Appliqué - Pumpkin Patch

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!

Pattern

New Patterns: Hunny Bunny, Batter Up & Bubble Time Pillows

Beatrice | March 19, 2026 | Leave a Comment

Do you remember the Hunny Bunnies Quilt we did as a BOM a few years ago? I had so many ideas for blocks back then that I ended up with two additional designs, which I decided to turn into pillows. I even bought the fabric that I needed to make three companion pillows for the quilt, but, as always, time got away from me, and the pillows were never actually assembled.

Now after almost five years I finally returned to the project and freed the fabrics from their bin. Since I had the designs all done it didn’t even take that long to make them. Didn’t they turn out cute? The bunny with the carrot basket is the original first BOM block, and the baseball and bubble time bunnies are both new designs.

All three patterns are now available individually in the pattern store! They don’t take long to sew, especially if you do all three assembly line style, and they make great gifts too.

I have also put together a discounted bundle with all three pillow patterns, so you can get everything in one go and save a little at the same time.

And if you missed the Hunny Bunnies BOM back then, you can also get the quilt pattern together with all three pillow patterns as a discounted bundle – a great way to have the complete Hunny Bunnies collection.

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.

Pattern

New Pattern: Safari

Beatrice | February 6, 2026 | 3 Comments

After getting a bit of rest in early January, I felt well enough to finally quilt the Safari top. It all came together quickly, and I also assembled the full pattern in the meantime.

I have reactivated the pattern store for now. Please keep in mind that I have to fill orders manually and send out the patterns myself. As I am still undergoing treatments, I might not always be as fast as I would like to be.

I have also created a discount code – enter SAFARI20 at checkout to receive 20% off. The code is valid until February 13, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PST and applies exclusively to the Safari quilt pattern.

Pattern

New Pattern: Yuletide Reflections

Beatrice | November 18, 2025 | 1 Comment

Here is a pattern I came up with last year while I was making Christmas cards. The card design and the little blocks I had stitched felt like they wanted to become a full Christmas quilt, so I bought more fabric and stitched one up in no time. I did not manage to write the pattern earlier with everything that was happening this year, but I finally pulled it together, just in time for Christmas.

These are not my usual bright and bold colours, but there is something about the simple elegance of the black and white metallic fabrics that I really enjoy.

I have also created a discount code – enter YULE20 at checkout to receive 20% off. The code is valid until November 25, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. PST and applies exclusively to the Yuletide Reflections quilt pattern.

Block/Pattern of the Month

Safari BOM – Block #9

Beatrice | October 5, 2025 | 18 Comments

I am not doing great, so no chit chat today, only the missing block. Thank you for your patience.

EDIT: The period of free download is over, and the block has moved to the pattern store where it is now available for purchase.

Block/Pattern of the Month

Safari BOM – Block #8

Beatrice | August 1, 2025 | 4 Comments

I want to thank everyone for their kind words and messages of encouragement and also clear up one small misconception. Dancing and quilting are my two big passions. Since I cannot dance right now, quilting has become my happy place. So when I feel well enough to work on quilts or patterns, it is not out of obligation. I have always loved designing, but my brain has to be in the right place for it. Being able to return to that creative work is actually a good sign.

The August block is a fat, cuddly Crocodile. Well, maybe do not try to actually cuddle him, but I wanted him to be more cute than scary. His belly looks quite full, so hopefully he is not in the mood to attack anyone.

As always, the pattern will be available for free download until the end of the month and move to the pattern store when the next block is released.

EDIT: The period of free download is over, and the block has moved to the pattern store where it is now available for purchase.

Block/Pattern of the Month

Safari BOM – Block #5

Beatrice | May 1, 2025 | 6 Comments

April was a wild month for me, and not in a good way, so I am very glad it is over. I had a ventrogluteal injection right before Easter. Colloquially, you might say it was in the buttocks, but it is actually given higher up in the hip area. Everything went well until about six hours later, when my buttock muscles decided they did not like the injection and went into spasm. That put pressure on my sciatic nerve, and the pain was so intense that I had to go to the emergency room. I spent all of Easter flat on my back, unable to walk more than a few steps. It has improved since then, and I am able to walk around again and stand and sit, but the nerve is still very irritated and can be quite painful at times. The things you can get! I had scheduled a lot of blog posts ahead of time, and everything published right on schedule, but I could not keep up with social media. Here is to hoping that May will be better.

Our next Safari animal is a kudu, an African antelope with long horns that curl in a corkscrew shape. I had to simplify the curves in the horns a bit, but I think it is still very recognizable as a kudu. They are surprisingly good at blending in, even with those dramatic horns. Ours is doing its best with a mix of browns and beige.

As always, the pattern will be available for free download until the end of the month and move to the pattern store when the June block is released.

EDIT: The period of free download is over, and the block has moved to the pattern store where it is now available for purchase.

Block/Pattern of the Month, Show and Tell

Show & Tell: Elaine’s Safari Blocks

Beatrice | April 25, 2025 | 4 Comments

Elaine is participating again in this year’s Safari BOM project, and as always, she is very reliable in sending me pictures of her finished blocks, which I appreciate very much. Her blocks are super cute, and I thought I would share them here in case any of you need a little extra inspiration. I especially love the tiny specks of light she added to the pupils of the animals’ eyes. They add so much realism! Click on the images for a larger view.

Block/Pattern of the Month

Safari BOM – Block #4

Beatrice | April 1, 2025 | 1 Comment

Welcome to April! I started a lot of seeds in March, most of them indoors because it is still too cold for many to survive outside. But my peas, radishes, spinach, and carrots are all in the ground, as they do not mind the occasional overnight frost.

My veggie beds are all in the backyard. In the front yard, I have the sunflower beds but not much else, so we have started turning the area into a rose garden. There was one very pretty rose there when we bought the house, a Peace Rose, with beautiful colouring and a wonderful scent. Then a friend came across a rose called Pumpkin Patch and just had to buy it for me. We added a few more, and they are doing really well, which gave us the idea to plant as many roses out front as will fit.

But roses are expensive, so this project will take multiple years. We have eight so far, and I have ordered four more, which I should be able to pick up any day now.

As for our Safari, it would not be a very satisfying experience without seeing a lion, would it? I fiddled around with his mane a lot, trying to keep it as simple as possible, but it needed to be a bit spiky to give it enough texture. I did not like the smooth variations I came up with, so be prepared to cut plenty of points. Overall, I am now very happy with the way he turned out, very majestic but still rather friendly-looking.

As always, the pattern will be available for free download until the end of the month and move to the pattern store when the May block is released.

EDIT: The month of free download is over, and the block has moved to the pattern store where it is now available for purchase.