Merry Christmas

I hope you all have a happy Christmas and wonderful New Year.

Take care
Rebecca xxx

Christmas House Table Runner

I also finished a second Table Runner for my Mum it is based on an Esch House Quilts pattern called Third Street Neighborhood.  I made mine a bright happy version and it will fit well into my Mum's wooden house.  It is now wrapped up for Christmas. Phew!!!

Improv Stripes Table Runner

Wow I finished the Table Runner and it is now wrapped under the Christmas Tree!

From a pattern in "Set the Table" by That Patchwork Place

Tablerunner in progress

I have pieced a new table runner using my favourite sea/beach colours.  It is based on a pattern from a book called "Set the Table" by Martingale.  Just finished the basting and now off to do the machine quilting.

Fabric cards for Christmas

I had fun yesterday making Fabric postcards for Christmas.  Some silk fabric from Indonesia provided the inspiration.  I bonded the fabric with vilene and machine quilted.   They have been posted off to friends.

DUDQ Swap - my mini quilt

This is a photo of the quilt I made for my swap partner.  It is a Stitched in Color pattern from the Penny Sampler online course - flower pot.  I loved making it and the instructions were great.

DUDQ Swap 4

Down Under Doll Quilt Swap 4

I was so excited to receive a parcel in the mail from the Northern Territory.  Inside was the most beautiful little quilt and some wonderful goodies all made by my swap partner in the DUDQ 4 swap - Melissa from Clothwork.

And the goodies Melissa sent a pincushion and needle case and some fat quarters!!

Indigo

I went out to Ali's last Saturday and with Kate, Kathryn and Merody we had an Indigo play day.
I over dyed some pink fabric using folds and pegs.

 These used plain white fabric.

I also dyed some old french linen using marbles tied with elastic bands and made into this cushion photo below.  I so loved the results of this one.

 It was wonderful of Ali to organise the day and next year she is planning to hold workshops out at her property check out her website.

Fabric Printing

My friend Suse came out yesterday and we had a fun afternoon trying different ways of printing on fabric here are a couple of samples.

We used sponges, thermofax screens, silkscreens and improvised with a range of items like rulers and eggbeaters.  We printed onto linen and cotton fabric using fabric paints.

Half Square Triangle Cafe Apron

I have just finished a little Cafe Apron for my sister-in-law whose birthday is on Friday.  I was inspired by some aprons in the latest issue of QUILTY magazine but changed the pattern around and decided to line the apron or it could be reversible.  My sister-in-law lives near the Pacific Ocean so I chose sea colours.

Hope she likes it!!!!!!

Stardust 8 by 8 challenge

The latest challenge topic for the New Zealand 8 by 8 group I am a member of was "Stardust".  We are doing 15 in by 12 in landscape orientation for this series of challenges.  I went for something fairly simple an improvisational star with glitter fabric and an oil stick stencil.

Nancy Rectangular Quilt One

I have finished the Nancy Rectangular quilt begun earlier this year in a Workshop with Nancy Crow in New Zealand.  The quilt is pieced in an improvisational manner and quilted in wonky straight lines in keeping with the piecing.  I really liked putting the red binding on to an already colourful quilt!

A is for Ant : my ABC quilt-a-long week 1

Wow because I love the book " S is for Stitch" I decided to join Shush I'm Quilting in the ABC quilt-a-long.

I have decided to make my stitched blogs 4 and a half inches trimmed and the strips 2 inches by 6 inches giving me a slightly bigger quilt than the book with each block being 7 and a half inches. I am using Riley Blake Designs "Seaside" fabric for the quilt and I am making the boy version!  I am really happy with how block 1 turned out and now to get blocks 2 and 3 finished to catch up with the quilt-a-long.

I used a white on white patterned fabric for the embroidery squares to add some texture.

I think it is so cute!!

Doll Quilt

I made a little doll quilt for my niece who recently turned two.  I used a pattern by Nana Company and was really pleased with how it turned out.  I used variegated embroidery cotton by Cottage Garden

Threads.

Play Day at Ali's

I had a great day yesterday at a Play Day at Ali's. We covered a number of surface design techniques and I especially enjoyed roaming around the beautiful gardens selecting leaves for leaf printing.
I have included my attempt below - I was really pleased how the fine grass type leaves printed.  Thanks Ali for a fabulous time.

Patchwork Please, Week 11 You've Got Mail Quilt

I decided to make a small quilt for Week 11 of the Patchwork Please Zakka 2 sew along.  I loved doing the paper piecing for the envelopes and the quilt came together really well.  Maybe I have finally got the hang of paper piecing!!  When it came to the quilting I decided to stay with straight lines and think that they enhance the quilt.

 You 've Got Mail Quilt - from "Patchwork Please!"

Paper pieced envelope

New Book - "Quilt Improv"

Wow I was so excited in the mail yesterday came Lucie Summers new book "Quilt Improv".
It is about making great improvisational quilts from everyday inspirations.  Lucie is from the UK and has successfully sold hand printed fabrics and also designs quilting fabrics for Moda Fabrics.  In the first section are inspirations for making thirteen different unit blocks and I am going to start off making some of these from my scraps - cannot wait to begin!

Citrus Challenge

I am part of a challenge group in New Zealand and our challenge for this period was to make a quilt 15 inches by 12 inches chosen subject "Citrus". I enjoyed making this little work.

Taupo Quilt - liberated log cabin

Ray - I finished piecing this quilt this afternoon.  As I mentioned last week I started this quilt in a Gwen Marston workshop at the Quilt Symposium at Taupo.  I have not decided how to quilt it yet.  Maybe narrow machine straight lines or even hand quilting!

Patchwork Please, Zakka 2.0 Week 9 Box

Hi there this is my scrappy box for Patchwork Please Zakka Along 2.0.  For my box I chose my own hand printed fabrics, and two thermofax screens, some Kona solid and a little piece of Lucie Summers hand printed leaves.  The lining is a commercial fabric.  Appreciated the blog post from Poppyprint on how she made her box to help me understand a couple of the instructions!

Taupo New Zealand Symposium

I had a wonderful time last week at the Taupo NZ Quilt Symposium.  The weather was very kind and the scenery spectacular.  I attended the lecture by Gwen Marston from USA and was a student in her three day class Abstract Quilts in Solids.  Gwen is a wonderful and encouraging tutor and we had a wonderful time in the class and produced all different types of quilts.

Lake Taupo 

Gwen Marston giving her lecture

The improvisational log cabin quilt I started in Gwen's class.

Patchwork Please, Week 6 Apple Bib

Had fun doing this week's Patchwork Please Apple Bib.  Went for a red apple!!

What I am working on

I made this wall hanging at a design workshop with Nancy Crow in New Zealand earlier this year.  I have started to machine quilt in straight lines on my domestic machine here is a look at progress!

Patchwork Please, Zakka 2.0 Week 6

I finally completed the Patchwork Please, Zakka 2.0 Week 6 sew along.  I was challenged by the paper piecing I just did not understand so I found a Craftsy online course with Carol Doak and following

 Carol's instructions it was so easy!.  I also challenged myself to use some of my hand printed fabrics.

Nancy C. Quilt

I wanted to show you a quilt I started in a Nancy Crow Workshop and completed sometime later.  It is a queen size quilt and I pieced and quilted it on my domestic machine.  It looks really colourful and happy in our guest bedroom.

Finished at last!

I started this quilt a long time ago when living near Miami Beach, Florida - I hand pieced the centre and finally finished yesterday - one UFO done!! It was inspired by the colours of the beach.

Zakka 2.0 Week 4: Cafe Apron

I have had loads of fun making the Cafe Apron for the Zakka 2.0 Week 4 sew along from Ayumi's new book Patchwork, Please.  I challenged myself to used some of my hand stamped fabric (orange centre fabric) and some thermofax screened fabric (small orange squares).