Lake Te Anau, Picture quilt and Prison

Maybe I should call this one "Inspiration for Embroidery" - I remember a class or course with that title some years ago or is it a book? anyway there are many various textures in this shot.

I think if I had to tackle it now I would use several techniques - on second thoughts I'll stick to using fabric and colours I love to make quilts.


My granddaughters used to love making pictures using fabric paints on calico.  When they had quite a collection ready we auditioned fabrics for borders and then put the blocks on my bed to arrange the layout.

I should have remembered Floyd considers my bed is his territory -

I volunteered to sew the blocks together and they chose the backing from my vintage stash -

I think I got the bottom row the wrong way round, can't have two Grandmas together - where's the unpick?

Here's the backing fabric

The session at Arohata Prison yesterday went very well; the class was smaller than it has been because several of the women have been released and they were the ones who had been coming for a long time.  The newbies are settling in well and I had special fun showing how to make four patch blocks from two squares, then half square triangles and a couple of variations - it was just one of those teaching moments you grab!

I also took along two quilt tops, lent to me by Heather, which she had made using only cotton shirts she had bought at Op Shops.  Jenny has pictures of them on her blog of the 23 November, Stitching Monday.  I want to encourage the women to continue with their quilting when they go home and show what can be made if they cannot afford the more expensive quilting fabric.

Next week I shall take along some of the samples from the class I teach.  One of the very basic blocks is the double four patch - here is one I had great fun making using dozens of my five inch squares and every red I could find -

This is draped over my design wall with the sunlight hitting the top right corner

Some familiar fabrics in this part........ but maybe less familiar are these next two - these are from my vintage stash and I would really like to know more about them,

I love the clean lines and bright colours of this and the next one -

Such strong lines and geometric shapes, you can almost hear the stamp of the feet in the dance?  Not something I am in a hurry to cut into - but then I don't see me wearing it either........

Remember the Spreading Chestnut Tree?

Well I am so glad I photographed it when I did because it is no longer on that spot.  The construction of the new Civic Square is well under way and this tree appears to have been a casualty.....collateral damage, isn't it called?

Unless of course it was moved......

At least it is immortalised on my blog!!!


I am off to my book club meeting this afternoon. I have read "The Life of Pi" - first time reading off the kindle app on my iPad - so the whole thing is a new experience and I am looking forward to it.

My little diary is so full of worthy sayings, "Rebuke with soft words and hard arguments" - could that be a hint about the meeting this afternoon??

Thanks for reading my blog and for your comments.

June