Sunday - catching up

There are quite a few photos in this post, warning you ahead of time, my intended post one week ago never happened so I'm making up for that here. Towards the end of the post I make mention of the story of a quilt back in 2015, hope you can make it that far!

Fabric: I bought a pack of Tula Pink Tiny Beast range packed with little critters and some not so little.
She also brought out a collection of tiny dots and thin stripes in bright colours, these were added to my stash.

Current Project Progress: I'm plodding along slowly with my 16 patch in yellow/orange, the collection is growing nicely, here are the latest ones and this quilt could fit with the latest prompt from AdHoc Improvisational Quilters apart from the fact that it's definitely not improv! I do have a few other ideas for something quite different though.

   

Of course I'm also working on Slashed Squares using the tutorial by

Lynne at The Patchery Menagerie. Check out the Tutorials heading top of her blog page to be directed to purchase details, you'll also see a heading for Slashed Squares Quilts giving photos of quilts Lynne has made. 

The blocks for this quilt are going together so quickly, I can't wait until I reach the 'slashing' stage.  My latest batch are below

you can find the first seven sewn  in my last post HERE. I'm going with 25 blocks in all, at least at this stage I am but I'll review that when I'm nearing the finish line.

I've been so, so lax with machine quilting tops over the past few years and at last count I gave myself a huge shock - 24!!!! Some were more wall quilt size and truly it wouldn't take long to work through basting and machine quilting although there are a few which will be hand quilted. Here's a photo of the first one up for the machine, basted now.

The Northern Lights

  This quilt was made in 2015 - yes folks it's been languishing in line all that time.  Long time readers here   will have seen it before, I first posted at the time I took part in a Quilt Along with  Cultural Fusion Quilts, this was my take on Rail Fence. I wrote the back story behind     this quilt  you can find it HERE, hope you can find time to read,  our stories behind the quilts 

 we make can be every bit as important as the quilt itself.

Books: do I need more books I ask myself, I love books as much as fabric and two new ones arrived at the door

Congratulations if you've made it to the end of this post!!!

I have an appointment next week for the cortisone shot into the torn tendon in my shoulder so

it may be another couple of weeks before I get around to posting - see you then.

Keep safe and well and happy quilting.

Maureen

A finish - Simply Red Squared - and more

At last I have my small quilt for the prompt with
Ad Hoc Improvisational Quilters finished!

The prompt was Red is a Neutral
and here is my effort

Simply Red Squared

not the best placing job on my design wall but I was so pleased
that I had a finish I just pressed it onto the flannel and took the photo.

Size 33 and1/2" square.

Minimal quilting, beginning with in the ditch around each block, then the

triangles and the four squares made up of triangles.

You might remember I was going to bind with a KF purple on black spot,
in the end I felt it wasn't the best choice and on sorting through
a stack of pretty old fabrics I came across one which I thought
was a better fit - see below along with the bright backing fabric.

The kiwis were calling to me!!

You'll have to click for  a better view of the binding.

I'm thinking that next in line for quilting is a quilt made in 2015!!!!

Those of you having followed me since that time may remember this quilt and

if you want a refresher on the back story, or if you're new

to my blog, here is the link below, enjoy!

The Northern Lights

If you're wondering why there are a few pins around the edge

it's because I had an odd shaped piece of batting left over and

it was easier to lay the quilt top on,

 find the backing, pin and then up on the design wall to photograph.

Basting later in the week.

I think I'll begin with in the ditch quilting between sashing and blocks

and after that, well decisions, decisions! I'm wondering perhaps

minimal hand quilting with a 12 weight thread or perhaps

a perle cotton. Any thoughts?

I'm still plugging away at my Lego blocks and a few squirrels are

trying to make a home in the studio - perhaps soon.

Leaving quilting for a moment we had our Election on Saturday

and thank goodness that we have Jacinda Ardern as our Prime Minister

for another three years, she had a landslide victory, it was amazing.

What a tremendous job she's done for us 5 million Kiwis!

She is a treasure!!!!!

We voted early a week or so ago and what a beautiful day, photos below from

our drive home after visiting the voting station.

I can't close off without a photo from the garden, here's a clivia

blooming beautifully under the native trees.

See you all again soon, keep safe.

Maureen

The Northern Lights

In my last post on 

Wednesday

I had just started on my take of a Rail Fence

as part of the
Quilt Along at Cultural Fusion Quilts

This is
The Northern Lights

a mix of Kaffe Fasset fabrics and Ombres from
Caryl Bryer Fallert.

The Northern Lights can be seen from the very top of
Scotland and I'd love to say that I had seen this wonderful sight before
we came to New Zealand in 1980,  I didn't but I have seen clips
many times of course.

There is a play on words with this piece, we come from
Lancashire in the North of England. For anyone who knows something of that area
there is a town called Blackpool, very famous for what is known as
'The Lights". In Autumn the whole sea front -  lamp posts, shops buildings - for miles is
decorated with the most amazing array of  bright lights, there could be
huge models of for example Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and other
well known story book characters,
huge Catherine Wheels, spinning away merrily on top of the lamp posts.
 There is also Blackpool Tower - a sort of mini Eiffel Tower -
totally decorated and lighting the sky for miles around.
 The trams which run along the sea front are also
fully decorated and all lit up, it really is a sight to see and children absolutely
love it - I certainly did -  actually so do the adults! Sitting on a tram
or walking along by the side of the sea eating Candy Floss or sucking on sticks
of Blackpool rock was my idea of heaven.
For followers of Coronation Street, Hayley and Roy Cropper go for a special
weekend to see The Lights and dance in The Tower Ballroom after
she has received her diagnosis of cancer.

Linking up with
Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2015

Enjoy the weekend.

Maureen