Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Flannel quilt



Lois has been busy making another quilt for a friend, check it out.................( please click on the photo's)
This quilt, backing included is flannel, I wish you could feel the softness!

I have finished another customer quilt too, but I am not allowed to show you for a couple more weeks. I popped it off in the post yesterday. ( just heard....I posted yesterday & it arrived this morning, that's the middle of the South Island!! Quick service! )

A bit of a turn in the weather here in Northland.....chilly. I suppose for some readers things are cooling down too?
Happy creating!


Saturday, August 25, 2012

For the love of scrap!!



If you love scrap quilts, please hang about!

Di made this quilt at a class at The Country Yard using bits left over from her previous projects.
Scrap quilts tell stories of quilts gone before, " that fabric was in Dad's quilt !" " Oh that one was in Daniel's baby quilt" ....etc, etc.
Isn't it wonderful!

Some close ups of the quilting...............

Di wanted an all over design for the centre of the quilt. I used a Madeira variegated polyneon.
This quilt pattern is traditionally called " Baptist Fan ".....but it reminds me of my childhood days of galloping my horse on the beach.........so I like to call it....... " horse-hoofs" .

  Fun with funky feathers!! Thanks Di for that freedom.
Do you like the green peeper? Click away at the photo's for close ups!
Curling ribbon for the outer border..

I hope you are having a fabulous weekend?




Thursday, August 23, 2012

A quilt with healing powers







the black backing
This quilt measures 90" x 104", has cotton batting, made by Marcelle for a friend.
There were no Jelly rolls harmed in the making of this quilt.....but because this is a rail fence quilt, jelly rolls could be used.
 The appliqué sashing was hand drawn out over many hours by Marcelle which she then wanted repeated as a quilting design on the borders.
This design is a hammer head shark, the Maori meaning is strength & power. Which is very symbolic for Marcelle's friend & her family as they have gone through some personal losses in their family recently.
If you click on the photo's you will see on the border design I double stitched using Madeira variegated polyneon thread, the same thread Marcelle used for the buttonhole stitch on the appliqué sashing, as I felt this would give more definition to the design. For the inner part of the quilt I quilted an all over wave/ hammer head shark design.


Monday, August 20, 2012

Quick post with a finish


Off to finish a customer quilt but thought I would show you the bag I started making at Lynette Anderson's workshop a couple of weeks ago & finished last night.
I will leave you with the photo's &  a wish of a happy day for you all!


Monday, August 13, 2012

goodies!!


I wanted show you some lovely goodies I recently received.
Firstly..............
Julie sent me this box of *OMGdreamyquiltersheaven*!!
 When Julie asked if I would like to do a swap, Julie wanted strings, so I sent her strings, Julie asked me what I would like. I said "oh a few 2:5" squares would be handy" (it's always nice to have variety when making scrap quilts)  So what does a girl do when she doesn't have 2:5" squares?
This.........................
AND this!!!...................................
A lovely hand quilted mini quilt, a jelly roll (there are my 2:5" squares!) and this fabulous kit for a Jo Morton table runner! Squeal!!
You rock Julie!
 Please jump over to visit Julie if you need some inspiration for making the most lovely quilts from scraps.

Next,
 my sweet friend Barbara gave me a big bag of old lace. I'm sure Barbara wouldn't mind me sharing her age with you all. She has just gone 80 this past February & is struggling with diminishing eye sight. Barbara was a fabulous dress maker, often on a Thursday & Friday evening she would make a whole new outfit ready to wear on a Saturday night on the town as a young working women.
Much of the lace was also from her mothers supply.....take a look at just a small amount I received.
This wide top piece has the prettiest colours.

Please click on this photo to see the large roll, that appears to be hand made? There is part of the end of the roll unfinished. I need to get someone who knows about lace making to take a look.

    

Friday, August 10, 2012

Lynette Anderson class.


So here are some photo's of the Lynette Anderson workshop I did on Wednesday at Grandmothers Garden in Gordonton.

Some of Lynette's samples she bought with her. see the cushion in the second photo? That goes with the quilt I did for Lynette, remember?

Yes I planned this photo sideways....NOT!!
I also made this cushion too


The class I was part of, was making "Shepherds Cottage Bag".







Lynette showing us her method of needleturn. That is my piece she is demonstrating on........

Sorry Lynette!!! Why the heck does this happen??


 Poor thing has most likely got an ear ache by now from being tipped sideways!!







So that was as far as I got on the day, still a bit of stitching to go, then construction time. I thought my sheep looked like wolf in sheep's clothing!! Because my hill was a fairly dark fabric, Lynette suggested instead of the stitched flowers as shown in the pattern, I might like to do little fabric flowers. Lynette showed me how to cut tiny circle from my chosen fabric, then do several colonial knots to hold in place. Maybe if you click on the photo it will give you more detail.



Of course I haven't finished, I did finish all my hexagons. I promise I will show you when I have finished. I am using the same fabrics as the "Badger Cottage Pencil Case".
Fun class, Lynette is very friendly, helpful & funny! I meet some nice ladies all sharing the same joy of stitching. The team at Grandmothers Garden were helpful & friendly. I nearly had to padlock my handbag closed!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

sewing machines


I have been on a road trip these last few days to meet up with some of my smaller family members & to go to a Lynette Anderson workshop......more on that in another post.
On this trip I went to a gallery where I had heard about a exhibition of 192 treadle sewing machines! Well what is a a gal to do???? GO of course.........AMAZING!
Check out my photo's, plus please go to the link provided for more information.
 More here.......

A few photo's of some sites along the way...........................


These falls are on the road from Wanganui (Whanganui??) to national park.


Winding roads..... I would love to take this train trip someday.

A special place for me....Turangi
Lake Taupo

Next post will be a quilty one.....I promise!


Thursday, August 2, 2012



"Puttin' on the Ritz" by Bunny Hill. This is the fabric range. Designed by Kerryn, owner of The Country Yard
Kerryn completed the stitchery designs using Cottage Garden Threads.
So as you can see the photo's are not going to win any prizes. I did some custom quilting on the stitchery blocks, straight lines on the blocks with RicRac & the remainder has an all over swirl/paisley design.

This is a lovely, super soft flannelette cot quilt. I did a allover design of swirls using Gunold variegated thread.
Once again bad photo's :-/

This weekend Whangarei Patchwork & Quilters has their 25th Exhibition. The Counrty yard is one of the merchants on site. If you are in the area you might fancy popping in for a look.




P.S apologies for the dull photo's. (if you click on the photo's they are much better)