.
Once again thanks a million Deb.

Can you see the signature

Hi every one ..... can you see the new signature I have put on to my blog.?

For some reason it is not opening when the blog is published on my computer ...
is it opening on yours please let me know

We Did It!

After many attempts and playing with many different programmes on the computer, Steve finally worked out how to do it.

After playing with just 2 programmes, he successfully created the signature below for me.

Please do not ask me for step by step instructions on what he actually did.....because I have absolutely no idea!

Thank You Steve and Kathryn

How do I do it?

I have noticed on a lot of blogs

that authors have put a signature at the bottom of each posting

I have followed tips from Blogger Help

and really I don't understand all the jargon

I would love to do this but have no idea of how to do it

If you know how to do this in simple language that I could understand

I would love to hear from you

Hugs

Laurie

Friday Stitching

On a Friday evening a small group of us get together

and stitch all manner of things beside quilting and embroidery.

Last night we made these lovely little felt pin cushions.

They were quite simple to make

and used such a small amount of felt.

Usually we do items one or other of us has found in a magazine

of course the quicker and simpler the better

but we have been know to get in to the realms

of somethings a lot more challenging.

One of our group moved to Rotorua from

Palmerston North ( 5 hours south of here)

where she stitched with a group just like ours.

She has stayed in contact with these ladies

and from time to time we do a swap with them.

This week we received a parcel containing swap pin cushions

This is the one I received.

In the shape of a handbag the flap opens

and inside is a needle case and pockets

Thank you Palmerston North ladies they were all beautiful

Ladies, Ours are winging there way to you as I type.

This is a real oh! how sweet

This picture was sent to me and I think it is the cutest

I have seen in a long time a real Ohhhh!

Quilting Swaps

From a blog that I follow I found out about this advent swap.

You send to you swap partner 24 small sewing gifts and one a lttle larger for Christmas

( all at once individually wrapped )

they must arrive in time for Advent posted in November.

I am looking forward to fullfilling this one.

I have taken part in quite a few swaps over the last couple of years

and they are very simple to do normally just involving a single artical

ie. a pin cushion or something hand made.
It is quite a thrill to receive a parcel normally from overseas,

and make a new like minded internet friend in the process.

I actually enoy making small items

and this is a great way of making them with a goal in mind.

If you would like to join this swap

or find out more go to Mother's Cupboard

Sewing room

The weather has been quite terrible over this winter and my sewing room

has been beyond cool in fact one could describe it as "freezing"

Unfortunately it has been used as a bit of a dumping ground,

so today I am going to put on the heater

and spend the afternoon putting it back to some form of "tidy"

This weeks disaster ......

I have quite a few seed beads,

all nicely in 18 individual colour compartments in a container,

until I took it along to a Guild meeting to use some

and put it in my bag on it's side ...then pow!!

I now have a container with two compartments

full of trillions of beads of mixed colours.
It may take a while to sort but I would guess it is achievable ...

may be one would call it .. an on going project

Blokkenspel

This amazing toy for adults and children is available to make in cloth.

It is a toy that which ever way you turn it inside out back to front

you always get a complete picture each time,

it takes 6 different fabrics.

so I am going to have a go.

it requires 450 - 500 flathead pins in the making.

Wish me luck

pattern available from www.clothshop.co.nz/index.php?page=80d

UFO Day

Rainbow Quilters use the Bridge Club Rooms for our meeting

These premises are very frequently not in use on a Saturday or Sunday.

so once a month the quilters make use of the facilities on a weekend

This last Sunday we had a UFO day

I am trying to finish my Spanish Disaster Quilt

when making it in Spain every thing went wrong

the list is to long to put here

I am now hand quilting it and it is going wrong here also

but it will be finished one day......

Shirley and Alison spent the day cutting circles for a quilt

Mhairi did some machine quilting

Ruth cut out a dress pattern

( Quilting ! well who says it has to be a Quilting UFO)

While others did various things.......

in all there was 10 of us and we had a very a great day

with every one doing what they enjoy with good company

The sun is shining

The sun has been shining today and some flowers

have decided to burst open in our garden
it was not warm enough to shed any clothes but

it is amazing how your mood lifts at the sight

of that bright ball in the sky.

So I hope these pictures lift yours

Wow! what a compliment

"Black Stumpwork"

from a pattern by Jane Nicolas from Australia.

Stumpwork is embroidery in 3D

to see some really fabulous work look up Jane Nicholas .

http://www.janenicholas.com/

This week saw the Rotorua Embroidery Guilds Exhibition .

It was a great success, and on Saturday we had "District Day."

Where Guilds from the Bay of Plenty and Waikato

( the equivalent of counties for my northern followers)

they visited with us had a good lunch and generally socialised

and caught up with what is going on in the district.

I had three items on display,

but the most amazing thing was that I was approached to sell

my " Black Stumpwork" now this is sort of a first,

I have been asked to help and tutor other things

but never to sell my work,

is this going to be opening up a whole new world ...

No I don't think so. But hey!! what a compliment.
Oh and by the way sorry it is not for sale...

but then hang on a minute they say

" Everyone has their price "

This weeks craft/ stitching

My group of friends who meet on a Friday evening to stitch often try new things and this last week we have tried our hands at making " Suffolk Puff Christmas Trees "
It is so simple to make......
15 Suffolk Puffs with cardboard left inside to give stiffness, we used the bottom of a wine glass as the card size for puffs.
Attach each puff to the others in rows, starting with one on the top increasing by one each row till last row consists of five.
Finally make a pot shape with card and fabric about 2 inches in depth, attach to the bottom.
Then decorate your tree with sequines, beads and cord.

Holiday stitching

Today was the last day of the school holidays

Ellis and Harvey were with me for the day

Ellis was happy to play on his play station

5 year old Harvey wanted to do some stitching
So he looked at all my buttons and threads and decided

he would stitch on beads and buttons with coloured thread

It was his choice of fabric

With only a little help, this is his master piece

Do you think we have a budding designer on our hands

Grandma then turned it into a wall hanging

Mid Winter Christmas Stitching Song

This will amuse all stitchers

Sing to the tune of 12 Days of Christmas

But just the last verse

On the twelfth Day of Christmas my true love sent to me

Twelve .. Pairs of scissors

Eleven .. Golden Needles

Ten .. Cuts of Linen

Nine .. Bags of Buttons

Eight .. Silver Thimbles

Seven .. Fine New Patterns

Six .. Chatelaines

Five .... Skeins of Silk

Four hours .. free to stitch

Three .. stitching frames

Two .. sewing birds

And a Hatbox full of over dyed threads

1940's birthday tea

Happy Birthday Bev
( in green top)

Bev, one of my lovely friends at Embroidery Guild turned 70yrs old today

She has been through so much in the last year including heart surgery

and she stayed cheerful through thick and thin,

her husband also has been through cancer surgery.

So today we gathered at her house to celebrate

with a 40's Tea Party

Everyone was to dress in the period,

it was a great afternoon with such lovely

food and a great cup of tea,

all sereved on lovely bone china crockery.

School Holidays

Ben stayed with me for 6 nights we had a great time, and

he was as good as gold.

We played a lot of games and watched a few DVD's

and he learnt to sew on buttons.

I believe the highlight of his week was going to Rainbow Quilters

on the tuesday evening.

He was a hit with all the members and he was so proud to show

his fabric with all the buttons stitched on when

we had "Show and Tell" he just loved all the quilts and he 'oo'ed

and Haa'd in all the right places

We also spent some time on a few of the local playgrounds,

where Ben swung from Jungle Jims 6 ft from the ground
some times it was enough to turn the rest of my hair grey.

On one of the days Ellis and Harvey came while Mum was at work.

So my 3 little computer buffs spent a fair amount of time showing their

prowess on the computer
So it was a great week.

It was just a shame that the weather was so cold

and we had to spend so much time indoors

I am way behind

I remember this stuff...I think it is called fabric.

I have done hardly any stitching for 2 weeks now.

Main reason being school holidays.

Last week I had Ben ( coming up 6 yrs) for 6 nights so not a lot was achived.

This week is going to be taken up with 3 days of Ellis and Harvey

While their Mum works.

Will have lots to tell you about our experiences, when school starts again

Hope every one in NZ is keeping warm.

This is the worst winter we have had since 1980 something

and I have had enough so any time it wants to finish would be good for me.

So what am I up to

A small snapshot of a few of my pincushions etc.

Here in Rotorua we are dealing with fog the last week, and as thick as "pea soup" today ...You don't hear this saying today, my Mother and Grandmother had a million sayings for every occasion wonder why we don't use them anymore ?
The temperatures have risen a slight degree or two, and most of the frosts have left us, may be I should not speak to soon. This is the worse winter I have known since coming to NZ, mind only been here 8yrs, and the last 2 yrs in the Middle East have not helped my tolerance of the cold.

So what have I been up to and doing these cold days. I am working on a framed hexagon hand stitched quilt so have quite a pile of finished 5 inch hexagons, will not join them until I think I have enough, .........the size ? don't know yet may be when I run out of backing fabric, so guess that will determine it.
Weekend before last saw the Rainbow Quilters Show it was a great success and we were really busy all weekend.
I am also an Embroiderer with Rotorua Embroidery Guild ( can't be anyone who did not know that snippet of info surely) and our regional exhibition is coming up in Rotorua 15th - 18th July worth a visit if you are this way.
I have an embroidered quilt that will be in this exhibition plus some other small items. Here is part of a block from the quilt



Fabric crafts have also been on the agenda a Suffolk puff Christmas tree and some Japanese purses, and of course my great love pincushions and needle cases.
I actually sorted my UFO's into a pile or two, there is quite a few but hey! have seen worse piles.
Keep cosy and warm, Happy stitching.

A lovely day

This morning we awoke to sunshine,

everyone I have spoken to seems to have a good feeling

after all the rain and frost of the last few weeks it was great to see the sun again

amazing what this can do to peoples mood.

The weather forecast is not good for later in the day,

but Oh well ! enjoy the sun while it is shinning.

What has happened to the Men in our society

I normally try to speak about nice things on my blog.... I don't like blogs used as soap boxes......

BUT

Today, I witnessed a brute beating up his wife / partner at our local BP petrol station, this assault carried on for at least 10 minutes. Starting outside of the car and then in it, with full fist punches to her body and head in front of 2 small children ...... The garage people called the police. Then stood by and watched.

There are businesses all around the petrol station, Burger King, the AA, a Tire Rack business , plus the people who got out of their cars and an Equestrian shop. Everyone came out of their buildings and there must have been 12 or 15 men at least standing watching this thug carrying out this assault .

Do you know not anyone of them, as an individual or on mass lifted a hand or a foot to walk and assist this helpless women. I would say he was near to killing her........

What has happened to our society that grown men can stand by and watch this kind of thing....have we all gone PC nuts, or are they just frightened of getting involved or hurt themselves. What if it had been someone from their family a wife or daughter may be, I am sure they would have wanted someone to go to her assistance.

It is now 3 hours after the incident and I am still shaking with shear frustration that no one went to her help ... I am a 5ft scrap of nothing he was about 6ft tall how I wish I had had the strength to help.

The police by the way did not get there in time, although we did have the number of the car ....

I know what will happen, the police will go to his house and the woman who will be Sh*t scared of him will say there is "no problem ".

So I would like to say to all those men who just stood like lemons and watched,

" well done !! he has probably gotten away with it."