a new start

Aren't new starts fun?

This is my first of 25 blocks from the Beyond the Cherry Tree BOM.

My fellow Cherry Tree friends from here started without me, I dawdled about finding the "right" background/s, but after spending some time on Sunday morning preparing several background squares, I succumbed to temptation and started on this fellow.

nary a stitch

Nary a stitch has been taken these past few weeks while Mr EF and I holidayed in New Zealand. WWIT did come with me but stayed in the suitcase and therefore is in exactly the same state as she was before we left, although somewhat better travelled.

 Centre broderie perse panel for WWIT

Lovely parcels greeted me on my return: background for Beyond the Cherry Trees, I spent a little time yesterday selecting fabrics and am very much looking forward to starting and finally participating in this group. If you haven't visited yet, do go over. Also waiting was fabric from Margo at Reproduction Fabrics.

 Background and border fabrics for BTCT - mostly French General

 from the "Hope" range

The rest of this post is about our Milford Trek, I hope you enjoy the pics and the very brief tour.

Settling back to work and home life after what can only be described as an "unforgettable" trip to The Land of The Long White Cloud has been a challenge for the empty field household this past week. After arriving home from Christchurch last Monday afternoon, both Mr EF and I were back at work Tuesday trying to do the post-holiday catch up.

Beautiful Queenstown on Lake Wakatipu our starting point - the view from our hotel 

It's the weekend now, and time to slow down again, back to Milford Track pace hopefully. I've just dropped Miss EF and her girlfriends to the airport to fly to Coolangatta for "Schoolies" so the coming week will be peaceful!

If ever you have an opportunity to visit New Zealand - grab the chance with both hands - it is truely the most beautiful country with astounding scenery, friendly people and warm hospitality.

 Clinton River along the Milford Track

The 5 day hike along the Milford Track was challenging but wonderful, walking about 10-13 miles (18-21 km) per day over 3 days with no hiking on the days either end.

Hidden Lake and waterfall

The glacial valleys we hiked through had almost vertical sides, their peaks often still capped with snow with an abundance of temporary and permanent waterfalls and beautiful crystal clear streams.

 Climbing up to Mackinnon  Pass

1154m - Mackinnon Pass

Day three saw us climbing 750m to the top of Mackinnon Pass to an elevation of 1154m to be rewarded with outstanding views of the valley we had climbed from and the one to which we were headed. The remainder of that day was spent descending 950m down an emergency track as the original track had been wiped out by an avalanche a few weeks prior.

Emergency Track

 

down the rabbit hole emergency track

Challenging, steep, scary and tiring, but "medicinal mood enhancing" chocolate works wonders on the trail! Day 4 greeted us with rain (not unusual in Milford which receives an average of 14m or 45' of rain per year) but the plus side was more waterfalls! (Keep in mind I'm from a VERY dry country!)

panorama stitched together doesn't really show the scale properly!

My photos, taken on the waterproof point-and-shoot,  do not do justice to this extraordinary landscape. Our guides and fellow hikers were such lovely people - on day 1 we met 28 fellow hikers and on day 5 we left with 28 new firm friends.

 Finished - soaked but exhilarated - and I still love my boots! 

Following Milford we travelled around the South Island for an additional 5 days. It feels like we've been away far longer than only 10 days. A truely unforgetable trip.

I wish all my North American friends a happy Thanksgiving. I too have much to be thankful for. Happy stitching. K

on this day

18 years ago

this little person came into our lives (9 november 1992, Ali and Warwick)

today, 9 november 2010

she turned 18.
happy birthday Alicia.


and because this blog is meant to be about quilting here is a short history of some of the quilts I've made for my special girl.

1992 - shadow applique - a re-do of my first quilt (made for my niece), Ali's first quilt.

1995 - School House - applliqued because I didn't know better, quilted with the alphabet, because she was 3.

1995 - Country phase - love how the overlapping hearts form a star - went crazy with the quilting. She was 7 and she loved the ladybug.

2002 - 10 years old and dog obsessed - vintage embroidered doggie blocks.

2005 - 13 and still dog obsessed - bright and utilitarian - flourescent doggies are on the back

 

There are more, but she's asleep and they are in her room. Perhaps for another post.

Hug your children at every possible opportunity, they are such treasures.

what a sooky mum I am.

K

mad birds fly again

Its the first Saturday of the month which means "Marg Sampson Worksop" day at Material Obsession.  The Mad Little Birdies quilt came out to play yesterday because I'd not done much homework this month - what with the distraction of WWIT and The Big Trek - and I felt compelled to do something to earn my gold star from Marg (crawler that I am). Others had been busier than I.

   

Marg Samson-George's version of the antique baskets quilt.

 

Another of Marg's designs based on an antique English quilt.

 

Maree was trying to select a fabric for the 2nd last border (pink here, but it's not the final choice). Love those Jockey caps.

 

My mad birds, way too big for the design wall. Managed to set out the hexagon applique on the blue/mustard border. More applique required to finish off the blocks.

Spent a lot of time matching mitred corners "sort of" but not quite managing to match the pattern on the half way marks. Oh well, the quilt is pretty wonkinated anyway. There will be plenty of distractions with appliqued hexagon confections and crazy trees over this fairly loud border so no matchies will be part of it's idiotic charm.

Great news ...Jean from Linen & Raspberry called into Material Obsession today and signed up for Marg's workshops next year!

Otherwise not too much quilting has happened in the EF household  - The Big Trek is looming and Mr EF reckons I'm unprepared so was pressed into participating in the Seven Bridges Walk last Sunday. In support of The Cancer Council, it encircles Sydney Harbour and crosses 7 bridges along the way and covers 25km, we managed 19.8km (but whose counting?) before sore feet won out and we he piked.   

 

Dragonboat races at Darling Harbour seen from Pyrmont Bridge.

The Big Trek is a gift Mr EF and I are giving to each other. Next Friday we fly to Queenstown on the south island of New Zealand for 10 days and will walk the Milford Track - a four day hike up over MacKinnon Pass - (maybe there is just a teeny weeny bit of irony in me booking a hike over a mountain to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary)

meh, easy! One can control one's whinging for 4 days, can't one?

WWIT BP centre panel will come to NZ with me, perhaps after the TBT I'll get some stitching done as we explore NZ SI. Catch ya later.

IQSC quilt of the month

Do you receive the Quilt of the Month from the International Quilt Study Centre?

It's one to consider subscribing to - each month a fabulous quilt arrives in your inbox with gorgeous photographs and historical information.

image from IQSC

This month features a white petassoun or Infant Lap Quilt from Marseilles with the most glorious hand quilting from the collection of Kathryn Berenson. Be sure to visit the link above and click on the photo for more examples, then go here to learn more and see the online version of Marseille: White Corded Quilting.