I have just published a new pattern! This one is called Big Bear Hugs, and it is based on my Bears Paw quilt. You can buy this pattern in my Craftsy store or at Quilters' Lane.

Last year I made this Bears Paw quilt as part of the celebrations for the Capital Quilters group that I belong to. The group was marking its 30th anniversary, and members were asked to make a Bears Paw quilt, since the Bears Paw block is their logo. The Bears Paw is also known as the Hand of Friendship, a very fitting block to have for a quilt group!

For my quilt I used Philip Jacob's Japanese Chrysanthemum fabric in green, from the Kaffe Fassett collective.

I drool over Philip's fabrics, and had been wanting to use this one for some time.

The plan for the block colourings emerged as I made the quilt. I used lots of different fabrics in three colour groups - turquoise, green and purple, to reflect the main fabric colours.

Once the blocks were made, I added sashings in a blue Fossil Fern,...

I decided to hand quilt each of the blocks in my Modern Triangle Sampler with big stitch quilting. There are twenty five blocks in all and each one takes nearly an hour to do, so it has taken a lot of Olympics watching time to get it done!

I used a different Sue Spargo Eleganza perle 8 thread in each of the blocks. These threads are lovely to sew with and there is a great choice of colours. These are the ones I used, some of them are the solid colours and some are variegated:

My next step is to do some straight line stitching in all the white areas. I will use Aurifil 50 weight thread for this as it sits down so nicely in the fabric.

What a busy month it has been! In July, we had Sew Marlborough, the New Zealand mini Symposium. Hundreds of excited quilters gathered together in Blenheim on the South Island of New Zealand for five days of classes, exhibitions, merchants and meeting up with friends old and new.

We were up before dawn to get to the ferry terminal in Wellington

What a view we had from our seats at the front of the lounge area! This is the beautiful Marlborough Sounds on the South Island of New Zealand.

Opening night arrived and I was up on stage to award the Hoffman Challenge prizes for 2015. Here is the fantastic winning quilt, 'Sarah and Getty', by Debby Williams.

You can see photos of all the quilts on the New Zealand Hoffman Challenge page.

Over the next couple of days I went to a class with Jacqui Karl of Kowhai View creations. Two days of art quilting, using freezer paper stencils, discharge paste and paints was just what I needed to completely relax and rest my mind from the day to day...

The sampler is done! Well, the quilt top anyway. It is now away being basted and hopefully I will get started on the quilting this weekend. We have been forecast some very chilly weather, so it might be the perfect time to sit in front of the sewing machine....

It's official. I am hooked. After having an idea buzzing around in my head that  wouldn't go away, I had to drop everything including the Splendid Sampler blocks (WAY behind now!), the Glorious Hexagons, and the Blocks on the Go, and sew, sew, sew. Oh, and draw, draw, draw.

The result is a whole pile of equilateral triangle blocks, and loads more drawn up. Here are some of the ones I have made:

These blocks are so much fun to sew, and quick to make!

There will be classes coming up to make the blocks. I have added the details to my teaching cv and I am now taking bookings to teach my Triangle Block Party Class. Click on Classes on the left hand side for more details.

I am also figuring out some other ideas, so watch this space....

Yes. I am the Triangle Lady now. But don't worry other projects, I will get back to you......

Happy July to you all. Here in New Zealand we are really starting to feel the chill of winter. My lemon tree was pretty frosty this morning!

You can just see the mandarins in the top right as well. Yesterday I picked a whole bowlful of these, it's the first year they have been edible.

Today will be a busy day in the shop. People will be coming in to pick up their month six Mystery packs, we have the Hoffman Challenge quilts on display, and this afternoon we are having a hexy stitching session. This is for the Katja Marek quiltalongs that we are doing. I have put the link to Katja's quiltalong pages on the sidebar.

We are rolling along with our Mystery Quilt! I hope you are enjoying putting it together.

Here are the photos for this month's sections:

Here are my half square triangles sewn together for sections I1 to I4

I added the rectangles, here are I1 and I2

And nice and easy - I1 complete.

Now onto sections H1 and H2

I like to chain piece my triangles, so I have done the...

Every year around Matariki and the Shortest Day, I hold a Midnight Madness class in the shop.

This year we were making my new pattern, Propellors

(Thanks to Linda Graham for making the sample and Noeline Day of the Quilting Shed for quilting it). Pattern available in my Craftsy Store and in the shop

It was already dark when we got to the shop to get started. We had a full class, and it was great to welcome Heather all the way over from Wellington, as well as Ruth who is staying in the Wairarapa but visiting from the Waikato.

As this quilt uses a jelly roll, we were straight into sewing strips together

It was heads down, sewing machines going full speed ahead.

Lovely piles of fabrics started taking shape, and we were on to cutting out.

With the central counter cleared of sewing machines, we had plenty of space to stretch out.

After satisfying our appetites with Carl's delicious home made steak and cheese pies,  we were ready to get some blocks made up.

I had great fun...

Hi all!

Here in the Lower North Island of New Zealand, five quilt shops run a Shop Hop. It's a great way to visit other shops and see our beautiful countryside!

I took these photos yesterday on my walk in Fensham Reserve, near Carterton.

On this year's Shop Hop we are giving the participants three fat eighths at each shop, plus a pattern to use them. Each of us has chosen a different fabric range, and you can pick which range you want to collect. My choice is Moda's Grunge Blenders in rainbow colours.  How great to have spotted the rainbow on my walk when I had already been planning a rainbow quilt!

I just love the textures in these fabrics!

So I have been giving some thought to writing my Shop Hop pattern. Here it is, Candy Drops in two different colourways. This pattern will be available soon on Craftsy, complete with Grunge fabric numbers.

There are quite a few flying geese units...

June in New Zealand is when we have the shortest month, but whether it is hot or cold where you are, take some time out to complete your fifth clue in this year's Mystery Quilt.

Here are the step by step photos for you to follow along with your instructions.

If you are new to the Mystery Quilt, you can download the free guidelines from my Craftsy store, and then purchase clues each month. Visit www.craftsy.com/user/7013885.

Step 1: Fabrics 6 and 4

Step 2: Join to fabric 3

Step 3: Fabrics 7 and 4

Step 4:

Add fabric 7

Step 5: Join together

Step 6: Add fabric 5

Here are the four sections G1 to G4

Here are the extras for the double quilt:

Don't forget to post photos of your quilt in our facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/mysteryquilters

So now you are halfway through the Mystery,

Sheila

Hi Everyone

It is so much fun getting feedback on this year's Mystery Quilt as we go along. If you haven't done so, please do join our facebook group and post photos of your quilt.

Here are some of the photos that our lovely Mystery Quilters have shared. From the left, these are from Judy, Gail and Helen. Gail is doing our 1892 Reproduction colourway which features Moda's Collections for a Cause Millbook 1892 fabrics.

   

Isn't it great seeing the different colours that people choose? I can't wait to see the finished quilts - but I will just have to be patient and wait for November!

We are now onto clue number four. Here are the step by step photos for this month's clue. Follow your instructions (either in your Mystery pack or from Craftsy) for detailed information on the steps.

For single and double quilts:

Sections E1 to E4
Step1:

Make your half square triangle units of 4 and 5

Step 2:

Join the rectangles of 2

Step 3:

Join the longer rectangles of fabric 1

...