International Quilting Day

How fitting that National Quilting Day (in my USA Kim Diehl calendar) fell on the day that The Country Yard, aka my favourite quiltshop, held it's 2013 launch!!
We have busy bees lately getting new projects and BOMs ready to show off to everyone. We spent a FULL day yesterday reorganising the shop and we were excited to show it all off today.

Doesn't it all look too gorgeous for words?

another wee corner.

We have had a great team busy making new quilts for samples, kits and BOMs. The clever (and very busy) Leeanne (quiltmekiwi) has done most of the quilting so will be showing them on her blog so I will let you visit there to see them.

Below are a couple of the projects I have been doing.

Birdy Love is a Quilt As You Go quilt, designed to encourage us all to improve our fmq-ing skills. I am really enjoying putting this together!!

Months 1 and 2.
There will be nine altogether.

A closer pic of month 1 - I haven't got a good shot of #2 yet.

 I've also been making a up a few sewing room essentials as a project of the month club.

The block holders are for month 1.
Long time readers will know I love making useful projects!!

SO how else have I been celebrating 'International Quilting Day?

In exchange for a haircut, the MOML helped me put up my long awaited for and sorely desired design wall. If I had known how simple it would have been I would have done it months ago!! 

Simple hooks, simple dowelling, simple batting.
Simply marvellous.

And so I spent the rest of the afternoon hanging up my Threadhead Quiltalong blocks.... 

I just love having the design wall - being able to stand back to
 look, and pat the blocks into submission new positions is awesome and so satisfying.
No pet hair either or fighting with pets for the best blocks.

(....because I have been busy gazing and moving, the above layout no longer exists - I think I may have them almost how I want them now).

And because of the time zones around the world, my International Quilting Day will continue on into tomorrow as well. The Quilt Show is putting up all its shows for free (check it out here)(hope that link works!) and I think watching some of those will be on the agenda while I put together the above quilt. (I enjoyed the free shows this time last year and used up all my internet account in one weekend!!).

SewCalGal has a Virtual-sew-cial linky affair happening so I will check that out too. 

Joanne of Threadhead also has a blog post and linky celebrating National Craft Month and I will be chewing over a post for that in my head too. 

And I am hoping that I'll be able to do all this while it is raining outside - some rain is forecast - as much of New Zealand is officially experiencing drought conditions we are hoping that this will happen.

Don't let those tinges of green fool you, they don't fool us,
nor the cows!
Look at the hills at the back.

Happy 'International' Quilting Day everyone - I hope you get a chance to celebrate (and sew) too!!