What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

I was so tired when we got home from the ranch last night, but it was the good kind of tired. My husband, brother and I made the 2.5 hour trip to the monument company to pick up the marker for my parents’ gravesite, then the one hour drive from there to the ranch to… Continue reading It Was a Good Day

The trees are up at Chez Goodneedle; not without a few headaches along the way. Lights can be a temperamental thing, even on a pre-lit tree. There's never a mention of tempers flaring and patience sorely being tested by uncooperative lights on any Hallmark movie where the tree springs instantly into brilliant life all while singing carols and sipping hot chocolate; nope, as for us we're going

The trees are up at Chez Goodneedle; not without a few headaches along the way. Lights can be a temperamental thing, even on a pre-lit tree. There's never a mention of tempers flaring and patience sorely being tested by uncooperative lights on any Hallmark movie where the tree springs instantly into brilliant life all while singing carols and sipping hot chocolate; nope, as for us we're going

Sunday arrived, our 40th Anniversary.  After breakfast, we drove out to one of the things on our “must do” list, the Redwoods Treewalk.  Driving into the carpark, we noticed walkways in the trees above criss crossing overhead.  Tickets purchased, we were given a briefing about allowable numbers on the walkways and platforms, and don't touch the trees as it can harm the bark, we were on our way up the spiral walkway.

The start of the walk

We weren't sure how we would both manage up in the tree tops, but it was very easy walking indeed.  The ...

It’s always good to have a finish, isn't it.  This one is made from boys Happy Blocks I stitched during my RSC sewing last year, 2022.  It was fun finding charm squares in the nominated colours each month, and selecting fabrics to frame them.  Some months I stitched several squares, and others, just one or two.  The top had been finished for a while, then I finally got around to quilting it, using a donated fleecy sheet (thanks, Dot) as the backing. Then I made a scrappy brown/cream binding to finish it off.

Boy’s donation quilt ...

Every spring I am delighted to watch the trees behind my house green up. I want to nibble that delicate tender green as it begins with the weedy understory and creeps up the taller trees. I wait for the old apple tree and the wild dogwoods in the middle of the woods to bloom. And I celebrate the tulip poplar that has taken root at the verge of the back lawn.

However, before all the leafing out began I took many photos of tree trunks and logs that I encountered along the tow path, and played with them in Photoshop ...

The rocks were all over the fabric. I cut them as a 'pile' and turned down the top edge and sewed it very ...

It’s time for some more Rainbow Scrap Challenge sewing.  I only have one project still going, believe it or not, the others are complete.  Not properly complete, I hasten to add, but a series of blocks sitting in their project bags.  Little Bricks was started late, and will be carried over to 2023.  I cut out eight blue blocks and got to work stitching.  Well pinned, as I like to do.

I like to use plenty of pins

While I was up at the ironing board,pressing the blocks, Gemma decided to join me at the sewing machine.  After ...

It’s so easy to get tangled up in choices when I design a piece. Since my starting point is usually rough, at best, many shape and color decisions still need to be made. And it’s easy to slip into not … Continue reading →

Mid-2021 I wrote down a rough list of possible projects: Sail – Greece, turquoise circles, unknown family, and pink prints. I finished the first two and began the third, which left the enigmatic pink prints. At some point during lockdown … Continue reading →

The name might be a mouthful, but it gives the whole picture of what this pattern is about:  tree-shaped placemats made log-cabin style.  These clever mats are sure to be a hit on the table, and they go together really quickly. Because they are strip-pieced, you can easily sew a set in a day.  

All good things have to come to an end, and our trip away was winding down as the four of us started heading home.  Gemma was her usual relaxed self during our time away – she tolerates the car travel by cuddling up besides me facing backwards.  It’s always a bit scary for her getting from the car to the caravan, but once inside she is perfectly happy and relaxed.

She loves looking out the windows, or just having a snooze

Heading home, our first stop was Ashley Park, north of Wanganui.  It is many years since we have been ...

Good day everyone. I wrote this piece for Woods Reader, a beautiful, inspiring publication based in Spring Lake, Minnesota. It can be found in their Winter 2020/2021 issue.

The grassy green field was alive with energy and vitality. School children, in groups of five or so, squealed with delight taking turns kicking the black and white soccer ball. Dogs barked; their owners allowing them freedom to run and play. The rush of four lanes of traffic roared by, leading in and out of the neighbourhood. Yet, the instant I stepped onto the spongy path of the Birth Place Forest ...

We are so excited about The Academy of Appliqué next year that we can hardly wait! The joy of anticipating a week with stitching friends, old—perhaps we should say experienced—and new always fills us will delight, but this year promises to be something especially wonderful!

Next year, 2021, I want to work on my swap houses block quilt. Four of my quilting friends and I swapped little 4 1/2 inch houses in 2015

My friend, and one of the swap partners, suggested we bring them to the Saturday sew in, and, at least, take a look at them. Maybe, by doing that, our heads might start percolating ideas for the quilt. It did mine. I knew I wanted to have trees in the mix, so I tried a few and was hooked. They are busy, the houses are busy, so I will need a ...

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, from our home to yours.

The Christmas Mice

Our Christmas Day started with the traditional family breakfast of hot croissants filled with ham and cheese, and a pot of “real” coffee.  Then we joined friends Dot and Derek and son Brent for Christmas Lunch out at a local restaurant, The George.    With three lunch sittings, the place was heaving with people, most of them oldies out with grown children, it seemed, and some of the patrons looked so much older than us, we commented.  Unfortunately, our table was situated right by the door ...

Hi everyone, and welcome to my stop on the Holiday Tales and Traditions blog hop! Bernie at Needle and Foot organized this hop to spread a little holiday cheer. I know this holiday is different from all the others, and at least some of us are having a bit of a time this season. It's been a hard year, so let's pull up a chair, grab a cup of whatever you like, and share some happy stories of our holiday traditions. At the end of my post today, there is a small giveaway just to spread a little ...

 Hi everyone, and happy after-Thanksgiving! I hope you are having a really restful weekend following what was, for us, a very strange holiday. It was just us here, which was very, very different from what we usually have. I actually did my first 5K the first thing in the morning (see sweaty picture at the bottom of this post), then relaxed and cooked a small dinner for the two of us.We had turkey thighs (which are incredibly inexpensive), potatoes, gravy, and Zoomed with the family, and somehow we polished off a whole pie. I have no idea how that ...

Leaving Taupo behind we spent the next night out in rural Paeroa.  You may remember that we had discovered that the young Lone Pine planted behind the  National Army Museum had originated from seeds collected in 2012 from the Turkish red pine growing at Paeroa Golf Course.  We were so close – of course we wanted to see this famous tree.   So we drove off to see if the staff at the golf club could help us in our quest.  They were so helpful and we were kindly escorted over the greens to see the tree and the accompanying plaque.

“There ...