I see RED (in a good way)

Last day of the school holidays today.  And it just occurred to me that the next school holidays includes the Taupo Symposium - yay, it's getting closer!

Aotearoa Quilters (the National Association of NZ Quilters) is holding a special challenge to be exhibited during Symposium.  Anything goes, it just needs to be 12 inches x 12 inches and RED.  All quilts will be for sale too, so that's exciting.  I've been busy working on entries.  So far out of five starts, this one is the only one I've been happy enough with to finish to binding.  It's been a great incentive to experiment - 12 x 12 is the perfect size to play around with methods etc, if you're not happy, it's not a huge time or material investment.

It's called Manaia - which is a Maori name for bird-headed mythological creature of protection or guardianship.  (And there doesn't seem to be any restrictions on publicly showing your entry before the exhibition - yay!)

I've also been feeling the hexie love.  These little pincushions were quick to make and gave me hand piecing projects to keep me busy when I'm out and about.  The top is linen and the backs are an indigo print (for the red and black hexie flower) and a damask stripe (for the purple and pink).  Cute huh?!

The kids are I travelled down to Hamilton to surprise my niece for her tenth birthday.  And it worked a treat - lots of squeals and jumping around when my two popped out of their hiding places!  She was born on ANZAC day (stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, a day where we remember those who fought and those who fell), hence the poppies all over her cake.  Her middle name is Poppy also.

So the school holidays have been busy but fun.  A few inroads have been made on my WIP's but I'll show them another time.  The kids have been happy but I think we're all ready for them to go back to school ;)  I'll close with a couple of photos of them.  And then I best be off and try and tick another thing off my holiday to-do list - paint the bathroom!

The once-per-school-holidays iced chocolate.

Chilaxing at Cafe Utopia in Kaiwaka on the way home from Hamilton.  Now there's a cool cafe!