Winter and w.i.p

This is the view from Karaka Bay, across the harbour entrance to the Wainui Hills and the hills behind Wainuiomata - the Orongaronga range I think.  How lovely it looks - and how cold it is!  we have been spoiled with such a long, beautiful summer - thank goodness for merino thermals!  Photo of course courtesy of my son Phil.

I've been sharing some pincushions lately, and here's another one -

Well, one face of the six to be precise.  And I think those pins are from Qantas.  The canvas was quite fine and the idea was to 'design' different stitches for each side; I always loved doing canvaswork, found it very soothing.

I've been doing more with strings and right now the sewing room is an untidy mess as I decided to check out the tops with their backings and which will I quilt next?  .........  found some I'd almost forgotten about!

I have started quilting the top my granddaughters made, or at least they painted the calico to make pictures, I joined them and have stalled wondering what to do - it is such a large piece!  I then had a brainwave, cleared everything off the big kauri table in the living room and hauled out the machine I bought on a whim after the Palmerston symposium.  I have no wish to bad mouth any product but have had considerable trouble with this machine so relegated it to a corner.......... out it came, set up, plugged in - and then I had to read the instructions!

So far I have done a wavy line round the pictures, lots of thread ends to be sewn in later.  Then I thought I might have a look at other stitches for the white sashing, so back to the instructions and I'm trying out some of the fancy stitches.

and I've numbered them for future reference - the ordinary stitched to the right were because I hadn't read that I had to press the # key first, before the number....... who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?!

The table is great for moving the quilt around, I just have to remember to fold it away  - really don't want both cats sleeping on it all night.

I've enjoyed some lovely stitching days with my small group and when they come here, particularly at this time of year, I usually have a pot of soup on the stove and one of my friends calls in at the bakery on the way

It tasted great too!

This is the storm that probably brought the recent snow

The photo was taken from Petone beach, and that's Somes Island about to be engulfed by the southerly - courtesy son Phil.

I was about to say that I've made a resolution to post more often - then I read the thought for today - "That list of New Year Resolutions you made last year can be used again. It's as good as new." W.G.P
Ouch!

Thanks for stopping by, be back soon
June