My week

Another week has passed and I still haven't managed to get back to my sewing machine.  I have been  cross stitching in the evenings though, and I've finished the First Day of Christmas by Hello from Liz Mathews. 

I still need to turn it into a 3D tree, but at the moment it's just waiting on the finishing pile.  I love the linen I chose for this one - it's 32 count Wichelt linen in a lovely pale green.

Cyclone Gabrielle passed over New Zealand on Monday and Tuesday and the Hawke's Bay suffered terrible flooding (Napier, Hastings, Gisborne). Nearly 10,000 people are currently displaced from their homes, and 4,500 people are registered as missing.  The devastation is terrible.  Many people will never return to their homes, but they are just thankful to still be alive.  The death toll is sure to rise.

We were very lucky in Wellington and were hardly affected at all by the cyclone. It's hard to believe there's so much destruction just 4 hours drive away.  

Here's some photos from my garden this week.

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

 

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Sashiko Quilt

I'm working on quite a few mystery projects this year that I just can't share on my blog.  I know a lot of you come here each week for inspiration, so from time to time I'm going to share some of my earlier quilts that you might have missed.  

This is my sashiko quilt that I made 10 years ago when my son went to Japan on a school exchange trip.  

I started with a pattern from Nancy's Stitch Studio, but then I used library books and the internet to research sashiko patterns. I found lots of additional designs that I liked, but I had to scale them to fit my blocks.

I really enjoyed doing the sashiko in the blocks before I joined the whole quilt up.  

- I used tailor's chalk to draw grids on the dark indigo squares to map out where the designs would sit.

- I went over the chalk marks with the sewing machine because they were rubbing off too easily.

- I hand stitched the Sashiko patterns between the grid lines with Ecru DMC Perle 8. (Sashiko thread is expensive in New Zealand and I knew I would need alot.)

- I then pulled out all of the grid lines I'd made with machine stitching.

There's so many sashiko patterns to stitch. 

The facts:

Each of the navy blocks measures 8.75" x 8.75" finished.

I used ecru Perle 8 for the sashiko stitching.

I did all of the sashiko before I made the quilt sandwich.

The quilt has wool batting.

The finished quilt measures 62" x 80".

   

There's more info about this quilt on the Sashiko tab on my blog.  

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

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June Sheath Dress by Style Arc

Yes, I made a dress - from Kaffe Fassett fabrics of course!

I like to wear 100% cotton dresses in summer, but they're getting harder and harder to find in the shops.  So I decided I would just have to make some dresses myself.    

I used the Style Arc June Sheath Dress pattern with a few modifications around the neck line.  I cut the neck line lower, based on a dress I already have.  

I'm really pleased with how it turned out and I'm looking forward to wearing it soon. 

Update: Yes, it's regular quilting Kaffe Fassett quilting cotton. 

I bought the PDF version of the pattern and got Karina at Studio of Sewing in Auckland to print it on to sturdy A0 paper for me.   I can now reuse the pattern again and again.  

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

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Cross Stitch

 I haven't done any quilting in January - instead I've been busy cross stitching.

The online Jingle Ball online event in December rekindled my interest in cross stitching, and seeing all the beautiful hand made Christmas decorations on Instagram definitely got me motivated to stitch more.  

Through the Jingle Ball I became aware of some different designers, so I've been stitching decorations designed by Hands On Design and Erica Michaels.  The one above is part of Christmas Countdown by Erica Michaels and it's going to be finished as a drum - something new for me!

These two below are by Hands On Design and were are exclusive for the Jingle Ball attendees, but will be released later in 2023. I'm still working on the third part - Noel.

  

And then, I finally figured out the finishing for the Twelve Days of Christmas by Hello from Liz Mathews, so I finished two of my trees, and started a third.  

Oh! And I've made two more Mill Hill beaded Santas since Christmas. Here's the first one.

And finally, I somehow got sucked in to the Peppermint Purple 2023 blackwork stitch a long. My justification for that was that it's free, and it's only one tiny square of black work each week.  Surely I can keep up with that.  I found some pretty variegated thread in my stash, but I did have to buy a special piece of hand dyed linen to complement the threads.   Unfortunately I can't show you any progress pictures or I'll be booted out of the programme!

So, my hands have been busy while I've watched the Australian Open tennis matches on TV.  I've even quite enjoyed a break from my sewing machine.  

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

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A pretty baby quilt

One of my nieces has just had a baby so I made a pretty baby quilt for the baby. 

I used the "June" pattern from Amanda Jean Nyberg's book, "No Scrap Left Behind". I've had the book for a few years and have always wanted to try that pattern.  It felt good to be able to make if from fabrics I had on hand. 

I used some of the Tula Pink pastel solids I had left over from when I made this quilt for my mother in law - the baby's great grand mother. So there's a nice connection there. 

As it's a baby quilt and I want it to be used, I had it machine quilted at Busy Bee Quilt Shop.  

I even found a nice backing for it in my stash.

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

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Train Case

My first finish of 2023.

Months ago I saw a beautiful Liberty train case for sale in a shop.  It was pretty pricey, so I decided to make my own version.  

Now I know why it was pricey - they are very fiddly! 

This one ended up bigger than my original plan, but the smaller you go, the more fiddly it gets.  

I ended up using Mink Kim's pattern from Sewing Illustration for Cutie Cube Bag, with quite a few modifications. Mine is sized somewhere between her big and small sizes.  Mine has the binding on the outside rather than the insides.  I used the Patterns by Annie method for binding my seams and zipper edges.  

So it's a hybrid, but it works fine for me and I'm very happy with it.  I won't be making another one in a hurry, and I don't need to, because just last week Shiseido gave me a free one in a gift with purchase deal.  Of course I prefer lavender to red, and the handle on top, but it will still be useful.  

The original Liberty bag that inspired me.  Yes, NZD100 at Ballantynes in Christchurch

https://sewingillustration.com/products/cutie-cube-bag

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

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2023 - Happy New Year

Hello, and Happy New Year to all my friends and followers.  

I'm just back from five nights in Sydney, Australia and I feel refreshed and re-energized. It was great to dust off my passport and travel internationally again.  Sydney was vibrant and busy and I loved it. 

Thank you for all the kind comments on my 2022 Christmas Countdown.  I enjoyed taking you through all my Christmas makes.  Maybe I'll do it again in five years time when I've got some new things to show you.  

Now it's time to think about 2023.  Normally I'd write lists of my quilting and embroidery priorities for the year ahead, but I'm going to change things up this year.  I'm going to focus on two key themes:

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

That may sound a bit boring to those of you who come here for inspiration, but I can promise you that I've got some beautiful things half finished in my spare room.  And even more lovely things that I haven't even started yet.  In 2023 it's time to buckle down and use what I've already got.  

First up I intend to make some summer dresses.  In Kaffe Fassett fabrics of course. I ordered these beauties some months ago but it's hard to get motivated when the weather is cold. The first one just needs hemming and then I'll be able to show you.  

And in the evenings I'll be working on my cross stitch.  I've joined a couple of mystery Stitch A Longs (SALs) this year.  I can't show you the patterns or I'll be kicked out of the groups, but I am excited about them.  Mum gave me a set of 3 lovely pear designs for Christmas and I've finished the embroidery for the first one already. 

I'm hoping to finish a few quilts in 2023 because I've got quite a few half made already! Plus plenty of new patterns I want to try out.  

I've also got quite a few teaching weekends booked already. so I'm going to be busy in 2023.  

But never fear, I'll still have plenty to show you each week.  Thank you for continuing to visit my blog, and best wishes for the year ahead.  

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

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