Saturday, June 29, 2013

Buggy Barn, Primitive Quilts, quilt washing & a heart warming photo.




Before my friend Megan moved to the South Island she left me two of her quilt tops to quilt when I could. This one is a Buggy Barn design, Megan made it at a class at The Country Yard some years back, but you know, we ALL know how those 'flimsies' ( AKA  quilt tops ) can accumulate!!!


Megan wanted me to quilt it the same as I did the shop sample, see this post for this quilt & a few more Buggy Barn quilts.



Mostly Madeira threads, over cotton batting. I love quilting this feather on borders, fun & free!



Megan's next one is from the American magazine, 'Primitive Quilts'. A few friends got together one night to piece them, you may remember mine from this post,.




Those feathers keep following me!! Megan is going to be adding some wool felt circles to the cream sashing to look like berries on a vine.

Today started out with a beauty of a frost, my little red car was covered in frost, but the sun was shining! A great day to wash a quilt..............................


I made this quilt back in 2007, it is quilt - as - you - go............not my fav technique, too much fiddling around, but I know many people do use this technique & love it, what about you, do you like that method for quilting??

Update on my great nephew


Here he is, now over double the weight he was when born, snuggled under the wee quilt I made him.
My niece manages to express her milk which is then drip fed to him, isn't technology amazing!


Tuesday, June 25, 2013

1 Xmas item




Yes it's that time of the month........where the heck is time going??
I gave up with only one or two buntings a month, I decided one day just to finish it, so I did!!


It was a dark dismal day when I tool the photo, but if you click on it things may look brighter. To each bunting point I added a small rusty bell. Now I am keen to make one for my granddaughter, only with her name, rather than 'Christmas'.
Thanks again to Narelle for being a great host of this SAL.

With all this cold wintery weather here in New Zealand it is hard to believe the following photo's, but I took them just yesterday.


 I'm not a plant expert, but a Foxglove?................................................



A friend gave me this lovely thick glass vase for my birthday, look what I managed to find to display!

Is there anyone that can tell me about this Bloglovin? Do I have to change over to it to follow the blogs I love? I really don't 'get' it...............am I the only one?

Sunday, June 23, 2013

You are my sunshine




Checkout this ray of sunshine sun on a bleak winters day here in New Zealand! Pauline has made this quilt for her granddaughters 18th birthday. Pauline's granddaughter loves bright colours.
Pauline ask me to quilt an all over design through the centre, she chose a bright variegated thread. Then a feather for the border, over cotton batting.




What do you think of the backing Pauline made?.....................................


I have finished another book. This is the second book in a series of four, read about the first here. The second is called "A Drunkard's Path" by Clare O'Donohue.


Nell and Jesse’s first date is postponed on account of murder – and Nell puts herself, and her romance, on the line to find the killer.


Now I have the third book, this one I plan to donate to my local library as the library is missing this book from their copies. So if you are a local & you are keen to read this series, pop along to the library!

The following paragraph is from one of the chapters that made me think "yeah that's how it is for us quilters."

She stroked the bolt, a technique I recognized as part of the quilter's courting process. First we fall for the look of the fabric, the print, the colour. Then we begin to pet it, running our hands across the smooth cotton. It may seem odd to an outsider, but quilting is a tactile experience & since quilts are meant to be snuggled under it's important the fabric feels right.








Sunday, June 16, 2013

This & that..................................



First up a finish from The Country Yard 'Sewing Essentials Project' club. This month a pouch for my rotary cutter & a thimble/ thread/ earing keeper thingie.


Next a cushion I made for a friend who is going through a rather tough time at the moment. You will notice from the photo's how different light can change the look of the fabrics.


Trapunto on the front & an all over loopy/paisley for the back.





It is winter here in New Zealand, so it is hard to believe this next photo. They have a divine scent!


This weekend I celebrated my birthday, I got a very special gift, my youngest granddaughter to visit. Here she is helping do the dishes.




Saturday, June 8, 2013

scottie dogs



Hi all, just a quick post of a quilt I finished at the start of the week, but it has now gone home to a happy owner.


Susan's mother wanted this quilt, so she happily made it for her, then sent it to me to quilt.
I thought the cross hatching would suit the traditional feel to the quilt, more straight lines on the borders with some stipple.





I am enjoying our lavender hedge when I sit outside for coffee or lunch, the bees & bumble bee's love it too!



Wednesday, June 5, 2013

My Quilt



Hello watchers, readers & bloggers, I am sharing with you today a finish of one of my quilts, with a bit of help from some friends.
Last year Eight friends decided to participate in a Pinwheel block swap, there were eight of us, so each month for the next .......I forget how many months it was something like 10mths we each made eight pinwheel blocks, many of us made them the super quick way........................
 
I started to put my blocks together at our retreat then I said to a few of the girls I wanted to add a applique header with either & house or an angel, I got some votes for a house, some for an angel, so I thought why can't I do both?
 
 
 
I haven't used all the pinwheel blocks, I thought I might make a cushion, or two, plus I used some in the pieced backing.
 
Block swaps are lots of fun, I have participated in a few now, if you missed them see here , here & here.
I didn't do any fancy quilting just straight lines & some stipple.
 

 
Because I had a lovely quilt hanger in my lounge, I added a hanging sleeve so now the quilt is up to enjoy!
 
 
 
 
fabric pen & some tiny buttons for the angel face & hair
 
 
Thank you girls! Also to Megan, Rachel, Aurely for making some extra's!
 
Do you like my tiny pinwheels???
Somehow I had got carried away & made extra blocks, I can't brag I made blocks this small, I just cut them down to 2" square!
Heavy rain here today, both my cats are very happy to be inside!
Brian & Simon