Waiting In The Wings

Sunday, December 27, 2015

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

Sunday, December 20, 2015

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 
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

Sunday, December 13, 2015

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

Thursday, December 10, 2015

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

Sunday, December 6, 2015

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


Back to more placing on the wall, happy quilting!

Maureen


Saturday, December 5, 2015

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

Saturday, November 28, 2015

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!


Soon be Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2016!!!!

Friday, November 20, 2015

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

Sunday, November 15, 2015

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 




Thursday, November 5, 2015

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

Sunday, November 1, 2015

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

Monday, October 26, 2015

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