A bit of this and that and a snippet for RSC 2015

Hope you all had a Happy Christmas!

I see that the weather has been so very bad in parts of the USA, 

and many tornadoes so I hope you're all safe and well!

We have had a happy time and yesterday and today the heat is draining!

I am sitting here at the computer in my little studio and it's

a struggle to take in air, it's so hot!!!!!

The sewing machine has been neglected, finishing rows

on my scrappy Mountains was on the agenda for RSC 2015, but I started playing around with my
Accuquilt and the DWR die with a reject block

then I was sidetracked the day before Christmas Eve
 by these fabrics which have been sitting in one

of my baskets for a few months

another Cultural Fusion quilt was on the agenda for 2016 but I

just couldn't wait to try out one of the Peppermint Pinwheels

this block is looking a bit on the dull side, I took the shot

on a rainy day sadly so not as bright here as it is

 on the wall.

I must share two books which I have fallen  in love with,

the first was a Christmas gift from my husband

a beautifully illustrated and instructive book on a subject
which has long interested me and I am thrilled that
this is now sitting on my table!
 More pencils were needed to add to my collection
so before the heat became just too much we drove into the city
to the art store - I'm now all set up and ready to go!

The next one is a "gift to self"!!

I had seen a short review on this one and decided not for me, probably

covering dyeing in detail. I wandered into our local book store and

just happened to find myself by the quilting section, what should I see but this

it's now sitting beside me!!!!
I have long admired a beautiful denim piece by
Kaja at SewSlowly
do go and visit, you'll love it.

Mountains will have to wait until tomorrow and hopefully there will be something
 to post before the New Year when we start again!!!

Linking with
Angela for RSC 2015

Maureen

Christmas countdown and RSC 2015

Been in a bit of a go slow mood the past week, I decided

to work on something simple and made a little more progress

on my Scrap Vortex blocks,  these three will be 18"x 12" blocks.

Scrappy Mountain Majesties, you will see I have changed the setting which

I was going with earlier, when all the blocks were placed

on the design wall in the zig-zag formation it looked just

too messy, at least I found it so, and decided on a change.

The blocks are all stitched together and this week I hope to

have the rows together

The last link of the year is the 28th December - this year has just flown by!

Time to link up with 

Angela and RSC 2015 quilters

everyone rushing to have finishes!

I'll leave you with a photo of one of my Hibiscus flowers

I may not get another post in before Christmas so I'll wish

you all a Happy Christmas, keep safe and well and see you soon!!

Maureen

On a rainy day and RSC 2015

A wet day here in Auckland but a good day for ducks

and for quilting and reading!

My Scrappy Mountains are nearly all sewn together and now

I'm starting on machine appliquéing my teapots - see HERE for

my last post with my final layout

if you click it will enlarge and you can see I have

used blanket stitch, which I have never done before by

machine but as I have 12 teapots I thought it was about time

I tried the quicker method, although because of having to change

thread with each teapot to get a good colour match, then

change again for the lid perhaps it's not as quick as I had thought.

I took out a subscription to Simply Moderne from Quiltmania

when they opened their office in the USA and issue No3

arrived during the week (already had 1 and 2 from bookshop)

and what a great magazine it is - I am enjoying this publication so much.

Very good articles  - there is a beauty on LeeAnn Decker over at
Nifty Quilts
A good selection of patterns in each issue into the bargain.

Back to my teapots and I'm linking up with
RSC 2015
take a peek at the progress on finishes here.

Before I go a photo of one of my hydrangea bushes, originally a soft mauve
but now multi-colour

and loving the rainy day!

Have a happy week with all the Christmas preparations.

Maureen

Darling Daisy

 Daisy

This is our darling Daisy who had to take her last journey to visit the

vet on Tuesday this week.

She developed kidney disease two years ago and battled on

bravely but sadly she took a downhill turn two weeks ago with the disease

and combined with her arthritis and a heart murmur

diagnosed last week there was nothing further that could be done, her

quality of life had fast deteriorated, so we did what we, and the vet

felt was the kindest thing we could do for her.

She was almost 18 years old and had been found at three

months old stuffed in a plastic bag by the side of the road. The local

vet surgery had her in a cage at reception with a large

sign - Kind Home Wanted - she came home with us.

I miss her so very, very much.

Yesterday,  at a loss as to what to do with my day I found a few 

stars which I had begun for Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2015 and 

thought I would put them together

Daisy's Stars

photographed in one of her favourite spots

Maureen

Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2015

This month it's time to put our RSC2015 projects together - hopefully!

I've started with my Scrappy Mountains, no particular order

as they're going up 'cos they'll be changed around when every block is on the wall.

 I can already see I'm not too happy

with the bright pink, third row down fourth block along, certainly not in the position

 it's in presently.

A few more blocks are needed, possibly yellow which I tried in that

particular colour month but they didn't do anything for me, I'll try again.

Violet, peach or aqua are possibles.

  I can already see I'm not too happy

with the bright pink, third row down fourth block along, certainly not in the position

 it's in presently.

One more flower photo before I go

Visit Angela and all taking part in RSC 2015

Back to more placing on the wall, happy quilting!

Maureen

Ups and downs

It's been a week lacking in motivation! 

I've been fiddling around and not achieving much at all really,

a little quilting on Paintbox

using grey thread one quarter inch around the blocks, intending

to quilt two rows then deal with the border and the blocks

will be hand quilted using the multi thread.

All very simple I know, but that's how I like this one.

Our two youngest grandsons - 4 and 6 yrs and brothers - love The Minions so

after spotting Minion fabric online I had to buy some and

made the simplest cushions for each of them to cuddle up with

when watching their heroes on TV,

we took them around to their place today and they went crazy!!

Small package arrived in the mail, all batiks

and enjoyed looking at my hydrangeas, I love this one

below with the limey green which gradually changes to the pink as

it matures.

I've also been giving a lot of thought to what I would like to

achieve next year with my quilting - far too much is the answer - so 

more serious thinking this week and a long "want to do" list!

Have a happy week

Maureen

All in Pink

For those who read my post last Friday about my dilemma with the teapots

I have "lost" one of the blocks and now have the light pink

one to balance up a little and changed position of a few of them.

 Even so the bottom left hand teapot will probably 

be changed out with the middle top row so not to

end up with two red teapots side by side.

On the subject of pink, and it's various shades, one of my

most deliciously scented roses (suffering with black spot on the leaves)

 has begun blooming

the name escapes me and below a paeony, this too has a delicious scent.

Husband came home yesterday bearing gifts -  three of these beauties.

Have you ever seen such colour!!

Hope all of you celebrating Thanksgiving had a happy day!

Linking up with Angela at RSC 2015

Soon be Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2016!!!!

Sorting teapots

Working on two projects today, first of all my teapots are

on the design wall (roughly I admit) not appliqued yet and there will be sashing

between each block.

I had intended nine blocks but have 12 and there seems to be an

excess of green top halves which really stand out. I also have

three with the soft brown and lilac spots. So - do I keep to my original plan

and have nine or do I use all twelve or do I make perhaps two more

with better balance and leave two of the present ones out?

The pink base also is prominent but that could balance the limey greens.

This will keep me occupied for the best part of the afternoon I think!!

Second project of the day is machine quilting on Paintbox HERE
I'm just going around the nine blocks with grey thread and then
do the blocks themselves. I think I've found a good thread colour in my drawer

I love this multi-thread which seems to blend with most colours in these blocks.

On a purple theme my wallflowers are blooming and the lavender lagging
behind a little - need weeds pulling on the edge of the drive!

Linking up with fellow Rainbow Scrappers if you feel the need for
more colour - go visit!

Back to the machine for me. Have a good day.

Maureen

Back at the machine

Yes, after the week just gone I am so pleased

to be back sewing. There were a few difficult days during the week

but I made it, and next up will be the results of the

pathology tests - fingers crossed!

More Scrappy Mountains - the last month!!

Next month we will hopefully be putting the blocks together, or at least

laying them out ready for sewing.

I must count up how many Mountains there are and work

out the best size for the quilt, my guess is I have too many 

but the extras could go on the back or be used in something else.

If you would like to have a peek and see what everyone else has been busy with this
last month of RSC 2015 then hop over HERE.

The weeds have suddenly shot up in the garden in my time out of action

but so have the roses, lavender and wallflowers in the front garden,

here's one of the very first roses we planted when we

bought this place in 1985, if I remember correctly she is

Mrs F F Prentiss

she spreads her arms all over the place but has a beautiful perfume

so she is forgiven any rambling! 

Time for a cup of tea - this next week will be spent working out
future projects.

My thoughts today are with the people of France, particularly in Paris, and the
victims of this horrendous happening and their loved ones.

Maureen 

Mountain catch-up and one extra teapot

I never made Scrappy Mountains in Pink for

Rainbow Scrap Challenge, can't remember why but no matter as

I have just finished sewing up six of them, some may not make

it into the finished quilt at the end of the year but that's OK.

This month we have bright green so they're on my "next to do" list

hopefully tomorrow.

Philip Jacobs new fabrics had this luscious new colour way

in his Brocade Paeony design just begging to have a teapot made

out of it

this is for me!!!

Catch you over the weekend.

Maureen

An early start to Sunday

We were sitting in front of the television at 4.30am today!!

The final of the Rugby World Cup and our All Blacks (New Zealand) were 

playing the Wallabies (Australia) and hooray the All Blacks won the day!!

Back to back wins and the only team to have won

the Cup three times - what a great game. However, I am now paying the price

for the early start to the day, all I have achieved

on the quilting front is to pull fabrics - 

deep pinks for my Scrappy Mountain Majesties (catch-up)

and lime greens for the colour of the month with
Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2015
my iPad camera doesn't seem to be picking up the rich colour of
these limes even though I had them in various light sources
and
two more blocks for Scrap Vortex, once again there seems
to be an issue with colour you can see how dull these blocks
look, they actually are much brighter

a bit of work on finding the best light sourceset up needed I think.

This photo of the first rose to flower in the long side border is
the true colour

Hopefully I shall be more productive over the next few days!

Maureen

A gathering of quilt tops - quite a few photographs

We had an absolutely beautiful spring day yesterday,

apple blossom

Rugosa "Alba"

everything in the garden is slowly coming back to life, scent from wisteria and our

Viburnum bush, orange blossom and the Rugosa rose above 

 pervades the whole back garden when all 

bushes are in full flower.

This was a good day to pull out my quilt tops from my very large

drawer in the chest in the bedroom. I keep them in there until I'm ready to sandwich

them and I also usually have a couple in there rolled up

ready to quilt, but they needed to see some fresh air so outside they went

under the apple tree.

Alley Cats - Rainbow Challenge 2014

Red Sea Sunset - Half Square Triangle Challenge

Ice Cream - going to be hand quilted

Blue Heaven

Rainbow Rag

I have two ready now for quilting, sandwiched yesterday

Northern Lights

Paintbox - before straightening the bottom left!




So nothing exciting achieved this week, once again. Oh, I have finished up the sewing
on High Flyer for my grand-daughter and playing with Scrap Vortex.

I have a provisional date of 12th November for my next hospital visit so
I'm trying to get a few loose ends tied up.

Thanks so much for all your good wishes and I should be posting
again during the week with progress on other projects!

Maureen