January Efforts

Well January has gone and I didn't write another blog post altough the intention was there on many occasions. I just need to be more disciplined.
I did however have some finishes which I am happy about.

I'mFirst up is a Stripie Quilt for my soon to be born great,great nephew. My great niece is expecting her first baby in March. She is very particular about what she likes and dislikes so I got her to choose fabrics from the stash. Love how it turned out and the look of the quilting on the flanalette backing. I had pieced this before Christmas and quilted and bound it in January .

After a busy time before Christmas with family issues then going to Australia over the festive season I needed somthing quick to get me back into the sewing room and onto the longarm so I was in the groove when I started customers quilts. I had purchased a Black and White Jellyroll on holiday so added some red and voila a Jellyroll Race 2 quilt- pattern from Missouri Star Quilt Company.

The only fabric that suited and I had enough of for the backing was a black fabric and I quilted it in a red thread. Pattern is Diamonds are forever by Patricia Ritter and I love how it turned out. Unfortunately I don't seem to be able to get a photo to show the black properly.

I also quilted a customer quilt with the same pattern but neglected to take a photo.
I also managed to finish sewing the top for another of the Elephant Quilts I have made before using the free pattern Paisley Splash from Wyndham Fabrics. This is number four and I have one more to do. Again the customer (a work colleague) chose the elehant fabric and the black and the rest is from the stash. I love making these quilts and they all turn out differently.

Now to quilt it.

Off to the machine.
Happy Quilting
Marlene 

The Year of 2017

Welcome to 2018. A year to return to blogging after a years absence.  

For those who may be visiting for the first time  Welcome. I live in New Zealand in a small town about an hour south of Auckland. I work in a large, very busy hospital 3 days a week as a midwife. On the other days I am on the golf course or eiter at the sewing machine or longarm quilting. I have a trusty companion in the form of Maisie, my 7 year old cat whoappears from nowhere the minute the longarm starts.

Feel free to skip through quickly as these photos are for my record but hope you enjoy a glimpse of 2017.

2017 was a mixed year for me but in it all I made some great new friends in quilting.

I have renamed my blog from CatsandCapers to honour my Black, Fatcat aka Bella who I sadly had to have put down in Jan at the age of 17. I  have also started quilting for others, on a small scale, and called my services Blackcat Quilting

MI

Bella

Feb saw me in Australia for my brothers 60th birthday. He has cancer but is holding up well, and better than predicted, and next month will see his 61st.

Sister, Brother, Me on right.

In March I got gorgeous little Marlow from the rescue centre in our little town. She had the most lovely personality but could never meow or purr, and her back legs never workedas they should. I had her checked 4 times at the vets who declared her normal. Very sadly in Sept she had an aspiration pneumonia  (probably due to an abnormality in her throat the vet finally declared) and she had to be put down. She had a great 6 months with me and was loved by all who met her. My 7 year old cat never ever liked her and now is the most loving thing, so obviously wants to be an only cat.

Marlow

July saw be in Bali at a Quilting Retreat hosted by Wacky Jacky of Australia. Wow what a wonderful 10 days of Batik fabric making and dyeing, cooking class, snorkeling, sightseeing and best of all new friends. I was the only Kiwi but hey people to visit-mini reunion at the end of March.

View from villa

The Master helping draw my outline with wax

After many dye baths the finished product. Now stapled on a canvas and hanging on wall.

Next up printing our own fabric.

We chose our piece of dyed fabric and our design that was then dipped in hot wax and stamped all over the fabric.  The fabric was then overdyed with our colour coice then the fabric was rinsed off in boiling water.

Finished piece although colour washed out here.

Our last fabric experience was painting a pre waxed design. The fabric was white and we painted the designs the choe our background colour and painted that.

Getting a helping hand

Moving on to September and it was off to the New Zealand Quilting Symposium in Christchurch.  I went with a group of eight, most of whom I had never met before and we had a fantastic time. This is an event that is held every two years and lasts for five days. You register your choice of classes and hope you get what you wish for. I did such a happy dance to get into Jacquie Gerings two day Design with Lines class-oh my that was so much fun. Jacquie is such an amazing woman and a fantastic teacher.

Next was a class with Luke Haynes on Log Cabins.

 We started by sewing wedges together then folded, cut, folded, cut then sewed.

My piece coming together

My final class was an Animal Thread Painting class with Sonya Prchal,  a Kiwi artist and this was such fun and something I had never done befor. We sent Sonya a photo and she printed it on fabric and sent us a list of the coloured threads we needed. I chose to do a Cockatoo, a bird I love to see and hear when I visit  Australia. Love how this turnec out.

I have just returned from spending Christmas in Australia with family and friends so now ready to start 2018. Back to my job as a midwife at the end of the week.

Wishing you all a happy healthy and productive 2018.