An enjoyable day out with a friend :-)

Good Monday Morning friends,
Hope you all had a lovely weekend and managed to stay warm :-)
As much as I enjoy my cottage a great deal, one of the downsides is the huge tie that it is.  I find myself often fretting whenever I am away from it, who might be calling & I am closed :-(    
  So consequently I dont do alot of things with my friends outside of the property.  I dont go and have "coffees & catch-ups" like alot of them seem to do.  So when I got the opportunity last week to go catch up with a friend who happens to live very far away (in another island) - then it turned out to be a most enjoyable days outing.

A little gift I made for Therle as she has so generously sent me bundles of fabrics over the years

Therle & I met through an online craft swap that we both entered into a couple of christmas's ago.  We were both given swap partners in other countries & both of ours disappeared into cyberspace - never to be heard from again ! !  So the lady organising the swap put us together even tho we were from the same country.  We have kept in touch by email and when her & her husband were coming up to the Waikato for the Field Days, we decided to have a girls day out.
We met up just outside of Hamilton and the 1st place we drove to is Donna Wards Quilt Studio in Frankton - a lovely shop filled to the brim with beautiful fabrics.
We were so busy doing the chatting/ oohing & aahing that I completely forgot to take any photos at this shop :-( typical ! ! 

 We then drove out to Gordonton to the very lovely Grandmothers Garden Store - they even have seats outside for bored husbands to sit in & wait . . . 

 

How inviting does this look ? ? ?

 Now I have to confess that one of the highlights of this store for me most definately was the 2 beautiful dogs wandering around inside the shop - one I think was called Brutus ??  & I am sure the lady called the other one Mac.  Therle asked me if I had found a friend?? as he didnt leave me alone & when I would browse the fabrics I would feel this little warm head gently push itself into my hand . . . 

Brutus (I think??) - my friend :-)

Now who looks like they might be offering free pats ? ? ?

This one was Mac (I think) - the lady had a "treat" in her hands - cant you tell . . .

 I did notice a large beanbag in a sunny spot for them - as you can see, they lead the most stressfull lives.
It was hard to choose fabrics as the choices were so amazing . . 

Yes I'd like one of each please . . .

Therle loved the poppy fabric - bottom right

 From there we travelled across to Cambridge & had lunch in a lovely old converted church with a cafe upstairs.  By this time we were both starving & so once again, I forgot to take any pics of our wonderful lunch.  
Downstairs was a gallery shop & I snapped this lovely pic of a corner with some very gorgeous handmade bags . .

After we had quenched our hunger & thirst I wanted to take Therle to a wonderful shop in Cambridge - Quilters Patch - owned by my friend, Bev Johnson.  Bev has the most amazing array of fabrics to choose from + quilts lining all the walls & it is a lovely open airy shop with something to tempt you at every turn.

 I did love these 2 blocks of the month - Bev has a very good eye for colour combinations.
On her counter I spotted this "interesting"  book . . . 

which Bev pointed out had a very nice write-up in it about my cottage (& so of course a copy had to come home with me . . . )

Hard to read but gives you a general idea . . .

All in all we both had a wonderful days outing - I dropped Therle back at her vehicle to go collect her husband from the Field Days and then came on home on a definate "high" & sat down & looked at all my purchases. 
Now let me share something with you here friends - I need more fabric like I need a hole in the head - & so I had given myself a strict talking to before I ventured out, NOT to buy any more fabric . . .  but as you can see by the photos below . . .   - my willpower needs some serious work done on it  . . . 

the beautiful Singer sewing panel was only $9.00 from Bevs Shop :-)

Gosh what good "soul food" the day was - especially as I dont do it often - it was a real treat & I am still feeling the inspiration I got from looking at all those amazing creations in the shops - plus I am thinking that perhaps Therle needs to accompany her husband to the Field Days next year also  . . .
 (now Therle - if you happen to be reading this - thank you for the wonderful day out & No, I havent gotten to the sewing machine yet! ! !)


Wishing you a creative & inspiring week ahead friends - hope you have enjoyed reading about mine :-)

(a couple of footnotes . . .  my butlers sink has arrived & been installed & so far- okay ! ! - maybe some photos next week,  & also still no sign of missing Willis despite having checked Mr Wolfs kennel & blankies)
Warm wishes, love & friendship,
Julie :-)  X x x x