September starts & news

 Hello friends, 

This week is the last week of the term for Hannah, then the school holidays start.  We're now counting down the days until our family holiday. This year we are heading to the Sunshine Coast in Australia, a part of Australia we've not been to before.  We are really looking forward to checking out the gorgeous beaches, some sight seeing, perhaps a visit to Australia Zoo, chill out time, and there might be some shopping :) 

Also, some other news to share, we are closing down my husband's joinery business at the end of October.  We've been in partnership with our friends for over 24 years, and the guys first started working together in the joinery factory as apprentices, straight out of school.  But the time has come for the business to close, our friends are moving to another area of New Zealand  and Glenn will move onto something new, nothing has been confirmed yet, but he is very excited for whatever opportunity might come his way.  With Hannah heading to Napier next year for her beauty therapist's course, there's going to be lots of positive changes for our family in 2027. 

So today I’ve got a handful of new projects to show, and some recently finished items.  This month's stitching has been all over the place, as I knew I wanted to start a couple of new samplers for #samplerseptember, I've also had a bit of stitching I've been working on that I can't share just yet, and I've also got a few ornaments on the go. 

Let's start with the finished things first:

This set of ornaments is from Cathy of Hands on Designs Merry Moments Collection:

Sweets for Santa

Light the Way

Plaid Tidings

Hark how the Bells

A Vintage Rocker

I stitched these all on 32 count natural Belfast linen with the recommended DMC threads, and used a selection of trims and Lynette Anderson Christmas fabrics for the finishing. 

This is Santa and Rudolph by Stitching with the Housewives, stitched on 32 count black lugana fabric.

Now for the newly started projects.

I recently had a lovely catch up with my stitching friends, we laughed and laughed, and I think it was what we all needed, along with some yummy snacks and lunch together :)  I did manage to get a few stitches done, and the project I took along to work on was House Rules by Primrose Cottage Stitches.  I'm stitching this on 36 count Tuscan Path by Fox & Rabbit, with the DMCs.

I got my holiday stitching project underway, House of Quaker Lane by Brenda Gervais.  This linen is so pretty, Red Cedar by Cedar River Linens.  I'm using DMC ecru thread.

I've been wanting to stitch this Erin Elizabeth design for ages, Merry Stitchmas. Fabric is 36 count vintage mocha Belfast linen.

This photo just wouldn't turn!  Another design that I've been wanting to start for ages, by Shakespeare Peddler, and I'm using the recommended 36 count Aztec Red linen by Weeks Dye Works and DMC ecru.

On Friday the threads I needed for my next sampler start arrived in the mail. so this was my Friday night project. Amazing Grace by Brenda Gervais, linen choice 40 count Sandcastle by Fox & Rabbit, recommended threads.

I also started another of Cathy's Patreon ornament club designs from the second collection, the Quilted Gingers, Cape Cod Cross Hatch

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that a small stash parcel arrives from 123 Stitch before I go on holiday as it's got a couple of threads needed for another potential start, and also this year's Wee Santa by Heart in Hand chart.

We had a family dinner catch up at the start of the month, and my lovely Mum had organised little birthday cakes for the special birthdays we had in our family earlier in the year.  What a great surprise Hannah, Marcus and Zoe each got, and the cakes were divine!

Lastly for today, it was this very good boy's "gotcha" day anniversary on the 12th, four years :)

Four years of joy, mischief, lots of river and beach walks, silly nonsense, snuggles, dog biscuits and treats, and fun! We are going to miss him so much while away but he'll be having the time of his life as our friends Bruce and Alison are going to be looking after him.

I'll be back in a few weeks, mid October, wow, how the months have been flying by this year.

See you soon xx

Spring has Sprung & Latest Crafty News

Here in New Zealand, spring has arrived. Earlier in the week, we had horrendous winds for a day causing quite a bit of damage around the district, and igniting several fires from recent rural burn offs. Our first responders and emergency service personnel had a crazy day, and they did an amazing job to deal with everything happening. The supermarket across the road from my work had some windows blow in, how scary!

In a few weekends time our daylight savings hours start and hopefully the temperatures will warm up. It's been an incredibly cold winter this year, we've been through so much firewood over the past few months.  But here's a cheery sign of spring, and I've noticed the neighbour's fruit trees all have blossom this week.  

September means #samplerseptember is underway, and this month I've chosen to start two new samplers.  First up, is Home on Quaker Lane by Brenda Gervais. I'm stitching this on 40 count Red Cedar linen by Cedar River Linens, and thread choice is DMC ecru.  

The other new start I'll have is Amazing Grace by Brenda Gervais.  I'm going to stitch this on 40 count Sandcastle linen by Fox and Rabbit. 

I made a new patchwork project bag recently using some Sacre Bleu French General fabrics I purchased last year.  

During a recent Friday after work finishing session, two Heart in Hand designs were fully finished:

The 2025 Collector's Heart

2025 Wee Santa, so cute!

I'm looking forward to stitching 2026's Santa, just love these every year. 

Spring time here in Central Hawkes Bay also means the start of the CHB Spring Fling, with various events being held during September and October. This Saturday is one of my favourite events, the Spring Market, where there will be lots of stalls, food trucks and entertainment. I hope the weather holds out for it as the forecast is not looking too good later in the week. My niece Zoe and her Dad Marcus, my younger brother, are visiting this coming weekend, as are my cousin Donna and her boyfriend Jess, so it should be a fun but full on weekend!

See you soon xx

Winter Days and Stitching update

It's been a busy few weeks lately - with lots of winter sickness doing the rounds at my work, we've been very short staffed, meaning extra hours and jobs to fit into the day. Here in Hawkes Bay, we've had some very wintery weather, even a day where snow fell on parts of the region that it never does!

So there's been lots of stitching, knitting, and finally getting some pieces fully finished, very satisfying. 

Stitched earlier in the year, Peace by Teresa Kogut, a Patreon ornament, stitched on 32 count Charcoal Belfast linen.

Also, stitched earlier in the year,  Mill Hill Santa Holding Heart and Candy Cane Santa

From the Hands on Design's Patreon Club Merry Moments series, Sweets for Santa, stitched on 32 count Raw Belfast linen 

A Vintage Rocker also by Hands on Design

 

I used some Lynette Anderson fabric for the backings 

A favourite hat pattern to knit, made for a friend, with NZ Merino yarn 

I also managed to finish the knitted socks, made for my sister in law. 

Some gorgeous new patterns arrived in the mail, from All Threads in Australia, and Kitten Stitcher in the US - very excited to get these newer Brenda Gervais patterns, which we are unable to buy here in New Zealand.

Home on Quaker Lane is going to be my start for Sampler September, the Cedar River linen is a stunning colour. 

During July, I stitched on a few ornaments and these will be made up soon,

From the Quilted Gingers Collection, Hands on Designs Patreon club, the Single Family Sawtooth chart was stitched on 32 count Up in the Attic linen by Fox and Rabbit.

Jingle all the Way by Stitching with the Housewives

Mrs Claus Stockings - Stitching with the Housewives 

Mr Claus Gingerbread - Stitching with the Housewives

Now for some new starts - a friend is expecting a new baby at the start of 2027 so I started this sweet baby blanket pattern from Lisa F Designs last weekend. 

Also started recently, Stitching Rules from Primrose Cottage Stitches, and for the fabric I'm using vintage grey Belfast linen. 

I really like the new House Rules chart and other patterns in the series so look forward to these being released as pdf charts soon.

Lastly for today, I popped in to see my friend Andrea, who owns our local sewing shop, Curtis Fabrics, and she was absolutely thrilled to show me her newest treasure — a beautiful Singer Featherweight sewing machine.

Isn't it gorgeous?

Andrea is also a By Annie pattern and supplies stockist so she was showing me the latest patterns, very cool.  

Thanks so much for stopping by, see you soon x

Latest Happenings

Hello friends, I'm so happy as we're having some perfect winter days right now, very frosty in the mornings to start the day. It was - 1 c when I left for work this morning, and then a day of sunshine follows.  Soon we will notice the turn towards spring, as we are now over half way through our winter months.

I have all the things on the go right now, and some days wish there were more hours in the day for all the crafty happenings!   My lunch break knitting project, socks for my sister in law, are progressing well, one sock down, and half of one to go. I've hopefully managed to match up the stripes up on both too.

The Summer Vintage blanket is finished now - I loved making this, my first crochet blanket in quite a few years.  I purchased the yarn from the Wool Warehouse in the UK and the pattern by Amanda Hurrell, Eight by Six on Instagram, can be found as a free download on the website. I missed one colours, Buttercup, when I placed my order, so adjusted some of the rows, and I completed the border as suggested, using the different colours in the rounds.  

This going to be perfect to have in our campervan, as its very light weight and not too big in size.

As I mentioned last time, we recently had a long weekend to enjoy, with the Friday being a public holiday for Matariki here in New Zealand.  Glenn and I spent the Saturday in Hastings doing some shopping, and then to Havelock North, where we visited our friends.  They are having some new laundry cabinets made by Glenn so he needed to check out the space and get measurements. We then enjoyed lunch out at a very popular restaurant, Off the Track, which was delicious, and so busy that particular day, over 240 people were there! 

I snapped this photo on the way home, after the horrendous weather earlier in the week, it turned out to be a lovely day.

Our friends cutie pie wee dog, Bee, she is so sweet. 

No wonder it was cold last week, fresh snow on the Ruahine Ranges, this photo taken at the end of our drive way. 

This week, Whittakers, released a new novelty chocolate, Gumdrop.  It's pretty good, and reminds me of a childhood favourite ice cream, Tip Top Goody Goody Gumdrops, and yes, it's actually green :)

The school holiday break has finished so Hannah is back to high school for her very last full term of school, Term 3.  Diesel enjoyed hanging out with Hannah over the past two weeks, lots of snuggles together.

We try and get out walking with Diesel as often as we can, and this past Sunday was fairly warm while I walked him by the river. We are fortunate to have several good limestone tracks to pick from, only a few minutes drive from home, and they are very popular with other walkers and cyclists.

Diesel turned four on Sunday, can you believe it - he's the best good boy, he brings us so much fun and laughter.

Have a fun week, see you soon xx