French Wrens Quilt Pattern

how gorgeous is this pattern then, I just love it!!

Check out the giveaway then at The Linen Closet - and who knows, you may be lucky enough to win it, me I am playing safe and ordering it today!! Dawn's latest pattern is hot off the press, and she is offering a wonderful BOM as well, so go check it out.

I have a French General layer cake, Le Jardin - just sitting there waiting for a quilt pattern such as this!!

have fun..

ANZAC Day

ANZAC Day (25 April) is observed in New Zealand and Australia, as a day of commemoration for those who died in the service of their country and to honour returned servicemen and women.

25 April is the anniversary of the landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps at Gallipoli in 1915. On the first anniversary of that landing services were held throughout the country in remembrance of the 2,721 New Zealand soldiers who died during the eight-month Gallipoli Campaign. Since 1916 ANZAC Day has evolved to the observance we know today.

Commemorative services begin before dawn with a march by returned and service personnel to the local war memorial, where they are joined by other members of the community for the Dawn Service.

Anzac Biscuits have also become part of this traditional day:

This is a basic recipe for Anzac Biscuits. It gives a chewy, moderately sweet version. Various things may be added to the mixture for variety: dried fruit, nuts, or spices such as ginger.

Recipe
Melt 115g butter and 1.5 tablespoons of golden syrup. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in 2 tablespoons of boiling water. Mix in: 1 cup of rolled oats, 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of coconut, ½ cup of sugar. Drop tablespoons of the mixture onto baking paper, and bake until a pale golden colour (about 15 minutes) at 180°C.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row ...


we shall remember them...

99 red balloons

this has truly been a very sobering week,

last Friday we (Rowing Man and I) attended a true celebration of life. One of Rowing Man's young patient's died at home, in the night, with her family. She had a lymphoma and she and her family had lived very bravely with this for 9 years.

She planned her celebration of life service, with her family and friends in the months and weeks before her death, 'cos it simply cannot be called a funeral. I have heard many funerals described as celebrations of life, but this would have to be the first one that truly was a celebration.

I did not know this woman, or her family, and if they ever read this, I do hope that they are not offended at all, but I am truly touched by how this remarkable woman, with her family and close friends, chose to live though her illness, and death with such incredible dignity and love.

She was married on the beautiful shores of Lake Pukaki, and this is where she chose to celebrate her life. On a beautiful, sunny, autumn day, everyone present released red ballons into a magnificently clear, blue sky,

I never met her, but if I had, I am sure that I would have been truly blessed,

Life is precious ....

inspiration abound

hi ya all,

well have I had the most fantastic 5 days or what!!!

I have been at the Timaru Patchwork/Quilt Symposium, with 4 other Twizel quilt buddies, this was the second such South Island Symposium, run alternate years as an adjunct to the National Quilt symposium, also run bi-annually and next to be held in Queenstown next April (2011).

all these goodie yummy quilts are part of the Hoffman Challenge Quilt Exhibition/competition, this challenge was run by Catlin's Quilts, but is now being organised by Betty Twaddle from Needle'n'threads in Geraldine - no website unfortunately.

This year's challenge was using an orange based foral batik,

and this (above) is the overall winner!! Below is the winner of the symposium challenge with the theme, "From the Alps to the Sea"


This marvellous winning entry is by a local lady (Twizel - well Omarama - 30km's from Twizel, but she teaches at the Twizel area school)

Jane Van Keulen is textile artist from Kaiapoi, just north of Christchurch. Jane's workshop ran on Friday& Saturday and was on layered muslin motifs; this was about layering fabrics, cutting, peeling back and embellishing, embellishing, embellishing..

I have to say that this was initially totally way out of my comfort zone, and I could really have chosen brighter colours, but hey, we go to these things to learn, and learn I did.

so you can see how my work progressed over the 2 days, half of the process was in the decision making & choosing the colours, then the design, and then to begin putting it together... or pull it apart...

bit by bit, piece by piece...

I promise to do a post showing the finished project, which will be a wall hanging in one of the bedrooms here, and I will show you very soon, 'cos I really would like to finish it and start another brighter slightly different version...

This orange one is what Jane is currently working on, just gorgeous. Jane is one very talented lady! Pop on over here and see some of jane's other works.

Sunday and Monday I was in Desiree Simpson's - fibre art books workshop. Desiree is also another lovely talented lady, very different to Jane, and that is what is so wonderful about these workshops, such diversity, Desiree is an accomplished pattern designer/writer, and is very very adept at crazy patchwork also,

so here are my pages so far.....

still quite a bit of work to do, well a lot really, but you know, Rome was NOT built in a day huh!

but again, I will post when the finished work is completed....

which should be some time soon,..... ish (!@#$%^)

Karen Broderson is another wonderful textile artist that does magnificent mixed media fibre books, and she also had some very wonderful work, pop over here and have a look at some of her work, just absolutely stunning. The tutors were all very expert in there respective areas, and the workshops were well attended, and everyone seemed to be having the most marvellous time.

There was just way too too much eye candy, but it was GREAT catching up with friends - old and new, and trying out something new and just a little bit different.

have a fun week!

Easter car boot sale

I hope you all had a very wonderful Easter break,

hot cross buns on Easter Friday with friends,

on Saturday my friend Sarah and I went to the local creche car boot sale and found this...

and these, I think that table will paint up very nicely indeed....

some bunny ate the Sunday Easter Eggs....

and on Sunday we (everyone in the first picture) went armed with brollies (yes it was raining but only for the hour that we were out in it!!), gummies, deck chairs, and champagne brekky - yes in the pouring rain.. to celebrate possession date of our new section down by the lake, Karen selling her Dunedin house, and Mike and Sarah's 1 year anniversary of owning a Twizel holiday home; I forgot my camera and had to take photos on my phone, now I just need to figure out how to get them off - maybe another post later.....


some Monday stitching...

and these 2 blocks for the Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt Along (see sidebar)

and this is currently being quilted...

looking OK huh!
I hope you all enjoyed your Easter Break too!