Ripples on a quilt

 

The pattern on this reminded me of when my Grandmother told me about playing “ Chucky stones in the Clyde” this was back so many years when she lived in Scotland. I have tried to do what we call Skipping Stones, but didn’t manage to get many skips at all.

This was another stunning pattern from Sandy at

 Upstairs Hobby Room 

and we are so lucky to have her share with us the BOM tutorials. I did a trial with 2 blocks, quilted it,and didn’t like it at all, so tried this with a spiral .If I said I was happy with it, that would be an understatement. This is maybe the one I like the most of any recent sewing and quilting projects. I started the spiral by having the centre printed onto paper, then stitched through the paper with no thread. This gave me a good start, and with the  guide bar, managed to keep the width between the rows fairly even. The walking foot was so good, and not a pucker on the back.Wow, maybe that is a first.

An inside shot , and a second one outside on the lawn, in a sheltered spot, away from the southerly wind.

I wanted to do an OOB, or Out Of Bounds, but have run out of time.We are already into the 30th April,and the link is for the 29th, so  I am very happy NZ is a day ahead ( almost).

Quotation of the day, author unknown,

The greatest challenge in life

is discovering who you are….

the second greatest

is being happy with what you find”

Greetings from Jean

Lest We Forget

25th April, 2016.
Dawn   Services  are being held  in so many places, cities, small towns and villages throughout New Zealand this morning. We remember those who served, those who gave their lives, those who came home, and the families of them all.
ANZAC,  the acronym from the initials of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, the formation of Australian and New Zealand soldiers who were grouped in Egypt before the landing on Gallipoli in April 1915.
The Red Poppy is the symbol of remembrance, and the poem by  Lieutenant John McCrae “ In Flanders Fields” was written  after the burial of a  fellow officer  during the second battle  of Ypres in early May, 1915. Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD was a Canadian poet, physician, author, artist and soldier during World War I, and a surgeon during the Second Battle of Ypres, in Belgium. He was born in Guelph, Canada on November 30th, 1872, and died on January 28th, 1918, in Boulogne-sur-Mer, in France .  
Quotation of the day,      ( Courtesy of Internet)

from Lieutenant Colonel  John McCrae,

Greetings from Jean

Fairy Tales and other things

 

All Good Fairy Tales have a wonderful ending. My laptop is back, Open Live Writer is installed, some quilting blocks have been sewn, and all is good in the garden .

A frost the other morning gave the lawn a magical look, with icy crystals adorning every stem of the grass.

I have been busy sewing the April blocks for One Block Wonder,  some more stitching needs to be done. Another stunning pattern from Sandy at  Upstairs Hobby Room.This is 6 blocks, pinned, and maybe I will make another 3 to square it up,Border fabrics auditioned at the right hand side. That little flash of lime green to “zing” it up!!!

 

Joyce cannot resist the local Garden Centre at Mitre 10, and this is the second stunning Streptocarpus plant she  has arrived home with. These photos were taken outside, about 5C, and no frost today.

 

Happiness is having your very own laptop, sending home baking to Josh at Vic University, knowing Danielle did so well with her horse Joey the other day, and having the fire lit on a cold morning.

Quotation of the day, author unknown

“ Be happy with whatever unfolds in your day,

accept changes, and look always

for the good in everyone you meet”

Greetings from Jean

One Plus One block for March

 

March seemed to fly past, daylight saving has ended, April Fool’s Day had no dramas at our place, and the  March block is all finished. Late afternoon  photos, a little breeze, and Boris on standby for any assistance he could give.

The One plus One block went together so well. NO points this time, easy seams to match, and as always Sandy from Upstairs Hobby Room  gave us another stunning  design. No snow to use as a background, just trees or green  grass. And Boris had to put in his usual “ paw’s test” and passed it as OK.

 

The beautiful Brunsvigia Josephinae is blooming again this year.It needs a hot dry summer ,“tick”, lots of sunshine ,“ tick”, and resents being moved, “tick”.This was a bulb from our dear friend Hec in Rotorua, it has been moved 3 times, but has stayed  put in this part of the garden for a few years.

Quotation of the day,author unknown

“ Nature provides us with glory,

all by herself”

Greetings from Jean

Laptop Problems

I have been missing my laptop so much, the dreaded error message, " Critical Issue Died" came up, so it is away being fixed, and I hope back this morning.
I  am using Hugh's, but a larger keyboard means I hit the Caps Lock so often.
I am slowly catching up on all your news since Monday, lots to read.
Meantime a photo from the past of a tulip in our garden.

 

Quotation of the day, from an elderly aunt many years ago....

 

" You don't miss the water  till the well runs dry!!!"

 

Greetings from Jean