Another Outing

The Karori Arts and Crafts Centre (KACC) have a rather eclectic exhibition on at the Odlin Gallery in Lower Hutt.  Along side paintings of various types there is photography, felting, quilts and other crafty bits and pieces.

I have three quilts showing; Vanilla, Chained and Out My Window II.

general view

          Vanilla

Chained

Out My Window II

KACC usually has separate exhibitions, in their own premises in Karori, so it is interesting to see members work combined like this.

Wordless Wednesday

More snaps

Continuing from my previous post with a few snaps of the Cape Foulwind (near Westport) area.

 

We rented a great house (click here), included was a curious Weka.  Sometimes the baby visited as well.

setting sun, near Cape Foulwind lighthouse

Omau is a tiny settlement ~1km from Cape Foulwind and perched on the clip tops.  It took me a couple of walks to discover the track down to the beach.  The beach is quite small and rocky and almost disappears at full tide.  

towards Omau, with Westport in the distance

At Tauranga Bay (just a bit down the coast) is a fur seal colony.  It is well known for being a great surfing beach (well according to the various signs), also The Bay House Cafe this looked like an interesting cafe - unfortunately we didn't get to dine there.

mother fur seal and baby

another Weka

typical West Coast scenery

To the other side

We've just spent 10 days in the South Island.  An uneventful trip on the Kaitaki ferry - uneventful across Cook Strait is welcome.

After overnighting in Picton we headed for Westport (~300km).  This was an all day trip with a number of stops.  First stop in Blenhiem at BV Gourmet Cafe/Deli, for great coffee and food.  

As we drove along State highway 63 near a Wyeburn Forest we came across a road-side farm stall selling just the best and freshest Raspberrys and Boysenberrys - they didn't last long!

A brief stop at Lake Rotoiti, brief as it was icy cold and there were bugs.  

Lake Rotoiti

Birds became a bit of a theme for our holiday, more later.


 




A walk through the bush at Lyell, to the cemetery on a steep bush covered hillside.  The scenery had certainly changed - we were definitely on the West Coast.

Cemetery, Lyell

One way road beside/under Hawks Crag

Looking towards Hawks Crag, Lower Buller Gorge

Cape Foulwind, Lighthouse

We spent four nights at Omau, Cape Foulwind, ~10 minute drive from Westport.  












More to come ...

Wordless Wednesday

In Print

The latest NZ Quilter magazine arrived a few weeks ago, I knew a photo of my Bernina Music Challenge entry would be in as I'd been asked to email a photo just prior to the magazine's printing deadline.  

Even though it didn't get anywhere in the Facebook competition (see here) it is nice to see it in the magazine.

 



There is also a nice mention of my quilt 'Vanilla' that was in the Taupo Symposium in July.  

Vanilla

As well as a picture of some of the RED 12x12s that were also displayed at Taupo.  Shows all three of mine (row 4, two on the right, row 5 first on the left).

Blue 12x12s - only one

I've only delivered one Blue 12x12 quilt for the Aotearoa Quilters Blue 12x12 exhibition.

I've decided that I really like my Gwen Marston inspired one in shot cottons (see here)  that I'm going to keep it - it may appear again sometime.

A Touch of Blue

closeup

 


Again I've used paintsticks and freezer paper stencils.  I decided not to overlap the squares and just add interest by shading the blue across the quilt.

This may be my last entry into an Aotearoa Quilters exhibition.  There has been no increase in membership and they can't stay financial at the current level, so it is possible that they will close down.  

I'm a bit sad as they have provided me with many opportunities over the last four years that I've been a member.  

Wordless Wednesday

Bit of a dogs breakfast

Back in 2010 my quilt 'Painted Chocolate Blocks' won a merit prize at Aotearoa Quilters Annual exhibition.  

The prize was a $150 voucher from Tulis Batiks.  I selected a range of mostly blue and brown batiks with a small amount of lime green ones.  My original idea was a log cabin quilt, not a traditional style but more like Edwina Mackinnon with her Cut and Come Again quilts (click here to see one on Laura Kemshall's blog).  

For some reason I was a bit intimidated by just having a go and trying this technique so I never did.

After attending Gwen Marston's class last year I looked at the collection of batiks again and thought maybe I could try a Gwen version of log cabin.  I had made a 12by12 that I liked (see here). So off I went.  

The first blocks were good, the ones with too much brown were ok-ish.  When I put them together - hmm.  Some quilting friends have made some polite (!) comments, the most useful being they need to be separated by filler blocks.

Trunk Show - on its way

I've just posted off my quilt for SAQA's 2014 Anniversary Trunk Show.

This mini quilt is only 7in by 10in.  I've used my current favourite technique - freezer paper stencils and paintsticks.  

To add a bit of dimension, an extra layer of batting has been added behind some of the squares, stitching around these squares then cutting away the excess batting (Trapunto).  Then layering cotton batting and a backing, and heavily quilting between all the squares.

I like the vibrant colour and added texture that the paintsticks give, while the quilting adds dimension.  So much in such a small space!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday