Maui Moments

We are still relaxing and enjoying our time in Maui...it really is a paradise!

Maui (the island in red)  is the second largest island in the Hawaii chain.
 
                                     

Maui has a population of appox 145,000 people, and over 2 million tourists visit every year!!

It is called the "Valley Isle" because of the large valley formed by the two volcanoes. The larger, younger volcano to the east, Haleakalā, rises to more than 10,000 feet (3,000 m) above sea level, and measures 5 miles (8.0 km) from sea-floor to summit, making it one of the world's highest mountains. Maui's last eruption  occurred around 1790. 

The view at the top of Haleakala is quite amazing! I looks like a moonscape!  It is very cold up there too! A huge change from the temperature at the beach :)

Maui is also the destination for the Humpback whales. The whales migrate approximately 3,500 miles (5,600 km) from Alaskan waters each autumn and spend the winter months mating and birthing in the warm waters off Maui,  most leaving by the end of April. There are estimated to be about 10,000 humpbacks in the North Pacific.

 From the beach you can almost always see evidence of the whales, and watching them breach is a favourite activity ! 

                           http://www.wpclipart.com/animals/aquatic/whale/Humpback_whale_breaching.png

I have lots of pictures of the big splash ...after the whale has breached!!  It is very tough to catch a picture like this!! 

Another favourite activity is snorkelling off the beach.The water is generally clear, and there are lots of very pretty colourful fish.  (I dont have an underwater camera, so these pictures are from Maui travel sites)

http://www.hawaiidiscountblog.com/hawaii-honeymoon-maui-activities/

and the highlight is seeing a green turtle..

http://www.123rf.com/photo_1788604_green-sea-turtle-in-maui-tropical-waters.html

They are very large, and just seem to glide through the water! 

Another amazing thing about snorkelling is you can hear the whales "singing" under water!! 

I am not sure if this will work..but I found this Utube that is recording a whale song..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=xo2bVbDtiX8

Anyway, hope you enjoyed spending some time on Maui with me!! We are enjoying it..especially since it is about -30C  (22 below F) at home right now!! and snowing !! 

applique update

I have posted before about my attempt at needle turn appliqué....the Webster's Tulips..from the book "Four Seasons of Quilts"
It was designed by Blue Meadows Designs, which I am sad to hear have closed their blog and online store.

                                    
 Anyway, she said that this pattern was inspired and named in honour of  Marie Webster, an American quilt designer who had a quilt pattern business at the beginning of the 1900's.  You can see some of the original quilts here.  The original Webster tulip pattern was called Wind Blown Tulips
                                           


















                                                image from::  https://www.practicalpatchwork.com/gardenpatterns.html


I am still working away at this sporadically..and some of the time, it is easier!! I still have some problems with the points though.

I thought I was doing well, getting several of these blocks finished..but when I laid them out, it looks like I have a long way to go !!

Guess I can post this as a WIP for a very, very long time !!

Linking up to The Needle and Thread Network..

and WIP Wed..
                                

Relaxin'

here we are...this is the view from our room....

I will be in Maui for the next 3 weeks. I know you are all very sympathetic.....it is a tough life!

I dont have a sewing machine, though...so sort of going through quilting withdrawal!! I do have my "Webster's tulip" appliqué with me though, so maybe I will get some more blocks done on that while I am here. I probably won't have much to post, but will be reading blogs to keep up to date on what all of you are doing out there!

The weather here is almost perfect all the time...highs of 24, lows of 22!! And best of all NO SNOW!!
I love it here!

And I love all the flowers too. My favourite are the hibiscus..lots of different colours..

So beautiful!
Anyway...I will be relaxing on the beach for awhile...see you later!

WIP Wed confession

I am a little embarrassed admitting that it has taken me this long to post this! (actually a big bit embarrassed) But in my defence....I did have to go to Peru and hike the Inca Trail !!

Anyway...a few months ago I won a give away...ok, it was quite a few months ago..and I was so excited to win this, but just didnt get around to making it sooner.

The giveaway was over at Bits and Pieces.. go check out her blog..she went to Houston!! lucky girl!!

and what I won was...a copy of this book:

Turning Twenty Slapplique by Tricia Cribbs.

and Martha was so kind, she included enough fabric to try out one of the blocks. Here is my Slapplique flower block..

This is so easy..you just cut them out, and stitch around them about 1/4 " from the raw edge. I thought it might be hard to keep an even 1/4", but it was actually really easy to do this!

I am sure if you washed these, it would soften and fray just beautifully.  I think I might make mine into a pouch or tote bag though...haven't got that far yet!! (maybe another few months LOL)

But that is my WIP...so joining up with the Needle and Thread Network...

and Freshly Pieced WIP WED...

                                        

Slow Blogger !

I found this link on Annabelle's blog ..Life's Rich Pattern....and I LOVE it!

                                          

It links back (I hope it does!) to another blog, that was new to me, called Knotted Cotton,  I had a good chuckle over this one!

I think sometimes I need to remember that I  blog because I want to, and not feel pressure to produce something exciting! Some days I just dont have any exciting in me LOL.

Briar Rose finish

Another finish...although I consider these last 2 as part of 2012. They were really almost finished, and just waiting to be quilted..so now they are done!!

I absolutely love this one..

I am not even sure why I am so drawn to this, I am not really a "pink" person....have nothing pink in my closet, or my house!  But I absolutely LOVE the look of this!

It is a free jelly roll pattern from England Street Quilts, called Briar Rose.  I followed her lead, and used a Strawberry Fields (by Moda) jelly roll. ..that is the last of my Strawberry Fields fabric too. :(

The pattern is clear and easy to follow, and goes together with no problems.

For the back, I made an extra block for some added interest...

The quilting, done on my home machine (Janome Horizon) was big loopy flowers, and circles on the borders.  (that smudge is snow on my camera lens...ooopps !)

The backing fabric and binding was from the half price wall at my LQS...sorry, not sure what it is, but thought it finished this off nicely. Of course it looks great in the snow...and my fingers are starting to unthaw...not to worry!!

 (is unthaw a word?  wouldn't "unthaw" mean to freeze???  maybe it should be  unfreeze??? mmmm... just wondering)

Now linking up to TGIFF..  this week over at "From Blank Pages"

                                   

Fractured Finished

I did the finishing touches on my " Fractured" quilt yesterday....and took it outside into the snow for a photo shoot :)

The wind was kind enough to flip up the corner just enough to see the label!

The backing is a fun print..I think looks a bit like little robots..

and a couple of leftover blocks..

I used a batik for the binding that I really like. It has lots of different colours so blends and highlights at the same time...

I did have some trouble with some of the points matching up, but in the end I dont think that it matters a lot. I will pretend that I meant it to look like that! OK?

This was inspired by Melissa over at Happy Quilting, and she has a great tutorial for this one. This is one of the very first blogs that I started following...such great stuff here....you should check it out!

So now linking up to TGIFF today over at Quokka Quilts..

and Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts!

Work in Progress Wed

Well, it is a new year...time to take stock of what I have unfinished here! Actually it is not too bad, I finished up a lot of projects for Christmas.

I am working of quilting "Fractured"..

I just did straight lines in the sashing, and am stitching in the ditch around the wedges..lots of stopping and starting, but I like the effect. I didn't want to distract from the fabric or pattern here, so thought I would try this out.  This pattern  is a tutorial from  Melissa at Happy Quilting, and she actually has a picture of her quilt up today...accepted for Quilt Con!! Way to go Melissa...I love this quilt!!

I also was a bit behind in my Saturday Surprise blocks, so got those sewn up...

I think I am getting better...first at following directions LOL...

and secondly at getting my points to match up.

They turned out pretty good! If I do say so myself!  There will  be 20 blocks in total, so should be fun!

I also have "Briar Rose" sitting waiting for quilting.

I want to get it done too, before I start anything new...I consider it a 2012 finish...so guess I had better get it finished.

There are lots of other projects waiting in the wings to get started...and look what I got for Christmas!!

I think the kids are having fun buying fabric for me too!! And this should keep me busy for awhile!!

Linking up to Freshly Pieced WIP...

And the Needle and Thread Network

..

Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR ..one and all!

May 2013 hold many new adventures!!
All the best to you and your families!