Congratulations

Amazing isn't it, the difference 80 years makes?
My half blind half deaf elderly Mother looked like this 80 years ago.

And today she looks like this!  

It's her birthday and in honour of the occasion I am having a giveaway.   Please leave a comment of congratulations on this post only and on Saturday 4th (when my little sister and her family come to visit) we will have the draw from Grandma's bowl.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOTHER

Sheep Package to Pascale

Recently I sent a Sheep Package to Pascale in Belgium and once again forgot to take a photo so have borrowed this from Pascale's blog.  Do go check out Pascale's blog and see what else she makes -  she is so clever.
Can you see the small wooden thimble - it too is decorated with a sheep.   I am especially proud of the small toggles on the ends of the cord which ties the needle book.
Currently I am working on another gift so no snaps of that just now.
Have a good night everyone.

On my travels

When making the eight hour drive to Wellington we always break the journey and stop overnight  at a small rural town called Taihape - which is "world famous in New Zealand" for the annual Gumboot Throwing Competition.   Taihape is an extremely small town but even so on last week's trip I managed to make a wrong turn but as a result found this shop.  

Obviously the ladies of Taihape are quilters not stitchers - so what else would the shop be called!  

On the right hand side of that lovely technicolour door is the quilt from which the shop derives its name.   Do you like the hairy legs and knobbly knees?!

 

It was fun to look through all the goodies inside and the half blind half deaf elderly Mother bought up large on knitting yarn.   My shopping was more modest -  two buttons - which I have since mailed to my sister so she could finish off the garment she had knitted.   Just how virtuous is that!   Have you finished the cardigan yet Sis?

This package went to Siberia!!

Olya has let me know that her surprise package arrived safely so I can show you what I sent.

The inspiration for this package was two fold - first New Zealanders are often called Kiwis and I had collected several Kiwi bits and pieces to send; kiwi fabric, a kiwi pot holder, a kiwi towel, a kiwi memo pad, a NZ wood bookmark, NZ paua shell buttons, postcards of NZ flora and fauna and of course NZ made chocolate!   And because Olya is an embroiderer par excellence I included some thread and fabric.

 - second I found the pattern called Olya in this book and of course I had to stitch it for my friend Olya didn't I!!   You can read more details here.  Thankfully she liked the package and hopefully she enjoyed the NZ made tangerine chocolate too.  You should go check out Olya's blog - she has a great design for a Butterfly Biscornu (and for those who are afraid Google Translate helps out big time with the language problem).

Look what the postie brought this morning

Just as I was going to work this morning the postman brought this big box!   I didn't have time to open it so all day was wondering just what was in it?   And look at all the stamps -  why oh why did NZ Post have to stick their bar code right over the top??

So tonight when I got home I opened up and can show you some of what was in this big box.  What a "diet breaker" my friend Kazumi is!
Mother and I have just been to Wellington for a family wedding so its off to bed for some shuteye for me.  Good night everyone!

And after a long absence ...

Hello once again from cold and wet Auckland.   These winter days have been profitable on the stitching front  and here is the completed Five Band Sampler to prove it.   This is stitched on 32 count Raw Linen with DMC Perle #8 and #12.   Can't think where I got this linen which is a nuisance as it was terrible to stitch and I don't want to repeat the error and buy that fabric again.

There was a diversion in the stitching.  I had ordered "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" from the local library and to my surprise and horror was 972 on the waiting list!!!   Fortunately they have multiple copies and after a wait of only three months it arrived on Thursday.  Guess what I have been doing since?   Friday at work I took both my morning and afternoon breaks and the full break entitlement at lunch (unheard of since I started this job) to read THE BOOK.   I read late into Friday night, most of Saturday afternoon and finally at 11pm last night completed the marathon session to finish the book.   Part way through I realised I needed to order the second book in the trilogy and am now number 574 on the waiting list for that!   If I wasn't so convinced I will only ever read these books once,  I would succumb and make another visit to Time Out Bookshop, push Lucinda the cat off the table and purchase my own copy.

I'm off now to get dinner and settle down with my next book "No Way Down" which is the closest I will ever get to climbing K2.

Cheerio