Tudor Bag for Lorena

I used the Sara Lawson (Sew Sweetness website) pattern for her Tudor Bag (that I won as part of a prize from one of the Finish Along quarters of this year) to make this bag for my mum for Christmas...  

- she had asked for a bag with short handles and this was a good chance to try out this pattern. It was my first time adding a zip pocket on the front and a zip placket at the top. I have also never used stiff Soft and Stable foam as wadding (it's just so expensive here...)

There are four inner pockets, attached to the lining....

It was a slightly more difficult construction method from my usual style of bag but I managed to put it altogether in a couple of days (in between Christmas shopping/chores)...phew!

3rd Jan 2016: HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! Have just returned from a wonderfully hot, full-of-fun and laughs camping holiday at Te Anau, just in time to link up with Crazy Mom Quilts' Finish It Up Friday linky party - have a super 2016 y'all!

1...2...3...It's Kimmi!

I don't know who will end up with this single bed quilt but as soon as I saw this gorgeous dark pink and grey Kimmi fabric at Spotlight at the beginning of the year I knew I had to pair it up with the charcoal pinstripe and come up with a quilt.

I raided my stash for some more pinks, only having to add a couple of new bought ones to give some variety in tones.

The pattern is from a layer cake recipe (though I used yardage) by 1+2=Easy by Samelia's Mum and it certainly was easy. I added top and bottom borders to add in more pink and to make it bigger (47.5" x 66").

Did you spot him in any of the photos above?

For the binding I used the dark pink and white polka dot fabric that appears in the quilt. The backing is made with a lovely deep pink spring blossom print as well as a white and pink version of the Kimmi fabric.

I have kept the quilting fairly simple with just some inner borders on the outsides of the square in square blocks, and a free-motion chrysanthemum flower inside each of the small squares; the large Kimmi blocks just have diagonal criss-cross lines as I wanted to keep it all quite soft.

The top and bottom borders have diagonal lines that created diamond effects so I put a flower inside each diamond as well to echo what happened further up.

And, as always when I do an outside shoot, my two four-legged friends had to be right there in the action...

This was one of my 4th Quarter Finish Along goals - I enjoyed making this 'girlie' quilt...I will love looking at it until I find a suitable owner!

A big MERRY CHRISTMAS to all my quilting/crafting visitors via Crazy Mom Quilts' Finish It Up Friday linky party - I wish all the very best of the season!

May 2016 - SOLD! Bought for her half-Japanese niece by my 'sister-in-law' Julia, who spotted it in the quilt display (aka the 'done pile' on the spare bed) when visiting for lunch after travelling down from the North Island for the Bluff Oyster Festival.

Farewell Quilt

"Best Wishes Lucy!"

Photo taken in front of  'Room 2' where Mrs A has spent most of her time.

 I put together this lap quilt for my darling colleague Lucy Anderson, retiring from teaching after a stellar career, with more than 30 years at our school, most famously working with the junior pupils for the majority of that time. 

The famous-in-Edendale Mrs A of Team Kiwi in Room 2.

I asked many past and current pupils, staff-members and Board of Trustees chairpersons to write messages for Lucy and sewed them altogether in this quilt.

People wrote their messages with pencil and I wrote over-top with permanent fabric pens before sewing the squares together last weekend.

It was so cool to collect up all the messages and read the different memories, 

comments or quotes that everyone came up with!

It has been an absolute pleasure to work alongside this gorgeous lady and to learn from her about how to conduct oneself as a professional and a facilitator of learning. Lucy has been a fantastic role-model and supporter for all of us at the school.

The quilt measures approx 58" sq and is made with fabric range 'Singing the Blues' from Spotlight.
It is a square-in-square design, based on a pattern called 'Vanilla Romance' that was
printed in magazine 'Handmade' Vol 29 No 5 2011

This was one of my 4th Quarter Finish Along goals!

The backing was made from the leftovers of the different fabrics
plus yardage of the blue peacock-feather style fabric (seen at top of photo).
I used a large all over stipple in the body of the quilt, with wavy lines in the border.

We will miss having you here at school with us everyday Loocee!

Nice to be sharing with visitors from Kelly's Needle and Thread Thursday (oops, twice!) and also those visiting via Crazy Mom Quilts' Friday Night Finish It!

5-0 Bag for Wendy

One of my lovely workmates has just celebrated a significant birthday, so I have whipped this up this morning to gift to her when I head over to her house for a small celebration tonight...

Side A

It is made with squares from a charm pack set of Weeds by Me and My Sister Designs for Moda (has been in my stash for a year or so) plus some black and grey fabrics also from my stash...

Side B

It is approx 11" x 14" and has a small pocket sewn to the lining. I loosely based it on a pattern I have used before, called Bird Aviary, by Judith Tetley, printed in Handmade magazine Vol 27 No8 2010.

We've had lots of rain and hail this morning, but the sun came out just as I finished the bag...

Rumbles got off the sofa to come and schmooze outside...

And then of course Bess had to get in on the photos too...

Big "hello" to followers and visitors from Crazy Mom's Finish It Up Friday linky party! Have a nice weekend everyone!

2015 Online Quilt Trunk Show

I am in the middle of three different quilt projects (as well as a class full of reports and achievement books) so this Online Quilt Trunk Show is a nice way to add a new post while I don't have any new finishes to share (and it makes a nice distraction)...

Whims and Fancies is hosting this fun event - a chance to show-off our favourite projects from the past year or so - here are my favourite ten:

2015: Birdcage - a tote bag for my trainee teacher.
Black and white is such a classic combo, can't go wrong!

2015: 50c Mixture baby quilt - I love the bright
colours with the white, and the use
of the black and white binding. 

2015: A+ Quilt for Lachie - this large lap quilt was
made for my friend's son's 13th birthday.
I have been wanting to do a plus quilt for a while so this
was a good chance to try one.
I loved the mix of blues and greens.

2015: Christmas Joy lap quilt - I loved creating this
from a charm square pack that I had in the stash.
Around the border I free-quilted the song words of
'We wish you a Merry Christmas".

2015: Little Leap Frog - this is a cot quilt or
small lap quilt and I just love the blues, greens and whites 
It was a fun pattern to work with.

2015: Spiderman twin quilt for my nephew -
 this was a lot of fun, especially when it came time
to quilt it, as I had fun quilting web and spider motifs in the different blocks.

2015: Slice of Summer lap quilt - I could not pass by the
blues and whites of this fat quarter stack.
I created a pattern for this quilt and whipped it up
during my summer holidays.

2014: Birds on High wallhanging for my cousin -
this was a lovely, quick project and I loved using the pinks
and greens, as well as the bird silhouettes (which were
overstitched by machine to give them outlines and wings).

2014: Sunny Southland Day lap quilt for my workmate - this was another
charm pack that I was really keen to use and it made
a perfect birthday gift for Jo. These fabrics were fun to
work with, so colourful!

2014: String of Pearls Remixed - this is a very large lap
quilt that I gave to my cousin for her birthday.
I loved using the Remix Ovals for Christa's String of Pearls pattern.

Have you also entered the Online Trunk Show? Put the link to your post in the comments below so I can visit you!

Charity Quilt

This small single/large lap quilt has been donated to the Southland Charity Bowls tournament for the auction night...

I quilted it all over with large straight lines to create a squares effect, and machine bound it.

It is based on the Radio Waves pattern by Julie @ Jay Bird Quilts.

I made it back in January/February - originally as a large quilt but I didn't like it that big and split it into two smaller quilts (I gave the other one to Tracey for her 40th) and this one has been waiting for the right reason to complete it.

Of course, nosy parker Rumbles had to get in on the action and try to give the 

quilt a cat-comfort test!

The charity auction was held last night and Brian says this sold for $160. Bargain! 

Joining up with Kelly's Needle and Thread Thursday linky party! 

Also joining the usual crowd at Amanda Jean's Finish It Up Friday! 

Hi everyone!