COFFEE AND CHAT/QUILTING/HOUSEKEEPER

 

Righty ho, today is gunna go something like this:

Start pressing and pinning this lot...

ABOVE: That's twelve braid runners that need pressing/pinning then quilting.  I hope to get maybe half? of them done today.  Might be pushing it, but I can only try.

I will be taking a break at morning tea time, when I will wander down to the Community Centre to join the peeps for 'Coffee & Chat'.  I didn't go to the Coffee & Chat on Tuesday, I simply could not be bothered.  

I'm starting to feel like just giving it up.  While the company on a whole is lovely, I just feel like I would rather be at home sewing. 😕

I am expecting Lacy sometime today as well... she's got a few jobs to do around here.  Mostly the vacuuming and some dusting/polishing.  It's so nice to have her help, even though she calls me a bitch!  (so I've heard)  😂😖😟

She better arrive and grovel. 

ONWARD...

12.25 pm, and I'm home again.

I popped into the craft room to chat to a couple of the ladies that were working there.  I enjoyed that.

Then on to Coffee & Chat, where I had a very nice hour or more!  She who can dominate the conversation was not there, so we all got a word in.  That was good.  I will go again, cos as you said Vickie, we moved here for the 'socialisation' among other reasons.

When I arrived home Lacy was here doing the housework.  And YES, she did grovel!  She had called me a bitch IN JEST to her boyfriend, who told me.  Without being there at the time of said utterance, I wasn't to know she was joking right?

So we are all good, and I know she didn't mean it 'literally'.

Moving on, I've just had my lunch, and really, really don't feel like sewing today.  So I might not!

I've had an idea.  Instead of having one large duvet/cover on our bed, I'm going to switch to two singles.

That will make it so much easier to change the duvet cover(s), cos right now I really struggle to change our King size cover.

AND it means we won't be fighting over the duvet... though in all fairness, it's ME who ends up with most of it!

So, in a little while I will pop out to the Base and do some linen shopping.  I gave away all our single duvets and covers during our last couple of moves.  Derrr.  So typical.

THREE.   HOURS.   LATER.... I visited several different places that sell linen.  And finally found the new single duvets at Bed Bath and Beyond.  I went for NZ Wool inners, after initially thinking I'd be buying Feather and Down inners.

ABOVE: What drew me to these was inside each box is TWO duvet inners.  Each is of differing weight, and they can be clipped together for a winter weight duvet, or have the heavier one taken off and use the lighter one for summer.  I thought that was ingenious!  

Next was finding new duvet covers.  Ha ha, try finding 'grown up' ones in single size.  Most I saw were leaning towards children's tastes.

Eventually I ended up at Bed Bath N Table in Chartwell Square, where I found what I liked the most.  They only had one Single in the shop, so I've ordered a second one.  It should be here early next week.

I have not put the new linen on the bed yet... maybe later.

Photo won't be until I have both duvets and covers on.

Before you say it, I did think of making new duvet covers myself, but I don't have any (or enough) of a single fabric that a. I want on my bed, and b. I just can't be arsed doing it!

I have enough on my work desk already waiting for me.

8.05 pm, and we are just home from the pub.  Stew spent 3 hours there, and I spent some time with the kids before joining him.  It was nice catching up with the people there.  I'd not been for a little while.

Now, I shall kill time until Coronation Street starts.  

Catch ya tomorrow.

WHOOPS, FORGOT THE BEFORE PHOTO.

 

Well, I forgot to take the friggin 'before' photo of Coco yesterday, before her groom.  You all know her I presume, so just imagine her all fluffy and scruffy.

ABOVE: And there she is looking utterly adorable, and happy to be on my heated throw.  She got short shift pretty quickly, as I use my lap to put the keyboard on, when I'm working on the computer.

Today I am going to make 2 - 3 more runner tops, but these next ones will have some blue incorporated into them.  Just to mix it up a bit.

THEN I will stop making more, and get going on quilting them all.

ONWARD...

2.25 pm:  And here I am.  Having made three more braid runner tops, then...

ABOVE:  Lying then out on the floor with batting, and cutting them all out.  The next step is to cut out the backing fabric, then pressing and pinning them all, in readiness for quilting.

But something tells me I won't get that all done today, as I'm already done in.

I did stop for a quick lunch, so haven't been 'on the go' quite all day.

I am definitely stopping for now though.  I just need to sit still for a little while.

OF COURSE I DIDN'T SIT STILL!   I went back into Crabby Quarters and got the backing fabric cut out for all twelve runners.

So tomorrow I can make a start on ironing them all, and pinning and quilting them.

That is definitely going to take me some time.

I did eventually stop, just before Stew arrived home from work.  Then I've had an absolutely lazy evening watching the telly bla  bla bla.

Catch ya tomorrow.

MID WINTER GROOM

 

On a roll ... having got four runner tops finished yesterday, my aim for today is another four.

I know it can be done.

I have put off getting Coco groomed for 3 weeks longer than the 'usual' time frame, being it's bloody cold.  But today she is getting groomed again.  I feel a bit sorry for her, but it really does need doing.  She smells.  Even when we bath her, she starts to smell in just a day or two.  I think it's an age thing with her, because she never used to get smelly so quick.

I will endeavour to get the 'before' and 'after' photos, as I usually do.  

The washing didn't get done on the weekend, so that's top of my 'to do' list once I'm out of bed.  Which will be around 7.30 - 8 o'clock.  No rush.

ONWARD...

And yeah, I was late putting today's post up.  Sorry about that.

And here we are, and my plans have changed slightly.  I decided to have a go at taking some of the sofa bed apart, just the fabric, to see if it could be disassembled to get it out of the house?

I got about 2 dozen staples out, then ...

ABOVE:  I called Lacy.  She came straight away and carried on the good work.  It may not work, but it's worth a try right?  Steve can look at the internal build and will know if he can take it apart to get it out.

While Lacy does that, I can get on with my sewing.

ABOVE:  It's now 1.45 pm, and I've managed to make three more small braid runner tops.

So I've got a few lined up to quilt and bind now.

I am going to make a few more though.  Cos I want to build up my stock of this size runner.

ABOVE: Between us, Lacy and I managed to expose one end of the sofa bed, so now Steve can see if he can sort it out.  And not just chop it up with a saw!

ABOVE: Our dinner is smelling delicious.  Beef roll ups and veges.  I am not very good at cooking beef, so I hope it comes out OK.

That dinner was really lovely, I did cauliflower cheese to go with it.  Super yummy.

Coco's groom took two hours!  The groomer is training up her teenage daughter, hence it taking so long.  I don't mind at all, and I always pay the daughter a tenner on top of the groom price, cos she deserves it.

It's quite a technical, hard job to do I'm sure.

I just finished sewing for the day, I am totally knackered.  I got FIVE runner tops done today!  I think that's a record.

Tomorrow I am going to make 2-3 more, then stop to quilt them all.

For now though, It's nearly 7 pm and it's time to sign off for the day.   Catch ya tomorrow.

CRAFT DAY ROLLS AROUND AGAIN

 

Well, another Monday rolls around, and I am heading down to the Craft room mid-morning.

ABOVE: As I mentioned yesterday, I have spent hours cutting out strips, and have plenty to make a couple of dozen runners.  I've laid out 7 to start with.  I will work on making the tops first, before quilting and binding them.  It's what works best for me.

ABOVE:  My latest bruise... it looks worse now.  And it is still very sore.  Thankfully, I've not damaged myself since then.  Maybe my 'clux' phase is over?  😄😅

ABOVE:  I've had to come to appreciate friggin Camellias, they are growing all over our village!  I reckon the original gardener must have loved them, because seriously, there's so many of them.  

Sadly though, they don't last long, and leave a huge mess on the lawns.  

That was boring as F eh? lol

I might as well bugger off and get myself and my trolley ready for Craft Group.

ONWARD...

Well its been an interesting morning.

I came down to the Community Centre at around 9 am, intending to buy something from the cafe before heading into the craft room.

Then I spied a golden retriever in the big lounge room, so followed  it in for a cuddle. And he belonged to the exercise instructor who was about to start a class. I don't know how it happened,  but I ended up getting persuaded to stay for the class.

It was  OK.  

I finally got to the Craft room an hour later. 

ABOVE: With all the YAKKING since I got here I've only managed to finish one runner top in 3 hours!!!

When I come down to craft group, I ALWAYS forget something and end up having to walk home to get what I forgot. Today I had to go home TWICE,  so when I got back I sat down and wrote a check list. Hopefully I never forget anything again.

It is BUZZING  here today. There's 13 of us, all yakking. It's actually noisy! 

7.05 pm.  I arrived home from Craft Group feeling blah.  But decided to get back into Crabby Quarters and carry on sewing.

And I sewed another two runner tops, to add to the two I got done at Craft Group.  So four for the day, that's not bad.  😊

Bearing in mind they still need to be quilted and bound.  But that will wait until I've got a few more made.

That exercise class I took this morning may have been totally geared towards much older, infirm people, but it still did something to my body!

My arms and legs are certainly telling me I did something today.  

Maybe I should join a few more of the classes being run here?  

We will see, I'll check out what's on and try a few I think.

Right, I'm out of here, catch ya tomorrow.

TAKING A LEAP

 

I did something yesterday that I've been thinking about for a while now.

I applied to have a stall at a market up in Auckland.  And now we wait to see if we get in.

It's a monthly market and if we get in, it would mean no longer doing the Cambridge Trash 'n' Treasure market, as it's on the same day every month.  

It's a gamble.  No idea how it could go if we get in.

Why do they call it premenstrual tension?  Because Mad Cow Disease was already taken.

Just sayin'.

Agenda today?  The kids are coming for lunch.  I am doing a 'pot luck' thing, not quite a platter, but close.  Just a few things to choose from.

After they leave, I will be in Crabby Quarters, cutting out strips for the next  Braid Runner session.

ONWARD...

1.30 PM.

Lunch has gone very well.

ABOVE:  Savoury scones, sausages, sausage rolls, fruit etc.

ABOVE:  Kids enjoying lunch.  

ABOVE: The boys doing some pruning for me.  I think they enjoyed that.

ABOVE: Our flaming little red head.  She has been delightful today.

I mentioned to Steve ( a few times ), that I wanted the big sofa bed out of our front room and gone.  It's just too big.  And I want to put the exercycle in there instead.

He has resisted the idea for ages, and 100% refused to take the window out again.  I agree on that idea, as it could ruin the window taking it out again.

So anyway, I started suggesting knocking the wall down between the front room and the garage, to get the bed settee out.

I don't think that idea went down too well...

ABOVE: Because now, he's in the front room having a go at taking the sofa bed apart.

ABOVE:  Lily is, of course, trying to help her Dadda.  She got short shift a little bit ago, much to her disgust.  lol

Well, they got the guts of the bed settee dismantled, but STILL couldn't get it out of the room.  So on to plan B.

Which might involve chopping it up!  A screaming waste of money spent on it, but at the end of the day, it is just too big for that room, and I want the room to be more versatile.

I have just spent two hours cutting up strips for smaller braid runners.  I'm knackered all over again.

Weirdly, the outer part of my thighs are numb!  Standing too long?  Dunno.

I have now stopped for the day, I really am done in.  

God, this is a hideous colour!  Must not use it again.  😂😆😅

8.45 pm, and I'm off to bed.  I feel 'sick tired'.... just need to get some decent sleep.  

Catch ya tomorrow.

TAMAHERE MARKET IN JULY

 

It is about 6 degrees C right now, so no frost, just heavy dew.  That's awesome eh?

The weather is supposed to be not too bad today, but that depends on what forecast you look at!  One says showers all day and the other says no rain.  Grrrr.

Usually I don't give a shit what the weather is going to be, but on Market Days?  It's the most important thing.

So, fingers crossed we get no rain.

Right, let's get a move on...

ABOVE:  I am really looking forward to using the little gas heater today.  I am wondering if it helps warm up the entire stall, or just me? 😊

ONWARD...

ABOVE: Doesn't it look fab!  It is 7.22 am and we are ready a full hour before market officially starts.  And it is NOT freezing cold! Everyone is saying the same thing, not too cold. Most unexpected.  It is cloudy, so keeping our fingers crossed for no rain, as we have a lot out that would get wet. 

ABOVE: And today I get to use the little gas heater for the first time. It is WONDERFUL.  

ABOVE: One of our most colorful stall holders! She found a jumper that matched her hair and was thrilled to bits.  For the life of me I can't remember her name.  Shes a lovely lady.  Bex just told me her name is Toni.

OMG.... we are making some AWESOME Sales today! I've already sold all three smaller green braid runners I made this week.  

And the sales keep coming.... this day has restored my morale and confidence in my work.

2 pm. Home again. Exhausted.  It was a busy day, and we did so well!  I am now going to be even busier making more of the smaller braid runners, particularly in the greens.  

The highlight of the day?

ABOVE: See that lady and her two kids?  They walked into our stall and the little girl fell in love with one of the runners with lambs on it.  But she didn't have enough money and they left.

When they walked past on their way out, we called them back into the stall, and we told the little girl she could have the runner with the lambs on it.  For free.  

And the mother was like "NO, you can't do that, you need to make some money for it."  We then  had a bit of a back and forth conversation, and in the end I won.  The little girl got her runner for free, and I made the mother CRY!  She couldn't believe we would just give it away.

THAT'S what I love doing, at every market I give something away.  I actually ended up giving away two runners today.  lol

And I made a woman cry.  I don't think I've done that before.

So yeah, it was a neat day.  

I put some Lamb Shanks in the crock pot with veges and mint sauce before we left... OMG, the smell when we arrived home.  So delicious.  I can't wait for dinner.

7.18 pm.  Dinner was lovely.  Now... Stew is watching rugby, All Blacks vs. Ireland.  I have no interest in it, so am taking myself off to bed.  I shall scroll the 'net.  

Catch ya tomorrow.

ONE MORE DAY... TILL MARKET AGAIN

 Tomorrow we have the Tamahere Market, so I shall work hard today to get a couple more runners made.

Last night I took over to Steve's a little gas  heater I bought MONTHS ago.  Stew and I had not been able to figure out how to make it go.

Steve got it going in minutes.  So typical.

ABOVE: It may be small, but it sure packs a punch!  I am sure it is going to help keep me warm on these cold winter mornings at market.

ABOVE:  Once I had 'fixed' the runner with the 'boo boo' last night, I started another runner.  I used the same fabric, just in a different line up.  

And then I cut off the excess on the sides, and had enough to sew them together, to make a small placemat sized thing.   I might make it longer so it's a runner too, we shall see.

Once those two are done, I'm MAYBE going to do ONE more before stopping for the day.  

I'm thinking of doing the final one in another, different colour way. Just not sure what yet.

ONWARD...

12.12 pm, and lol, I've just sat down after sewing for the last couple of hours.

I stayed up until 1 am last night, making  'just another runner'... you could say I got carried away.

I left it on the bench for Stew to see this morning, but he actually saw it not long after I went to bed.  He said it was a bit 'busy', and I had to agree.

Something about it was just 'off'.

ABOVE:  Often I look at something and just KNOW... and that fabric top and bottom?  WRONG.  So I took it off, and added a different fabric:

ABOVE: And YES!  That works much better.  And I don't know how I ended up making a PINK runner, after saying I wouldn't!  😖

ABOVE:  My goal this week (Mon - Fri) was to make 4 - 6 smaller runners.  And I did it.

Now I'm going to be a lazy tart for the rest of the day.

Might have some lunch next.

ONE.  HOUR.  LATER....

And nope, I didn't have lunch yet.  Instead, I decided to tidy up Crabby Quarters, vacuum the floors etc.

ABOVE: I had done a little re-arrange of where my sewing desk sat.  Instead of looking at the wall, I turned it around to face the computer.  That meant I had to move the  rug... which meant moving the desk and work table... what a mission.  But, I got it done.  Now I can sit back happy, knowing it's all tidy and ready for my next sewing endeavour.  

Now... LUNCH.  Or a nap.  Or both.  

*snort*... it's now 4.20 pm and I've not done either of those two things.  Lunch will become dinner.  Nap will become bedtime.

What did I do?

I finished a large Braid Runner, that's been in the 'to do' pile for a while now.

And I have to laugh, I've ended up making two runners, using colours I said I wouldn't use.  Derrr.

ABOVE: Browns, with a touch of yellow.  I'm sure the different colours will add some interest to the stall walls.  I hope.

I really am done now.  When Stew gets home we will load the car in readiness for tomorrow's market.

Then I can relax for the rest of the evening.

8.48 pm.  Nice... been relaxing since dinner time.  TV is boring.  Thank goodness I can do jig saws on my laptop, it keeps me from going mental.

Stew is off to bed early, and I won't be far behind him.  Catch ya tomorrow.

SOME COLOUR CHOICES

 

This morning I am going to try and come up with a new Braid Runner colourway.

NOT Orange.  Not Pink. Not Brown.  Not Grey. 

I've already done Blues, Greens, Yellows, Cats 'n' Dogs.  

What does that leave?

Hmmmm.

But first, I will finish the third green one on the table.

There's Coffee & Chat down in the Community Centre this morning, but I am thinking of giving it a swerve.  While it's nice to mix 'n' mingle with other residents here, I'm getting a bit sick of listening, predominantly, to the same 1-2 people and their opinions/stories bla bla bla.  Some people like to dominate conversations to the exclusion of anyone else.

I know that probably doesn't sound that nice of me, but then, sometimes I just ain't nice.  

I'm at an age when I know I can just walk away if I want to.  I don't have to put up with anything or anyone that irks me.  

Right, enough about that... moving on.

ONWARD...

It is nearly lunchtime.

I've finished the next green runner AND almost the new coloured one.

Photos soon...

ABOVE: The green one, done and dusted.

ABOVE: And the new one.  And DAMN!!!!    I didn't see the mistake until I took the photo.  Now I have to do a repair.  Can you spot the mistake?

ABOVE:  Lacy arrived for a visit, and I immediately gave her a job!  Coco is not impressed having her face washed, but it was necessary.

Now she looks half clean.  The groomer is coming next week to do the full job.

ABOVE:  Seems no one can see my boo boo.  It is.... no black strip on the bottom of the last coloured strip!

See the pins?   That's where I am adding the missing black strip.

ABOVE:  Fixed now.

And while I was back in Crabby Quarters, I made another one using those colours.  

This evening I stayed home sewing for a while, then I did a quick visit to Steve, Bex and the kids.  Then I came home.  I had planned to join Stew at the pub, but it was so quiet there this evening, Stew was already home by the time I arrived home. 

We are now looking forward to a couple of hours down time, before bedtime.

Catch ya tomorrow.