Fabric motorcycles and airplanes

Plans go awry this weekend with no sewing achieved at all much to my disappointment.  Life has interfered with my plans to draft out the Burda Jacket for the 6PAC.  Instead I ventured to the big city to farewell our Japanese exchange student who has been staying with us for the last 3 weeks.  We have been very busy showing her the highlights of the Waikato region most weekends while she attended school with the others during the week.

Waiting in the frost for the bus.

The Potuhu Geyser erupts at long last.

Alpacas can be scary!

The husband had motorbikes on his mind as there was a show on in Auckland in the weekend and so it was decided to spend the night on Friday up in Auckland which meant the we did not have to make the drive to the airport at 3am Saturday.  After the last disaster when we stayed at the Airport Holiday Inn and charged for parking (either pay or park your vehicle on the side of the road, which can be a high theft and damage area, was the surly choice offered to us) I was never going to darken their doors.  So we tried the Bella Vista Express Hotel and were very impressed. Great friendly staff, FREE Parking and very comfortable rooms with a king size and a queensize bed in the room.

Onto the airport and a tearful goodbye - it has been fun having Seina to stay.  She was very outgoing and keen to participate in the Kiwi life.  Murdoch, the second son, had spent 3 weeks in Bihoro Hokkaido just before she came over and enjoyed practising his new found fluency.  I am not sure how much her English language improved but both boys Japanese was improved.

We headed off to breakfast in Onehunga and found the Tran Cafe great food but fell over a little at the price!!  Coffee, hot chocolate, porridge, eggs benedict and blueberry pancakes were all nice but Cafe Holmes does it better and mum doesn't charge yet!!!  On the way out I spotted the Vintage Fabric and Lace Shop and persuaded the family to let me linger.   What should I see but the most dazzling array of stretch viscose from LA; mostly end of rolls, these babies packed a colourful punch that had me struggling to make a choice. I couldn't take them all so this is what I finally came home with.

Isn't it beautiful? the pattern is butterflies I think and it has my favourite coral in it.  I am thinking a dress but as yet don't have a pattern in mind.









This next little beauty is going to be a cowl neck top from Burda as in my 6PAC and has enough in it to go with the tan.

After the fabric trip we dropped the teens at the movies with the cousin to watch the latest Batman episode.  The man was champing at the bit to see the Bike show so we meet up with friends and finally made it to the show.  Needless to say my enthusiasm for looking at bikes ran out way before the mens so I ended the afternoon seated at the refreshment stand catching up with some reading.

Making the wish list!

I liked this one.