Licorice Allsorts

There's nothing like a quilt show deadline to make me hurry up and finish a quilt.  

I've been working on this quilt since 2021, but now it's finished and it was even displayed in the Great New Zealand Quilt Show (TGNZQS) in Christchurch in May 2025.  

I'm really pleased it's finished because it's a lovely little quilt.  The colours are just so soft and the black is very dramatic against the pastels.  The coloured fabrics are Quilt Quality Chambray by Tilda . 

Licorice Allsorts is a Wendy Williams design and I love it.  I did it as a block of the month through Material Obsession in Sydney, Australia.  I loved all the hand stitching with Sue Spargo Eleganza Perle 8, but machine piecing the blocks was a bit trickier.  

Once I had finished the quilt top I hand quilted it with Aurifil 28wt in complementary colours.  fortunately my local quilt shop found a piece of black woollen batting big enough for it because I was worried that white batting might show through the black linen blocks. 

Finished size is 53" x 53"

It's Business Time

As part of Tote n Gloat in Palmerston North, I entered a mystery Row by Row challenge.  

I thought it would be fun because each person could choose their own theme and use their own fabrics.  The only rules were that each row had to be 40" wide and each row had to comply with the clues announced month by month.  

I wanted to use my husband's business shirts, so I called my quilt "It's Business Time". 

The clues were wide and left plenty of room for interpretation.  

1. three of a kind

2. curved piecing

3. embroider

4. applique

5. mirror image

6. recycle it

7. maker's choice

The Beehive - a famous Wellington landmark which is part of the Parliament buildings

I didn't win a prize but they very kindly gave each entrant a ribbon, which feels as good as a prize to me.  

I had my quilt long armed by Sue B from Busy Bee Quilt Shop in Wellington.