Central Plateau, North Island

Central Plateau, North Island
View from a friend's farm

Thursday 25 April 2019

We Will Remember Them


25th April, 2019, Anzac Day.






They shall not grow old,  as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Greetings from Jean
.

Tuesday 23 April 2019

Fabric Everywhere, by the metre!!! Or Three Bags Full!!!

On Easter Monday my favourite store for Merino Fabric, at Levin, had a 20% discount. I checked their Facebook page, and rushed out to Hugh.
" Do you want to go to Levin this morning" Yes, that's fine." Good, I want to get some merino for your winter tops."
A while later, after I looked at every possible fabric there, we came home with a huge bag full. Photos another day.
Meantime Sandra over at https://www.mmmquilts.com/2019/04/beothuk-star-qal-cutting.html ( How do I change  the link to your blog name on Blogger, Sandra, I could do it so easily  on Open  Live Writer)) is running another wonderful QAL, The Beothuk Star. Hop over to the link and find out how wonderful this is going to be. We have options for fabric choices, and it is easy to follow along, no rushing at all.
A while ago I was the lucky recipient of some fab Island Batik fabrics from Dione over in Oz, after her man chose my comment out of many. Those strips have been on display and I look and rearrange so often.
I have chosen 4 strips in greens, a turquoise, a pale green for the background, and a stunning multi coloured green, purple, teal and black for the POP colour. If the background fabric doesn't stretch enough, I have a floral one to add for the border. The background looks  very   pale here, it is really a tad deeper shade of pale sea green. And the turquoise is slightly deeper. We, well I, have made new Indian Cotton full length curtains for our bedroom, and this will be perfect on the bed.

The plumbers and builders will be back on Monday, to start more alterations. Paint samples adorn the kitchen table, vinyl samples lie on the carpet in the lounge, and the plumbing goodies will arrive this week, and I hope will get stored outside meantime.
Just to  add to the confusion, Stephanie Jacobson has a BOM ongoing, I have found some more batik to make more HST, and the blocks will be a distraction from the mess and noise.
Quotation of the day, author unknown

" True friends are like beautiful fabrics, treasure them,
 and keep  them close in your heart and  eyes ."
Greetings from Jean.

Saturday 20 April 2019

The Mess of Alterations

We are in a mess, no ceilings in places, walls out, doors off, one replaced, and carpet taken up, so I can see the Rimu floorboards. They would have been laid in about 1951.
The two builders work so well together, laughing, chattering and discussing the finer points of all carpentry matters. We had a folding platform with a drop-saw on the back lawn, lots of power tools all the same brand and using the same batteries, and then along came the new one, a power screw  driver . I was fascinated with this, so easy to use.
" Do you want to try it"...No thanks, it looked very dangerous. Their one was a similar one to the Internet photo below.  I guess it will be used once the gib board goes onto the framing.This is what will be the storage room, with shelves on the left hand side.



Hitachi Cordless Collated Screw Driver 18v (Bare Tool)




  The smaller bathroom is taking shape, wiring is in place and it too will get lined, painted, an, can you imagine  a toilet for over $1000, not even a heated seat at that  price,   We left it there!!!
This is a view from the hall, of what is a short hall, and the door into the smaller bathroom.The windows will be replaced with safety glass, and it will be obscure at the lower half!!!






Vanity units come in all shades, styles, and sizes, white seemed to be popular and will not date.
Meantime the gardens are looking good, veges are growing, and the flowers continue to show lovely colour. Nicotiana, the Impatiens at the back continues to show off those bright pink blooms, and slightly to the right the Dianthus continue all round the edge to the front gate.





The white Gaura is delicate, and the Maple transplanted so well, it has grown so much.




Petunias show off in bright pink, and other shades further along, Day Lily leaves look good, and the Gossamer Grasses are slowly taking place.



The Nerines are almost finished, and bulbs, freesias, and other green spikes are starting to show.
Spring will give us a garden full of colour.
Thank you for all your lovely words after the Christchurch tragedy. A lot of families are struggling to manage, and I am hoping the quilts will comfort them.

My thoughts are with each one of you when life is not easy, illness hovers, and a loved pet is not well.

I hope that each day, you will find some  sunshine,   some  laughter and a heap of love.

Quotation of the day, author unknown

" A garden with flowers and greenery is like a heart full of love"

Greetings from Jean.












Thursday 4 April 2019

Our Days Continue as Usual

Thank you all SO much for your loving words, and thoughts. Christchurch is not the same, and for those families, the change is huge. There has been a massive response to the request for Healing Heart Blocks. From all those furthest places to nearby, they are arriving daily.  I have sewn a quilt top in greens, some  other blocks in 4 patch and  multi colours that will be able to alternate heart blocks, and be for the first responders and others who have played a major part, both on that day and since then.

The top with multi coloured hearts was sewn a while ago, waiting for the right time. These will go over to Ashurst this week to add to those already there at Angels in Gumboots.


The Love with a twist from Dione is going along well, they are admittedly still on the baking paper, but are all looking happy.


The alterations for the storage  room and bathroom are going ahead well, today the builder and window men will arrive at 7.30 a.m. Hope it is a little warmer, we were 9C in the sheltered porch earlier. So many choices, lino, wall paint, toilets? How do you choose one of those without looking and trying??? Guess I will just have to be brave and sit on each one in the plumbing store!!! I am not asking Hugh to try before we buy!!!

So I have been a little busy, just not on the blog,  my motivation needs to be boosted. And Sandra over at Musings of a Menopausal Melon is starting a new QAL, I cannot resist as I looked at the stunning Island Batik strips that arrived from Dione. Purples and greens in shades and depth of colour,all I need is the paler background fabric.

Quotation of the day,  from Lewis Carroll

" If you don't know where you are going,
any road will get you there"

Greetings from Jean