It's Now Permanent

Just a quick post to let you know that I've been offered, and accepted, the permanent part-time position at the Linton Community Library. I've been there one month and starting to remember people's names. I have also been able to relax a bit more and have been reading novels- well one does have to keep up with different authors, especially if your customers want recommendations! Not sure when the new full time lady starts, but she has worked in military libraries before.

First Time Showing

I can show you the Ephemeral Flight quilt which I made for the inaugural AP&Q quilt competition. It wasn't accepted for that competition, nor for Quilt Symposium in Wellington at Easter. So here we are:

Wholecloth, tea and coffee dyed after quilting. It measures 112.5cm (44.5 inches) x 103cm (40.5 inches). The figure was found on the internet as a sculptural relief wall frieze - it fitted my idea perfectly, but unfortunately is not an original.

Fruit Harvesting

It's always a race between the birds (mostly starlings) and me to get any fruit odd the trees.
Yesterday I picked this small basket full of nectarines and preserved them in jars (recycled) - hopefully I'll still get some more, but I'm doubting on the plums.

TGIF

- no not really! I have survived my first week in a new job. I'm not exhausted by it, I've learnt new procedures, new names and have 3 new work colleagues. It's a community library in a military housing area and even though it's still the school holidays and most military personnel started back at work this week from the Christmas break, it's moderately busy. My boss is relaxed and there's such a good atmosphere working there. I'm doing 20 hours a week, which is 4 hours every day, and this still allows me time for the 'farm' and quilting.
What a pleasant surprise to find this waiting for me to find.

A Surprise Family!

If you look really hard you can see 2 little chickens in the grass! Mum had been missing for a while and I was hoping that she would appear with a little family - 4 Blue Andalusian chicks (one dead). They will have to be shifted though, because the nest is not in a safe place.

A Real Swiss Fondue!

Yesterday was a miserable day, weather-wise. But Rebecca's friend, Sheryl, who lives in Switzerland, came around and with New Zealand made Swiss cheese, we had fondue!

Retro fondue pot, cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes, vegetarian hot dogs, baguette, emmenthal and gruyere cheese plus riesling, we made Fondue Neuchatel from my 1975 Fondue Cookery book by Alison Burt. Sheryl reckons it was the best fondue she'd ever had!
And look at how yummy this is!

We did not need tea after eating fondue all afternoon and drinking good Merlot!

Last Entry for Symposium

A piece of my final entry for Symposium this year in Wellington. This is for the New Zealand Quilter Small Suitcase (Made in New Zealand) category. It is a Monarch butterfly, but I have painted with setacolor the orange sun rays from the Edmond's "Sure to Rise" logo on the wings. The body is layered scraps of fabric, thread and chocolate papers trapped under black tulle. The whole butterfly is heavily quilted and a few scattered crystals for further decoration.

Digital and photograph entries need to be in Wellington by Wednesday, mine will be posted today, hurray!