Nicki and Marcelle's Quilts...............

Welcome back, today I have three quilts to share today they share the common ground of E2E Quilting.

Quilt Information:

Pattern - Brother Elephant kit by The Country Yard.
Measurements - 37" x 48"
Batting - Wool/Polyester - Purchased from me.
Backing - Cream Karen Lewis - Purchased from me.
Quilting - E2E Quilting -  Malacheti
Threads - Glide.

Quilt Information:

Pattern - Air Traffic by Cherry Watson for The Apple Basket.
Measurements - 44" x 48"
Batting - Wool/Polyester - Purchased from me.
Backing - Cream Karen Lewis - Purchased from me.
Quilting - E2E Quilting - Malacheti. (Both these quilts were loaded together on the same backing and batting and quilted together.)
Threads - Glide.

Quilt Information:

Pattern - Scrappy Trip Around the World - By Bonnie Hunter and pulled together as a SAL by Angie
Measurements - 60" x 71"
Batting - Polyester - Purchased from me.
Backing - Supplied by customer.
Quilting - E2E Quilting - Over & Back Calico.
Threads - Glide.

Marcelle's two quilts.......................

Hello and welcome back to my little sharing space of some quilty pleasure. Today we can share together in two quilts both made by Marcelle, both very different. The first one was purchased through the ever popular 'Block-of-the-month' system.

"In My Garden" is a design by The Birdhouse put together by The Country Yard. Marcelle took her time stitching and piecing this pretty quilt in between other quilts.

Measuring 40" x 46" polyester batting, free hand custom quilting as well as some ruler work using Glide threads.

Silly me didn't take a photo of the back! It was pieced with some of the left over fabrics, I think Marcelle is on a mission like so many of her fellow quilt makers to rid the cupboards of scraps! You will notice in her next quilt she tried extremely hard to accomplish just that.............but failed she tells me!

Measuring a whopping 100" square this and the scrappy backing still has Marcelle left with more scraps!

Marcelle chose and edge to edge design called 'Feather Me' I used Glide thread in the colour 'Military Gold' as it was the best to blend over so many colours. The pattern of the quilt design is called SCRAPPY X PLUS. The backing is delightfully scrappy too!

All this scrappiness made me pull out one of the many flimsys I have lurking around waiting to be quilted.

 'Strippy Classic' - although the name Scrappy Strippy Classic is growing on me! I started this back in 2011........it is now quilted, just waiting on the binding and label fairy to swoop down on my house! I shall report back with full photo's when she has been :-)

Last weekend saw me once again head out into the hills and the bush.......Maungatapere Mountain and Crevices.

The start

Giant Hammock style spiderwebs

Squeezing through the 'Mammogram Crevice'

Cat's, the alphabet, chickens - lots of chickens!

One of the fabulous things about moving (or maybe not so fabulous?) is the stuff you find. You know somehow discarded in the back of cupboard only to be found like a long lost friend! Shannon recently had this experience when she was moving house and found not one but 6 quilt tops! She asked me if I could please quilt them.........of course!

First a scrappy cats quilt. Shannon tells me these quilts were all made from her scraps and are intended for the kids to use as floor quilts, or make huts etc.
Second is a scrappy fish/water themed quilt.

Next, scrappy alphabets...................all these quilts have Matilda's Own polyester batting and have free hand edge to edge quilting using a variety of colours of Glide threads

This next quilt was such a hoot to quilt! These three hardcase chooks looking back at me, which by the way do have eyes, they just couldn't be attached until after the quilting!

Each have their own little story to tell, but what is it? I had fun just 'doodling' some funky/wacky feathers on the border.

What are these three talking about?? perhaps they are singing: "The Hill's are Alive with the Sound of C Next blog post will be Shannon other two quilts, they are next to go on the machine.

Next is another Chicken quilt! This one is made by Lesley, it's called "Chicken Soup" designed by Mary Lou & Company.

These girls were also characters! Once again, eyes to be attached after quilting- these ladies must love their quilter!

Lesley supplied her own batting and backing. I enjoyed the texture created from the fine 'picket fence' quilting on the gold sashings as well as the feathered border.

I'm sure you have seen quite enough chickens for one day. Thanks so much to Shannon and Lesley for once again letting me loose on their quilts!

Until next time, I will share with this delightful treat I had while out on my morning walk yesterday.

Some finishes..................................

Happy Easter! Are you well and truly sick of chocolate Easter eggs yet? How about hot cross buns!
I didn't have any big eggs but a couple of tiny white chocolate ones, but I did consume my fair share of hot cross buns! Well if you did over consume, sit back and rest that bulging tummy! I have had an interesting weekend, quilting, gardening, walking and even a finished quilt top.
First I would like to share Helen's grandchild's quilt. Made from a funky panel.

Helen requested an all over quilting design, I chose "Splash" and used Fantastico thread colour: " Playhouse".

            I have a couple of other quilts finished but you will have settle for sneak peeks for now.

More on both those quilts later in the week.
At l-o-n-g last I have finished the scrappy cross roads quilt for my niece, well it's at the flimsy stage. Flange binding made, see this* post* if you missed how to make this fabulous binding. I also made a backing fabric!

Friday morning was a lovely morning to head out for a walk, I took a banana and a small thermos of coffee because I knew I was going to be walking for a few hours in a beautiful spot. Look at the pretty spot I took the weight off my feet.

One of our majestic Kauri trees. I was so fortunate to see a giant kauri snail as well! All in all a lovely morning out. Thanks for stopping by, see you later in the week.

Quilts as gifts, scrappiness and Simon!

Ok my last post I said summer was nearly gone..........I was so wrong! You summer lovers out there will be basking in all that sun.
 The first quilt I am sharing with you today is Helen's wedding present to her daughter, a Double Wedding Ring quilt. This is a spin on this traditional pattern.............simply by colour choice.

This photo is a bit on the dark side, too early in the morning but you get the idea, the close ups are better. Large at 84" x 96" and rather a heavy quilt. The next photo found the sun!

Helen wanted simple quilting which suits the modern feel to this dynamic bold quilt. Once the essential stitching in the ditch was completed I did some echo quilting, a cross hatch through the middle of each 'ring' and piano keys on the border.

These grey 'cornerstones' are shown here with just the ditch stitching...................

Now shown here with an echo line of stitching in the cornerstone, much better I think.

And because it was early morning when I took this photo Simon had not yet taken up his snoozing spot for the day, so he was on call for his opinion.

Next is Christine's quilt also to be gifted to her daughter, but not a wedding present, a birthday present this time.

Christine's daughter now lives in America but was born in New Zealand and also lived in Australia for some years, so Christine got creative with some Kiwiana and Australian panels.

 It's a two sided quilt, one side for the New Zealanders and the other for the Australians. Quilted together using an all over quilting design (edge to edge) called "Groundcover" and Glide thread called "Bark".............which suited BOTH sides!

Thank you so much ladies for letting me loose on your precious gifts! Facebook followers will have seen the Kaffe Fassett quilt I am working on, well I have actually finished it, here's a peek.

From time to time I have been happily piecing some more Scrappy Cross Roads blocks, now that it's together waiting for possible borders (not sure yet??) I took it outside to photograph it and of course Simon, the ever helpful supervisor was on duty to assist!

After about seven photo's I managed to get one without him on the quilt! It took moving the quilt to achieve this. :-)

This quilt has fourteen thousand and forty 2" squares! I am thinking a narrow light border then a plain purple border? You can deposit your 2 cents worth if you fancy!

On Sunday I went tramping  pulling myself up a mountain.  Mt Tutamoe Reportedly the second highest peak in Northland. See that cone shaped thing at the top of the photo? That's it.

The track was not really a track, more suitable for goats than humans! I wouldn't recommend it for anyone wheelchair bound that's for sure!

That's a 'track' :-)

Reasonably muddy and therefore slippery, I had quite a conversation in my head with myself as I was hoping the tree roots I was grabbing onto to haul myself up this 'track' would hold my weight! I said " I have to come back down here"..........but I did do it. The views at the top were spectacular. Views towards Kaikohe, Dargaville, Kai Iwi lakes, Baylys Beach and Whangarei heads, sadly the cloudy day wasn't the ultimate of conditions for photos'.

Views back towards Whangarei

Thanks for hanging in there with this lengthy post, I hope you enjoyed it!