Top is Done!

                                                 222cm by 216cm


The top is finished and its big, 87 1/2" by 85". I will quilt this next year.

This morning I cut more fabric for EPP - still working on the stars as and when I have the time. I have 18 more to make. I need a total of 203 stars.

Can you believe there are only 7 more weeks to Christmas. My sister arrives on Tuesday for a whole month, so happy!

Progress

Part four is done - one more border to go....prairie points!

I am so glad I set the alarm for 3am on September 28 to see the lunar eclipse. I drew open the curtains, sat on the edge of the bed and watched the show. From big and bright, to red, was amazing. The next time we get to see another supermoon total lunar eclipse will be in October 2033.
 Did you get to see it?



Mounted orchids

Its Spring!

 Both my children came home in August. Its always nice to have them home. This week I have been trying to catch up with the mystery quilt along, I managed to get part two done and the flying geese strips.

                                               part two is done.

                                           flying geese done.

I made this cushion for my daughter - she has a brown miniature dachshund named Bella. When I saw this pattern I had to make it for her. I used a faux suede.

I love this shrub, I have several in the garden and they are flowering at the moment - Mackaya bella. Its also known as the forest bell bush. Its a larval host plant for the Blue Pansy butterfly.

 I have four dresden plate cornerstones and four french braid strips to make - lots of cutting. 

A Finish and A Mystery

Festival was awesome!.. KwaZulu-Natal quilters guild hosted the 18th South African National Quilt Festival from 3rd to 7th of July -  5 days of classes, lectures and vendors, with 6 international teachers, and 25 national teachers. The quilts on show were incredible. We had visitors from around the country and overseas. Kearsney College in Bothas Hill was the perfect venue.  We get to host every 11 years, so It was something to look forward to and it exceeded my expectations, I loved every minute. Last week we had some rain and already I have seen new growth, soon we will be mowing again. I have quilted, bound and labeled my Life of Plenty quilt.

While deciding on my next project I finished a small quilt.. Noah's Ark, I had done the stitching in 2011. I have palpitations every time I look in my UFO basket. I won those four luscious little layerings at the tombola stand at festival.

I am doing Kaaren's mystery quilt along - 

16 house blocks done

I have completed the first part

If you would like to quilt along go to Kaaren's blog The Painted Quilt and join the fun!

Blue moon last night, did you see it and make a wish - I did. Next time round will be in 2018 when there will be two blue moons..January and March, so you will then get to make two wishes.;))

Winter but it feels like Summer

Nearly finished the quilting on the Life of Plenty quilt - one more border to go and then the binding. Its been so hot here lately that it feels like Summer without the humidity. 29C temperatures most days - just cold-ish in the mornings. Two weeks ago we had gale force winds that blew over a small tree. We cut it up into manageable pieces then took it to the municipal dump and because its so dry ( lots of veld fires) we decided to do a good clean up, pruning all the shrubs and remove dead wood and plants.  Four bakkie loads last week and two yesterday. Its back breaking work. I'm full of cuts and scratches on my arms and legs. We are experiencing drought conditions- the worst since 1991. No rain in months. Certain areas are on water restrictions.  We have been asked to conserve every drop as there are only two months supply remaining.  I hope it rains soon - we already have to contend with load shedding, two hours a day. 

Aloes flower in midwinter, dripping with nectar just when the sunbirds and bees need it most

May is the best month of Autumn

 Warm sunny days..just gorgeous weather. I have been reading in the sun, pottering in the garden, dry leaves everywhere, lots of butterflies around. Lately I have been watching a pair of birds prepare for winter. At first I thought they were eating insects off  a dead tree stump. A few days later I was amazed to see the head disappear into the stump, so I watched them everyday. They made great progress working steadily taking turns removing the softwood. Then they were in!

 

I was quilting my Life of plenty quilt when I ran out of cream thread. I was really in the mood to quilt so I scratched around in my UFO bin and pulled out this top that I had finished in 2012 . It is now quilted, bound and labeled. 

                                                                                                 

Coffee with Geta

 Books I have read lately...                                                                                                      

                                                                             

Out of a Clear Sky - Sally Hinchcliffe

The Beacon - Susan Hill

Beauty for Ashes - Dorothy Clark

My Journey to Heaven - Marvin J Bestman

Ties that Bind - Catherine Deveney

Married to Bhuton - Linda Leaming

The butterfly Month - Ariella Kornmehl

The book of Transformation - Lisa Barretta

A Happy Human Brain - Pierre Van Der Spuy

October - Zoe Wicomb

Spit 'N Polish - Barry Ronge

Tinkers - Paul Harding

Peaches for Monsieur Le Cure - Joanne Harris
An Unfinished Business - Boualem Sansal
The Invention of Wings - Sue Monk Kidd
Getting to Manana - Miranda Innes



    

                                                                                                                                     

A LIFE OF PLENTY

I trust everyone had a wonderful Easter. We spent the day at this quaint hotel in Bothas Hill.. The Chantecler Hotel. We had lunch in the Zebra room, delicious food, and we were entertained by a lovely singer Sandy Lawrence. The  kiddies enjoyed a Easter egg hunt. Will definitely visit again.

I have been without Internet and phone line for 9 days. We phoned our Internet provider, we were given a reference number and told it will be sorted out soon. I phoned everyday from my cell phone and you know how frustrating it is when you have to listen to a recording and wait in a queue for an available operator..and wait and wait,.. well I just gave up and thought I wont pay the account maybe then they would do something. They finally came yesterday. When I questioned why the delay they were full of excuses. They checked everywhere and couldn't find where the fault was. they went into the street, climbed the telephone pole and fiddled there, then moved onto the next pole, then back inside to check -- still nothing. Eventually after 5pm  they came back and said it should work now as they have now connected us to the underground cable. Fingers crossed we dont have any more problems.

Here is my quilt top. Its now on my d/w. I look at it everyday and can't decide whether to hand quilt or machine quilt it.

 

Whoo Hoo Happy Days!!

As its International Quilting Weekend, TQS is allowing free access to their shows - from 20th to 22nd March, whoo hoo... Yesterday I watched Laura Fraga, Kim Diehl,Carolyn Konig, Cheryl See,and Vallerie White. I am so inspired and I have learnt so much. My SAL blocks are done. Now I have to trim the blocks and sew them together.

 So guess what I'll be doing this weekend, oh yes!! ...go HERE and enjoy!

Work in Progress

 

This is what I have done so far.. I don't know how many times I have unpicked the handle for the basket - I did cut the handle pieces on the bias. I went back to Jeni's blog to see what I should be doing. She says to curve it with an iron, spray baste, pin and applique - will try again. 

went shopping

and this

 I have prepped three more blocks... lots of leaves.

Another hot and humid day ahead.

HUGS and KISSES

 Another lovely pattern by Temecula Quilt company. I enjoyed this little project. I used bits and pieces from my scrap basket for the blocks and I quilted hearts in the border. This mini measures 13" x 16"

Hugs and Kisses

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

2015 Challenge

Christmas is just a lovely memory and January has gone in the blink of an eye. Children have returned to Cape Town and I am home alone again but not for long. My husband retires in May, I can't wait.  Challenge to myself this year is to learn needle turn applique. I think I have watched every needle turn video tutorial on Youtube. I decided to join Jeni's lovely sew along, A life of plenty. It has piecing and applique. I have needle turned 3 blocks using the back basting method. I tried to get smooth round edges but as you can see there are a few wonky places especially on the basket.

 And I have prepped my pieces for 3 sets of flying geese. Also enjoying that lovely quilting book.

Lots of lovely applique BOM's this year. I'm loving these,

Lancaster Co by Christy at Sycamore Hill Quilts
Oma's Blues by  Esther Aliu
Past Reflections by Wendy at  Legends and Lace
Bountiful Baskets by Pearl at  P3Designs
Be Happy by Erin at One Piece at a Time

Wishing everyone a wonderful year of quilting.