A quilt in remembrance

I can't believe it's two weeks since my last post, it's been a very sad time 

for New Zealand.

Perhaps you will have seen on your news, wherever you live, the

horror of the massacre of people in their places of worship.

There is a lot I should like to say but this is not the platform to do so.

I will concentrate on quilt related matters.

Here is my latest quilt, just a top at the moment,

Stone Flower Patches

and you may remember  that this was a pattern from Free Spirit website

using Kaffe Fassett fabrics. There is no input in this from myself

apart from the cutting and stitching using the exact same fabrics given

in the pattern.

It was my intention to have this in a small

joint exhibition between myself and my husband, plans changed over the last two

weeks.

I found great solace in slowly working on this piece since the

massacre in Christchurch, 15 minutes each time at the machine

was the only way I could finish 

due to a torn meniscus in my right knee.

Stone Flower Patches is staying with me now.

An exhibition of quilts can take place in the future.

Do you know, I haven't even been reading blog posts,

can't quite believe that myself, I shall be

catching up on reading tomorrow.

More from me in a few days, until then happy stitching

and enjoy the sunrise below taken one morning a week ago,

a 'heart lifter'.

Kia kaha Christchurch

Maureen

Squirrel Alert

I have another squirrel arrive in my studio!

Still slowly working on Red is a Neutral and UandUQAL

but an unexpected quilt is in progress.

I'd forgotten  a commitment made some time ago to put a couple of quilts,

and possibly cushions, in a small joint exhibition with my husband,

he's a painter, beginning 1st May.

So, new Kaffe Collective fabric arrived, free pattern

from Free Spirit on their web site, this would be a good size to hang at

45" x 63"

as the display wall is not huge.

Luckily I had some of the required fabrics in my stash

and the remainder came from my order.

I fell for the Stoneflower pattern and had ordered

yardage in all the colourways.

This is Lavender Stoneflower and below is the true colour, the photo

above shows possibly a little bluer. Twelve 9 and 1/2" pieces all fussy cut.

Small squares cut in both light and dark - black cat once more

deciding to try and snuggle up to the fabrics.

I couldn't resist sewing two blocks up rather than waiting until

all the hsts and squares were together.

I'm mighty happy with the look of this and hoping it doesn't sell

in the exhibition! You notice in this picture the Lavender once again 

shows slightly darker.

Whilst I was cutting fabric my package of the new

Anna Maria Horner range arrived and I love it!

I have plans for this later in the year.

Quite different from my favourite KF but it's always good to step outside

our comfort zone now and again.

Now I don't use much brown in my quilts but in a blog post

from 

Linda at kokaquilts

she asked was there a colour that we don't buy and/or

don't use, I replied mine was brown, but see what I bought, the AMH fabric below!

Had it been an out and out brown it would have been a no-no for me.

There we have the sum of my quilting activity since my last post,

pain is doing me no favours presently so I'm taking things slowly. 

A wander around the garden showed the effects of

Autumn being upon us but the storm lillies are flowering,

tiny wee flowers only about four inches high but always good to

see them at this time of the year.

Happy Quilting until next time.

Maureen

March aka here comes Autumn

Yes, officially the 1st of March is the start of our Autumn

down here in New Zealand, the leaves of the

Japanese Maple are already showing their colour a little

and the hydrangeas, once richly pink and blue, have

now begun their journey down the road into the antique colours

and still as beautiful as ever!

All things quilting - not a lot actually, I've been down

with an infection which stopped progress.

The sum of my achievements covers five more blocks for

the 

Red is a Neutral

 invitational with

AdHoc Improvisational Quilters

I intend to sash these blocks to negate stress on the eyes!!

A fabric has been chosen but I need more than the small amount 

on hand, another order should be here within the week.

I do quite like them just as they are but when I have 20 blocks

measuring 14" the effect could be pretty overpowering.

Found my unfinished piece

with the name

Playtime

As I only have four more small kaleidoscope blocks

to add, along with four corners, it would probably

only take a morning to finish, better get on to it!

By the way, all the photos will enlarge if you give

them a click.

Oh, of course the Kaffe Fassett Collective have a new fabric collection

out now, needless to say I spent some time ordering!

One package arrived yesterday - yummy colours -

and the opening of the package was supervised by

my little helper who 

 doesn't have the tip of her left ear missing, she just

moved her head as I was taking the photo. After

sitting quietly watching proceedings she took matters into

her own paws to check out the fabric

and  was swiftly ejected from the cutting table.

She is an ardent KF fan.

Another non-quilting job was a trip down memory lane.

John's Mum had given me a box of buttons as we left England

in 1980, these were gathered by her grandmother, her mother and

mother-in-law over the years. They came from items of clothing dating

back to the late 1800's  and she could tell me, for example, that the horn buttons 

came from a coat made for my husband as a child,

buttons from dresses worn by her grandmother - you

get the picture.

My children used to have great fun visiting their Gran

who would let them rummage through the box.

I thought this one here was very special and very old,

measures almost 1/2" with

lovely intricate detail.

Perhaps the Downton Abbey era.

Well, after sending you all to sleep with multiple

photos and not much progress I shall head off to

the cutting table.

See you soon, have a happy weekend.

Maureen