Tuesday's treasure

I love knowing there is special mail coming for me and I had that feeling of anticipation that today may be the day; it made checking the letter box a pleasure instead of a chore. And in it I found my Tuesday Treasure, which I treasure more for the generosity of blogging friends than for the thrill of receiving exciting mail.  Today I received the gorgeous teapot wall hanging from Sheila as part of her blog hop give-away.  It is very beautiful and just my colours!  Sheila very generously also included a pattern, I think she knows I love pumpkins.  Thanks so much Sheila, I love my gift.  In the weekend I received the lovely Sweetwater quilt labels from Donna, and look at the cute photo she included of herself and her gorgeous corgi Tag.  Thank you Donna, I will enjoy using the labels.  I am linking today with Melody for Tuesday's Treasures.

What have I been working on?  I don't seem to have had as much time for sewing lately but I have finished the Winterwoods ABC's and it is now at the framers.  I love the little house, just like our little home with smoke coming from the chimney.  I also completed another block for Charlie's quilt, two more of these blocks to go and then I can sew the middle of the quilt together.  It's raining tonight after weeks of sunny days, a perfect night to be by the fire.  Wendy xx

Friendship swap

Carry a friend near cushion - Sweet Sentiments by Natalie Bird

This week my Friends with Benefits gift arrived from Australia, Sue made me a gorgeous rose brooch and a thumb pincushion.  Isn't the brooch stunning?  Sue told me a lovely story about it too, the red yarn was given to her by a 98 year old lady to be used to make a gift to give away.  That makes it even more special, I love it.  While the family were out this morning I had fun trying it on, no face shot though as I was very much in Saturday housework mode!!  Thank you so much Sue and thank you Kathy for organising this swap.  I made Sue the "Carry a Friend Near" cushion and popped in a few other goodies too.  The only sewing I have got done this week is my cross stitch, I am very close to finishing.  One more little picture to stitch and the letter 'x', I have so enjoyed this project.  It is getting quite autumnal now, we have had the fire a few times.  The last photo is of my favourite tree which happens to be what I see from my lounge window.  It's a Crepe Myrtle and is beautiful every season but particularly in autumn when it  gives our lounge a golden-red glow on a sunny day.  Lovely.  Wendy xx

FNSI results

Oh how I love Friday evenings, that feeling of winding down from a busy week with home made pizza and oven-fries while watching a movie, traditions like that are so nice.  Last night was made even nicer because it was Friday Night Sew In, so I happily stitched away on my Winterwoods ABCs.  With a little bit of stitching fitted into today as well, I have completed three rows and am still loving it!  Today was a perfect autumn day and we spent the afternoon at Waitakaruru Arboretum and Sculpture Park, beautiful scenery, my photos don't really do it justice.  The last photo is typical of Waikato county-side, the region of NZ that I live in, gentle rolling hills and plenty of grass and cows.  It's the last day of school holidays tomorrow then back to the usual routines.  Wendy xx

Still school holidays

In between work, hanging out with the kids, and feeding the kids I have managed a little sewing and crochet. The crochet brooch was a pattern in the Mollie Makes magazine and came with the wool and crochet hook, I am pleased with the result and it exactly goes with a favourite cardy and scarf of mine.  I have been debating with myself about opening a new cross stitch kit and finally told myself that craft was about enjoyment so I gave myself permission to open it!  I have been inspired by the cross stitch seen on favourite blogs and really felt like doing some myself so here is my start!  Winterwoods ABC's, very appropriate for this time of year as winter will be here soon, in fact the mornings have already been feeling very cool and wintery!!  I have finished the first row and am loving it so far.  It's Friday Night Sew In tomorrow night and I have plenty of projects to choose from so I will join you then.  Wendy xx

By the way, the muffins are our favourite go-to recipe when there are the last three bananas ageing in the fruit bowl - Double Chocolate and Banana muffins, I have put the recipe on my recipe page.

School holidays

On Easter Monday we spent the day at Raglan, an hours drive away which makes it our nearest beach.  It was the perfect day and so beautiful.  Charlotte and Josh loved spending the day in the water and enjoyed being with their cousins.  Tuesday night we went out for dinner for Paul's belated birthday, yum!  And yesterday we went for a walk through an arboretum, the leaves are just starting to change colour.  The lighting was a bit gloomy so I don't have any photos worth sharing.  On the sewing front I have finally pieced and traced blocks 8 and 12 of my Vignette quilt, whew!!  I had refused to put my Vignette fabrics away this week until I had sewn it together, I am so pleased it is at this stage today, now I can slowly plug away at the stitching.  The last photo is a gift that arrived yesterday all the way from France, from Florence as a give-away for her 150th post.  Can you see how gorgeous and tiny her stitching is?  I love the pincushion and the colours are perfect for me.  Florence also included the decorative pins in my parcel, have you ever seen pins so cute?  Thank you so much Florence, I love my gift!  Wendy xx

Easter Saturday

Bunny Love - designed by Fiona Marie

The bunnies have been breeding here - 9 little Easter bunnies!  This is a free pattern from Fiona Marie, it was the perfect pattern to whip up in a hurry and an Easter egg hides inside each bunny.  Six are for my little Sunday School class and three will stay with us.  Thank you Fiona for such a cute little pattern.  Barney kept a close eye on me and the bunnies as I was sewing them, either that, or he was trying to communicate with me about the state of his food bowl!

It has been such a lovely day today, Paul had dug over the vege garden for me so I was able to plant vege seedlings - lettuce, silver-beet, broccoli, beetroot, carrots, and some pansies for colour.  Then some bright geraniums into pots on the deck.  Henny Penny was so funny in the garden, getting into the digging beside me.

I haven't had as much sewing time during the week, just one finish.  The little photo is a glimpse of the candle mat I made for the Christmas Angel Swap.  Wendy xx

Weekend sewing

Whew, I just got there, I have finished my March Farmer's Wife blocks, the last two are #51 Hovering Birds and #52 Hovering Hawks.so I have 23 blocks in total.  On Wednesday evenings I have been going to a two hour quilt class where I have been working on my Vignette shoo fly blocks.  I was happily sewing away with only two left to piece when my sewing machine died!  Thankfully I have plenty of hand sewing to carry on with until it is fixed, my Home Sweet Home penny rug with Melody was the perfect choice.  Part three was to add a school house, I think the builder forgot his plumb line when my school house was built, it is rather wonky!!    Wendy xx