Merry Christmas.

To all my blogging friends and your families may you have a very Merry Christmas all health and happiness throughout 2012.
Thank you to everyone who has continued to visit despite my total lack of posting in the last few months. I will be back very soon.

CHECKING IN.

Yes I am still here and checking in with you all, and in two days time I will be checking in with my suitcase and boarding a plane (or several by the time I get there) heading for Italy, and Dubai then a few days in Auckland to catch up with family before heading down south here again. One whole month away from work is so exciting-it is a while since I have had that long off and are so looking forward to it.

This is where I will be spending my first week doing a cooking course in Tuscany before meeting up with my sister and family in Florence for another week in a villa in the country. We then head for Rome for a few days before we part company again. Fun, fun, fun ahead.

To all of you who commented after my last post I thank you and apologise for not answering you individually . Things have improved a little but will never go away completely. The issue is work related so I am sure you will understand my situation.

So what has been happening in the sewing room - the pinwheel quilt is done-

I used a pattern from Moda Bakeshop and I did prairie Points for the first time. I do like this little quilt and how it turned out.The photo does not really so it justice and the very faded out areas are more prominent than look here.
Then I caught up with some of the blocks for the Bee Balm I am a member of-

 

These are Kates blocks and although the blocks looked they would be difficult to make they went together very easily.

Beebee sent the background fabrics and asked for pink hearts in any design we chose. Beebee is a member of a couple of groups and is gathering an amazing variety of blocks that are going to make a stunning quilt.

This is my next project that is ready to have the binding sewn down and then it is finished-made from the stash although you can't see a dent in it at all. As you can see I have a thing about pinwheels at the moment and as I have four staff members pregnant at he moment they will find good homes.

I quilted this one with hearts with a swirl. I traced the hearts out on paper and then free motioned quilted them. Am pleased with how they turned out.

Well that was a quick visit and I may not be back for another month. Thank you all for continuing to visit. Have been enjoying all the projects out in blogland even though I haven't been that productive myself. Keep up the wonderful inspiration.

ENFORCED SILENCE

It has been a long while since I was here and still people keep visiting so thank you.
I have had to take a self imposed break, and am still a little weary about what I post here. A complaint was made against me about an innocent internet post made by a family member,(thankfully not the blogging world) that has led to alot of stress and unsettled times. As a blog is public reading material I will now need to be careful about what I write for awhile.
On the quilting front there has only been a little of that happening - couldn't concentrate on that but getting back into it again.

These pinwheels have become a little quilt that is having the binding sewn on today. I discovered a quick way of making pinwheels (most of you probably know this but for those who don't) at the Missouri Quilt company.
You cut your squares and place them right sides together. then sew a quarter inch seam around all sides. Line up your ruler and cut on both diagonals and voila 4 HST and no ruling lines.

The other project I have been working on is from this book which has great patterns in it for jelly rolls

I chose to make this one first and used a Balipops jelly roll I'd had for some time and Kona Ash-

You really have to concentrate on the placement of the blocks but it will look great. Just now having trouble getting a border fabric to match.

And here are some more of my African blocks-
From Melina in France

Maisie approving Kate's block from Australia and wonderfully hand stitched.

Hopefully back later with more.
We are having the most glorious winter sunshine this weekend-yesterday on the golf course and today maybe the garden Hope you are all having a great weekend.
Thanks for visiting.

I Know!!!

I know I planned a better blogging schedule but it hasn't happened yet.
I'm off to Brisbane tomorrow for a week to attend a conference and to catch up with family and friends. Will share a couple of pictures of wonderful blocks I have received-
From Lizzie-

Isn't this wonderful?
And two from Beebee-

I am loving this global swap.
Will post when I am back from my short break.

RETURNING

...to blog posting. I have been so slack with posting and no real excuses-I have still been visiting your blogs and enjoying the eye candy and people have still been visiting here. To everyone who keeps visiting thank you so much - sorry there has not been alot to look at.
So better routine needed with blog posting on my part!! Mind you Blogger is driving me nuts with posting photos in the right place!!!
Following the Christchurch earthquake our local quilting shop Kitz and Things send out an email saying they were going to make up packs with 9 fat quarters  for the top and some backing fabric and a pattern if quilters were willing to make them up providing the batting and binding-their aim was to complete 200. So how could you not participate.        

This was one set of fabrics                          

                                                        

.and this is what it ended up as.                                                                             

 I had a little helper while I was trying to quilt this one. She really is a sewing room kitten.

 

This is the other set of fabrics-Halloween theme that I made up with the pattern they gave us and I really like how it turned out.

The quilts have been delivered to the shop and I am sure are now on their way to Christchurch. I hope they bring some small comfort to someone who has been through the awful experience of the earthquake.

March was my month for the Bee Balm I participate in-12 quilters around the globe who each have a month to choose a block. I chose a Double Ohio Star- a block I had never made but got the idea for a quilt from the book Material Obsession 2. A few years ago I joined site where I received fat quarters of African fabric each month and those fabrics have traveled with me as I moved houses and until now I have not had the inspiration to showcase them. I have traveled to Africa twice and fell in love with the joyful colourful people and decided to get my fellow bloggers to help me put this quilt together. I sent out the centre image, the black fabric and the star fabric asking everyone to add one colour from their stash and therefore making them all different.

These are the blocks I made before I sent other African ladies off  around the globe. I loooove how these turned out and can't wait to receive the rest of the family back.

One of them arrived yesterday from Western Australia- thanks so much Sue. I just love her and she is as perfect as I had envisaged -

I think Sue has used fabric she has dyed herself-what a brilliant match. Sue spoilt me with a piece of dyed fabric and the most gorgeous handmade card-

Thank you so much Sue.

I know one other lady has been finished and I will show her when she arrives-looking forward to her homecoming Lizzie.

So there has been some sewing going on here and there is another quilt in the making that I will show soon.

Hope you are all well and enjoying stitching.

Disaster in Christchurch

Just before 1pm today a massive earthquake hit Christchurch, just five months after the first earthquake that caused so much damage.

This is what is left of the Cathedral in the centre of Christchurch. The spire has fallen.
There is massive destruction and tragically there has been loss of life with at least 17 dead and many more trapped in fallen buildings. It must be terrifying for all the people of the city and my heart goes out to you all. I am pleased to say that all those I know in the city are safe although traumatised.
I truly hope that the city does not suffer too many aftershocks and people are saved from more trauma. Take care all of you.
Add it- now confirmed 65 dead.Tragic.

Return of the Absent Blogger

The longer you leave it the easier it is not to do-and that goes for blogging as well. Even though my absence has been a long one from here the dreaded Facebook keeps me in touch with alot of you.
I have still been reading blogs and I am amazed at the number of visitors to my blog even though I haven't been posting.
I would like to try an idea that Clare did on her blog.

I love travelling (Italy later in the year for my sister's big birthday) and am so interested in where people who visit my blog come from-52 different countries it says on the counter. Not many comment but if you are visiting and don't wish to comment then please just say hi and let me know where you live. I would love to visit the world!!
So what have I been doing- well I spent a very wet Christmas in Brisbane. It literally rained 24 hours a day and was humid with it. I actually left my jogging shoes in the rubbish bin as the smell from them being constantly wet, and with creek water that had run over paths. was far from pleasant!! Despit the weather I had a great time and it isn't wet int he shops!!Soon after coming home the floods hit and it felt very real as where I used to work was surrounded by flood waters and some of the girls I worked with lost their homes. Luckily all my family are safe and well and did not suffer any damage. You will all have seen the call for quilt blocks, tops, sewing kits and any items to help our stitching sisters who have been affected not only in Queensland but other parts of Australia as well. The country is throwing some harsh conditions on the people there and my heart goes out to them all.
 I sent two tops over to Christine who kindly offered to quilt and distribute donation tops.

I am pleased that these have arrived safely and although it doesn't seem much on the scale of the disasters every little bit helps. The photos are not very good as the weather here in the south does not see much sun shining-or at least not when I am off work!!
There has been a little more action in the sewing room but not alot. I have made a couple more blocks for our online quilting bee-
It was Trees that Sue asked for. She sent a strip of fabric and the only criteria was the trees were to be no higher than 6 inches. For me this was a challenge- would she like my choice; what colours should I use; my workmanship may not be perfect; what if my block didn't match the others?? However I joined the bee in the hope of learning new techniques, tips etc so I am glad Sue set this challenge and here are my result- two forests of maybe not perfect trees but nature allows imperfections.

The other block was for Tara who sent the fabrics and the block pattern we were to make. It is amazing how different they have all turned out. Here is my contribution.

It is my block next month and after many ideas I think I have settled on a Double Ohio Star (heads up to those in the Bee who read this). I have never made this block before but found it in Material Obsession and think I will use African themed fabrics- playing with this in the sewing room at the moment.
My next big project (apart from finishing the UFO's) is my sister has ordered a Kiwiana Quilt (or 2 singles to be more specific) for her big birthday this year. They have a King bed but seperate top bedding  to meet individual needs-you know the pinching of the blankets!! She is very particular about what she wants but it has to have a big proportion of black Koru design print in it, so we haven't finalised a design yet but it should be fun.
And here is the helper I now have- this is the kitten who was going to be called Barbie but it just 'didn't work' so she is Maisie-

She looks very innocent but I tell you she is not. While I use that rotary cutter she chases the blade-accident ahead I can see!! She is very sweet natured but she never stops and is certainly the liveliest kitten I have ever had. She has a playmate next door who is a couple of months older than her and together they visit the neighbourhood including going to the school across the road to seethe children who just love her. She is 4 months old but is not going to be very big at all- just like her mother. Socialising her into the household with the spoilt, cantankerous 11 year old Bella has not been easy and there is no doubt Bella hates her. Bella has not been an only cat in the household so I thought she would warm to a new addition but after 6 weeks there is no love lost and Maisie knows to keep away!!
Work has been extremely busy and some weeks I  seem to do nothing else except work long hours and sleep. We are having a very busy month and for the last two weeks I have had four people off sick so trying to cover the roster has been a bit of a nightmare. However I do enjoy my job most of the time and have a great team to work with and that makes a huge difference to you day.
Well if you are still here, thanks for hanging around. I will now endeavour to post more as I know how much I enjoy reading other peoples posts.
Have a good weekend where ever you are.