Cat approval?

Oscar has been feeling a bit left out lately. That sewing machine has been hogging my time. Here he is the other day checking out my progress!

And of course if Mum loves this thing then I better put some of my smell on it.

Sander Ties

Ten Minutes down the road from Mum's is Otaki. Otaki is a little town that is split into three different communities. There is the 'Road/Highway' which is famous for big brand outlet stores. It's a very popular shopping destination. Then there is the 'Township' itself which has small local shops, supermarkets etc. And finally the Beach which of course is the beach! In the Township there is a factory & store that I have wanted to visit for a long time, Sander Ties.


Can you see my shadow taking this photo? It looks like Darth Vader is coming to get some new ties :-)



They have a big selection of Ties at Sanders, and also do a lot of Souvenir ties & make the All Blacks Ties.
I bought a tie as a gift (so I can't show you).



I was allowed to have a little nosey at the factory, there was so much to see!
Look at the piles of cut out fabric waiting to become ties.

I also bought a bag of 'scraps' from Sander's. I thought I had lost the bag, I have been known to throw supermarket bags away before, thinking they had rubbish in them :-( . Anyway after hunting everywhere I thought I could have put it when I came home and finding nothing, I looked in the boot of the car and there it was waiting for me! Yay!


Here's the bag, can you see the fabric peeping out the side?
Oh yeah that is me trying to quilt the biggest quilt ever on my domestic sewing machine (so it can go into the Quilt Show) in the background. More later if it ever gets done :-)


Closer shot of an uninteresting bag, with gold fabric peeping out....


But there is treasure inside. Lots of variety, many of them lovely silks. As I was buying scraps I thought they would be little bits, like 5 inch squares. But these scraps are bigger than fat quarter size.
No plans for them yet, before anyone asks! I need to finish so many things before I start new.

Road Trip…

After 1664km (1034 miles) I'm home from my road trip to see my Mother, I thought I'd share a few photos from the trip.

On the way south I saw many army vehicles driving north in convoy, when I stopped in Turangi I noticed I wasn't the only one having a break.


On the Dessert Road (Central Plateau) I stopped to take a photo of Ruapehu with a dusting of snow. Ruapehu is an active volcano and also has really good ski slopes.


I stopped for a break in Taihape (gumboot capital of the world) and found this little quilt shop.


There were even quilts in the upstairs windows. It was so cold in Taihape though so I didn't stay too long!


Nearly at Levin I stopped at Foxton to have a quick look at the windmill.


It was really cold in Levin, because the Tararua mountain range was covered in snow.
This is taken from the main street of Levin.


And another photo of the snow covered Tararuas, from the railway crossing in the centre of Levins CBD.
Coming from the "Winterless North" as Northland is sometimes called it was a shock to the system, I wore my thermals everyday, and to bed too!


Here's a photo of Mum and I.
Mum had been in hospital for several weeks, and I wanted to help her readjust to being home and help to arrange extra care for her.
I think we are very similar, but Mum thinks we look nothing a like!


On the way home I decided to go a different way so I could catch up with a couple of friends in Dannevirke.
I had to go over the Saddle Road as the Manawatu Gorge Road was closed to north bound traffic.
So I stopped to take some photos of the wind farm from Ashurst.


I love the big windmills, they remind me of many happy years living down this way when my kids were little.
These last 3 photos were taken from the windmill lookout.


They are 70 metres high (76 yards) and each blade is 35 metres (38 yards).
And yes they do make a Wosh Wosh noise when spinning!


Here's a link if you'd like to read more about them. Te Apiti Wind Farm.

Show n Tell June 2012

Gaye Miller made this great wall hanging. It's made using tissue paper prints on to fabric as she learnt in a class with Hazel Foot.


Dawn Dahlberg made this table runner for her daughters birthday. You can't tell from the photo but the light centre squares are a lovely glitter fabric.


Sue Farrier made this in last weeks class with Kerry Glen. She is donating it to the local SANDS group for fundraising.


And here is Carmel Spray's table centre she made at the same class with Kerry.


And here are some of the others made in the class.


This quilt is made by Lynne Wilson, using nine patches she received in a swap as a starter.


Log Cabin made by Maureen Gray, to use up some blue fabrics. Lovely hand quilting on this one too.


Wall hanging by Terri Mills, started by using the hand painted silk she made in Jeanette De Nicol Meyers class.


Made by Rosslee Baker from a 'Zakka Style' Book (in the Library).


Owls by Carmel Spray made for her daughter (they are door stops)


Machine cover made by Hazel Phillips.


Wool bag made by Lex Geange, hand applique.


Summer Daze by Carmel Spray.


Made by Dawn Dahlberg for her grandson.


Made by the Sew n Sews group and to be raffled for Ngunguru School.


Fiona Carter made this quilt and it is one of the raffle prizes for our up coming Quilt Show. Leeanne Hopper of Quilt Me quilted it. Check out the close ups below to see the quilting.



Ok Bye for now I'm on a bit of a road trip to see my Mother so you won't here from me for a while.