It's just a jump to the left...

...and a step to the right!
On Friday night Husband and I donned our silliest Rocky Horroresque outfits and headed off to the Embassy to watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show on a BIG screen. It is a VERY silly movie isn't it!
We didn't take a photo of DH as he went as Prof Scott (ambulatory)- all tweed and corduroy. Quite boring really. Moi wore the Fabulous PVC jacket gifted to moi by the Fabulous Ang Reeves. It starred in our production of Silly Cow and what it lacks in tastefulness it makes up for in sluttiness. Every woman needs a PVC garment of no taste or discernment in her wardrobe, just in case she goes to a Rocky Horror viewing or party. ;-) I think it looks rather nice with the red bustier gifted to me by the fabulous Trees Maclean of the recent second baby.
Hmm, now I just realised how many Fab women pass on their slutty clothes to me. What are they trying to say?!?! I assure all readers that I am a very sensible person and behave very well. Most of the time!

By Hoki Quilts turns Two!

By Hoki Quilts is a shop in Hokitika on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. "By Hoki" was an exclamation made popular in NZ by Selwyn Toogood, a TV host with one of those wonderful rolling voices that fill a theatre. A great name for a shop in Hokitika!
http://byhokiquilts.blogspot.com/2010/05/birthday-give-away.html
Mich'ele is having a giveaway on her blog of a lovely Moda jelly roll and matching charm squares. I am addicted to these!
Happy Sunday, all :)

Cosy and comforting things for this cold weather

I don't know what the weather's like in 'furrin parts', but here in Kiwiland it's ferkin' cold. And wet. And windy. All the winter things!
Anyway to warm up our thoughts, I've been thinking about cosy things. Like tea cosies, and plunger cosies.

Here are both views of one I made this weekend that is travelling all the way to the UK as a present for some people who have willow pattern china. It's crazy patched - I'm not usually a blue and white lover but I am LOVIN' this one and am going to make more. Also the whole toile thing, I LOVE it!

Now this set I made for my kitchen. It goes very well with it too. Suits the oranges and reds etc. However now I am in love with toiles I'm not so sure I love this. How can I be so fickle at my age??!!

This is a vegetarian calzone I made for a pie competition at work tomorrow. I've made it look pielike in case someone decides that calzone is not really a pie. Pick, pick, pick. I made a fern for the top as it is my company's emblem. It's very yummy too - aubergine, tomato, red onion, spinach, cheese and olives. YUM. So there you go, comfort food and cosies. Bring on the winter weather, I can hack it now! :)

The Quilt Exhibition 14-16 May 2010.

What a weekend it was. Like stepping into the past. Johnson Bros teacups and saucers lovingly preserved by the Horticultural Society, in which we served tea and coffee accompanied by home baking. People wandered and looked at quilts, some of which are FAR more modern than the tea service!

I exhibited three things.

1. Amish Dramish

So called because it is an amish block, but the Amish never used silk, in these colours, nor did they quilt dramatic art deco motifs in varicoloured rainbow thread! This quilt I made for some male friends, and I wanted it to be masculine, luxurious and in colours that match their decor. I am told I have succeeded! :)

2. Moulin Rouge

Moulin Rouge is our bed quilt, it is 7' by 7' (212cm x 212cm) and has 61 fabrics in it. It is a friendship quilt which means that other people contributed blocks to it. In this case, I provided the fabrics and colour placement guidelines. It's called Moulin Rouge because it reminds me of those black and rose fringed silk shawls that remind me of Paris in the 1930's (Blame the movie Victor Victoria!) and because the placement of the reds forms windmills around the centre of each block, not that this shows up much in the finished quilt! :) It won first prize in the First Time Exhibitor category. Woohoo! :)

3. Cherries on the top

There was a challenge to make a bra bag, and this is my effort, made from two bras. Each side is a bra, with the top edges sewed together, and then sewed to one another along the wire line. The top opening is the armhole edge of the bra. I saw these cherry bras and couldn't resist. the cherries and leaves are made from PVC fabric.

 I was very proud of KayJay for winning with her gorgeous and witty entry!

Hush, not a whisper...

Sorry I've gone radio silent on my blog. Life has been happening too fast! Here is a sampler:
We fell for an apartment and want to sell our house.
We've turned what was our office/sewing room back into a master bedroom including taking down built in shelves, packing away contents, paint and wallpaper. Erk
On Friday when we moved the PC, it died.
I spent the weekend at a quilting retreat. And got heaps done. Including all the bits of laurel dress I had to finish.

A mixture of clouds and silver linings...

I'll be taking photos of as many things as I can, to show them off. :)

Happy Birthday to me!

Yay! A box arrived from Amazon at last with my birthday present. I asked for contributions towards buying all four Patterns of Fashion books and got enough to buy two which is an exciting start!

These are the ones I wanted the most anyway :) I am drooling over them whenever I can, especially the 'black' one as I've already almost memorised the other over the years. I love Janet Arnold!

Life! It has a life of its own!

Well, now, it looks like Julz just may have won herself some cupcake things! :) Although my lovely Joie de Vivre who has tried and failed to get Google to let her have a presence, swears (literally) that cupcakes are better than Google apps!
I've not listed my next giveaway because - on Monday we saw an apartment just because it's good to keep one's eye on the market, and fell HOH in love. I was liking the downstairs a lot but feeling a bit disappointed that there probably wasn't room for all of my making and doing, but upstairs was a 'bedroom' that is really just a big space with sun and room and - it's gorgeous! It's easily half again as big as the space I have now, which means we can put the sofa bed up there too - nice place to sit (and dump projects) and somewhere for guests.
So, the upshot is that we're trying to sell our house. I know! Can I take my kitchen with me?
So, please bear with me a bit longer for giveaway number two. No Dreamstress, alas it won't be my house hehehe.