Holiday Repository

We are going for a small family holiday at the end of this week. It's winter and the weather is not the best. In fact it has been windy for the last week, as in blowing a gail, and now it's raining. I am pleased I didn't book for this week just gone as it certainly has not been school holiday conducive weather.

But there was last night for the first time in over a week, a sunny logo on the weather map on TV at about Tuesday. Dare I hope, we are leaving Thursday for two nights in Mount Mauganui staying in an apartment overlooking the ocean, please be sunny!!!!

In anticipation of being away from my regular well lit and magnified stitching spaces I have been prepping some quilting bits and bobs for some easy hand piecing. The 'holiday repository' is starting to get well stocked!

 Glue basting some more honeycomb hexies for my Patchwork of the Crosses. 

This block's gonna look like this....

I have pulled three more sets of colourways for the next three blocks....better get cutting....that's 72 honeycomb hexies including the background ones to cut, baste and stitch....might be piecing these still next holidays....

Reproduction fabrics, they sure are top of my favourites list! There is just something about the 17th - 19th centuries that has a hold of me!!!

Finally I gathered the energy to start proceedings on part III of Di's mystery. Been pottering away getting bits done on Mountmellick for the past week or so. Part IV has come out this week but if the magazine takes as long to arrive this time as last time, I have got a bit of time up my sleeve. The next instalment is nowhere as involved and time consuming as part III.

Hexies are basted, all 84 of them, leaves are cut, all 56 of them, along with the four corner pieces....

The four border strips and cut and the bias stems pinned on....I still have to cut heaps and heaps of broderie perse out of that already holey piece of chintz! Later!!!!

First stitching completed on the borders....the stems are on....leaves next....then the hexies....then the broderie perse....ways to go yet!

Hexie's waiting in the wings for assembly into flowers....

Amazing how much I have managed to achieve this week actually, stink weather outside does help a lot.

I also managed to get in some fancy stitching. I still haven't completed the Winter Casket Keepsakes as I have to make a finger loop braid and I haven't done it before. It requires all your fingers and zero interuptions....not something that is likely to happen while school is on a break so it will remain waiting for this last task. So in the meantime I picked up the Spring Casket Keepsakes and completed all the tent stitch and back stitch for the calyx pieces. Just some french knots to do for the stamens and then onto the needle lace petals and there are lots of them!!!

A tiny tiny amount of background stitches in Soie Ovale went into the Mirror this week but every bit counts as you know.

I picked up some goodies for the Yoko classes when I passed by Patchwork Passion this week on the way to visit my sister. I just adore the muted shades of the Japanese fabrics.

 The ladies did explain to me further why the classes are on the expensive side. Firstly she normally teaches to classes of 150 and the classes will be much much smaller here for more one on one as is the Kiwi desire, she also has an interpreter and gosh darn...morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea are all included.

Whats not to look forward too :-)

I hope my blogging friends who live further up the island in Northland are all ok. It's been much windier and wetter up there by all accounts. Won't we all be glad when this weather system leaves us for good!!!!

Still it could be worse....you could have been out there in a kayak trying to be the first to cross the Tasman solo and alive in the dead of winter as your claim to fame....that man should take up a more rewarding hobby like quilting.

Rae