30 June 2023 check in

Wow! We're half way through the year already.  And that means that it's time to check in on my goals for 2023.  

This year, in a departure from previous years, I didn't write a list of quilts I wanted to make.

Instead my goals were:

• to finish what I've already started
• to use what I already have

So it's time to see how that's worked out so far. 

Hand Quilted Sampler - started in 2018 and finally finished in 2023

Dear John - I admitted defeat on the Dear Jen quilt a long and turned my blocks into a mini quilt. 

Baby quilt for a family member - a pretty quilt all made from my stash. 

Club Tropicana for a family member - all made from my stash

Good Fortune - started in 2018 and finally finished in 2023

Licorice Allsorts top is finished, basted, and ready for hand quilting. This was a Block of the Month from Material Obsession and was designed by Wendy Williams. 

My train case took far longer than it should have, but it's finished, and I'm proud of it. I might even take it on a train when I head away on holiday soon. 

So that's five quilts finished in the first half of 2023.  That's pretty good progress for me.  I have started another two quilts in 2023, but they're just waiting for more inspiration at the moment.  

Oh! I received so many comments about mystery quilts on my last blog post.  I should have listened to all the voices of experience, but I think it's possibly something you have learn the hard way. You might think it's going to be fun, but it turns in to hard work when the quilt deviates down a path you weren't expecting. 

Now it's time for the Peacock Party.  Feel free to link up a recent blog post below.  

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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Good Fortune is finished

It's been a long time coming, but I'm very pleased to advise that my Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt from 2018 is finally finished.  It's called Good Fortune. 

I like it, but I wouldn't say that I'm in love with it.  I did learn some useful lessons along the way though; 

- beware of mystery quilts.  This isn't the first time I've said this, but I think I started this quilt before I really learnt my lesson on Jen Kingwell's Marshal mystery quilt. 

- if you're going to change the colours or layout, be confident in your plans and don't let regrets creep in.

I hand quilted it using a range of Aurifil threads in 12wt and 28wt

I changed the layout for this quilt because I thought that the original layout (above) was too traditional for me.  Now I wonder if my white squares would have shown up better in the original layout, but it's too late to go back now, and I'm definitely not making a second version.  

I can now say that I've made a Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt.  I won't be tempted to start another one when I see people starting the next one in November.  I've decided that mystery quilts aren't for me.  

Anna Maria Horner on the back

The finished size is 66" x 66"

Now it's time for the Peacock Party.  Feel free to link up a recent blog post below.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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All Treats No Tricks

How cute is this design!

I've been enjoying stitching this Halloween design by The Witchy Stitcher. I stumbled across the kit  online at Cottage Garden Threads and I knew I had to stitch it.  I wasn't expecting it to turn up in a box with a fancy thread holder too. Unfortunately I think the complete kits are sold out now, but Cottage Garden Threads are still advertising the threads as a bundle here. 

The threads are just gorgeous because they are silks by Cottage Garden Threads and the colours are so vibrant.  

The linen is my first foray in to Fox and Rabbit and I love it!! I did buy a couple more pieces on my travels to Dunedin and Christchurch in recent weeks.  They have such interesting shades and the hand dyed look really adds to any piece of stitching.  

I still have to stitch the border around the piece and then think about how I will finish it.  I might mount it on padded cardboard and then put is on a wooden board.  It will only be on display for a few weeks each year so I don't want to pay for framing.  

Now it's time for the Peacock Party.  Feel free to link up a recent blog post below.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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Auckland for King's Birthday Weekend

I'm still getting used to saying "King's Birthday Weekend".  For all of my life it's been Queen's Birthday Weekend, but now we need to get used to calling it King's Birthday Weekend - and there may never be another Queen on the throne in my lifetime with William and George next in line.  

Anyway, I had a lovely King's Birthday Weekend because I went to Auckland with my family to see my mum and dad.  Mum is doing a lot of clearing out and I bought quite a few treasures home with me.  

My Nana had a Royal Doulton Petit Point tea set.  When Nana died the set was split up amongst her children, and my mum has now passed her pieces on to me.  It's nice to know that my cousins have pieces from this set too. 

This is just some of the fancy china that we worked through while I was there.  

We also looked at quilts (of course).  This is a quilt that my mum made after taking a class with Jinny Beyer in Auckland.  It's quite dark because it was designed to go on my brother's bed.  The fussy cutting and the hand quilting are both amazing!  It's too special to go to an Op Shop so it's gone back in the cupboard.

In my pile of stuff to go through was my Milly-Molly-Mandy book.  I loved this book.  The inscription says that I got it for my eighth birthday.  The whole Englishness of these books was so different to my life in New Zealand.  Milly-Molly-Mandy explored country lanes, she rode her bicycle to the corner shop, she enjoyed "tea" with her family.  I loved it all, and I might even re-read a few of the stories now that I have the book here with me.    

Milly-Molly-Mandy's best friend was called "Little-friend-Susan", and my favourite doll was called Susan too.  I must have had this doll well before I received the book though.

My mum knitted her clothes in my favourite colour purple.

Oh! and I went to Ribbon Rose's new store in Penrose.  Can you believe that I didn't buy anything!!! There's so much to look at, but time was limited, and I was helping mum choose threads for something new for her, so I walked out with nothing.  But never fear, I'll be back in September, if not before.  

Now it's time for the Peacock Party.  Feel free to link up a recent blog post below.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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Christchurch trip

Two weeks ago I went to Christchurch to teach Wool Felt Applique to Canterbury Patchwork and Quilting Guild.  

I took along a number of my samples so the ladies could see how wool felt can be used in quilting.

My version of Flower Garden - designed by Wendy Williams 

Flocks by Night - also designed by Wendy Williams

We had a lovely day exploring all the different ways that wool felt applique can add colour and whimsy to cushions, bags and quilts. Attendees learnt new stitches to embellish their work and went away filled with new ideas.  

We all enjoyed browsing through some of the guild's wide range of library books related to wool felt applique.  I discovered some Sue Spargo books that I hadn't seen before. 

This 12" x 12" quilt below that I made for our guild challenge some years ago is always a very useful resource when I teach these classes.  It contains a variety of stitches, but is small and easy to pass around the class. 

  

I always like to visit the Botanic Gardens when I go to Christchurch.  I walked and walked on both Friday and Sunday. It's Autumn here so the trees are all losing their leaves.  Here's some photos from the weekend:

The Arts Centre

Ilex Cafe in the Botanic Gardens - my favourite cafe in Christchurch

Now it's time for the Peacock Party.  Feel free to link up a recent blog post below.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter