Retirement Finally & Australia/New Zealand Too!!!

March 1st, 2015 I delivered my intent to retire effective May 29th, 2015 and talk about an emotionally draining few days after that.  Not sure why as I've known for FIVE years now that I was going to retire - postponed first because of a loan, then timing for the trip was off so delayed more, then another dream trip to Ireland in 2013 and again decided to delay until this spring!  NO MORE DELAYS!!!  LOL!

 

Here I thought I’d not have to start the heavy planning for my September - October "down under trip" until after retirement but not the case as I need a more in stone itinerary with stop overs planned back to my travel agent in two weeks!!!  My life is definitely not going to be normal for a while!!!

 

So on Wednesday I had my first visit with the travel agent specializing in Australian tours.  She did warn me it was an expensive place to visit, you need time and money but it was well worth the expense and to do it in leisure, not rushed!  She did say air fare would be around $3,500 and the sooner it’s booked the better the deal - I'm not keen on waiting for discount deals or standby etc - nope I like to know all is planned.  Then she can work on the mainland travel itinerary and book additional flights, train and coach travel within the package along with motels/hostels where needed. 

 

Just from talking with her she got a grasp of what I want to see and will pick the best of them out so I don’t have to see like 3 zoos or 5 sanctuaries etc, spread my spending monies around more.  Then it was suggested where to start from, how to travel to next, with less criss crossing or double backing etc and I liked most of it.  I wanted more freedom to come and go and change plans but that is not likely except in those couple days of stop overs as flights etc have to be booked. 

 

This will help too with visiting friends – they’ll know when I’m in their area and hopefully we can meet up for visiting/touring.  She asked what my budget was and I got the feeling I’m well under what is needed so will have to give her my thoughts of where I’d like to go etc and then we’ll meet again when she’s put together a few different packages to look over.  Also changing my return flight is not really possible as it’s  not only a $500 change fee but also buying a new ticket!  So I have to decide and stick with it I guess!  YIKES!!!

 

I’ve already sent out emails to my quilting/stitching friends Down Under and some have come back to me with wishes to visit.  Now that I’ve sort of an Itinerary (tentatively mapped out) I’ll have to sit down and plan my stop overs.  I’ve started a new excel file for friends to visit, places to see and shops to check out (not saying I’ll buy too much there but something besides pictures to bring back).

 

Today I downloaded JPGs of Australia and New Zealand maps and pinpointed my major stops with descriptions and possible days at each. 

Now to figure out the time involved and see if it fits into my 6-8 week plans.  I also have to make notations of where my friends are and possible meeting places.  This I truly want to do as many have been so nice and pleasant within emails and having our quilting/embroidery passions in common it would be awesome to personally meet up. 

 

Yes time is a running out especially for my retirement plans!!!  FINALLY!!!

 

TIAS 2015 - FINALE!

OH well I was wrong again, there was no little finger support on the ring that was partially completed in Day 12's instructions.  But that's OK as it's been a lovely mystery with no great challenges (at least for me this time) and I just LOVE my lovely green scissors!

 

Again thank you Jane for this exercise in keeping the LOVE OF TATTING alive and who knows maybe it's growing but "under cover"?  Please keep dreaming these up for us to enjoy and it sounds like you love the challenge too and hearing back from us during the session! 

 

If you'd like to check out others' attempts or even other TIASs (bottom left of blog) please check out Jane's TAT IT AND SEE blog!

TIAS 2015 - Days 9 through 12

I'm sure Jane wondered where I was and if I hit a tough spot and/or dropped out?  NO, NOPE, NADA!!!  I was just away for a 4 day quilting retreat with my sister, niece and friends finishing of some WISPs and feeling good about it!!!

So here are days 9, 10, 11 and 12 to get caught up to date with the tatting mystery.  BUT heck this obviously is not a mystery anymore, just the finishing aspects of this last piece to the scissors!

 

I LOVE these mystery tatting projects that Jane dreams up!!!  Check out others at Jane's blog!

Alan's Celtic Runner

OK I managed to find some Celtic fonts for MS Word to download free and saved myself some tedious printing time and a much nicer label too!

Then after my massage I delivered it to Alan and actually see it on display!  Just lovely and yes both Alan and Karen were very pleased with it. 

AND to boot Alan walked me through some APPS and key options with my Samsung Galaxy Tab S and gave me some pointers too - a win-win situation for both of us!!!

Another UFO Completed

This project was not started until the fall or early winter as I was away on vacation when Alan gave his retirement notice and basically was gone before I got home from Western Canada.  Since he had admired my own Celtic table runner from the red/orange panel I bought while touring Ireland in June 2013, it was a no brainer of what he would like.  But this time I asked for his input before ordering the fabric panel from Fabric Freedom which ended up to be one-third the price from the US supplier on EBay and it arrived in 5 days - WOW!!!

So I had a couple of visits with Alan and Karen recording their input of which blocks to use and the layout and his choice of green for the inner border - I was not up to making that decision when Alan is a very meticulous person of varied interests!  I wanted this table runner to be his choice so he'd be pleased to display it and remember our working days together.  The left over two blocks I made into coasters for his glass coffee table.

I worked on framing the inside blocks with a mottled green and have like a very small piece left over - PHEW.  Then went over again with various blues for the outer border and wouldn't you know it the one that we all liked best I did not have enough of!!!  So back online trying to figure out where I bought it from and it was like a week before I finally found it at Oma's Quilt Shop!  She had 2.2 metres left and I asked for all of it - lucky too as I have like a ten inch strip of it left - it was just enough to use for the backing too!  This table runner was specifically measured to fit his side table and was finally finished off this weekend at the Gimli Retreat with the charms Alan ordered himself and the label in Celtic font finished yesterday evening.

Thank you Ola for providing the comparison.

I was teasing Alan that I really love this table runner and should keep it for myself.  But I won't be that mean - anyways, I have my own red/orange table runner and my left over blocks will be made into a skinny vertical wall hanging to go with the runner.

Gimli Retreat 2015 - followup

It was a lovely weekend, lots of creativity and friendly visits with returning and new retreaters.  I think it worked out well not having lunches included as the three of us had salads with breadsticks and cheese and fruits in our suite and that was OK.  The breakfasts were ordinary but the two suppers (one was chicken and ribs and the other was prime rib with gravy - naturally other dishes included) were delicious but this retreat definitely lacked organization. 

  
I managed to FINISH all the sewing of Alan's retirement gift - just the label left to do and then I can deliver it (not a good picture taken - will come soon). 

Then I worked on attaching and stitched bindings on two Aurora Quilters' charity quilts.  Next to deliver them to our chosen charity.  (Not sure why my pictures that were rotated and saved are reverting back to sideways - but you get the drift!!!)

I hoped to get started and maybe finish the top for another wall hanging gift but doing the hand stitched bindings on my Family Challenge along with the long blue table runner my time ran out!  Oh well will do such at home.

Some of the gals were talking about maybe gathering some information etc for a better retreat for quilters next year - not necessarily leaving it up to the hotel who really does not care about our retreat - just the hotel management part.  It was too bad that the person in charge of this was away in Florida at the time either.  And we all missed Jocelyn this year but we all were wishing that her daughter and her first baby are well and enjoying their visit.  Congratulations Jocelyn!

It was also a weekend of using my new toy - checked emails and played some games with the WIFI option and also used my camera including easier selfies with the reversed camera option - WOW!!!  But it takes some getting used to and had to dump a number of pictures which were not infocus.  I'll get better.

Gimli Retreat 2015

WOW this year there is only 39 registered and we have lots of room to play!  AND the three of us have finished our Family  Challenge - here is the picture.  I love the different  ideas we came up with.  Sylvia s hubby says the first bird is looking for a girlfriend,  the second they are kissing and the last she is sitting on the nest.  He says it's a keeper.  Pat's hubby likes hers and wants to hang it up.  Mine has the glass cabachons beaded in place inspired by Heather Lairs landscape technique which in 2013 I was fortunate to take her class at retreat and I'm keeping it too.

Well I completed my challenge - we all had the red, blue and green circles fabrics - not a good choice decision  but it worked.  Then I went back to Alan retirement runner - going well so far even the two coasters.  Picture to follow next.

The food so far is good but the organizer is away in Florida - DUH!  Bye till next update.,

I love this new toy!  Samsung Galaxy Tab S with built-in WiFi.

TIAS 2015 - Day 8

OK I went back to a landscape/horizontal picture to see if I could glean some hint of what this green thing is gonna grow up to be - but ZIPPO help that gave!  HMMMM Jane you have me stumped.  This mystery is definitely named appropriately - tat it and see!!!

Check out other TIAS projects from previous years and also the 2015 blog entries here!

TIAS 2015 - Day 7

So far things are going well, maybe my button is a bit too big or my tatting too tight, but it's still good.  I think my windmill guess is out; still might be a ballerina; but it sure looks like a TOOTH right now! LOL!

Check out other TIAS projects from previous years and also the 2015 blog entries here!

My Lucky Bamboos Revisited

OK I again took my camera to work and retook pictures of my office desk Lucky Bamboo.  I think it's just lovely and can't wait to see what it's offspring grows up to be.

This is the top half of the 24" (more like 30") bamboo shoots that I bought - way too tall for a desk plant.  So I had researched and also asked The Green Scene florists how to cut it down and so far it's awesome.  As yet no further offshoots on these but there's good root development and the growths have fresh new leaves!!!  Barb my coworker talks to and touches them often!  I just smile and gaze on it whenever thinking things through.

These are the cut off lower sections of the bamboo shoots and as you can see two of the three have two offshoots each growing.  Periodically I keep checking to see if the shorter one is showing signs of any offshoots but as yet nothing.  BUT today I see on the two taller ones a lower node on each has another tiny bump just below - wonder if it'll keep growing into an offshoot?

TIAS 2015 - Day 6

Hmmmm I'm still sticking with my first idea - a windmill - and the pelican idea I'm scrapping.  But as I look at this picture, I see the legs of a ballerina on her toes!  HMMMM!!!

 

Guess it's still a wait and see game!!!

TIAS 2015 - Day 5

OK looks like my "windmill" idea is still there but just maybe.  So I'm now thinking it might be a "pelican" with a larger pocket lower bill and a skinnier upper bill that we see around our lakes and rivers.  Guess it's wait and see.

 

Check Jane's "Tat It And See".

My Lucky Bamboo

Finally after admiring my coworkers plant for a while now, I decided it was time I had one.  So beginning of December I bought some shoots but they were 18 and 24" in length with the top four inches with growth.  DUH I did not like this.  The florist shop where I bought it advised I NOT shorten and try to prompt new shoots - leave it as is.  Well that's just not sounding right.  So I googled this plant and there it was in black and white how to propagate these shoots and also The Green Scene told me to either bring in my shoots and he'd cut them for me (they do it all the time) or proceeded to tell me how to do it myself.  SO off I went and prayed all goes well.  As you can see so far so good for the bottom shoots - the plant at home!!!  The shortest one still need offshoots but there is one slightly more swollen joint - maybe!!!

And the top half at work has new leaves on the established offshoots and all have new roots growing like crazy but for some reason I don't have a picture and I KNOW I took one.

TIAS 2015 - Day 4

Well this day's installment was easy!!!  It just took two days to get the pic uploaded!  DUH!!!

Still don't have a clue unless it's the first blade of a windmill?  Will have to wait and see.

Check out Jane's blog!

TIAS 2015 Day 2 & 3

OK not sure what happened that I didn't blog Day 2 when finished on Sunday - totally weird.  Anyways here's Day 2:

This went smoothly too can't wait till I can provide a guess on what it'll grow up to be - definitely my "turtle" idea does not seem right!   And here is today's Day 3:

I think I like the button I chose, guess time will tell if it is appropriate or not!

 

TIAS 2015 - Day 1

Yes Jane is back at it with another mystery Tat It And See project!  Thank you so much Jane for your expertise and generosity of your talents and time for TIAS and our fun in trying a new tatting project!  Let's hope that I can master these steps this time around - last year's just did not "tat" up nicely for me and I'm sorry to say I've not found the time to "RETRY" as I promised Jane.  Maybe one day!

So here is my attempt for Day 1:

Now let me keep tatting so I can have a "finished" object - whatever it will be!  So if you're curious how I'm doing on this - keep checking back or even check out all the participant's images which Jane does upload to her blog. 

Christmas Towels 2

OK short and brief, here is the other towels of the set which I've dressed up.

Hopefully this year I can find some other seasonal type towels as those are more popular.

Christmas Towels

WOW my "dress-up" towels seem to be a hit and I'm glad as they are much easier on my hands.  I like them lots but there is still something about the crocheted tops that is dear to my heart.  They are my favourites I think.  Anyways Saturday I got an order for 10 towels - 5 Christmas - 5 everyday!  YIKES I didn't have any Christmas towels left so off to pick up some more and Sunday and tonight were sewing days as the only ones I could find were the shorter ones - so naturally they are all dress up styles.

Santa w green dress; Snowfriends with snowflakes dress

Christmas cup single; Candle with holly dress; Home single

Poinsettia w cream dress; Green w candy cane dress

And here are my 2014 MPQ President's Challenge sewn Christmas ornaments.  You were to make one for the challenge to be voted on for Viewer's Choice and one for sale as a fundraiser for the Christmas Cheer Board.  These cathedral window ornaments took me a few evenings to stitch up and if I'd known they were only asking for $5 each I probably would not have chosen this technique.  Oh well I'm glad I kept one as it became a gift that evening.

 



OK lets hope that after I finish off the last two dress-up towels for gifts that I can set this project aside until next year!!!  Oh and Sylvia has given me another idea for a different look for these kitchen towels.  You'll have to stay tuned, sometimes in the summer, same place for a sneak peak!

More Towels Etc.

OK I do not know what is going on with my Nikon Cool Pix camera but I'm ready to chuck it out the window into the freezing drizzle we are having.  The weather is just a confounded as the camera - doesn't know what season we're in right now - it's winter and Christmas - not springtime!  LOL!

Anyways I've stitched up a storm of new "dressed up" kitchen towels.  Some were preordered and some are just to build stash.

 

And now here are a few Christmas items I picked up at Michaels at 60% and 70% off - could not resist and yes I did get the one item I needed for Alan's retirement gift to hang the charms.  Now the red wine bag was my Christmas gift from Kat from the Aurora Quilters potluck we had yesterday.  I'm keeping the wine for Christmas or New Year's celebration!

 

That round plastic charger plate was just calling my name and it just looks lovely on that easel next to the fabric photo landscape of my Dad (upclose it looks crappy but not from a distance) and that LOVELY owl wine bag dressed up with ribbon and chocolates - thank you Kat!  Then the second picture shows the false book that I loved too and not sure what I'll keep in it - will see.  The floral arrangement looks lovely in person, but it sure does not in this picture.  I really do not know what is wrong with my camera this weekend.  I've from day one did not like it for viewing from the camera but it's always been good pictures once transferred to the computer - well not this time!!!  SHEESH!!!

Kitchen Towels - Revisited

Well for years I've been able to purchase some neat and interesting kitchen hand towels of fairly decent quality and making up crocheted tops to button onto kitchen appliances or cupboard handles.  The last couple of years these are getting thinner and thinner so I came up with an idea of making them double thickness instead.  Also other types of towels (thicker micro finish) are being used also.  Here are my latest - all are reversible - buttons on both sides.

These were smaller so trims added at the bottom
- also reversible - gone now.

Regular sized towels dressed up reversible too
- middle one is without ribbons
- side ties added after first two experiments.

Doubled crocheted button tops - reversible too.