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!!

Sewing again!

Thank you all for your special comments, words and prayers after my last posts. They meant a lot to me and if I have inadvertently not responded to your thoughts, I apologise. The world is a huge place and I am so thankful to be a part of it.
It's hard to believe that I have been home again for nearly two weeks. I must say it is taking me a bit to get settled again and back into my routines; however I have having bad moments rather than bad days so that is something I guess.
I did such a good job of packing up my sewing projects before I went away that it actually took me a while to remember where I was with what!!
However my sewing room is once more looking lived in and there are bits and pieces everywhere again - aaahhhh...feels so good!!

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Previously I have shown the first two blocks that I had made for the very cute-use-your-orphans-and-scraps blocks run by Pam at Heartspun Quilts. I have since made up all four blocks and here they are -

Block 3 - remember these are all 4 1/2" sized blocks!

Block 4

Pam has made hers into a very cute runner. I'm going to have a think of my one's final resting place before I put mine together...square or running. I am even tempted to do block two again as I loved the way it was made.......!

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I'm still thinking on my Threadhead Quiltalong quilt, too. I've laid it out several times.....

The first time was a bit of a disaster

...second laying out was more successful - behind closed doors.

Just placed where they landed.
 I need to spend some time playing so I can get the arrangements right.
(I actually also need a design wall!!)

I love the zig-zag setting but am still deciding how much colour to put in the sashings. I like the stripey effect of the two tans but am still wondering how wide to do each colour-way/stripe.

I'm thinking the plain sashings will give me a chance to do some fun quilting.
I think I will widen the darker stripes (replace some of the light triangles with darker ones).

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It's summer here in New Zealand and I was shocked when I returned home to see how much the farm had dried out.  I walked up to the top of 'the back hill' the other day to take these pictures. I often get a lot of comments about how green our farm always looks - right now that's not the case, sadly!

Emma here is showing us how open the pasture is, and very short too.
She wasn't the only one panting after the hill-climb!

Still trying to get the perfect 'dogs frolicking in the river' photo.
But you can see they have fun!

It has been fun getting back into my blog reading and seeing what everyone is up to... I've even been VERY tempted by some new sew-alongs!! Sitting on my hands for now.

Have a great week everyone, and thank you for visiting,

Happy Stitching,

  

Catching Up and Keeping Up...

I have this very strong urge to start everything I see, telling myself that if it's only one block a week/month, and no worries!, I can keep up. Sadly this doesn't always happen and mounds of fabric collect around my cave. Happily today I can report on two sewalongs that I have been making progress with lately.
First, the Catching Up project; I fell in love with Hannah and Harrington the minute Michelle of Raspberry Rabbits started talking about them, and it didn't take me long to decide to do this one. Now that I no longer have my hand appliqué (Hop To It) to do at nights, I have pulled this project out. It's been the first time that I've done anything  much with wool felt and I am really loving it. The blocks use running stitch on the wool and simple stitchery for the embroidered bits.

Block 4

Oops I've just realised that these bunnies are missing their eyes!!

Block 3

The next 2 blocks are ones I completed earlier on but I'll re-show them so you can see what fabrics I am using.

Block 1

Block 2

As you can see I have labelled them Block 1-2-3-4 instead of January-February, etc - It makes me feel that I'm not so far behind!! If you are interested in this project, Michelle still has all the patterns on her website.
Now the Keeping Up project; Tomorrow when I get up Joanne will have Block 7 of the Threadhead Quiltalong on her blog ...and guess what...I've done up to Block 6!! Once again if anyone is interested in joining in with the sewalong she still has all the block patterns up on her blog....and her instructions are REALLY clear so they are perfect if you are newer to quilt making. (In fact they are some of the clearest instructions that I have seen in blogland).

Bear's Paw

Ohio Star

Frayed Four Patch

Whirlwind

 Here they all are together.

Bottom Bear's Paw may yet replaced, not happy with this one!

And to finish with....here's a little tale...

Four baby birds squawking for their mum, hidden behind the whiteboard in my calf shed,

"Mum oh Mum, where are you?" they say,

"Be still, my babies, I'm not coming in while there's a cat up there."

Sorry folks, sometimes I get a bit carried away when I have my camera!

Have a great day everyone, thank you for visiting,

Happy creating,

Seeing Stars

There seems to have been a bit of a Star theme going on here lately —

Maverick Stars - a surprise for a friend-nod-nod-wink-wink.
I love making these stars.

Christmas Table Centre Star.
Something is wrong with this picture - can you tell what?
(Yes, I've run out of fabric).
I made one of these as a class sample for The Country Yard,
and loved it so much I'm making one for myself!!

Yummy Christmas fabrics making me drool!
(And hum Jingle Bells in my head).

Farmers Wife blocks #31 and #41
(Evening Star and Friendship Star)
It's been a while since I did any of these.

First blocks for Joanne's Thread Head Quilt Along
I had some Kansas Troubles fabric sorted out to do this with but decided
at the last minute I didn't have enough colour in the range.
So I'm using the Moda Special Basics range instead - these were the only
fabrics of it I had at home but there are lots of muted colours in it which are lovely!
Seems like I need to go shopping!

I don't think one could get bored with Star blocks - there are so many variations around... but for now, I'm all starred out so I'll do a bit more on my Hop To It sashings!
Have a great week everyone,