Kathryn in NZ

Double figures

2012-02-09T22:27:00.002+12:00

My baby is 10! Unbelievable. And this is her last year at primary school.

Where did the years go?

Christmas 2003

Birthday 2005

Teddy Bear's Picnic 2006

Happy Birthday Tinkerbelle!!

Playing in the stash...

2012-02-06T17:02:00.003+12:00

Still sizing up leotards, only this time for Jess and her friend Tracy (who not only does RG, but is a NZ rep ice skater).
Size XS of this pattern was too small for Tracy, and is too long in the body for Jess but the raglan style really suits her wide shoulders. Here it is in size S, in skating format - so to speak. This is a tester waiting for Tracy to be here next to try on for size...

This one I made for one of Tamsin's favourite gym buddies - for her birthday this week. Happy 9th Birthday Elianor!!

We spent time at Mission Bay with Elianor and her mum (one of my favourite gym buddies, lol) yesterday. The leo looked really cute on Elianor, yay!

This one

2012-01-27T21:27:00.000+12:00

Amazing what fabrics can be found at Spotlight...

Tink says this one is really comfortable and fits the way she likes. I think it will do for training leos, so will stick with this pattern.

Sizing it up

2012-01-25T07:15:00.000+12:00

Well, this is a size 8... consensus is that we go with this size but tighten the leg elastic and redraw the neckline and armholes to be higher. Somewhere between the 7-long and 8-narrow, I guess :)
Resizing for Jess' leos will be done with the aid of my fabulous neighbour, Clare - who is a certified expert, as Jess has grown in all directions, not just up!

No surprises here...

2012-01-23T22:24:00.000+12:00

... it's a leotard, lol!
From the lycra stash, checking for size as Tink has grown again - but in the body for a change! This is a size 7. Feedback from gym class today tells me she needs a size 7 long or a size 8 narrow...

Just can't beat the holographic lycra, and lime in particular never fails :)

Gifted

2012-01-18T06:46:00.000+12:00

This is the new addition to the doll cabinet

Isn't she just beautiful? A showcase of a gifted talent for dolly making and dressing.

Gifted to me, very generously, by my dear friend Sarah - who now makes amazing art quilts.

Seasons Greetings

2011-12-26T08:48:00.000+12:00

Hope eveyone had a wonderful Christmas Day with family and friends, and here's to 2012 - may it be happy and healthy :)

teehee

Look! It's not a leotard!

2011-12-23T16:02:00.000+12:00

13 - yes thirteen - months since I last had a cross stitch finish (it pays to actually DO some stitching of course) here's the one and only for this year:

It also helps that it was a little one :)

M Designs "Love Tree", over one on 22ct hardanger using Chameleon threads "olive"; for a friend's annual Christmas gift.

Here's to 2012 Rachel!

From the archives...

2011-12-08T21:03:00.000+12:00

Well, from the depths of the drawer in my doll cabinet actually, where she had been hiding for over 10 years.
A visit to the dolls hospital, a new knitted vest (thank you Grandma!) and a new outfit later (slightly modified vintage Simplicity doll pattern), she has a new lease on life.

She's a UK made Pedigree hard plastic doll circa early 1950s. She was given to my sister when Liz was very little (Grandma can't remember who by) and travelled out when my family emigrated here in the mid 1960s. Unlike all the other similar vintage Pedigree dolls I found on the internet, this one isn't a "walker" and doesn't have a voice mechanism. Those are sleep eyes though, as they should be.
My girls are quite taken with her. I wonder if Liz will want her back?

Daisy Chain

2011-12-08T20:51:00.000+12:00

Found these photos while uploading others...

One of our neighbours had a wonderful crop of daisies, and Tink spent a lovely afternoon in the sun about two months ago making this very long daisy chain.

It was for Jess, she said.

So it stayed in the lounge until Jess got home to admire it.

Brag Time part 2

2011-09-15T21:26:00.000+12:00

Since Tink got her dance exam results at her class this week, we knew that Jess would get her results tonight.
Jess had been a bit concerned about her jazz exam: it's her first year doing jazz and I put her into the Grade 5 class because the timetable suited us (and I thought she'd be ok going in cold at that level with 6 years of ballet and 2 years of rhythmic gymnastics behind her). Contemporary she was comfortable with: Miss Emma at SABA had laid a solid foundation in last year's Level 1 class and, mother's rose tinted glasses or not, I felt Jess was one of, if not the, best dancer in the class because of it.
I wasn't wrong. Jess came beaming out of her class tonight with, for both Contemporary Level 2 and Jazz Grade 5, the result of:

High Honours!!

Way to go Jellybean, Evil Gym Mom knew you could do it.

Brag Time - part one

2011-09-14T08:01:00.000+12:00

A month ago, on the weekend after the Shore Junior competition, the girls had their dance exams.
NZAMD Jazz, much like BAL ballet and RAD Ballet, have two parts to the results: what the child did in each section and an overall "mark" categorised in words such as "pass", "merit" "honours" etc.
RAD issues a beautiful A4 certificate with the pass level in a big font and another A4 sheet listing the ten sections that made up the exam, with the marks the child got in each section, adding up to the overall number that then became the pass level. For example, a mark in the 75-100 range meant one got Distinction.
NZMAD and BAL also issue beautiful A4 certificate with the pass level on it. Their "score" sheet however is a bit different - and way better in terms of feedback, I think. Instead of only four awards (not achieved, pass, merit and distinction) there are nine levels starting from 55%, going up in 4% increments, giving a much finer grading. I always wished RAD did it too.
The NZMAD and BAL score sheets are the actual notes from the examiner as written during the exam. The big bonus here is that there is always a comment about what the child did well, and something about what the child needed to work on. Fabulous feedback! Very encouraging for the dancer.
Finally, at last night's jazz class, Tink got her score card. She had been hoping to do at least as well as last year (honours - meaning 85-89%) and really wanted to do better. Her teacher had said to me that this year's examiner, while very lovely to the girls during the exam, was known for being a tough marker. Uh oh, I thought - there goes Tamsin's hopes of a better mark than last year....
Well, Tink and I were tickled to find this in the result box of the score card:

Honours

Along with some lovely, encouraging comments from the examiner telling her to work to maintain and improve the lovely style Tink is developing.
How cool is that?

Way to go Tinkerbelle!!!

Just when you think it's over

2011-08-07T20:03:00.000+12:00

Tink had her last 2011 competition today - the Shore Junior competition. While Tink competed at the annual Shore competition earlier this year, the Level 1s and 2s were taken off the schedule at the last minute due to scheduling/ space difficulties. As a result, Shore promised them a junior competition after Nationals to make up for it.
It was a very pleasant, small competition held at a very nice venue - the North Shore Table Tennis Stadium. Tink went out and did a nice freehand, all smiles and a held cossack balance; and two cautious apparatus routines. Her scores were mid 7s for rope and ball, and a very nice season high score of 9.5 for free.
While she didn't come anywhere overall, we got the lovely surprise of "...and we have an apparatus placing: 3rd in freehand, Tamsin from Xtreme."

Go Tinkerbelle!!

All done for another year

2011-08-01T09:45:00.000+12:00

2011 Gymsport Nationals is all done.
Tink and I did lots of volunteering and happily spent the day yesterday doing nothing (well, I got lots of washing done!) and Jess did 3 days of competing and also spent yesterday chilling out.
So how did it go?
Like last year, Jess was tracking 13th going into Nationals.
Day 1 was hoop and clubs which didn't go as well as she wanted: she dropped her hoop for the first time all season and got hammered by the judges in clubs (no drops, but no flair or height in her throws etc - it wasn't her best clubs routine) so one very unhappy gymnast.
Day 2 was freehand, where she was tidy and pulled herself up the rankings a little and ended up 10th overall. Go Jess! Top 10 two years in a row!!
Day 3 was Grade IV Group, which had been giving the coach nightmares all season. Groups do two showings, and swap gymnasts in/ out for each showing (Jess is in the first showing for her group). So Jess and co go out and do a really nice, tidy 1st showing with no drops to the joy and relief of all concerned. Then the 2nd showing was also tidy with only one small drop, again to their joy and relief. I was working in the competition office all day so only got to watch the AKL showings, but I got told that all the other groups were chasing their apparatus all over the floor and appeared quite nervous. So Jess came home with a gold medal for Grade IV Group, as AKL won both showings and got the gold by at least 2 marks overall. Go Xtreme!

It's almost time

2011-07-20T22:10:00.001+12:00

NZ Gymsports Nationals 2011 is almost here - next week in fact.

Well, for trampoline, aerobics and rhythmic anyway. Artistic didn't want to play with us this year, so they're having theirs in November in Timaru.

Jess made the Auckland team, for RG Level 5 and Grade IV Group. Most of the holidays are being taken up with training.

So, if you've nothing to do on July 28-30 and you're in Auckland, come join us at the North Shore Events Centre.

Details are available at NZGymsports.

Just one more

2011-07-10T22:24:00.000+12:00

Tink goes to a small Montessori primary school of about 40 kids. This year they decided to test the schools gymsports waters and attend TriStar's gymsports festival - which is designed to encourage schools to participate in gymsports. It was a fun event, well run by TriStar.
The school arranged for 6 kids, including Tink, to do some training at the local YMCA to participate. It was all done in rush in the three weeks prior to the event. Due to some confusion, Tink ended up being entered in Artistic as well as the Rhythmic sections.
She had plenty of RG leos to choose from for the day, but no artistic ones. Since I have the lycra stash, the sewing machines were still set up and I am mad, I made her a new leo the night before:

It really popped out there on the gym floor. Helena, Tink's teacher for the day, reported with much amusement that when Tink took off her school jacket, the other girls all said admiringly "cool leotard!" Tink responded with a nonchalant "thanks, mum made it last night" which garnered a drawn out "wow" from the girls and a "clever mum" from their teacher!
She may have been out of her depth in comparison to the other girls gymnastics wise, but she definitely had the brightest, coolest leotard on the floor.
Even if I do say so myself!

Highs and lows

2011-07-10T22:08:00.001+12:00

Two highs to report...
Firstly, Jess has finally made it to 5 feet tall!! She was getting a little desperate there for awhile, LOL.
Secondly, it was Xtreme Rhythmix's AKL Champs this weekend at ASB Stadium. Groups went ok for both girls - big relief since several gymnasts were away requiring swaps and newbies.
Jess went out for Level 5, steady as usual freehand and hoop routines scoring mid 16s, incrementally better clubs and increased her score for the 5th time in a row to 15.3 - yay! And best of all was prizegiving:

4th clubs, 2nd hoop, 1st freehand, 1st overall!

Go Jess, woohoo.

Now the low: Tink went out for Level 3, did three ok routines (all remembered, no big booboos, only the one drop) but came last. She's a bit upset cos she was trying hard to improve her skills. I saw improvements: her stag leap was better, her cossack balances were held longer, her rope was caught better (except for the last big throw) and her ball generally was better. But I guess the skills weren't better enough. I vidoe'd her this time and she wants to look at them to see what she needs to fix - she really does try hard. It really breaks your heart when it doesn't always pay off.

Nevermind, she has Midlands next weekend, then Shore Junior comp first weekend in August. Jess has Midlands and then Nationals last weekend of July. And THEN we'll be done for 2011 - gymastically that is. Still the fun that is jazz exams (3rd week of term 3) and jazz recital to go...

I am definitely, certifiably, nuts!

Brag Warning!!

2011-06-26T20:27:00.002+12:00

It was the Gymsports NZ National Secondary Schools Championships this weekend, when school teams from around New Zealand converge on TriStar to contest hip hop, artistic gymnastics, aerobics, rhythmic gymnastics and cheerleading. It's noisy and busy and lots of fun.
Jess goes for the social event that it is (she and I get to catch up with lots of old friends as she used to train artistic at TriStar) and it's the only time she can represent her school (Marist College).
Last year she was frustrated and upset as she came 2nd to last in her division - Club B, which encompasses Levels 4, 5 and 6. However, she still improved her scores and as we know, went on to do well at Nth Is Champs and Nationals.
This year, she improved her club score, did a steady hoop and had lots of fun catching up with everyone. And then at prizegiving to her delighted astonishment she got 3rd!!

Go Jess!

oh look - another one!

2011-06-22T22:40:00.003+12:00

Jess didn't get any new leotards this season made by me, even though I had bought some lovely fabrics to make a clubs leo. Instead, the 2nd hand leo we picked up in February became the clubs leo and her clubs were decorated in blue and lime accordingly. For freehand and hoop she has insisted on wearing the leos I made last year, saying that she "loves them" and that they're "good luck leos" (as she wore them with success at Nationals among other comps).

So the fabric bought specially for this season stays in the stash cupboard for next year.

I, on the other hand, now dislike them intensely and wanted to make new ones.

Jess has grudgingly agreed to wear a new one at this weekend's National Secondary Schools comp as it isn't part of the qualifying comps for Nationals, meaning good luck leos are not so crucial.

So I rummaged in the lycra and bling stash, and this is what resulted:

Jess has admitted that she likes this one now, and will happily wear it on Sunday.

We're wondering if it needs some crystals on the purple... what do you think?

Golden

2011-06-11T08:44:00.001+12:00

This is my mum's best friend, Barbara - with her husband David.

Mum and Barbara have known each other forever. Seriously - since they were born, even. Barbara is my godmother.

It's Barbara and David's 50th wedding anniversary (June 10). Way to go!

Posted with much love from the Antipodes.

Outside Winchester Cathedral, Sep 2009

Caught on camera

2011-05-24T11:57:00.000+12:00

Shore Champs is held at the North Shore Events Centre, home of the champion Breakers basketball team and is a good venue for video.
So for you loyal followers, here's footage of the girls from the weekend:

Shore Champs 2011

No individual routines of Tink sorry - the L3s competed in the small gym next door and the audience area there is not conducive to filming, a bit like Counties. I'll rectify that at her next comp in early July - Auckland Champs held at ASB Stadium Kohimarama which is a similar venue to the Events Centre.

My kind of rapture

2011-05-23T11:15:00.000+12:00

Us gym moms, after spending what felt like the whole weekend incarcerated in the windowless building that is the North Shore Events Centre, decided that we wouldn't have noticed if the world had ended anyhoo. Far too much bling and bright lycra where we were, teehee.
This weekend just gone was the largest gym comp this side of Nationals - the annual Shore Rhythmic Champs. Margaret Woolfe manages to get, every year, gymnasts to turn up not just from around NZ but from Australia and the likes of Malaysia and Cyprus. The Cypriot girl who came 2 years ago was just amazing. The Malaysian girls who came this year were delightful - their Grade IV group in particular were very "squee" (and very good). The Australians were nice, very tidy with clean routines. The god of dropped apparatus was very even handed in his attentions - no cultural barriers for him!

As for the rapture:
Groups - this hasn't been a good season so far for the Xtreme groups. Tink's Grade II group hadn't even competed as the routine wasn't finished til last week, and having all 4 of them at the class at one time was not a regular occurrence. Jess' Grade IV group kept having drops of apparatus and hadn't managed to make the qualifying mark for Nationals; with the same for the two Grade V groups. Needless to say, it was very tense in the warm up area at the comp - as this was the last chance to get them all to qualify (not Grade II, they don't go to Nationals). Anyhoo, Tink's group went out, remembered the routine, didn't have the splat fest that over anxious Evil Gym Mom thought they would (the potential is there, no matter what the level of the gymnasts - that's the joy of rhythmic gymnastics!) and got two ok scores, for the silver medal. OK, there was only two Grade II groups competing, but they earned that medal rather than getting it for simply showing up.
Grade IV went out, did two much cleaner routines and got just over 30, well over the qualifying mark of 24. The Grade Vs did much the same. Much relief all round amongst the evil gym moms, I can tell you!
Now for the individual competition:
Tink went out and did her perky freehand, a fully remembered rope, and a fumble ball (3 drops) - but that was ok because up til now, she's been sooo cautious with ball that her routines look cramped and awkward. This time she "opened up" and actually had the ball away from her body like you're supposed to! As Marnie, the head coach, says "I don't mind you dropping your apparatus if you actually throw it in the first place."
Net result? A very happy Tink and Evil Gym Mom because she was 15th overall, with a 10th for free and a 10th for rope. Yeehaa.

Jess went out, did her usual clean routines (no dropped clubs still! yay!), ok scores - nothing startling and a bit down on previous comps. So prizegiving was a lovely surprise with 6th overall and 1st hoop! She was over the moon with that (especially as she still has a couple of difficulties that aren't getting counted).

Prizegiving at Shore is always held right at the end with all the gymnasts in attendance (if they haven't left to catch planes!) and while it's a pain to have to go back to the venue, it's rather cool to see that many gymnasts all lined up and have them all cheer the place getters. Very encouraging for the little girls to have the big girls clap for them, I think.

Time to breathe again, as the next comp for us isn't till the end of June. Might actually get some housework done...

On the road again

2011-05-10T08:05:00.000+12:00

It was the lovely Spiralz competition this weekend just gone - held at the fine ASB Stadium in Te Awamutu. Once again, it was a well run, friendly and happy event.
Check out this photo of the L5 prizegiving - I think the girls look very friendly and happy to be there (and it had been a looooong day: 7am warm up for Group, then wait till 3pm to warm up for L5)

Yes, that's Jess - 5th overall and 3rd in hoop. She was happy as she increased her scores.
It's a bit fuzzy - make that very fuzzy- but here's Tink about to go on for L3 ball (1pm of the next day - I did a lot of driving!)

The lovely leo is one we picked up at the 2nd hand sale - it was one of Clemmie's from her first year of Stage 3. Her grandma made it; she makes the most AWESOME leos for Daisy & Clemmie, absolutely stunning.
I wish I'd video'd Tink's freehand cos she rocked it for a 9.12 - very cool score for a routine she only got a week ago!

Yes, that last post

2011-04-26T17:07:00.000+12:00

did feature another new leotard:

Just experimenting.... seeing what happens when I try ideas.

Can't resist that neon peach lycra either! It's one of my faves, teehee.

Look what I can do!

2011-04-26T17:03:00.000+12:00

After much angst (she's been able to limber for well over a year, but the kick over just wouldn't happen), Tink now has the technique and confidence to do "proper" back walkovers. She got a "rhythmic" version last week of term - limber then kick over - which has its uses, but the proper way (i.e. artistic) uses better technique meaning no sore back and a faster, better connected move (long term) so that was the one she really needed to master. This one isn't one of her best, but practice will tidy them up :)
Forward walkovers are still someway away....

Here we go again

2011-04-18T08:18:00.000+12:00

The 2011 competition season has started. It was the Counties Manukau Rhythmic Champs on the weekend.
Tamsin competed L3, and had a disaster. Only two routines ready, memory issues, me getting her there late for warm up and she freaked out - running off the floor barely into her rope routine for an automatic score of zero. Ball, while no drops, was full of small fumbles and shuffles so got the blah score of 6.65.
Discussion with her coach needed. What to do?

Jess, on the other hand, went out and did clean, solid routines and came away with scores that she's really happy with. Result: 3rd free, 2nd clubs, 2nd hoop and 2nd overall with a 44.65. This is up on this time last year - GO JESS

Holiday training this fortnight, then back to school for term 2.

Do you know your ABCs?

2011-04-04T23:01:00.000+12:00

Spotted this on From Fat to Marathon Runner's blog (was StitchieKiwi) and thought, why not? looks fun!

Age: 43
Bed size: Queen (need room for up to five cats you see, never mind DH!)
Chore you hate: dusting
Dogs: fine mostly - better if I know them (e.g. brother's lovely chocolate labrador Bella)
Essential start of your day: shower
Fav colour: yellow
Gold or silver: either
Height: 5'4"

Instruments I play: I learnt the piano when I was 10, tried oboe in Year9
Job title: HR Admin
Kids: Jess (nearly 14) Tamsin (9)
Live: near Auckland Airport, NZ
Mom’s name: Betty
Nicknames: Evil Gym Mom
Overnight hospital stays: 2 for childbirth, once in the run up to childbirth, once for eye op age 3
Pet peeve: bad formatting of MSWord and Excel docs - setting tabs is soooo easy people!
Quote from a movie: One ping only, Vassily - Hunt for Red October; You are soo blonde, Chelsea - St Trinians
Right or left handed: left mainly

Siblings: elder sister and brother
Time you wake up: 5.30amish
Underwear: Got to have it.

Veg you dislike: where do I start?! And I work in horticulture, lol. Beans definitely
What makes you run late: reading
X-rays you have had done: Teeth, foot
Yummy food you make: choc fudge
Zoo, favorite animal: tiger
Give it a go, I dare ya!

El Matador

2011-04-04T21:33:00.000+12:00

Tink wanted a red, black and gold leotard, her rope is red, and her music is called "the bullfighter" - so this is what emerged:

Like the previous leo, it is too large... sleeves too floppy and the butt very baggy. She has rope next year (Level 4) but I suspect she'll be taller, but no wider/ rounder so it still won't fit. Oh well - it was worth giving matching the music a go! But it definitely means she's a size 7 with extra long arms.
Anyone need a size 8 leo? or two?

Where there's lycra, there'll be leotards...

2011-03-27T20:56:00.000+12:00

Still stitchin' and blingin'
This one was done for StitchItAndie's 8yro DD who has just started gym:

It arrived safely at its new home; most importantly it fits!
This one I made from the lycra stash cos I love the colours - both separately and in combination:

It's a size 8 and too big. I'll keep it to hand in case Elianor has grown out of her birthday leo by the 9th (mock comp, with first real comp the following weekend). Else it will be up for grabs - need $$$ for more lycra doncha know!

To the people of Japan

2011-03-12T08:30:00.000+12:00

oh. my. god.
Huge thoughts and sympathies to you all re this awful awful earthquake with its resulting tsunamis and fires.
And,
THANK YOU so much for your brave, professional and extremely hard working rescue teams that were here in NZ in Christchurch. They are on a plane right now, heading back to you.

love
the people of New Zealand

Another weekend, another leotard

2011-02-06T10:22:00.000+12:00

I bought the black fabric last year cos I just couldn't resist it for Tink, even though she had plenty of leos at that point. Picked up the contrast colour a couple of weeks ago from Angel Fabrics when shopping for this year's leo fabrics. Then had to let the ideas and construction method simmer for awhile... the success of the daisy leo for Elianor gave me the confidence to just get on with it. So here it is, the first of Tink's three comp leotards for the 2011 season:

She and Jess think this one is cool - yay!

While the cat's away...

2011-02-01T19:25:00.002+12:00

..or in this case, DH was off fishing with his brother, Jess was staying over at Nana's and Tink was happily entertaining herself, and so look what I managed to make during one day of peace and quiet:

I really like this one. Love the base colour, love how it all came together in one day from cutting out through to the last crystal going on.
It's a birthday gift for one of Tamsin's team mates, a sweet kid who is turning 8 three days before Tink's 9th birthday (next week, yikes). Cross your fingers that I haven't made it too small...
Either way, one done in a day and 3 leos in one month - gotta be a record, no?

UPDATE: Elianor loves her birthday present, and the fit issue? Her mum, Elianor and I are all glad the season is early and short this year and are hoping she doesn't grow too much over the next 4 months as it fits very very well....

stitch'n'bling

2011-01-25T19:41:00.000+12:00

Yet another leotard!

Next on the experimental list was to see what size Jess is this season, so I made up something in a size 12, as she's having trouble getting last season's ones on.
It was easier to get into, but too long in the body - making it wrinkled above the skirt and have a baggy butt. Jess has my sister's build: very broad across the back. I think I'm going to have to expand my skills to include using invisible zips in leotards...

One good thing about these photos: I can see where more flowers and leaves are needed for aesthetics and "coverage"!

Rene la Frog

2011-01-19T18:42:00.001+12:00

Another statistic to cancer...
A fabulous fellow stitcher, whom I met on the Yahoo group 2muchXS and whose blog is in my sidebar, lost her battle with cancer last week. I had been worried about Rene's failing health for some time now (meaning she wasn't posting), but managed to find via the stitcher blogs a post with the news - thanks for the update Floss Junkie.
May you be stitching in your heavenly armchair Rene, safe from that which makes reverse stitching necessary.
Miss you, and my thoughts are with your husband and family who you loved so much.

playing in the lycra stash again

2011-01-09T10:28:00.000+12:00

Experimenting with sizing as the girls have actually grown - and not just in limb length for a change! Going sleeveless is both quick and avoids the obvious "my arms have outgrown the leo before my body has" look, teehee.

Conclusion drawn from the experiment: Tink will now be in size 6 leos for the 2011 season.

It needs more bling... currently there are crystals on the points of the stars. I think I'll outline the stars in crystals, but that's all. That'll take long enough!

do not adjust your sets

2011-01-08T14:21:00.001+12:00

I made this leo for Jess, as an experiment in construction and applique skills. I thought it was fab (it's still my favourite of the 7 I made in 2010), but Jess was very reluctant to wear it, although she came to like it and it was worn for freehand at the last few comps of the year, including Nationals.

She thought it was too loud.

It's known as "the frangipani leo" and it is eye popping on the comp floor - which is the point of RG leos, no?

A life lived to the full

2010-12-25T18:50:00.000+12:00

That was my friend Bethli. And today she is another statistic, another life lost to cancer.

Photo from quite awhile ago - as that's Tamsin that Bethli is holding. Doesn't matter, as Bethli hadn't really changed any - not the whole time I knew her. We met, first year university students, back in 1985. Such an indomitable spirit, our Bethli.
She will be remembered.

now for one I prepared earlier

2010-12-18T14:37:00.001+12:00

The very attentive among you will have seen listed in my finishes box "RG comp leos - 7", but will have noticed that only 6 leos have actually been pictured.
So, here's RG comp leo number 7, finished in late August 2010 for one of the L3s whose own leotards were driving her nuts as they were too tight in the neck and too, too small in the butt. As they were hand-me-ons, she didn't like to complain too much, but it's no fun competing with a wedgie. So I took the opportunity to practise my leo skills and play with the crystals:

Olivia happily wore it at AKL Champs at the end of August. I didn't get any photos of her on the comp floor as I was manning the door that day (Xtreme host that comp), but my spies said it looked great on her and really stood out on the floor. I managed to get Jess to squeeze into it today so that I could have a record of it. Hopefully, it will appeal to someone else and will sell at Xtreme's 2nd hand sale in early Feb. All the leos I've made will be up for sale, with any $$ going towards buying more lycra stash for 2011.

yet another leotard...

2010-12-18T14:25:00.001+12:00

While it's being modelled by Jess, it's actually a training leo for a gym buddy - Maxine, whom Jess used to train WAG with back at TriStar. Jess had a group of her old artistic buddies over for what is becoming the annual sleepover: movies, junk food, play in the sprinkler and catch up.
I wanted to make another leotard to extend my skills ready for the upcoming 2011 comp season leotards, and Maxine chose this colour from the stash.

It was remarkably easy to put together - yay!

Tis the season

2010-12-15T21:35:00.000+12:00

For Christmas crafts!
The lovely ladies at Quench (Hillsborough Baptist Church) put a notice up at Tamsin's school regarding a "Gingerbread House Workshop" they were running. Joy of joys, it was for a week night that the girls had nothing happening - more rare than a blue moon, that.
So I signed up.
It was such fun. Really well organised, well run - can recommend it. Using a supplied kit, icing and lots of lollies I managed to construct...

I kept it minimalist as I have been known to not know when to stop!

All the houses at the worshop looked amazing, and such an incredible range of concepts and approaches to decoration were employed.

The evening was such a success the Quench crew are thinking of making it an annual event. I know I'll look out for the notice again.

Please welcome....

2010-12-15T18:00:00.001+12:00

Tinsel!

Jessica's long awaited "do well at Nationals" kitten. 12 weeks old, courtesy of the SPCA.

Cute, huh?

One from the stash

2010-11-09T21:20:00.000+12:00

Way back when Jess was in her first year of gymnastics, she was training in Pakuranga, which happens to be next to Howick, where there used to be a hobby shop with cross stitch supplies. Needless to say, Tamsin and I found our way over there reasonably often since Jess' class was on a Saturday and went for 3 hours.
Tamsin, bless her cotton socks, never minded being there. She used to love pottering around showing me things she thought I needed to see (she turned 1 in the Feb of that year) and one of the kits she really liked was only $10, and cute, so I bought it.
When I opened it, I found it to be number 4 in a set of 6, and when laid out in a 2 x 3 grid made a bigger picture. Good stash hoarder that I am, the next time we were in the shop I ordered the other five kits.
I decided I would stitch them in order, from "A" to"F". "A" was done several years ago, but then the rest of the kits got left in the stash as other designs took my fancy and got stitched.
With all the "waiting at gym class" I do, I always have a travelling stitch bag in the car - and that's how the Christmas finish of the previous post got done. So when rummaging in the stash for a smallish kit to go in the car, I decided it was time to haul Tamsin's choice of kit from 7 years ago out and get them done.
So here's design 35B from Pinn:

And here's the one done previously, 35A:

I guess you'd call them "fairybugs"...

Annual Christmas finish

2010-10-24T16:16:00.001+12:00

And I can say annual now - this is the third year in a row I've managed to stitch a Christmas piece as a gift for my fellow ballet mom friend, Rachel. She loves all things Christmas.
None of her kids do ballet anymore, since Paige stopped early last term, so I don't see her hardly at all anymore and it's a shame. At least this gives me an excuse to drop by, don't you think? And in plenty of time for Advent too - go me!

Nationals Photos

2010-10-18T22:07:00.000+12:00

Champion Photos were at Nationals in force, taking shots of all the action (it was a 5 ring circus there for 5 full days so there was lots to cover) and I've been haunting their web and face book pages in the hope that they got some of Jess.
And they did! I really thought she'd been missed again - there are none of her from National Secondary Schools, and they've yet to put up anything from North Is Champs.

Here she is, doing hoop - her silver medal routine:

Jess at Nationals courtesy of Champion Photos

If Tinkerbelle had curls...

2010-10-10T19:17:00.001+12:00

Tink's school chose to hold a mufti + crazy hair do day on the last day of term. I didn't get any shots of the actual hair do, but I did get some of Jess and Victoria taking the pins and hair ties out, and the resulting curls...

Very 1940's, don't you think?

October finish

2010-10-10T16:21:00.000+12:00

and of course, when one has a gazillion crystals on hand, one has to bling

These word trees from M Designs are such fun to stitch. This one is on 22ct hardarnger, one over one with WDW Mermaid. Hope you have some ideas how you want to finish and display it Sarah!

There will be kittens

2010-09-28T05:45:00.001+12:00

Last year, in an effort to keep Jess in WAG L5, mainly to get her to Nationals and keep her fit, strong and flexible to cope with Intermediate Foundation ballet (going en pointe), we said if she got on the Nationals team for Auckland she could have a kitten at Christmas.
Well, as those who follow this blog know, Jess did one WAG L5 comp, quit and transferred to RG 5-6 weeks later.
Jess asked this year if the kitten offer still stood. At that stage, she was sitting around 12th out of the 37 girls competing RG L4 in the country and top 28 go, so we said "yes, but as RG selection is easier you'll need to get in the top 10 overall at Nationals".
There's also a thing called a Proficiency Pin - awarded only at Nationals for scoring a certain mark and above overall, and for RG L4, it's 46.000 (over 3 routines). Up until Nth Is Champs, Jess' highest score was mid 45 so it was going to be a big thing for her to achieve.
We also knew the Canterbury girls were good and that of the 4 Auckland girls, Georgia was the only one really likely to threaten their hold on the top 5 spots.
SO
We went to Mystery Creek, had a full on three days of competing and volunteering and cheering hard for the other Auckland girls competing, and came home with one very happy gymnast and an extremely proud Evil Gym Mom:

3 personal best scores (hoop, free, overall)

Proficiency Pin awarded

4th in free

silver for hoop (!!!!)

5th overall

Jess is now gleefully planning for HER kitten.
Auckland's RG L4s also came home with 1st free for Frances, 2nd free/ 1st ribbon/ 2nd overall for Georgia (I knew she could do it - woohoo Georgia). Canterbury took 1st, 3rd & 4th.

As I was volunteering at the other end of the stadium I only just made it back for Jess' medal ceremony so no photo (sorry! there might be an update if one of the other moms got one), but there is video:

Jess at Nationals 2010

GO JESSICA!!!!!!!

Tis the season to brag it seems

2010-09-24T06:44:00.000+12:00

I arrived to pick Jess up from ballet last night to be greeted by a very excited Jess - they'd had their level 1 contempory ballet exam results back...

High Honours

(90-94%)

She's thrilled to bits as this was the first year of doing contemporary and she missed most of the extra exam classes due to gym comps, plus Miss Emma didn't decide to put them in for the exam til late so preparation was a bit rushed.
Now it's Recital time, and the girls are having A LOT of fun learning their dance - it's to the Crazy Frog's rendition of Popcorn - big grins throughout every class!

Yet another brag session

2010-09-19T22:34:00.000+12:00

The NZ gymsports season ends with Nationals, held every year over five days starting the last day of term 3.
Every competitive gymnast (Artistic, Rhythmic, Trampoline & Aerobic) who is 9+ and Level 4+ aims to qualify and be selected to represent their region at Nationals.
Jess made reserve in 2008 for WAG L4.
2009 was a washout as she changed codes mid year so wasn't able to qualify.
But this year, this year, we knew she had a really good chance of making the Auckland team for Rhythmic L4.

And she has.

Today was pick up the tracksuit, be in the team photo, and start to get really excited day.

So on Friday we hit the road and head for Mystery Creek Events Centre to be part of Nationals - Jess to compete and me as a volunteer.

May this be the first of many.

Stitching AND Blinging!

2010-09-18T18:30:00.000+12:00

Yup, I can stitch and bling - woohoo

Stitcher Tree by M Designs, WDW caribbean on 22ct hardanger, with crystals of various colours instead of beads

Because I scanned it, the different colours of the crystals don't show, but there's topaz, green, light sapphire, volcano and clearAB on there.
It was given to a dear friend, Cherry (who has known me since I was in nappies!!), today at Crafternoon.

Brag Alert!!!!

2010-09-11T16:10:00.001+12:00

Evil Gym Mom has LOTS to smile about today.....
After a good start to the season with a couple of podium finishes, Jess lost her mojo a little at the last 3 comps much to her distress and frustration.
So last week she tried praticising a little differently, a bit more at home and it seemed to work as she came home from Wednesday's training much happier with her work, plus her coach tweaked her routines a little.
Net result, from today's inaugural North Island Championships held at Counties Manukau:

3rd in Freehand

2nd in Ribbon

1st in Hoop

1st Overall!

Jess was absolutely thrilled - as you can see by the biggest grin I've seen from her on a podium ever.

Way to go Jellybean!!

Another chance to brag

2010-09-02T22:23:00.000+12:00

The same week that Tamsin did her Grade 1 jazz exam, she also did her RAD Grade 2 ballet exam. Due to the way RAD process exam marks, the results aren't available the following week as they were with jazz, but come back up to 6 weeks later. So, here we are, roughly six weeks later and Miss Emma handed out the marks and certificates at the end of class today.

Merit,

with 71 out of 100,

and nothing below a 7 (there are 10 sections each worth 10 marks)

Tamsin was a bit peeved as she was hoping for Distinction (75+), but Miss Emma said they weren't handing many of those out this year and I told her that this year's mark was better than last year's mark (68) and way better than the year prior to that - so she's all cheerful again.

Go Tinkerbelle!

Evil Gym Mom forgot to brag

2010-08-19T21:30:00.000+12:00

This happened last week, and I'm only just now posting it! Bad momma.

Anyhoo, this is a YAY TAMSIN post cos last Wednesday she got her jazz grade 1 exam result:

Honours

That means 85-89% score, and there's only two levels above - High Honours and Distinction.

Woohoo!

Now we wait for the RAD ballet grade 2 result (she had that exam the same week as her jazz exam), which won't be for weeks yet. Patience is not my strong suit. Tink couldn't care less - she's busy learning the dances for the two recitals she'll be in later in Term 4.

Things you do...

2010-08-12T22:45:00.001+12:00

...while waiting for the girls at various ballet/gym classes

Dimensions kit (14ct aida, 5x7)

I love his eyes!

in case you thought I'd gone crystal mad

2010-08-04T22:59:00.000+12:00

Here's a cross stitch finish - finally!

Gold Collection Petites, by Dimensions.

From the stash, bought ages ago.

In a [hot] fix - part two

2010-08-04T22:24:00.000+12:00

Blinging just a few hot fix crystals on the front of a practice leotard wasn't enough.
So I spent the last four days - yes, four - blinging a new comp leo for Jess. The photos don't really show them very well, but I assure you that there are hundreds of the little sparkly things on there!

orange on the red, and volcano on the white

I get to find out this weekend at the Shore RG Champs how well those crystals show up on the comp floor.

Jess doesn't care, she loves this leo!

In a [hot] fix - part one

2010-08-04T22:02:00.000+12:00

I bling leotards.
I bling them here,
I bling them there,
I bling leotards everywhere.

It's true, I do bling them everywhere. I have appliqued and sequinned at home, at ballet and at gym. I also use fabic paint and crystals.
Ahhh, crystals. I love me some hot fix crystals - no mucking about with glue on stones for me! And believe me with this one, gluing on crystals is mucky yucky blech. Whereas applying them with the Bedazzler is soooo much easier. So easy that a certain blog friend's hubby, while staying with us recently, was so taken with hot fix crystals that he insisted on being taken to Spotlight on the way home from the airport to buy a Bedazzler for their use.
Do I get enabling points for that?
Thing is, Swarovski crystals are expensive - Spotlight has them in little packets of 24 for $8. So to get decent coverage on a comp leo, you have buy at least 8 - 10 packets.
Ebay, on the other hand (if one doesn't mind them being Korean via Hong Kong), has a very good store where I was able to get lots - and I mean LOTS - of very pretty crystals for not very much. How does $60 for 17,300 in various colours sound? I know I liked it. The gym coaches did too, although they did look at me worriedly and said "not all on one leotard, right?"
So, of course, I had to do some blinging when the exciting packets arrived in the mail:

Black diamond and orange crystals, on black cotton lycra.

Walking the bridge

2010-07-27T07:50:00.000+12:00

Auckland is an isthmus, and requires many bridges to complete its roading network. Most of the main ones are bottlenecks for traffic. Whenever you mention "the bridge" in Auckland, everyone assumes you mean the iconic one - the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
We live by the other harbour and its bridge. It's quite crucial actually, as it is the main route to the airport from the CBD. And the traffic issues were getting ridiculous - even government ministers were missing their flights due to it.
Sunday just gone, on a beautiful blue winter day, we got to walk over the latest solution to the traffic woes: a brand new bridge, just like the one already in use. So now we have one bridge for going north, and one bridge for going south.

It opened to traffic this morning - nearly 6 months ahead of schedule.

Rainbows

2010-07-27T07:36:00.000+12:00

I like rainbows, and my girls do too. Lucky we live in Auckland, then, cos the weather conditions here are perfect for seeing lots of them! Rain on a sunshiny day is sooooo not usual here. In fact, whenever that song comes on the radio with the chorus "have you ever seen rain coming down on a sunny day?" we yell at the radio "often!!!" We get double rainbows too.
Here's a single one I snapped about a month ago as I was leaving work:

How can you not love that?

I lied...

2010-07-14T11:15:00.000+12:00

when I said "last leotard for the year" some posts back, cos here's one more:

Having such fun making these!

Think there might be one or two more before the season ends...

...while the cross stitch lies neglected, oh well.

Views from the fog

2010-07-14T10:49:00.000+12:00

Jess allowed me to video her routines at the recent Spiralz comp, so for you diehards out there, here's the link:
Jess at Spiralz 3jul10

Evil Gym Mom thinks her eldest baby is gorgeous (while eldest baby does eyeroll behind my back)

Fog update

2010-07-09T14:08:00.000+12:00

The full results from the Spiralz comp have been posted on the NZ Gymsports site, and Evil Gym Mom had to brag...
...cos Tamsin did better than we thought!

4th in Ball, and 10th overall

Go Tinkerbelle!!!

Look who's come to stay!

2010-07-08T20:14:00.000+12:00

It's Henry!

On loan to us from Floss

Another foggy day in Te Awamutu

2010-07-05T17:21:00.000+12:00

And Tink's competition went much like it did at Counties - ok free, ok ball, shocker hoop. She wasn't last though, due to the unfortunate habit of the Spirals gymnasts to forget their routines half way through and run off crying.
But - she smiled at the judges during the routines, looked gorgeous and had fun. Whereas some of the girls, including the really talented ones who have skills to smile about, don't and look like little automatons.

And, when we got home, we got a txt from the Fabulous Floss to ask if we might have room for Tim and one of the Blondinis to stay. Do we have room?! For our fave Sth Is friends??? Too right we do, and Tink gets to be with her missing twin (hello Henry!!)
Yippee
Can't wait till Jess and I go down for Southland Champs in mid August to stay with them. Happy days.

One foggy day in Te Awamutu...

2010-07-03T18:41:00.000+12:00

It's the Spirals Competition this weekend, held at the very pleasant ASB Stadium Te Awamutu. This is a very nice, well run, friendly event; and only two hours drive from home.
Jess, being Level 4, was due there to warm up for her session at 9am this morning. Tink, as a Level 2, is due there to warm up at 9.45am tomorrow.
So, joy of joys, a double road trip.

Anyhoo, here's the mid comp report:
A very foggy trip down - SH1 runs by the mighty Waikato River for most of the trip, and Hamilton and environs are damp and low lying. The stadium was warm though.
There was a good turnout of clubs - Tristar, North Harbour, Shore, Topaz, Howick, Spirals, Argos and Capital (all the way from Wellington).
Jess did a much cleaner ribbon routine and upped her score by nearly two marks; did an ok hoop routine with one oops so slightly lower score from Counties; did a clean and energetic freehand and just missed getting her first 16 for the year - so here's hoping for the next comp at Shore.
Prize giving was announced very promptly (so promptly that several of the L4s were still in the adjacent pool complex!) and much to our surprised delight we got:

3rd overall, and 2nd in ribbon!!

Jess is absolutely stoked, and Evil Gym Mom is very proud of her eldest baby.

Counties comp - Evil Gym Mom gets to brag...

2010-06-20T19:35:00.000+12:00

Tamsin competed L2 - all three routines - this morning, and Jess competed L4 - all three routines - this afternoon.

The bad news:

Tamsin had a shocker hoop routine and Jess got snarled up three times during her ribbon routine.

The good news:

Tamsin didn't have a splatfest with her ball routine like she and I feared, and her freehand routine was ok. Plenty of room for improvement; she's seen the videos; and there are 3 comps to go; so she's on track and will advance to L3 for next year - YAY Tamsin.

Jess did a good freehand (similar to the last comp), a good hoop (way better mark than the last comp) and her ribbon score wasn't anywhere near as bad as she and I thought it would be given the snarl ups.

And...

4th in Freehand

2nd in Hoop

3rd overall!!

Clean sweep by Xtreme Rhythmix

She is absolutely over the moon, especially as she was devastated after her ribbon routine.

Way to go Jessica!

Last leotard for the year - DONE!

2010-06-18T07:34:00.000+12:00

Yay me!
Jess had been wanting a purple and silver leotard since middle of last year. I had been waiting for inspiration to strike for an equal amount of time.
Finally, it came together

Fabric purchased Saturday afternoon, cutting out and layout done Sunday afternoon, all stitching bar the clasp finished last night. Can't believe how fast it came together. The black with flowers leo took weeks.

Jess loves it.

Next stop, Counties comp on Sunday

Comp season has started...

2010-05-22T17:30:00.002+12:00

so here are some fuzzy on the day photos from the Evil GymMom....

Tinkerbelle looking nervous at the start of the L1, 2 & 3 session

Tink hoop start pose

Tink freehand start pose

Jess mid hoop routine

L4 prizegiving: Jess 2nd freehand, ? overall (will update when the scores are published)

Same goes for Tink's socres - we just know she wasn't top 3 in anything.

However, both did reasonably clean routines finishing in time with the music and touching the apparatus (big deductions if you don't!). Tamsin even managed to smile during her routines, yay!

Evil Gym Mom is proud of her girls, and more importantly - they had fun.

UPDATE:

Evil Gym Mom hassled the coach and got a quick look at the full results - Jess was 4th overall and Tamsin was 5th.

Way to go!

And the cat came back...

2010-05-17T19:04:00.000+12:00

Some of you may recall a post some months back about the cats we'd lost: Titch to old age, Boodle and Tui to what we thought might be a dog.

Well, thanks to the wonders of modern technology (microchips) and the marvelousness that is the SPCA, we have

Boodle!!!

Our smoochy snuggle puss is home!

Six months after disappearing at Guy Fawkes weekend, the SPCA called to say Boodle had been found and brought in today and we could come to pick her up.

She is very healthy, and even smoochier.

Welcome home Boodle

Look who's home!!!!!

2010-05-09T14:47:00.000+12:00

And of course Evil Gym Mom couldn't wait to see how her ribbon leo looked....

Jess thinks it's great, I think she looks fab...

Thank you awesome neighbour Clare who did all the hard work on the cutting out, applique and construction.

Almost home...

2010-05-07T18:46:00.000+12:00

... and the odd photo is starting to arrive via email from relatives in the UK

Jess and her cousin Laura at the Tower of London, the first week of the trip (last week of March), when it was still very cold and snowy in the UK.

Right about now Jess is nearly in Singapore for a stopover, then home on Sunday morning - just in time for Mother's Day, and for her birthday on Thursday.

We'll have a teenager in the house, eek!

Things you do on your wedding anniversary

2010-04-14T07:55:00.000+12:00

spend money of course!
Dentist (for Tink - no holes, YAY) then off to the optometrist to pick up the new glasses (mine and Tink's).
Yes, Tinkerbelle needs glasses. We'd known something wasn't right for several years, but the optometrist said it was ok due to how school at her age is taught meant glasses weren't needed. Not any more, so much to her delight, the glasses were chosen, ordered and delivered.

I think she looks gorgeous.

She chose those frames herself. Such great taste!

Ready for the competition season

2010-04-12T18:01:00.000+12:00

Tink now has leotards for all 3 routines that NZ Level 2 rhythmic gymnasts do for 2010 - freehand, hoop and ball.
The ball leotard, courtesy of fairy godmother Sarah's layout and applique skills

Ta da!

the sewing machines are out again...

2010-04-10T20:41:00.000+12:00

and the NZ gymnastics competition season starts in a month, so I've been sewing:

A Tinkerbell leotard for Tink - this will be her hoop leotard.

My fabulous neighbour, Clare, is enjoying herself being creative and is currently making Jess' ribbon leo; while the fairy godmother, Sarah, is employing her quilting skills putting applique flowers on Tink's ball leotard.
That just leaves me to ge to and make a purple & silver hoop leotard for Jess, and maybe something else for her freehand routine. We scored a lovely one for Tink's freehand at the club's 2nd hand sale last month.

So be warned - there will be videos again...

Awards Season!

2010-03-31T19:37:00.002+12:00

StitchitAndie pinged me with both the Beautiful Blogger award and the Sunshine Award.

I did the Beautiful Blogger two posts ago, so I won't repeat that one.

However, here's the rules for Sunshine:

put the logo on your blog or in a post
pass the award to 12 bloggers
link the nominees within your post
let them know they've received it by commenting on their blog
share the love and link to the person from whom you received the award

There's a lot of awards going around at the moment, so I'm cheating - again - and I'm only awarding it to two blogs:

These two ladies are always (even when having a bad day) about being "sunshine" - at least in my view.

Way to go, ladies!

March finish with deja vu...

2010-03-28T14:35:00.001+12:00

Does this look familiar?

Same design as the January finish, but with the colours reversed for the other twin.

I stitched them side by side:

so off to the framer they go tomorrow, woohoo.

Only a couple of weeks late for the 1st birthday....I don't think Kylie will mind, do you?

Belated acknowledgement of an award

2010-03-27T22:54:00.000+12:00

Thank you to Barb at MyStitchingTreasures.

I'm very slow at noticing I was in her "pass it on" list, but here it is.

Ok, ten things about me:

Like Barb, I love cats (have 3)
I love to read
I love chocolate, dark peppermint is the favourite
My eldest daughter left tonight for 6 weeks in UK/EU
I have actually met one of my blog friends (waving at Floss)
I am a member of the Yahoo group 2MuchXS
I am at SABLE (Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy)
I used to sing in a Cathedral Choir (decani soprano)
Yellow is my favourite colour
It's my 14th wedding anniversary next month

Blogs to pass the award on to:

All those in my blog list (I know, I'm cheating - but it's late and I do like them) plus Mez at the Australian Gymnastics blog, the Couch Gymnast, Notes From the Trenches, Frog and Toad Are Still Friends and Daring Young Mom.

Go check them out - I dare ya!

February finish - yay!

2010-02-27T19:42:00.000+12:00

I was having a silent stitch-a-long with Rene with this one:

Home of a Needleworker Too!

Little House Needleworks

over one, 22ct hardanger, Crescent Colours as listed.

I've been watching Rene's progress and I think her Crescent colours show better than mine. Guess that what happens with hand-dyed threads (and maybe the bigger count fabric too).

It was a fun stitch, and now off to the framers it will go. Tossing up whether to keep it, or give it to my lovely M-i-L who does fabulous dressmaking and alterations (and who admired it today as I was getting it ready for scanning).

Think I'll decide after it's framed.

I think ...

2010-02-15T18:21:00.002+12:00

... I can finally deal with this post.

Nearly three years ago, my cat Titchy came to the end of her time with us at the reasonably old age of 13.

She'd gotten skinny and fragile plus wasn't keeping food down, and then didn't come home the day we were going to take her to the vet.

So that Christmas we got a kitten, Boodle, to join the 3 remaining cats.

Boodle was the most smoochy cat I've ever known. She would snuggle around my neck, sleep on my head at night, and give me big raspy licky kisses. It was like having Titch back, only waaay smoochier. She was always in the garage waiting for us when we got home and never missed a meal - unlike the other 3, who would regularly be late or miss a meal entirely.

Sadly, last November (Guy Fawkes weekend) she failed to show up for breakfast, and then didn't show when we got home that afternoon. We haven't seen her since.

So when I finished work for the Christmas break, we went to the SPCA and came home with Tui, a scruffy black kitten. She would lose traction on our wooden floor due to fluffy feet.

To our extreme distress, she too failed to appear when we got home last Monday.

She was 4 months old.

Tui was still being fed inside, and had never ventured beyond our section and was even more reliable than Boodle at turning up. So we knew that same day that we'd lost her, too.

We think to a dog. Our neighbours lost their guinea pig between our two cats' disappearances, and Steve saw a strange dog in the vicinity of our house this weekend. We haven't had stray/ wandering dogs for quite some time. Plus Burma, one of our other three cats was injured about 10 days ago, we thought in a fight. Now that she's letting us look at it, we wonder again about a dog being involved.

So now we worry when any of the other 3 don't turn up when expected.

First 2010 finish!

2010-01-25T06:32:00.001+12:00

by My Big Toe Designs

one over one on 25ct pale green evenweave

Weeks Dye Works "blue spruce" and "royal purple"

Leotards - yet again

2010-01-08T20:03:00.001+12:00

I had these two leos cut out and partially started back in late August, hoping to have them done so the girls could wear them at the last comp for the '09 season (Jess for rope, Tamsin for hoop) - but going to Oxford got in the way.
Anyhoo, I got them out again yesterday and got going. Here they are, done but for the bling:

I have the fabric and some thoughts lined up for the 2010 comp season leos.

Tamsin needs one to match her ball (an awesome pink), one for her new, larger, hoop (a Tinkerbell style green with lots of periodot swarovski crystals) and the one above can be her freehand once I've blinged it.
Jess needs one for her ribbon (red with gold bling), one for her hoop (purple with silver bling) and the one above for free hand once I've blinged it somehow. The white fabric is a teensy bit see through so the bling will provide some coverup. I want to experiment with glitter/ pearl fabric paint. In fact, the blue on the sleeves of Jess' is actually fabric paint.

I spent the afternoon a couple of days ago taping their new, larger, hoops: 3 layers for each - duct tape, then colours, then clear protective. The last layer is the hardest cos you can't really tell where you've been, LOL.

The things us Evil Gym Moms do ... nuts, especially as I have a cross stitch close to finishing, and two lovely designs just started - all being neglected.

Oh well, lycra is such fun to stitch on (really forgiving) and who can resist bling???

2010 - playing with the Christmas presents

2010-01-04T14:47:00.000+12:00

For Christmas my dear friend Sarah and her DH, Bill, gave my DH, Steve:

and today was the perfect day to fly it - windy.
Why not any earlier since Christmas was over a week ago? Cos Steve and the girls have been at Big Bay with Steve's brother's family, fishing.
And on the day after New Year (Saturday) they finally managed to catch some keepers - yay! To cap it all off it was a competition, so Jess came home with a rod and tackle kit of her own that she won, woohoo!
Meanwhile , since I'm not into going fishing, I got to have a lovely day (Friday) with my parents doing Wasjigs; then two days (Sat/Sun) with Sarah stitching and shopping. Bill stayed home flying - although in his case it's remote controlled aircraft.

Fabulous, just fabulous.
Gotta love NZ summer holidays!

Yay me - another finish!

2009-12-17T08:37:00.000+12:00

Hang Your Heart from Dimensions (1998)

Wacky colours, but a fun stitch from the depths of my stash.

December finish and other updates

2009-12-06T19:19:00.001+12:00

Season's Greetings, and here's a seasonal finish:

2009 Tree from M Designs

And just cos I feel like it, here's a photo from the 2009 comp season - courtesy of rsgphotog.blogspot, taken by the lovely Jessica who has since gone to Canada to further her art studies.

Tamsin, at her first comp at Counties Manukau.

Today has been a very quiet, peaceful Sunday - deliberately so.

Why? Because it was the day after two days of this:

Tamsin (as a raindrop)

Raindrops en masse

Victoria and Jess - seagulls

2009 SABA Recital "The Pearl"

Four shows of 2 hours duration, 5 mins each on stage per show over two days.
Net result? Lots, and I mean hours, of hanging about in dressingrooms waiting. And it was noisy. And reeked of hairspray.

The girls loved it.

Which is what it is all about.

Professor Fizzby's Wonderous Strange Collection of Wee Beasties

2009-11-26T20:01:00.000+12:00

Item #3 in this range of seriously cool designs from Pangea by Dimples Designs is my November finish - woohoo me!

The picture does not do the design justice. Close up, the ladybugs don't seem that flash. But step back aways and they take shape and look very 3D. They're gonna look great on Sarah's wall.

You got space ready, Sarah?

another finish...

2009-10-31T13:21:00.000+12:00

...only took two gym classes to do it too!

Yes, it's an embellished pre-printed small piece - which I consider cheating, I have to admit.

But hey, it's gone from the stash pile and into the done pile!

Violet Kitten from Candamar Designs,

which has been in the stash cupboard since before Tinkerbelle was born, LOL.

Finally, a finish

2009-10-24T20:44:00.000+12:00

A small one I admit, but a finish all the same:

Friendship Quilts, by JBW Designs

over 1 on 28ct evenweave

The generousity of friends

2009-10-12T19:53:00.000+12:00

Our neighbours at the top of the driveway are good friends. Their twins are only a few months younger than Tinkerbelle, and we've known them since we all moved in nearly 6 years ago.

They're also mad keen sailors (they used to race at top level in the UK), and are the proud possessors of a 39' yacht, which they go out on nearly every weekend.

We (the four of us plus Sarah) had been invited to go sailing for the day with them some weeks back, with the date chosen being yesterday.

Given the weather for the 10 days prior (lots & lots of rain, 7degC, windy, yuk) it was not looking good.

But see for yourself...

Thanks Iain and Clare for a fabulous day!

Party time...

2009-10-04T17:46:00.000+12:00

cos my lovely MiL, Jeanette is 70!

So the famdamily gathered to eat, talk, eat, gossip, eat, and eat some more...

The fabulous Baker boys - Kevin, Steve and Andy

Sorry about the sound - I was using the still camera all afternoon instead of the video. So please imagine hearing the girls singing Happy Birthday, very sweetly, to their adored Nana.

Caught napping!

2009-10-04T17:44:00.001+12:00

Boodle

When Sophie came to stay...

2009-10-04T17:37:00.000+12:00

the tweens had fun talking all night and watching chic flics while eating junk food - as you do.

Jessica, Sophie and Victoria.

It was cool having you stay with us!

End of the season....

2009-09-27T20:07:00.000+12:00

... is here. NZ Gymsport Nationals started yesterday (Sat Sep 26) with the WAG L4 first up. Nationals is always the marker for the end of the gymnastic year. No competitions now till late April at the earliest, mid-May usual, when the race to qualify and be selected for Nationals starts again (for those L4 and above).
Next term all the gym clubs will be rearranging their gymnasts into who is in what level for the 2010 season, and then starting on the new skills ready to be made into new routines in the term after Christmas.

As a season finale, one last video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrnKNWTYLdw

I'll wait while you get a drink and some popcorn...

2009-09-11T20:47:00.000+12:00

Yes, I'm back! Two by 24hours of flying and 10 days of UK architecure immersion later, here I am ready to bore y'all with the holiday photos, lol.

While it was a business trip, time zone changes meant several mornings I was awake and walking around Oxford with my trusty camera phone to kill time before breakfast was served in the Hall of New College at 8am (very Hogwarts); plus 3 days with my godmother which allowed me to visit Porchester Castle and Winchester Cathedral.

Also went to Blenheim Palace, but didn't happy snap there, just sent postcards to the girls.

So without further ado:

New College Oxford - outside view of the Hall where a full English breakfast is served every morning 8-9am.

Accommodation at New College, stair 11 Old Building - I was in room 3 which is the window on the 2nd floor on the right (under the open window).

Views of Holywell St, where one of the two entrances for New College is located.

Views of the old city wall. These sections are on Longwall St.

Various views of Oxford, including punts waiting for the students to come back, The Examination Schools, and the Bridge of Sighs replica.

On Sunday, I went to Southampton to stay with my godmother. The following are of Portchester Castle - the best preserved Norman castle in Europe (the walls are Norman, as are parts of the church; the keep is circa Richard II, if not a bit earlier). It was built on the site of a Roman fort.

On the way to Heathrow for my flight home, we stopped in Winchester - the capital of Alfred the Great's England,

and location of the fabulous Winchester Cathedral. The transept of this building is Norman, and rest is C11-13. I'd forgotten how huge English Cathedrals are!

The town itself, like Oxford, has lovely old buildings everywhere you turn.

And then it was time for the flight home.

NZ038 ready for boarding at Heathrow, then refueling (avgas and meals) in Hong Kong.

I used the flights to catch up on LOTS of movies I hadn't seen. Gotta love these new planes with the individual screens and multiple choice of in-flight entertainment!

Leaving on a jet plane

2009-08-28T18:39:00.000+12:00

Today's the day. NZ39 departs for Heathrow via Hong Kong at 11.15pm and I'll be on it.
At least, I better be or my boss will NOT. BE. HAPPY.

Two week business trip to Buckingham, then Oxford for the IMCA part of my job. It's the 2009 Congregation, and part of my job is to be there and help make it all happen smoothly.
For the information junkies amongst y'all, check out www.i-m-c.org and have look around.
And, as a bonus, I get to catch up with my godmother, my lovely Auntie Barbara - who recently became a great grandmama.

Meanwhile, the role of the Evil Gym Mom is being handled by my dear friend Sarah. She gets to get up at the crack of dawn and organise the girls to turn up to compete at 8am both Saturday and Sunday this weekend for the last comp for the year: Auckland RG Champs, where Jess finally gets to compete her rope routine.

I'll be thinking of them!

Christmas finish

2009-08-25T22:25:00.000+12:00

Yes - a Christmas piece. In August.

Getting ahead of myself, no?

Tis the Season by JBW Designs, stitched on 18ct aida using DMC cotton and light effects.

I'm going to give this one to Rachel, my friend who loves Christmas, to go with the Tis the Season sampler I gave her last year. Bit of theme going here I think. Will have to keep my eyes open for something similar for her next year!

August finish!

2009-08-11T07:28:00.001+12:00

From Little House Needleworks "chart number 4" - for the lovely Floss who hosted Tamsin and I (with help from Tim and the Blondinis) over the last weekend of the holidays when we went down to CHC for Canterbury RG Champs - thanks again Floss!!
Stitched on 18ct ecru aida with DMC. I changed the colour of the large text from a rather blah light brown to the richer crimson. I thought it set off the greens better.
So Floss, guess what you get to take home and frame when you're here for Sophie to go to Nationals, LOL

Things that upload in the night...

2009-08-02T10:55:00.000+12:00

Finally got around to getting the videos off the camera and onto the pc and then Youtube. For some reason my "wonderful" Telecom broadband takes hours to upload anything. Fortunately Youtube's upload queue system means I can leave it running while I sleep.

Video of Tamsin's freehand routine at the Canterbury RG Champs held at Bishopdale YMCA on the weekend of 17/18 July (filmed for me by the wonderful Floss):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-klUlKQO38

When I can get the clip to work properly, I'll post the link for Jess' freehand routine from the Midlands RG Champs. At the moment it shows a blank screen while the soundtrack plays, and I have no idea why.

UPDATE: all fixed, so here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL5owHX5ERg
And you can see why I won't be giving up my day job to run away to work in the film industry! I did such a hopeless job of it that I decided to not film Tinkerbelle, and to just sit and enjoy watching her. I knew I'd have another chance next weekend at the Shore RG Comp.

Evil Gym Mom gets to brag...

2009-08-01T16:45:00.000+12:00

I know I know, long time no post. My excuse?
Well, I have several:

1. busy reading my favourite blogs (includes icanhascheezburger)

2. actually doing some stitching

3. busy doing Evil Gym Mom stuff

Anyhoo, here's the update.

First weekend in July was Spiralz RG Comp in Te Awamutu, for Tamsin. Her coach shocked her by saying she could compete the Freehand routine she'd only finished learning the previous week.

We told her it was ok to forget bits of a routine the first time it's competed - so Tamsin took a deep breath and competed it.

Then came the snafus. Don't worry, none of them were Tamsin's doing!

She's the first competitor to go and they play her hoop music - only it's her freehand she's meant to be doing. Nevermind, the judges say she can do it again, after the last competitor.

Then she gets announced out of order to do her hoop routine. Tamsin comes racing out from the warm up area, presents and waits in her start pose....only for them to play the music for the girl they should have announced. So, off she comes and waits patiently for her real turn to come round and competes hoop.

Then waits again until after the last competitor so she can do her freehand routine.

It did rattle her somewhat, but Tamsin kept her cool and improved her scores from Counties, finishing lower mid-field, as is usual for Tinkerbelle.

Then it was the school holidays - filled with rhythmic gym classes, artistic gym classes and ballet classes, at all times of the day at 3 different venues. We were sick of the inside of the car, I can tell you.

But it was worth it cos the reward at the end was the most awesomely cool 3 days spent with Floss and her family in Christchurch over the last weekend of the holidays, attending gymsport comps.

Then it was back to school, and the normal round of rhythmic, artistic and ballet classes. We continue to be sick of the inside of the car.

However, I am getting some stitching done while waiting for the girls at class - a finished pic is maybe a week away? Hope so, cos I want to send it to its recipient sooner rather than later, LOL

I also managed to make 3 - yes THREE - rhythmic leotards, and that includes blinging them.

The one not shown was just a tester and won't be worn to compete. I'm so glad I gave it a go, it's lots of fun.

These were taken at the Midland Rhythmics Champs, held at the same venue in Te Awamutu, early this morning (Sat Aug 1).

The venue, Te Awamutu Events Centre, is quite new and very nice. The comp, like last time, was well run and very pleasant to attend - yay for Spiralz club. Also, the music snafus didn't happen to Tamsin this time!

AND Jess competed RG for the first time. Six weeks after starting rhythmic she did a very nice L3 freehand routine and scored 15.525. She's really pleased with that, as the RG rules are a tad different to WAG. I thought it was lovely. Rope routine still under construction (maybe at AKL Champs at the end of Aug) and ball routine yet to be started.

Tamsin went out, did clean routines, no oops, no memory losses and finishing on time with the music. Plus, she increased her scores. Nothing flash: freehand 14.225 and hoop 13.242, but she was pleased with them as her previous high score was a 13.400.

Then we waited through the L2 session and lunch for prizegiving and spent money at the canteen, as you do, LOL.

And to our stunned amazement we get:

First overall, 1st freehand, 2nd hoop.

Way to go Tinkerbelle!!!

July finish

2009-07-05T07:25:00.000+12:00

Design from the Sweetheart Tree. You can't see it on the scan, but the fabric is a lovely sparkly linen.

Better keep moving - off to Te Awamutu this morning for Tamsin's second rhythmic comp, and the girls aren't up yet!!

Small finish

2009-06-29T07:54:00.000+12:00

Embroidered hanky for Tamsin's Grade 1 character dance.

I did one for Jess when she did Grade 1, so only fair that Tamsin got one done for her.

Grade 2 is an embroidered pillow. for Jess' one I used a lovely sampler from UK's Cross Stitcher.

There's bound to be something in my stash of those magazines that will be just right for Tinkerbelle.