Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Becky and Josh got married

Eggs beni for breakfast

Jessie, Issac and Josh with Melanie - waiting on Eggs Beni

Mel even went to pick up the flowers

She looked after them well

Jessie doing Becky's hair - with Mel's help

The lovely couple

Oh, look who is with them

Kiwi bride - no shoes

We had to a photo of the shoes. Josh grovelling at Becky's feet.

Aren't they great!

I made a Bridesmaid!

Today my younger daughter, Becky, is getting married. Her sister, Mel, is living in Doha, Qatar and can't make it here so she tasked me with making her so that she could be Becky's bridesmaid. Here we are on Sunday when I made her.

I thought a little tutorial would be a good idea, just in case you ever need to make a bridesmaid. Here is the requirements list.

Foamboard
Cutting mat
Craft knife
Spray adhesive
Nail file to sand the edges
An email from mad daughter with a photo for the front of the bridesmaid and some instructions for the back
Car keys to go to Warehouse Stationery and print A3 colour copies
Energy drink - just because I'm mother-of-the-bride and I've still to finish altering Becky's dress, mark Year 9 exams and write 80 junior reports!!

Spray the back of the photo with adhesive and stick it to the foamboard. Cut out on the line. Spray the back of the foamboard and position carefully on the back of the message. I did this by taping the instructions to a window so that I could see the outline. With the photo side uppermost, trim the back paper to the shape of the foamboard. Buff the edges with the nail file to remove the black cutting line and any bobbily bits of foamboard.

Ta da! Here is the back. More wedding photos to follow...

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Calico Christmas Quilt Show

Finally, here is 'Celebrate Onehunga'. Not the sharpest picture I've ever taken with my little camera but you get the idea. The original quilt was going to be nine panels. I will still make it - and the other two I have planned. I even have an exhibition space in mind and the word of a councillor that she can make it happen!! I warned her that it may take me a couple of years to make them.

There are some stunning quilts in the show. The highlight of the show for me was meeting the Thimblelady, Liuxin, from Sydney. She is one of the judges and does the most beautiful applique. She is also the inventor of a special thimble, hence the name. I have no desire to perfect my hand applique or hand quilting but I can admire her work. She had one small quilt on show of a tree with tiny leaves. Each leaf was about the size of a nail clipping! How on earth does she manage that?? I suppose you have to go to her classes or read her book to find out. She was demonstrating her latest tool, a stitch regulator for whipstitch piecing. I wouldn't say I have any interest in that type of patchwork either but her love for what she does is so infectious that I'm considering taking it up!

Update with a slightly better photo.



Other posts on this quilt
pukeko take 2
second cabbage tree
Onehunga Bay reserve
mosaic table and chair
first cabbage tree
Inspiration and start of One Tree Hill

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Caribbeanz Southern Stars Steelband

http://www.smartnetwork.co.nz/feature/beats-our-backyard-trinidad

Our band features in this documentary. I'm the one in the purple t-shirt under our flowery band shirt. I didn't realise how grey my hair was! I used to dye the grey streak blond but that's all natural now!! Anyway, that's not important. Check out our music and the interview with my friend, our band leader, Camille.

Sorry, no quilts today. :P Here's Camille telling a joke at Larry's expense instead.