Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Orca Bay step #2 and a Christmas party

72 ....3.5" strippy squares finished! And I love them and loved making them :-) I used recycled printer paper for my foundations, set my stitch length to 1.5 and used a 90 needle just as Bonnie said and it worked great. When I made  Brooke's quilt I used fabric foundations and it worked well too, but for 3.5" blocks I think paper is the way to go!
Brooke's quilt












This wee block is my favourite, the little house in the middle, this came from my fabrics for my Blue & Yellow Dresden Plate quilt I am making....sneaky aye!
So when my rulers arrive from Australia I can start step #1.

Check out other Orca Bay finishes here...........



On Monday we had our Christmas party for our group of patchwork friends, we all know each other through The Country Yard.We all had to come with a plate for a shared lunch, hand stitching, and a handmade gift. I got this beautiful covered clear file book from Kerryn. I have put my printouts from The Bonnie Hunter mystery in the pages.
There were some lovely gifts made, I forgot to take a photo of what I made!.......
Here are some of us making decorated paper bags and cards....some where very creative, others who I won't mention any names did the bear minimum!


Saturday, November 26, 2011

cushion, customer quilt finished and part 2 of the mystery

A wee finish of mine, I have made this for one of my sisters, but first it will be a sample at The Country Yard. I did the stitchery using Cottage Garden thread, the pattern was designed by Sally Giblin the Rivendale Collection called "Sisters".

the back of cushion  

Finished this Chook quilt yesterday for Ngaire, well her 18 year granddaughter made this from a panel.
I had fun photographing in the wild wind we are experiencing here in Northland.
Eight blocks down, sixty four to go! I had to miss step one as I haven't got the rulers Bonnie recommended (they are on their way). I cut 72 x 3.5" squares from recycled printer paper, set my trusty 801 Bernina to 1.5 stitch length   and made some. I didn't have many blue strings as I used many on this quilt , so I had to cut some from my 1.5" strip draw.



Friday, November 25, 2011

Finished read & hand quilting?

Finished! What a lovely read, nothing quilty, but we won't hold that against the author. My dear friend Barbara gave me this for my birthday, some months back.


Yes.... your eye sight is fine, this is a photo of hand quilting by me. Well the very start, there maybe another post of the finished quilt that has been machine quilted!!! LOL.
It has been years since I hand quilted and lately I have had a hankering for it, so I thought I would give it a go again on my Lynette Anderson's Christmas Fun BOM. I am using a #8 ecru pearl thread, not sure what I am going to do. I might sew the hand painted button's on as I go.
You can see here some of my points on my wee stars are cut off, as my Grandaughter would say : "never mind". Will I have it finished for this Christmas????

 I am waiting for my special rulers to come from Australia, so I can start Bonnie Hunter's new mystery, Orca Bay. Tomorrow will be the 2nd step, but I tell my self it is not a race, but I feel like I am at the back of the pack and can't get traction! Here are the fabric's I have chosen, are any of my readers joining in?


Thursday, November 17, 2011

panel quilts, appliqued dogs,and a thought?




Some panel quilts I have just finished quilting..........................

Panel called 'Baby Moon'
A Nancy Halvorsen panel called 'Garden Song'



Ngaire has made this quilt for a friend who is mad on dogs, Ngaire has appliqued different breeds of dogs.
Look at the backing, isn't it perfect!

I watched a DVD the other night called 'Akeelah and the Bee' and this saying was read out that I thought was very thought provoking, I will leave you with it.


Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate,our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves : who am I to be brilliant,gorgeous,talented and fabulous, actually who are you NOT to be............................

Sunday, November 13, 2011

customers quilts

This quilt is off to sail the seas to Australia to a wee lad of 5 months old. Sharon made this quilt from a Debbie Mumm Panel and left it to me to quilt.

I had fun quilting the waves!


funky wonky houses!!
Carolyn made this fun quilt and was happy for me to quilt how I liked. Busy black and white fabric is not so good for photographing quilting, but maybe if you click on the photo's you will get the idea.I got my inspiration from the fabric.


Friday, November 11, 2011

Orca Bay Mystery fabrics.....

Ok, I have watched with great interest the last couple of years to Bonnie Hunter's mysteries this time I thought 'go for it Leeanne!'
 I thought I would use some shirts....true Bonnie style! I didn't have many reds, but plenty of blues and a nice amount of oranges. So I've gone with orange, blues and replaced the black with brown and of course I have plenty of neutrals in shirting (not pictured) . There are a couple of fabrics that I might pull out, funny how a photo helps you 'see' the colours?
Any readers going to do this mystery??????





Thursday, November 10, 2011

snowmen...................


He won my heart when he looked at me standing surrounded by fabric and pattern's ,our eyes met and I paid the owner of Patchwork Passion for his pattern and fabrics.












Here in colour! Last Friday I went with some friends to Calico Christmas (for non New Zealand readers, this is a annual exhibition from one of our cites quilters guild, complete with shop owners and there yummy wears) and that is where I bought this magnificent fellow.
I had to ask a friend how to cast off when knitting his scarf , as it had been so long since I knitted I had forgotten how!!!  




Another snowman.........this is the snowman from Lynette's Christmas Fun
I quilted this for Kerryn for The Country Yard






thanks blogger, I wanted this photo sideways!!!!!



















look at that another sideways!!
How are you coming along with your blocks? I have nearly finished my last one, then I will piece together, I was thinking I might hand quilt mine.

Please click on photo's for close ups.
Thank you for stopping by................................................:-)