Spring time

We seem to be past the worst of winter - which admittedly isn't very bad at all with daily high temps 15+degC and no night time frosts. Here in Northland, our climate is classed as oceanic/subtropical, which means winters are pretty wet so nature is very green (most of the native vegetation are evergreens). The magnolias are more or less finished blooming, as are the invasive Taiwanese cherries. I am looking forward to the temperatures just rising a little more so I can get the veggie garden started.

On COVID-19, after 102 days without any cases in New Zealand (bar some citizens returning from overseas who were tested in managed isolation), August saw a new outbreak in Auckland which brought with it a swift Level 3 lockdown for Auckland, and Level 2 restrictions for the rest of the country. Locking Auckland down (1.5 Mio people - or there abouts) has had considerable impact on other parts of the country, especially up here in Northland, the only region north of Auckland. Some people described Northland as an island, and while the economic impact is hard for many businesses, the swift action also means that our communities up here are kept safe. The restrictions were partially lifted as of Monday, and we have had many travellers return to Northland, so I am checking the news daily, hoping no cases are being exported out of Auckland into the regions. Sadly there were two more deaths this week, a total toll of 24 cases for a country of just over 5 Million.

Masks are now 'a thing': They are compulsory on public transport - except there is very little public transport in our region. For other places, they are recommended when you can't socially distance. Just prior to the official announcement coming out, I started a bit of mask-making, just in case, and I have since added a few more to the collection:

These were made with a pattern by Tea Rose Home

DH has to wear masks in his teaching so the four on the right are made from the Apple + Fig Got you covered pattern

The Apple + Fig pattern seems to work quite well for wearing glasses when you include the wire (in this case pipe cleaner).

Neither the younger boys nor I have needed to wear masks just yet, but oldest DS apparently wears his away at uni, I'm rather relieved about this as he has T1D therefore is immunocompromised.

And it's June...

It's officially winter, time to hibernate - and sew :) I have now been back at work for 3 weeks, so slowly the home office is converting back to a sewing room. I have to say I miss my cosy little office, I enjoy the company at work but I feel I get distracted more easily sharing the office with up to 5 others.

First, let's catch up with the goals I had set for May:

Metrorings: Quilt 20 of the diamond shapes on the white background - I always thought this might be a stretch, but at least I quilted 14 of 27 in total

Patchworkcity: Add row 4 - DONE

One more row to add before borders

Rainbow at Sea: Piece approx. half of the yellow blocks - I pieced all four corner blocks

They always seem relatively fiddly but they aren't really, especially as fpp

Linedried: Piece section 4A - DONE

While a mystery to me, the designer probably had a reason to call this section 4A rather than 5?

Summer Sampler 2017: Piece weeks 4 & 5 - DONE

Still in two minds about the centre fabric; I'll see what it looks like surrounded by other blocks.

This is one is quite pretty

Venus: Continue (leader/ender) - continuing

Mini Sparkler: Complete another 4 blocks - DONE

Another four blocks, and still using random scraps. Not really sure on the use of the stripes...

Eight blocks so far

I'm still not really sure where this is going, but these blocks are quick to make and are solely using up scraps.

Celebration: Design part / all of the ruler quilting, then trial one area / section - DONE

There aren't all that many examples of this particular top out there in blogosphere or on IG, and the printed top is no longer available from Honest Fabrics. I used Aurifil 50wt for the SID so I will continue with the same weight and brand of thread (and I somehow can't imagine adding more polyester to the feel of the top). While I wait for the order of matching coloured thread from my LQS, I have used Judi Madsen's example as a starting point for filling in the white spaces:

I made a start and I like it :) won't ask the teenager lol

Recently I noticed in the Fabrics by Three newsletter their 'retirement sale'. I bought a few things:

They sent way more goodies than I had ordered 💖

- and all of a sudden we have this under way:

Stitching by hand and I am enjoying it!

So now I am waiting for an order of Eppiflex Templates so I can get started on Paper Lanterns Sew Along -  maybe #EPP becomes my latest rabbit hole?

So onto June goals:

• Metrorings: Quilt the remaining 13 white diamond shapes
• Patchworkcity: Add remaining row of blocks
• Rainbow at Sea: Finish all yellow block parts
• Linedried: Piece Section 4B
• Summer Sampler 2017: Week 6 Marine Star (6")
• Venus: Continue (leader/ender)
• Mini Sparkler: Piece four more blocks
• Celebration: FMQ the rest of this section
• EPP: This is really a 'tv watching activity' so I will just set myself a minimum of completing the Stairway to Heaven top

In other news the younger children are back at school, and the oldest child has secured accommodation on campus to return to his NZ university in July. DH is starting back teaching next week also. While New Zealand got away rather lightly so far, COVID-19 is having a lasting impact on everyone - from more vigilance regarding hygiene to 'signing into places' via the optional Covid Tracker app to keeping your distance from friends and acquaintances (no handshakes, hugs, hongis) to loss of jobs due to the financial impact, especially in tourism (which my work place belongs to). It is a sad process we have gone through and we are continuing to go through at work, saying good-bye to colleagues and friends.

However, COVID has also provided some unexpected opportunities: Our joint Raranga Matihiko teams from four museums around the North Islands have written and filmed #RarangaMatihikoTV - 16 episodes weaving together museum taonga (treasures) and digital as well as non-digital making activities. Currently available on Home Learning | Pāpa Kainga TV and TVNZ on demand, and in the future through our website rarangamatihiko.com (the site is being redeveloped right now, feel free to check it out now or wait a few days for things to settle into the new look). Here is one of the episodes featuring the Whare Rūnanga on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/home-learning-tv/episodes/sage-9-11-e118

And last night I signed up to an online workshop with Jenny Haynes, "Thistles Cogs & Caterpillar Wheels" through the Brisbane Modern Quilt Guild; I couldn't have attended the actual workshop in Brisbane in person, so the forced move to online is really working in my favour :)

Happy Sewing!

March goals - April goals - May goals

I spent the end of March and all of April working from home, and I expect to continue to do so for at least another fortnight. Our family are lucky to be healthy and happy, both of us have been able to move to working from home pretty seamlessly, and all three boys are engaged in some shape of online learning. Spending 40h every week in front of my work computer, I haven't really felt like blogging, but I have posted some of my pictures on Instagram - about time I catch up on my March and my April goals here!

Not entirely surprising with everything else that was going on, I did not complete all my March goals, and some of them moved into April. For the first time in history (I think) I can say I achieved all my goals!

Metrorings: Ghost quilt the melon shapes incl. feathers (9 in total) - COMPLETED IN APRIL

Patchworkcity: Sew first couple of rows together to check on size, then add next row - DONE

After consulting IG friends, I settled on 3 1/2" wide sashing

This shot was to check the quilt will be large enough for my bed :)

Rainbow at Sea: Finish the orange blocks, then cut fabric for the yellow blocks - COMPLETED IN APRIL

Officially half-way!

This project is dragging along, but seeing the blocks laid out on my bed in this picture will keep me going :)

Linedried: Piece Section 3 blocks, then Section 4 blocks - DONE

I will wait until I have all blocks pieced before I put the sections together. For the smallest star blocks, I will substitute every second one with a 3" square - who would want to match all those teeny-tiny points?

Section 3

Section 4

Summer Sampler 2017: Piece blocks for weeks 1 & 2, then week 3 - DONE

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3 - my favourite block yet.

Venus: Continue as leader / ender project -  CONTINUING
This started from a project Suz had shared with me on IG, I cut out a gazillion curved shapes and pinned them to a flat sheet. Hubby has stepped on pins that poke out the sheet, pieces have lost their place, I have pieced the wrong blocks together - but when I see it come together, slowly, leader-ender style, the issues seem insignificant :) I won't rush it, but I look forward to the finished top (baby quilt size) which I will quilt to death eventually.

We are officially halfway!

Sparkler: My March goal was to piece another 4 blocks, but I ended up finishing it at 12 blocks and gifting it to a young couple at work who have now had their first baby girl, so this is DONE.

There is some pink ;) 

I hope they get lots of use out of this :)

I liked the pattern enough to start a mini version with just 1 1/2" wide strips; for a change I am using black as the background with a jumble of scraps. We will see where this goes:

Celebration: SID around the 'in between' blocks, then around the outside blocks - COMPLETED IN APRIL

Generous on a double bed

I laid it out on one of my sons' bed to check size on a double bed; it sits nicely with plenty of overhang, just the way I like it. After seeing it there, youngest DS has now claimed this for himself; he would have been happy with no further quilting on it at all, but once I showed him a few examples of custom quilting, I am now allowed to do some more on it :)

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That leaves me to commit to my May goals:
Metrorings: Quilt 20 of the diamond shapes on the white background
Patchworkcity: Add row 4
Rainbow at Sea: Piece approx. half of the yellow blocks
Linedried: Piece section 4A
Summer Sampler 2017: Piece weeks 4 & 5
Venus: Continue (leader/ender)
Mini Sparkler: Complete another 4 blocks
Celebration: Design part / all of the ruler quilting, then trial one area / section

To quote our Prime Minister "stay safe and be kind!"

Happy Sewing!

Silver linings in an unreal situation

This post is probably mostly for my own benefit: Some time in the future I might look back at this time and try to remember what it was like.