ALL The Pinks .. .. .. Cascadia

Those that know me well, know I don't do 'random' and the randomness in the layout of this quilt _totally_ did my lil OCD head in!  But I persevered with a mixture of Child At Play, a Pink Vintage Sheet and other pink fabrics in my stash to complete this Quilt Dad quilt Cascadia from his book Beyond Neutral boy oh boy or should that be girl oh girl do I LOVE it and it's pinkness.

Somewhere in cyber space I saw a video clip of John aka Quilt Dad saying his quilts were strong and masculine, which in turn made me determined to make this the girly prettiest most feminine quilt ever 

Linda aka Razzle Dazzle Quilter worked her magic with an all over clam shell pattern, and once I'd completed stitching the binding using a blue vintage sheet, I snuck into Miss P's bedroom and put it on her bed for her to wake up to in the morning.  

I may be a wee bit biased but doesn't she look sweet when she's asleep . . .

Taking Stock - The Quilt Version

Making : A quilt for me !
Cooking : Kai Si Ming - Philosopher ate FOUR (4) bowls
Drinking : Copious amounts of tea 
Reading: Mental Disorders In The Classical World
Wanting: More vintage pillow cases
Deciding: Our bedroom is full of handmade pretties

Smelling: My new coconut lime candle
Wearing: PJ's 
Noticing: Mistakes in my layout 

Enjoying: My new quilt and all of its happiness colour
Waiting: For bedtime 
Liking: My new heart pillow
Wondering: If others spot the mistakes like I do?
Loving: All the prettiness of Tilda and Tanya Wheelan  

Thinking: Randomness does my head in but does look pretty
Admiring: All my 'save for a special occasion' fabrics now combined in a quilt

Pondering: Bed
Considering: Having an early night
Watching: Mad Men season 5 on light box 
Marvelling: I survived the day without a nap
Needing: A nap

Bookmarking: Papers for next year "Trojan War" and "Greek Mythology"
Disliking: Glandual Fever
Hearing: My Mr B outside 

Feeling: So happy he is fit well healthy and recovered from his operation

Quilting by Leanne of Quilt Me Kiwi

Linking in with Leonie of 3xSunshine

Razzle Dazzle Quilt Hug

When Linda blogged it was Time For A Break my heart broke.  Linda is a kind, caring, generous lady and an amazing quilter.  Every now and again my mail box will have a  lovely 'op shopped' surprise parcel and note of friendship from Linda, whom I have never met in person.  This time it was my turn to do something for her .. .. ..  I put a call out on Instagram for 'Hugs and Kisses' blocks using Canoe Ridge Creations tutorial and created a hashtag #quiltforlinda

Over the following weeks, as the blocks arrived and my Mr B became increasingly unwell I often found myself thinking about Linda and her husband and this quote from her blog .. .. ..

"I’m lucky that I knew the love of such a good man. We had many adventures together; I have lots of happy memories"

I hope as Linda looks at this quilt she is reminded of all the love and adventures she shared with her husband and also how as I was pulling together the donated blocks I was given mindless focus to get me through my hard times.  As I hand stitched the binding on curled up on the couch next to my Mr B I knew, that I too am very blessed to have the love of a good man.

“When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.”

Khalil Gibran

Razzle Dazzle Quilt Hug
Inspired by Canoe Ridge Creations
Quilted by Leeanne Quilt Me Kiwi
Linking in with

A Quilt Hug For My Special Boy

I have a lil man who is in need of some extra love at the moment
A Minecraft crazed lil man

One afternoon whilst we were at the hospital my wee man googled "Minecraft Creeper Quilt" and then proceeded to tell me "Mama you could make me this aye"
I looked at the pattern - 5" squares and all in green or black - YES I could make that!
So my wee man and I went through my stash when we got home and pulled all of the green fabric.  He watched me cut the squares, counting how many I needed.
2.5 hours of sewing and we had a 'same same but different' quilt to the picture he had found.



I hand-stitched the binding whilst he was fast asleep in our bed, thinking about how confusing and un-settling the past three months have been for me as an adult, let alone for our children.

The following morning I snuck out early whilst every one was still asleep and hung the quilt on the chicken coup fence.

It was so worth it to see the smile on my wee mans face.
Perfect!

May the love I sewed into each stitch bring my wee man much comfort and love at night xxx

Quilting by Leeanne at Quilt Me Kiwi

Linking in with Leonie over at Show and Tell

Scrappy Happy

A very good friend of mine needs surgery on her back, she is living in a lot of pain and like my Mr B she is patiently waiting for a surgery date.

Somewhere between 4am and 4.30am _every_ night my Mr B wakes in pain, often it is hard for one or both of us to get back to sleep . . . Last week I put those early mornings to use and did some sanity sewing.

As I sewed I thought of my friend and the years of friendship we have shared.  Primary School through to High School.  Swapping lunches, painting nails, tie dyed muslin skirts, Rick Astley, and even Tiffany we've been through a lot together.  She officiated at Tsunami's naming ceremony.
It is a friendship filled with priceless happy memories.
To know her days and nights are often filled with pain upsets me, I wish we were still living in the same street like we did for so many years,  I wish I could pop around and cook her a meal, massage her pain away.  But I can't . . . she is there and I am here.

However, as the saying goes:
When life throws you scraps - Make a quilt

I poured all my love into each stitch - even though I can't be with her at this time I wanted her to know she is in my thoughts, I wanted her wrapped in a quilt hug.



16 x 12.5" scrap blocks
vintage sheet sashing
scrap cotton/bamboo batting patched together
vintage sheet backing
scrap binding

BIG thank you to Kristy for delivering the quilt hug to our friend on my behalf

Scrappy Happy inspired by The Cussing Quilter

Linking in with my creative friend Leonie  

Crochet Wrist Warmers

June and July have been crazy months!  

Somewhere between hospital admissions and essay writing, I found time to crochet and sew.

I had pinned these vintage inspired wrist warmers some time ago.

I started these whilst in Wellington for Handmade and passed the time away next to my Mr B's hospital bed crocheting.  

I am pleased to say .. .. .. 

 * We are no longer dealing with the unknown, we have a likely diagnosis for my Mr B - we await a surgery date.  He has been graded as urgent.

* I submitted my 10,000 word essay "Woman Desire and Literature" on time and received the "A" I was hoping for.

* Amongst the crazy I have been productive creativity wise

Wool hand spun by Talia 

Pattern Vintage Inspired Wrist Warmers by Whistle and Ivy

Photography not up to my usual standards

Linking in with my creative friend Leonie  

A Birthday Quilt

I wanted to make Melissa a quilt 

I 'stalked' 'perused' her Pinterest boards and came across the perfect colour scheme

For the past two years I have purchased no very minimal new fabric wanting to use my stash, but for this quilt I needed low volume neutrals, so of course a purchase was absolutely necessary, especially when I found two lots of 'American' themed fabric (Melissa is married to an American).  The other fabrics used all have significant meaning: my favourite Tilda fabric, a dress of Tsunamis, a blouse of mine, solid grey from my hexie quilt, scraps from Debs work room and some eagle fabric Leeanne gave me.

Leeanne from Quilt Me Kiwi did an amazing job of simple modern straight line quilting

I previously made this quilt top "Know In Your Heart It Will Be Returned"

Happy Birthday my dear friend Melissa

May you enjoy being wrapped in a giant big quilt hug

Linking in with my creative friend Leonie  

A Basket Of Bunnies

Mrs. Bunny looks funny when she 

Twitches her nose, 

Mrs. Bunny looks funny when she 

Wriggles her toes, 

 Two floppy ears and 

Two big feet, 

I love Mrs. Bunny ‘cause 

She’s so neat. 

Mrs. Bunny stretches, 

Mrs. Bunny flops, 

Mrs. Bunny hops and hops and hops and 

Mrs. Bunny hops and stops. 

By Janet Channon   

At Easter we have a tradition with a group of friends of an Easter Egg hunt and brunch.  

This year I decided to help cut back on the copious amounts of chocolate (oh believe me there will still be copious amounts) I thought I'd make Bunnies and Bunny tails for the children to find as part of the Eater Egg Hunt 

Using the same pattern I did when I sewed with Tsunamis class I made us

 "A Basket Of Bunnies"  

Linking in with Leonie and Show and Tell

Shamrock Quilt

Tsunami's teachers are creative and fun, always looking for interesting things to do with the children.  Back in March the school had a "Green Day" mufti to celebrate St Patricks Day.  

On this particular day Tsunami's class hand stamped a white sheet using green paint and a capsicum cut in half.

Tsunami's teacher asked me if I'd be able to make the class a reading mat/quilt from the Shamrock sheet.

So I went about doing just that . . .

From The Classroom Blog 

"Mrs B made our stamped shamrock sheet into a very cool mat which we will use at Reading time.  

Thank you Mrs B for the time and effort you took to stitch our mat. 

We love it. "

Linking in with Leonie 

Scrappy Star Quilt For A Friend

Conversations with a friend who like so many of us is riding the roller coaster of life.  Over coffee and prawns, over texts and emails we shared our thoughts and feelings.  We debated social media: sharing and over sharing, editing of real life and comparison, the thief of joys.

Late in December after a conversation about giving and receiving an idea was formed and I picked up my scrap vomit blocks 

I restarted my forgotten project with new intention and love
As I sewed I was always thinking back to our conversations 

On Sunday I had much pleasure in handing over this Scrappy Star Quilt to my friend.
I loved watching her daughter pick out her favourite fabrics, the photos that were taken and the email of thanks I received later that evening.  I've enjoyed our recent conversations and I love the fact she plans to pay this gift of love forward by blessing another using her incredible talents.

“Let us be kind to one another, for most of us are fighting a hard battle.”

The Scrappy Star Quilt first made it's appearance on my blog as Scrap Vomit With A Difference .  It is made up of 2.5" squares from my shoe box of scraps, The white fabric and the backing are $4 sheets from the op shop.

The swirls and twirls, hearts and stars were quilted by Leeanne - Quilt Me Kiwi

Also using the Giant Star Tutorial I have made Shades Of Grey Giant Star Quilt

Linking in with the lovely Leonie 

Check out other ways to use your scraps by following these links 

February

Monday 10^th    Tartankiwi – Paper pieced Koru

Tuesday 11^th   Make. Life. Beautiful. - Dolly Outfit

Friday 14^th   Mousehouse – Pocket Organiser

Monday 17^th   Catalina's Cottage – Hexie Love

Tuesday 18^th   Make. Life. Beautiful.  Scrappy Quilt Part 1

Friday 21st   One Paisley Apple – Fabric Flowers

Monday 24^th   Kiwi at Heart  -   Scrappy Rope Coaster

Tuesday 25^th   Make. Life. Beautiful.  Scrappy quilt Part 2

Friday 28^th   Works in Progress – Scrappy Pot Mitt and Trivet

March 

Monday 3^rd   NZ Green Buttons – Floral Wreath Tote

Tuesday 4^th   Make. Life. Beautiful.  Childs Bike Seat Pad

Friday 7^th   Catalina's Cottage – Giant Star Quilt