Ladies who Lunch.

 At our annual Christmas lunch, we have a secret Santa game.  Everyone brings along a wrapped, handmade gift and puts it on the table.  Then everyone takes a number from the hat.  You get to go up to the table and pick a gift and unwrap it, in numerical order  Except we like to have fun, so we steal too!  The second person to pick a gift can choose to pick a gift OR steal the first person's gift.  If they steal, the first person gets to go and choose another gift from the table.  The third person can either steal one or two's gift or choose from the table.  There are only allowed to be two steals in a row and then the last person stolen off has to go back to the table. 

 Everybody watches with great interest, because they might be able to steal it later!

 This gold-wrapped one was an apron and a Christmas cake.  And it got stolen quite a few times!

All eyes on Shirley.

If you like your gift so much that you don't want anyone else to have it, you can try and hide it behind your back like Margaret is doing! 

 Poor Ingrid.  I think the chicken went home with someone else.

 Then it was time for a lovely lunch, prepared by Beryl and her team of hardworking ladies.  Delicious.  And some fun with a raffle at each course thanks to Itch to Stitch and the Garden Club. 

 Homemade by Jane and well worth sneaking a second one.

It was my first Christmas Lunch.  Well worth it, I'll be back next year.  Save me a mince pie!

Pike River Mine - Healing Heart Blocks.

Many of you will know about the tragedy that New Zealand has suffered involving the deaths of 29 miners yesterday.

Go here to read more if you haven't heard.

If you would like to do something to show your feelings and help the families involved in the tragedy, please consider making a Healing Heart Block to be made into quilts for the people who have been suffering so much over the last week.

Go here to Shirley Goodwin's blog to find instructions and an address.

Take care everyone.

History in the (Block) Making.

Coming up in the Newsletter is a surprise block game for February's meeting.  I know that seems a long way away, but next week is the November meeting (aka The Christmas Lunch), then we have no meeting in December, a special meeting usually in Kaitaia in January and then before you know it, it's February. 

Anyway, I've been searching for sites to help you out for this game.  I'm listing them now, before you get your newsletter, 'cause otherwise I'll get too busy with Christmas stuff and school hols and then I'll forget!

I'm keeping you in suspense, I know!  But all will be revealed in the Newsletter and I'll post it here too when it's all finalised.  Meanwhile, enjoy browsing these sites and learning something new.

Patterns from History - Here you will find quilt patterns like the ones that women shared with each other in days gone by. With each one you will discover a bit of history that will give you a sense of what the pattern meant to quilters of the past.

Quilter's Cache - has all sorts of Instructional Pages, and hundreds of free block patterns, all of which are hand drawn, well, mouse drawn, without the use of any quilt programs.

 History of Quilt Patterns: A Quest for Their Stories - Quilt pattern articles on: Biscuit or Puff, Bear's Paw, Honeycomb, Jacob's Ladder, Basket Quilts, Log Cabin, Mariner's Compass, Irish Chain, Wedding Ring, Lone Star.

 Enjoy!

Grab a cup of tea - this is a long one!

October's Show and Tell was a busy one.  First up was the completed first prize raffle quilt.  Raffle tickets were given out to members to sell, $1 each.  If you are a member and you haven't received your tickets yet, they will be in the mail, or ring Imogen or Charlotte to find out who picked up your tickets for you.

This is the back of the raffle quilt, which shows Leonie's fabulous machine quilting.  You can click on the pic to enlarge it if you want.

At September's meeting, we held a Quilts for Kids Day and the above pictures show some of the quilts that were completed at the day, or donated, or completed by people at home.  A big thank you to everyone - these quilts will go to kids who need them through Women's Refuge or other community services.

Jane worked on these tesselated placemats at Retreat. 

 

This is Judy's quilt for her (I think!) ninth grandchild.  Those are pcitures of sea creatures in the square in square blocks.

 

Carol - the queen of bag making.

More of Carols - always beautifully made.

 

This lovely big quilt is Colleen's. 

 

This lovely placemat is actually woven.  It belongs to Carol.

 

At the beginning of this year, Suzanne organised a new type of block of the month challenge.  Everyone who decided to take part chose at least eight fat quarters, then we cut each fat quarter into the same shapes from a cutting diagram provided.  Each month Suzanne would give up different suggestions for blocks we could make with the pieces.  We discussed final layouts, took sneak peaks at other peoples and generally had a good time.  On Tuesday we had the big reveal and it was amazing to see how different all the tops looked.  Suzanne won viewers choice and donated the book she had as a prize to the Group Library.  Thanks, Suzanne for a job well done in organising and for the generous donation!

Suzanne's Fat Quarter BOM top - viewer's choice winner.

Monika's picnic blanket with the Fat Quarter BOM blocks.



This is Carol's well-planned quilt. 



Ingrid's Fat Quarter BOM quilt.



Beryl's Fat Quarter BOM quilt.



Imogen is turning her Fat Quarter BOM top into a duvet cover.



Delores has almost finished her Fat Quarter BOM quilt.

This is Vicky's Fat Quarter BOM project.

Jane's Fat Quarter BOM - I love the little stripey offset border.

Joy didn't really like her Fat Quarter BOM quilt - but we all did and it came third in viewer's choice!

Diann's lovely coloured work.

Raewyn's Fat Quarter BOM which she sneaked in halfway through the day.

Next month is our annual Christmas lunch.  If you haven't booked your ticket and would like to go there may still be a spot or two left.  Phone Imogen - she has the list!  See you soon - and remember - the Exhibition is coming up fast, start finishing (or in my case, start starting!) your exhibition entries.

Retreat Report.

This blog has been a little neglected for a while, what with me missing September's meeting and then my son's birthday party to keep me busy.  But I'm back and I have a few pictures from the Spring Quilting Retreat to share.

Here is the first prize quilt for our January Exhibition.  It has been fabulously machine quilted by Leonie and the binding was finished off at retreat by some dedicated hand stitchers.

 

Ingrid used her time at retreat to tackle a few UFO's.  Here is the first FO.  What a beaut!  The background is a piece she hand-dyed - well, rain-dyed she says, as a big rain storm happened by whilst it was drying on her deck.  No matter, as it was the perfect piece for this little quilt.

 

Here is another of her FO's.  It is the wall hanging started in the class run by Sonya Prchal.  What a perfect border fabric.

 

Carol put together this top.  The reproduction 30's fabrics are absolutely luscious up close.  And it's a two-in-one design.  She was also putting together a little cot quilt with the half-square triangles cut off when the red squares are attached to the light and dark strips.

 

This is Diane's quilt-as-you go to cover the divan bed in her sewing room.  Lucky divan bed! 

And the backing fabric is fantastic - what a find from the upholstery fabric section.

Stephanie managed (after a little bit whole heap of frustration with the pattern) to get this three dimensional kimono wall-hanging finished.  It's lovely now that it's done, and I'm glad she persevered!

 

This is Beatrice's beautifully subtle quilt she finished at retreat. 

There was lots more being done but I think I got so caught up in racing to finish what I was working on that I stopped taking photographs!  Sorry!

It was a really great weekend.  As a first time retreater I learnt heaps (like bring some earplugs and a wineglass) and I had a great time.  Everyone deserves a pat on the back for their part in the kitchen work - the food all weekend was delicious - and who knew that gluten-free carrot cake could be so good?!

Lonsdale Park was a great setting and it's not so far away that devoted husbands couldn't bring in a replacement sewing machine when Leonie's first one bit the dust.  In fact all those machines need a pat on the back too.  I think mine needs a service after all those hours!

So put my name down for the next retreat, I'll be there.

PS - Camilla the Gorilla - you were missed by all!!

Symposium here I come!

Guess what arrived in my mailbox yesterday?

 Leafing through the registration book will have you drooling!  Mine's already well-thumbed. 

It's not too late to register your interest in attending.  Click on the link in the left sidebar to go direct to their website.

  And if you've already registered and your book hasn't arrived yet - start waiting, it'll arrive any day!

Snippets from the September Newsletter.

September Activities – Quilts for Kids 9.30am to 4.00pm. Each year our Club sets aside a day when we bring along our sewing machines and sewing equipment to put together quilts for children in need. We need cutters, sewers, basters, quilters! Fabrics and patterns will all be provided – these are bits and pieces and scraps that have all been donated to the club. This year our fabulous organiser Daryl (who must be applauded for the amount of work she puts into Quilts for Kids) has asked if anyone has any surplus quilting cottons of any colour they would like to donate – particularly variegated. Please bring them with you on September 28th. You will notice we have extended our Club day to 4.00pm so we can maximise our efforts.

Bernina Day – Monday 18th October. Cushla and Robyn from Itch to Stitch Bernina, Whangarei, will be holding a Bernina Day in Kerikeri on Monday 18 October from 10am till 3pm. This is open to all Bernina owners and is to help people get the most from their machines. Jane will be taking names of interested people at the meeting on September 28. Space would allow probably about 20 people.

October Activity – Bag Lady Day!! Daryl has a heap of furnishing fabrics that we can use to make cushions, totes, ruler bags – anything that takes your fancy. If you don’t want to bring your sewing machine you can just bring some scissors and cut out on the day and sew at home. Please bring any patterns that you might like to share, and any spare zips or large buttons for cushions. We thought it might be a nice idea to make one for yourself and one to donate – probably to Women’s Refuge.

Donations needed – The club is looking for donations of approximately fat-quarter sized fabric in plaids, country, naive styles for the 2012 (don’t laugh, it’s not that far away!) exhibition raffle prize quilt. You may have seen the quilt we are planning at last month’s meeting – it’s mostly hand applique, so we need plenty of time to organise and stitch. See Carol if you have anything you think might work.

Fabric Painting Workshop

Ten lucky ladies got together for a fabric painting workshop with Sonya Prchal last Saturday.  We got to admire Sonya's intricate painted whole cloth quilts and then we got to experiment with some paints ourselves.  Fun!!  Sonya makes it look easier than it is, of course, but I think we all ended up with beautiful and expressive sunsets and night skies.

One of my favourite parts of the day was watching Shirley take the plunge and try free-motion quilting.  You go girl!  And I'm looking forward to seeing Carol's piece when it's finished.  She used the painting time to experiment on a background for a landscape piece she was already working on. 

Here is as far as I got.  You can tell I was a little more hesitant with the paints than others!  I really had fun experimenting with a free motion zig-zag.  If you've never tried it before - grab a couple of scraps and have a go, it's a fantastic way to build up texture.  I've put extra wide borders on mine because I'm thinking I'll turn it into a cutting board bag. 

See you next time.

Cotton Theory Series.

Just a quick note to say that Valerie's quilt, shown in the last post, was made from a pattern in Betty Cotton's 'Cotton Theory Series - Book Two'.  You can find out more here.

August Show and Tell Bonanza!

Terri showed off a bright little cot quilt started at our last all day madness.

Judith's Crazy Cats is so fantastically vibrant it just about jumps off the wall.

Christine showed us a beautiful appliqued quilt.

Bia hand quilted this beauty.

Stephanie's masterpiece is not done justice by this photo.

Jane's Christmas themed table runner. 

Suzanne was very glad to finish the machine quilting on this lovely piece.

Beatrice thought we might be interested in these pieces after we had a talk by the weavers and spinners a month or two back.  The centre cardigan, made in the 70's, is dog hair!

Carol was wanting a quick project, but got a little carried away.  Beautiful autumn colours.

Valerie's masterpiece for her daughter.

Here's a closeup.  It's a quilt as you go and it has an intricate 3D texture.

And everyone was fascinated!  I had to take this pic of everyone crowding round to get a better look!

Suzanne's daughter's first composition - I see a new masterquilter in the making.

Julie has been very productive and had several lovely little projects to show.

This is a bag of Julie's.

Julie's again.

And there will be no mistaking who is sewing behind the door that this hangs on.

These are funky little containers made by Beatrice.

Margaret made this just for her!

And she made us all laugh with the tale of how this wall hanging came about.  Yes, those Minties are fake!

This is a quilt top I've finished, but hopefully it will have been quilted and sent to it's new owner by the next meeting.

Wow.  That was quite the Show and Tell.  I guess it's coming towards spring and all those rainy days of winter have been put to good use.  Happy quilting everyone!