A bit of quilting.

I'm managing to get a bit of quilting done here but with our cute little grandson living with us its a bit difficult.

I've completed  only 3 blocks of month 1 of Jen Kingwells and have a few others at various stages. I'd like to be caught up with both month 1 and 2 by the end of the month.

Also slowly catching up on Sarah Fielke's Block of the month today I will get all the applique prepared for this month prepared today and hopefully get it stitched before the end of the month.

Yesterday I went to a stitching day and managed to get a few ongoing projects a bit futher ahead. These are just blocks I am working on at sewing days or retreats so there is no hurry. It's good not having to think about what I am going to take with me.

I managed to make 8 blocks for this scrappy quilt 8 is my limit I find boring to make. This was a quilt along from American Patchwork and quilting at the time it was a good idea to use up scraps. Which it has.

One more finished Spider Web block and few others were at various stages so that was good. This is going to be my next finish hopefully.

We have just returned well it seems like it but it was 2 weeks ago from visiting our son and family in Haida Gwaii Canada. As usual the scenery there is spectacular we visited my favourite haunts saw my must see Eagle.

No bears this time just bear foot prints.

The whales have been passing through on their way to Alaska and were not far from land at all. We were Fortunate enough to see them on several occasions.

And of course the main reason we went this little guy turned one year old here he is just finished his first ever piece of cake.

Linking up to Wendy's Quilts and more Peacock Party

https://wendysquiltsandmore.blogspot.com/2019/06/mums-lucy-boston-and-peacock-party.html?m=1

Not much Quilting happening

Goodness it's been a month since I last posted. We had a lovely visit from my son, his wife and our beautiful grandson Fox.

Once they departed our no 2 son his wife and new baby moved in to stay for a few weeks before they head off to live in Sydney. So life is busy for us at the moment no sewing for me but lots of cuddles with baby Colt.

I did notice going through my photos I had made the first block from this pattern I have had for a while. No idea when, must have had a spare hour.  I'm going to make one a month. In April I will be busy catching up.

I'd bought my husband a steam train ride up to Woodville for Christmas and we finally had the ride on Sunday. It was an interesting day saw lots we especially we interested in the Manawatu Gorge road that has been closed to road traffic as there has been so many slips from the hills.

Here he is standing with the train.

I've also managed to do a major cut of the strips I need to make this fantastic scrap busting quilt which us a quilt along with American Patchwork and Quilting.

But if course as I'm using scraps I still need to cut more!! It also makes rather a large quilt I might make it a bit smaller as it will probably be a quilt I will donate to a charity.

And like a lot of us in New Zealand we have just received the Quiltmania magazine with the first part of zen Kingwells mystery quilt Marshall in. I'm going to start this over Easter when I will have no visitors. I've already warned my husband I'm intending to spend 2 days sewing.

I'm going to use Liberty Fabrics for this quilt.

Linking up to Wendy's Peacock party. Pop over and see what everyone else has been up too.

https://wendysquiltsandmore.blogspot.com/2019/03/a-new-quilt-and-peacock-party.html

Lots happening here.

We are having a great catch up with my eldest son his wife and baby who are visiting from Canada. It's a long trip for them as they live on Haida Gwaii which is a small island at the top of British Columbia.
 As you can see by the map they are almost at Alaska.

Anyway with 9 month old Fox and 3 week old Colt I'm getting lots of Grandma time.

Maybe not the best photo but it's hard to get a photo of them both together.

Before they arrived I had to get the first month of Sarah Fielke's Block of the Month 'Coming Home' completed. This took me a while to get the softer colour placement.

I also managed to get the Zebra from the Qellington Quilters class with Tartan Kiwi quilted and bound.

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 And my smaller Moda Love Quilt which was made from French General stash.

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I made an annoying mistake with my 36 Ring Circus I thought I was sewing the first row together but obviously didnt double check where I was sewing. My first thought was to unpick it but thought better of that idea.

I'm linking up with Wendy's Peacock party. 

https://wendysquiltsandmore.blogspot.com/2019/02/peacock-party-and-trip-to-auckland.html?m=1

Good Fortune top completed

My good Fortune  top has been finished, I started quilting it yesterday with a feather edge to edge pantograph but decided looking at the quilt on the machine this just wasn't going to do the quilt justice so am going to do block work and nice borders.

I still really like this quilt and the pattern and would probably make it again in a different colourway.

I've finished making all the 4 patch and half square triangle blocks for this years leader and ender challenge. So started putting them into blocks at a sewing day on Sunday. This will be my project for any sewing days I decide to go to until the quilt top is finished. Makes the decision of what to take with me very easy.

And something a bit different my daughter bought me for my birthday last year a Giraffe Experience at our local zoo.
So finally we went along and had a fantastic time you certainly get up close to the giraffes.

I'm linking up to Bonnie Hunters last Good Fortune link up.
http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-last-good-fortune-mystery-monday.html?m=1

A new Grandson

It's been a busy couple if weeks. First up we got to meet this little guy our second little grandson.

Colt Wyatt Hall was born on the 30th of January his poor mum did not have an easy time and ended up with a c-section. Anyway all is well now and they are enjoying the experience of live with a new baby. He's such a good little boy not like my babies that's for sure.

We are lucky this month Colts cousin Fox is coming from Canada to visit us. I think Fox might be just crawling I'll have to give the floors a good check for no pins.

I've managed to get a couple if quilt tops made using the Moda Love Layer Cake free pattern

The mini charm pack version I'm trying very hard to just use my stash and this was from my French General crate. I dont really have a great selection of colours but this is OK.

And one using 10 inch squares from my Batik Stash I was lucky enough to have a layer cake of cream batiks that I bought a few years ago from Hancocks of Paducah. This quilt I'm passing onto Wellington Quilters and will be quilted and passed onto the Womens Refuge.

Linking up to Wendy's Peacock party.

http://wendysquiltsandmore.blogspot.com/2019/02/peacock-party-time.html?m=1

Paper Piecing and other things

This year is the year I am hoping to get the hand sewing projects that have been on the go for a while finished.
My main project this year is the paper pieced 36 ring circus. I feel it's one I will work on and occasionally work on the others.
This is where I'm up too. I'm joining the blocks together as I go, I'm finding it hard on my hands putting the blocks together so dont want to leave that to last.

Another paper pieced one is Patchwork of the crosses. I've almost finished all the blocks I'm only doing 30 blocks but still need to do the cream around each block which will take a while. I was warned early on to do the cream the same time as the block. Sadly it was advice that's been at the back of my mind but not actioned. And I'm finding it hard to find a 5 meter piece of the right cream.

La Passacaglia is almost done I'm going to sort out now how many more blocks I think I've made them and then onto looking for borders.

Looking at this it looks like I'm wrong thinking I only had 4 blocks to add then it's finished. I will work that out today.

Love Entwined an older Block of the month is another I'm hoping to get on with I'm thinking I'll simplify the last 2 borders but need to finish the border I'm working on then rethink where to next.

For Christmas my daughter bought me the quilt pattern Dancing Chickens & Flying pigs a pattern by Hatched and Patched. I'd admired the quilt in Quilters Lane and my daughter kindly got me the pattern so it's another to add to my list. It's not to complicated I think more prep work than anything else.

It's all rather a lot so we will see how I go.

I'm hoping also to finish the Good Fortune Mystery quilt top and make a back for it.

I'm linking to Wendy's Quilts and more Peacock party go and check out what everyone
 is up too.
http://wendysquiltsandmore.blogspot.com/2019/01/gingerbread-retreat-cottage-and-peacock.html?m=1

Slow progress on Good Fortune Mystery

Dont yo just hate it when you dont read the instructions and go on your merry way. This is what happened to me I was so busy checking the instructions on the outer border and merrily joined all the smaller triangles on pairs. All going the same way!
Anyway half of the border is correct so I have unpicked all the triangles going the wrong way just need to sew them together now. Hopefully that will be this weekend. And I can think of my next project I think I can start something new and not finish yet another UFO.

I was delighted to get this book in the mail

I must have been one of the last international to be send. Bonnie made the decision not to post international now as postage is too high. I'm just not going to look at the credit card transaction. 

And a bit of excitement for me today I have booked the flights to Quilt Festival in Houston. I'm looking forward to going this shows it has to be on every quilters bucket list. I'm doing a tour with a couple of friends  through Country Heritage Tours it starts in San Antonio.

 https://countryheritagetours.com/tour/texas-stars-3

I've done a couple of other tours with this company.  The first one was to Paducah and then New England Fall Colours, which I really enjoyed.

I'm linking up with Bonnie's blog go and have a look at all completed quilt tops.

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2019/01/mystery-monday-link-up-reveal-2.html?m=1

Good Fortune mystery starting putting it together

I love this mystery quilt it might be my favourite I can't decide.
A big thank you to Bonnie keeping us guessing to the end. I also feel there weren't so many pieces in the quilt as in past years I've done all the clues but never put the blocks together until later in the year.
So this is where I'm up to the blocks are together just need to do the borders. With any luck I'll be able to complete the quilt over the weekend as I'm back to work tomorrow. I've accomplished a lot while being on my break but still a bit more jobs I would have like to do around the house.

I'm very pleased I changed a couple of the colours .

And I discovered using the woollen pressing mat did make a difference to the flatness of the  blocks. I'm very impressed. So a big thank you to son no 3 who took up my hint of wanting one for christmas.

I still cant make up my mind do I prefer Good Fortune or Alietare the 2015/2016 mystery.

 I enjoy having Allietare on the bed in the winter. Good Fortune I think will go over the back of one of our couches time to do an update of them.

Go and check put the different fabrics now the quilts are coming together on Bonnie's blog.

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2019/01/mystery-monday-link-up-reveal.html?m=1

A sum up of what I've been up to these holidays

It's hard to believe I'm back to work next week I've had a busy time trying to finish a few projects.

I've emptied all these crates there were a few projects in there but the others had fabric in that I've managed to put in with other fabrics. The cupboard I keep my fabric in I'd looking a bit tidier but not tidy enough to take a photo.

Made 3 table runners from blocks I had part made in a class at Blenheim mini symposium a couple of years ago with Hazel Foote. Decided I didnt need a NZ themed wall hanging. The table runners I can give away as gifts.

I found I'd cut enough circles for another 3 baby quilts so I've made them up too. No idea what I was thinking doing that.

My lovely giraffe wall hanging I am now thinking of the best way to quilt it as there are lots of seams.

I decided on the best way to use my 4 patch leaders and enders so there's enough for 2 quilts one with blue hourglass blocks between and one with red. I'm saving putting them together until I go on retreat in March.

Amazingly enough I've finished my 

Forget me not paper pieced hexagon quilt which was a free pattern o  line by Sue Daley.

I am thrilled with it but for a while it will be sitting in my quilts waiting to be quilted pile.

I put together the easier blocks in Good Fortune Bonnie Hunter's mystery which is now revealed. I'm hoping to get this finished before going back to work but I think that's a bit ambitious.

I've also been working on a couple of shop samples for the quilt shop where I work. Need to get my act together and finish them before Wednesday.

And lots of gardening which is looking good. Pity the weeds will grow back quickly.

Pop over and check out what others are up to on these 2 blogs I'm linking up to.

Wendy's Peacock party
http://wendysquiltsandmore.blogspot.com/2019/01/an-early-or-late-christmas-table-runner.html?m=1


Myra at Busy Hands Quilts

http://busyhandsquilts.blogspot.com/2019/01/moda-love-layer-cake-lap-quilt-in-birch.html?m=1