You can never have enough...

[Mica]

Morning all
Another overcast day

Fingers crossed Roma.

Lovely photo KM

Managed to sew hot pink body suit with frill  for DGD in  nice rayon knit yesterday.

Housework ie vacuuming and floor wash this morning while DH walks the k9s
More medical appts for DH this afternoon we joke that we get out and about for more medical stuff than social at the mo.

Started knitting a cardi last night in the smallest of small sizes as DS baby is going to be small and possibly early.

Enjoy your day

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Popeye maybe you could get Mica to do you a hot pink body suit with a frill? The thought might scare the knee into behaving, I am seriously considering threatening my hip with the same, last night was no fun at all. The weather front obviously came in hard and my bones knew it.

The little house cat corners from my flat is going to be bowled and replaced and the comedians among us have assured me it will be three stories and overlook my deck. I respond brightly by telling them my summer habit of nude sunbathing will soon sort that issue out...

Oh roll on summer. I am well over these rainy days.

[Lilith7]

That's a happy little bird, Kiwimade, & hope you're all remaining covid free, Roma.

Cold again no rain as yet but expected later. I'd quite like winter to bugger off now, if it wouldn't mind - imo it overstays its welcome every year & this year winter seems especially long.
I'm sure we could manage with a mere 6 weeks of winter...

[kiwimade64]

morning ladies   Wow, that was some storm we had yesterday and overnight.  I can't see if there is any damage yet, but I shouldn't think so.   Yesterday there were trees down and a truck and trailer fell over in our district.

I have finished the butterfly but am still deciding on the little black beads which is why one side has them and one doesn't.  Am happy with it overall though.  I'll start on the other side soon so I can sew it all together.

   

   

I'm glad you enjoyed the photo of the waxeye.  When we had those fine days I put the camera on the tripod, sat on the front door steps and clicked away with the setting on 'continuous'.  Love digital cameras, you can easily delete the dud photos.

Time to get organised, I have to go to Hamilton this morning and again tomorrow morning which means early starts.

Happy crafting

Edited to add, I've just noticed where I have missed some back stitching on the butterfly.  Just as well I can do that before I take it off the frame

[Venetian1]

You are so clever Kiwimaid, that is just gorgeous

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Your photos are great kiwimade, I envy you that. It is one skill I just don't seem to have much luck developing, despite the evidence of teetering piles of albums and a gallery on this tablet that is bursting at the seams! And that butterfly is lovely, where is it going to land when you finish it?

I had a delightful win this week on TM, scoring a piece of Royal Haeger from America, that I am pretty sure was imported in the 50s by the family company. When my Mum died I was instructed to sell her collection to go towards final costs and in doing so had to say goodbye to a lamp I had loved all my life. This new much smaller lamp has the same glaze and the same curves and will please my heart in the same way my Mum's one did, so I am a very happy woman this week. As I did my research to confirm the gut feeling I came across a farcebook group of Haeger collectors, mostly American I think, and joined it. Boy, some of the pieces they have made me turn a bit green around the edges, lol. But they are a friendly bunch, so I'm sure I will learn a lot from them.

Always fun to meet new people!

[Mica]

Morning all
Rain and more rain I am so over this very damp sunless winter

KM the butterfly is FABULOUS!

Didn't get up to much yesterday a trip to get more ink for printer, usually order on line but for some reason I couldn't because my address field wasn't complete but the areas for city and post code were greyed out so couldn't input very very frustrating. Printer won't work unless all the cartridges are full

Got some buttons for overall shorts toille. DgD will be able to wear them if they fit I will cut into the good stuff

No plans for today yet. Other than we are meeting friends for dinner tonight

Enjoy your day

[Roma]

Good morning.

Fine and warm .... yay.

Love the butterfly KM and I like the extra dots for effect. Your workmanship is superb. 

Waxeyes are so sweet to have around. I really should feed the waxeyes we see here, but don't want to risk their lives .... there are quite a few cats that pass through our garden and I know from experience they are an easy 'catch'    My own old boy is not a risk any more.

Good score OHH .... it's good to have things you treasure around you, life is short 

DH who has next to no symptoms, slight headache, tested Covid +ve this morning and I who have a cough, sneezing yesterday and a bit achy was Covid -ve .... go figure. I shall test again tomorrow. So that is our week sorted .... stay in one place! Will be able to find plenty to do .... up to a point, one of them being letting the darned cat in the door furthest away from his cat flap .... 3x so far this morning!

Enjoy the day everyone.

[popeye333]

Morning everyone,

Sunny and calm here

Ohh The butterfly is Stunning Kiwimade... I like the beads on it too. The other side looks empty without them.

I've just put apple out for the birds. I got 3 for MrP last shopping day, he ate one of theirs and got the runs so didn't want to risk it again. I was eating one yesterday and got nasty indigestion. So the birds have a score.

I've decided to be stupidly dumb and you can all growl at me for doing it. I want to move the couch out of my room, it will either go in a spare room or the garage. Ill never get it made over so it can go. And I dont want to see it in my room now. Handy having a huge house lol

I will pace myself and keep up the pain meds , will no doubt feel sorry for myself later but at least my head will enjoy it.

I got a nice bright red piece of fabric from the Oppy yesterday. Its hemmed so probably been a light table cloth, It will be lovely for toys when I get around to getting a pattern.

Also got a Nice Robyn Martin Baking book.. I know Im meant to be downsizing lol.. But I love Kiwi baking books. With just about every recipe she melts the butter first, which is kind of odd. But some lovely recipes in there.

Right time to make a couple of calls and then get the tape measure out and decide which place the couch is going to.

Have a fab day everyone

[Oh_hunnihunni]

The Edmonds childrens cookbook had a stunning recipe for banana cake, all made in the pot the butter was melted in. Struck me as strange first time I tried it, but boy it was a brilliant cake!

[Lilith7]

The butterfly is gorgeous KM, well done.
Had to look up Royal Haegar as had never heard of it. Its certainly beautiful.


its raining yet again here. Well of course it is - I wanted to get the groceries done early so naturally its pithing down isn't it. It hasn't stopped once since I got up this morning so don't much like my chances, but will see how it is after lunch, & after the obligatory walk.

[popeye333]

Well its done.

Was fairly easy really, the couch slid nicely on the carpet.

My goodness it was dusty but all nice and clean now, and I'm happy with how it looks now.

Sore ? Of course but my happy head is worth it lol.

MrP was a bit snappy so we didn't talk for long

[Oh_hunnihunni]

The butterfly is gorgeous KM, well done.
Had to look up Royal Haegar as had never heard of it. Its certainly beautiful.


its raining yet again here. Well of course it is - I wanted to get the groceries done early so naturally its pithing down isn't it. It hasn't stopped once since I got up this morning so don't much like my chances, but will see how it is after lunch, & after the obligatory walk.

It is beautiful.The glazes and the designs - though some of them might be regarded as a bit kitsch today. And if you scroll through some of their pieces you see where certain Crown Lynn designs came from! Particularly the sea shell vases that attract such big prices these days.  Copying other manufacturers wasn't nearly the 'thing' it is today - appropriation was rife.

[JanW]

Kiwimade - the butterfly is glorious - what a family heirloom that will be
Speaking of butterflies- my neighbour has this yellow shrub - actually itÔÇÖs in a lot of the older gardens around here - I have noticed all through summer the monarchs seemed to be feeding off it but this afternoon it was covered in monarchs obviously resting thatÔÇÖs until the bombastic old buggar next door came out to see what his wife was talking about and they all flew off except one - I took a photo but still finding it too complicated to load it on here so can I email it to you - seeing Monarchs are risking extinction it would be something worth planting - not going into ask at my nearest plant shop nobody wears a mask - it has leaves like a fig - the old garden was pulled out long before I shifted in

[Lilith7]

The butterfly is gorgeous KM, well done.
Had to look up Royal Haegar as had never heard of it. Its certainly beautiful.


its raining yet again here. Well of course it is - I wanted to get the groceries done early so naturally its pithing down isn't it. It hasn't stopped once since I got up this morning so don't much like my chances, but will see how it is after lunch, & after the obligatory walk.

It is beautiful.The glazes and the designs - though some of them might be regarded as a bit kitsch today. And if you scroll through some of their pieces you see where certain Crown Lynn designs came from! Particularly the sea shell vases that attract such big prices these days.  Copying other manufacturers wasn't nearly the 'thing' it is today - appropriation was rife.

Yes, I wondered about that when I saw a couple of swans. One was the white that we're familiar with here but the other was a gorgeous blue-green glaze.

Still raining here, several parts of town are flooded so definitely no chance of getting the shopping done today, dammit.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

When the family business was importing pieces from all over the world Crown Lynn was one of the businesses who made 'copies' for them, using the imported examples as design models. sometimes slight differences, sometimes from straight moulds of the originals. But they never had the glazes, or the fine clays available to them that the European factories and others had. But they tried, bless them. The most well known rip off was of Simpson's Belle Fiore pattern. The Crown Lynn version was way too heavy handed and lacked the gestural looseness of the original. But, seeing New Zealanders could not get their hands on these overseas pieces at anything like a reasonable cost, you can see why they made them and to hell with the morals involved.

[Lilith7]

When the family business was importing pieces from all over the world Crown Lynn was one of the businesses who made 'copies' for them, using the imported examples as design models. sometimes slight differences, sometimes from straight moulds of the originals. But they never had the glazes, or the fine clays available to them that the European factories and others had. But they tried, bless them. The most well known rip off was of Simpson's Belle Fiore pattern. The Crown Lynn version was way too heavy handed and lacked the gestural looseness of the original. But, seeing New Zealanders could not get their hands on these overseas pieces at anything like a reasonable cost, you can see why they made them and to hell with the morals involved.

Stuff like that went on here quite a lot. my Grandmother & a friend started a dressmaking business in the 20's; Gran used to go into town & check the window displays of women's clothing in Ballantynes, (then the department store which had the latest fashions) sketch dresses she thought would go well, go back to their workroom & make a pattern from that, & then make the garment.

Still raining here; our street is now closed, as are lots of others & have had phonecalls/messages from 4 of the grandkids to see if I've drowned yet or do I need anything. The eldest tried to get me to organise a bag to go just in case - she's inclined to be slightly bossy good at organising but as the house is on a slight rise, told her I'm fine. Bloody grandkids - its a good thing I love the little sods! 

[kiwimade64]

morning ladies   Another very stormy night last night and it looks like it's carrying over to this morning as well.  Lilith, we saw the flooding in Christchurch on the news last night.  The reporter said over 13 days you have had only two hours of sunshine!  Your grandkids are great with checking up on you.

Copying designs still goes on, it's probably even worse with the internet.  I try and credit designs if I know the designer and will say if the picture I use isn't an original.  Even ideas at farmers markets and the like are 'borrowed'.  The only way to stop it is to enforce copyright if you have it and that costs a fortune.  I must confess I have used techniques I have seen online but have tried to use it 'my way'.

Thank you for your kind words for the butterfly.  I haven't had a chance to do the back stitching yet or put the beads onto the wing.  I'm hoping to do that this afternoon when I return from Hamilton.

Friends of ours have a crib/batch on the Coromandel Peninsula with a huge poinsettia shrub the monarchs love.  I couldn't believe they have been put on the endangered list.  It just shows how fragile we all are.

On a more cheerful note, my tete a tete daffs are flowering and so are my hyacinths!  Spring must be almost here.  I couldn't believe it when I walked passed the daffs   I have them in a pot so when they have finished flowering I can move the pot to the back of the garden. 

And the Furry One caught and ate the rabbit that munched the parsley to a knub.  That parsley flavoured rabbit must have tasted good as the only thing left over was the tail.  His tummy was as tight as a drum and he whinged and whined about his tummy ache.  So lots of chasing games until he felt better and no dinner or breakfast for a couple of days.  One down, two to go for now.

Better get cracking, I have to leave for Hamilton again shortly.  At least the wind has dropped.

Happy crafting

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I do have a the odd bud on my Erlicheers but nothing else in the way of Spring bulbs yet. The Winter flowers are still going strong though in the pots so lots of colour around me. The magpie moth 'pillars have eaten themselves out of house and home so I hope they are fat enough to pupate because there is no way those plants will recover! But I did plant bluebells, or wood hyacinths as my Mum called them, underneath and they are all up and enjoying what little sun we are getting just now, so I have hopes of lots of colour from them.

I gave in to temptation last night and made something new (to me) for my sweet tooth. I used the Chelsea Sugar recipe called Lemon Curd Cake, and boy is it yummy. And easy!
2 cups self raising flour
1 cup sugar
100gms butter
Mix to breadcrumb stage then add 2 eggs to bring to a dough. Two thirds into a well greased baking dish, lightly pressed down, pour over two cups of lemon curd, and top with the crumbled remaining third of the dough. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

It is like a soft shortcake, and deeply yum with a dollop of yoghurt. I split it into two so I can take one up to a friend who has a birthday tomorrow, but even so it should do me three days if I am disciplined, two if I am wicked.

Recommended!

[Mica]

Morning all,

Raining all night and dull overcast with drizzle this morning.

Back at the gym this morning trainer was kind and didn't work me too hard.

Sewed a  cardi to match the binding on the frilled bodysuit yesterday. DD happy so thats good

OH the lemon curd short cake sounds delicious yum must remember that for when we have people over firr dinner.

Went back to friends house after our meal at local restaurant she served brandy snaps filled with orange cream. The cream was a mixture of yogurt and sour cream with orange zest very yummy.

More appts for DH this morning so must move and take a shower.

Enjoy your day and keep dry