a cat, a flower and a change around...............

Welcome and happy Sunday. Yesterday I finished a customer quilt which I will share when permission is given after I have posted on it's merry way home south. Until then I have a few things that may interest you. I was in the need for a small change around of furniture and nick nacks today.

The area under our stairs is a place where you wonder what you can put there. A few years ago I bought that lovely roll top desk that someone lovingly converted from a Singer treadle machine, I had been using it as a small office, it looked nice but wasn't really that practical, so has gone into semi retirement. A great place to display some of my beloved 'stuff'. When moving furniture and 'stuff' do you find fluff bunnies like me?

While outside taking advantage of my hubbies help to rig up a hanging place to photograph quilts, Simon was on supervising duties, he has a short attention span and before long it was time for a lie down.

This was all in between great soakings of rain and wind. While outside I was over joyed to see my large deep crimson magnolia flowering!

There is beauty everywhere even on a cold winters day. Taking advantage of the sun while it came it stops and starts found me stitching in the sun with a coffee.

A little while back I managed to stitch a present for my friend Julie as it was her birthday and she is such a dear friend to me.

Several weeks ago I posted about learning to crochet (see here) you see I have finished my small project.

I attached my row of granny squares to the bottom of a merino tunic, I love this outfit and it goes perfect with my red boots!

I will sign off this post of a sneak peek of the quilt I finished yesterday.

The birds are here!

I have just received an email from Juliet who lives in the South Island to say she received her quilt today........amazing, as I only posted this off on Monday!
Not only has Juliet made this quilt, be she designed it! Isn't she clever! When Juliet saw I had quilted her designs for another one of my customers (who, is of course one of her customers!) she decided to send her quilt top to me to quilt. Thank you Juliet.

Juliet designs paper piecing patterns & sells her creations on Craftsy, see here. Juliet wanted feathers, which seem perfectly logical because there are all those birds! I suggested adding some swirls, which look a bit like koru's. I threw in some 'pebbling' which in this nature setting looks like berries for the birds to eat.

Juliet didn't really fancy stippling, so I suggested, a vine of leaves, flowers & loops for the background of each bird block. Gunold & madeira threads were used over cotton/bamboo batting.

Of course there is lots of ditch stitching, which I feel adds something important. Don't you think this really helps make the piecing 'pop'.

What fun I had quilting these feathers, they just took on a life of their own! They flowed here, there & just added lovely texture.

Funny how the photo's show the tealy/jade background fabric up as different in each photo.

That one is for you back lovin' gals, the next is for the nature lovin' gals.......well it sure seemed nice laying on my lawn, with soft shadow from the silk tree. A quick photo before the real birds left a lasting mark!! :-)

Enjoy Juliet!

Speaking of Craftsy, my Long arm quilting pal in America also designs patterns & sells on Craftsy, as well as lovely quilting! Please pop over here to see her wonderful stitchery designs!

Last customer quilt for the year.

Well I managed to squeeze another customer finish in before Christmas. This one is made by Anne for her 12 year old piano playing grandson.
Anne was at The Country Yard and saw the shop sample I had quilted & decided to buy the kit & make it up.
Anne wanted polar fleece for the backing & she has also made hers slightly larger. Anne also asked if I could please quilt hers the same as the shop sample.

I didn't have the heart to crop the photo as I thought the petals from the Jackerander (s?) tree were so pretty!

That is my last customer quilt for the year. Thank you to all my lovely customers for keeping me busy, I appreciate your custom & support.

A bit of stitching in the evenings has lead me to a few nice finishes just in time for Christmas. I love making Christmas decorations, then finding a place to hang them.
First up is a pattern from 'A Country Friends Design' unfortunately these are no longer available for purchase. I was inspired by my friend Julie, when I saw her one. I used Cottage Garden Thread 'Kangeroo Paw' & a Patrick Lose fabric for the stitchery background.

 Julie thought it would be lovely hanging on a door filled with wrapped chocolates to offer visitors when they arrive, but we both agreed that in our homes there would be none for the visitors as we would have eaten them!

Next up a lovely kit given to me by my friend Megan. This is a Birdhouse design, the thread for the stitchery is a South Island silk thread.

Next is a another kit I got given, this one is designed by Anni Downs. Complete is a lovely rusty wire hanger & pegs.

Wishing you all a Merry, Jolly, happy & Joyful Christmas!!

"Merry Christmas to me, merry christmas to me!"

Look at this wonderful present I got from my friend Raewyn !
She knows what my favourite block is.........the Dresden!

Checkout how well it goes in my room......................

Sitting next to my Stitching Round the Block cushion and sharing space with my whimsical quilt and this next photo is the quilt hanging above the bed.............................

2010 Lynette Anderson mystery button BOM

A closeup of Raewyn's beautiful needleturn! and stitching.........T*H*A*N*K*Y*O*U   R*A*E*W*Y*N