They are quite tricky to cut with the same sort of grace using a rotary cutter - more practice is the only answer I think. What a prospect.
I haven't yet found the right shaped object to show it off to perfection - the house cover is square, so definitely not designed for a tea pot and much to big to fit on the head with any vestige of style. Maybe it was just made for the fun of it. It certainly has had a lot of care and attention lavished on it as all four sides are detailed with separately knitted shutters and lots of added embroidered flowers. As you can see it has pride of place on my bookcase, which has been the cause of some hilarity to my non-textile friends and family. There is something about it they will just never understand, but I'm sure you do. 
This is my other favourite knitted piece - a real tea cosy this time. The moment I saw it with the cluster of red flowers around the top I knew it had to come home to my house. I enjoy trying to imagine the women who made these things. I know creating them will have bought them pleasure, just the same as they give me when I catch sight of them.
When I asked my children yesterday if they wanted to come for a walk with me the all chorused "Not if you are going to the Cemetery!" We live close to the Karori Cemetery which was the main cemetery for Wellington from around 1880 to 1960. Its very hilly through there so quite a few of the plots aren't particularly well maintained. However there is lots of beautiful masonry and wrought iron around the graves which I enjoy wandering through. I enjoy the serenity of it - no cars and lots of birds.
The kids don't get it but can usually be bribed out with the promise of an ice block on the way home. Yesterday even this didn't work so I had the luxury of walking alone without the running commentary questioning why we were there.
On another note, here is another piece of my grandfathers embroidery. I've always thought it would look great as a small cushion on our bed, but I've been told in no uncertain terms that there are limits to the number of cushions one house could need. So I'm thinking it may have to wait until we have "spare" beds in the house.....I'm sure 10 years will go past in a flash!
and of course all things textile. This is another piece off the quilt in memory of my grandfather. Not one of his pieces of stitching but one that I am certain he would have approved of. It was part of a set of three and there is a much larger companion piece which was too big to go onto this quilt and far too high quality to slice into. One day it may become part of a cushion cover. Or then again I might just take it out to enjoy from time to time.
Such are the pleasures of textiles!
I think what he has loved most of all is working out which small animal should go in which pocket!
However I think I'm becoming a victim of my own success as my other two children love the curtains and have decided that they too need them. Thank goodness they only have one window each in their rooms. So I will be very intimately acquainted with the handling of denim by the time I get through these.In rare moments I have escaped the call of the denim and had a couple of dalliances with another favourite - linen. The pile of tea towels was calling and one morning I decided that I could no longer live without a new peg bag. After all, my peg apron is purely for show! Far to beautiful to put pegs in - besides I like scaring the children by threatening to wear it out of the house.... The friend who had given me the pile of old tea towels (including the Union Jack I used for the bag) thought it was hilarious and politely declined my offer to make her one. What should I take from that?? 
This my other linen piece - from a fabulous large piece I found at the Salvation Army in Johnsonville for only $4. Can't go past a linen bargain! As you will have guessed its another of my wavey lines...the obsession is no where near abated.
But its a beautiful day here today so I must away for some time in the sun, even if the temperature is low! Happy stitching, or strolling - whatever you have planned for the day for the long weekend.
She became a NZ Citizen last year, having migrated here from the UK about 5 years ago. So it seemed to me that the perfect solution was a bag to deliver the wine in which had NZ on the outside and the Union Jack on the inside (for those times she needs to let her true colours show - like when the Brits are beating NZ in the sport of the day!)
It was received with great excitement and I have the feeling this could be the first of a bit of a series....I'll just have to start sourcing some more interesting tea towels! Shame the photos weren't the best but of course the bag is now gone to its new home so these will have to suffice.
But before then, the task for this week is to finish the jean curtains - it is getting cold here now and they really need to be up for the boy. One down - two to go...
Picton is the most beautiful place - I'd never realised having only ever dashed through there on the way to somewhere else
Had wonderful early morning walks each day just soaking in the sights...
This was my favourite, I think - I went looking for it after being told there was a fresh water spring not far from us that had a car sitting over it, with a tree growing through the middle. I felt that the goat just set it off a treat! Apparently in the early 1800s local Maori were badly ill with diseases bought by European new to the area. One of the local chiefs is credited with saving his tribe by bringing them water from this fresh water spring rather than the sources being used by those already ill. What better way to mark the spot than with an abandoned car?
And then there was the quilting...fabulous tutors - Cheryl Comfort was so great to work with for the first two days that I threw caution to the wind, stayed on and did another two days with her. So much fun, so much learning and so much laughter. What more could you ask for. Lots of work still in progress but here's a little something. 
