A Patchwork of Sorts

Daddy made me this "patchwork" box and I have filled it with what I hope will be cosy bedding for all the little helpful minibeasts that need some protection over the winter.  If I don't get any tenants I think the box makes an attraction addition to the garden anyway.

I'm also in the process of making cosy bedding for Sal and her DH who arrive on Thursday.  Sal is one of the Global Piecers and was my first swap partner in Fiona Marie's Great Global Christmas Swap, I'm very excited about meeting her in real life at long last.  I'm just hoping she's started to acclimatise to our Autumn temperatures, it's a bit cooler here than in Australia.  Watch this space, there will be photographs taken!

The Great Global Christmas Swap 2010

I know it's only August but I received an email from Fiona Marie this morning and it's time to sign up for the Great Global Christmas Swap 2010.  I had such fun doing the swap last year and made friends with Sal in Australia which led to the formation of a small swap group around the world that we call Global Piecers.  (there's nothing on our blog yet but it's a case of watch this space!) So far we have swapped Christmas blocks, Easter pincushions, we're in the middle of a postcard swap, send each other birthday fat quarters and are organising our Autumn and Christmas swaps for this year at the moment.  From such small seeds do exciting things grow. 
Take a look and see if Fiona Marie's swap is for you. I'm certainly going for it again.  There are gorgeous festive bag patterns as part of the swap and the money raised is to help children with cancer.

Quilters' Meeting

I have had an amazing day today, I met up with a quilting friend that I had previously only known via the internet.  Katrina is part of a small group of quilters called The Global Piecers formed as a result of Fiona Marie's Great Global Christmas Swap and today I met her!  Of course we had to decide on a good place to meet - how about a quilt shop?!  Here we are admiring a lovely Kiwiana wallhanging in Cushla's in Devonport.  We got along brilliantly, did some shopping (of course) and then had a great brunch together.  These are the things that tempted me:

And this is a lovely heart that Katrina had stitched just for me:

Holiday Quilting Part II

While I'm on holiday I am hoping to complete (or at least start) a series of hangings that might or might not be joined together into a travel journal quilt.  As you can tell, I don't plan very precisely, I'm much more of a 'make it up as I go along' sort of quilter.  The miniature Storm at Sea quilt might be part of this, or not.

I have, however, given the projects quite a lot of thought and decided that I must make them with fabrics bought locally and therefore I must go to lots of quilt shops while on my travels!  I've also thought about places and events that might be sources of inspiration.

While I am in Singapore it will be Chinese New Year.  This is on 14th February this year and the New Year will be the Year of the Tiger.  There are lots of inspirational themes there - tigers, lanterns, fireworks... and I'm wondering if there will be a specific range of fabric available in the same way as we have Christmas, Hallowe'en ranges etc.  I'm planning to visit Quilts n Calicoes in the Tanglin Mall in Singapore and am sure Ira will point me in the right direction.  On her website is a lovely range called Twelve Moons that I like the look of.

In Sydney I will be meeting up with Sal, my GGCS partner, and I'm sure she will find us one or two quilt shops to visit.  My thoughts so far are moving towards using some of the range of Aboriginal design fabrics available but again, I won't know until I get there, I might end up being inspired by the Sydney Opera House or doing something based on the harbour or the botanical gardens, I intend to keep an open mind.

The largest part of the holiday will be spent in New Zealand and, in addition to the Timaru Mini-Symposium, there will be inspiration beyond my dreams.  I'm hoping to enjoy a few quilt shows, including the NANZQ that I shared in my previous post.  I would like to use the wide range of Kiwiana fabrics available and I imagine I will be working on something to do with nature - the coast or the bush, or maybe the glaciers or the sounds.
I would like to take this opportunity to recommend Gail Lawther's book on New Zealand to you.

I bought a copy at the Great Northern Quilt Show in Harrogate, attracted mainly by the words, "New Zealand" and it has turned out to be one of my favourite books.  Not only has Gail created 35 very interesting quilts and used a wide variety of techniques but she includes all the patterns and templates should you want to replicate one yourself (or will make one for you if you so desire).  The text and photographs in the book are wonderful for a wannabe-Kiwi like myself, with stories of places visited and things experienced it works as a great advertisement for New Zealand.  It is also a great reminder of some of the things I have seen and done on previous trips.  Should you need the ISBN to get your own copy it's:
978 0 9553499 3 5
I am keen to create my own version of a tivaevae, a Cook Islands-style quilt, at some time and Gail includes a tempting project using sun-created images of NZ flora that interests me:

So, as I say, inspiration beyond my wildest dreams.  Watch this space and I'll share it with you.

Happy Birthday Bonni

Thank you to everybody who helped me to come up with a name for my lovely Singer sewing machine who's 81st "birthday" is today, it was on 9th January 1929 that her serial number was allocated.  This morning I gave her a service and a dust and a brand new needle and started my first project - a little Sweet Treat Bag from a Moda Honeybun pattern (sent to me for Christmas by my GGCS partner, Sal).  It is so satisfying to be using such a great machine and if the snow keeps coming and the power cuts out I'll still be able to stitch.  Mummy told me how my grandmother used to take her hand sewing machine outside and sit in the garden and stitch.  Sadly this isn't her machine but it has been Mummy's for a long time (she's not sure where it came from originally).  The only problem I've encountered is that I miss having both hands to guide my work but at such a gentle pace I'm managing.

So please say hello to Bonni.  I wanted a Scottish name as she was made in Scotland and Bonni means "pretty" or "charming".  Michelle set me on the right path when she suggested the name Vivien after Vivien Leigh who starred in Gone With The Wind - Bonnie was the pretty little daughter of Scarlett and Rhett and GWTW is one of my favourite books/films.

Christmas Block Swap

I've finished my foundation-pieced blocks for the Christmas Block Swap that developed from my pairing with Sal in the Great Global Christmas Swap.  There are now six of us, three in USA, one in New Zealand, Sal in Australia and me in England.  We're trying to think up a name for ourselves... Never having done a block swap before I'm worrying about the quality of my work and I managed to misunderstand the measurements and had to add a sashing strip, hope there are no Quiltzillas around!  It was great fun and that's the main thing.  When the blocks arrive here I'll decide how I'm going to join then and what I'll make and post a picture.