A Quilt

Yes, another speedy quilt. Whipped up in a ridiculously short time, for a very special boy (and kindof for his parents too....). There was a naming ceremoney today for the new owner of this quilt. It was very sweet. Parents and Grandparents (from polar opposite ends of the cultural spectrum) pledged to care for J, and so did his Godparents and all us friends and family gathered to celebrate him and his little life. Nice.

I thought he needed a quilt.

Cut 12,8, 4 and 6 inch squares on Wednesday.
Pieced the top and made the binding on Thursday.
Quilted on Friday.
Bound on Saturday morning, finished in time for the midday party!
That must be my fastest quilt ever. It's kindof cot quilt size. I delivered it with instructions that it should be dragged around and used well, and chucked in the washing machine without a second thought. I'm sure it's up to that kindof treatment.

More warm polar fleece on the back. Some of those fabrics tugged at my heartstrings. Eddie and I bought the penguins somewhere after we'd seen....oh what's it called, that penguin movie with Morgan Freeman narrating. Eddie loved it and I was amazed at his capacity to watch such a full-on documentary. It's a good movie though huh? The cow fabric probably technically belongs to someone else (err, sorry), the chickens are from the back of Margs housewarming quilt......ahh, and the last time I used that coffee cup fabric was for A's quilt. She loved her quilt so much, it kept her warm while she was so desperately ill (sniff). The cats were in the first quilt I made for my Mum, and there's my last scrap of Harry Potter fabric. There's apple fabric too, that was some of the oldest fabric in my stash. Most of the others were probably bought to placate a toddler in a fabric store. The 'girls' at Nancy's embroidery shop were good at selling fabric to my boys...I'd buy 25cm for them....choosing it kept them busy while I browsed. Those were the days!!

Oh, and Kitty helped of course.

What do you think?

Would I? Could I? Should I?

These are by Shawna in Dublin.

These stairs from Sunset Magazine, with wallpaper by Ferm Living
(alas, that plumeting $$)



and these, by the extraordinarily clever Melissa at Sugar City Journal.
Can I have the painting too? Check out her uber cool dresses for little girls, they're amazing.

Ya know what? I think I just might......

Never again

First, thanks for all the sweet comments and emails about Eddie. We've known for a long time the boy is talented, but when I mention it, you can see people's eyes glaze over, and they're thinking I'm just a proud Mum. But I really think there's some magic there. You can say you knew him before he was famous. There's more on YouTube.

One of our mutual favourite songs is Split Enz "Charlie" and Ed and I have been laughing about how inappropriate it is for him to sing...we figure it's about heroin after all...but he plays it so well!

Now, if you ever hear me say 'I'm going to rip up the carpet' it is your duty to physically restrain me. And if you hear me complain that my hands ache, I can't stop sneezing, and I'm exhausted, then you must say 'I told you so'. And failing that, if you'd like to join me in hunting down the guy (of course it's a guy) that invented carpet tacks so I can drag him back here and make him remove every sodding, broken, sharp, stubborn, little sliver of metal, sticking relentlessly out of my floor.....you'd be very welcome.

The stair rail looks good though huh? I'm going to get the supports chromed. One day.

Details details...

I'm into some fine detail work in the ever-improving hallway. It now has two coats of paint, and I'm onto sanding the skirting boards. Tonite I'm sanding and polyurethaning the stair rail and the ballustrade every couple of hours. The rail looks like a ballet barre. It was black with probably 50 years of grime, but it sure is going to be beautiful. I think I should have been a woodworker, I love the detail of the timber so much.

I've been thinking about what to hang in my beautiful hallway. I dug this out. It was stitched for a challenge, I think the challenge fabric was the big bold Jane Sassaman print. I fussy cut the flowers and machine embroidered and beaded it. It's square, really it is!

I think I will cut it up and stretch bits of it over artist canvas blocks, and hang them in a row.



Oh, and Kitty has been helping, of course.

Proud? Me?

Lookee here.
He's 11.
I'm amazed to see this boy who has figured out so much about who he is and what he's passionate about.

He's made 5 clips, including one original song. This one is his favourite. His parents know about them now. But he insisted on leaving the room while I checked them out. He's pretty buzzed that Liam Finn (son of Neil of Crowded House) has left him a comment. Well, he's pretty sure it's really Liam.

WOW

It's back!! The World of Wearable Arts. Youngest son went, with school, lucky bugger, and he's still buzzing.

Thanks Dom Post, and internets, for the great pix.
I wasn't planning to go this year....but seeing these......ahh well, come check it out with me.

here
and here, and here too.

goings on...

Well, there's plenty going on....

• I've painted a sealer coat in the hall. It sucked up 4 litres of sealer, and showed me where the holes and dings are that need further filling. Of course it all needs sanding again, but it looks like this weekend is available for that, and then....PAINT, finally! I can't wait.
• I spent the weekend in Christchurch, hanging out with the handyman. Christchurch is so beautiful in spring...much time was spent admiring magnolias and rhododendrons and blossoms and daffodils.....just beautiful. It was hard to leave.
  
• I did a little walking....
• I'm reading my Quilt Wellington Symposium 2009 registration booklet.
  

Preparation is everything

I'm still working in the hall. I hung a sheet in the bedroom doorway to try to keep the dust out.

But you can't keep plaster dust out of anything at all really.

I got mail

September 1st was my birthday. I got mail. Lovely! Thanks!

I bought myself this. About 1.5 m of beautiful vintage barkcloth. It's soft and worn and faded and perfect. It's going to be cushions for the bench seat in the kitchen. One day. Don't hold your breath.

Ta Dah....

I did it! There is no wallpaper left in my bedroom or my hall.
Actually, in my whole house!
I'll be the one with the sandpaper ...

Working

Still can't reach. Now what am I gonna do?
and look, all those stripy vertical lines. digital camera on it's last legs? dropped too often? Blast!

The Handy Man

Okay, I'll fess up. The CHCH man? It's going well. Real well. He came to visit at the weekend. He fixed my car, he chopped firewood. We like the same kind of music and he likes to dance! We cooked together and he had coffee with some of my friends. So he needs a name cos I suspect he's gonna be around here for a while. Let's call him the handy man.

Oh, but I'm not telling him about the blog. Nope.

travelling...

This is (the very badly named) Craters of the Moon, Taupo, middle of the North Island. Steam rising out of the ground, a little bubbling mud. Great place for a walk on a cold day.

It's cold cos of the snow on the mountains. Beautiful. That's Lake Taupo, Mount Ruapehu and Tongariro in the distance.

You can't go to Taupo without going to Huka Falls.

And it's just a couple of hours drive to Waitomo. Extraordinarily beautiful limestone caves.

Those tiny straw stalactites? See them? They're thousands of years old, so don't go breaking any.

Big. It's all big. Big skies, big big lake, big mountains, big caves, big long low waterfall. Little NZ does beautiful in a big big way.

Goings on

The tv broke down. I bought a very cheap brand new one. The baby of the family wanted to play with the box. Some things never change.

The wallpaper stripping is going well, if slow. Yes, that's the fireplace in my bedroom, it works, and it's beautiful.

Had an extraordinarily good Japanese dinner (in Wellington) sitting next to the tall dark handsome famous person, and some movers and shakers. Work isn't all bad.

Kitty and I are enjoying the olympics, given the chance. He was particularly fond of the chinese gymnasts. Blackbird has posted some great olympic pictures. Go see Michael Phelps. Sigh.

try this

Here, check this out.
I'm playing it loud, and getting stuff done.
It's not my favourite track from the album, but it's good!

oops

I was going to post pictures....of Taupo and Waitomo....of op shopping in Christchurch.....of lovely trains in Waikato......I was, really I was, cos we all needed cheering up after that last post. Only the camera battery is dead as a doornail, and I can't find any of those old fashioned double A kind, so sorry, I can't show you ...... yet.

Come back soon though, won't you?

Today I baked brownies

I got up early today. I baked a batch of never fail, hardly touch the plate, kiwiquilters brownies. So named cos the recipe came from the Kiwiquilters yahoo group to which I belong in name only. Hi Shirley! (Shirley is the list mum.)

I took the brownies to work, to a meeting. I told my assembled colleagues that I'd brought them a present, because I enjoyed their company and I greatly appreciated their contribution to this piece of work which is about to meet a major milestone. We grinned big grins at each other, and hugs were exchanged. Because I should have told John that. But he wasn't there today, because on Monday night he took his own life.

So we worked through the stuff we had to do, and we talked about what John had said about x and y and z, and I shed a tear on behalf of the staunch and quiet men that surrounded me, and we laughed some and argued the point, digressed and told stories about John, and did some more work, and at the end each of them gave me a peck on the cheek goodbye and thanked me.

I'm glad we had that meeting today, and I'm glad those lovely blokey colleagues came, even though we'd talked about postponing.
Sure wish John had been there too.

Hello

Okay okay, here I am, I'm sorry for neglecting you. Where've I been?

• it's winter, it's bloody cold here in the corner where the pc is, and my poor fragile hands can't handle the cold
• first born's internet connection to his pc broke, I think it's the modem, so the pc is now shared by 3 of us, it's easier to just give in......
  
• there's no wallpaper left in my bedroom, and the hallway is half de-nuded of wallpaper too. progress!
• I've made two skirts and two tops, and a dress. The skirts and tops are good enough, and the dress is hideous. I shall either finish it, or cut it up and use the fabric for something else. I'm getting into it though, you'd be so proud!
• I've been travelling, tales to come...
• work work work. Intense, kinda exciting, kinda stressful
• I hurt my back in April. April! I didn't sit down for much more than 30mins until July. Finally I am cured. Hallelujah!!

Okay, does that explain my absence sufficiently? Well, you asked for it....there're gonna be a whole lot of posts tonite.

Skirt!

I made a skirt! It doesn't look like much hanging there against the wall (with no wallpaper) does it? But it fits me. And I like it. And I'll wear it. Tomorrow. Cos it has a zip and a hem and everything, just like a bought one.

I used this pattern. Which is probably the best simple A-line skirt pattern in the world. Only it's out of print now. I think I might even make another one. But don't hold your breath.

A tough day

We farewelled a fine man today, in our largest cathedral, standing room only. Not every day you see a guard of honour that closes a street, and stretches almost out of sight.

RIP Fitz. It's been a privilege to call you friend.

So, you know.....more sewing therapy required.

Kitty and I finished the quilt. Here it is.

I'm totally in love with the polar fleece backing. It looks so good quilted, and it's warm as can be. It took me 24 hours to make this, so what is it worth? Around $240 for labour (v. cheap!) and $100 for materials? So we could round it up to $350? Well, that's what I'll insure it for when I post it, but I don't fancy my chances if I tried to sell it. Interesting huh. Best I stick to my day job.

A quilt!

Hello, my name is Pixie, and I'm a quilt maker. Really, I can prove it.

Kitty has been helping of course.

It's a simple little four patch. I laid it out on the floor pretty carefully, but somehow the squares leapt all over the place before the stitches were completed, and despite my efforts there are places where two squares of the same fabric meet up. Hate that. See, even Kitty is glaring at one such spot. The squares leap around between sewing machine and ironing too. But as number one son said, "he's hardly going to say that's a terrible quilt, just because there are two chicken squares touching". Ahh, right. Oh, that's the boy that just had his 14th birthday by the way.

The quilting was going really well, until I broke my last needle. You shouldn't sew over safety pins.
But you probably knew that.
I've removed that stray thread that's in the middle of this picture, by the way.

I'm whipping this up for my Dad. He's about to turn 80. I reckon a lap quilt, with a nice cosy polar fleece back, is just what he needs. So far this has taken me 5 evenings. About 15 hours.

Work turned to crap. Time to look for another job kindof crap. I miss the Australian, but that's the way he wants it, or so it seems. I've had a sore back since May, and a cough and a cold that's also been around since May. I ran out of firewood. SIGH!

So, a quilt was in order, obviously. I needed to remind myself who I am. I had to force myself to get started, but I've really enjoyed this speedy quilt. I pulled all of the fabric out of my stash. That's why you have a stash after all. I enjoyed stroking all that fabric again. Maybe my sewing mojo is coming back.

And I'm going to Christchurch in a week and a half. Yes I am! Now that's someone something to look forward to.

I want to write a post about this. But I'm so bloody angry about it, I can't find the words. It's the kind of thing that polarises communities isn't it? and doubtless would attract hateful spam to my blog. It's a very strange thing, an election year, and what it generates.

Anyway, I love sewing. That's who I am. I am Pixie, who makes quilts.

cape

Look, I made something.
I finished it.
The designer really does like it.
It's swirly - as requested.
Wow, maybe there is life beyond stripping wallpaper.

stuff

A pretty tree in Napa. I went there once!

• we figure the Orca knew we were there for a lot longer than we knew they were there. Not sure how I feel about that. They like to eat stingrays in Wellington harbour apparently. Haven't seen a stingray yet!

• a colleague was knocked off his motorbike on Thursday night and died in intensive care on Friday. Another good man, an engineer with a cheeky grin, sparkly eyes and lots of good stories to tell. Shocking, and scary. We gather in disbelief for coffee and cake and tell stories about him through the morning. Bugger. (Don't worry Ben, I don't think your paths would have crossed).

• went to osteopath. my wallet hurts. and my back hurts even more. he found places I didn't know hurt. but I trust him, he's a genius and eventually I'll feel good. and he's a swimmer.

• I took myself off the internet dating site. Now really, no-one, not one person, that I contacted responded, even with a no thanks. I seemed to attract 35 year olds. Hmmm, what am I supposed to do with a 35 year old? Oh, don't be rude! I seem to have found someone for myself, with a little help from my friends. So that's nice.

• my car goes. It feels smooth and quiet and nice to drive, but it makes me very very nervous.

• I'm off to a swim meet, not to swim, but to do a little timekeeping and some partying. Yay.

• I've got a job interview on Tuesday. I ought to be preparing, but something is stopping me. I better figure out what that is and get on with it. I need a pay rise!
  

Sharing the water

It's Sunday, swim in Oriental Bay day. The water sure is cooler, but it was calm today and we enjoyed it. (Have I mentioned lately that I love my wetsuit?). The first 25 yards is hard on the face, the lungs and the heart rate, but after our feet and hands warm up, it's fun. The air temperature is cooler than the water. No more swimming to the lighthouse for a while though, it will be real cold that little bit further out, and the weather can change too quickly. So today we swam from beach to buoy, to buoy, to the fountain, back to the first buoy, and back to the beach. We wallowed about in the shallows a bit, and commented how there were no little fish or starfish to be seen. Too bloody cold for them we decided. Amble up the beach to the car park, stop for a chat with our much loved coach.

"Look, what's that out there, by the fountain?"
"It's a dolphin.....two!"
"That's too big for a dolphin, it's a whale."
"They're Orca!"
"Look there's another one. It's huge."

Errr, but we were just there, by the fountain, 10 or 15 minutes ago. Wallowing under the fountain spray which was cold and heavy. Next thing we know there's an Orca by the raft that we sometimes stop and jump off, close to shore. Not quite breaching but swimming high to make sure we see his handsome white patch. Eventually we figured out there were 3. Looked like mother and calf, and the big daddy one. You know, big, meat eating Orca. We don't look like seals in our wetsuits. Of course we don't!

It was very exciting to see them. They were big and beautiful, and we all agreed, it's their water after all.

I would've like to add some pix to this post....but I'm having copyright concerns!

Not going smoothly

I'm stitching fire. It isn't going well. You can't be having lumps and bumps in your flames can you? Especially when stitching for a 10 year old client/designer. I think it's going to be quite lovely when I stitch it again, more carefully, maybe with some stabalizer to stop the lumps and bumps. I don't have any occasion to wear a red cape with orange flames. Do you?

I'll be on the sofa by the fire (for inspiration) with the unpicker. Perhaps I need a glass of wine.

Very big sigh.

Myanmar

When I was in New York, (yes, I do like saying that), I saw people protesting against the violence in Myanmar (still Burma to them) outside the embassy. I hope the protesters are back.

May some God or Goddess help the ordinary people of Myanmar who are living through extraordinary difficulties, and those bloody generals let the rest of the world in to help.

Feeding boys

Feeding those boys of mine at dinner time seems to get more and more difficult. I dunno what they want to eat.
Saturday - roast chicken, they devoured it. One even ate kumera. v I made soup the next day with the bones and the leftovers, a cup of soup mix, and a few veges. I loved it. Boys had toast for lunch.
Sunday - meatballs. An Alison Holst recipe. Gobbled up. (Those Holsts need to update their website).
Monday - 3 bean stew. From the current Taste magazine. Well I admit I was pushing my luck here. It even had spinnach in it. I loved it. Boys had toast for dinner. Banana muffins, whipped up after dinner and before Desperate Housewives started. They've had 3 each.
Tuesday - I'm gonna make home-made fish and chips. Cheap fish, battered and baked. I think they'll eat that.

Oh well, 3 out of 4 isn't so bad I guess. The rest of the week it's their Dad's problem. And I'll be eating leftovers.

Got kids? Teenagers? What do they eat?

Sewing

I'm sewing.
Look. You can almost see the red light that shows the machine is turned on.

I'm making one of these. New Look 6515.

I might even show you the finished product one day.

I was going to.....

I was going to:

• join in colour week, but I couldn't find a yellow picture, so I kinda just gave up
• spend the night sewing, but I seem to have spent it on the phone with my brother
  
• go swimming, but my car is still with the mechanic. I think they're inordinately fond of each other. I'm trying to separate them.
  

So you know, things aren't quite going to plan around here. I made bacon and egg pie for my dinner. There's enough left for lunch. That's good. And Sooz showed me this. It's good for a laugh, so that's good too. Got anything else we ought to see to keep us going this week?

Distressed

The bedroom walls are distressed.
It's growing on me. I could leave them like that.

Up high

I took my visitor way up high above Wellington on a remarkable, windless Saturday, to stand under the wind turbine, to look at the view.

Kinda stylish, one white turbine in an endless blue sky.

Anzac Day

It's Anzac Day. Poneke writes about it, and deserves to be heard.

Nice.

I love the whole world

This is from Blackbird. I love Blackbird. She's on my bloglines. My blogroll needs some work, but that needs time. One day Blackbird loves the whole world, and the next day she's having a rant about the kinds of blogs that interest her. That's life, huh.

Oh the Places I Go (2008 No. 2)

I love airports. Travelling at the weekend for fun is a whole lot different to travelling during the working week, when fun is usually low on the agenda. You know that beginning sequence from Love Actually. That one up there. It's so true, and it's a little more true at the weekend.

I've been to Christchurch, welcomed with enthusiasm by the Sagittarian, the Stud and their girls. I was treated to some beautiful meals, good wine, love and laughter in abundance. Hugs from long haired, long limbed girls the same ages as my boys! The very funny photo albums with us as schoolgirls. Great music. Dreams and schemes. A few secrets divulged. A little delicious misbehaving. Oh my! I booked this trip on a low day, remembering it will keep me smiling for a long time.
Saturday breakfast, served by Miss youngest doing a classy waitress/assistant chef act was so good, I didn't eat again until dinner.
Homegrown tomatoes and basil. (Damn, I forgot to bring home a bunch of basil).

We'd planned to go out on Saturday night, but the babysitter cancelled so we stayed home. People always gather where the food is good, wine flows, and converstion ranges far and wide. The Sagittarian and her family make it look effortless. So the house filled up with people, and staying home turned out to be a great idea. We sat outside with the brazier glowing, empty wine bottle pile growing, until...well, you know that funny glow in the sky? It's dawn. It's been a long time since I stayed up all night, talking and laughing.

I like this one better

It's for Stomper's dare. Which was started by Soozadoo.
Oh go on, show yourself, I dare you.

Stripping

Wallpaper that is. In my bedroom.

I've just finished reading this. Well, re-reading, probably for about the 5th time. I bought it in 1985, according to the note I wrote on it. It was published in 1984. The bone people won both the Booker Prize for Fiction and the Pegasus Prize for Literature in 1985. I wrote essays about it. I remember that I loved it. When I picked it up, I remembered there was violence and sadness and hope within it's pages. But that was before I had sons. This time I found it compelling, and disturbing. Harrowing. It gave me nightmares, it changed my view of the world, I had to make myself remember it was a book I was reading, not a life I was part of. I cried. I was late a few times, most unlike me, because I couldn't put it down. It's poetic and beautiful, the language is rich and sings a story of a beautiful New Zealand landscape.

Keri lives still in Okarito, on the West Coast of the South Island. One of my most favourite places in this big wide world. I'm not keeping that book in my bedroom though. I need some peace and calm in there, now I'm done turning it's pages. Maybe I'll read it again, in another 20 years time.

The hopeful pixie....

You are The Star

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Star is one of the great cards of faith, dreams realised

The Star is a card that looks to the future. It does not predict any immediate or powerful change, but it does predict hope and healing. This card suggests clarity of vision, spiritual insight. And, most importantly, that unexpected help will be coming, with water to quench your thirst, with a guiding light to the future. They might say you're a dreamer, but you're not the only one.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.