Crafters, quilters and stitchers in New Zealand, there’s a film playing at the New Zealand Film Festival that you must see. “Helmut Makes A Quilt” is a locally-made short film, about the friendship between two people who sew. Quilter Marion starts a penpal exchange with Helmut, an unlikely crafter who stitches in the prison laundry.… Continue reading “Helmut Makes A Quilt” short film about sewing is out NOW
I found this beautiful brass and enamel Country Women’s Institute badge today, once awarded to a New Zealand lady for her ‘good service’ for home and country. Isn’t it sweet? We were in Helensville, a small rural town just out of Auckland, for a kids’ birthday party and called in at a couple of second… Continue reading Good Service for Home and Country
In March 2011, Joanna Rose was granted her 80th birthday wish of seeing her 651 red and white quilts displayed in all their beauty. What a gift to her and and the city of New York. Just imagine … hundreds upon hundreds of quilts, only in red and white. Some hung far above you, others… Continue reading Inspiration: the Joanna S. Rose quilt collection
“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” (William Morris) Mr Morris, this crooked, faded and mis-sewn piece of leather is both useful and beautiful to me. It is a simple sheath, roughly folded and quickly stitched. Over time it has molded to the shape and… Continue reading The beauty of something useful
I’m a little bit obsessed with blue at the moment. Especially when its a turquoise kind of blue. Extra specially when that blue is coupled with a fuschia pink. And its triple-espresso special when those colours are combined in textiles. So you can imagine how caffeine-high happy I was when I found a sample set… Continue reading A triple-espresso obsessively special cushion
With the change of seasons, its time to change up our bedding with heavier weights and warmer colours. This faded beauty has made its way back onto our bed and into my heart, reminding me once again of its narrow escape from the scissors. Here’s a secret: when I first found this pieced quilt at… Continue reading Saving a vintage quilt
My blue summer quilt is nearing its last days on the bed for this year. It’s time to switch up to warmer colours and heavier layers. I started collecting fabric for this project years ago, without knowing quite what I was going to do with it. The key pieces (Indian cotton block prints and the… Continue reading Summer blues quilt
caroline larnach 