New Lap Quilt

This past month I've been working on a new lap quilt. Nothing fancy, just traditional 12 inch blocks using what was in my stash. All I've had to buy (well at this time, 'cause I've had to buy the material at some stage in the past) to make this are 3 reels of thread (600m). I'm pretty pleased with the quilting and the colours are just right for a Crusaders/Canterbury rugby fan.

Here is the back view. You can see that I've used variegated red/cream/black thread. Finished size is 50 inches square.

New Zealand Wallhanging

I started this in 2005 for a Tote and Gloat challenge which was a New Zealand icon - it has squares of New Zealand fabrics forming the map. But, before the challenge date, I saw the fabric manufacturer had an advertisement of the same thing, so I figured I really couldn't enter with this. Since then, I've had quite a quilting journey. On this you will find the national flag, a silver fern and the rest represents the ocean currents that swirl around and through the Cook Strait separating the 2 major islands.

Happy Anniversary!

29 years today!

Collaborative Art Journal - Phase 5

Here is the work I've done on the red journal which belongs to Cheryl.
Simple scrapbook page. An empty page between other's work, just begging to be filled. I was looking through a magazine for red shoes when these lovely ladies and red carpet were mentioned on the same page - how perfect!
Another scrap page with cotton paper, and my vision for Cheryl of handbags and red shoes - what could make you feel happier in winter than these 2 things!



A romantic quilt with words paint stamped.



A sampler on velvet, reminiscent of times past - kings and queens and glorious rich clothes.

A sample of an idea for a challenge - war poster, the battlefield and poppies.

Well, I've never seen ...

a chicken's egg so small!
It must be from my bantam chicken. The other eggs are from the Blue Andalusian chickens.

Whoo!Hoo! A Place in the Winners' Circle!

We had an excellent Tote & Gloat today - it didn't rain, so we didn't have to worry about the speakers not being heard, there was a great array of Happy Villages and Accidental Landscapes for people to view as they came in the door, lots of challenge quilts, a fantastic mix of vendors and an on-site cafe.
Our guest speaker was Sandy Corry from Australia. She had a beautiful display of her quilts, many of which have won prizes. She also judged our challenge quilts and because there was only one entry in the group quilt an extra prize for 3rd place was made in the Advanced Category, and I won it!! with this little quilt!
I was so surprised because there were so many fantastic entries. But I had fun, and if you click on it to enlarge it you will see some pretty good quilting and innovative ways of joining the blocks together - so you see, you just don't know how things are going to be judged, so take the risk, jump in and try a challenge!

Another Happy Village

Here's another 'Happy Village' done the Karen Eckmeier way - it's so easy and fun to do! This is Primosten in Croatia - the old town sits on what used to be an island but is now attached to the mainland. The high tower on the hill is actually the church of St Juraj erected in 1485 and restored in 1760.
I may have to give this to Sarah, because when she and Derrick were in Croatia in 2005, this was a place she really wanted to see, but fell asleep in the car and couldn't be woken up.

Tote & Gloat Challenge Quilts

Tomorrow is set-up day for Saturday's Tote & Gloat. A day of sweat and sore muscles at the end of it - we have to lay out chairs for 500+ people, tables, quilt stands to be erected, display quilts (this year will be the Happy Villages and Landscapes from the Karen Eckmeier workshops) to be hung and the merchant mall area will be busy with merchants setting up their stalls. All in anticipation of the day on Saturday.
The challenge quilt theme for Rose City Quilters members is Opposites. This year the committee have not given a set size, it just has to be no bigger than 2m. This is an attempt to get members to enter the challenges - there are great prizes at stake too!.
I have made 3 wall hangings for this challenge.

This one uses the 3 primary colours and it's opposite, plus the black/white combination - I randomly picked a different block to show these off and then attached them together with different types of fastenings.







Are My Lines Straight? was the first one I made and I quilted it with fractal lines to give it even more unbalance.



Evening Standard uses some of the off-cuts from Are My Lines Straight? I did go to town with the quilting - can you see the fantails at the bottom?

Now, these are very simple quilts, and I don't expect to win anything, but if the work is neat and imaginative, I think that there is no harm in entering. Who knows what the judge will like and what other entries there will be!