The stitching continues

All progressing well here - I've been busy getting on with the quilting of Friday Morning Coffee and enjoying the chance to spend more time with the piece ans I man handle it through the sewing machine (why are my quilts so large?). I'm trying out a much smaller grid pattern on this quilt that the previous version - its looking good so far but of course will take more time...

I passed through the gardens a couple of days ago and the tree is looking resplendent in its doilies - so I tried for some different types of shots which in time I may even try putting them onto fabric to experiment with.

Just so you don't think that the only places that I can ever find mosaics are in Australia, here's a particularly fine example made by the children of Thorndon School, here in Wellington. They obviously have some really creative and talented teachers there, with a real bent for art making, as some of the works that spring up around the school really are impressive.

Mission Accomplished

Things are moving apace down at the gardens - Heidi now has five branches covered in the doilies. Unfortunately the rain has just started coming down here today so who knows what impact this will have on her installation.I'm pleased to say I have achieved my objective of having the quilt top all put together. Its over 2m square so wasn't too easy getting a photo while it was laid out on the floor. All going well I'll have it all pinned together and ready for quilting before the weekend is out - there is always an upside to rain!No rain in sight on the quilt though - just loved this piece of embroidery will the sun rising behind the hollyhocks and butterfly. This is another piece of my Aunt's linen that I have cut up and put into the piece.The quilt has several fabrics featuring tea cups - to me they speak of friendship and the countless conversations that we have over cups of tea of coffee with our friends that are such a fundamental part of sustaining us all. My daughter has christened it "Friday Morning Coffee" as this is an important ritual for me with a group of friends I have made through the school our children attend. No Friday is complete without a get together, strong coffee and a good laugh.

Once I have it quilted I'm planning to audition having a few doilies appliqued onto the surface. I have putting them onto bags lately and I think that they just might be the finishing touch for this piece. We'll see...

Success at Last!

Finally - here are the day two pictures of Heidi's creation.... This particular doiley caught my eye - just look at the size of it.

Only took three attempts to get these uploaded. Hopefully it will still let me post another update later in the day - when I went past this morning there are another 2 trunks now covered.

Doiley Update - Day 2

As promised, an update on the doilies that are currently sprouting in the Wellington Botanic Garden. The artist, Heidi Threlfo, is making steady progress on getting them up onto the magnolia tree at themain entrance to the gardens. The piece is called Home, which I think is really apt. I'm yet to spot her actually putting them up, but who knows what I may manage to capture over the next couple of days.

The big success today was that both sons actually got out of the car to inspect the work and accompany me on the photographic excursion. I wouldn't call it significant progress, but it was a definite improvement on them hiding in the car!

I'd love to post the progress photos but blogger won't let me tonight....... stay tuned.....

New Year - New Inspiration

When you catch sight of this...being put up in your local Botanical Garden you just know its time to re-enter the world of blogging. Who could resist this? Well actually, I know the answer to this as one of my children almost hid under the dashboard of the car at the sight of his mother leaping out of the car, camera in hand. Yet again, he was horrified. I however was delighted.It's still a work in progress and is being put up for the Wellington Botanic Garden Artist Project as part of the annual fun that is our summer festival. It won't be finished until Sunday 11th January and will then remain in place until 1 February - I'll post more pictures as it progresses.

I'm yet to find out who is creating it - either Heidi Threlfo or Sayaka Ishizuka - or maybe even a joint venture... all will be revealed as I learn more.

It's been a while since my last post but I can report that the wedding quilt was very well received and we all survived the heat of Townsville. Since our return I've been progressing a few projects. The quilt that I felt "coming on" in November is developing well and is up of the design wall. It's going to be similar to the quilt I made in memory of my grandfather, which I have previously posted about. The story of this quilt, along with several photos, is in the latest issue of New Zealand Quilter, which has been quite a thrill.

This new quilt will also be a memorial quilt and it will feature pieces of linen that belonged to my Auntie Dorothy that I was recently given. As part of it I've also embroidered a number of pieces for it onto damask napkins.

I'm pleased with how it is coming together and would like to get most of the top put together by the time I go back to work next week...we shall see.

Diversions and Action

The brain is a marvellous thing - just as you are really winding yourself up with "the last list" of things to be completed before the working year winds to a close, it is also capable of noticing the extraordinary that is so often right under our noses. I mean to say - just look at this - how's this for a fantastic use for spray cans?? So much better than the graffiti and tagging that seems to be endemic.... I found it on my regular route to work - and one day I even remembered to bring my camera with me to share this fabulous sight. I think it definitely qualifies as gorilla art.

So I'm feeling pleased with myself that I noticed it and then remembered to photograph it - an all this while my brain too resembles that lace that Jude, from Spirit Cloth, referred to in her recent post. I'm afraid that my mind also appears to be all holes and patches - nothing that a good holiday can't start to mend... after all, where there is life there is hope...

But before the holiday there is "the list" to be got through... so here are a couple of the more recent things I'm pleased to be able to cross off - another use for doilies... this time as part of a doll quilt for a particularly adorable two year old, who had such fun playing with some of my lace doilies while I had coffee with her mother last week that I thought she definitely needed a small something to keep her dolls warm. If I remember rightly, the butterfly fabric was the backing on the quilt I made her when she was born.

and the prototype for the annual Christmas decorations that I'll be making this year. Here's the full confession - I pinched the idea from an advertisement in the current edition of Selvedge magazine - I can't credit the inspired person who came up with it as it was part of the advertisement for their next edition. It took my breath away and I immediately took to the sewing room. I have altered it, but the full acknowledgement for the idea rests with Selvedge - my favourite of all the international textile magazines - and that is really saying something!

On the home stretch

Serious countdown time now and it's starting to come together nicely - wedding quilt is all completed with only the label to go.... I'm so pleased I decided to get it quilted by Sue - she's done a marvellous job in super quick time. It has a large leafy vine pattern all over it which really suits the colours and feel of the quilt. Without her I'd have been turning up at the wedding without a gift for my brother and almost sister in law. Never a good look!

Of course I made too much binding (I always seem to have this problem) so decided to put it onto a few small pieces which have been sitting around. I'm so pleased with the improvement its made to them that these are also destined for the gift giving pile. I will never think of excess binding as a problem again.

I've even been putting the odd doiley on the back in preparation for labels. I particularly love this Lily.

It's quite exciting really - its probably the most organised I've ever been for Christmas and it feels rather good.

Now there's just the children -that will be another story altogether....