Taking stock

Ok. So I've realized there is never a worse time to re-arrange and organize the workroom than during a family crisis, when you are already cleaning out and dealing with stuff. But  . . . Yep, I had to go and do it. It all started off when I took a quick peek online looking for a small shelf to home all the little rabbit ornaments that were cluttering, I mean decorating the button jar shelf. Well that was my mistake .
. . instead of a small little shelf. I brought a huge unit about 2.4 meters long complete with some lovely glassed shelves and loads of cupboard space to hide, sorry, store my stuff.

The worst part was really yet to come.

Shuffling the heavy Long arm machine (Penelope) was the most difficult. It took me over and hour (Not my brightest idea at 1am - I'm a stubborn person trying to do it on my own instead of waiting for help ) And the only way to move it without taking it off the frame is to roll it to the opposite end at which you want to lift & shift. After only moving around 40 cm in an hour -probably my lowest point. I battled on through the week. It took me 6 days, a sore back a whole lotta mess which was quite an understatement.
 I embarrassingly came to the conclusion, that I don't need any more fabric, quilting arts  embellishments, beads, threads, magazines, scraps or backing fabrics and was almost to the point of apologizing to the significant other for my past purchasing sins. Now I did say almost . . . . as in the end I decided it was probably better for my long term health benefits if I didn't declare my sins - Just in case I still didn't have the right thing to complete my project.

 Now that it is all completed, organized and cleaned (I even polished) I don't want to mess it up !
Maybe later today I will post a photo, but for now, Penelope & I have a quilt to finish. But first I think a cuppa is in order.

Baby quilts

Early last week I decided to make a couple of baby quilts. Yes, they were made and quilted in a day. Very easy row by row style with a touch of applique, whipped up from the never decreasing work room stash.  I popped them on the Long arm (Penelope), and Penelope & I took to them with some lovely co - ordinating varigated thread and a hand guided pantograph quilting design.

I have no reason for these, accept I thought it would be a good idea to decrease the workroom stash and increase the spare bed layers.  . . . Sadly I've lost count of just how many quilts there are laying face down to avoid sun fading. The problem I have is, I have no idea where I will put these multiplying layers should someone come to stay !

Enough of the chatter on to the pretty bit. . . The photos.
I love scrap bindings and used scraps of the blue to add some interest in Baby blue.

Baby Orange - Rabbits Patch Quilting

Baby Blue - Rabbits Patch Quilting

So whats next from Rabits Patch Quilting. . . .

I'm currently quilting a lovely customer quilt in Black & white with applique hearts. 44 blocks in all with different block fillers to create.  I can see feathers, lines & fillers all coming together, combined with a larger feather border design.  So I'm off for a spot of lunch then kick penelope back into gear, She's had along enough break this morning. ;-)

Tote n Gloat & Freeform feathers

Saturday was Tote n Gloat, and the debut of QSM2015 ( Quilt SymposiumManawatu 2015), which was the the reveal of the Logo, Executive team & waistcoats.
 What a wonderful day, Great merchants (I visited the pincushion ladies three times to add to my collection), people to catch up with & meet, wonderful quilts, amazing challenges and the lovely guest speaker Cindy Needham with her stunning creations. Fantastic day, but better yet it, was the eve of my second class with Cindy -Freeform feathers. A sample of beautiful silk to create on saw some decide to make use of a practice piece, but, I'm now a believer of just do it.  So feather it was, and don't forget to leave enough space in the feathers to do background fillers. What fun!

 It was a wonderful class spent playing with lovely people, getting to know members, sharing (including the extremely delicious Chocolate cup cakes compliments of Moana, laughing encouraging and feathering.

I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from an experienced amazing quilter from the USA.
Thank -you Rose City.
Now to finish the pieces I started and post photos of course  No more M.WIPS for me (Multiple Works In Progress), but first to organize the Hororwhenua Arts Trail site for Town & Country Quilters this weekend in the HDC building.  Oh it never ends.

CIndy Needham

So my wonderful week continued and next up was Friday 4th May. I had the patiently waiting pleasure of attending the first of 2 classes with Cindy Needham from USA. Cindy's linen whole cloth quilts had us drooling with excitement. Amazing detail and intricate stitching made these beautiful often hand stitched antique creations come to life.  Linens already  heirlooms in their own right, Cindy beautifully machine stitches and enhances with very tiny micro beads. Check out her web site  www.cindyneedham.com . We were very fortunate that she brought many of her masterpieces including the "Nun's Quilt". 

Back of  my Heirloom Wholecloth by Rabbits Patch Quilting

By the end of the day, our minds were in overtime. Unfortunately I was tagged with the "O"word (Overachiever) as I was already on to stitching by the end of the day. The photo above shows the back of my piece. You too will have to be patient to see the front. 

Below is my 12" x 12"  sampler with intricate stitching & beading stitched while I was home alone for the weekend in March. What a creative, fun weekend that was.

12 x 12 Tradition by Rabbit's Patch Quilting

This was my beginner piece. I learnt alot with this, including to remember to wash the back ground fabric before attaching to main fabrics. This was stitched on my domestic Janome machine and embellished with beads afterwards, and yes I stitched around both sides of  all the fine embroidery  & in all the cut work holes!

Wonderful week

I had a wonderful few days this week. It started off on Wednesday when I finished my waistcoat for Quilt Symposium Manawatu 2015. Yes that's right . . . I did say 2015. It has reminded me of just how long we have to go -  Just 20 months till Manawatu Symposium in Jan 15. But grand we all were,  The Executive team on stage in our waistcoats (Well those of us who got our finished), at Tote n Gloat held at the Arena on Saturday.
 It still a bit surreal in that 3 years ago I never thought I would have a long arm machine named Penelope and be part of a wonderful team organizing such an important event in NZ Quilting.



So on to Thursday I cut, pieced, pantograph quilted & hand bound a large cot quilt. Thats right all in 1 day.  A new first for me.  I also have to sadly admit this isn't the first project I have made and not had to buy anything. Oh dear.  On closer inspection you can see the lovely hearts & swirls in varigated pink thread. It did look pretty cool on the white background. Scraps of the stripe & white completed the binding.

 Keep an eye out for the next installment in the weeks adventures.