Gifting in the USA

When we met at Houston, Sharon, Doniene and I had an informal gift swap.
Doniene had joined in with a Kim Diehl mini sampler sewalong on Instagram. She made three minis. All slightly different, and quite lovely.
Here is the one she gifted to me —

Some close ups, delightfully scrappy —

Sharon made some gorgeous reuseable shopping bags - a very cool design, with a bit of a gusset. I know mine will come in very handy —

The bags roll up very tidily and small.

Inspired by the pouch Fiona of bubzrugz gifted me earlier this year, I made some pouches to gift. Handy for projects, storing gear or whatever :-)

They have clear vinyl on the front which, naturally, doesn't show up
in the photo!

I used a variety of kiwiana fabrics for these.

A tutorial for these by Marilyn of mardimeanderings is *here*. Thank you Marilyn.

And thank you Doniene and Sharon!
So here ends Day 2 of my 31 day blogging challenge :-)

'til next time,

happy stitches,

USA Part Two

After the excitement of the Houston International Quilt Festival  it was time to fly to Nashville for some family time and the true reason for my trip to the USA - my niece's wedding.
We had a good Kiwi contingent go over - 14 of us altogether (including a cousin who lives in the US but is still a kiwi at heart!). It has become our tradition for family weddings to gather together, sharing accommodation and spending time together. This week was no exception. My brother's daughters and their families/ hangers-on filled one Air BandB and just a few blocks away, Mum and I, two aunties and my cousin filled another house.
We spent a lot of time chatting, sightseeing, eating together and had a great time. I'm not going to go overboard with photos, just a few to give you a taste and then I'll be back to quilty and sewing stuff again :-)

Our first big outing was down to Chatanooga to the Aquarium. It was really
good...took us all day to get through it (including a stop for lunch of course!)
so I didn't get a chance to go to the quilt shop there....

My photos from the aquarium weren't the best but oh well.

Back in Nashville, we visited the Parthenon.
(Built for the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition).

Inside the Parthenon.
Gold leafed Athena. She's enormous, Nike in her hand is
over 6' tall!

Another day we visited the Grand Ole Oprey.
(Myself, two Aunties and a cousin.)

Close by is the Gaylord Opreyland Motel. Beautiful.

Us again in the gorgeous gardens within the hotel complex.

The week culminated in the wedding, which was lovely.

I do believe Mum stole the show in her beautiful pink outfit!

With my brother and his grandson (who also travelled from NZ).

The Loveless Cafe

The 'aftermatch' at my brother's the next day

The last photos I took were of snow!! A cold snap hit the country on our last night. An aunt and I had lots of fun out in the snow in the early hours of the morning.... acting like "semi-tropical yokels"  - a good description she came up with! (We get possibly 3-4 frosts here a year so it was a novel experience.)

It was cold, and still there the morning we left.

Where we stayed....it had snow!

We all left Nashville at different times, Mum's only just arrived home and the last two of my nieces are about to leave after some extra travel and sightseeing.

It was a great trip away but, as always, it's great to be home again. I got the best welcome from the wee kiddies when I got home (a run into my arms welcome!) and the smallest ones needed a cuddle NOW!!
The MOML coped with the calves while I was away but was quite happy to hand them back to me.
And now it feels like I've been back forever!!

'til next time,

Happy stitches,

USA Part One

In my last post I hinted that I was off on an adventure! Well I'm home sweet home now - I had a great time away.
First stop was the International Quilt Festival at Houston —

I was so lucky to be able to leave the farm jobs to the MOML and go....it wasn't the main reason for my visit to the USA but I'm pleased my sister-in-law Sandie twisted my arm and made me fit this in too :-)
Many of you would have already seen plenty of photos from the show on other blogs and websites. (Especially as it was held nearly three weeks ago.)  The highlight of the quilt exhibits was the Sapphire Celebration, marking the 45th edition of the Quilt Festival. All shades of blue and white were hung in an amazing display - every time I approached the area there were more blue and white quilts to discover or rediscover.

The quilts at the base of the huge display were stunning miniature blue and whites by just two artists, Andrea Blackhurst and Ellen Carter.

So tiny!!

There were over 1700 quilts (and works of fabric art) on display. I liked the way they were displayed - they weren't in rows but sort of arranged within their various categories. That did make it hard to determine if you had seen them all or not. I also wished I had another day to devote to looking at them.

I took lots of photos but they all still need a good sorting. If I stop to do that, this post will never get written and I won't be able to move on with my blogging (!). Plenty have been shared online already so I think a quick google search will find you some if you're wanting to see more.

I didn't have one favourite - I had plenty that I really liked, for varying reasons  - the design, the skill mastery, the subject, the colours, and so on. 

Shopping was also huge - there were more than 1000 vendor booths. Again another day would have been good. I told myself beforehand that I wouldn't go overboard with shopping as I already have plenty of 'stuff' at home - but I did' get tempted by the odd ruler and pattern. Even without buying, it was great fun to explore all the booths and see what was there. Again, another day would have been nice!

We stayed in an Air BandB and were delighted with how close it was to the Convention Centre - it was just big enough to fit in Sharon and Doniene as well - they joined my SIL and I for part of the time. I met both of these lovely ladies when I started up my 365-day photo (a day) blog. We bonded over our daily visits to each others blogs and I have stayed with both of them at their homes. It was the first time Sandie, Sharon and Doniene had all met but it was as if we'd all been buddies for years! There was a fair amount of talking and we enjoyed each other's company a lot.

Myself, Sharon and Doniene

Sharon, Myself and Sandie

Thanks for your company, ladies!

All too soon, the 3 ½ days of Quilt Festival were over, and it was time for the next leg of my adventures. Next blogpost.

I was there :-)

'til next time,

happy stitches,

(And yes, I do see a blue and white quilt in my future!)

Flying the New Zealand flag in Indiana

I often marvel about this wonderful creative quilting bloggy world I live in. I first 'met' Sharon when we were both doing a 365-day photo-a-day challenge. Then, in  2013, I met her for dinner at the Paducah quilt show. And now, I have spent time with her at her home in Indiana.

Sharon missed out on the Paducah show this year so I went out in sympathy and quilt shop-hopped with her on the first day I was there. We had a great old time, visiting about 6 shops and making a few purchases here and there (what happens in Indiana stays in Indiana, right?!)

Marie Webster's quilts.

Another day we visited the Indianapolis Museum of Art where an exhibition of Marie Webster's work was being held. Fabulous old quilts (Marie Webster lived from 1859 to 1956 and came to be considered 'one of the leading designers in the history of early 20th century quilt making'. See *this* link.)
We had a lovely time studying her quilts, and were amazed, intrigued and inspired by the work that went into them.

Beautiful baskets. Love that handle!

A baby quilt.

We marvelled at the borders/edges -

Well worth the visit!

While we were there we had a look at this fun exhibit - check out the wee figures holding the plate glass up!

These would have been 2-3 inches tall. Amazing!

Side view!!

Another display, another day, was this small one of Italian clothing and linen, made as part of a trousseau during the late 1800s.

Sharon was asked to photograph this collection before the family donated much of it to the museum. Sadly the maker died quite young, which is why the clothing is in such good condition.
The show and tell continued with Sharon pulling out all her quilts and flimsies....that went on deep into the night and was very enjoyable!

Sharon and a couple of her beautiful old quilts.
Hmm, now how to replicate that block....

Indiana is the place where I discovered what fun bird feeders are! Where I live in Northland, New Zealand, our winters are mild and plants keep growing all year round. There is always plenty for the birds to eat so we don't bother to feed them...maybe I'll have to change all that!

 Oh the joy of taking photos through a window at an awkward angle!

I even saw a Chipmunk - very exciting - I'm a cheap tourist to entertain - give me a camera and some critters to watch and I'll be happy!
And last, but not least, more quilty pleasures. Doniene is another bloggy friend I have met and stayed with (2013). Both of us were a little late with our Christmas mailing this year but look what arrived at Nashville for me.....
Not one - but two lovely small quilts :-)

Such a happy quilt, I know I'll find  place for
it somewhere

Beautiful handquilting :-) the first hand quilted piece I own!

Thank you so much Doniene! The other goodies in the parcel were much appreciated too (including the Pecan Praline cookies!!)
And that, my friends, is that! The adventures continue - where will I be popping up next time I wonder?

'till next time,

be creative,