Quilt Show in Hastings

 How wonderful to have a quilt show in Hastings to check out during my weekend trip away, put on by Wine Country Quilts.  I had a free day on Saturday before the family birthday, put the address into the Sat Nav, and after a little hiccough, finally saw the sign.  Did you know I'm somewhat navigationally challenged while driving? 

This must be the right place

After paying my $8 entry fee, and buying raffle tickets, I entered the door.  Wow, it all looked wonderful.  I love seeing big bed quilts, and there were plenty of those on display.

Where to start?  I'm pleased I had my walking stick with me as I slowly wandered around, walking slowly is hard on my back.  Here are some quilts which took my eye.

"Catfish" by Linda McAdams, applique, painting, lace making

There's something about the timeless designs of William Morris.  Sandra Vinden created "Arts and Crafts Revival" in this simple design which showcases this lovely fabric line.

"Arts and Crafts Revival"

This large tee shirt quilt had a lot of interest.  Linda Ralph pieced "Those Days, 40 plus years of Concerts".    You could imagine all the memories this quilt holds.

Tee shirt quilt full of memories

I had seen versions of this intricate design on blogland recently so it was great one in real life.  Lyn Churcher stitched "Colour my World" as a BOM and machine quilted it herself.  I'm most impressed and don't think I could tackle anything like this.

Colour my World

I liked the simplicity of this one, made from men's shirts, complete with labels.  Sorry, but I didn't get the maker's name this time, and I'm not sure if it was made as a memory quilt.

Made from men's shirts

And we have to have a Kiwi to finish off with, don't we.  This one was so pretty.  Leanne Kenah, guest exhibitor, stitched "Le Fleur Kiwi"  using thread painting over fabric applique, and then machine quilted it.  This pretty piece included part of a doily made  by her grandmother.

Le Fleur Kiwi

I didn't really check out the merchants area, nothing I really wanted at the time.  Sadly, I shed a few tears when a well meaning quilter approached me, she  was formerly from Levin but had moved away and recognised me.  "Hello", she said, "You travel around in your caravan with your cat, don't you".  "Not any more", I replied and promptly burst into tears.  Dear me, that comment was a trigger, and I'm sure that will continue to happen from time to time.  I do hope I didn't embarrass her too much.

The family birthday celebrations were on Saturday evening, and the following morning I had a cup of tea, no breakfast available at this motel, and packed up for the drive home.  I encountered quite a bit of heavy fog driving out of Hastings on Sunday morning.  Or was it mist, I really don't know the difference.  Time for a spot of morning tea a little later and I turned off the road into Norsewood and I ordered a cup of coffee and a date scone at the cafe.

Cafe at Norsewood

On the 15th September 1872 the sailing ship Hovding arrived at Napier with 483 new settlers from Norway.  A few days later the men trekked through the heavy bush to reach the area now known as Norsewood. That would have been very hard going for them indeed.   Families followed and the community became established, and over the years many more Scandinavian settlers arrived.  This family of three happy trolls, father Norvirke, mother Margit and son Ormvah are sitting in the sun to welcome travelers.  Norsewood trolls are very happy creatures, not like those other trolls which hide under bridges ready to eat you up!

Happy family of Trolls

I made it home safe and sound although the muscles on my side were still very painful.  Time to collect Gemma and settle down after our trip away.  Sadly, no phone call came through to tell me I had won the raffle.

The Birthday Quilt

I've been working hard to get a birthday quilt finished.  It all started with a bag of shirts I received from my niece Lisa when my brother-in-law Dennis passed away.  Dennis was  my late sister Kathleen's husband, and I started to make a quilt for their grandson Adam, in memory of his Poppa.  Just a simple four patch, I decided, with red and black frames.  Then my beloved Robin passed away late last year, and this got put on the back burner.

Making a start

The birthday invitation to Adam's 30th birthday in March gave me a bit of a shake up.  Goodness me, perhaps I can get this finished in time for the birthday.  So I worked away, stitching the blocks together.

Hard at work

Gemma is helping while I added the borders

The top was finally done, but being too big for me to comfortably handle, I needed to send it away to get commercially quilted.  Would it get done in time?  Of course it did!   While it was away, I got the binding prepared, and the label.  And here it is, all finished in plenty of time.  Deborah used a leaf quilting pattern, you can glimpse it in the black border.

All done, ready for Adam

Two extra blocks made a couple of cushions

Gemma a had a trip away as well, to the cattery.  She wasn't at all impressed and did a bit of hissing when she arrived.  "Don't worry", the owner told me, "I'll spend a bit of time with her to help settle her down".  As a former traveling caravan cat, she hardly ever went to a cattery, but now there is no option.

She is not at all happy

The drive up to Hastings was difficult, as I haven't really done long journeys on my own.  Obviously, I was a bit nervous, rather tense and ended up with a sore muscle on my side!  I drove through  drizzly rain, and the never ending road cones on the side of the road.  But where were the workers, I wondered?  The road cones are set out, together with the signs to reduce speed, with not a single worker on the road side in sight.  My little car behaved well on the trip, and as a bonus, I had discovered some petrol vouchers tucked away in the caravan when I cleared it out, so that filled the tank for me.  After a couple of stops along the way I finally pulled into the motel, pleased to have arrived.  It wasn't the best motel I've stayed at, but I guess you get what you pay for.

My home for the next two nights

Adam was having his birthday celebrations at home on Saturday evening, nice company and a home cooked meal, together with a birthday cake.  I'm pleased to say that he seemed very pleased with his 30th birthday quilt, and recognised the fabrics as his Poppa's shirts.

Adam and his sister Kate

Happy Birthday Adam

It was a very pleasant evening indeed and I'm pleased that I made the effort to make trip up by myself.  My niece Lisa presented me with this lovely quilting fridge magnet, those words are so true.

A gift from Lisa

Chookshed Challenges

 I'm a bit late posting about my Chookshed Challenge and missed the cut off for number 10 date for February.   This was to stitch up some pencil pouches for donation.  For this project I decided to recycle two Christmas placemats which we used in the caravan, no need for them now.  The placemats were lined so I cut two pouches from each, added red binding, and then they were done.  But...... I had a problem with stitching buttonholes.  Try as I might, I just couldn't get my head around how to achieve this, although it's not as if I've never stitched a buttonhole before.  Heather took them home and added some domes for me, thanks Heather.

Four Christmas pencil pouches

While they were away, I completed a few more.  One for a boy, using New Zealand silver fern fabric, and two selvedge ones, recycling selvedge place mats.  These three, complete with coloured pencils,  have been donated to Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, and I'll send the Christmas pouches along to this charity towards the end of the year.

Three more pencil pouches, already donated

With these finally completed, I could make a start on the challenge for March.  Which was number 2 on the list, a pink and grey cot quilt.  The quilt was made during the 2024 challenge, one of two cot quilt tops I made to use up some pink and grey piano strips, which were originally going to be for a quilt border, but never happened.   I  added it to the list this year to get it quilted.  The backing and the binding strip was already prepared and waiting, which was a bonus.  So I pinned the layers up and I was ready to quilt.

Everything is ready and waiting

This took me a while to get quilted, and at the end of the day, Gemma liked to come and cuddle up for a snooze.

Gemma takes over at the end of my quilting day

I'm pleased it was finished before the end of the month, and I love the way it turned out.  After stitching the top, there were still quite a few of the piano key strips left over, so I added a strip to the pink wincyette (flannel) backing.  

Another donation quilt completed

Sew Wot Tuesday

Heather was the "Hostess with the Mostest" this week, and we all gathered at her home on a lovely sunny Tuesday morning.  She had been having a clean up in her sewing room, and had lots of goodies looking for a new home.  I spotted a strip of three teddy bear panels, which Heather had received from someone else and wasn't sure what to do with them. They will be perfect for making  three kiddies cushions for donation, I told her, as I scooped it up and put it in my bag.

Show and Tell was overflowing this time. Sandra arrived with a big armful of quilts, some of these had been hanging around for a while and she wanted them finished and gone, she said.   We all admired the postage stamp quilt she was making for a friend, just the binding to do on this one.

Postage Stamp quilt

The next was a pretty floral star quilt made for one of her Aunts.  Nice soft colours in this one.

Floral stars

I remember seeing the next one when it was a top, such a nice design and great colours for a masculine donation quilt.  I like the pieced border too.

Nice for an older boy

The next was quite a striking design, something she just wanted to try, Sandra said.  Another donation quilt.

Such a striking pattern

And lastly, another donation quilt, I really like this pattern, simple but so effective.  I might have to remember this for my own donation quilts.  Sandra has done so well, having a big push to get all these quilts past the finish line.

The final donation quilt, didn't she do well!

Our hostess Heather had a lot to show as well.  I had seen and admired her pretty Kawandi piece over the months while it was being stitched.  Originally it was going to be made into a bag, but then Heather decided to make a mini quilt instead.   

Heather's Kawandi piece, pretty in pink and black

The yet to arrive twin babies have a pretty aqua cardigan each

And lastly, Heather had knitted a pretty shawl for her friend, so light and lacy.

Pretty shawl

Jude had been knitting too, and  brought along five kitten kitten blankets for the SPCA.  When each kitten gets adopted, they get a cozy blanket to take to their new home.

Jude's kitten blankets

Helen had been busy too, she had stitched her Sew Wot mini blocks into a little book.  What a lovely job she has made of this.

Book made with Helen's blocks

Helen made another pair of socks

And lastly, Helen's sister knitted a baby cardigan, which Helen stitched up for her and will be donated.  Here sister has not done a great deal of knitting, so it was a great effort indeed.

Knitted by Helen's sister

And what would our Sew Wot get together be without another tasty morning tea?  There were plenty of tasty goodies here for us all.  The table was set with a custom made table cloth, using up many 5inch squares.  

Thanks so much, Heather, we all had a lovely time.  

RSC Yellow

 I've been working on the final yellow challenge for the month, making another double handed oven mitt.  The quest is to use up all my selvedges in the small bag this year, making these mitts as the colours are called for.  This is my third, I've done one in so far in dark blue, one pink, and now one in yellow.  As usual my layers are hessian, insulbrite and a layer of old toweling, and I had enough yellow selvedges to use on the whole project.

This oven mitt was completed up to the binding last week, and I took it along to my quilt club's Social Sewing day today.  It's too difficult for me to take my sewing machine along to these get-togethers, so stitching binding down is the ideal activity for me.

Stitching away

There were seven ladies there today, so as you can imagine there was plenty of chatter going on . Four of them were working on projects with their sewing machines and three of us were doing hand stitching.  As well as my binding being stitched, one was working on hexagons, and another was doing hand applique.  We meet in the Vintage Car Club rooms and take our lunches so it is a nice pleasant day, spent with like minded ladies.  There are plenty of tables and chairs, power points for the machines and iron, and kitchen facilities to make ourselves a cuppa.

In the Vintage Car Club rooms

The binding was finished and after lunch I started working on the binding on a donation quilt - more about that one later.

Yellow oven mitt done for March

Blankets for Kittens

 I've been busy knitting some blankets for kittens.  Every year the Knit World shops throughout New Zealand choose a charity for their customers to support, and provide patterns.  This year, they are supporting the SPCA, (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).  After checking it out I decided that I would like to help with this good cause.  I got the free pattern, purchased three balls of the discounted 12 ply yarn, and started knitting.

All ready to start

"At SPCA, we always need heaps of knitted blankets for our cats and kittens.  Each cat and kitten receives their very own little blanket and will take it home once they are adopted to help with the transition.  If you love knitting, this is a super fun and helpful way to help the animals in need".  

And yes, I did have fun knitting these little blankets.  They made nice easy knitting while watching TV in the evenings, no thinking required.  I'll be dropping them off at the local Knit World shop, where they will be distributed.

Three kitten blankets done

Sew Wot Tuesday

 This week we met at Carol's home, just a short drive away for me, everyone was there except Sandra who could not make it this time.  We had hardly settled down and then the Show and Tell came thick and fast.  First up was Helen, who had completed her Kiwi Block of the Month quilt, and her task for the morning was to stitch the binding down.  This is a lovely quilt, make with beautiful batiks, and lots of Kiwi elements to spot, such as the lizards frollicking around and a pukeko and her chick at the bottom.

 

Helen's Batik beauty

Jude had been busy and had two things to show us.  First was her sewing machine cover, which had been hanging around for a while, so she was pleased to get it finished.

Sewing machine cover

And we all loved this fabulous Plus quilt, stitched in shades of grey and pops of yellow.  Very nice indeed.

Jude's Plus quilt

Remember those mini blocks we made a swapped recently?  Mary has made hers into a small table runner, adding some of her lovely crochet between the blocks, such a great idea.

Mary's table runner

Heather had finished knitting a tiny little vest for the Neo Natal ward, the wool was so nice and soft.  The buttons on the shoulders are to allow for any tubes which may be necessary for the tiny baby, and Heather had decided to add multi coloured buttons for added interest.

Heather's tiny baby vest

And Carol showed us the kit she was working on, this was a gift from her sister, she may or may not add extra borders, we will have to wait and see.

Carols quilt top

While Helen was stitching her binding, the rest of us were knitting away, mostly socks it seemed, although I was working on a baby jumper which had been put aside for a little while.  And then it was morning tea time, mmm, so delicious.  All nicely set out on a Holly Hobble quilt made with pretty 1930s fabrics.  

Morning tea is served

Thanks so much Carol, we all had a lovely time.  And we get to do it all again in two weeks time.