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"

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

Peacock Party - and a trip to Christchurch

Last weekend we went to Christchurch for a family birthday celebration.

I posted the photo above on Instagram and many people commented on the unique paint job on our Air New Zealand planes.   There's a silver fern on the body of the plane (our national symbol which is also on the All Blacks' rugby jersey), and a koru on the tail of the plane.

The koru (also on the wing tip) is a spiral shape based on the unfurling silver fern frond. It is an integral symbol in Māori art, carving and tattooing, where it symbolises new life, growth, strength and peace. (thanks Wikipedia)

We visited Hagley Oval and the Hadlee Pavillion to check out the cricket facilities in Christchurch. They were preparing the wicket for a match that day.

Then we went to the Botanic Gardens and had a stroll.  It was already getting very hot by 10am.  It reached 28C on Saturday = 82F.

The visitor centre, cafe and museum are all new since I last visited the Botanic Gardens.

We watched other people punting and kayaking.

Then we went to the Arts Centre for a coffee.  These beautiful buildings were started in 1878 and were built for Canterbury College which later became the University of Canterbury, in Christchurch.  The architectural design style is Gothic Revival.    

So, that's a little bit about Christchurch for those who have never been.

Now to the Peacock Party.  Thank you to everyone who continues to link up.  The Peacock Party is developing a loyal following and it is growing week by week.  I hope you're discovering new bloggers through it too.

What's everyone been up to this week?  I haven't got much to show after a trip away, but hopefully things will settle down here soon, and I'll be back to being productive with my sewing again. I look forward to seeing what everyone else has been sewing.



  



Inlinkz Link Party

Home again, and already registered for Auckland Symposium 2019

I'm just home from Symposium and there's so much to catch up on.  The very first thing I did was place an order for 150 capsules for my Nespresso machine.  Yes, 150!! I didn't realise how much I relied on coffee until I was restricted to drinking instant, or queuing in long lines to get the occasional flat white. 

The original block at St Andrew's College, Christchurch

The other thing I didn't realise was just how many New Zealanders read my blog!!! Every day I had people coming up and introducing themselves to me because they recognised me from my blog or Instagram.  It was lovely, but quite unexpected.  Thank you to everyone who said "hello".  It made me feel very welcome at my first symposium.

I don't do selfies with strangers, so can't remember most people's names, but I do remember one lady in the coffee queue from Whananaki in Northland.  We had a laugh while we huddled under a verandah out of the rain on another 12C day.

Rhododendrons hanging over the school fence

I have lots to write about Symposium, and do promise to fill you all in on all the wonderful classes I did, and my quilt in the exhibition, but I must unpack my bags and try to restore some order to my sewing table.

a little stream runs through the school grounds

The grounds of the school were beautifully maintained.  The sports fields were looking particularly lush thanks to all the rain that fell during the time we were there.

I've already registered for the next Symposium which will be in Auckland from 1-6 October 2019 - yes, two years away.

I had people from Australia and America in my classes everyday except the last day.  Many people came from overseas because of the great tutors on offer.  As well as my classes, I attended lectures by:

Michele Hill - from William Morris and Michele (Australia)
Jacqui Gering - from Tallgrass Prairie Studio (USA)
Luke Haynes - from Luke Haynes (USA)

If you're at all considering coming to Auckland Symposium in 2019 I would encourage you to register now for $35 for New Zealanders, and $60 for those overseas.  You will then receive a registration number which determines your priority for choosing classes later on.  Low registration numbers are important.  I'll see you there!!!

The driveway at St Andrew's College, Christchurch

NZ Quilt Symposium

Tomorrow I'll be off to Christchurch for our national Quilt Symposium. The symposium consist of five days of classes and lectures, plus exhibitions.  There are plenty of international tutors and it's all going to be great.

Here's the flyer for the exhibitions which are spread around Christchurch.  I'll let you into a secret - my quilt is one of the ones shown on this poster!

I can't show you my whole quilt yet, but it will be on display at the Arts Centre in central Christchurch.  The Arts Centre was one many buildings that were badly damaged in the earthquakes, but it's progressively being strengthened and rebuilt.

part of the Arts Centre

photo by Greg O'Beirne, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3104764

We haven't had a symposium in New Zealand since the Manawatu symposium in January 2015, so it's been a while.  Back then I wasn't into quilting as much as I am now, so I just made a day visit to Palmerston North and visited the exhibitions and merchant mall that year.  I didn't take any classes, but I did do some shopping.

This year I've enrolled for four different classes, and three lectures!! Talk about busy.  I expect to come home exhausted, but that's OK - it only happens every two years.

My classes are:

1. A two day hand applique class with Jen Kingwell for her Green tea and Sweet Beans quilt.

2. A free motion quilting class with Deborah Louie from Australia.

3.  A foundation paper piecing class with Chris Jurd from Australia to make the Pickled Fish quilt on the cover of the Quilters Companion magazine above.

4.  Finally I'm taking another class with Jen Kingwell to learn hand piecing and start a glitter quilt for our bedroom (see top left in photo above).  I intend to use these fabrics below for it, so it will complement our new wall paper and curtains.

I'll also be attending lectures by Michele Hill (who I met a few weeks ago at the Craft and Quilt Fair), Jacquie Gering from USA, and Luke Haynes from USA.

I'm looking forward to meeting lots of people I talk to online - on Instagram, through my blog, and through facebook groups.  Please come up and say hello if you spot me before I spot you.

I won't have time to blog from Christchurch, but I certainly will tell you all about it when I get back, including details of my quilt in the exhibition.

My visit to Christchurch

Last week I spent two nights in Christchurch for work.  I had planned a conference for 100 people at the beautiful Hagley Oval.  Thankfully it all went well, and there were no hiccups.

Hagley Oval is a cricket ground in Hagley Park, in the middle of Christchurch city.  The new Hadlee Pavilion was a great place to hold a conference. If you watched any of the Cricket world Cup earlier in the year you would have seen this pavilion in use.

lunch break

before dinner drinks

I also had time for a bit of a look around the central city. Christchurch was hit by a huge earthquake in February 2011.  185 people died in that earthquake, and since that time, many buildings have been demolished because they don't meet the building code now.  Other buildings are being saved, but need earthquake strengthening, and as a result, the central city is very bare.

Here's some of what I saw:

The view from my Rendezvous Hotel room - it's so flat, and so empty

Gloucester Street - no shortage of parking in the city

The Christchurch Cathedral - all fenced off and very dangerous

The Cathedral - photos taken through the fence

The Arts Centre - all closed off for repairs

repairs at the Arts Centre

awaiting demolition - I saw a number of buildings like this in the central city

the Avon River

I left feeling sorry for Christchurch - both for the people and for the city.  Rebuild progress has been a lot slower than many would have liked. I guess life goes on out in the suburbs, but the central city really is a barren wasteland at the moment.  Unfortunately it will be many years yet before it returns to being a vibrant city, however I know there are great plans in the pipeline.