Another Quilt finished!

A very simple but effective cot quilt made for some dear friends in Australia who are expecting their baby in August. They live in the country like us, and also breed horses, so after keeping the background fabric in my stash for about 6 years, I thought it would be perfect for this quilt.
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Sorted!!

Thank goodness for son's who are in the IT business. The problem was my new camera takes such huge megapixel photos that they couldn't be uploaded easily. I have now reduced the size so hopefully I will be able to put my new photos up.
Last week I made a lap quilt for a dear friend who is very ill with Prostate Cancer. I had some blocks made in flannels that I started about 10 years ago, but lost interest in, so these came in very handy.


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Trying to Blog....but so much trouble.

This is so frustrating, as I tried to upload some photos last week of some quilts I have made, but to no avail.
Today I have tried again, but still can't do it. If anyone knows what I can do to fix this problem plea.....se tell me.

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Back in the Land of the Long White Cloud!!

I'v almost forgotten how to do this blogging stuff as it's been so long. I've been to Australia a couple of times since I last blogged, but managed to finish a quilt for my DGS for his birthday. The kids these days all seem to have big beds - his is a king single, so the quilts have to be large enough to cover the mattress and go done the sides abit. He's only a little squirt although he's 6 years old, but I guess he'll grow into it. :-))

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Another quilt finished!

Found a photo of the wall hanging I finished in October 2008. I really enjoyed making this quilt, as I love log cabins, and pinwheels. The curved border was fun to do. I made a paper pattern using freezer paper, ironed it onto my fabric, cut out the curves, then appliqued by hand onto the bottom border. http://www.susannasquilts.blogspot.com

Its nearly driving me mad that I can't take any photos of the quilts I am making. I have ordered and paid for a new camera, but it hasn't arrived in the shop as yet. I hope it gets here soon, as I am going to the Melbourne Quilt Show at the end of February, and need to take some photos.

I have just finished a quilt top for my DGS and am about to baste it for machine quilting. I don't mind doing the kiddiwinks quilts, as they don't mind if Grandma makes a few mistakes.

Gosh it was so hot here yesterday - usually it gets up to about 23-25 c in the Summer, but yesterday apparently it got up to 34c. No wonder the perspiration was dripping off me - and I thought I was having lots of hot flushes.



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Autunno in Trieste finished at last!

It took me about 8 months on and off to handquilt.

A couple of photo's I managed to take before my camera seized. A close up of Autunno in Trieste

This is a quilt I started in about 1996 ? I think. I am on a bent of trying to either finish some UFO's or make quilts mainly from stash without buying more fabric.

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Well I think I stuffed that one up, as I somehow posted it with out all the photos. Here is the photo of my grand-daughters little quilt. She is 4 years old, and the family have just moved into their new home. The fabric you can see with the little squares is the backing. Worked out perfectly. I hadn't quilted it when this photo was taken. Will post another when I find it:-))

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Happy New Year everyone.


Gosh it seems so long since I wrote something on this blog, I had almost forgotten what to do.


I have been fairly busy since my last blog, making a quilt for my dear Grand-daughter. It was a fairly simple quilt as you can see, and I think the ric rac cost me almost as much as the fabrics, but I thought it made the quilt.

I have also been handquilting that queen size quilt I showed a picture of awhile back. It's finished at last, but wouldn't you know it my camera lens has jammed. I was in the process of taking photos of the grandchildren opening santa's pressies, when it happened. Fortunately I was able to download the photos I had taken.










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This weekend I decided to change the quilt on our bed, and took this log cabin quilt out of the cupboard. I was keeping it 'nice' for what I don't know. I made this quilt in 1999. I really love the colours, and it has cotton batting and I hand quilted it.

A few months ago and friend rang and suggested we go to a local quilt show, about an hour from home. After having lunch - isn't that part of it :-)) we arrived at the show.

Straight away I fell in love with their raffle quilt, and as I had been wanting to make this block myself, took a few photos, and of course a couple of tickets. Must support the quilters!!

Well blow me down, I won the raffle. I can honestly say I can remember everything I have ever won, because there aren't that many things!! I have put a photo up so you can see it.

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A Slight Change of Direction

Oops! He's missing the bottom part of his leg, but it still is a WIP

Even though at heart I am a traditional quilter, I also love small wall hangings, embellished with lots of machine stitching. I have just spent the last two days in the company of Pam Holland, world renowned quilt artist, learning her method of collage, although I couldn't for the life of me, get my head around making a grasshopper with pink legs, so after day one, I was back home, going through my fabrics once again. I loved my background and border fabrics, but they needed a jewel coloured grasshopper. I disappointed my friend Carol, although she said she wasn't surprised, that I had to be more realistic, so my grasshopper looks more like a native insect of New Zealand - a Weta.

Drat- wouldn't you know it, I just went to take a photo of it, and the camera batteries are flat. Never mind will take the photo and post it tomorrow.

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A few more photos of my trip to the Outback of Australia. One of the gals on the trip filled a water bottle from the Tasman Sea in Sydney and emptied it in the Indian Ocean. There were 5 Kiwis ( New Zealanders) on the trip and we had our photo taken at the half way point across Australia. One of the kiwi gals celebrated her 87th birthday.

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Whoops! forgot to say thank you to Julie in Alabama for shaming me into getting on with my posting. It's lovely to know other people are enjoying the blogs. Also thanks to all who leave comments. They are neat to read!

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A couple of photos from the 800 odd that I took on this holiday- at one of the Show & Tells. Not sure whose quilts they were, but as you can see they are great. Nothing much of my own to share this time, so I'd better knuckle down and get on with some handquilting I am doing on a queen size quilt.

Home to the Land of Water

I arrived home on 20th August after being away for 5 weeks. I went on a Quilters Outback Tour of Australia, then I finished off with a stay in Queensland with my son, DIL and 4 grand children. They are all teenagers, and my oh my that washing machine never stops.

The trip was so good, and it was lovely meeting up with old friends. I went on the 2005 tour and most of the people on the 2008 tour were the same, give or take 2 or 3.

24 of us included the coach captain and the organisors. We visited a number of quilt shops ( doesn't the bank manager know it!) and also met up with quilters for pot luck meals. We made little gifts to take with us, and these were handed out at the get-togethers we had with the host groups. A lovely idea, and people often form new friendships from this.

One of the highlights of the tour was where the Southern Ocean and Indian Ocean meet. Very windy spot, and I ended up with quite a wind burnt face.

I took a few photos of some of the wildflowers in WA, although most of them weren't flowering as yet. Sorry not sure of their names, so best to write nothing.

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The hexagons in my header is an on going quilt; one that has been in my grab and go bag - you know, one of those things you take with you when you are in a hurry and haven't had time to sort anything else out. I also did quite a few of them when I sat with my Mother in the hospital in the week prior to when she passed on. I had an engineer make me a template out of steel. The template has a whole in the centre so I can draw a cutting line and sewing line onto my fabric. I then match up the lines and stitch to my heart's content. It is such a pieceful thing to do, and I really enjoy the end result. I have to say Pinwheels, Logcabins and Hexagons are my most fabourite blocks.

A little sewing bag I made last week, to take with me on my trip.

Not much to report today except that for the first time in two weeks we are having a lovely sunny day. We have had rain, rain and more rain, in fact more than we need in Auckland. Hard to understand as we are only about a 3 hour flight from Australia and our cousins in some parts over there are desperate for it.

I've been doing some hand quilting on a log cabin and pin wheel wall hanging. I thought I would include a photo of a quilt I made in 1997 using fat quarters given to me by my friends for my 50th birthday. I was amazed at how well the different fabrics went together, and I was determined not to use anything else. A great friendship memory quilt.

Hard at it sewing at the retreat

A mighty storm is brewing again, as I sit here. Had a wonderful electric storm last night, thunder and lightening, but it soon went out to sea. My only worry always are the horses and dogs, but they seem to take it all in their stride.

I went on another retreat last weekend to a fabulous place on the East Coast about 40 minutes from where I live. The photos above, I took from the deck outside one of the sewing rooms.

I managed to go for a 40 minute work on Saturday morn, to try and make up for all the lovely food we had. This place has a full time chef, so we are treated very well. Lots of lovely baking for morning and afternoon tea, and roast beef and all the veges for Saturday night dinner.

I'm still hand quilting my large raspberry and caramel coloured quilt, and making some little gifts to take with my on my Quilting 'Outback Tour' of Australia in July. This afternoon managed to make some little Origami Bags. Will post a photo later.

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Had a great time at the retreat in Huia, West Coast in Auckland, last weekend, but would you believe it, I forgot my camera!! Never mind a friend sent me a few she took.

Beautiful weather made the weekend perfect. Rain was predicted, but for a change didn't happen. Plenty of food and wine, lots of jokes - (some a bit blueish) and great company.

As you can see by the view, the camp overlooks a small part of the West Coast of Auckland. The water was like a mill pond, and some of us more active went for a bit of a fast walk up and down a few hills to the local ice cream shop to partake. The walk was meant to make up for all the food we were eating at the camp.

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