I spent a wonderful week away in Taupo. Lake Taupo is the largest Lake
in New Zealand. 
at the NZ Quilt Symposium. The weather was picture perfect, as the week before had been freezing temperatures, and snow on the outskirts. The weather for us was cold, but beautiful sunny days. Our thermals were well used, and I’m very glad I bought one or two more to take with me. Sharon and I added some $$ to the business’s in Taupo, as well as the Merchant Mall at the symposium. Books from Quiltmania, a little bit of fabric ( not much as I have so much already) and a few little handworking kits. I did a class with Kim McLean from
Australia 
which was interesting, and a really good class with Phillipa Naylor from England, learning Trapanto which was very different for me, and very enjoyable. A great tutor! . This class was not something I would normally have done, but as I had a free day I thought ,,,Why Not! I’m really pleased I did it, as it was so much fun. We even had an elderly gentleman in the class, who said he had bought his wife ( who was a cross stitcher ) a new sewing machine, but after a couple of lessons, she decided to go back to her cross stitch. So, not wanting to have wasted his money, her husband took over the lessons, and now thoroughly enjoys making
quilts!
This was a class sample – not my work unfortunately.
As we had a couple of free days, we popped over to Rotorua to see Cottage Flair Patchwork, and decided to have lunch at the 
Rotorua Museum cafe. This is a great looking building.
After a week at home, our Guild put on a class with Gwen Marston from USA which was absolutely excellent. She is a lovely lady and we had a thoroughly enjoyable weekend of carefree quiltmaking!
On the Sunday the workshop committee ladies organised a high tea for our lunch. We all bought a plate of food, and were able to use beautiful old fashioned china which really did make the tea taste nicer. haha!
I’ll show a pic of what I made next time.
In the meantime its back to the drawing board, or should I say sewing machine to remake 72 x 9 patch blocks
I have made 72 x 9 patch blocks but cut them wrong. Now I have to start all over again. What to do with the mistakes!!
Thanks for dropping by
Wendy a member of our little quilting group, who used to own a Quilt Shop, came to us with an idea of a mystery quilt which she would design. She gave every-one an applique pattern for the centre block, if they wanted to do one as she had, but we could also make whatever we liked as our centre block. I thought ….hey this would be nice made in Reproduction fabrics, and as I had a block that I had made as an experiment, I thought what a perfect block to
use. 
I was away the following month, so when I arrived home I emailed and got the 2nd round for this Mystery. This is when I started to get into trouble. Nothing is easy, and I found my block measured 13”instead of the 12 1/2”required. No probs. I thought. I’ll just cut my next round down by 1/2”. Easier said than down as the round measured 1/2”finished. Anyway I accomplished this, but my next round is one short square short on each of the 4 sides. Don’t know how that happened, but it appears my 1/4” SA is on the generous size.
As it is, I am quite happy with how it looks ….I starched the living daylights out of it. Unfortunately that gave me a light square and a dark square next to each other on a couple of corners, but it’ll have to stay like that. I always think in the last century the women would not have worried about that…so neither will I. :-) VBG!
Will post the next round when done.
While I’m at it I must show you what I have been knitting. A scarf in Angora. Hopefully will be cosy when I go to our Quilt Symposium in Taupo in July. I am using these delightful to knit with needles..Knit Pro by Symfonie.
Thanks for dropping by
