From my bedroom window

The view from my bedroom window may or may not appeal to some but it provides plenty of interest to me depending on the season and the weather.

The walnut tree to the right was recently pruned and a couple of days later the wren birds came to visit.  Probably 30 or more resting on the trees or hopping to the ground for food.  They could obviously see items of interest that I could not.

Sometimes the fantails will fly over the embankment and appear to be sailing on the wind as they chase insects that are tempting them in the air ways.

There are walking paths on both sides of the river and I often see walkers and/or cyclists making use of facilities to exercise along the river setting.  A great place for exercising dogs as well and is used as daily routine by some dog owners.

Other days it is not uncommon to see splashes in the river as fish rise to the surface and splash around before disappearing again.  Bird life abounds as well with a variety of ducks, geese and swans taking their turn in the river from time to time or flying overhead.

Most days the local kayaking business brings a group of would be kayakers to the river to try their hand at the sport.  They come all weathers and provide more interest for us above.

I am glad not to be confined to my bedroom but if I was it is nice to know that there is a range of activities that can be observed from my bedroom window.

Scrappy and Bright

Sister Linda is librarian for Taupo Quiltmakers.

She recently bought a new batch of books for their library and those people who borrowed the new books were asked to make something from the book and to review at the next meeting.

The concepts of the quilts in this book appealed to me and so I chose the Critters and Crawlers quilt to make.

A basic square within a square block, I decided to use a variety of conversation fabrics to make an 'I Spy' quilt with blue and yellow as the background fabrics.

This is a close up of the results - can you see the stars emerging from the placement of the blue and yellow background fabrics?

Just big enough to cover a single bed, we have a great nephew in mind to give it to.

But wait, he has two younger brothers.

Some more scrappy quilts will be needed to keep them warm and cosy too.

They are already underway so more quilts are yet to be revealed.

70th Birthday Quilt

This quilting block has become a firm favourite of ours.

This one featured was made as a gift for a friend who belongs to Taupo Quiltmakers and our Sweet Pea group.

It was hung at the recent local quilt exhibition and the red really popped out from the black and white background fabrics.

I wrote in April about the autumn colour one I made for my friend, Cherie.

Just this past week Linda and I made another in shades of purple, turquoise and hot pink for our cousin's 59th birthday.  You can read about that with images on Linda's blog.

Amazing results for a relatively easy quilt block.  If you would like to try this yourself you can find instructions on Bonnie Hunter's website.

Time for an Airing

At our recent quilt exhibition one of the ladies had made a candlewick quilt which was beautifully displayed on a bed.

The set up needed some props so I offered my two crazy quilt cushions and it was nice to give them an airing in a setting like this.

On the wall behind the bed was this most delightful Baltimore style quilt with a Kiwiana flavour.

Hand appliqued and hand quilted it really is a beauty.

Of Doilies and Such

One of the ladies in our quilting group is extremely artistic and comes up with some amazing quilt creations.

This wall hanging was created as a way of showing off her doiley collection.

I stood for some time just looking at the machine quilting that she had done to create all the texture in this piece.

Her doilies are scattered in various places all over the wall hanging.

Very clever.

If you would like to see more eye candy relating to our quilt exhibition, sister Linda has been writing quite a bit over the last few days so you may like to take a peek at her blog too.

Every Quilt Has A Story

Apart from the Kiwiana Lasagne quilt I made recently, I have made three other Kiwiana theme quilt tops.

After I made the first one I was piecing together scrappy pieces to make a back for it but after I had put all the effort into it Linda and I decided it was worthy to become the front of the quilt and so it is called Back to Front.

Linda found some wonderful variegated red and black thread and worked her magic on the black panels to offset the array of Kiwiana fabrics in the alternate strips.

 This week is the Taupo Quiltmakers exhibition and so we have been able to have it on display amongst a wonderful array of varied quilts of all sizes and descriptions.

A real feast for the eyes - all of them!

Bookmarks With Heart

The other day I told you about the thread catchers I had been making for our local quilt show.

I have also been making these fabric hearts.

They are not just hearts for hearts sake but they are actually neat little bookmarks.

Again, the idea did not originate with me and you can find the tutorial for making them at Sew Many Ways.

Front of bookmark

Back of bookmark

They are cleverly made so as to create a pocket which slips over the page of the book you are reading.

Of course if you are living in the digital age and only use eReaders you may just like to slip the heart over the corner of your eReader as a pretty decoration.

It also occurred to me that if you wished to gift one of these bookmarks to someone you could place a few small items in the pocket side of the heart. 

After the goodies are gone, the recipient still has the fabric bookmark to remember you by.

Just like the thread catchers, I think these bookmarks could be given a crazy quilt treatment but I just have not got there, yet.

Taupo Quiltmakers Show

After posting about the Taupo Quiltmakers putting on a show yesterday I had a query about the times and dates so thought I would pop their notice up here in case anyone else is ready, willing and able to come and see the amazing assortment of quilts that will be on display:-

Stitching is Happening

If you were to visit our home over the past few weeks there would be plenty of evidence that stitching is happening.

The Taupo Quiltmakers group is having a quilt show this coming week and lots of things need to be prepared for this local event.

Quilts need to be finished and sleeves added to enable quilts to be hung for show.

The sales table needs items and one of the things I have been making for that purpose is these cute little thread catchers.

A great way to keep your work space neat and tidy while you work.  Pop any left over threads etc., into the thread catcher for handy disposal later.  Easy to fold up and take with you for portable projects.

If they are of appeal to you, you can find instructions at Sister's Choice Quilts.

The other thing that occurred to me was that you could pop a small vase inside and they could make a lovely container for a posy of flowers.

Opportunities unlimited with these cute craft items.  Dig into your scrap bag and you could be stitching these for yourself or as gifts for your crafty friends.

I think they also lend themselves to being made crazy quilt style but I have not got that far, yet.

Lasagne Quilt

Today we had lasagne for our midday meal and it reminded me of the lasagne quilt I made.

Recently our local quilt group, Taupo Quiltmakers, had a sit and stitch evening and there was an opportunity to make a quick and easy quilt under sister Linda's watchful eye.

We have been given a lot of Kiwiana fabric scraps and so I decided to to use them for this project.

This is a quilt as you go project - sewing strips of fabric the width of the backing until you have covered the entire back.

Great use for my bits and pieces but I did have a bit of an oops as a couple of pieces of Australiana fabric found their way into the project and so I have called it 'Kiwiana Meets Australiana'.

It is a lovely lap size quilt and will be sent in thanks to the lady who gave us the scraps.  Did I say scraps?  From what we have been given I have now made 4 quilt tops, including this one, and have more than enough to make another one yet.

Does this idea have appeal for you?  Linda has written about lasagne quilts on her blog and you can see some different themes if you take a peek there.

Made by Me for Me

Well I did make it for me but CiCi thinks it is for her too.

Some quilts are a bit like wine, they need to be left to mature and this one was a while in the making.

Our Sweet Pea group give each other fat quarters for our respective birthdays in the colours of our choice.

For two birthdays I have received fat quarters in shades of autumn so I thought it was about time to do something with them.

I bought some cream fabric for contrast and Linda had found a pattern for a disappearing nine patch on the internet so I decided to give that a go.

Some of my colour choices were not too good and so the layout suggested in the pattern did not seem to work for me.  I decided to play around with the blocks and came up with a layout that revealed stars and so I decided to call the quilt, Surprisingly Starry:-

I asked Linda to quilt it in a way to emphasize the stars and so instead of doing an overall design she tried a number of different techniques and included squares within diamonds, curved cross hatching and piano keys and I couldn't be happier with the outcome.

Now that I have had my fill of autumn fabrics (still more in my stash though), I am asking for soft greens and soft pinks so my next quilt creation from those colours will be quite different, I am sure.

You can read more about this quilt from Linda's perspective on her blog.

Needle Book Results

Last week the group of ladies from Tokoroa came for the revealing of the finished needle book blocks from our round robin.

The image on the left is my finished block.  I made the block but all of the embellishments were done by this lovely group of ladies.

I took photos of all of the finished blocks and have created a gallery page for your viewing.

One round robin finished and one to go.

Needle Books from Tokoroa

My recent sojourn in Australia meant that I have fallen behind somewhat in my contribution to the two needle book groups I am involved with.

By the time I returned there was more than on needle book needing my attention.

After working on this one I was able to mail it on Friday, but I still have needle books in hand.

This is a close up of my work for this block.

I used a hand dyed floral motif and then worked around it with purple sequin flowers, gold beading and french knots in cotton and silk threads.

I also added a row of blanket stitch to the left in variegated silk thread.

Now to the next challenge, I am sure I will catch up - real soon.

Silk Print Creation

A lady contacted me recently about the silk prints I sell on Trade Me.

She wanted a selection of small ones.  A friend had bought some from me and passed some on to her.

I asked her what she did with the silk prints and she said she liked to make greeting cards with them. What a lovely surprise when she sent me one of her cards featuring one of my silk prints.

The card stock she used is a lovely dusty lavender.  She has used gold trim to very good effect.

Even the inside of the card had extra gold work and the image does not show it but the note paper had fancy edging as well.

I felt it was a real privilege that she should have shared her lovely creation inspired by one of my silk prints.

Back to Needle Books

When I put out the call on my blog for people to join in with a needle book round robin a lady called Lynda happened to be searching the internet and found my entry.

She asked if she could join in and this week I have had the pleasure of adding to the embroidery on her block.

My contribution is a gold metallic thread feather stitch bush, some blanket stitching with silk thread and a floral creation that began with a green hand dyed leaf tucked into the seam line.

After a recent sojourn in Australia I am somewhat behind on my commitment to round robins but part of my target for this weekend is to bring them up to date so more postings will be happening.

First touch of winter

We have had a few days of not very nice weather but today the skies cleared and when we opened the curtains this morning there were our mountains with their first real coating of snow for the winter.

Our brother is staying at the moment and he has this theory that to have energy you have to put into your energy bank to draw from it and one of the ways of doing this is to go for daily walks.

Well it was a bit nippy down on the lake front but it certainly was nice to go for a 20 minute walk there this morning and with a top up of coffee to finish it off we did feel energised by the time we came home.

Linda wrote about this on her blog as well and she took far better photos than me so you may like to check her out as well.

Have car - tree will come down

We needed to find space in our garden for two new fruit trees so one tree had to go to make way.

Our brothers were visiting and so they spent quite a bit of the morning chopping away at the roots of the tree.

When they were satisfied they had cut away sufficient roots they attached a rope to the tree and the tow bar on my brother's car.

It took more than one turn but eventually the tree succumbed...........

and they had success!

They look well pleased with their efforts and rightly so.

However, the show must go on and so there is more chopping and hacking before the tree is completely gone.

We look forward to seeing our new fruit trees in place.

Quilts as gifts

A while ago I wrote about winning some lovely orange fabric in a raffle at our quilting group.

My friend from Sydney, Cherie, left a comment to say how much she liked the fabric.

Little did she know that the fabric was destined to be incorporated in a quilt especially for her.

Yesterday I met up with her and was able to give it to her.

From completion I had been coveting it for myself but it really was time to see it move along and go to its new owner.  I am sure Cherie will enjoy having it as part of her possessions.

Sister Linda has also written about this quilt on her blog and she cleverly quilted this for me after I had finished the machine piecing.

Taking the plunge

Part of participating in a needle book round robin is the challenge of making the first imprint on the naked block that arrives in your letter box.

It is a bit like a blank canvas for the artist to contemplate - where to start, will the first mark be right or wrong - you just have to get on with it and take the plunge.

This block is the first I have received from my Blog Round Robin.  Lorraine sent it and it is all in purples, a colour that I do like working with.

In the end I decided to do this floral spray which incorporates a floral motif, feather stitch in gold metallic thread, sequin flowers, grub roses, beading, an iridescent butterfly and french knot stitching.

The block is on its way to Cherie, in Australia.

I look forward to sharing more as other blocks come my way.

Needle books - again

Last week I posted this image of Michelle's needlebook.

It already had work on it by two other people and now it was my turn..............

I couldn't resist adding a couple of green beaded flowers to the ones on the right but then I turned my attention to the left side of the block.

I attached a hand dyed motif and added floral silk ribbon embroidery.

There was already another hand dyed motif and I added some silk ribbon work and cotton thread french knots.

I must have taken these photos at different times of day - the second image is more true to life.

My time with this block has come to an end so it is time to move it along with the previous one I mentioned a couple of days ago.

I still have another block to do before I am all up to date once again.

Before Winter Sets In

Before winter sets in we are really enjoying some beautiful autumn weather and the flowers of the season.

We were given a pot of red and white chrysanthemums at the end of last year and when they finished flowering we planted them in the garden.  They have come back with a lovely spread of flowers and this monarch butterfly must have appreciated them being there as it rested there for some time.

Not far from these flowers we have a dahlia bush which has just come into flower recently with the most delightful dark shades of burgundy blooms.  The centres look little seed beads.

Our mornings are crisp and the days clear and sunny.  So nice, and the flowers just add to the loveliness of it all.

More about needle books

Last week I shared with you what Win's block looked like when it arrived.

That is Rayna's beautiful silk ribbon work on the right.

With other needle books in the pipeline I thought I had better get moving along so I have added to the left of the block.

Some feather stitch work in gold metallic thread with dark red beading and to the left of that some scrolling work in chain stitch in blue finished with pretty pink sequin flowers with gold beads at the centre.

A close up of my work just in case you want a closer peek.

Time to move on to the next one now so I can keep things moving along just like I should.

Another challenge

Yesterday this needle book block arrived from Tokoroa.

I have not finished working on the one I shared yesterday so I have time to contemplate what I might do with this one.

Two people have worked on this block so there is already quite a bit more work than on the other one.

Still more to come - maybe tomorrow..............

Needle Book Progress

Having set two groups of needle book round robins into motion I was very keen to have a block to work on and then this one arrived last week.

Rayna forwarded it from our Tokoroa group and the silk ribbon work she has done on it is just beautiful.

She has hand dyed the silk ribbon and the tonings of the pinks and greens are so nice.

Silk ribbon work is such a lovely craft once you have mastered a few basic techniques and if you have the opportunity to dye your own silk ribbon you have another dimension altogether.

My challenge now is to add to what Rayna has started.  I have done some but my work is not completed yet.  I will share when it is ready to be on its way.

I need to move along now, because, after waiting and waiting for one block I now have three to work on - two more arrived in the post today.  More images for me to be sharing with you.

Twelve months ago I thought that my crazy quilting days were over because my wrists were not in good shape.

I pulled back from doing a lot of hand work and I have been attending bowen therapy once a fortnight and I am happy to say that my wrists have improved a great deal and I am enjoying participating in this form of hand work again.

Looking forward, looking back

Sometime back, when I was still living in Australia, I participated in a needle book round robin.

I created the block in autumn colours and look what came back to me!

I especially love the silk ribbon roses on the top right side of the block and if you look carefully you can see a spider's web complete with spider below.

Looking forward, with our latest needle book round robin, my friend from Sydney, Cherie, has created an autumn shade block which I just love.  You may like to take a peek and see this 'naked block' for yourself, and while you are there, have a look around all the other things Cherie is interested in.

Cherie has posted this block to the next person on the list today so the fun is starting to happen.

Needle book progress

When I put out a request via this blog for people to participate in a round robin it did not look like it was going to happen and then one by one the names came in and suddenly, there is was, a group of six of us committed to join in.

Two weeks have been given for the actual block to be created and mailed for the recipient to receive on the 13th April.

My block has to go to Australia so it has occurred to me I had better get mine in the post as soon as the Easter break is over and so here it is in pinks and greens and I imagine it being embellished by the others in similar colours.

Let the round robin begin!