A+ quilt

It has been on my to-do list to make a Plus quilt...have finally had a go at it, 

using a mixture of blues and greens...

It is a lap quilt, measuring 60"x 60" - I loosely followed Jeni Baker's tutorial by using 4.5" squares (finishing size of 4") but instead of cutting five squares per plus I cut a middle strip of 12.5" x 4.5"

I used a chevron minky backing (with a strip of flannel as I was too lazy to try to match the chevrons in an effort to make the minky wide enough for the backing!)

I used a multi-stripe for the binding - it was another chance to try out machine sewing the binding on (as per Rita's tutorial at Red Pepper Quilts) - it is much faster than hand sewing!

And yes, it has been trying to snow for a couple of days...

we're not getting much here but it is making a mess all over Southland/Otago.

Here is the birthday boy who I made the quilt for; my friend's son Lachie turned 13 this month:

In this cold winter weather the birds are enjoying the free food we've got out for them - 

check out the korimako (bellbird)...

...and the tauhou (silvereye/waxeye)...

Big 'hi' to any visitors from Kelly's Needle and Thread Thursday linky party!
And also to those visiting via Amanda Jean's Finish It Friday!
or Sarah's Can I Get aWhoop Whoop? linky!

Plus quilt flimsy

Today is Sew-turday, first day of the holidays!  I had the pieces for this lap size Plus quilt cut out a few weeks ago and have spent this afternoon sewing them together...

Is a mixture of denim/dark blues and grassy/lime greens. I used 4.5" squares so they finish at 4" when sewn. Each plus has a centre strip of (finished) 4" x 12". 

2015 Christmas Joy quilt

I finished this about a month ago and it is one of my goals for On The Windy Side's Finish Along but was hoping for some snow to arrive so I could get some really snazzy Winter Christmas photos, however despite telling us about three times that we were in for severe snow, the weathermen and women were wrong - the snow went everywhere else but Edendale! 

I need to post to my blog before the Finish Along Quarter 2 ends, so here it is; the lighting is not great - the sun has arisen but the sky is very patchy with rain clouds (and I used the ipad not my camera!).

I used a charm pack of Moda's Kate Spain 'Joy', plus some fat quarters that I had picked up along the way and a neutral white tone on tone print, sewn in a simple square design with the border of half squares.  It is a small lap quilt measuring 48" x 48". 

I quilted straight lines to echo the squares, using a mix of red or green threads; for the border, three sides have been free-motioned in dark green with the words "We wish you a Merry Christmas" (yes, like the song), and the bottom border has got "And a Happy New Year!"

The binding is a black and white print covered in various ways from around the world of saying Merry Christmas!

The backing is a mix of a red solid and a green pinstripe. 

Welcome to all my visitors from My Quilt Infatuation's Needle and Thread Thursday linky party and from  Crazy Mom Quilts' Friday Night Finish It linky party!

Another Giraffe at Last!

Another finish of one of my goals for the 2nd quarter of On The Windy Side's Finish Along Challenge!  I think I've managed to get four things done, not too bad!

I spent the day working on school reports, finally spent some time this evening to get Melly's legs onto her body (she's been waiting in the basket for about a year!)

About 18' tall and made from a pink polka dot, with a black multi-coloured spot for the horns and hooves; pattern is called Mrs Perkins and is by Melly & Me.

This one is off to the Maniototo as a gift for new baby Issy Bankshaw!

You can see my other 'Mrs Perkins' giraffes here: #10 for Harper, #9 baby gift, #7 for Corbin and #8 for sale, #2-6 sold or gifted, and #1 for Claudia. 

Linking up to share with Amanda Jean's Friday Night Finish It party!