Final Airing.

Today I went up to Katikati to the final Garden Party at Katipatch. ( see my sidebar for website ).
 Like here, it was extremely windy. So photos were a bit of a challenge.

My choice of the quilts hanging outside. I love Dragonflies.

 Inside this quilt had lots of discussion about how the perfection was achieved. ( we think with an embroidery machine or a computer generated pattern.the stitching was just so perfect.) However it was done it would still have taken a long time.

 ( quilts had no notation ) 

(click to enlarge )

 As always it was a great place to meet like minded friends both from our club and further away.I saw Linda ( Razzle Dazzle Quilter ) from Taupo who used to have a blog by that name but now is still on Instagram. She is still quilting for others so if you need a quilt finished call her..

 Food was yummy but served on paper plates a challenge! As for hats that were a bit loose!!

 I hope Carol made good sales as she and Eddie spend hours preparing for the event.

Even More Quilts.

Here are some other quilts and hangings I liked from our recent Exhibition.

 Jan Nicholson's Taste of the Orient. It was the colours and the fabrics I liked.

 Karen Livingston's My Secret Garden, made from a pattern by Geta Grama from Romania .

 Also by  Karen and the cushion made from old blanket wool by Melanie Martin.

Rae Champion's, A Handful of Scraps was hand pieced and machine quilted.

 There were of course many more lovely pieces of work but I don't have photos of . This was just a selection.

Processing Extra Produce and some Quilts.

Good Morning Bloggy Friends, especially Kelly, Jennifer, Sue, Maureen, Deb Thimbleanna and Isabelle. I do so appreciate your comments and the fact you pop in to say Hi. It's good to meet some new commentors. Regarding the Hoya bella photo. Yes,Isabelle mine is growing outside in a very sheltered warm corner in a large blue pot. I have to feed it iron sulphate quite often or the leaves become very pale and yellowed. A dose of that watered in and it is soon bright green again. I think mine may have flowered twice this year? It is extremely sticky, so glad mine is outside. I think I have always had a soft spot for this plant as my Nana had a large one growing right along her veranda . ( in a chillier climate )I think I have a soft spot for many plants I first met in during my early years in my Mum's or Nana's gardens. I also got the gardening gene.

 As we had an abundance of Feijoas ( pineapple guavas ) I cooked and froze a couple of batches. I love looking at the various patterns the inside jelly part makes. It depends how well pollinated each fruit is, as to how many loops it makes. With Feijoas you either love or hate them. Have too many or not enough! I  couldn't help noticing the shapes were very like the flowers I am appliquéing.

 Here I am roasting some of my red capsicum to make into roasted capsicum and cashew dip. I love red capsicum!

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 Outside signs of Autumn continue. I don't care for this colour of Wind Anemones but they do put on a good display. I much prefer my pale pink and really like the white ones. They are not nearly as invasive as these - I suspect original old double dark pink / cerise ones. The red tree is a Viburnum.

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 On Friday at my Patchwork and Quilting Group we sometimes have a member give her Quilt Journey. Something I started back in 2010. We have listened to many since then.  This lady has been quilting for many years and started quilting mostly by hand but now uses the machine more. Her very first Grandmother's Garden type quilt remains unfinished.......

 She has made numerous quilts over the years; has  given a few away, but sadly keeps all her quilts in a cupboard - none on her beds or walls as she thinks her cat would spoil them. (I have a different opinion ) Her family have said they don't want them!

Here are a few I liked.

 This is a reversible wall hanging( or could be! )

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 I also took a photo of my friend D's table mats she is making as a gift for a family. Just using up 2.5" squares she had. She is making  a set of 8.

 Meanwhile I have progressed a tiny bit ,working on appliquéd flower # 7. ( photo next time )

Exhibition Photos 1.

I'm off shortly for the final day of our Exhibition. It has been going well with favourable comments. Lots of viewers.

 Yes quite a few blokes there too!

 The sales tables have been very slow, except for a young new dad who came along alone and  bought a clutch ball, bag, and a small quilt.

 Cheap things like my lavender bags and D's beads have sold well. No one wants aprons or purses etc it seems.

 I will show you a selection of the quilts on display over the next few days.

This is the raffle quilt which is selling well.

 R's huge quilt was stunning.

 M got this pattern when holidaying in the Netherlands

 C's Celtic Knots were eye catching.

J used Kaffe Fasset fabrics for wow of colour.

Quilt Exhibition Part 3.

Denise Lee made this small wall hanging  "Holy Cow," in a class at Symposium last year.

 Illusion by Rosemary Hancett.

 Melanie Martin made this very smart  overnight size bag.

 Ruth Wall made this bright small quilt from Australian fabrics.

 There are lovely colours in Nan Hawker's Disappearing  9 patch.

 Joan Waterson's lovely grey batik quilt actually called Twisted Ivy got nicknamed the bastard quilt, cause every time anyone mentioned that quilt to her she would say it was such a bastard to sew . ( we all know not to use that pattern! )

 This is the little display (of our charity work ) I put together out of the remaining quilts, wall hangings; soft toys; 30 clutch balls  ( in the hammock ) and  soft toys. We had to try and cover up some old toilet signs and awful markings on the wall.

Next Little Project.

This is how much I have completed on my next project. A quilt for a child's bed; to be donated to the  Ruel Foundation. I started in on Saturday, at our Charity Quilt In, using up as many parts and scraps as I could.

 Now I am making more of  these 4 patch blocks, didn't have quite enough; for the next border.

 Muriel was finishing this lovely blue quilt top off. ( made from left over blocks and scraps ) If she donates this I will be surprised it is so nice I think she should keep it.

 All blue quilts should wear red shoes don't you think?

 I just have to show this next photo. One of the ladies said, "Does anyone want anything from my scrap bag?."  You would have thought it was a Smith & Caughey  Sale. Ladies who don't need others' scraps grabbing bits of fabric. One even snacked a piece out of another's hand. Those of us not going through the scraps were killing ourselves laughing. I have never seen these girls behaving like that before. I did take another closer photo but it is just a blur of hands.

 The rest of the weekend seems to have been far too busy for a Holiday weekend - how does that happen? R is cooking dinner as he wanted to use up the last few aubergines he grew ( his fav ) , so I went out and mowed all the lawns. Now I feel tired, so better try and put my feet up for the rest of then day and pretend it was a holiday. ( Idid however get a lot of different things done.)

Walnut tally = 4,463

2010 Calico Christmas - part 2

Rosemary Rush's, "Retro Raszamtazz," created a lot of interest. The white clove lady was lifting it so we could view the stitching on the back. Wow!

                                                                A close up.

If you like blue and white china you would have liked this, wall hanging by Marie Harrison.

 Also in blue with fabulous fabrics this double wedding ring quilt.

Loved the quilting on it too.

 Deb of Deds doodoolings is alos blogging about Calico Christmas.

12 Hours is Enough.

Yesterday was our usual Friday P and Q Group day with an extension for Midnight Madness. No body stayed that late; we we never do. I left home shortly after 9 am and was back by 10 pm. 12 plus hours was long enough for me.

One of the activities for the day was to help put together the blocks for this years Raffle quilt for our Exhibition in September .It is all bright batiks and for once I think I will like the quilt for the raffle.( glad it is not another pale pastel, muted colours ) At the front is a pile of 4 matched parts for each block; behind are the 3 stages of construction. The blocks are then trimmed and assembled by just a couple of sewers.

In the morning at Show and tell one of our newer members had completed her first quilt. She started it last year while having treatment for breast cancer( how many times have I heard that lately ) and needed something to take her mind off herself so tried making a quilt. She did so well.

 

After we finished the raffle quilt blocks some of us started working on some fabric we had been donated. This time we are making quilts for the local Homes of Hope.

 Here is what I started.

Today with some of my own fabrics I am adding to this quilt.

As is our tradition we all had bought Pizza for dinner. They were delicious and we have a lot of fun together. By about 8 pm I had packed up my machine and sat and hand worked worked on felt embroidered ball # 20.

Treasure in my Mailbox.

Lucky, lucky me!

I walked down the drive to the mailbox and there was a package for me. Lovely, lovely. My new blog friend Viv in Minnesota sent me a signed copy of her book. It's a real delight. ("Thank You for Giraffes," by Vivian Husnik )

The photo shows one of my favourite pages with funky flowers. If you have any little folk in your lives I'm sure they would enjoy this book.( there are little creatures within the pictures to find.) Isn't she clever using quilts as the illustrations. Do visit Viv's blog to see her quilts and her books. What a busy creative lady she must be.

PS. The book smells nice too....I love new books that smell great, it adds to the reading experience.