First for February

Things you do when it's a stat holiday:

Size 5 Aerobics leo - the orange is nicer than the photo shows.

As usual, now it's finished, I don't like it.  For example, I'd use a different pink, make the silver touches a bit bigger....  etc etc!

Where there is stash...

...there is always an opportunity for a leotard!

Size 6, just cos I could  :)

Finally!

I started this lovely design a very long time ago.  Just for the record, I hate hate hate stitching on open weave linen, so getting this one done was a real struggle.
Still, finally, here it is:

Just Nan's 4 Wishes

Two finishes in one month - that's a record for me these days, lol.

Evil Gym Mom Brag Alert!!!!

Today was the day....  Jan 15, when all the NCEA results go up on the website for thousands of secondary school students in Yrs 11, 12 & 13 (plus some Yr10s) who did their Level 1, 2 or 3 exams in November.
Much angst about nasty maths exams, much reassuring by loving parents that we know you studied & we won't be disappointed, much crashing of websites as too many try to log on at once, much txting about who got what and who hasn't dared to look yet....

Well, early this evening, Jess worked up the courage to log on to the NZQA website and check her results.  Much squealing later, she calmed down long enough to work out:

Merit overall

Merit for Accounting, English and French

She is sooo  happy, as these results are much better than she was expecting, especially as there were some Excellences in amongst the individual papers.

Way to go Jessica!!!!  So proud of you,  yay!

Start as you mean to go on

And I have a cross stitch finish!  Yes, it's small... but done in a day, start to finish - chart, fabric and threads out of the stash:

Lizzie Kate, on 28ct lugana.

Here's to more stitching getting done this year.  Happy New Year, everyone.

What did I miss?

So - Christmas has come and gone and here I am, staring at the end of the year already.  Was it just me, or did this year really, really, just zoom past?
It was so fast that I haven't posted since before Nationals; and that was in the first week of October!
Speaking of Nationals, the first thing I missed was to post an update about Nationals.  It was lovely being in Napier; the venue was great for the competition floor, but useless for training and warm up areas (not like Dunedin where the comp floor was good and the warm up areas were huge).  It was a great experience being a judge and I'm looking forward to continuing being an AER judge in 2014.
How did Tink do, you ask?  Well, Tink volunteered again and this year competed aerobics ADP2 (a higher stream than the Steps program she competed in last year).  She just missed out on earning a kitten, as she was 0.1 (!) off getting her proficiency pin, gah!  This was still a great result though as 15.65 is a whole point higher than she'd gotten in ADP2 all year (Go Tink!!).  In fact, the ADPs really competed hard.  All of them brought their game faces and upped their energy for Nationals - something, in my opinion, the Steps girls didn't really do.
The other things I missed updating were, unsurprisingly, leotards:

Tink's freehand leo, made when she grew in the body (for a change) between comps.

Ribbon leo, made for the same reason.  Her rope leo I've posted previously.

This is a size 6 leo for sizing purposes, as I have lovely people wanting me to make leos for their girls and this way I can work out which size/style fits best.  Although I will sell it should someone want it :)

And last, but not least:

For Ana, to wear at 'nastics class in Houston now she is 4(!!)

It better arrive safely, Mr Postman...

One for the road

Tamsin heads off to Nationals tomorrow, driving down to Napier with members of the Gymsports Manukau team from Soul2Sole. Please send her compete well vibes  :)

Of course, she couldn't go without yet another new leotard!

Not quite finished in these images - one more applique line since added; one invisible zip now inserted; (thanks Clare!) and a matching scrunchie made and it has been packed away in the competition bag ready for Napier.  Did you know there were FIVE leotards already in that bag?!
And for those that have been watching: yes, that is the new raglan sleeve specially tweaked for Tink leo pattern, and I would share the tester leo, but the camera won't download the image, grr.  But it's the same leo, just done in purple tiger lycra.
I head down to Napier on Thursday.  Why not with Tamsin, you ask?  Because I'm a big girl now and will be judging the Step Aerobics this year and thus hanging out with all the other judges.  Wish me luck!