Sat stuff

Well I think our flu is under control - all we are doing now is to outdo each other with our noisy deep seat chested coughs. Neither of us has won yet.

Still busy - the WA Craft Show is getting closer and my list is longer than the days allotted so I am being sensible. The new fibers are slowly being packaged and I have cut and rolled much of the new seven Flimsie wool batts. Whatever the outcome we always have plenty of interesting stuff and I am buy organizing what I shall demo - too many things of excitement.

Watched the rugby today and next Friday will be exciting but never fear Ali, I am going for the Chiefs - all the way....
















Here's a few more pieces from my lovely workshop in Christchurch. I have finally sorted my own stuff out and getting the studio okay again. I was amazed to find out today that the tutors did have a lunch room to visit each day - shame they didn't bother to tell me - wonder what else I missed out on? Strange stuff......

too busy for this dreaded flu

 Kazuko and Bruce are in Japan for a few weeks and they took part in a bilke race. Here is Kazuko on the podium. Bruce crashed into a tree so he didn't manage the podium for the race

 But for travelling a long way they both got a podium award - see Bruce's knee for proof. Apparently the bike is okay.

 I have the dreaded flu given to me by Ian - it is nearly gone but I keep coughing and sneezing and we are supposed to go to the ACO tonight but I fear I will spend all night in the foyer so I am not going. Shame as I love the ACO but since I am one of the first to complain when people cough and splutter I feel it would be a bit hippocritical. The bags of Maori wool - a mix of NZ corriedale and coopworth are on of the reasons we can't see much of our dining room and kitchen floor. 80 colours and I am packaging them slowly. The embellisher loves this wool - it is soft and springy.

 And to make sure we have even less space, 7 colours of very fine prefelts (flimsies to us) rocked up as well. I have cut up 3 of them so far. Harley watches them with fear as she is sure that they will fall into her food bowl or onto her when she is eating.

finally after a long time of hunting we have our own silk cocoons and Jacinta is dyeing them up in all of our colours - we have quite a few so far. Much better price for much more cocoons. http://www.thethreadstudio.com/catalogue/fibre/cocoons/dyedtext.htm
These are fun little things. I would love to know how people use them other than what I do with them

Okay then - dreaded lurgy vanish overnight. I have far too much to do

My workshop in Christchurch

Just sharing some of the wonderful work which my students in Christchurch created in An Artful Journey.

















I love this one- adding black gossamer fuse over the top - fascinating to see how people interpret the same thing.











































I will post some more tomorrow before you get exhausted. My apologies for not naming any pieces.

Virginia - you asked how it went - I wasn't trading (that's another story) but it didn't seem that busy - I certainly sold pretty well what I had in my class and we were almost 20 kilos lighter coming back and I did buy a heap of hand dyed fabrics. It was a funny conference for me - I felt like I was just there unrelated - would have liked to have met some of the other tutors and be part of the atmosphere as you imagine that is what it is all about. Maybe I am wrong.

Been very busy today - I opened and started sorting two large boxes of sprays - we now have 25 Flat Fabios and 3 new Glitz Spritz.

Then I tackled the new fabulous carded wool - there should be 80 colours and we are one short and the invoice is in English and the labels on the wool in Italian. After spreading them all around the kitchen and dining room I have finally sorted which one is missing. Certainly looks colourful if very cluttered. Next to start packaging it all. This carded wool is fabulous for needle felting and for felting especially for structured work.

Harley was pleased to see us back - apparently she sat in the window looking longingly out whenever Patricia arrived to feed her - she certainly doesn't look any thinner but she is hopping in and out of her door no dramas.

lovely meal

 Last Saturday we had a wonderful meal at Saggio di vino in Christchurch. We were last there just before the September earthquake and since then I know they reopened and lost it all in the Feb earthquake but just before we went to ChCh they reopened next door. Wonderful food and a lovely evening.

 This was Ian's desert

 And this was mine - the pear slice was wafer thin, delicate and delicious.

I have been flat out today - two big boxes full of sprays to tackle - this one contains the new Flat Fabios so there are now 25 colours - time to play tomorrow.

And I have been struggling with translating Italian to English and vice versa - all the new carded wool to keep me out of mischief. We will announce it when it is all sorted but suffice to say the embellisher loves it all.

Ian has the flu so he is out of action which means I am coffee deprived. Does this mean I have to learn how to make coffee myself?

Watching rugby this afternoon off and on in between all the other tasks - all so interesting.

Fabulous Hurricanes WIn

Had a great time in Christchurch and arrived back home last night - have been running on tip toes since. Outside the front door there are many boxes waiting to be opened and quite a few more to come on Monday. But I will write about them and my time away tomorrow, In the meantime I am celebrating the Hurricanes wonderful win tonight with a smidge of a chance to get in the playoff. Fabulous game it was.

For a swim

Yesterday we drove to Hamner Springs for a swim in the hot pools. The snow on the mountains looked great




Looking back at the bridge - they do bungy jumping off this bridge




Another spekky view. Had a great sit in lots of different temperature pools including a hydro one and the sulphur one - but it was packed. Freezing feet though walking to the pools.

Today was day one of my class and we had lots of fun and I think they all enjoyed themselves - spray colours and tissutex etc tomorrow.

Location:Hamner Springs

Christchurch revisited

We have been exploring today after a sleep in, breakfast and a visit to the conference venue to make we know where to go on Monday. We drove to Sumner and obviously were amazed at the damage we saw and the undulating roads. This is the beach at Sumner - lots of surfers in action.




Lovely day today - sunshine and lots of people out and about.




We drove to Lyttleton and around the bays







Looks beautiful and peaceful doesn't it?




Drove back over the hill to ChCh - that is ChCh in the valley




We found a mountain bike trail for Bruce and Kazuko




Then we walked in the centre of ChCh for a nostalgic trying to work out where things were. - here is the cathedral.

More exploring to do - it is difficult to landmark places because so m uh has gone but we met a lady who was full bottle with lots of info which was great.

Snow fog ruins

Lots of fog in New Zealand and regional planes were not flying but fortunately all okay to Christchurch. These are out of the plane window - lots of snow capped mountains on the way and loads of cloud in the sky - that must be why NZ is called the land of the long white cloud.




Even more foggy in Christchurch and Friday was what you could call a bleak grey old day. I seem to recall we had many when I was a student here as well. However Sat morning and the sun is out.

We are staying near the centre and went for a drive - it is hard to get one's bearings because lots of familiar things are not there. We went to Merivale and this used to be the Anglican church on the corner of Rugby street - 125 Rugby street was where flatted with 4 girls on the side of the hose and Ian with 2 guys on the other side - this is where we met. Rebecca and I used to wander in and out of this church - in the days when churches were not locked. Anyway it is now the Chinese Methodist church but not going far at present




The spire on the ground and the church below




Then we popped into the bank and experienced our first earthquake or aftershock. Booked a table at a pub nearby to watch the rugby.

Off to explore more today

Location:Christchurch

off we go again

We are off to Auckland tonight and Christchurch in the morning - hopefully the fog will have lifted - I do know the plane is on time coming here right now. Looking forward to our trip - we haven't been back to ChCh since the first earthquake so I am sure it will all be rather surreal. We are planning a trip to Hamner Springs for a swim on Sunday. We will be back on Thursday.

 Bit over worked toady - Down Under Textiles finally rocked up - worked like a trojan and they are all in the mail tonight. And nearly all the POMS (product of the month) - my apologies to the last few who won't get theirs until we return - hopefully you have things to be going on with.

And because I am teaching An Artful Journey at the NZ Embroiderers Conference, I have one very full bag with kits, products I hope they will want and my teaching stuff and loads of samples - looking forward to it. now I must go and start packing my suitcase starting with my togs followed by lots of warm clothes.