Hey! Guess what?

Guess who's going to be celebrating a whole darn year of blogging very soon????

2 more blocks finished!

I've finished 2 more blocks for the Leanne's House Block of the month I'm making. I'm now working on block 6. (sorry about the shocking picture quality - do not adjust your screens! It's just me!)

Well my first week as a uni student has passed very smoothly! Although there were no tutorials this week, I suspect next week the work load will increase! Today's paper was on law and ethics in relation to the media and journalism. mmmmm I'm sure I can do it, I'm sure I can do it, I'm sure I can do it .............

Carole ;)

There are lots of these little fellas in my garden!

These are the caterpillars of the Monarch butterfly. They have almost eaten all of my swan plant. I am now finding chrysalises everywhere! Don't you just love the texture of the swollen seed pods! I have 6 of these plants in my garden, hopefully each year I can do my bit for increasing the population of Monarch butterflies!

Carole :)

You haven't been to visit my garden lately!

Well, yes it's looking a bit like a real jungle at the moment and there is a small chance I could loose you! LOL!
But I counted 12 pumpkins growing enthusiastically. Mmmmmm I wonder if the library has a book on 1000 ways with pumpkin?

Carole ;)

Thank you!

I want to say 'thanks' to all those blogging friends who left lovely comments about the needle keeper I made.
I wish I could visit you all in person, I'll just have to settle for visiting you via your blogs!
This lovely pink aster is for you!

Carole ;)

My first day of university!

If you follow my blog you will know that at the end of last year I lost my job. It took me ages to decide what I should do and which road to travel down. Finally I decided to enroll at my local university and complete my degree which I have been working on, paper by paper over the last 5 years while I worked full time.
Today was my very first day of uni as an 'internal' student. I had a lecture for the Language and Communication paper from 9am to 10am and then came home. It was a "full on" day! LOL I just hope I can cope!

Carole:)

Some lovely goodies added to my etsy store

If you're looking for that special little gift ....... Check them out!

Carole ;)

I've always wanted one of these!!

At the silk ribbon embroidery class I went to on Wednesday the tutor had a beautiful needle keeper. In fact she had 2, one was completely finished in crazy quilting and covered in beautiful stitches, and one was very plain, just made in a lovely fabric. MMMMmmmm, I've wanted one of these for a very long time! My needles roll round in a plastic container and are stuck in things like corks and various pin cushions all over the place.
So I decided to make myself a needle keeper like my tutors.
What do you think?
I made the little button, I used diamond glaze to finish it, but I see I got some little bubbles in it.





Have fun!
Carole ;)

A mini break!

Well I've just had a wee mini break, a couple of nights down in Wellington, staying with my daughter. What fun we had.
Our first stop was Martha's. This cafe has little tables and lovely linen table cloths on all the tables, they serve tea and coffee in lovely bone china, and a selection of yummy cakes on tiered cake plates. Everything is feminine and dainty. It is my mostist favouritist place in the whole of Wellington!!
As if it isn't bad enough having hot scones with strawberry jam and whipped fresh cream, but we were forced to eat marshmellows and chocolate hearts!
(Please note that while we were here, 2 men sat at the next table and drank tea, so not just for the ladies!)
Anyway, to try and purge ourselves of all that goodness, we did a lot of walking the streets of Wellington. Here are a few images of Wellington.

There were so many steps, and I think my daughter found them all for me. "UP WE GO!"

Doesn't this little window look interesting? I would have loved to nose around in there!
And more steps!
Oh, and a few purchases drying in the sun. While I was in Wellington my blogging friend Nona met me and we drove out to Petone a suburb, where we wandered thru the op shops. I bought all these for $1.00. What a bargin!
Hope you've all have a good week so far!
Carole :)

Some hearts finished

I have had to make 3 hearts for various heart swaps....... 2 I used calico and bits of lace, ric rac etc... and the 3rd one I used my beautiful bird fabric. The fabric is so nice I didn't really want to add things over it!



Have a great Sunday!
Carole

Grandmother's garden comes to town!

This weekend Grandmother's Garden came to Otaki, an hours drive south of Palmerston North. They have a large van which they pack to the roof with all things quilting. They are traveling onto Christchurch and then Winton tomorrow. They had a lovely display of quilts, plus lots of baskets filled with quilt kits, plus tables crammed full of metres, and fat quarters. YUMMY! They had some very very nice flannels, I love using these as the backing for quilts, it adds to their being very snuggly! They also catered for hubbys, and had 2 tables with lovely table cloths, and an assortment of china tea cups and saucers and a lovely tiered cake plate with cakes!

I purchased 5 fat quarters......just because! (by now you will know that I like the little florals!!)

And then this fabric, which is really a 'must have' but not sure what I'll use it for? It has lots of birds printed on it and looks quite old.
Hope you are are managing to sneak some crafting in this weekend!
Carole

A class and a gift!

Yesterday I went to an embellishment class at Cherry Pie Quilts down in Levin. It was 2 hours and I was hoping to learn how to do silk ribbon embroidery, and anything else that was going really! Above is my wee sampler, 2 hours work. Our tutor, Cheryl, who I might add is one of the most talented people I know when it comes to embroidery, showed us lots of little ways of doing stitches and using ribbon and beads. My first rose at the top is a bit dodgy, but the bottom rose looks a lot better! They are called spider web roses. I need to practice lots!


Then today I got this wee heart in the mail! It's from Gabriela in the States for a swap on Textile Challenges group. I think it has lavender inside, or perhaps oil. I love the lace and the rose and the ribbon! Makes it kind of old but new! Thanks Gabriela!
I haven't quite finished mine, I have 3 to make, but they're almost done!

Carole ;)

An old lady I met ......

I met her while we were away on holiday, I reckon she's kinda cool. She's certainly doing well for her age! She's the only one of her kind in New Zealand.


Carole ;)