The end of 2018

Thought I had better try and catch up with you all before the year is gone.  November/December have been hard months for me health wise and I got back home for Christmas on Christmas Eve Day.  Yay, thank you Lord.  Spent Christmas with some of our family.  Photos coming.
Might not be a lot more posts in 2019, we will see what progress I can make.  However, there is still a strong urge to kill that stash, so I'm hoping to do a little more stitching yet.  Hoping to infect (lol) one of my granddaughters with the bug as much interest is being shown.
Have started to assemble Danielle's quilt at last and did get three blocks worth together before crashing.  Today is when I'm feeling like stitching again, yippee.... so onwards and upwards people.
Now for some photos to finish the year off.

The two blocks

Danielle's blocks - one has fallen down and all the stuff has been plonked in front of my design wall.  Sorry, but you get a vague idea.
Colours are looking great.

This is Meg from our Tuesday Group who does the most amazing handwork.  Sorry about the light behind the quilt.  Meg has also done numerous hexagon quilts of all types.

This is our family at home between Christmas and New Year.  My daughter Rebecca is standing in front of her 6' 5" son Bradley along with her three beautiful daughters.  My eldest son Daryll is sitting beside me and my sister Joy has my grandson Hamish on her knee.  Love this photo except by beautiful daughter in law Dayn is taking the photo.

 On the way home Rebecca met up with her youngest brother Richard, wife Kea and daughter Marcy in Napier.  Glad they had a chance to catch up as they live in opposite ends of the country.

Suzy's quilt got finished before Christmas.  She was so completely blown away that it was hers to take away and have. I must acknowledge with such grateful thanks my helper Lynn Murphy for making and stitching on the binding for me.

Forgot to take a close up of the quilting which was a beautiful big daisy pattern.  Long arm quilter was Gael Byrne from the Quilting Shed in Hastings.  Made an awesome job and loved the way she put the red thread front and back.  It gave a fabulous two sided effect, and I jolly well forgot to take a photo!!!!

This is one of my favourite finishes for 2018.  This quilt was totally made from scraps and stash - oops, I forgot - I bought the green sashing as lack of large pieces of stash. It was quilted by my friend Lorraine Baker of Masterton who is now an accomplished long arm quilter.  The centre blocks are made from leftover bits of WOF  that I couldn't quite bear to throw away as was about an inch and a half wide.  LOL.  What a funny little lady I am, and loving it!!!












That's all folks for this year of 2018.  One of so many ups and downs for me I can truly say.  For once I am very surprised at how many quilts I managed to finish and give away to family and friends.  My stash (old) did reduce by quite a substantial amount, but alas and alack, I fear the new fabric section may have grown a little,.  Hehehehe.  It just means I will need to try and make even more quilts in 2019.
God has blessed our family constantly and I can say with all my heart that He  answers those prayers we ask of Him.  Sometimes it is in His way and time, other times we get what we asked for.  He is always good and God is love.  May your 2019 be full to the brim of love and laughter.  Love will always overcome dark.
Thank you for coming to visit my blog and I hope to see you again next year.

Hugs and blessings
Clare
I'm linking up with Oh Scrap here take a look and enjoy some eye candy.

Progress has been made...lots of photos

My friend Lorraine said "your blog's been a bit quiet lately."  Oh dear, she is right, I have been so busy concentrating on getting stuff done, that the energy required for posting has not been there.

On top of all that I keep forgetting to take photos of finished quilts!!!  Hate that.  Here are a few photos of what I have been up to lately.

These first three are from the Master Guild quilt shown held in Carterton last month.

This is the guest exhibitor - none other than said Lorraine Baker who commented on my lack of posting!  Revenge is sweet!   LOL

All joking aside, Lorraine's quilts are stunning and her hand quilting has won at international level.

This is one of a display from a class the guild had taken.  Very beautiful hydrangeas.  Amazing work.

I am onto the very last size of HST's required for this quilt.  Seems to have been a long time in the making, but good things come to those who wait.  So they say anyway.

In the meantime, because I had nothing to do (yeah right)  I decided to participate in the little quilt a long at Humble Quilts.  It is a mini quilt and I haven't really done any of these before.  The best thing was everything I have used is from my stash.

 This was my Mystery Quilt that I made from the quilt along run at From My Carolina Home.  Enjoyed it immensely and the quilt is now finished and is being gifted to a friend who is going through cancer treatment.  It has been signed by lots of people at our church and he will received it shortly.  Again forgot photo, but hope to get one of the finished quilt when given to him.

This is Noah's quilt.  He has become the big brother to two twin brothers.  I made the twins quilts so figured Noah should not miss out on the fun.

This quilt has also been gifted and no photo taken.  Hmm.  This came out so pretty.

This was one of my favourite quilts from the Master Guild show.  Just loved it.

In the making for lady who has had her house burnt down.  Beautiful Kaffe Fassett fabrics that generate warmth.
Loving making this very simple pattern.

The baby quilts for the twins.  One has boats and the other has fishes.  One has Seahorses, the other has Starfish.  The same but different, just like them.

















That's it for now, hope you enjoyed these photos.  Talk to you again sometime????

Big hugs and blessings
Clare
I'm linking to Oh! Scrap here  Check it out for awesome scrap quilts.

Still Around and some Quilt photos

Hi there everyone,  so sorry for being away so long but my health has been a bit of a major issue lately.  After five days in hospital though I am like a new woman!!!  Feeling great, and dont expect to have any more hassles for a long time (I'm speaking severely to my gall bladder as I type!)

Have quilted a couple of small quilts only, and forgot to take some photos, so posting a couple of oldies for you to look at.  I have loaded a gorgeous medallion quilt today but didn't get started as my brain did not want to co-operate at all, so felt I should not even try to quilt.  Tomorrow I will be into it.

Hope you are all very well and avoiding all those horrible winter ailments.  If you are in summer, don't forget the sunscreen!!  It is so exciting watching the trees starting to bud up and the bulbs pushing their way through the cold ground.  Spring is getting ready to burst through!!

This was the Shop Hop quilt I designed in our last year of trading as a patchwork shop.This photo is unquilted...forgot to take one of the whole thing quilted.  I quilted this one on my Janome Horizon 7700 just to prove you can do a large quilt on it.  Didn't like all the handling of the quilt of course as I am spoilt by my longarm.  This quilt  now adorns the bed in our guest room.

I never did like the quilting in the vase...it's too crooked, but as always I was under pressure to get it finished in time and it has stayed crooked!!

This was one of my all time favourite Shop Hop quilts as it uses Kaffe Fassett fabric.  It was very bright and colourful and I gave it to my close friend who just adored it.

Definitely delicious, dont you agree.  And last but not least, this was our Block of the Month featuring New Zealand fabrics.  My friend Maria Travers from Masterton designed it exclusively for us and it was most successful.  It is a favourite quilt of mine.

So there you go my friends, a bit of a walk down memory lane for me, and a heads up to you all that I am still in the land of the living.
We are now anxiously awaiting the arrival of our 16th grandchild as Mum has gone into early stages of labour today.  We are so looking forward to the joy of a new child to join our family, and Mum is deciding on what colours she would like for this one's quilt.  It will help to soothe the pain of our loss of one of our wee twins...went to sleep and woke up in heaven.  Your prayers for the Mum would be lovely.

May you have an awesome weekend.  Don't forget to make time for those you love while you have time to love them.

God bless,

Clare