An update

Hi everyone!
I haven't been to visit my blog for some time. I've had fun going back over some of my posts, and looking to see who is still blogging. My sewing machine has died and I am thinking it's a great time to work on some smaller hand-stitched projects until it is either repaired or replaced.

I have also been busy writing, a goal and dream from childhood. So far I have published two novels!! Maybe I will add some links here one day soon.

In the mean time, I just wanted to let you all know that my online free motion class, The Road to my House is still open along with the journal class. You can find the links on the right-hand side of this blog if you scroll down.

If you feel like popping in and saying hi, I'd love to hear from you!
Carole x

Another journal class

Can't believe just popular these journal classes have been. If you've missed out, I'll be teaching this class over two days at Krazy Cow Quilts in Levin the weekend of 1st and 2nd October. Would love it if you could join me. Give them a ring on 06 368 5077 to save your place! 

Carole x

Splashes of colour

I love the bright splashes of spring in the garden. 

Carole x

I miss you...

If you've called into say hello and I'm not around, it's probably because I'm over hanging out on Facebook. Pop on over and look for me. www.facebook.com/CaroleBrungar:Artist 

Carole x

There's a mini symposium coming!

The class registration booklet is nearing completion and will be sent out in December. There are some exciting classes!

Check out their Facebook page for more updates.

To download a Registration of Interest form go HERE

I'd love to see you there!

Carole x

At work

I am taking one of these babies for a spin today. It's a Sweet Sixteen, a mini long arm quilting machine. And it's a dream to use! 

Carole x

Sunday's

Some times this is all I want to do on a chilly winters day. 

Find a nice snugly quilt and make a nest in it and go to sleep! 

Carole x

Teaching another journal class

This weekend some of the wonderful girls from the Kapiti Coast Quilters learnt how to make a journal.

Here are some of the photos from the weekend. 

Sara getting into the tea dying

Can anyone see Sue's green theme emerging?

The concentration was so loud. 

Merle's mixing it up! 

Sally tries her hand at water colouring using Neocolours.

Sara's birdhouse transfer, what bird wouldn't want to live at that address?

Harri's journal suddenly took a turn for the ..... Sink? 

Piles of lovely resources

Covers drying in the sun

Sooooo many uses for tea bags! 

Some finished journals, Sue's and Diana's

Merle's and Sally's

Harri's, Beryl's and Sara's

What a fantastic weekend, thanks for having me and I'm pleased you all enjoyed yourselves. You all made such wonderful journals!

If you know any clubs or groups that might like me to come teach this class, let me know. Lots of fun guaranteed! 

Carole x

And then there's Wednesday!

She watches me while I work in my studio. I must admit, it's better than laying all over my quilt as I try to stitch it! 

Carole x

Buddy bought me a gift.

He's such a thoughtful boy :) 

Carole x

A lovely weekend with the Pinestream Quilting girls

I had a lovely weekend with the girls from Pinestream Quilters in Wellington. There were three classes happening at the same time so I got to meet up with the lovely and very talented Shirley Mooney and also Jenny Hunter.

I was teaching my free motion class, 'The road to my house' and I was ready to get the girls creating! 

They were off to a great start, and even the two girls who said they either hadn't done any free motion stitching, or weren't confident at all were soon sewing like nothing you've ever seen before! 

One of the girls decided she didn't want to do houses or buildings, but she loves butterflies and she wanted to create a free motion sampler of butterflies! What do you think of her progress? Are they gorgeous! 

I was thrilled to see one of girls who had never done free motion stitching churning out wee stitcheries with loads of charm. Can you imagine what this one is going to look like after she's added some hand embroidery? 

These girls all worked on small pieces of fabric, and designed from memory, or from mind. Layout was fun, should this one go here, or here? 

Lots of experiments were happening - I love the fruit tea stains on this. It sure smelt good too! 

I hope I get to see these once they are finished. While in Wellington I got to stay at the Silverstream Retreat, right onsite. I had a beautiful room and everyone made me feel so welcome. 

I stayed in the Forest Wing.

I even got an invite to a 50th birthday dinner which was lovely! The meal was beautiful but my favourite was these gorgeous cupcakes! 

I also got to meet the very lovely Yvonne who owns Sawmillers Quiltery and check out her store and all the beautiful fabrics she had. And of course I definitely needed that fabric I bought!

I you'd like to see what Shirley was teaching you can visit her blog here..... for photos. 

Thank you to everyone who made my visit an enjoyable one, especially Shirley and her lovely neighbours and all the girls who took my class! 

Carole x

I think winter has arrived

Now the clean-up begins!

Carole x

The end of summer harvest

I grew watermelons for the first time this year, and I just harvested the last one. I couldn't believe they were so amazingly delicious!

Next summer I'm growing more than one plant, I love watermelon! 

Carole x

For those of you who don't follow me on Facebook

Remember this quilt project I was working on? I thought I'd share the journey with you. I was busy making it for two reasons. 

First, I made a whole quilt using the red flower block pattern and it screamed "Red Poppy" at me. 

So my friend Trish who owns the local quilt shop and I both decided to make a quilt to be finished in time for ANZAC Day here in New Zealand, April 25th. The quilt had to use the poppy block. 

And secondly, because I have done a lot of reading and research around the Vietnam War for my next novel, I decided to make mine as a way of saying thank you to those men who let me delve into a part of their history that was very contentious. I felt that those soldiers that went to Vietnam have been excluded from much of what should have been bestowed upon them. 

Trish on the other hand, decided she would make her quilt as a tribute to her grandfather who fought in WW1 and her great uncle who also went to war. 

I decided to take the more traditional quilt path, while Trish decided to be a little more adventurous. She has never made an art quilt before and I thought this would make for the perfect art quilt for her to start with. 

Trish made six flower blocks and used quilters muslin or calico as we know it torn into strips.  For mine I decided to use as much thread on the poppy as possible in order to make it as 3D as possible. I used 3 complete rolls plus 4 other colours to build up depth. Once my poppy was finished I then decided to write the names of all the Kiwi soldiers who were either killed or wounded in action. I masked straight lines around the poppy and free motioned the names. 

Can you see Trish's finished quilt. She hung it out on the platform of the railway station on ANZAC Day morning for the special visit of the 'Passchendaele'. 

Here is my finished quilt 

My quilt was exhibited in the Palmerston North City Library during their ANZAC commemorations and I wanted the quilt to be viewer friendly so I stated that if people wanted to pin poppies to the quilt they would be welcome. There are 37 names on the quilt, there were 4 Kiwi soldiers who were fighting with American troops, 1 soldier who was killed while preparing to leave New Zealand, 1 nursing sister from the surgical team and 1 Red Cross worker who were also killed who were not included amongst the names, but are recorded with the info sheet that follows the quilt. 

Both Trish and I found the project really emotional, neither of us had realised that it would mean more to us than it did. I have met several people who have told me the story behind how soldiers named on the quilt have died. Truely sad. One soldier had only been in country 24 hours and he stepped on a mine. 

If you have a few spare minutes, I would love to hear what you think of them.

Have a great week,

Carole x