Random Round up of Creating and Cats

The start of last week saw me basting Olive's baby quilt......she's now over 4 months old but there's been a serious lack of sew-jo around here for the last little while and I've only just gotten back to her quilt in the last week or so.

And some quilting has even happened!!

SO, watch this space😊

I've also put together a cloth book for Olive, using one of those easy-to-sew panels....cut the pages apart, layer with scraps of batting, sew around the outside, turn it through and sew the pages together —

A little bit of kiwiana for our Hawaiian baby ♥

I realise that I haven't yet shared the pouch I made as a gift for our Make It, Fake It, Bake It swap for our Scrub Stitching retreat. It's always fun to see what everyone comes up with.

I came across a pattern for a wee bag which looked a little different - and Christine ended up with it —

Luckily Christine is a better recorder than I am and I have stolen the photos of it off her blog!

The top folds up to open the pouch (Christine's Luna Lapin is modelling the bag) —

(I used leftover fabric from my kiwiana dress for it. Dress shown in *this post*.)
And I included a cute scissor keep that Mum had made.

I found the pattern for the *Malmo Pouch here*.

While Sue and I were travelling for retreat, I completed the last few rounds of the crochet cat blanket I'd started whilst spending time at the hospital with Mum last year.

I've made three of these simple Afghans now - I just love having something mindless to crochet and the cats really do appreciate them!!!

Last year, in preparation for the arrive of McGeorgeous I made a little cat cubby. It was such a fun make but sadly once I'd finished it, the cats barely waved a whisker at it. Recently I realised it needed better structure so it would look more like a cat house than a cat bag. I found and inserted some foam coated wires. (These are intended for gardening and I bought them for making a Barbie tent. That didn't eventuate and recently the kids have been using them to dangle toys off when playing with the cats.)

Look at Miss Tammy! Success!

I very nearly had a very sad tale about McGeorgeous to tell this time. One evening last week he suddenly disappeared. We looked for him for DAYS and had given up all hope of ever seeing him again.

Thank goodness our son looked up at just the right time and spotted him at the window of our little garden shed one morning!! (We hardly ever go in there and seldom leave it opened.) He's a shy boy and the men had to empty the shed to get him out - and then he shot under the house.

After a lot of food and water he returned to life as normal and is wondering what all the fuss is about!

I had been in town and had 11 missed calls from the MOML trying to let me know he'd been found.

I think Tammy may have missed him a little as I've caught her letting him sleep near her a couple of times now! —

This winter, to celebrate 10 years in existence, the NZ Premmie Knitting Club has had a publicity drive, encouraging people from all walks of life to pull out their knitting needles and make some peggy squares. They're then sewn together to make blankets for premature babies across the country. It's been quite fun to see politicians, sports people and TV personalities promoting the cause by knitting squares themselves.

I've made a few squares which I will send off this week, along with some tiny booties and a beanie which I knitted a couple of years ago. I would have liked to make a few more but I started a bit late (they want them all by the end of this month, I think) but have also been struggling with a minor wrist strain/inflammation which seems aggravated by the knitting motion. So I've been limiting myself to a few rows a night.

I'll finish with this lovely sunset we had last night —

'til next time,

happy stitches,

Raewyn

Gifts and giving

I keep on discovering more to talk about after my trip over to Baradine for the Scrubstitching retreat.
We all took a gift along for a swap....the rule was 'make it or fake it' (great rule!).
I received a lovely gift from Sandy -

I pulled out my design mirror gadget the other day to have a bit of a play; it will be interesting to see what I end up doing with these.

Thank you Sandy, and also thank you Sandie for the mirror :-)

I was able to squeeze in a day in The Palace before leaving and  managed a gift of the Make It kind. As soon as I saw this sewing organiser I knew I wanted to make it as it's the sort of thing I've wanted for myself. It was a fun make and I was really happy with how it turned out. Lynda received my gift and she said she was delighted, so I was pleased about that :-)

My photos don't show it well enough, it a wee pouch thing to stow your sewing bits in when you travel. You can zip it up for safe travels —

and then fold it down to use. Tho photo below shows the top folded down and another zip pocket on the outside.

I found the instructions really clear to follow and will definitely be making this again. 

Sandy, Sonia and Carol all had pop-up shops there at retreat so I may have also gifted myself with a couple of goodies—

I said in a previous post that I spent a day piecing some healing hearts for the Christchurch quilt drive. I took the blocks over that I had made, and added to them blocks made by fellow scrubstitchers. I had enough to piece two quilts!
I wish I'd taken a photo of the piles of blocks that I had but was too busy sewing up a storm to think of that.

Making a start

One completed quilt top. Sue and I explored the grounds to find some interesting photography spots.

Once I got home I pieced the second top. I decided to vary my design a little bit and used a less subtle green in it, which gives a totally different look.

I used both pieced and appliqued hearts in both quilts - combining
them worked better than I thought they may.

I wrote in a previous post about the terrible drought that is ongoing in Baradine and (other parts of Australia). The local Country Women's group has set up a Drought Pantry to help feed the community. A lot of our group donated goods for the pantry and we went along one morning to sort them. It was sobering to drive through the drought hit countryside, more sobering to listen to the talk about the effects of the drought by the Vice President of the CWA, and even more sobering to visit the Drought Pantry in person. Amazing the support and goods that have been given. 

I think this is my last photo to share about retreat - look at the tribe! A fabulous group of women ♥

'til next time, 

happy stitches,

A Mini Swap and a Show and Tell

I was thrilled earlier this year when Janet of rogue quilter invited me to swap with her...I've admired her work and her blog for some time and we both have a love of teeny tiny projects.
How exciting it was when the BIG day arrived - we'd each received our parcels - and we could open them!
The rules of the swap were simple - the quilt had to be under 18" square - beyond that it was creative license to do what we liked and create something we hoped the other person would enjoy.
What a thrill it was to open Janet's package - it truely was a heartsinging moment - wow!!

Don't forget this is a mini - it's actually only 12" square!

Look at those tiny pieced pin wheels!
Janet's workmanship is exquisite! Love love love :-)

Just to show you the scale of things!!!

But wait, there's more - also in the package was this gorgeous pin cushion!!

Plus some mini-charms and a tumbler template, wee pin cushion kit, and a delicious cake-in-a-cup mix!

Janet also popped in some green scraps after I mentioned once that I didnt
have much variety in my greens!

Thank you so much Janet, this was a fabulous swap. I so enjoyed it, it was fun making for you and an honour to have your goodies in my home ♥

In my rush to post my package (yes I was running late!!!) I nearly forgot to get out my camera but I did remember at the last minute!

In exchange I made Janet this Granny Squares mini. I had picked up that this was one design she wanted to make but hadn't yet - 

This one finishes at 18" square.

I felt it really needed sashing -  joining the blocks would have been very
messy  - but to keep it under 18 " meant it had to be extra narrow!!

Last year Janet very kindly sent me a copy of a mini quilts magazine which I hadn't been able to get hold of, so I decided she needed a little something extra. I put together this notebook for her.

And I couldn't post something from New Zealand without a kiwiana
decorated handtowel.

Janet has written about our swap adventures *here*. If you don't know her blog, do visit..it is always an enjoyable and inspiring read.

There was more excitement this week when we had our show and tell at The Country Yard for our Friday's Village QAL. This was Moda's Be My Neighbour which we adapted to include wee pieces of challenge fabrics that needed to be included in each block.
I apologise for the poor photographs. We have too many workbenches and pieces of furniture - so it's difficult to see the whole quilts.
Three of the quilts have been quilted; the rest were tops. (And a couple of people haven't go their's completed yet).

Five of them...

...another two ( the one on the right is also in the top photo)

And one on another wall.

It was amazing to see how different they all looked, and how the challenge fabrics worked with different combinations of colours, etc.

I took a few quick closeups to show the different border treatments.

Kerryn on the left and Nancy on the right.
Kerryn's birds flew off her quilt and ended up on Nancy's :-)

Ngaire on the left and Bernice on the right.
Ngaire added lots of extra applique - flowers and cats. Her's was quilted,
look how she cut the corners off!

Noeline enhanced hers with some stitchery.
And came up with a different border treatment.

Liz did some fun fussy cutting for her windows.

Inthia's was given a cheery finish with the wee squares in her border and a
totally scrappy binding.

I previously talked about mine *here*. The quilting isn't finished yet but I've
made a great start!

So this week has had some good highlights!!
And a roast and the rugby (yaay go the All Blacks, whew!) at our daughter's last night was a great way to round off Saturday.
I've finished my outside jobs for this morning already and the weather's looking a bit grim....might be time to get some sewing out, I think!

Happy stitches,