Buttons up

It's been a lovely day but really turned cool this evening. I went to Pinestream Quilters meeting tonight in Upper Hutt with my friend June I always enjoy seeing quilts and sharing ideas and of course getting a new bundle of library books to read. (As if I need more ideas). tonight someone was giving away scrap bags so I was lucky enough to grab one of them too.

Pretty glass, orange, pink and red. Moonglows - that's the bottom blue, A couple of brown art deco buttons and others.

 Thought I'd show you some of my latest button finds.. Myra and I found a few antique and opportunity shops over her stay.  I'm always on the look out for a button jar which just might have some treasure in it.   
Three Buckets Full in Lower Hutt has an awful lot of buttons.  Tooo many!  Wendy also has a $1 bowl.  Eek $1 doesn't sound much but it soon grows to $5. 

I love "Twinkles".  The big one in the photo is very rare. I was so lucky to find it for $5. 

It was really grubby but I cleaned it up with this stuff that's like Steelo's which we clean pots and pans with in New Zealand but a very fine one.

I'm told you can only buy it in Europe so I appreciate my friend Ruth giving me some. It goes a long way.

My collection of 'twinkles'



Beautiful clear buttons with 3d designs



Glass Art Deco Buttons - the colours are gorgeous.  I love them.

Batteries and Buttons

You know what it's like.  For weeks you look forward to something and all too soon it is over and life returns to normal.  I have been waiting for Myra to visit for weeks and she's been, now she's gone home and it was an incredibly great visit but not long enough.  I worried about wearing her out though, but I'm the one who's worn out haha.  I need Energizer Batteries... big ones haha.  Oh it's been so much fun but now my house seems too quiet and empty. 

We were out a lot and included a visit to Golders Cottage in Upper Hutt, built in 1800's and still original in many ways. 



No taps for the water here, and this is the safe and the store room for preserves!



This beautiful dolls house was featured inside.  there is so much detail.  I wish I could have got better close up photos.

Remember the old gramophone.  My grandparents had one and we loved to watch the needle going around and around the record when we were kids.

The Long Drop at the back of the garden.  I remember being frightened by spiders in one as a child.

We went to Parliament Buildings.  I don't think I've been there since I was at School.



 One of the highlights of the weekend was a visit to a button collector who lives here.  There were a few visitors there also.  I adore buttons, especially old ones.  Aren't these amazing.   American Celluloid.  How much work went into making them back then.  And these childrens buttons 1920-1940 are so cute!

Here's me in my element.  Looking through the button boxes.  Eek... $ signs !!!

Old Vintage Coat buttons

These are made of Shell.  Click on the photo to enlarge it.  They are stunning.

Luckily we have the same interests.  We never get bore together. 

Thank you for coming Myra.  I can't wait till the next time.

WINNERS WINNERS AND MORE WINNERS

What a wonderful exciting event the World Cup has been to New Zealand.  It has bought much needed happiness and excitement to everyone here. And as you already know our All Blacks won!!!!  A very close nail biting game against France.  Well done France.  Both teams played well but had to play hard.  It was nerve wracking in the last few minutes.  the score was 8 NZ - 7 France!!!



Of course I have to show this photo taken last year of me and Victor Veto (on right in top photo).  I feel very special to have had my arms around an All Black!!  Go Victor! haha



Last week the group that I work in, won the General Manager's Award for Best World Cup Pod and Second Prize for Viewers Choice.  Woohooo..

A Georgia Flag I made very quickly from a cream curtain fabric and red polyester.  It's about 4feet wide

We were thrilled but didn't expect it.  the GM's comments were that we had selected a small country, stuck with the Rugby theme, dressed up to show our support and gone the extra mile! 

Nothing like the rugby scrum in their little shorts!@

On Friday's we dressed up as Cheerleaders for the team and even had our photos taken in the scrum haha.



Inside the locker room

There were 20 selected groups of staff in the building who all drew a country out of a hat.  Everyone then had to decorate their areas to show their support to that country.    Here's a few photos:


The locker complete with ointments and things rugby players might have in their locker.  We had a sniff test too.. jars with liniment, grass, leather and even a dirty sock!! haha



A view from one of the windows - the Georgia flags made by Tania

And finally tonight the winner of my 300th post give away is ....

Myra making the draw at Wellington Airport

Quiltgirlie drawn by the lovely Myra while waiting for her plane this afternoon.  So Quiltgirlie please email me as soon as you can with your mailing address.  Congratulations! 

I've got a few posts to put up this week about our busy few days together. 

We crammed a lot in and included visits to friends and to a Button Club meeting yesterday.  I so love my buttons but now Myra is going to collect 'special' buttons too so we'll be able to share this obsession as well. 

Off to bed now.. it is so windy here tonight everything is rattling and it's really quite discomforting.  Myra is back home at her house - and I haven't opened my mouth all night..... I so enjoyed her company.  Night everyone.  God Bless You all.

The Giveaway

I haven't posted much since Myra has been here - we have been SO busy I need a holiday haha.  Anyway we are off out again now until she flys home this afternoon.So if you want a last chance to be in to win this giveaway of fatquarters, cotton, beads and magazine please put a comment for one chance, or better still become a follower, tell me and get another chance or post about the giveaway.

I am taking my phone with me and can check for any more posts and Myra will do the lucky draw at the airport.   I'll post about the winner tonight.

Good Luck

Give Away Fabrics and a Wonderful Surprise

PS I forgot to put the glass beads in the photo but they will be in the prize.

On my last post (my 300th) I told you how to enter a give away to celebrate that huge achievement (or is it another addiction hmmm????) and here is the giveaway.  7 Fat quarters of batik fabrics, a reel of variegated cotton which is beautiful to use and the latest New Zealand Quilter.  To enter read my last post and Myra will draw the lucky recipient out before she goes home next week. 

Yes as Annie would sing.. "It's only a day away" now.  This time tomorrow night Myra will have arrived on the train after 8 hours.  She's looking forward to it so I hope it's a nice day and she can see everything on her travels.  It's certainly not a nice night here and yet we had a beautiful hot day = I even wore a dress!!**??  The weather is very contrary at the moment. 

I had a wonderful suprise yesterday from my dear friend Martina in Germany.  Martina and I met through our blogs last year and have kept in touch ever since.  My lovely parcel yesterday was

3 more beautiful patchwork magazines from Germany.  they are full of ideas and patterns and 4 pieces of yummy fabric in blues and orange-brown.. They are beautiful cottons.  Quite different to NZ cotton. 

And look at that amazing Cathedral on the postcard.  Martina also sent a thimble with the Cathedral on it.  I am so grateful to Martina for sending these.  It's so exciting to hear from someone on the other side of the World who shares the same passions.

I love this quilt.  What a gorgeous colour scheme for Christmas and scrappy too. 

And wow, what a dazzler this is for any time of the year but I do think this would be a really bright and happy Christmas table centre.

And of course, wouldn't you know it.  There are Horses in one of the magazines.  Rocking Horses for the Christmas Tree.   I love love love them and will have to make some.  I'm sure I've told you how my dear Dad used to call me Horse very very affectionately of course and I miss that so much.  So I am constantly noticing horses everywhere and acquiring a few here and there.  these are very special.

Friends are Priceless.  And I love to spend time with every one whether it's on the internet, on the phone or right here in my little house in New Zealand.  I had better get to bed because I'm sure I'm not going to sleep much.  I'll be remembering all the little things I need to do before Myra comes.  The orchids are in a vase, the bedroom will be made up like a 5 star hotel but I still have to find enough room in my sewing room for a single bed haha.   That will be my posie for a few nights.  I'm thinking about having a king single bed in my room so I want to see how I'll manage. 

Good night dear friends.  Good luck with the giveaway. I'd love to share it with you.

300th Post = Giveaway Horowhenua Quilt Exhibition

Well, what a day today and this is my 300th blog.  So to celebrate it I'm going to have a giveaway!  I will post a photo in the next few days of some gorgeous fat 1/4's of batik fabric, some NZ fabric and some glass beads from Nelson - no doubt there will be other bits and pieces but it's been a very busy day here at my house. 

And this afternoon my grandson George (15) came off his mountain bike again and landed on his head.  thank God he wears all the protective gear, the ct scan is clear but he's in hospital for the night with bad concussion.  No riding now until Christmas and the worst news is he can't sit his exams in 2 weeks!!  So sad.  But at least he's okay.   He did this last year too and had a head injury for a few months.. happens so quickly. 

SO TO HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN...

1.  Leave a comment on my blog anytime before 24 October.
2.  Become a follower to get a second entry.
3.  If you post about this giveaway tell your readers to leave a link to your blog and you and your reader will    get an entry to the giveaway.

Don't forget to put your blog link or an email address with your comment.

I will get my friend Myra to draw out the winner on the morning of 24 October before she flys home.  I'm sure that day will come too soon as we have so much to do and see.  Oooh I can't wait till you arrive Myra.. only 4 more sleeps!!

I was only going to vacumn and wash the floors today but ended up moving this hutch dresser (I didn't use my left arm believe it or not)

My hutch dresser was bought off Trade Me for $20 but still doesn't have any handles on the drawers!!!

and the little freezer, polishing all the shelves, deciding what to keep and what to sell on Trade Me



thought I'd put this up for sale but it's actually quite pretty when I see the photo. 



I'd forgotten I had this.. not sure why I bought them in the first place?

I used to collect ornaments of figures in bikinis in deck chairs etc.  Thought these looked good with them but they're too big.  Salt and peppers.. cute though!

I've been moving pictures and I decided to cheer up this old pin up board using some of the curtain samples I had. I'm going to glue braids and buttons on to it but it'll pass for now. 

Before

 

After


I was going to do sewing today but tidying has taken me all day.  don't ya hate it when you do that haha.
And now the All Blacks are playing Australia in the semi finals of the Rugby World Cup so I really need to go.  It's the second half and New Zealand All blacks are leading 16 to 6.  Nerve wracking.  We need to win! 

  I'll leave you with some photos from the Horowhenua Quilting Club's Exhibition yesterday.  It was excellent. 

Love the clever use of buttons .. of course!

I love this one.  I can see this pattern done in old shirts. I have been collecting them for a little while now.

An awesome use of colour and ideas.  Very visual

 I have always loved Beryl Cook paintings so this one caught my eye. 

Awesome colours and design.

There was a beautiful display of small quilts..

Love this.  colours are gorgeous.  so simple but effective.

this was in the New Zealand section.  I have a thing about green these days so love this use of colour

Congratulations to Horowhenua quilters.  The exhibiton was the best and everyone I met agreed!  Sadly it appears I didn't win any of the raffles.. but I'm glad to support your talented group.

Karen Griska Etsy Shop

A couple of years ago I bought this fabulous book written by Karen Griska, and subsequently started cutting my selveges off every fabric in my cupboards (a great way to tidy them up too). 

I've only made this quilt so far but I have a huge collection of selveges in my 'Must Do" box and have used them in several other projects.  From the book I have been a follower of Karen's blog   and more recently Karen's Etsy quilt Shop.  Wow, these quilts are awesome.  I can't imagine selling any of mine..  well, the ones I get finished haha.  but these are wonderful eye candy so pop in and have a look and spread the word.  Here's some of the 40+ quilts on sale:

Bright Carribean colours by Karen Griska

Lively Multi-coloured by Karen Griska

Thank you to all my new followers who have been to visit my blog and left comments.  It's wonderful to have new friends in blogging land. My next post will be my 300th post so I'm going to have a giveaway.  I'll be back over the weekend with details and photos.