Slow progress and an award

I do not seem to have had much stitching or computer time this week, well no fun computer time anyway.  Tonight I plan a bit of a catch up with reading and commenting!

My works in progress for the week are:

Progress has been made with my shelf - it's up!!  Still a work in progress though because this isn't the quilt that will hang here.  The wall hanging is one of the older ones I have made, and isn't the right colour and perhaps not even my style anymore, but I freshly washed it and decided it is better than nothing!!  It doesn't even have hanging strips so I have just pinned it in place.  I'm also not sure about the ornaments yet, the larger birdhouse needs painting as the mint green doesn't go with the anything in the room - as I said, a WIP.

My other WIP for the week is my Vignette stitching.  I have made a little progress on the birdhouse block, I love the new thread I am sewing the flowers with - Raisin by Cottage Garden Threads.  The colours never show up as well in the photos but I love the shades in this thread.

The lovely Teresa at Quilting Stitching and Sew On from Portugal has very kindly awarded me The Versatile Blogger Award.

Thank you so much Teresa, I feel very unworthy but I appreciate the thought!  And I love your blog too!

There are rules to this award...

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.

2. Share seven things about yourself on the post.

3. Pass the award to fifteen bloggers that you think deserve it.

4. Lastly, contact all of the bloggers that you've picked for the award.

So, seven things about me, hmmm...

1.  I am the second youngest of seven children

2.  I used to work as a nurse

3.  I am quite shy and do not like to push myself onto others

4.  I am very blessed to be married to my best friend

5.  I do not read many books during the year because I know once I start reading a good book I don't get anything else done

6.  We have always had cats, at the moment we have two, and Charlie and I love them, they are a huge part of our lives

7.  I am a real homebody and like nothing more than knowing I can spend time at home so I feel very fortunate to be able to work from home at this stage in my life.

Now, because of point 3 above, I would find it difficult to pass the award on in case you didn't want it!!  Plus, I think all the blogs I read are really wonderful and inspiring and I have so enjoyed 'meeting' you all this year.  So I will break the rule and not pass it on but maybe some of you would like to take the award and share seven things about yourself.

Have a wonderful weekend, happy stitching, Wendy

FNSI results

It was the perfect Friday night:  home made pizza and oven fries ... a cold night so we got the fire going ... All Blacks playing Japan on TV ... and FNSI which means sewing for me!!

I decided to work on one of the swaps I have joined, I have almost finished but I can only show you a glimpse ...

Aren't the owls cute!

I also did some Vignette stitching, working on blocks 5 and 9 ...

I finished all the flower stalks and the 'hill' and am now working on the birdhouse stitchery.

Our kowhai tree is in flower ...

... and we are fortunate enough to have a couple of tui's visit us each day.  Tui's are unique to New Zealand and are nectar eaters so enjoy the kowhai flowers.  The tui is a very beautiful bird but what I love about having them close to the house is their amazing warbling song which I am lucky enough to hear often at the moment.  I found a link here of their warble if you are interested in hearing it.  I have tried to get a photo of them visiting our tree but they move away quickly when I come near!

I hope every one's weekend is going well and you are finding time for stitching!  Wendy

Tuesday's treasure

My treasure today is a name.  It has always been a favourite and probably not too hard to guess given the name of my blog; Charlotte.  It started off with my Nanna who I loved and she was very influential in my life, I was blessed to share a bedroom with her for the last years of her life when I was about 11.  She was Charlotte Lucy although mostly known as Lotty.

Of course I named my favourite childhood doll Charlotte after my nanna.  Her neck broke at some stage and then she went missing, I had always believed that my parents had sent her to a doll hospital!  Amazingly, about ten years ago, mum and dad found her in their ceiling so this time they really sent her to a doll hospital and she was given a new head.  I still think she is a gorgeous doll with cute dimply arms and legs.

Then 15 years ago I got another precious Charlotte.

Isn't she beautiful!  Of course it's not just the name that's a treasure, Charlie has grown into an intelligent, caring young woman, and is definitely one of my most important treasures.

Thanks to Melody for hosting Tuesday's Treasures.

It is Friday Night Sew In this Friday, I have just signed up for it, see the button on the side if you are interested.  I have plans to work on one of the swaps I recently joined, here is a sneak peek of what I have done so far ...

Happy stitching, Wendy

Craft & Quilt Fair part 2

I have had a lovely day today, first church in the morning and then lunch at my father-in-laws.  I always bring some stitching so am happily occupied while the men chat and watch rugby.  I am working my way through 92 flower stalks on the Vignette quilt and am over half way now!

Here are some photos from the Craft & Quilt Fair ...

This was beautiful up close, made of recycled woolen fabrics.

Lots of detail on this quilt.

Love the New Zealand birds and scenery in this one.

Made by a NZ designer, I should have written her name down!

Also by the NZ designer.

This quilt was one of my favourites, lots of hand piecing and beautiful hand quilting - what a lot of work!

This gorgeous puppet show was part of the Creative Fibre exhibition.

I hope you enjoyed the quilt show! 

I have just signed up for two swaps which is something very new for me but I am looking forward to them and I think they will be a good challenge.  The swaps are The Keeper Swap with Cookies & Cream Craft and the Great Global Christmas Swap with fionamarie.com.  I wanted to do the Christmas swap last year but didn't have the confidence and hadn't started blogging but I have decided this is the year!  They both sound like fun, see the buttons on the side bar if you are interested.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, happy stitching, Wendy

Craft & Quilt Fair and rugby

I woke up very excited today ... the annual Craft & Quilt Fair is on today and the Rugby World Cup 2011 starts tonight!!  Our home is very excited about the rugby, hopefully this year will be the All Black's year!

My new shelf hasn't got a chance of being hung as my husband has been busy getting his new purchase (a bigger TV) ready for kick-off tonight.

I love going to the Craft Fair each year, it feels quite luxurious to take a morning just to wander around being inspired by the amazing quilts on display.  Of course, it's not fun if I don't get to buy something so here are the goodies that came home with me ...

... stocking up on some gorgeous patterns ...

... also stocked up on some more of the Cottage Garden Threads that I love so much.  I also bought a reel of their beautifully hand-died ric rac to try out.  I will post some pictures tomorrow of some of the gorgeous quilts from the Fair.

If your computers can stand two more photos here is the stitching I have got done this week ...

It feels so good to have made a start on the Vignette blocks 5 and 9, LOTS of stitching to go but I have made a start!

And six more hexie flowers for my Hexagon quilt.  Hopefully with six weeks of rugby to watch I will get more stitching done!

Happy stitching, Wendy

Oh and one last thing ...

GO ALL BLACKS!

Tuesday's treasure

I am very excited about my treasure this week, it is new to me, in fact, it was made for me!!

A quilt hanger, beautifully crafted by a dear old man from church out of macracarpa wood.  I had wanted one of these for a while, had seen them on people's blogs but hadn't found one to buy in New Zealand.  So I printed some ideas from the internet and asked this old friend if he would mind making me one and so he made this and gave it to me on Sunday.  I can't wait to see it on the wall and then I can have fun deciding what to put on it - I get a new shelf to decorate as well as a place to hang a quilt.  It may be a work in progress, being more of a newbie quilter I don't have a wallhanging all ready to go.

It has inspired me to pull out these ...

I bought this pattern in January 2010 from Village Fabrics in Te Puna, near Tauranga, while on summer holiday near there.  I got this far and have Spring to do.  I'm thinking this may be an achievable wallhanging to make for my new hanger.  Hmmm, perhaps!

To see what other treasures are being shared today visit Melody, she has a very beautiful and inspiring blog.

Happy stitching, Wendy

Slow progress

I am making slow progress with the Vignette blocks 5 and 9 ...

I have almost finished piecing it and I still have tracing to complete, I am hoping to get this done tomorrow and then I can enjoy the hand stitching.

I found a use for the suitcase I thrifted (see here).  I lined it with paper and now use it to store my works in progress. 

It sits on the chest at the end of my bed (my clever hubbie made the chest many years ago) and looks much tidier than the pile of projects and fabrics that used to sit there, I'm sure Paul agrees!!  Little Holly puss is inspecting my tidying to make sure it is up to standard!

In other news, Melody at the House on the Hill is having a very special giveaway to celebrate her one year blogaversary!  Melody hosts Tuesdays Treasures and shares many beautiful projects on her blog, I particularly love her fussy cut hexagons.  Don't miss her giveaway.

Happy stitching, Wendy