Personal Projects

The Final New Zealand Project: Pōhatu Penguins Wall Hanging

Beatrice | April 9, 2026 | 2 Comments

Since I was working almost continuously on the New Zealand projects anyway, I decided back in January to also tackle the Pōhatu Penguins Wall Hanging right away. Otherwise it would probably never get done – I had already had it on my list for two years! After finishing the Penguin Mug Rugs I bought some background fabric right away. Stonehenge Gradations by Northcott was exactly right and adds a nice Canadian touch to my final Kiwi project. I also had enough black and blue Nutex fabrics with Koru designs left over for the backing, binding, and even a hanging sleeve.

The penguin appliqué came together quickly, and the quilting took a bit longer. I knew I wanted to quilt larger waves and then fill the background with all kinds of designs, and I am really happy with how it turned out. The quilting adds a lot of beautiful texture to the piece. In the original paintings by Ave that this wall hanging is based on, she used white to fill in the background waves, which adds an interesting contrast to the composition – and it made me realize what an intriguing design challenge it is to translate a painting into a quilt. The two art forms each have their own language, and I love how my little wall hanging found its own!

The people at Pōhatu Penguins are dedicated to conservation and do an amazing job protecting the White-flippered Penguins. I would like to thank Ave for sharing her wonderful talent with us, and if you ever find yourself in Akaroa (on the South Island of New Zealand, not too far from Christchurch), be sure to check out Pōhatu Penguins!

Personal Projects

The Finished Quilt: Kiwiana Garden Tiles

Beatrice | March 31, 2026 | 5 Comments

The last of the three big New Zealand quilts is done, and there is room in my closet again! As you might remember, I used a free pattern called Garden Tiles from Robert Kaufman for this one. Since I had about 10″ of each of the New Zealand fabrics, I looked up patterns for Layer Cakes online and saved the ones I liked, and this one ended up being my number one choice.

I think the secondary pattern – the crosses in the sashing – probably spoke to me, especially since this is the only one of the three patterns I used for my Kiwiana fabrics that lends itself to custom quilting. I put a feather design in the crosses and partial ones around the outside. The tiles themselves were just stitched with straight lines to anchor them. I personally don’t like to leave large areas unquilted – I don’t like the uneven, puffy look.

I am very happy with the way it turned out. I have one more New Zealand-related project to finish, and then I can move on to other things.

Personal Projects

Tiffanies Treasures Kiwiana Panel Table Runner

Beatrice | March 13, 2026 | 1 Comment

The other day I looked at the Kiwiana panel I had been gifted by the owner of Tiffanies Treasures in Auckland and realized that it was approximately the size of my coffee table. I also had enough leftovers from the Hoffman Kiwiana fabric that I had purchased from Tiffanies Treasures for the backing of one of my New Zealand quilts. I pieced the backing and quilted the panel again with New Zealand Koru by Christy Dillon. It is such a nice swirly pattern and exactly what this panel needed.

I finished stitching the binding yesterday, and now it is decorating my coffee table, a daily reminder of our fantastic trip. If you are wondering about the bowl, it was given to me a few Christmases ago by one of my customers, Mary L., who is not only a gifted quilter but also a very good potter. I used to keep candy in it, but I have too much of a sweet tooth to not take one every time I pass by, so I stopped that fairly quickly.

It was a nice, quick project, and I am glad that I figured out a good use for this pretty panel.

Tiffanies Treasures Table Runner Detail 1

Tiffanies Treasures Table Runner Detail 2

Personal Projects

The Finished Quilt – Kiwiana Scrappy Squares

Beatrice | March 6, 2026 | 1 Comment

I am on a roll and finished the second of my Kiwiana quilts. Technically it is the third – I pieced the Garden Tiles top before I pieced this one, but I am still thinking I might be custom quilting the Garden Tiles top and haven’t started on it yet.

Last year I made a donation quilt from scraps using this alternating pattern that I saw somewhere online. In late October, when I was starting to feel a bit better and wanted to start sewing again, I thought this pattern would be a nice way to use up all the Kiwiana fabrics I had bought in 2024. With two finished quilt tops in the closet, I really wanted to use up as much as possible for a third quilt. As much as I love New Zealand and these fabrics, it was time to move on to something different.

And I was right – after cutting all the squares I needed for the quilt, I had only very small scraps left over that went right into the scrap drawers. I put the top together last November, and around the same time Christy Dillon of My Creative Stitches published an edge-to-edge pattern called “New Zealand Koru”. Koru is the Māori word for loop or coil and is often associated with the unfurling frond of a silver fern. It is an important design in Māori art, and I decided it was perfect for this quilt.

Two down, one more to go… but I can promise you already I will not have the last one done by next week 🙂

Personal Projects

The Finished Quilt – Kiwiana Illusions

Beatrice | February 27, 2026 | 2 Comments

The first of my three New Zealand quilts is finally done. The top of the Illusions quilt has been finished for a while, you can check out the original story here.

I quilted it in January after our return from our second New Zealand trip and even stitched the binding fairly quickly afterwards. I am very happy with the way it turned out, it is a lovely pattern and great for showcasing some special fabrics. And of course I love the 3D effect.

Usually I prefer custom quilting my own quilts, but in this case I could not think of any special quilting that would enhance the pattern of the top. The illusion is clearly the star of the quilt, and I decided early on that an allover pattern would do. Of course it needed to be related to New Zealand in some way, and I tried to come up with a pattern based on a scroll I saw on a sign near Mount Cook. That is something I am certainly not going to try again anytime soon. There is a reason why I am not a pantograph designer. I found it very difficult to draw a continuous design, but somehow it worked out in the end and is even a bit similar to the scroll on the backing fabric.

Personal Projects

Pōhatu Penguins Mug Rugs

Beatrice | February 19, 2026 | 5 Comments

On the South Island of New Zealand, outside Christchurch near Akaroa, is a place called Pōhatu Penguins. More than 50 years ago, a family bought a farm and discovered that they had essentially purchased a penguin colony. This is the only colony of White-flippered Penguins, a subspecies of the Little Blue Penguin. Since then, they have combined farming with extensive conservation work.

We visited Pōhatu Penguins in February 2024 and again this past December. When we walked into their booking office the first time, I immediately spotted a painting on the wall that I would have loved to buy on the spot, but it was too large to carry home on the plane. The young man behind the counter explained that the artist was his wife and graciously allowed me to take a photo of the painting.

The way she had painted the waves in the background reminded me of quilting, and it has been at the back of my mind ever since to recreate her artwork in fabric.

When we visited again, they had more of her art on display, including a smaller version of the Pōhatu Penguins painting. I was still a bit hesitant about taking it back on the plane, but my husband did not see a problem and promised he would carry it (which he did), so we bought it.

I am still planning on making a wall hanging, but for now I have turned the penguins into mug rugs. I made one as a sample that I am keeping myself. I used contrasting thread for the quilting and did not really like it at first, but it has grown on me, and now that it is bound and finished I am quite happy with it.

I proceeded to make two more, this time using a thread colour for quilting that blends with the background, so it is more about texture. A friend of mine, who is currently travelling in Australia and New Zealand, took them with her and will mail them to Ave, the artist who created the penguin paintings. I felt that if I recreated her art in fabric, I should send her more than just pictures.

If you ever find yourself in Akaroa, be sure you check out Pōhatu Penguins.

Personal Projects

Kiwiana Fabric Purchases

Beatrice | January 27, 2026 | 2 Comments

Of course I also shopped for fabric in New Zealand. On our first trip there two years ago, I bought a quarter metre of every Kiwiana fabric I liked and have since made three quilt tops from them. This time, I did not want to get sucked into buying more fabric just because it is pretty. Three New Zealand quilts seem enough.

I decided I would only shop for backing fabric, and with the exception of one piece that I have already turned into a bandana, I stuck to that resolution.

My first stop was Tiffanies Treasures north of Auckland. I found them on a list of New Zealand quilt shops and assumed they were a retail store, but when I walked in I learned that they are actually a wholesaler and not usually open to the public.

The owner asked me whether I knew Trendtex. For non Canadians, Trendtex is a wholesale business just outside Vancouver that represents Moda Fabrics in Canada, among other things. He explained that he was essentially the New Zealand version of Trendtex, specializing in Moda and Hoffman Fabrics.

Once a year they are open to the public, when the whole commercial area where their warehouse is located opens its doors to everyone. That big event was coming up on the first weekend of December. Since I was only two days early and had come all the way from Canada, the owner graciously allowed me to look around and shop. I found the most amazing fabric featuring New Zealand birds and plants, printed by Hoffman exclusively for Tiffanies Treasures, which I bought for one of my quilts.

When I was done with my purchase, he gifted me one of their exclusive Hoffman Kiwiana panels. I have no idea yet what I will do with it, but I appreciated his kindness very much.

I had seen a Nutex Kiwiana fabric online that I really wanted for one of my quilts, but none of the shops I visited carried it. At Country Dawn Quilting in Whangarei, I found a similar fabric in rainbow colours and bought it to use as the backing for my second quilt.

The last shop we visited, Sew It in Christchurch on the South Island, was a treasure trove of Kiwiana fabrics. I was thrilled to find the exact fabric I had been coveting since I first saw it and immediately bought it for my third quilt. Fabric shopping was a complete success!

Pattern, Personal Projects

Alternating Scrappy Squares

Beatrice | April 18, 2025 | 1 Comment

I believe I am a very conscientious fabric buyer. I stopped buying fabrics just because they are pretty a long time ago, and with very few exceptions, I only buy fabric that I need for specific projects now. I do not have a big stash, but my scrap drawers still seem to be overflowing. They are organized by width, ranging from 2″ to 6.5″. I throw out everything under 2″, except for white fabrics, because I use those for sashing and background pieces. It is still plenty to deal with, and the other day, I saw a picture of a quilt online, I don’t remember where, and immediately thought it would make a good scrap project.

The top came together quickly. The big squares have a finished size of 5″, and the smaller ones are 3″. I have already bought the backing fabric for this one, so hopefully, it will be quilted soon and can be donated once it is finished. I am quite happy with the result. Even though the fabrics are all over the place, the white frame around every other square gives the quilt some purpose and provides the eyes with a place to rest. On a side note, my 5.5″ scrap drawer looks a bit less crowded, but I cannot really see any difference in the 3.5″ drawer, so I think I will have to make more of these.

A few days ago, I walked through my living room, where I have lots of quilts on display, and my eyes stopped at the Coming Up Roses sample quilt. I realized that it has a very similar pattern, just with a smaller square in the alternating blocks.

If you feel inspired and need a pattern, the Coming Up Roses quilt pattern is available here:

Free Pattern, Personal Projects

New Zealand Tiles

Beatrice | April 11, 2025 | 2 Comments

I finished a second top with my Kiwiana fabrics in the meantime. There is definitely enough left for at least one more quilt, maybe even two. For this quilt, I used a free pattern called Garden Tiles from Robert Kaufman. I adjusted the measurements to suit my needs, as well as the number of rows and columns. The basic idea looked similar to the Shadow Boxes pattern I used in my first Kiwiana quilt, but the result is quite different.

For this one, I can actually see some custom quilting. The sashing forms a secondary pattern of white crosses, and these areas are just begging for a nice custom design.

But no quilting will happen anytime soon for this top since I do not have a suitable backing. I am working hard on the idea of another trip to New Zealand, but it will have to wait until summer in the southern hemisphere. Until then, it will go on a hanger and into the closet, and I will keep thinking about possible quilting patterns that echo Maori designs.

If you are interested in this free pattern, you can find it on the Robert Kaufman website by following the link below.

Longarm, Personal Projects

Four Little Preemiequilts

Beatrice | March 14, 2025 | Leave a Comment

Last year, I scrambled to finish all the preemiequilts I wanted to take to Germany. It was entirely my fault, as I had completed the tops early on but procrastinated, leaving myself to stitch down eight bindings and labels the weekend before I left. I did not want a repeat of that this year! I do not even know yet if or when I am going, but I have already finished four little quilts, labels and all.

I aim to make four per year but fell behind during COVID when I kept buying fabric but never actually sewed anything. These four are my 2024 quilts, and I already have four more in progress. Three of the tops are pieced, so there is a good chance I will finish them well before I need them.