playtime, recharge time.............................

I must say it is nice to have a bit of time to work on some of my stuff. I still have plenty of quilts from customers, with more coming, but life, well a happy one is about balance right?
First are my Dresden Plates............................

grapefruit free to a good home!

This is a L O N G term project with no time line, just making for the pure pleasure! I love English paper piecing, I know there are many other methods, much quicker methods, eg; the wedge stitched on the machine, the glue stick etc, etc. But this is my choice of method as I find it very relaxing. I am unsure what fabric to use for the centre circles ???
Here is an earlier photo...............................

Also I have been working on a BOM for the shop

All I can say is yummy pattern, yummy fabrics!!!

I have washed a few quilts, weather permitting, it has been rain, sun, rain & heaps of humidity here in Northland!

'Grandad's shirts & " spool swap"



Now Christmas is over I can show you what I made my stitching friends for Christmas.

Tissue box covers using selvedges

Another year is nearly over & another about to begin, thank you to all my readers, the ones that comment & the ones that don't, thanks for all your support. A big thank you to all my new customers & repeat customers for your  trust & faith in me as your quilter! 



 

more swap presents,a book finish & customer quilts

I have finished a few customer quilts this week, here are two panel quilts. The first is a Beatrix Potter panel simply quilted with bobbin thread top & bottom using an 'organic' cross hatch. The tractor panel, same threads, but I just quilted 'organic' one way to look like a ploughed field. Organic gives you such freedom! This is a great one for a quilt that you don't want the quilting to be the feature, simply a texture.
I also finished an awesome quilt with a large appliqued digger, but I forgot to take a photo of it!


The next quilt is another beauty by Vivian, This one is called Hunter's Star, I love the vibrant, cheerfulness of this quilt. Vivian gave me free range on this one.

 I did an allover hooked loop using a Gunold variegated thread, then a petal in each diamond shape to show off the star, that now looks more like a flower!! I used Madeira polyneons for this.

The pieced border was given the curling ribbon treatment & the blue borders I simply echoed the same design as the main part of the quilt, it gives a feather look with a difference!

Now it's time to show you some more swap presents, but first a special present from a special friend, who said I could open it yesterday, & you can see why.................

I think if you click on this photo you will see the details such as the rusty stars, the cinnamon quills etc.............isn't it cool, now you can see why I was allowed to open it early, so I could enjoy it before Christmas is over, but I might not put it away!!!

Thimleberries pattern, Baahurrah farm 'coffee pot' soap! A lovely CD, recipe cards, a candle in a tin & at least a metre ( yard) of reproduction fabric! Thanks Dawn!

I finished another of Rosie Boom's books, "Where the Arrows Fly", from The Barn Chronicles. Not 3 hours later Rosie came into the shop , so I got to meet her! Great news there is a third book, "Where the Crickets Sing" & she has nearly finished the fourth book!

Before I go, I wanted to share a photo of a cheeky Magpie I got a photo of from out our window.

Gardeners Journal

This is great timing with Anni having just posted about gardening & her new range of fabrics & patterns........................

I finished this quilt, designed by Anni Downs, called "Gardeners Journal" last week, but it took a week to get to Nicky  by snail mail, in the deep south!! Shame we can't send parcels via email.....wham.....instant!!!

Nicky was happy for me to do what I thought was best, her only request, not too much quilting on the stitchery blocks.

Nicky does the most beautiful stitching, soooooo neat, sooooooo tiny! Maybe if you click on the photo's you will see.
For the stitchery blocks I used a bobbin fill thread, in this case, Invisifil by Wonderfil threads. The bobbin threads are fine & used sparingly can be non intrusive, which was my plan & I think I have pulled off.

There were a few larger plain blocks that needed to be filled. I didn't have the right stencils, so I made my own designs up.
The filler blocks of 1 1/2" squares & larger I did a mix of orange peel & cross hatching.

Where would a quilt like this be without a feather border!
Enjoy Nicky & thanks for a lovely quilt to work with.

more swap pressies!

Day 12....a HurdyGurdy.......I had never heard of one before, it plays the most beautiful piece of music, when you turn the wee handle.

Day 13.....two wee canisters with buttons! I have hung them on the Christmas tree!

Day 14.....A Pooping Snowman!!! Some might say this one is X rated....but I had such a giggle with this one!! Click on the photo.

Thanks Dawn!

Because I needed to show you I have been working not spending all my time opening presents....................Another wall hanging finished for Ngaire.

Matilda Station & Advent Swap

Thelma made this quilt in a class quite a few years ago. This will now be gifted to Thelma's adult son to remind him of home.

A few feathers here & there.......................................

Wood grain on the barn, a touch of meander..............................

 Feather on the border......................look at the fabulous label Thelma made.

This time last year I did the same quilt for Megan, as seen back here


Now sharing days 9, 10 & 11 of Cat's advent swap..........................

Day 9, 2 lovely primitive Christmas decorations.

Day 10, a Christmas cookbook.

Day 11, 3 rolls of Christmas ribbon.

Thank you Dawn & Cat.

On a sad note our sweet little ginger cat Rose has been missing for over a week now, we feel something bad has happened to her.

Advent swap....they are here!

Yippie.......Christmas has come early to my house, I got home from the shop today to find a big box for me! My parcel from Dawn way over in Whiting USA. Dawn & I became L-O-N-G distant friends as Cat had buddied us up as swap partners in her Advent Swap.
Because my presents didn't arrive until today, I had 8 presents worth of catching up to do........& catching up I did! Hey I didn't need to be told twice, although my husband had the cheek to make sure I opened only 8 presents! As if I would try & sneak opening more!

Here's the box lot.....now here's the opening of presents...............

From left to right.......snowman socks, chocolate covered blueberries, lip gloss - coffee scented ( made by Dawn ), fabric bundle, scented wax melts ( banana muffin & warm cinnamon rolls ), note pad, cookie cutters ( I'm going to keep these as tree decorations, too nice to cut cookie dough with! ) & beeswax candles ( made by Dawn )................& 10 painted toenails ( mine! )

Thanks again Dawn! And a big thank you to cat for organizing this cool swap!

another wall hanging & Christmas

Ngaire has been busy again....................................

The New Zealand native bird Kakoka  sometimes called New Zealand Crow.

The Christmas tree is up &  few decorations, wanna come see?................

The tree skirt I made & love, there are some special decorations on this tree, some made by my kids, some from distant shores, some made by my hands,

A Christmas quilt I made a few years ago, it was a online mystery with Susan Claire.

My friend Barbara made this reindeer about 17years ago, every year I smile when I get him out of his box!

 

A corner in our lounge, the wooden quilt hanger I made in the wood work room at school ( my son has now started making some to sell ), Lynette Anderson's button mystery BOM from last year, "Christmas Fun" & my boys stockings.

Our dining room, evidence of my cross stitch days!!

I have finished another quilt, that I will show you as soon as it has been collected by its owner & I am working on a beautiful Hatched & Patched quilt, with the neatest stitching I have seen!