April - Looking Back

Another month gone and we're now officially feeling proper autumnal weather.

It's been a busy month, my knee is just about totally healed now, so I'm able to go for decent walks and sleep comfortably.  I still haven't tried a proper hiking track yet though,

The Scout and I went out to the beach at Orere point and enjoyed a beautiful walk, with a stop off at Waitawa Regional Park looking out over the stunning inner Hauraki Gulf.  It was warm enough that we should have taken swimming gear with us.

I've been sewing -  some beautiful new cushions for my sofa with some gorgeous Designer Guild fabric offcuts and a deep inky linen blend bias cut skirt.  The pattern is the Clo Bias Skirt from Soften Studio, and its a very comfortable easy to wear and make skirt with an elastic waist and drawstring.  I think there will be more of these added to my wardrobe.

Finally after about 25 years living in Auckland, I had my first visit out to Muriwai beach on the West Coast.  Famous for it black sands and surf.  We walked, ate well, slept and read, a just enjoyed a lovely relaxing weekend away.

 

A Finished Quilt Top

Well, to all intents and purposes I have a finished quilt top.  It's been a long time coming and not without a couple of hiccups, which involved a lot of unpicking, measuring, remeasuring,  inserting strips, trimming blocks and then resewing the affected blocks together.  It measures roughly 70' x70"

In hindsight I  should have built rows around the very centre block, rather than making strips, and rows to piece together, that required gaps to be filled.  The quilt is a mix of English paper pieced blocks, hand sewn to background fabrics, foundation paper pieced blocks and machine pieced strips.

I plan to hand some applique along some of the low volume areas around the centre block, so am currently working on making components for this.  I'm also deciding whether to piece a backing and try and use up some of my stash or just use a wide backing fabric from my quilter. 

I need to think of a name for this quilt, I can't keep calling it the make it up as I go quilt. 

Bouquets and Garden Musings

 

One of the things I really love about summer is all the flowers that I can grow in my garden and pick for bouquets for the house or for friends.  Over winter my garden doesn't get much sun, so is usually pretty bare of anything pretty.

This year I have grown my dahlias, and even though people say they are easy care, they are finicky at times, they wilt with not much water, rot with too much water, ants seem to like making nests in the tubers, so they die,  and they succumb to mildew.

Zinnias, I find to be much hardier, and pretty easy to grow from seed, and the flowers are interesting all the way through the blooming process.  I love the range of colours and sizes.  Cactus type zinnias are my new favourites.

this summer I have have also tried growing :

- aster, which are quite long lasting when picked, and I will be getting more colours for next summer, - -- phlox, creme brulee a pinky beige coloured flower

- calendula which was pretty easy to grow from seed

- coreopsis, not such a great germination rate but I'll persevere with these next summer.

Next summer I'm going to relocate all my dahlia tubers and plant more zinnias and aster in their spaces.

Winter garden plans have seen me buy more daffodilt bulbs for growing in pots on my deck, much as I'm not really a fan of yellow flowers, I do like their cheery welcoming glow when I see them first thing in the morning  or after work as the brighten up my deck area.

January - Looking back

 

Well the first month of 2025 is over, and my intention of blogging twice a month has already passed.  So this post, hopefully not too long and rambling, is a summary of the highlights and fun stuff I did during the month, starting at the end of the month, as the title says - looking back.

• The best part of January is always my summer break away at the beach.  Just my husband and me (it's quite lovely now my kids are young adults and can look after themselves now), at our favourite beach at Mangawhai Heads.  I paddle boarded each morning before breakfast on amazingly clear calm waters, lazed around reading, ate gelatos and had a fabulous day boogie boarding at the surf beach,  We took a day trip to Whangarei and visited the Hundertwasser Art Centre and the Packard Car Museum.

• One of my intentions this year is to finish the top of my "make it up as I go" quilt.  I haven't touched this since 2023, so have sort of forgotten what I had intended.  I've since drafted a rough plan, and jotted down some ideas, and have started some epp which will be appliqued to a panel.

• I'm trying to walk each morning for 30 minutes before I go to work.  I've noticed its already getting darker in the mornings, but I have been treated to some amazing sunrises.

• I have lived in Auckland for 28 years and never walked up to the top of Mt Eden the highest volcano (196m) in Auckland.  It is dormant and offers fabulous views across the city in all directions.  I finally got to do it on a warm and rather blustery day.  

• My first garment make for the year is the Gibbons Slip Dress from Elbe Textiles.  Its a relatively simple dress, cut on the bias, so fits beautifully but not tightly.  Mine is made from a black linen viscose blend from spotlight

Wishing you all a wonderful February.

Holidaying in Brisbane

Earlier this month I was lucky enough to spend my birthday week  in Brisbane.  I stayed with my sister and her family.  We shopped, enjoyed the odd cocktail or two, went on early morning walks and I especially enjoyed the warm weather. We spent a day in Canungra with friends and I also went paddle boarding with a friend at Coochiemudlo.  On my last evening  I was treated to a Candlelight concert at St Johns Anglican Cathedral.

I had a wonderful time, it's a bit hard being back at work now.