What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

The Christmas quilts are down and put away, as are the other ornaments, so it was time to hang a fresh quilt over the sofa.  As the weather is nice and summery, I decided it was time to give my Aotearoa Blooming another chance to shine.  Designed by Jenny Hunter as applique patterns, featured in the New Zealand Quilter magazine some years ago, I decided to make my blocks as stitcheries.  The centre block showcases the pohutukawa, a large tree which bursts  into crimson red blossoms with yellow tips in the heat of summer, and is also known as the ...

I’m a little late sharing my 2021 quilting progress with you, but then, I’ve only just returned home from holiday.  It doesn’t seem that I’ve achieved a great deal in the quilting stakes this last year, and a look back through the blog confirms this.  Guess my back problem, subsequent diagnosis, surgery and recovery had a lot to do with this.  But I did finish a few, and here they are.  First up were two donation quilts,one for a boy and one for a girl, and some draw string bags for donation as well.

Donation ...

On our last couple of days in Napier we called into the cutest little sweet shop around, visiting here is just like walking back into yesteryear.  Remember all those boiled sweets from days gone by? Lovingly displayed in large glass jars, every type of sweet imaginable.   We replenished our supplies of blackballs for him, and acid drops for her. 

Birdwood's Sweetshop

Where to next?  It was time to purchase some tasty fresh cherries.  I love them and we knew there was a roadside stall reasonably close by.  Robin doesn't care for them, so they are all mine!  And ...

As I’ve finished my secret socks in good time for Christmas, its time to start knitting again.  So I’ve cast on two more pair.   One pair in burgundy using the wonderful Zauberball wool, and the blue pair will be frankinsocks, using up the blue sock yarn from a previous pair, with a darker yarn blue added to make them stripey.   At the starting stage, like this,  these socks are great to knit while we are on car journeys, towing our caravan behind us.  I'm not in any hurry for these to be completed, so I can just ...

We’ve been away about a week now on our travels and starting to head for home.  After leaving our caravan at the Leisureline factory bright and early on Friday morning, we packed up Gemma, and parked the car under a shady tree for Gemma’s comfort, deciding we could safely leave her there for a half  hour while the temperatures were still relatively cool. Now, what’s for breakfast?  There weren't too many customers at that time of the morning, so service was very prompt.  We decided on French Toast for him and poached eggs for her, both ...

Like most quilters, I also enjoy doing some hand work.  And I’m pleased to say that I’ve finally finished knitting my secret socks in good time for Christmas.  That’s three pair of 4ply socks, so I’m feeling rather pleased with myself.  No photos yet, till after Christmas.  And my not so secret pair of thicker  12ply socks is coming along well, I’ve done the heels so it easy knitting till I get to the toes.  With Summer on the way, I won’t be needing this pair till next winter. I knit my socks on ...

I always enjoy doing simple stitcheries and I've recently completed two designs from Stitcher’s Revolution Camping Adventures series.

With the stitchery finished, I just needed to add a band of fabric top and bottom of the teatowel, finished off with a row of green ric rac.  This was stitched for our caravan, and I’m very pleased with how it turned out.

Made for our caravan

The next item I stitched was a place mat for our friend Dot’s motor-home.  I finished this with New Zealand fabric featuring our great outdoors, and shows Dot’s  motor-home doing ...

Last week I did some slow stitching embroidering a camping theme design on a tea towel for our caravan.  And this week I’m pleased to say that it has been completed.  Camping in a wood, beside a lake, with a camp fire crackling to make the early morning coffee, and the sun rising over the hill – sounds idyllic, doesn't it?

Although the stitchery is finished, I plan to add a band of coloured fabric to finish it off.  Shouldn't take too long, I expect.  The transfer is from Stitchers Revolution Camping Adventures.

My other finish is a ...

I’m on a sock knitting mission to knit a pair of 4 ply socks for both granddaughters for Christmas.  And then……. my daughter mentioned that she would like a pair too.  Don’t know if I can get three pair done in time, but I’m coming along well with the first two pair.  I’ve completed a pair for granddaughter number 1 and just started on the pair for the younger granddaughter.  No, I’m not showing the socks, they are secret after all, but I’ll show the wool I’m using.  The girls have quite different ...

It was a lovely day here in my part of the world for some slow Sunday stitching.  It may well be getting to the end of winter, but the sun was out, and our patio area was protected from the cool breeze.  What nicer place to sit outside for an hour or two and enjoy some stitching time.  Gemma kept me company outside for a while, she always takes an interest in any birds she can spot, likes to sniff around before settling down in the warm sun shine.

With several projects to choose from, I decided to spend a ...

Lots of chilly mornings here but we are getting lovely sunshine during the day. All the heating systems are working overtime at night keeping us snug and warm.

Perfect weather for these little frosties which are stitched from designs made by Michelle from Michelle Ridgway Designs.

These are stitched from Cottage Garden Threads.

I plan to add these to two others made previously to make a long wall hanging.

I have kept the knitting theme going through my last few posts. I made a pink jumper for our granddaughter. (Shown in a previous post.) She loves the pink but also ...

It’s been quite a slow week all round as far as slow stitching goes.  All I’ve got to show for it is working on my Bonnie Sullivan pre-printed Christmas designs.  I’ve been stitching lots of little red holly berries along the panel.  When all the stitching is complete I have to decide whether to assemble each one as little cushions to hang off a wreath, or maybe make a small wall-hanging.

Stitching red berries

I’ve also been doing some sock knitting, and have two pair on the go.  A thick blue pair for me, and a ...

Its been another busy week – I’ve been doing a bit of this, and a bit of that.  I’m sure I've told you that it is Autumn here in my part of paradise, so it was high time to get my little hand stitched Autumn wall-hanging up on the wall.  It’s not new so no doubt you have seen it before.  The bald eagles from Juneau, Alaska,  also got a time out of the cupboard - I had purchased this kit from the local quilt shop in Juneau.  We enjoyed a week or so staying there way back ...

I have to admit that I’ve been rather slow working on this project, “All Through the Night” by Bonnie Sullivan.  The first three blocks are completed – however I’ve worked on several more of these blocks when I had the correct coloured thread on the needle.  And I’ve also got a couple of other stitchery projects started, just can’t seem to help myself!

Three blocks done

We decided to stay home for Easter this year instead of heading away in our caravan, I’m getting over my recent procedure and Robin has an appointment straight after Easter ...

I’ve been slowly working away on my Teddy Darling stitchery, which was a pre-printed gifted panel.  Teddy was stitched, the flower garlands were done, and then I big stitch quilted along the blue dashed lines.  Added some simple wavy big stitch quilting in the floral borders and I was almost there.

Quilting in the borders

Binding was next, and I had just enough of a pretty soft pink stripe to do the job.  There, all done.

I’ve so enjoyed all the time I’ve spent “slow stitching” this little treasure.  It’s a small little quilt, only 25 ...

Have to admit that only a little stitching has been happening, but every bit helps, doesn’t it.  Packed away in my stitching bag is a set of 12 pre-printed small Christmas panels, designed by Bonnie Sullivan, my new hand stitching project.  This was a gift from my penfriend Carol from South Dakota, and has some felt pieces attached.  Here I am working on block number one.

My new stitching project

Our tripping around continues, and it’s always exciting finding “new to us” places  to stay.  We had never heard of Te Anga, a small rural community along SH37 ...

This wall hanging was actually completed just prior to Christmas, so I can claim it as a 2020 finish, just didn’t have time to blog about it during the Christmas rush.  Aotearoa Blooming features nine stitchery blocks, adapted from Jenny Hunter’s applique patterns, which were printed in the New Zealand Quilter magazine in the late 1990s. 

After bookmarking these patterns in the magazines for such a long time, I decided that I would prefer to do them as stitcheries.  The first of the prepared blocks came along on our 10 week South Island caravan holiday back in early ...

What a year it has been, what with the global pandemic throwing a spanner in the works.  So it has been interesting to look back through the blog posts to see what I’ve managed to achieve this year.  Some old projects finally finished, plus a few new ones, and I enjoyed taking part in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge again this year.

I finished my Autumn stitchery in February.  Hand embroidered and hand quilted, I really enjoyed stitching this little wall-hanging - this is a free pattern from Crabapple Hill Studio.

Autumn stitchery

Several items were stitched for the caravan.  Christmas ...

Here we are camped in the little town of Takapau in the Hawkes Bay where we have been for a couple of days. Other than the caretaker, we ae the only ones staying here, so had the choice of where we wanted to park.  This is a very reasonably priced camp, and we are nice and toasty with a power site, plus our cozy diesel heater too, keeping us warm.

Staying at Takapau

The weather started out fine, but rather chilly, probably because of the snow on the Ruahine Ranges.

A little snow on the Ruahine Ranges

Our trip to ...

It’s been a beautiful day here in my part of paradise.  So mild you could almost think it was Spring, instead of mid winter.  I’ve spent some time outside today doing a little knitting.

My knitting is coming along well

Then it was time to hand stitch my quilt binding down, something I always enjoy.  This is a cot size quilt, so didn’t take me too long.  And here at last, Under the Sea quilt is finished.  I started the stitchery blocks way back in 2010, so it was well overdue to become a finished quilt.

Under ...