Friday 18 September 2020

Is it Summer yet?

 This week I had a little play with English Paper Piecing.  



I've had these gorgeous ice cream prints for a few months now, and I decided I would just start playing around with them and see where it leads me.  I cut and basted some other combinations while I was at it.
  




I don't have a master plan yet, I'm just going to experiment with them.  That's why I chose to do English Paper Piecing rather than hand piecing.  These blocks could be floating around for a while, and they will keep better with the raw edges glue basted down.  


There's lots of pretty fabrics in this range by Melody Millar for Ruby Star Society.  I was never a huge Cotton + Steel fan, but I thought these fabrics were quite different and I could use them in many ways.  

I haven't done much sewing done this week because I went to Queenstown for four nights.  If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you've probably seen too many photos already, but for those who don't, here are a few snaps of Queenstown in late winter / early Spring.  

The Remarkables



Skyline Gondoals



Gibbston Valley winery


Waking up to snow on Cecil Peak

We had a wonderful time in Queenstown.  The town was very quiet because our borders are closed until there is a vaccine, so there were no international tourists.  We are allowed to travel domestically provided we wear masks on public transport including planes.  


I flew in style with my new Octopus tote bag.  

 

Now it's time for the Peacock Party.  What have you been up to this week? Feel free to link up a recent blog post below.



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10 comments:

Marly said...

No, it can't be summer there; it's still summer here! But not for long I suspect.
I love the use you're making of your ice cream fabric, all set for an ice cream garden!

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

that looks like such a beautiful place to visit

Daryl @ Patchouli Moon Studio said...

Your ice cream paper piecing looks fun. Oh New Zealand looks like such a lovely place. If only you would adopt me, lol! But I wouldn't be able to even enter your beautiful country now, :0(

Turid said...

Fun hexies, and some beautiful photos. I love to see those mountains.

Jenny said...

A trip to Queenstown without the crowds would be so different. Was it a work trip or a short holiday?

JanineMarie said...

Those ice cream cone blocks are delicious!! I had never thought about the tendency of hand pieces hexies to fray. I was just thinking of giving them a try. I better keep the project small and well protected. Your mountain photos are gorgeous, and make me envious of your travels. I do not trust the situation in my country to do that so I will just use your photos for a vacation in my mind.

Rebecca Grace said...

Your travel photos from Queenstown are spectacular but still, I'm most inspired by your hexies. The way you centered each little ice cream cone so they are dancing around the center patch is adorable! And now, I am dragging my family out to the ice cream parlor. Mint chocolate chip in a dark chocolate dipped waffle cone is calling my name...

Gemini Jen NZ said...

I think you timed it right for your visit to Qtown, Wendy - it has been very wintery down this way for the past three days (finally got some sunshine today) and I know they had snow down quite low in Queenstown for a bit. I love the way you've chosen to use your ice-cream prints - they look really cool (no pun intended LOL!)

FlourishingPalms said...

I sure did follow your travels on Instagram, and definitely lived vicariously! At least travel is safe within your borders. So glad you could escape for a while! It's fun to play with EPP, isn't it? I'm in agreement about most of C&S prints, but also don't use some of the fabrics you like. It makes me glad that we can each choose to work with prints that make us happy!

Mystic Quilter said...

Loved the ice cream cone fabric when it first came out, now wish I'd purchased! Stunning views of Queenstown Wendy.