Saturday and the weekend

Another weekend, time seems to go by so quickly lately... nothing to do with my age , I don't think !!

So the end of another busy week and I seem to have packed in a lot to this one... and managed a bit of stitching.. see last couple of blogs for the saga will not repeat here, but just to say toes are doing great and can now get one pair of shoes on that were always a little on the large size for me.

Stitching ...  have managed some of the bullion knots flowers on the Punto Antico work. After I tracked down some of the thread, Thank you Ribbon Rose for the prompt attention and posting to me.

On Friday I recieved this lovely parcel from Sandy she had  3 lovely give aways on her blog and I signed up and won one of them... I was so thrilled, and here are my items

Two lovely patterns ... a needle case and a bag that you use the "Shrinking Stuff" on... I have never tried this so now have no excuse. A lovely Moda Park Avenue pack in soft muted colour just right for the hexagon quilt  that is in progress...a nailfile that is covered in pictures of thread reels so neat, and finally a Pigma pen so so useful.  Thank you so much Sandy.   Don't you just love the Postie when he calls.

Many years ago in Europe  people used to have "At Home" where they woud let every one know they were at home on a certain day and would love for you to call and take tea.... So I decided to have one here in New Zealand where it is called  " Afternoon Tea"
so I am at home on Sunday 1st Aug. 2.30pm  on wards if you are around please drop by and say Hi... all are welcome.

Update

I found this neat quilt picture on Kathryn's computer... it is amazing how you just take things for granted , I logged in on her computer and was ready to make a post and tried to look for a picture ..  when up came her pictures, What is going on here I thought?  I was beginning to wonder what had happened to all my pictures

then it struck me of course I was not on my own computer and only her items can be accessed, wake up Grandma !!

My toe is much better and not painful now unless I forget and try to bend my foot, then I know about it.

Solved the sleeping problem with the pillow in the bed...thank you to every one who suggested different ways to over come the bedclothes problem.

Today my time of "incharge" is over .. well! after I cook the evening meal and collect boys from school that is ...  Kathryn and Steve should be back around supper time and that will leave me time to drive home and snuggle in my own bed...Oh! there is nothing like your own bed, not that I have not been comfortable here in Hamilton, I have and enjoyed every minute with Ben and Alex I think they enjoy talking Grandma into things that they would not normally be allowed to do .. kids are crafty even when fairly young, and then they look amazed that I know they are trying it on .. but they got away with a few things but that's what Grandma is for  so they can remember these things when they get older and it gives us a special things to remember away from  the rules of parents... I know I had this special thing with my Grandma and loved it ...so I hope they will as well.

Lorri Birmingham designer

I have been talking to some ladies across the net about Lorri and her hardanger and cross stitch patterns and I was certain she had stopped designing quite a while ago I remember reading it somewhere and I have finally found this ... I quote from  the Internet 

 "Lorri Birmingham, is an internationally known designer recognized for her light hearted whimsical characters and elegant Hardanger needlework. Her designs have earned her several prestigious awards throughout the years. Lorri attended the Paier School of Art in New Haven, Ct. Where she furthered her training in portraits and the fine art. She began her needlework career as a free lance designer in 1989 and founded her own company in 1993. She finally closed the doors to Lorri Birmingham Designs in 2006. Lorri sat on the board of directors for the Stitching Festival from1999 to 2006. She started a new business in 2006, designing jewelry. Lorri owns and operates 2 jewelry stores on Lake George, New York, which keeps her busy all summer. All this time Lorri hasn't been able to forget her love for needlework. She is currently working with Stoney Creek on new designs. She also missed all the wonderful friends she has met throughout the years. "It was very hard to say goodbye to all my fans and students, but now I get to see them at least once a year on the cruises!" 
 ... it seems she teaches on these cruises.

I must say I have done many of her hardanger pieces and have many of her patterns. So she can still be found via Stoney Creek designs hopefully in the future..

Sunday in Rotorua

Sunday morning in Rotorua up bright and early a few chores to do before heading to Quilting day ( once a month we have a day when we stitch at the club rooms doing charity quilts or your own work) from there I head to Hamilton .. all well until I opened the door to take folded laundry to the cupboard when I pulled the door across my toes...of course bare feet no slippers on ...after I dropped the laundry and head on door post shed a few tears said a few choice words not to be repeated here ... I hobbled around a bit.

Ring on the door bell and I have unexpected visitors so after making them welcome and drinking coffee with them it really was to late to go to quilting....never mind a few things I could get done before heading to Kathryn's.

Walking was becoming difficult and painful but managed to get shoes on ok... and they gave my foot support. Finally drove to Kathryn's, on arrival I realised that foot was really painful and now walking was  a whole lot more difficult...

Kathryn took one look and off to emergency room...yes !!  bet you have guessed by now I have a broken toe and bruised others ... I now have a fancy shoe that is wonderful as it keeps the foot supported and no pressure across the toes ...3 weeks they said to keep it on and plenty of painkillers.

Sure wish I had had one of those cage contraptions they put in the beds in hospital to keep the bedclothes off the legs or feet last night..  but no time for self pity have boys to look after.

Doing the Grandma bit

Yesterday I drove to Hamilton  to be here so as at 6am  today Kathryn and Steve could take off to a conference in Auckland, they will be gone for 3 days...So Grandma's in charge.

This morning was fairly easy boys were up and watching TV when I woke up.. a couple of commands or should I say requests and they were washed and into their school uniforms, breakfast was easy and lunch boxes packed ... we were out of the door right on time.  Now it is time to be thinking about the evening meal, Ben and Alex have very limited likes and lots of dislikes ( very child like  or normal one could say) so it looks like chicken and beef mince for a couple of days
I have bought my sewing and hopefully I can manage a cup of coffee with a friend who moved here a couple of years ago...then it will be pick up time.
So far no disasters  but it is only 11am   and may be another cup of coffee is called for.. 

Book reviews .. and stitching

A couple of the  blogs I follow review books they have read,  I began to think  about my reading and at present it is non existent, with stitching and patchwork and quilting I find reading has gone way out of the window ... on top of that I find reading in bed just sends me to sleep after reading the same paragraph 3 times or more.

Then a few years back some one put me on to the talking books from the library,  now it is wonderful I stitch and someone reads unabridged books to me on CD's.  I always thought talking books were only for sight impaired folks ..but not so they are easily available from our library and would you believe at no cost what ever ( I am given to understand this is not so everywhere) most books are 8  to 10 hours long so you can serialise them if need be, but sometimes you just have to hear the next section and I have been known to sit all day listening and stitching.
They are great if you are travelling in the car for long distances also, I have converted a few people to them, including another stitching friend Mhairi, who now  stitches to her talking books, it is amazing how our conversations have changed from  the books we have read, to what CD's we have listened to ( a sign of the times I guess).

This weeks selection will last me may be two weeks, I try to bring  different types of books Crime, thrillers, novels and Biographies even some travel books,  it is amazing what I have listened to ... but would never have read such a book if it came down to me reading it,

so it has definitely broadened my tastes.

So if you need to read and stitch , also an impossibility to do both at once,  try talking books then you get the best of both worlds.

My purchases from the conference

I did manage to spend a bit at the conference merchants hall...who wouldn't with every stall being filled with items and paraphernalia of your dearest hobby.

This pile does not look inspiring to many people ..but the felt was beautifully dyed and will eventually become a needle case, the beads just had to have them..in the middle you can See a Celtic Needle Keeper magnet, for the uninitiated this is put on your work so you can put your needle on it and it will still be there when you go back to it, lost needles should be a thing of the past ...Oh yeah!!!

The thread  and Permin linen a pretty lambs wool colour were also just a want..not a need but this next thing is beginning to be a need

I have  developed Arthritis in my hands .. a curse for an embroiderer and finding I can not hold a hoop for to long especially if the fabric is a large piece as this makes the hoop fairly heavy, this restricts my stitching time of late ...so I have finally bought a "Fanny Frame"

you put the wooden foot under your leg and sit on it thus the frame is held in place for you leaving you with two free hands and it means my left hand does not give up after an hour.

Many think it is a bit of a funny name for a frame ...but it was originally designed to actually go between your legs and sit on it in that position.... thus "Fanny Frame" I think the name came from the States where the word fanny is used for this area of a woman's anatomy.

Class number 2.

Punto Antico

......... of course if you have followed my blog you will know that I have taken other

classes in this style of embroidery...

 this class was a refresher course for me and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I am a traditionalist embroiderer at heart so " this is straight up my street"  as the saying goes.

This pictures shows the needle weaving in the centre and eyelets ready for

the bullion knot petals to make the flowers

This picture shows the outside hems of the mat in progress.

You will not believe that on arriving at the class I was a reel of thread short, this type of stitching is done in two sizes of thread 12 and 8 DMC Perle Cotton ... after unpacking my bag I could only find a no.12 ... My heart skipped a few beats, where could it be ? I know I packed it before leaving home... I can only think it was dropped after I checked everything at the motel the evening before .. DISASTER .. but no Janet a friend taking the same class had chosen the same colour thread .. Who says there are no such things as angels ...

"God bless you Janet."

Now I would like to show you the Tutors sample.

Tutors Sample of Punto Antico for ANZEG Conference

designed  by Marjorie Irwin  of Morrinsville NZ

In a few days hopefully mine will look something like this one.

A Proud Grandma

Ben and Alex have decided that they love Judo as a sport and Mum and Dad are happy with this and the travelling with " your children's sport" has started for Kathryn and Steve. at weekends.
On Saturday they were in a Fun Day at Pyes Pa just 40 minutes from Rotorua so Grandma had a chance to go along and see them take part. Click on Kathryn for the full story.

Ben  and his younger brother Alex

"Gee Mum they are all bigger than me"

Ben was amazing and came away with a Gold Medal, so there was one proud Grandma.

This is it ...I think !!

I have gone to a soft blue, grey and cream blog look

I think this is it for a while

New Look Blog

I am still not happy with the new look yet!

So am still looking, I keep finding new background designers, I did not realise there was so many out there. So things may still change by the day, keep watching !!

First Class at Conference..A pocket for Titania

Now this class with Lee Westfield, was way out of my comfort zone.

Not only do I not do beads but I also do not normally use these colours, I am more a natural colour girl.

The photo's are not good for the colour the outside of the bag is lilac and the linning is actually dark purple.

The hardanger work was done before the class and the embellishment was the order of the day.

This beading and thread took me all day, I can honestly say that I probably will never do another one.

But I will finish the bag and post a photograph when done, and hopefully the colour will show up better.... I must say though it was a fun day and Lee was so patient trying to make me do what I would normally steer clear from.

This next photo's are of Lee's work just to show you what a completed bags looks like, I would have

 loved to have done this one it is more my thing.

Bag for an Ice Princess by Lee Westfield

Lee's Pocket for titania

I wonder if mine will look so good when finished ..I do hope so.

What a week

I have just returned this evening from the 6 day New Zealand  Embroidery Guild Conference in Hamilton, after the  official stuff Saturday and Sunday the fun started ...
I attended a class on Monday for Embellishment of a small bag... more details and photo's later.
Then Tuesday started a class for 3 days with Marjorie Irwin for another Punto Antico Class also pictures soon.

In the mean time here are the ladies who attended the Punto Antico class.

I can not find one I like

I am so sorry to lose my sewing back ground

I have been looking all across the websites that I can find and so far I have found no sewing related back grounds for blogs... Has anyone come across any in their searches?

Colours in your food...good for you

COLOUR IS GOOD for you

Yesterday I went to the doctor for my yearly physical.
My blood pressure was high .....

My cholesterol was high .......

I'd gained some weight, and I didn't feel so hot.

My doctor said eating right doesn't have to be complicated and it would solve my physical problems.

He said: Just think in colours. Fill your plate with bright colours. Try some greens, oranges, reds, maybe something blue,etc.

So I went right home and ate an entire bowl of

And sure enough, I felt better immediately. I never knew eating right could be so easy !!!

My Background

It has taken me years to find a really suitable background to my blog..and what happens you finally find one you love , and then there it is gone.

Seems that Scraping Blog backgrounds have been closed by  the company they use as a server as they are having to many hits, as this is a free service they can only use the Photobucket company server so many times, after that that they become a business, and must pay for the service...

so there goes my nice stitching background ..

So this one is temporary until I can find another suitable one.

Another from the email

WHEN I'M AN OLD LADY AND LIVE WITH MY KIDS

When I'm an old lady, I'll live with each kid,
And bring so much happiness...just as they did.
I want to pay back all the joy they've provided.
Returning each deed! Oh, they'll be so excited!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

I'll write on the wall with reds, whites and blues,
And I'll bounce on the furniture...wearing my shoes.
I'll drink from the carton and then leave it out.
I'll stuff all the toilets and oh, how they'll shout!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

When they're on the phone and just out of reach,
I'll get into things like sugar and bleach.
Oh, they'll snap their fingers and then shake their head,
And when that is done I'll hide under the bed.
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

When they cook dinner and call me to eat,
I'll not eat my green beans or salad or meat,
I'll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table,
And when they get angry...I'll run...if I'm able!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

I'll sit close to the TV, through the channels I'll click,
I'll cross both eyes just to see if they stick
I'll take off my socks and throw one away,
And play in the mud 'til the end of the day!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

And later in bed, I'll lay back and sigh,
I'll thank God in prayer and then close my eyes.
My kids will look down with a smile slowly creeping,
And say with a groan, "She's so sweet when she's sleeping!"
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

God Bless All Mums and Grandmas Everywhere!

Author Unknown

Lake Rotorua

I am lucky to live with in  a few yards / meters of Lake Rotorua
So to the people who have asked for pictures here goes....
most taken from the landing point at the end of the street. Also a little way around the lake where you can walk..... unfortunately a lot of the land is privately owned and no access.

We have black swans and Canada geese...ducks by the million....pukekos and birds of every shape and size. and lovely sunsets... and wonderful sparkles across the lake when the moon is full.