Quilting for Laura!

Hello Quilty Friends!

It's June & wouldn't you know it June is my birthday month. Another year wiser??

Ok no comments about that thank you 😀

Over the last few years my long time friend & decided to stop giving each other birthday presents & spend a few days together enjoying each others company. We don't cook, we eat out or buy takeaways & knit, talk (oh do we DO LOTS OF that!) & we go go for a scenic bike ride somewhere. Last year I combined my birthday trip south with a quilt retreat. It's located at one of my most favourite places. It's fully catered, so once again a few more days of no cooking, that's always an added bonus. Last year another friend joined me at retreat, what a cool way to spend time with crafty friends. 

This year my lovely friend Julie from My Threadbare Life joined me at retreat. We sewed, ate together, went for walks together & even "escaped" retreat to go out for a nice coffee & some opshopping. If you follow Julie you will know she is a pro at finding some amazing treasures at opshops, I may have pointed out a few goodies to add to her pile! 

Julie & I swapped birthday presents too as our birthdays are both in June.

Before I headed away I worked hard to finish Laura's three quilts so I could deliver them personally & finally meet her. Let me show you Laura's beautiful quilts:

Quilt Information:

Pattern - Exploding Heart by Slice of Pi Any Heart Design.

Measurements - 72"x 72"

Quilting - E2E Quilting - Heart Scallops.

Batting - Supplied by Laura.

Backing - Supplied by Laura.

Threads - Glide - Linen.

Quilt Information: 

Pattern - Moonbow by Tula Pink.

Measurements - 84"x 88"

Quilting - E2E Quilting - Akash.

Batting - Supplied by Laura.

Backing - Tula Pink Pineapple - Purchased from me.

Threads - Glide - Cleopatra (T) Lemon (B)

Quilt Information:

Pattern - Opening Night - by Tula Pink

Measurements - 82"x 82"

Quilting - E2E Quilting - First Starlight.

Batting - Supplied by Laura.

Backing - Bloom - Purchased from me.

Threads - Glide - Sterling.

Thank you Laura for once again for making beautiful quilts & entrusting them to me.

Here are a couple of collages' of my birthday week:

Now that Julie has her birthday present from me I can show you! I found a gorgeous piece of vintage silk dupioni which a quilted into a table runner for her:

It's VERY difficult to capture the true colour.

                                                    From the same fabric I made a cushion.

                                      As yet I haven't listed it in my shop - but it is for sale! 😉

Speaking of my shop, while I was away I was over the moon to be notified I sold the Satin Duffle Bag! Whoopwhoop....as a small business owner I am ALWAYS happy when this happens.

Have you visited my shop? Here's the link if you are interested, perhaps you know someone else that might like to go shopping with you??

Quiltmekiwi Quilt Shop

Thanks for stopping by.

Leeanne.

Another week gone!

Is it just me, the weeks are going ever so fast. One moment it's Friday evening the next it's Friday evening the following week! How does that work I ask you???
Last Friday morning I headed off with my car loaded down with a mountain of projects to be finished at my annual retreat.
The drive out takes me just under an hour to get there, the most part of the drive is along the coastline, it really is so pretty here in Northland.
The retreat has been going for five years now, I have been coming from the beginning and I NEVER tire of the views!

That's a large ship in the distance, we saw several heading in and out over the weekend.

Little baches (and not so little baches/holiday homes!) scattered along and around the many bays. Some homes are occupied permanently.

Setting up in the big hall is always fun, lots of tables made into cutting stations with ironing boards and irons at the ready.

This was my little nook, a big plastic storage box to my left with all the projects needing finishing.
I make sure my sewing machine is covered up when I head to bed each evening.

The next two photo's were of my efforts for the weekend, see further along in this post to see close ups of three of these projects. The second photo is of my stars blocks. I now have 25 blocks completed, I am currently contemplating what the setting of my blocks will be.

Each morning I headed off for a brisk walk, all the while taking in the peaceful surroundings. Here the rising sun shining on Marsden Oil Refinery, Yachts anchored in a bay.

Mt Mania keeping watch over all the happy patchworkers! The camp where we have our retreat is just below the mountain.

                Our weekend is full of productiveness, laughing, eating and a wee bit of sleeping!!

For more photo's of retreat that are so much better than mine, head over to Raewyn's blog, she has a great little camera that has this cool setting for panoramic photo's.................my little iPod touch is pretty basic for photo's.

Two of my projects finished over retreat weekend were two hot water bottle covers, one for my eldest  granddaughter and the other for one of my daughters.

At retreat I finished a quilt top (a cot panel that I added borders to) this week in between quilting my customers quilts I quilted an all over quilting design on the cot quilt.

I have finished two quilts ready to head back to the owner in Taranaki, one a custom quilting job the other has an all over quilting design (edge to edge). This evening I finished another custom quilting job, so next week when all quilts are back in their owners arms I shall share these lovely quilts with you!

Leaving you with this quotation:

"We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action" ~ Frank Tibolt

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.