Baby Brights Update

This is the reason why I haven't been doing much foodie blogging lately. I've been working feverishly to finish quilting this quilt before my friend's baby turns 5 and goes to school! I started the top in November before baby was born because the sex wasn't known but once the top was finished I couldn't decide what colour to quilt it with. Then I decided to quilt it in thread to match each block but figured that it would take me so long to thread individual bobbins and thread and unthread the machine each time that I may was well quilt it by hand. What was I thinking!

The quilt is being mailed this week. I hope mum and baby like it.

Dad's Plaid

The next time I say I'm going to finish a quilt by grid quilting it a quarter of an inch apart somebody please slap me - hard! No wonder this quilt took over three years to complete although it wasn't so much 3 years of actual work on the quilt but 3 years of procrastination because once you get to a certain point of a quilting design there aint no going back. I lost track of how many reels of thread I went through by the time I was done.

I gave the quilt to my dad for his 70th birthday last year. He says he wants it on his coffin when he dies - I'm not sure how I feel about that. Hmmm.

Baby Brights

Here's a preview of something I've been working on recently instead of baking - the photo doesn't do the fabulous bright fabrics any justice at all. I was searching for ideas for jelly roll quilts and came across a really neat site MaryQuilts.com which has lots of cool ideas for quick and easy quilts, especially quilts for charity. I need to make a quilt for my cousin who has a significant birthday next year and I've been looking for ideas.

As yet this practice piece has no owner but I have someone in mind....watch this space.

Buzzy Bees and Kiwis

I can't believe how slack I've been since I got back from vacation and that it's been over a month since I posted anything. I guess I haven't really got back into baking or trying out new recipes so there has been nothing to share.

Before I left for my holiday I mentioned that I was burning the midnight oil trying to get some baby quilts finished for friends we would be visiting. I was sewing the binding on the quilts just hours before my plane left and had to pack a needle and thread to finish the handsewing at my destination. Deadlines and me do not play well together.

I'm pleased to say that our friends are the proud parents of two adorable little boys who weighed in at 5lbs, 3oz and 4 lbs, 6 oz respectively.

The finished quilts...


Closeup of Buzzy Bee quilt...



Closeup of Kiwi quilt...

Cuter than Scooter?

I don't think so!

I'm in the process of making a couple of baby quilts which need to be made quickly due to my leaving things til the last possible moment. Procrastination should be an art form I tell you. The babies are due 11/04 and I leave for my holiday to the US on 19/04 so perhaps I should be sewing rather than writing this post? I pulled out this quilt to use as my reference and laid it over a nearby chair and naturally any quilt or garment that is laid over a piece of furniture becomes an instant cat bed.

Why can't I just give this quilt away and only have to make one more? Well this quilt won a blue ribbon at the Georgetown County Fair - from memory I think the ribbon was for the quilting which was just an all over, meandering stipple pattern. The quilt sentimental to me and I haven't had the heart to give it away.

Here's a sneak preview of my efforts so far.....


Because the quilts are being given to friends in the US I wanted to use a New Zealand theme and have chosen some fun fabrics for the feature squares. For the first quilt I chose Buzzy Bee which is somewhat of a New Zealand icon. Buzzy Bee has been around since the 1940s and almost every New Zealand child would have had a Buzzy Bee pull along toy. Now you can get plush toys, stationery, key rings and buzzy bee themed clothing - it's just not the same. The other quilt will have little cartoon kiwis (as in the flightless birds, not the furry fruit) as the feature fabric and will be in similar colouring.

What I'm doing this weekend

... I'm going to Quilt Symposium Manawatu

The event opens at lunchtime today and runs through til Wednesday the 24th of January. I have a friend coming from Wellington to stay and I hope to have the chance to catch up with friends from my old quilt groups over the weekend. There's the usual associated activities - exhibitions and a merchants mall; the latter representing a major threat to my wallet despite my groaning fabric shelves. I mean really - you can't go to an event like this and not buy something. Need is such an ugly word don't you think?

I've registered for two classes:

On Monday it's Artist Trading Cards with Jan Mullen of Stargazey Quilts. I've been a admirer of Jan's work for a long time and I love her fabrics - they're so bright and vibrant.


On Tuesday I'm doing a class called The Art Quiltlet with Deanna Hartman which I hope will stretch my artistic ability (or lack thereof) a little.

Both workshops involve small projects and there's a slight chance that I might actually finish something.

I'm also going to three lectures. Priscilla Bianchi will share her experiences about about how she started quilting (and got hooked); and how she overcame obstacles living in Guatemala without any quilting tradition, community or resources. My houseguest is doing Priscilla's workshop. Lecture two is Jan Krentz who is going to present a collection of her work including recent quilts seen from her three books. I have her Lone Star quilt book and it is pure eye candy. Finally, Jane Sassaman will give a pep talk and slide show about accomplishing your work in spice of obstacles - family life, space limitations etc.

See you in a few days.

Lucky Stars

Didn't I tell y'all that this was a Food and ART blog?

During my Christmas vacation this year I started a quilt for my cousin in Australia and surprise surpise it's still not quilted. This is situation normal for me because I enjoy piecing but the thought of basting a top so I can quilt it is not my idea of fun. My cousin's birthday is at the end of this month so I guess I'll be sending this one out to be quilted or else there's no hope of her getting it this decade! The pattern called Lucky Stars by Terri Atkinson. While I didn't set out to copy the pattern right down to the fabrics the colours are what my cousin likes and I have a swag of batiks so it was an easy choice. I enjoyed making the pattern so much that I'm making another one in autumn colours for my other cousin.

I had intended to take a picture of the quilt hanging on the clothesline but it has been a little windy here so I resorted to putting it on the floor which doesn't give you a great angle. I have come to the conclusion that putting a quilt on the floor is like catnip for cats.

Scooter says "I wonder if anyone is watching?"......



Guess not!


This is FUN

I'm off to sew my backing fabric together now. Stay tuned for the next instalment of Lucky Stars in a few weeks.