Sweet Roses

I picked these yesterday to adorn the breakfast table - the sweetest prettiest pink roses I've seen.

I wish I could post the sounds of the birds that I sat and listened to this morning - not sure why but the last two mornings they have been magic - maybe because both mornings have been really warm and too hot for the birds to fly, so instead they sat in the trees and sang for me! The smell of the roses in this warm weather is gorgeous and I am amazed at how many blooms open out after just one day of hot weather.

My guests and garden are keeping me on my toes - but still a little time to stitch. Last weekend I put together some more of my Gingham Girls blocks - I now have blocks one through to eight done, except for six which I'm not sure how but I missed, so I'm doing that one now. So, here's seven.....

.... and here's eight....

I'm hoping to start the first stitchery tonight for a new block of the month quilt designed by Marie Claude of Les Secrets de Marie. Barb Smith has done the stitcheries for the quilt and they are so beautiful. I'll show you next week (hopefully!!). And the second block of Vero's mystery quilt needs attention too! So this afternoon, while the child is playing cricket ( I know, a good mother should be there watching, but honestly, I did try (once) a few years back and I was really really bored!!) I will happily rummage for fabrics for Vero's block and trace out stitchery number one for Marie's quilt.

Happy stitching

Jenny

My Divine Treat!

A couple of weeks back I decided to treat myself to a very very delicious quilt kit - I lusted after this fabric when I was still at The Stitchery but decided against ordering it as I wasn't quite sure of future plans when the ordering needed to be done! I regretted it! So, on a whim I surfed the internet and found that a certain shop was offering it as a kit. Without a second thought I ordered it. (Actually there were quite a few second thoughts - I felt I needed to justify the purchase until I decided that no justification was needed at all - the purchase was a necessity!) This is how it arrived - the bag is a heavy textured cotton fabric and absolutely gorgeous.....

...but what was inside was even better! Just look at this...

"Rouenneries" by French General. The fabrics look so divine that I wont pull the bundles apart for a while - they can sit and look pretty on my table for a while. Even the ribbon that ties them is fabulous. What a treat to arrive in the post. A very special project to look forward to, sometime in the New Year.

I don't have any stitching to show you this week - I have been stitching though, but just not quite enough! Maybe after the weekend. We had our last class of the Vintage Decorations last night and we made the little angel. One of the girls had us nearly in tears from laughter (kind laughter though). She showed us her pin cushion ... and I thought that I absolutely had to share it with you (with her permission of course)......

I love it! Cute ay!

Time to go and sort some fabrics for the next project, and pat the French General ones of the way past.

Happy Stitching

Jenny

Bluebells and Wisteria

Every time I walk up the steps and path to my front door I am struck by the beauty of this garden. It is so incredibly lush, the rose bushes are loaded with buds and old-fashioned ''grannies bonnets'' are bursting into flower. Bluebells just seem to go on forever.

There are masses of pretty little pink flowers about to open - not sure what they are but they are gorgeous! And the sweet sweet perfume of the wisteria at the front door floats through the house on a warm day. It's heavenly.

I've done a little gardening since I last wrote, and now have tomato plants growing in the glasshouse - there is absolutely nothing like the taste of a homegrown tomato! And we have little lettuce plants settled into their garden bed, alongside the herbs. The strawberry patch is also looking very very good - I can almost taste the strawberries now!

Been busy with guests, too. Australians, Americans, English and Kiwis!

Was very excited to get the first block of Vero's Mystery Quilt in the mail last week - I can show you my block now as the patterns have been posted out so I won't be spoiling the surprise for any of the girls doing it. This is such a different project for me as I have not made anything with country colours for ages and I had forgotten how lovely they are to work with. I have dug deep into the stash for bits for this quilt, and have even found fabric from way back in the beginning days of Needle 'n Thread. I am going to enjoy every step of the way with this quilt - and part of that is because you have absolutely no idea what is going to turn up each month.

I have also finished the stitchery for a beautiful Carb-apple Hill design - this is called Summer Sampler and will be made into a long cushion. Maybe I will have the cushion made by the time I do my next blog!

It is nice to get back to my stitching - just doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that - catching up on the Gingham Girls, finishing the quilting on my Days in Provence quilt, and even a little cross-stitch. I've been tempted by some new things but am trying very very hard to finish some projects. So far it's working!

Oh, that is, except for a certain quilt kit I have ordered - well, it was impossible to resist!

Happy stitching!

Jenny

That was so much fun!

I've just had the best weekend! Hope you have too. Stitchery Retreat 2009 was held at the City Sanctuary and it was lovely!

I know that most of the girls had a really hard time choosing which project to start stitching as they were all so gorgeous. These are the samples that I have been working on over the past couple of months. This is Barb's birdie design which I made into a pattern folder, and little matching needlecase with Barb's birdie button on the cover (http://www.theodoracleave.blogspot.com).

Here's Brenda's beautiful ''Lucy'' which is one of her ''Bonnets and Bows'' designs (http://www.brendaryan.typepad.com/) . I made this one up into a good sized drawstring bag - ready to hold the current stitchery project.

Bronwyn designed a fabulous table mat - also with matching place mats though I did not quite get to do the place mats.

These are a couple of closer pics of the flowers at each end of the table mat.

Marg (http://www.marglowdesigns.typepad.com/) gave us a sweet stitchery sampler, scented sachet and chatelaine. I will definitely be making some of the scented sachets as lovely little Christmas gifts.

And last, but certainly not least, Natalie did an exquisite bag and needlecase, called The Paris Collection. I can't show you a pic of this though, but keep an eye out on Natalie's blog (http://www.cinderberrystitches.typepad.com/) and I am sure you will see it very soon.

Honestly it was almost impossible to work out where to start - the designs were all so amazing and I'm pretty sure that everyone who came will stitch each and every one of them.

There were lots of smiley happy faces...

....lots of chatting and laughing...

...plenty of stitching...

...and quite a few cuppa's!

Will I do it again? Sure will, and more. I hope that all of you who came enjoyed it as much as I did.

Happy stitching girls!

Jenny

Our new home!

I've been away for a while again, I know. So much has happened in the last couple of months - incredible, amazing changes - and a wonderful feeling inside me that this is very good! We're all moved in to our new home, the shop has closed, and all the shop ''stuff'' is here now too. Must admit to slightly underestimating the time it would take to ''move'' the shop! But it's all done - all unpacked ,in a fashion (minus the boxes that were just far too hard to think about - they went straight into some wonderful big storage cupboards - for those there will another day!) and we have even had our first guests to stay. Yes, I was nervous at first, but needn't have been - they were the most delightful couple, and apart from forgetting to put glasses out for the juice, everything went perfectly fine!

I have been busy stitching, too, just in case you were wondering. But I can't show you a single thing because it's all the ''secret'' things for the Retreat this coming weekend. I will show them afterwards though - the designs that have come from Natalie, Brenda, Barb, Bronwyn and Marg are absolutely stunning. For those of you coming this weekend, you are in for a treat.

So, this is our house - the front of it, anyway. It totally charmed me when I first saw it. I thought I would show you a couple of pics of the garden (seeing as I can't show you any stitchery) - this is my patch of paradise - so incredibly sheltered and private and when the flowers are in bloom it will look so so pretty - I can't wait.


There are gorgeous clumps of bluebells everywhere - primoses, tulips, a beautiful magnolia tree. The wisteria at the front door is glorious!

... and the fish pond which has seven residents! Don't know alot about fish, but I will learn. Have caught Charlie sitting on the edge a couple of times, working on a strategy I think!

What do you think? And the view from upstairs is something else - it's pretty hard not to love living here! I'll be back after the weekend to show you some of the things I've been working on lately. Coffee, maybe, on the balcony! See you later.

Jenny

Debbie's Finished Her Quilt!

Hi - I know, it's been a while, again! I have a proper excuse this time, but more about that later. I have to show you Debbie's quilt - she brought this in to stitching group two Friday's ago and it's taken me far too long to show you. This is ''A Kittens Tale'' - Lynette Andersons fabulous block of the month quilt. When Debbie unfolded this gorgeous creation a couple of weeks back there was a group gasp! The picture does not do it justice at all as it is truly beautiful.

About the only stitching that I can show you that I have done in the past few weeks is the next block of the Gingham Girls - these are from block five - cute little teapot...

...and quilting with a friend...

So I guess you are waiting to hear the excuse - well... I have been up to my ears in packing boxes! I have sold my house, bought a B & B here in Dunedin, and I am closing my shop! Phew! For quite some time, now, I have felt that a few things needed to change, so way back earlier in the year I found the most gorgeous property that was being run as a Bed and Breakfast and I instantly saw the potential of combining that business with parts of this one. I have been wanting to be able to spend a little more time with my son, Jake, and over the past couple of years I actually felt like I was spending less and less time with him. So, a change was needed and when I found the City Sanctuary I made some decisions. I'm going to continue my classes and retreats from home as it has the most amazing spaces on the second floor - and views to inspire. (I'll be able to show you some pics of the views in a few weeks time and you will see what I mean). I'm also going to continue with my website - lots and lots of fabulous patterns, some fabrics and other tempting bits and bobs like Barb's gorgeous buttons. So, this means that The Stitchery shop will be closing, around about the middle of next month. That's a little bit sad, as it's been a huge part of my life over the past few years, but it is time to move on and to be honest I am incredibly excited about my next adventure - I truly believe that we all know within our hearts when it is that time to move on, and when the opportunity arises we should grab it and go for it! So what between packing and moving out of my old house, a short stint in temporary accommodation (which turns out to be a very pleasant little unit), closing down the shop and then moving into our new home, blog entries may be a little few and far between for the next while. If you want, you can have a look at my ''next adventure'' at wwwcitysanctuary.co.nz - you'll see why I couldn't resist! We move in on 18th September, which is three weeks today. Until then I intend to unwind a little in the ''unit'' - hopefully I will get plenty of stitching done as the retreat is fast approaching and I have several projects to finish for that, but can't show you cos they are secrets. So, there you have it - what do you think? It should be fun!

Must go and get ready for the Friday Stitching girls - wonder what Debbie will bring today?

Jenny

It's been a while since I've been here - but that's not to say I haven't been stitching. A couple of weeks ago I finally got round to putting all these gorgeous little stitcheries, from Barb's Cat Club, into a wall-hanging, so that I could enjoy looking at them instead of seeing them 'resting' in a little pile on the shelf. Really happy with the end result, too!

Here's a close up of each of them..

Have also been doing some other bits - like this Christmas stocking - it's Marg Low's new pattern, and comes with this stitched version and also a strip pieced version which is the one we are going to do in the Christmas Club classes.

And then there are the Gingham Girls - this is part of block four..

...and hopefully this, along with the stocking, will be finished off this weekend. Depends on the weather! Here's Debbie's last block of her Kitten's Tale - so cute! I have a feeling that she will be bring the completed top to stitching group today - can't wait to see it.

And this is her most recent Breast of Friends block, and I think it just might be my favourite - so very pretty!

Well, I have to confess that this blog entry has been an absolute mission to complete - I have absolutely no idea what has happened since I last did an entry but it seems a whole lot of settings or something have changed. It has taken me three attempts to get to this point and I will be almost surprised if it publishes.

I hope that you are all enjoying the slightly lightly evenings, the not so chilly mornings and just how many blossom trees have you seen in flower!

Jenny