Done counting - time for Chocolate!

The last couple of weeks have seen me counting!?! Not stitches or rows though, 'cos that would mean that the counting would have been associated with something fun like knitting or embroidery. Nope - counting buttons, threads, fat quarters, patterns etc etc etc blah blah blah! Stocktake is such a mindless task but IT'S DONE!!! So now I can count stitches or rows instead :)

Needless to say, not alot of stitching has been done lately, mind you there is some that I have done but can't show cos it's secret stuff for the retreat in September. This is just a tiny peek at one....

.... and a little bit of another....

I have finished just one more lovely little block for Jane Austen's quilt....

Pretty meagre stitching helpings today, but I aim to make up for it this coming week! Early on in the week Jake and I took to the hills for the day - just across the way from here - the view from the top of Signal Hill.....

.... and this is where we had lunch. We did have to be a little careful where we sat - lots of gorse!!!

While we were having lunch there were dozens of gorgeous little fantails playing around - tried to take a picture of them but it was pretty much impossible - too fast for me! So I turned the camera onto these instead. Don't you think they're amazing - they push up through rock hard ground ...

.... some are tall....

... and some are short...

I have always loved these gorgeous bright toadstools - or maybe they are mushrooms - not sure?

On the way back up the hill we came across this tiny little pond - I've been up and down the hill dozens of times but have never seen this before. These two were enjoying the peace and quiet.

Now I'm off to package up all those boring accounts and papers and send the whole lot off to the accountant - I don't have to think about it for another year! This has to be a decent excuse for chocolate - I know that some of my excuses for chocolate are fairly flimsy but this one's a goodie, isn't it?!

See you later

Jenny

Went for a nice long walk this morning - I took my ''lazy days'' track - I couldn't quite face the gazillion steps on the other ''track'' even though I really had no reason to feel lazy. I mean, it's not as if yesterday was spent doing anything more strenuous than stitching and watching a pile of DVD's, and then, even though I meant to get up at 2.00 a.m. this morning (does that hour actually exist!) to watch our fabulous All Whites in action, I didn't!! Well, I did sort of - just briefly - to wake Jake who had decided he would also watch it - but I am ashamed to say that we both decided that our beds were more appealing at that hour of the morning - and now of course I wish we did get up 'cos we drew with the Italians!!! How amazing is that! I don't normally get quite so caught up withany sporting event, but how can you not!!

So anyway, today being the shortest day of the year, I thought I would look for early early signs of spring - ever hopeful I know, but I did find one! I know these aren't real spring bulbs, just little old onion plants, but they do still look pretty...

... and the ground under these trees will be covered in daffodils in not so many weeks away.
I'll show you this photo again in Srping - it's quite beautiful here. Then I saw these - in real life they are absolutely tiny - I thought they were just so cute - can you have cute toadstools?

Spent some time with Jane again over the last couple of weeks and I have finished two more gorgeous little blocks - this first is one of her fans...

... and then I did the autumn hollyhock window...

On the weekend I also stitched the next block of Lynette Andersons Scandinavian Christmas - 'cept I've just realised that I still have to put a patch on Snowie!

This has been a lovely diversion today, but sadly now I must attend to bookwork. Hmmm - I'm sure if I look around, there is something else I can find to do instead .... cuppa tea and stitching anyone?

See you later

Jenny

Chilly!

Thought I'd show you where we went on the weekend - it was time to get out for the day - blow away the cobbies! We didn't go far - just out to Aramoana - half an hour's drive away to the beach. When we left Dunedin it was coolish, but okay (just). When we got out there - well, no chance that the cobwebs were going anywhere - they froze in place!! You think this looks chilly ...

... colder still ...

... and, if possible, even colder....

... notice the beach attire!! Yep - chilly was an understatement. But, I was determined to go for a walk on the beach, which I did ... for three and a half minutes!!! Even though it was colder than you can imagine, it was still fun - and the ocean on a stormy day is pretty spectacular. We scurried back to the car and decided that hot chips and in my case, coffee, was needed to stop hypothermia from setting in (a good excuse don't you think, to scoff hot chips!). We had a picnic in the car overlooking the harbour - and these lovely girls waddled past - so close I could have touched them ....

.... gorgeous aren't they. Then we had a wee wander round Port Chalmers - I really love some of the old buildings out there. This church up on the hill is amazing...

Love this one too...

...and the windows in this one took my fancy.

Got your hat?

So back home, and unthawed, I finished a little bit of stitching - the next gorgeous girl in Jane Austen's Bonnet quilt - she is quite beautiful.

I love stitching the little posies.

I'm going back to Aromoana in the Spring. I have a beach to walk!

See you

Jenny

How did it get to June already?

My goodness - it's been a while - and now its June! Is it just me, or did the last month seem to whiz by just a little too quickly. Nearly half way through the year already - before you know it they will be doing that countdown thingie for Christmas! Which is not so bad, really, 'cos I like Christmas, but I'd also like the year to slow down a little.

We had a good frost yesterday morning - the first real white crunchy one, with tricky little icy patches on the pavement, as I discovered while out on my morning walk! Going down High Street was ''interesting'' to say the least, but not nearly so much "fun" as going up some of the steps along my walking route. I really really hope that no one was looking as once or twice I must have looked like a right wally - doing an ice dance and all the while trying to stop from going down on my backside - that would have been too embarrassing! Trouble was, by the time I figured out that I probably should not have been out walking, I was past the half way point and I decided it was possibly a safer bet to keep going. I think yesterday's walk (skate) definitely qualifies as another one of those times that I just didn't think it through to the end - should have stayed home, had another cuppa and read the paper for a little longer!!!

I've finished just one more block of Jane Austen - the words for the second strip...which do make me smile...

... and the next block of Down in the Garden.

Had a gorgeous delivery of fabric last week (or maybe it was the week before - what with the way the month has flown) and I had to have a play. So ... I made a bag!!

And I've also been busy with samples for the Christmas Retreat - so these little guys happened...

... and you can read more about that on the other blog :))

I need to go and pile some more wood on the fire - it's nice and cosy in here - the perfect stitching place to be. Keep warm and happy stitching.

Jenny

Dear little deer

Guess what I've been doing for the last couple of nights ...the first block of Lynette's Scandinavian Christmas...




... just as well I didn't have to get up to do an early breakfast as they were sort of late (ish) nights?!?

Tonight? Knitting socks - thank you Polly for my latest obsession!!

Off now to watch a soccer game - need to go find scarf, gloves and large warm coat (and probably gum boots!)

See you later
Jenny

Lovely old Linens

Last Saturday I spent the day at the Embroiderer's Guild May Day - it was a fabulous day - but silly me forgot to take my camera - I would have loved to have been able to show you some of the gorgeous things they were making! Look what I found, though, while rummaging through boxes on ''Arkwrights'' table - this is the sweetest little linen - I have a soft spot for anything to do with blackberries (childhood memories) so couldn't resist this little cloth...

... and then I found these two treats - you can never have too many lovely old linens and doily's.

I wonder who stitched this cloth..

I've been stitching away on Jane Austen's bonnet - this is Jane's Regency bonnet..

... and this is her Blue Feather bonnet...

...and this is her tassel reticule...

I've also been working on a little project of my own and finished it yesterday - these are my favourite fabrics of all time - so soft and pretty. And paper piecing hexagons is also a favourite - it's peaceful stitching, don't you think. Just sitting there with a little paper template, needle and thread, and quietly stitching them together - your mind potters around your thoughts, and you drift along with the stitches. 'Course the ideal place to be doing this is in a little possie in the sun!

Might go find one of those sunny possies now I think - I started Lynette Anderson's Scandinavian Christmas yesterday and it's fabulous!! Maybe a little stitching before the child returns home from school and peace is shattered :)

Happy stitching in the sun!

Jenny

Sweet Victory!

It's the sort of day where you just want to make a cuppa, find a comfy spot on the couch, not too far from the fire, and do a little stitching. This is the view this morning....

... a little bleak, ay!! I'd rather be sitting out here in the sunshine - it's a far prettier place to start ...

In case you were wondering, victory was sweet!!! I was so tempted to stick my tongue out at Jake and go ''nah, nah, na, nah nah'' when I had finished - but he was in shock so I didn't want to compound matters!!! So, what has 30 stitches per zig zag, 16 zig zags and 480 stitches per row, 184 rows and edgings, 90,528 stitches in total and 95 balls of wool!!!

This has, that's what ...

... it started as a project to use unfinished wool, until I realised that I would probably need to buy some more wool to finish it - in the end I bought way more wool than I originally had to use up!!! It sort of just went on and on ... and on and on... but I really kinda like it. When I finished the last row it was a little strange - my basket of unfinished crochet had been with me for so long. It had been beside me, or close by, for many winters!! I wasn't entirely sure that I wanted it to be finished. Which is not to say that I will be in a rush to start another one. I think it's definitely one of those things that you do just the once thanks.

Other than that, I have finished Vero's block 7 which continues to delight me...

..and I've also finished the second block of Leanne's Down in the Garden quilt. Cute little blue birds...

..and gorgeous flowers..

This week I have been setting up the studio - having a ball! I've started a new blog for it, here . Pop over and have a look - it's where I'll show you bits and pieces about classes, retreats and new goodies.

Now, I think I can squeeze in a coffee before I do the school run, and I might just sneak a little bit of chocolate as well. After all, it's a cold wet day - that's my excuse anyway - a little bit of chocolate and you don't notice the rain!!

Happy stitching

Jenny