July Stitching Monday

There were plenty of eager beavers all ready stitching by the time I arrived.  Several had their machines all set up and whirring away, while the hand stitchers were sitting together, sewing and chatting.  I had missed all the early morning excitement which happened when the first couple of ladies had arrived.  There was a starling fluttering around the room, getting more and more distressed, before flying high up in the exposed rafters.  The local handyman on site came to the rescue with a tall ladder, and managed to throw his jacket over the bird.  With that lucky catch the bird was carried outside and set free.  What a shame I was running a little late and missed it all  – imagine what sort of action photos all that excitement would have produced!

Heather arrived with her latest creation.  She had enjoyed doing needle-turn appliqué on the large 20 inch basket blocks, and was not far off completing her exquisite hand quilting.  One of her quilting friends has decided that this quilt will go very nicely in her bedroom, and Heather is happy to give the quilt to someone who will appreciate it.

Heather’s lovely quilt

Margaret has been working on this charity quilt over the course on several Stitching Mondays and brought the finished quilt along to show us.  This started out as a bunch of left over blocks – strips cut into wedges and reassembled.  Margaret sewed the blocks together, and added a nice strippy border to finish it off.

Charity quilt in greens and cream

As it was  the school holidays our President Brenda – who works as a teacher, could come along and join in with the group.  She was sewing the binding down on a “Shabby Chic” 60th birthday quilt.  The centre blocks were a very pretty hydrangea print in pinks and lilacs. 

Brenda’s Shabby Chic 60th birthday quilt

After making three black and white quilts for her children, Pamela finally got the chance to make something for herself.  She was using the most gorgeous Japanese fabrics printed with gold tracings and the pattern was Kaffe Fasset’s Garden Tapestry.  It seemed quite a simple pattern with a large square in each block to showcase those lovely fabrics, so should come together quite quickly, I expect.

Pamela’s Japanese garden Tapestry coming together

Maureen had been very lucky at our quilt club meetings lately and had won the draw for “Block of the month” over two consecutive meetings.  She has stitched up the blocks of one of her wins and appliquéd a few butterflies for extra interest.   She was busy hand stitching the binding down, and has generously decided to donate the quilt to a charity.   

Maureen’s Block of the Month quilt

I had taken along some of my stitched together raggy floral blocks and spent most of the morning snip, snip, snipping the seams.  Enough of that, I thought, and pulled out the current Under the Sea stitchery block I’m working on.  I’ve almost finished Octavius Octopus doing his speed cleaning.

My latest stitchery block – Octavius Octopus

And last but not least, Linda was working on a brand new project, a surprise quilt for her 12 year old son.  His interests are soccer and skateboarding, and Linda had all sorts of interesting fabrics on this theme.  The pattern she is using is based on “Urban Stripe” out of the current issue of New Zealand Quilter magazine.

  Linda busy stitching

Linda’s quilt so far featuring sports prints

It was another very pleasant get-together with a lovely bunch of like minded ladies.  I always enjoy our monthly Stitching Mondays and appreciate everyone agreeing to have their work photographed.