My friend Aylin was kind enough to tag me in the Around the World Blog Hop before I had even written my first blog post! In fact, if she hadn’t tagged me, I very likely still wouldn’t have written my first post, so thank you for the tag and the motivation Aylin!! Last week Aylin made a fun mosaic of our work lined up together, I think it explains why I like Aylin’s projects so much, we have quite similar styles! You can see the mosaic in Aylin’s blogpost here. Right now she is working on a beautiful new Diamonds in Diamonds quilt pattern, it’s due to be released next week!
1: Where I live?
I live in Hamilton, New Zealand. With a population of 150,000, Hamilton is a small city, even by New Zealand standards. I’ve lived in Hamilton for 14 years now, and I absolutely love it. Through the power of online crafty communities I’ve met quite a few local crafty people in the last year or so, which makes it an even better place to live!
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| Shoot for the Stars pillow, the pattern was based on the Broken Arrows quilt pattern by Charlotte Demesny |
2. What am I working on?
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| Swedish Bloom pattern from Patchwork, Please by Ayumi Takahashi |
I have a few swap blocks to check off my list, and a new quilt that I accidentally started (that’s my second block up there) and then I plan to tackle my long list of WIPs. Top priority are the 4 quilt tops that need quilting (it’s really 8 quilt tops but I’m ignoring 4 of them).
3. How does my work differ from others in its genre?
Rather than describe how my work differs, I thought I’d describe my style. I like to use low volume fabrics! I love the way low volume fabrics can tie loads of different fabrics and colours together and give it some cohesiveness. Low volume fabrics are perfect for making scrappy quilts!
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| Low volume charm plus quilt, inspired by the Marcelle Medallion quilt and Ashley from Film in the Fridge’s plusses quilt |
I love working with simple repeated blocks and I’ve also started experimenting a little with improv.
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| Playing with improv, sewing machine cover |
And I love doing really complicated paper piecing, or more truthfully, I love the result of complicated paper piecing, not the process so much.
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| Seahorse, pattern by Joanna from Shape-Moth |
And I’m not afraid of tricky piecing or teeny tiny pieces.
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| Mini Quilt, The Night Garden pattern by Sarah Fielke |
4. Why do I create what I do?
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| Christmas Snowflake, pattern by me |
I made my first quilt about 6 years ago. Making that quilt filled a creative hole in me that I didn’t know I had. Now I create because I need to. It’s a passion. If I’m not at my sewing machine, I’m most likely plotting my next project.
5. How does my creating process work?
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| Courthouse Steps, a mini quilt |
My process is quite fluid. I usually make a start on an idea without having it all planned out. I like to make a test block or two and then re-evaluate. I often change my mind a few times before settling on a final plan.
I keep track of WIPs and deadlines in a notebook that I use especially for that purpose. I list everything that is due each month and projects that I’d like to work on that month.
Next up on the blog hop, I’ve tagged two quilting bloggers that I’m lucky enough to know in real life. Deb from Deb’s Doodlings, and I catch up most weeks, there is always some new fabric to share or a new make to admire. Deb is in The Great Pillow Fight swap too, she made this beautiful pillow for her partner. Those centre geese are tiny!
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| Deb’s Pillow |
Megan, from Jaffa Quilts is not quite so local but not so far that she won’t drive to join us. Megan has some amazing EPP skills, her stitches are perfection! I’m hoping to learn a few tricks from her! She made this version of Carolyn Friedlander’s Aerial quilt pattern in Oakshott Cotton, so beautiful!
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| Megan’s version of Aerial, pattern by Carolyn Friedlander |
10 thoughts to “Around the World Blog Hop ~ New Zealand”
🙂 Loved to read more about you and so happy that you blog now!!! Great post 🙂
Hello and welcome to blog land. I was nice to read about your creative process I did things the opposite way to you – blog first. I live in Wellington and have just started to meet some of the quilters active on instagram. It's great to know people who have a similar style of quilting. ps- I love the soccer goal used as a prop.
I love that you are not afraid to try complicated paper piecing or piecing tiny pieces of fabric together – I think the intricacy of your sewing is one of your trade-marks too 🙂
I LOVE looking back through your projects! You just keep getting better and better!! Great eye for color:)
Love the look of your new HR quilt – what happened to finishing those WIPs and AMH quilts!!!!
Lovely to find your blog Rachel and thank you for your kind words 🙂
Thanks for sharing. I love your work.
Your work is really lovely!
I love your work! and you call your town small, it sounds huge, take out a 0 and that is the size of my town.
Just found that you have a blog now! Yay! I loved reading more about your process, besides just knowing everything you touch turns to gold 🙂 I can't wait to see those flowers completed!