The Long Awaited Wedding

I have a very dear friend who I have lived with, partied with, laughed with and cried with.  

We have been good friends for many many years.

This weekend we had the privilege of spending the weekend at  Waiouru Army base to celebrate her marriage to the amazing Dave.

For a wedding present what else would I give but a quilt.

I chose the plus design.
It's a lot of fun to make and makes good of the design wall

I subtly ask her what her favourite colour was.
Tourquoise - not my favourite colour and not one I had much of.
Now I am rather fond of it.
I am so pleased with the result.

Cross Hatched quilting 1/2 apart.
Gives great visual and tactile textile.

It's hard to see but the entrance to the base says
Welcome all to David and Marise's Wedding

Great sight seeing the soldiers marching in lines

Our accommodation for the weekend.
The Officer's Mess
Not the wooden bunks we were expecting.

The Bride
She looked beautiful.
Just like she stepped out of Downton Abbey

The happy couple

Today we were taken on a bus tour around some of the training grounds.
And one of my lifetime dreams came true,
We saw the Kaimanawa Horses.

The base is massive, larger than Lake Taupo and a little smaller than Singapore.

What a fantastic weekend.

Monday Night Madness #10

Mad D was working on L's block of the month

Mad L made a couple of blocks.
This quilt is going to be amazing. 

Mad S made this gorgeous bid for a baby due very soon. 

Mad me started work on a cushion ordered by a friend. 

And show and tell from D.
This is her block of the month quilt.
All finished and looking fantastic. 

CaTuesday #6

Precious Peppa

Monday Night Madness #9

Mad me working on a special project.

Mad L with a fabulous new pattern.
FERRIS WHEEL
We will all get to try this out for her block of the month.

Mad J working on a disappearing 9 patch. 

Mad D getting there with her amazing robots.

Love, hate, love

Many years ago,  maybe 5 or more?
I had the pleasure of attending a workshop with The Man himself KAFFE FASSETT.
My dear friend Anna and I were so excited,  just like a couple of good groupies should be.  We didn't care what we would be making, we were going.

Did we enjoy it?
OMG we were in the presence of our idol, even if he was aloof, unapproachable and sitting on his own sewing mother of pearl buttons onto a lovely navy kinitted beanie.
We were playing with beautiful fabric and surrounded by like minded addicts.
We had a delicious picnic lunch outside in the sunshine.
Of course we enjoyed it.

Did we learn anything?
I went with the expectation that he would teach me how he does was he does.  Combines colours and patterns in the way only he can.
Well I learnt that,  only he can do what he does and only I can do what I do.
Basically,  put it together,  if you are happy with it, yay, if not change it until you are.  If you love it, you have a beautiful thing.

Would I go again?
If you asked me that straight after the course, I would have said, no, it was hideously expensive, we were told to buy twice the amount of fabric that we required, Kaffee was unapproachable,
( Brandon was amazing, his partner, he wore the most amazing shirt that I would of taken off his back and incorporated into my
Quilt).  And I felt he taught us nothing.
It's taken awhile, but I did learn the lesson above, if you love it you have a beautiful thing.  It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.
So would I go again, of course I would.

I loved making this quilt.
At the workshop they had fabric for sale,  not just Kaffe's.
When I adked Kaffe if I had enough different fabrics, he said, you can never have
Too much, so took me shopping.  One of his recommendations wss a hideous pumpkin fabric
Which works beautifully. 

The longer this quilt top sat around in the wsiting to quilt pile the less
I liked it, but I new I would always finish and keep it as Kaffe has actually touched it.

To get it finished,  I quilted it simply in large squares.
The size of the smallest squares. 

I decided to back it in kaffe fabrics, thimbles and threads, the local quilt shop,
Had a sale on, and now that it's quilted and bound.
I love