Out and about in New Zealand

Today we are in Paeroa

There are many antique shops here and Eve managed to get through four and found many boxes of postcards to look through. She was a very happy tourist!!!

I was in and out of the shops, I find it hard standing waiting so I did a  it of looking around, sadly there is no quilt shop here!!

But I went and had a look at the river

For some reason the tablet has decided this photo needs to be sideways!!!!

This area was mined heavily back in the 1800's for gold. There are lots of rusty bits around from the old works.

I have done a little stitching

Two arms of a star!!

And some stitchery,  ost of which I did on the plane coming over. It has been 27 deg C and humid today so it was not a sit and sew in the car day today.

Off to Hobbiton tomorrow.

Happy sewing.

And then there were six.

Little stars are slowly multiplying....

The stitchery is organised and ready to go.

I am off to NZ tomorrow, so next time we meet it will from Aotearoa, the Land of the Long White Cloud.

Happy sewing.

Catch up once again....photo heavy!!

Life has been busy these last few days, Friday afternoon I took Jenny and Deryck to the Gull bus and they made their way to the airport, they had a super late flight, 11.30, got no sleep on the plane so Jenny was tired yesterday.
Yesterday was Guild day and we had wonderful show and tell and a great speaker

a panel from Indonesia, quilted,

nearly missed this one, is two panels, one cut in half and put either side of the whole one

just a few of the beauties on display...love this one!! There was much more show and tell, but this was all I got this time.

Our speaker was Robyn Taylor and she makes fabric mosaics.

Robyn's work and also her friend Janice's work.

Tracee and Margaret came here last night and we had a great evening together.

Today we went back for the workshop with Robyn and here are some progress photos.

Look at these two working away...the whole workshop was very quiet as everyone had their head down bum up and were concentrating and working!

My start on # 1 son

progressing

this is where I finished at the end of the workshop, very happy with this!!

Marg is working away on a picture of her Mum from when she was about 16 years old.

progress

and just before we packed up to head home,

And last but not by any means least

Tracee is working on a mosaic of her husband

progress

where Tracee was when we had to pack up.

and here are all the happy students with their work. They are all people except the second from the left which is going to be a koala, and the third from the right which is going to be a cat.

We had a quiet but very enjoyable day.

Happy creating.

Two stars

I have had a jump in production and now I have two stars!!

I have been preparing some more stars

The tablet is insisting on sideways photos today!!

Jenny and her friend Deryck have been here for two nights after coming from Auckland on a cruise boat, it was good to see them but wasn't long enough.  We went to Queenscliff and Ocean Grove yesterday..

Someone wasn't having his photo taken!!

A couple of tourists up the 360 tower at Queenscliff

Jenny found a Nemo biscuit

Ocean Grove beach

It was a little windy!!

 .and today Jenny and I picked all the plums of the tree, we left a few for the birds but not too many, I now have 11kg in bags in the freezer, and 16 containers of stewed plums.

Time for a cuppa after dealing with the plum tree.

 Amazing production from one tree. There are also bags of plums to go to friends tomorrow

I hope they love plums!!!

We had the most amazing sky yesterday morning

I am off now to out some cooked tomato and onion mix through the moulie.

Happy days.

One star

Hee hee huge progress here today...one star has been completed

Quite happy with how it has come out...

so am linking up with Anthea for her Piece yourself together link up celebrating all things EPP.

Today has also seen the picking of two big bowls of tomatoes and a third  of a washing basket of plums, they are now washed (the plums) and in the freezer whole. Ready for use later in the year.

Happy days. 

Busy in the kitchen

Today I caught up on some of the plums and tomatoes

Eight and a quarter jars of plum jam that refused to thicken up...we had 9 but I knocked one over as I was putting on the jam covers!!!! We have ten containers of stewed plums with brown sugar and cinnamon, (and a burnt pot..woops!!) and six jars of tomato chutney. I thought as I had run out of garlic I would put some bush pepper and salt mix we have and when I tasted it, it nearly took out my throat!! I am not a fan of super hot foods so might have to find another home for these. The chutney didn't  thicken like it should have, we will see what happens once it cools down.

I had better sort some dinner now I guess, then after dinner I am going to trace this stitchery

Blogger decided the photo should be upside down so I took another one sideways, that seems to be ok with blogger but a bit difficult for the rest of us!!

I like this one, is long and skinny, this will keep me busy along with the stars.

Have a great evening.

Sunday

It has been a cooler wetter day today, the supervisor and I had a walk down by the beach, a slightly longer one today as it was cooler...mind you that meant there were many more vertical objects to check out and wee on!!!!The agapanthus had their heads cut off when we got back and pulled a few weeds. This afternoon Inhave been cutting stars

I am not sure how I am approaching them from here, I have some more to cut and then I will be off to u tube to have a lesson.

A new LetterMo penpal sent me a little flower water colour painting so I have made a mug rug to send back in return.  Very simple but I love the colour.

Happy sewing.