Laundry extension - part one

If you live in Christchurch and a builder calls giving you only two days’ notice for the start of a project, there is only one answer “yes” grovel, grovel.  The rest of life just has to be juggled to fit in with the unexpected because a moment’s hesitation could mean you would never see the builder again …. ever.    I am so thankful that I’ll have a new laundry/storeroom to dry our washing this winter (instead of having it hanging around in our open plan living area) and there will be shelves to place all my fabrics and creative paraphernalia on.  

It is possible that my creative mojo might just return once I can easily access my stuff.  And how exciting would that be?! I’m looking forward to being able to host some of my creative, bloggy friends here once the extension is sorted.

P.S. this post has been sitting in draft for four weeks.  Well the builders came, worked for a day and a half and I haven't seen them since.  Sigh - I offered to do all the washing for my next door neighbour who has just had a baby so now I'll have two lots hanging around my living area.

Rekindle

I am constantly amazed by the creative genius of people in our city.  What a delight to discover Rekindle  - a concept store and cafe in our newly re-opened New Regent street.  This social enterprise is encouraging the re-purposing of old wood into new items.  What a fabulous way of using remnants from our lost buildings.  

  

With some empty shops in New Regent street at the moment, Rekindle has put some eye-catching installations from waste wood on display.  Do visit, have a coffee and ponder if there is anything you would like them to make for you from your personal rubble.

Orange Tree

Forsyth Barr building in background, not sure if it will be demolished

Seeing this while driving through Christchurch the other day made me screech to a halt, grab my camera and yomp across a vacant lot just to touch it!

In the vacant lot that is Christchurch at the moment, it took a while to figure out where I was.  But as I was touching the fabric and marvelling at the cleverness of others, I realized this was the corner of Manchester st and Cambridge Tce right on the spot where I used to attend the Quilting Meetings at Mancam House that so inspired me to pursue this craft.   How poignant that strips of fabric set this space apart from the others.   

Thank you to the wonderful people who installed this and brightened my day.  

Cut Out People

So I've been trying to come up with new quilt designs  incorporating people and in keeping with my recent community theme.

I can picture the quilt in my mind but working out the technical issues is somewhat challenging since I'm hoping to incorporate some spaces but want to keep the construction relatively simple and the design needs to be totally original.  It's to be colourful and subtle (so that none of my neighbours can be identified)

Making people shapes is the easy part

 I can curve the arms 

Add a frilly skirt

Even make arms go in different directions

Add a curvaceous body

Make a John Wayne 'look alike'

But then I get into difficulties because I had in mind a random arrangement and I ended up with this:

Someone giving birth

Someone sniffing under another's armpit

A guy touching a part of a lady's anatomy

I think I might just need to rethink this idea!

Fridge words

Our fridge is visible as soon as anyone reaches the top of the stairs into our open plan living area.  It stood there like a big white blob spoiling the overall decor.  I considered painting it or putting a collage of pictures all over it.   Then I found these magnetic tiles and bought a few with the idea of having a Port Theme. 

What started as a decor statement has become entertainment for family and visitors.  Each week we change the theme and anyone can take tiles from the tray and place them up.  We have been back to the shops several times to buy more letters.

The challenge is to use all the tiles by the end of the week.  There is often noisy debate about which words can be used and some outright cheating.

Food theme suggested by my bloggy visitors last weekend thanks NJ.

When hubby and I were playing with them today it dawned on me that there is an unexpected benefit.  The men in my family are not good at expressing their emotions.  When the theme of 'Home' was decided upon words of objects were going up.  I suggested we focus on feelings and, with some exceptions here and there (can't rush these things!), we are having so much fun and, I believe, learning something about ourselves in the process.  A win, win situation.

P.S. have just discovered an E missing from excitement and a T missing from quilt and hubby has rushed across the room to remedy the situation!  

What's in a name?

Lovingly made by my swap partner and I LOVE it

I had a fabulous time at the Around the Table – Bloggers Connecting weekend but haven’t had much time to digest it all.    Work was busy this week and I’ve been tussling with an issue that requires some real soul searching.  Choices seemed so cut and dried when I was younger.  Not so now.  Currently I am struggling with a lot of internal noise; my logic and emotions are bouncing around all over the place.  I’ve not sought the advice of others, knowing full well that some would say “use your head” and others would say “go with your heart”.  Instead I’m walking with my situation, baggage and all, ever so slowly one step at a time to see where it is headed.  It’s a part of me, of who I am. 

Now I was assigned to take ‘official’ photos at the conference but realized on Saturday morning that with the shape of the room we were in; the fluorescent lighting; the bright green wall with posters pasted all over them; people moving around and me trying to stay discrete that I was unlikely to get many decent people/crowd shots.  There was just too much visual ‘noise’.  So I made a decision to take a series of photos of the amazing array of name badges that we bloggers had made and shared with each other.  Each badge reflects something of the person behind their blog.

By the way the photos of individuals that I took on Sunday at C1 café are available, in a folder named ‘bloggers Conference People’, on the drop box site that participants have access to.  Do open it, have a look and spread the word.  I hope you like them.