Peter Has Been Busy Again

 Peter has been busy in the garage again.  First he made me this most fantastic little fantail.  I have been waiting for about three months, I think its worth the wait.  I would like a matching friend for this one little fantail.  Hope it does not take another three months.

 He also had a lot of old offcuts of wood cluttering up the place, which have now been converted......

 .............into this tidy tiny little console/desk tabley thing.  I love it.

 Hopefully all these projects will come together by this weekend and our first unveiling at the Craft and Design market in Havelock North.

 Last but not least a tiny little bird house shaped notice board.  

Changes in Work Spaces

While reading about the changes to Peter's work space you should listen to this music.  Its what was playing as I was taking the photographs and is strangely evocative of the atmosphere in his room.  Cool, chilled and relaxing.  The new shelves are made from two drawers from an old desk and a couple of wall units that were taken out of our bathroom, when it was renovated.  I think this is one of the best re-purposing projects he has done so far.

A bit of a contrast to the way my new workroom space looks.  This time you need to listen to this music.  Again we have used a couple of old drawers.  These ones were picked up at a garage sale in the museum at Palmerston North.

If you think the above looks like a jumble its not.  Everything is laid out where I need it.  Fabric is stacked by project it will be used for.  Ribbons, threads, buttons and bits and bobs all stored by project type.  I can not wait to get started on printing the pile of blankets below.  It has taken a lot of will power not to just drop all sewing and do the fun bit.

Earlier last year I made a huge decision to leave the safety of paid employment and work full time for Coulter and Coulter.  A decision that I have not regretted even once.  Even when standing in a field at a country fair  freezing cold, soaked to the skin and up to the knees in mud.  Even when I have worked seven days a week, about 15 hours per day for the last four weeks with only two evenings off.  I am so glad I made that choice.  So a big thank you to all you lovely customers that have supported Coulter and Coulter last year.  I am really looking forward to bringing you lots more hand printed loveliness in the future.  Hopefully in warm, dry, un-muddy fields.

The true spirit of Christmas - the two amazing things that happened to me today.

Today, two amazing things happened to me.  But first I should explain why I have been ignoring you all out in the blogging world.   No I have not run away to a desert island.  A bunch of my friends and myself have set up a pop up market in Napier.  We have filled the shop with 20+ lovely craft stalls and are having a ball chatting to customers and selling lots and lots of handmade goodies.  Anyway getting back to my story about the kindness of strangers.  First of all I had a lady that bought a lot of items from my stall, then came back in to ask if she could buy one star, they were selling at $10 for 3 stars.  I said that she could have the star for free as it is Christmas.  So she then told my why she wanted just one star.  She had lost her niece who was called Star of the Ocean, what a wonderful name, and wanted the one star as a memory of her.  I felt so glad that that she had my star.  I hope she does not mind me sharing as I was really touched by her story.

Story number two started when Jo and I were serving a customer.  The customer was talking about how noisy the bagpipes were that were playing up the street.  I said how homesick it made me for Edinburgh when I heard the bagpipes playing.  A while later the lady came back again and presented me with a packet of shortbread biscuits to cheer me up when I felt homesick.  How wonderful is that, what a lovely person.  I am so happy that Christmas spirit is alive and well even in these materialistic days.

Phew

Phew - that was a busy three days at the Cranford Hospice Holly Trail Fete.  I am absolutely puggled out.  What a great time I have had out in the Hawkes Bay sunshine, eating mince pies and strawberries and chatting to all the Holly Trail Ladies.  My little stall was decimated by the end of the weekend.  I better get stuck into some more sewing now for Crosshills Garden Fete next weekend.  Don't you just love the build up to Christmas.

Thank goodness for a beautiful Hawkes Bay day........

 Thank goodness for a beautiful Hawkes Bay sunny day.  I have chased Peter and our visitors, my Mum and Dad, out into the garden - while I took over the kitchen.  It is chaos in our house, sewing everywhere - printing inks filling the kitchen. 

 The reason for all the mess and chaos is I am trying to get stock ready for my stall at the Hospice Holly Trail next week.  This year the fete that goes with the Holly Trail is to be held at Birdwood Gallery out on Middle Road, Havelock North and will be open not just to those lucky people with tickets but also to the general public. 

 

But it does not stop there, on the Friday night I will be outside Hawthorne's Coffee Shop at the Craft and Design Markets night market.  I could not resist joining in with the fun, it really looks like it will be a great night - all the usual stalls, plus the wood fired pizza van, wine tasting and hopefully a lovely balmy Hawkes Bay evening.  Looking forward to seeing you all there.

Peter's been busy again...........

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind here in the Coulter household, we have had lots of family visiting.  Peter has still found time to escape to the garage and get busy with some Christmas ideas.  A little forest of black and white Christmas trees, all made from recycled wood.  The black ones are painted with blackboard paint so you can add your own decorations if you want.  What I want is to keep them all, unfortunately for me and fortunately for you they will all be for sale on my stall down at the Craft and Design market in Havelock North this Saturday.