Chookshed Stitchers 2024 Challenge Feb Challenge

 

February's challenge  was to "Sew a Christmas table topper".
Challenge completed.  I done so well I even started a second one with a slightly different pattern that needs to have binding added still.
This is the first one where I made it so no binding is added.  The other I will post when I get a picture.  

The March challenge is:

So going by my list this month I need to:

Sew a Halloween table topper

I have started this one already but to take a picture too.

To be honest I have to go outside to my sewing room and it is a bit dark and quiet so will take these pictures during the daylight hours.

On to other things.  I do like sitting binging Greys Anatomy and either knitting or crocheting.  Yesterday I went into my yarn stash and pulled out a bag I had prepacked for projects and the bag was for a crochet baby blanket.  So yesterday I sat and started to crochet this small blanket up.    

With crochet blankets I like going straight rows blankets so this is my first granny square blanket and am enjoying it a lot.

This may end up being an entry into the local A&P show at the end of the year.  Though simple, I like entering anything I can to keep the momentum for others to think they can also enter as you never know what will come out trumps.

Finally, the granpup and I had some facetime chats recently.  He and his mum have moved further away so he does not come visiting on her days off any longer.  His face when he hears me is so funny.  Sometime all I see is his nose.

This weekend though, I am heading down to their place to visit a Quilt Show so he gets to see me in person.  Only four sleeps to go.

Chookshed Stitchers 2024 Challenge Update

I have been a bit slow in posting the last month my update, but have been away a lot, but now the summer break is over for me I am back into the grind.  I thought I better post my January update where the number was 6.  

On my list it was "Work on my Civil War Love Letter quilt".  I have not worked on this for a long time and is amongst one of my long time WIP.  It was good to do the fours blocks I did.  

I would have done more but I can not find my CD with all the paper piece templates.  It is in a safe place.  I however did have some printed out from putting it away safely so could do these ones.

Tents of the Enemy

Steamboat

Fall of Richmond

Lonesome Place

Paper piecing I feel uses up more fabric but I do enjoy how the points match more evenly.  Now I must find the CD to do some more.  

There is a link at the top where it shows other blocks done a while ago. That I will add slowly too.

Onto February and the number is 2.  

For this months challenge I have down to  "Sew a Christmas table topper".

I have the pattern and I have the fabric, so on to make it.

Chookshed Stitchers 2024 Challenge

 While looking at blogs I follow I came across a challenge that I though would be good to join in with.

So this year I am joining Chookshed Stitchers 2024 Challenge.

For this we choose 10 projects to start, complete or work on and each month a number gets drawn and you work on that number on your list for the month and post your progress.

So my 10 projects are:

1: Knit some a pair of bootees and hat

2:Sew a Christmas table topper

3: Sew a table runner

4: Sew a Halloween table topper

5:Start a new cross stitch or work on one if I have already started it

6: Work on my Civil War Love Letter quilt

7: Start a Christmas stitchery

8: Sew an advent calendar

9: Sew a bag

10: Crochet a cowl

I already have the supplies for these starts and this challenge will get me to do these.

If you want to join in click on the link on my side bar to find out more.

A Christmas Ornament Swap

 This year I again participated in a Christmas ornament swap and again thoroughly enjoyed it.  My swap partner sent me this adorable ornament and it looks like a cute granpup I have.

I sent this one and the pattern is one I found on Pinterest.  I am not use to stitching on dark fabric but done ok.  no frogging needed so was pleased.

This year i have a plan on doing more stitching, so watch this space.

Merry Christmas

 

A Taupo Trip

 Last weekend hubby and I headed over to Taupo for a couple of nights to go to the Kinloch Market.  Was a nice market to attend and some beautiful weather.

We done some of the free touristy stuff we have done many times before and just relaxed.

I love Taupo and miss working there but it is only a few hours drive away so easy enough to visit.  We drove via the Napier-Taupo Road so had to drive through the Esk Valley which was devastated during Cyclone Gabrielle earlier this year.  The roading crews have done a great job with the road and it was a great drive.  Just didn't like seeing the devastation that is still being cleaned up. So hope we don't have to go through something like that for many many years.

Winnings

 Again I entered the local Gisborne A&P Show that was held this month.  Again I entered way to much, but then I cam home with a lot of placings and a couple of silver cups.  The two cups I received were for most points in knitting and crochet and most points in knitting, crochet and sewing.  I was quite chuffed as the knitting and crochet cup has been won by the same person since it was first presented in 2014.

I also entered in some photos in the photography section and was happy with my placings there too.

And then the preserves again I done well in along with the baking section.

Another successful year had. Roll on 2024.

I will sort my items out and get photos up of some in the next few weeks.

The Roses are Finally Flowering

 With a month left of spring my roses are starting to flower.  After the very wet year we have had here on the East Coast I am happy my garden has survived and no roots rotted due to the garden being continuously wet.  With the El Nino weather system, now I will be looking at keeping the gardens moist in the summer so  nothing dries out on me.

Gold Medal

Gold Medal

Sentimental

Sentimental

Chameleon

Ring of Fire

I am still waiting on a few more to flower so hopefully soon they will be out in full bloom.

AWOL &FNSI Time

Yes I am around.  Its that annoying time that again I am studying.  What this time you may ask?

I am now doing my RN Nurse prescribing paper and in 2 years time have finally decided to do my training to become a Nurse Practitioner....... eeekkk.

How ever I am slowly plodding along getting items reading for the local A&P Show so tonight's FNSI I will be joining.

You can click HERE to join in on the fun too.

Dirty Lace Update

Yesterday's post I showed a lot of pictures of my trip away and in amongst the scenery pictures I snuck in a picture of my goodies I got from Wools of Wanaka.

I bought some 4ply yarn from Roxy Fibres, and 8-10ply Happy Go Lucky Marapawa yarn and Truly Myrtle’s Gingerbread pattern. No projects were even in my head when I brought this yarn, so now to find some.

And what is a trip if you don't take some knitting with you.  My Dirty Lace has been in the WIP pile as I work on some baby blanket squares recently, but as I knew this would be easier to cart around I thought to bring it.  Not much was done and only one row frogged (yay!!) but I feel accomplished in what I did do.  On to the one colour lace part now.

 

Holiday Time

 For the past week I have been away in the South Island and have seen the most beautiful part of New Zealand you can see - Fiordland National Park.  I have never been there before and never expected to see what I did.  Pictures online don't do this area any justice.

As you can see the weather was not that great, but at least it did not snow so we could get there.  The mountains are so high and a sight to see.

In the carpark at Milford Sound we also got to meet one of the many Weka's that were roaming the carpark.  They were very friendly.  Unfortunately no Kakapo's were to be seen during this trip.

The next day we travelled back to Queenstown and visited the wet but lovely Arrowtown (no photos sorry) but as not enough time in the day we headed out to Glenorchy the next day and boy was it bitterly cold this day.

We spent the morning out there and headed back to Queenstown for lunch stopping to take some more pictures of the beautiful views

What we found is that the weather was very changeable and by the time we got back to Queenstown we were back into to some decent weather again, so had a wee walk around the lake front and in the park.

The next day and our last day down south we done the round trip from Queenstown through to Cromwell, then onto Wanaka and over the Crown Range back to Queenstown.  

Cromwell is a lovely little town and we had a look at the Old Cromwell area.

We then headed off to Wanaka and had a coffee and I found a wool shop called Wools of Wanaka, and some wool and a pattern just fell into my lovely hands and I had to get it.

We then drove through the Crown Range stopping of at the Iconic Cardrona Hotel for a photo and then at the top of the summit before heading back to Queenstown where we flew out the next morning back to Gisborne.

Homeward bound to Gisborne