Show n Tell May 2012

OK the week seems to have been very busy (for me at least) and I finally have found some time to post last weeks Show nTell. As I'm editing this post and noticed that it is my 200th post! Wow it doesn't seem that long ago I started this blogging so I'm a bit surprised. 

The Meeting last Saturday was really good. Catherine Davies-Colley spoke and showed a power point about the journey she has been on, to achieve her Master of Arts Degree.

It was so interesting that when I got home I realised that I had been so enthralled with listening to her I had forgotten to take any photos of the samples she had with her. But fortunately there will be an exhibition of her work on at Reyburn House (no dates yet). Then we can see them in the 'flesh' and appreciate all their glorious detail.

OK onwards to the Show n Tell.

Lolly Pink Logs by Jennifer Cullen.
Jennifer said she has always wanted to make a log cabin quilt so now she has!
 I love the bright pinks and blues, it is so happy looking don't you think?

Post Cards from the South Pacific by Terri Mills (pattern by Mary Transom)
Terri made it her own with the curved edges and 3D flowers. 

Detail so you can see the 3D flowers.

This beautiful little wall hanging was made by Shirley Julian
 in the recent class taught by Jeanette Nicol De Meyer .

Dutch Landscape by Robyn Halverson. Inspired by a painting by  Dutch Artist Ton Schulten
Make sure you use this link and look at his beautiful mosaic landscapes they are gorgeous.

Marion Moon made this lovely baby quilt for a friends grand baby that was due last week.
I wonder if the baby has arrived yet? 

Maria New started this  black, white and pink beauty
at our recent retreat in Auckland,and has already finished it!
It is for her son's partner,and I'm sure she will feel very lucky receiving such a wonderful gift.

Marie Finegan made this wonderful Kiwiana quilt for her grandson Nicolas' 21st.
He chose a lot of the fabrics for this quilt himself so I'm sure he will love it. Quilted by Sandy Robinson.

Hazel Phillips won a bunch of five and a half inch squares at the April Club Meeting.
So she added a few extras from her own stash and made this lovely lap quilt. Talk about speedy work!

Do you think these T-Rex's are just talking or about to fight?

These are my favourite Dinosaurs (Stegosaurus). Don't the batik fabric works wonderfully for Dinosaurs?

That's it for now cheers everyone,

Some Books and Blocks

What a mess! I’m sure it was only a couple of posts ago I was saying how good Oscar the Cat is at not playing with my blocks when I set them out on the floor! I think someone must have told him about that as he made short work of messing these up! Oh well at least its only 9 blocks and a few sashings, not too much to fix.

I have been doing more reading than sewing lately and thought I’d share. The first is the latest in the ‘Stephaine Plum’ series by Janet Evanovich. These are so funny you really do laugh out loud as you read. If you haven’t read any start with the first ‘One for the Money’.
The book in the centre is ‘The Devil’s Puzzle’ by Clare O’Donohue who writes quilitng murder mysteries. I think this is about the third in the series and they are not too bad, kind of like the ‘Midsomer Murders’ TV programme but it is centred around a quilter and her boyfriend who is the local Sherriff.
And with all the Titanic things on TV lately I thought I’d read a book about it too. I haven’t started this one yet. But I did listen to an interview with the author recently and he was very interesting so I’m hoping the book is too.

Of course I had to get out a couple of ‘quilty’ books too .  These are all Public Library books (I love the Library, especially searching the catalogue online).

Show n Tell April 2012

Now I really should be having a major clean up in my sewing room. I haven't been able to see the top of my two desks and the cutting table for at least a month. But I thought you would all like to see the Show n Tell from last Saturday. So I'm doing the easier thing!

Well I thought I was doing the easier thing, that is till I realised I had to learn how to use a new resizing & cropping software! So what should have taken half an hour or so has been nearly two hours so far! Oh well I know how to do it now so next time it will be quicker.

I shouldn't complain really as the reason I had to learn new stuff is because I got a new laptop. When Mark (son) was here he told Hubby, "Mum needs a new laptop, they're on sale lets go get her one." And it was as easy as that! Funny it doesn't work that way when I say things like that!  Anyway enough of my ramblings here's the eye candy.

Hazel Phillips made this beauty for her Sister's 80th Birthday.

Demeta's 50th Celebration. Rose Silvester made this wonderful quilt for her daughter Demeta's 50th.
It is amazing and has lots of photos, and messages from friends and family.  

Table Runner by Pam Car. Started in a class with Donna Ward at last years Symposium.

Bridge Crossing by Mathea Daunheimer. Free motion quilted and coloured with pastels.

Kiwi Friends and Neighbours by Mathea Daunheimer. Free motion quilting and paint.

Mathea has updated her website recently so use this link and have a look at all the interesting work she does.

This is Patricia Smith's flowers from the recent Jeanette Meyer class.
Painted silk Organza, layered over a black & white background fabric.

As we had Bruce Sowry visiting with his sewing machines,
Margaret O'Leary thought she would share her quilt featuring antique sewing machines.

Kotuku (White Heron) by Sonya Prchal. 

And this is the completed wallhanging Sonya was working on at our recent retreat.
Sonya is now happy with the border quilting (I think it was unpicked twice at the retreat!).

Dorothy Terpstra made this wallhanging from a photo she took at the entrance to Ninety Mile Beach.
Dorothy used Karen Eckmeiers techniques from her book 'Accidental Landscapes' 

Helen Barron made this row by row quilt. She said 70% of the fabric for it came from Op shop shirts.
Great recycling. 

Helen Barron made this one too from a free pattern at Moda Bake Shop. Helens hand quilting is lovely.
Check Moda's website out they have a lot of really nice free patterns.

Jennifer Cullen made this I Spy Quilt. Jennifer told me she is on a mission to use up some of her stash,
 and this quilt used a lot of  fun childrens prints. I really liked the 'square spiral' way she quilted it too. 

Okay that's it. I think I need a cuppa now before I face the mess in my sewing room.

Antique & Vintage Sewing Machine Collection

I thought I would start this post with this eye catching blue toy/miniature sewing machine. Isn't she a beauty? Ok now I have your attention sit back and enjoy a few photos, with a little bit of info too.

We were very lucky to have local collector Bruce Sowry bring some of his sewing machine collection & speak at our club meeting last Saturday. I asked him if he could pick a couple of his favourites to hold while I took his photo. I really enjoyed listening to him speaking as he has a real passion for sewing machines and collecting. The stories of his finding bargains at garage sales, to chasing certain machines for years was very entertaining.

Some of Mr Sowry's collection, toy sewing machines in front.

The toy/miniature machines really appeal to me the most. The little machine in the centre is a Muller (made in Germany). Muller was the first company to ever make toy machines and this is one of their earliest models. So you could say it it the Mother of all these machines.

This machine still has the original box it came in.

There was an interesting story about this 'Bernina' apparently it was made in Nelson by a man who then sold them to shops so they could put there own brand name on them. Unfortunately the design was a copy of an Elna I think and as he hadn't asked permission to use the design, he had to stop selling them!

This machine is rare because it has been 'electrified' so that the toy could be sold as a portable sewing machine. Mr Sowry said that the instruction book was unusual as it was intact, and not covered in holes. He said it was very common to find books that have needle holes all around the edges, as children were rarely given fabric to sew with, so they sewed holes into the books instead!

Isn't this singer a beauty? I love it has its own seam guide and original box.

I love this fire engine red Vulcan.

This full size sewing machine had the most beautiful mother of pearl work. Mr Sowry said that this would have been a special order machine for a rich client. He estimated that when new a machine without this decoration would have been about 5 pounds, but with the decoration it would have been between 10 to 15 pounds! So that's a lot of extra money for the decoration.

Love the arch shape on this one.

This is one of Mr Sowry's favourites and probably the most valuable of his collection. He chased this sale for several years. The previous owner did not want to sell for many years, and then when she did, Mr Sowry's best offer was well below an Australian collectors. After being sure he had missed out, he was contacted by the lady's son who said his mother had decided she didn't want it leaving the country, so a deal was done!

Club members were asked to bring their oldest sewing machine for Mr Sowry to see. This little plastic toy was one of the machines bought along, the card says 'bought in New York, at least 65 years old'. Obviously it has been a treasured keepsake to still be here today.

Hope you enjoyed seeing some of the machines on display.