a cat, a flower and a change around...............

Welcome and happy Sunday. Yesterday I finished a customer quilt which I will share when permission is given after I have posted on it's merry way home south. Until then I have a few things that may interest you. I was in the need for a small change around of furniture and nick nacks today.

The area under our stairs is a place where you wonder what you can put there. A few years ago I bought that lovely roll top desk that someone lovingly converted from a Singer treadle machine, I had been using it as a small office, it looked nice but wasn't really that practical, so has gone into semi retirement. A great place to display some of my beloved 'stuff'. When moving furniture and 'stuff' do you find fluff bunnies like me?

While outside taking advantage of my hubbies help to rig up a hanging place to photograph quilts, Simon was on supervising duties, he has a short attention span and before long it was time for a lie down.

This was all in between great soakings of rain and wind. While outside I was over joyed to see my large deep crimson magnolia flowering!

There is beauty everywhere even on a cold winters day. Taking advantage of the sun while it came it stops and starts found me stitching in the sun with a coffee.

A little while back I managed to stitch a present for my friend Julie as it was her birthday and she is such a dear friend to me.

Several weeks ago I posted about learning to crochet (see here) you see I have finished my small project.

I attached my row of granny squares to the bottom of a merino tunic, I love this outfit and it goes perfect with my red boots!

I will sign off this post of a sneak peek of the quilt I finished yesterday.

catching up on sharing quilts and a happy Saturday for me!!

Hello again, another post from me, a customer quilt to share with you my lovely readers and a productive wee day I had making some presents.......................fancy a look?

I custom quilted this country sampler for The Country Yard, which is a sample for up coming class.

Simple quilting, cross hatching, swirls, orange peel.................................

Even some stipple......................................

All in all, a lovely country sampler!

Next is some sewing I achieved today. First is a bunting for one of my granddaughters who is turning three next month.

I am really happy with how this turned out, should suit a fairy loving wee girl who thinks she's a princess. I made one a couple of years ago for my other granddaughter if you would like a refresher look pop over *here*.

But wait there is more! Yes indeed. I bought a couple of patterns from Little Green Cottage Designs. I was pretty pleased with the patterns and wanted to get straight onto them, well one of them.

This guy is called Rustic Santa, he's a little fellow, filled with plastic beads to help him sit up. Complete with his Christmas santa sack. Isn't he cute! He may just sit around on my old painters ladder with Francesca for a bit or go in my gift box.
Mind you Francesca is a frisky lass, so many times I catch her sitting in an unladylike like fashion, so sitting next to wee Mr Rustic Santa might not be a wise idea!!

With Easter fast approaching I was over the moon to find these to beautiful Easter Bunnies, they are so soft I am hoping my granddaughters will love them. They will last longer than chocolate too.

Should I choose who gets what one?...................................... Until next time, happy creating!

A stitchers Garden and meet Dimples and Harry.

As a professional quilter I can never complain about enduring a boring job, every quilt is different, from size to design, texture to what quilting my customer would like.

At the end of last year Chris gave me her 'Stitchers Garden' quilt, designed by Lynda Howell. Chris made this quilt through a class at The Apple Basket to learn the different features of her Phaff machine. As classes go this was a long ongoing 18 months long!

One of the challenges I faced with this beautiful quilt was the applique blocks have already been quilted, the backgrounds have a semi lofty stabilizer on the back side and each background has it's own 'quilting'. You will notice the above block shows wavy pin tucking, so this was my challenge, I was reluctant to do any quilting in the background. Chris agreed and we decided to just quilt around the applique's, some of these had to been quilted 1/4" away as the decorative stitching protruded past the applique shapes.

The applique background fabrics were a lovely linen, many of the other fabrics had a silver overlay.

I enjoyed 'dividing and conquering' one of the pieced borders, just to simply add another level of interest.

There is just something so pleasing about feathers on a quilt.

Straight lines never go a miss either.

Thank you so much Chris for trusting me to custom quilt  your beautiful quilt. This will not be the last you see of this design because I got given another quilt from the same class!

Last blog post I put a sneaky peek photo of a present I made for a very special who celebrated her birthday yesterday, as yesterday is over I can now share......................................Meet Dimples and Harry.

Dimples (the doll) and Harry (the rabbit) were designed by Kerry Gillespie, over at My Favourite Things. Dimples sports and linen shift and dress along with some antique buttons, Harry.............the poor fella is wearing only a name tag hanging around his neck! Notice the name tag is discreetly giving him some privacy.

I miss my special friend, I miss popping into her home for a cuppa and a natter, someone who cares for me and I for her. So when her birthday was looming and I remembered I had this pattern I knew she would love it.

There is a personal joke between her and me, you see the very first time I went to visit her at her home I was so shocked to see her hanging out her kitchen window with a rifle shooting rabbits! I saw another side to my friend one that made me laugh and feel sorry for the bunnies eating the fresh veges in her garden. Anyway when I returned home and told my husband about my visit to my new friends home he started calling her 'Gunslinger'!! So the theme of bunnies remains even though our friendship is a long distance one. Happy birthday Megan!

Here in New Zealand is a long weekend as Friday was Waitangi day. So I decided to continue with the Block of the Month I am making as a sample for The Country Yard. Still only sneak peeks until AFTER  the shops New Years Launch on 7th March.

I hope your weekend is going well, with lots of creativity and joy, thanks so much for taking the time to stop by.

Welcome Home!

Dave Dobbyn is so iconic to all that is Kiwi-ness here in New Zealand. I love the following song.

I think of this song as I welcome home my quilt, 'Folk Art Blooms'.

Designed by Buggy Barn. I made this quilt ready for The Country Yards New Years Launch in March 2013. We sold this quilt as a Block of the Month. The quilt was successful with many falling in love with it as I did. Now we have sold all we had to offer so I got to bring this quilt home.

I used a black batting and batting. Several different black fabrics were used for the backgrounds which help make the applique (raw edge) say: 'hello world, look at me!'

I had fun with the quilting, echoing the applique and flowing feathers on the borders.

Funny how in different lights the black is bluey/grey.............................

By now I am sure you would have noticed my 'helper'..........................................

"This old quilt? Really! She needs a thing of REAL beauty like me!"

Back when I made the quilt I commissioned my dear friend Julie ( see her amazing blog and you too can easily open your wallet to her beautiful handmade goodies!)   to make me a doll from some of the left over fabrics. I also made a cushion, using needle turn for the applique so shoppers could see the applique could be completed either way.

When I took my Christmas decorations down I had a we potter and changed a few things around in my home.

Another Block of the Month 'Home Coming Lane' and the Raggy Ann Prim doll I made on an old painters ladder.

My holidays have been filled with working on a new Block of the Month, which of course I can not show you just yet!
Leaving you with a final photo of 'The Helper'.......................can you spot him??

Makin' creatin' & laughin'...........................

                 Aren't they the best things in life? All three help me feel happy & content.

Sharing with you today where so much of that happened! Our annual retreat, at McGregors Bay. This was one of our MANY views.
Arriving Friday morning to help set up the hall for 18 crafty ladies, I got out of my car to take in the views.

Do you see the ship? It was a huge ship leaving Marsden Oil Refinery. I counted four different ships coming & going over the weekend.

A couple of hours later we had 14 Sewezi tables set up & two big trestle tables set up for another 4 ladies, that didn't have Sewezi tables. Plus four cutting tables, 3 ironing boards & irons, a small lounge area, as well as a dinning area. By the way so much lovely food was consumed, but we made a pact : what happens at retreat stays at retreat!

             Several of us used the same bag pattern, but ended up with very different bags!

Here is mine........................................

Me IN my bag!!

This is a Gathering Stitchers pattern, called Vintage Angel Sewing Bag. I added a doiley for the more vintage look. I also made pockets for the lining as I want mine as a handbag rather than a sewing bag. A gal has to have somewhere for the cellphone, keys & pen etc!

Saturday morning we had a Breast Cancer Awareness morning tea fundraiser. We all had to wear a hat, some like me just grabbed a hat as they were leaving home, others put more thought into their hats. There was one the won the vote & won the long tablerunner as a prize, but I didn't get her permission to load her photo on my blog, so will have to just tell you about her 'hat'. A red moulded/wire bra fastened to her head along with some gold beaded necklace draped through the straps! So funny & a perfect choice for such a morning tea. The following photo's are just a few other hats..................

Loved this one too!

Now for some more sewing. I made the bag & one & a half fabric dolls. I have since finished the second doll.

Meet Winnie ( not sure she will keep that name, I am open to suggestions) a 'Mumms Moment' pattern.

Fancy some lacy pantaloons? She was fun to make & now takes place hanging in my dinning room.

Next up is Hannah's Angel by 'Country Friends'. I wished I had taken progress photo's as I had several laughing fits. Such a strange looking body she has, please don't tell her I said that! But when she had a body & no arms & one leg, yes she has one leg that once attached to her body gets a row of running stitch to create 'two' legs!

Antique lace, a wee pocket for treasures & cloves for her hair. I was gifted her wire wings by Rachel, which I liked better than the fabric wings stated on the pattern.

I felt like some creepy person stabbing holes in the side of her head to poke the cloves in to make her hair!

Each morning & afternoon I went for a walk, on one walk I found Whangarei Heads school. What a cute school. Located at the school was an old church that's now used as the community Library, there was also a community art centre. What I love the best was the location & the school had a family of Bantam hens.

the school protected by Mt Manaia

Bantam hen house painted by the children, I love the sign on the door!

Art work all around the school

some views while out walking

wishing my views on my regular morning walks were like this!

Thanks for hanging in there with all the photo's, but I hope you enjoyed them all.

Back next week with a beautiful Double Wedding Ring quilt to share with you.