I can stop stalking now...

ooooh look at this, I have mail!!!

all the way across the Tasman

and look what is inside... look at these lovely cards.... can you guess who these are from?
..and take a look at this! a cute little 6" Christmas Stocking with a teddy bear on the front - now who could this be from then???

YEP! sent to me from Kris at Tagalongteddies from her marvellous recent giveaway, am I lucky or what....

THANK YOU so much Kris!

hmmmmmmm maybe I can feel some stitching coming on tonite then

Have fun!

Shiree

it rains and it shines

we woke on Sunday to the lovely sound of rain on a tin roof - so no breakfast on the deck Sunday.. hmmm no biking either, real lazy weekend that was...
yes, it was raining and brilliant sunshine at the same time - can you believe it?

at least the garden and lawn will get a good watering then, and I am sure it will wait for 2 weeks until we are back in Twizel again...... a quick walk to the coffee shop in between showers, and then back to.... you guessed it - a few hours of good quilt piecing!

But on a more serious note... let us not forget what this Saturday was all about...

"Lest we forget"

I forgot to show you these...

do you remember the other week I showed you these fabrics... well I forgot to post and show you the finished items. These cushions are a rather belated gift for a dear friends' birthday... she just loves these soft blues and pinks... they are just so her, so I really hope she likes them...

and these will grace our new home in Twizel, (well not new in years but new to us, it is a rather crumbly little cottage, emphasis on wee! 10 weeks to go - seems like forever but then there is lots to do and so much to pack, and pack and store and move...). These are Leanne's House, Two Brown Chickens..
These will help no end to lighten and brighten it up... and this is Chinese coin, (a Cozy Strip Club pattern) which I have finally finished. Unfortunately I cannot take the credit for the lovely quilting effort however, I did send this one off and I am really impressed with the way this has turned out, made a rather ordinary quilt into something quite spectacular... look at the variegated thread in the feather pattern,

so, several finishes for April... so far....

have fun, Shiree

and the postie visits again....

well, hasn't the postie been good to me ... today I got home from work, and this was waiting for me from Denni, who is my swap partner for the paper bag swap, yeh, I have been waiting for this as I have a few ideas swimming around in my head, and I cannot wait to get started...

and this arrived from Deb, you really are very naughty Deb, but watch out as I will get you back - do not worry, I certainly will! These fabrics are really gorgeous, hmmmmm can't wait to do something with these as well! Rowing man and I were lucky enough to be in Paris for New Year just gone by - oooohhhhhhhhh... wistful memory type thoughts....
I went for a walk yesterday morning while rowing man was out on the harbour doing his single scull thing, look at this early morning view -
I then thought that while I was walking, I might go by some of my favourite places in Dunedin and snap some photo shots, Great idea, put together an album of my favourite Dunedin places... so I got this shot of the Leith Stream, which flows right thru the centre of the Otago University campus

and I took one or two more, just when I was getting into it, and heading from some really interesting places to get really snap happy, my camera battery died - can you believe that!!! So I hope that next weekend, it is slightly overcast again, so I can get some shots of those that I missed. Wish me luck..

have fun, Shiree

Blogger Quilt Festival

Hey what a great idea this is. A virtual quilt festival, go check it out and see what everyone has been up to. there are some wonderful blogs to visit, and some absolutely fabulous quilt works. It is totally amazing how many clever people are out there, so if you want some inspiration, or if you just want to enjoy the eye candy, go have a look.

I cannot decide which is my favourite quilt - there are many that I have enjoyed making, in fact most of them, which is why I made them really - goes without saying!

This is a smaller version of New York Beauty, we all made this at my Thursday night quilt group and it was really interesting to see them all take shape and see how each others quilts ended up - it was the first time that I had ever done any foundation piecing, and I really really enjoyed it. This quilt hangs on the lounge wall of our holiday home, but this photo shows it before it was quilted and pre-binding, I know I have a better photo somewhere, but couldn't seem to find it tonight...
and this one, I did just before Christmas last year, this is a Natalie Lymer design from Cinderberry Stitches, I really enjoyed all the stitchery for this one, which hung on the wall at Rowing Man's surgery as a Christmas Quilt ( I used Moda's Holly Jolly jelly roll for this),
and maybe, just maybe, this might be my favourite, hmmmmmm... this is a hand appliqued, hand quilted Baltimore - or at least my version anyway. Some of these blocks were done whilst tramping the Akaroa trail (which by the by as just so mch fun!).anyway, pop over and see some more of this quilting extravaganza...

the postie calls

I have just popped home briefly from work this morning and yeh!!
...found the postie has been and left some goodies for me from my spring swap partner, who I discovered is Harley from Koala Fuzz, in the US, how wonderful all these goodies are - just absolutely marvelous. What a wonderful assortment. Look at this cute little duck buttons....
And I do drink coffee -and quite frequently take out, so this cup holder will certainly get lots of use indeed. This swap was organised by Linda - thank you so much too Linda for being the swap mama.I can't believe all the things that Harley has added to this parcel, it is quite mind blowing, and yes I will very likely be utilising the scrap booking stuff, and very soon, my scrapbooking collection is growing by the day, my daughter who lives in Perth has got me quite hooked! Well.. just a little.... so I do have a purpose for this lovely photo keep and papers....
I have just had a look around Harley's blog, and what a wonderfully creative and busy lady she is, and WOW, what a swapper.

Hey - looking at her profile, what a coincidence, we are both Piscean dogs... many years apart, but then age is but a number huh.

have a great day, and once again, THANKS EVER SO MUCH HARLEY and Linda - swaps are so much fun huh...

have fun, Shiree

the bright side always shines thru...

I hope that everyone had a wonderfully restful time over the Easter break, ... of course, we had a great break at our holiday home in Twizel, we know the place well, but of course looked at it from a very different angle now we know that we are moving there at then end of June. We checked out the house that we will be living in .... NOT impressed, it is a bit rustic, and a bit on the small side, the kind of quirky cottagey thing that you would rave about spending a weekend to your friends, and encourage them to do the same, but takes on a completely different view for more permanent living arrangements! We will definitely need to put some furniture in storage, and swap some other stuff around between houses. However, the bright side is that we are given this house to use as part of the deal, and we will ultimately make the best of it! The best part is being so close to so many outdoor activities, I have decided that not working, I will need to get myself into a good routine so I make really good use of all my free time. Little house, little housework huh!

These are some photos from a quilt exhibition that we stumbled upon when we were in Dubrovnik last year....



and this is rowing man and I enjoying an ice cream at the Copacabana after a late afternoon swim (hence the wet flat hair look!)
hop on over here and see this great giveaway that Thearica is having for her daughter's 30th birthday. What a gal!... and what a giveaway...

have fun everyone!

Shiree

Best laid plans 'n' all....

Well, I had very good intentions as you all know, last night, to spend the night sewing and stitching, and completing at least 2 unfinished projects.
Rowing boy and French chic arrived out not a minute after I had finished clearing up after tea, and just sat down at the sewing machine. They had been grocery shopping, and French chic dropped a milkshake/smoothie - whatever - this milky thing was spilled all over the front seat of the car. No they did not cry over it - but rowing boy was none to happy 'bout the smell that was already beginning to build up - being a very cold day the heater had been on fairly high - French chic feels the cold.
So instead of sewing, we tidied the garage - which had been accumulating all sorts of stuff from the house, from clean ups and sort outs in readiness to move to Twizel.
Rowing boy needed to first clean his car, and then have it sit in our garage with the portable dehumidifier inside it to dry out!!!

Hmmmmmmmmm - Rowing man is very late home tonight. I am just having a very quick bite to eat, and then I am definitely, no holds barred, getting straight into it! Woman on a mission!

HAPPY EASTER all,

Have fun, Shiree

OPAM CHallenge....

where would I be without this challenge to encourage me to complete those projects that have been sitting around in my - OOPS I mean Rowing Man's.. study. Thank you May Britt and Kris for this delightful challenge!

So tonight, right after I post this, I am going to do some work on this....

and this....
and I will post tomorrow night to let you know I have finished, and show you the goodies!

Daylight savings finished here at the weekend, and whilst it is much lighter in the mornings, it is getting very dark at night, and today being a very dismal dreary day does not help much at all.
It will almost be that I will be going to work in the dark AND coming home in the dark. ARRGH! So, I am sorry Chookyblue, but I much prefer daylight savings, but then I am in the city...(currently anyway).

I will be in front of this later...

and because I am doing this,

I will be looking thru these for some inspiration..
off to finish the goodies.... see you tomorrow then

have fun, Shiree

Have a look at this!

have a look at Kellie's blog and see what she has been uo to, this is some seriously georgeous work!!!

I am totally amazed by the bright bold n beautiful creations,

so go have a peak,

p.s. she is having a great giveaway as well so if I haven't tempted you enough to look already....