Around the Square

I loved making this quilt with wonky log-cabin blocks and using some of my cute picture fabrics.

 The cat fabric had to go next to wee Scotty dogs!

And the happy colours called for kids at play.

Family members are gathered around this happy scene.

And there are teapots and cups hidden in a couple of places. I have to have my cuppa at such a festive event!

Flying the nest

Two of our hatchlings ‘flew the nest’ earlier this year. I understand that as parents we cannot clip their wings and I squawked often enough about the chaos they created at home; but my heart has been a flutter ever since.  In recent months hubby and I have been dreaming of simplifying life – learning to live with less at the same time as becoming more environmentally aware.  We planned to get there purposefully, without breaking any speed limits, but living with fewer children was not actually what we had in mind.

Eldest son lumbered off in a Hercules with a cargo of furniture, electronic gear and food.  He landed with a flock of young adults not too far away.  Daughter, on the other hand, Jetstarred to further shores with designer luggage packed full of clothes and shoes.

Fortunately we do have flying visits from both these fledglings.  Son swoops in to borrow our wheels to get him to ‘out of the way’ soccer games and daughter likes to organize social gatherings with her Christchurch friends so she also needs to borrow a car when visiting.

Last year we had four sets of wheels between the family – three cars and a brand new road bike.   About October one of the vehicles became airborne and landed in a copse of trees, never to recover the ordeal.  Mercifully no one was hurt.  In the same month the bike was stolen.  Although heart sore about it, I have prayed that whoever received that bike needs it more than us and will use it for good. 

In keeping with our changing values we decided not to replace those two modes of transport.  Last Sunday, however, hubby and I were left at home without a car because two offspring needed them more than us.  This wouldn’t have been a problem except daughter went to purchase a new laptop and realised that she didn’t quite have enough in her account to pay for it.  I (mobile bank) was called to come to her urgent rescue.  “But I have no car” was my exasperated response.  A few texts later the problem was solved. 

Male friend A, who was on his way to join her with necessary computer advice, screeched to my doorstep to give me a lift.   So this was how credit card and I were “chauffeur driven” to the mall in a vehicle smelling of perfume de student with a hint of banana skin. 

Daughter winged it back to Wellington later that afternoon then tweeted us with a message.  “I’ll be returning to Christchurch soon with a group of friends.  Can we borrow a car to go off to Hanmer for two nights?” 

Son is sure to need the other wagon that weekend so I will turn my attention to studying bus time-tables and working out how hubby and I can get to the Lyttelton farmers market for our usual Saturday jaunt.  Does this ruffle my feathers?  Actually not, I love seeing my brood even if only fleetingly.  And hubby and I are going to have to use our feet and discover an alternate form of travel that may start to fit more with our changing values.

One more thing to add: I have found an unexpected set of useful wheels.  When tidying the garage (part of our de-cluttering and simplifying life process) I came upon an old shopping trolley that will be just perfect for taking on the bus and transporting our market produce!

P.S. Our cars are far too ordinary to feature in this article so I cheated and used images from my photo library

Snapshots of a memorable day

A special day spent with my daughter in Sumner and the surrounding areas.

Quilt as You Go Hexagon Quilt - my creative space

Remember a while back I started a hexagon quilt using a quilt as you go method that I thought I’d cleverly devised? 

I worked out a way of machine piecing the individual hexagons units together.

Quilted them onto individual pieces of left over batting.  This I loved doing.

Stitched a trio of quilted blocks together and popped a small red hexagon on the intersection of the seams.

All seemed good and so I made the rest of the blocks, decided on the layout and set about putting the individually quilted hexagons together.  I was so smug to have come up with a method that was quick and easy! Then I hated the process – the quilt became unwieldy; seaming was cumbersome and the joins were too bulky. No amount of trimming, ironing or top-stitching was going to change it

In dismay I threw the quilt in the corner.

But I’ve been thinking about it.  I really like the individual blocks……

And so I’m going to rescue the quilt by unpicking the seams between the blocks and trimming back the batting behind each block.  Then I will have to resort to conventional methods – make a quilt top; layer it with batting and backing afterwards and quilt it in one whole piece (by hand – perhaps). 

So much for my quick and easy method.  Will it stop me from trying wacky ideas again in the future?  Not at all - nothing new is discovered without giving things a go and I am not afraid of the odd failure (but I would love this quilt to work in the end).

Pop over here to see the creative endeavors of other crafty bloggers this week. 

Quilted Man is impressed

It was a scary realisation that Quilted Man was able to identify the new fabrics that I’d bought on the Keep Calm and Quilt On winter retreat in Pudding Hill, Methven this weekend.   I had no idea until then that he even knew what was in my stash – especially one as untidy as mine! 


All the suitable ‘I’m impressed’ noises sprang from his lips when I excitedly showed him the blocks I’d made.   I’m sure there was a tinge of relief too as he assessed that the therapeutic effect on me of the weekend was cheaper than sending me to counselling or to a psychiatrist!  You see I’ve been in a creative rut for a while and the whole family knows about it.

I carted all my fabrics in a large basket instead of deciding on a colour theme to take.  Happily Sarah Fielke allowed us to work on designs of our choice from any of her books, not just the latest one.  

And so we had a busy weekend …. Stitching and stitching and stitching with much laughter to break the silent ‘heads down concentrating’ moments.

On the first day I worked on Stars in Your Eyes – a design from Sarah’s newest book Quilting from little things.

On the next day Sarah showed us improvisational piecing to make our own version of The ‘Burbs a design in her first book with Kathy Doughty called material obsession.  I will modify this to represent my cottage and Lyttelton. 

Thanks Sarah for your inspiring quilt designs and gentle tutoring style which have encouraged my creative juices to flow again.  Thanks also to Fenella from Stitch; Shiree from The Rowan Tree; the team at Pudding Hill Lodge for cooking for us and all the lovely ladies who made this a fun weekend. 

The Keep Calm and Quilt On Winter Retreat is being repeated this coming weekend 12/13 May @ The Rowan Tree, Twizel.  There are still a couple of spaces left so if you have a sudden urge to spend the weekend in a beautiful location, being tutored by an absolutely inspiring quilter (Sarah Fielke) and hosted by the lovely Shiree it is not yet too late.

Indecisive - my creative space

On Wednesday morning there was no marmalade for breakfast but I had some oranges, a couple of grapefruit and some jam setting sugar.  After consulting several recipes (all with conflicting instructions) I just took a chance and made a batch of marmalade using elements from each recipe.  Fortunately it worked!

However I haven't met with much success this week in the quilting department.  I'm in a quandary which has paralyzed my creativity.  You see I am off on a quilter's retreat this weekend and I'm nervous because this will be my first and I don't know what to expect.  


Sarah Fielke is visiting from Australia and I'm to choose a design from her latest book and arrive at our venue knowing what I want to make and with an organized batch of fabrics.   But I can't decide which of her quilts I'd like to make (they are all delightful) or what colour scheme to select from my stash.   And it has got to Thursday night and I am still not organized.

Will I go with the plum and grey colourings?

Or the purple and turquoise?  Or something completely different.  This time next week perhaps you will get to see!


Have a look here at other creative spaces.

Encouragement

I know a number of people who are struggling with a variety of issues at the moment.  One has been battling with her weight for years; and another has recently miscarried.  More than a couple of friends are limping along with business ventures that have been affected by the earthquakes and recession.  Two or three others have to work through conflict situations and some hobble from one family drama to another.  My dyslexic son was handed a 900 page manual to read in order to pass his computer course.  A single mum is adjusting to days alone now that her older teenage daughter is forging her own way in the world.

We can’t solve each other’s problems but we can ease the journey with listening and kind words; offers of practical help and unexpected visits or gifts.  I have a fabric bundle to cheer a creative person.  If you know of a friend who could do with receiving a ‘random gift’ please pop in and make a comment for her.  Describe your friend in three words: a colour, an emotion and a characteristic.  I will contact one of you over the next couple of weeks for postage details to send this gift to your friend. 

For the rest of us, who may just be encountering a series of minor discouragements, I share these verses that I refer to regularly.  

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all up hill.

When funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won had he stuck it out.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow,

You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out,

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far,

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,

It's when things seem worst that you must not QUIT

Author unknown