Debi Moffett, owner of Somewhere Sewing

I just returned from a delightful trip to Johnson City, TN,  where I taught classes for Somewhere Sewing. The cracker jack owner, Debi Moffett, arranged for two classes. The room where the classes were taught was decorated by one of Debi’s customers, Lucy, who is no stranger to my designs. This stunning quilt, featuring the block designs from 50 Fabulous Paper-Pieced Stars, set the stage for a super couple of days.

Minis.....

Lucy also brought several of her miniaturized versions from 50 Fabulous Paper-Pieced Stars as well as some miniatures from Easy Paper-Pieced Miniatures (out of print).

and even more minis and Just Ducky

It was fun to be surrounded by all these lovely little quilts. The Just Ducky Quilt is from Easy Paper-Pieced Baby Quilts (out of print).

Free Miniature Pattern

Susan proudly displays her version of the free miniature quilt pattern available here on my web site. I planned to wear that matching shirt….LOL

Perfect Points

The first day, I taught the Perfect Points class. I do love teaching this class because everyone achieves those amazing Perfect Points easily!

Janice admires her Sunrise Block and setting triangle

When I travel to teach, sometimes I am fortunate to have a student in the class that I have “met” online in my Carol Doak Yahoo Group. That was the case with Janice. Since Janice lives in Knoxville, she signed up and came to the class. Now when Janice and I correspond on the group, I will know her in person.

All smiles

You know, I just never tire of teaching classes because this is what it is all about for me. That big smile on the face of a student who has enjoyed the day, enjoyed the process and enjoys the results.

Fun and Friends

Now these three told me they were the “trouble makers”, however they were no trouble for me. Instead, they were delightful students and fun to be with.

Star, The Rockin Colt

Now, this was a first for me. Paulette Jensen came to the class with pictures of a colt she had made for the “Colts on Parade” in Lake Geneva, WI. This was a fund raising event for Challenged Children on Horses.

Hind quarter stars

Paulette decorated “Star” with actual star blocks from my book. She used an acrylic gel medium to adhere the fabric blocks and then several coats of polyurethane to complete the project. Her efforts were rewarded with a top 7 Award Prize.

It was a fun trip all the way. If you are ever in the Johnson City, TN vicinity, a detour to Somewhere Sewing, is worth the trip! Tell Debi, I said “Hi, ya’all”

Lovely lunch at the Orchard Garden Cafe

We left Dunedin and traveled through the Taieri Plans where sheep and dairying are the primary industries. We stopped for lunch at this lovely quaint Orchard Garden Cafe.

Again, spectacular gardens

And once again, the spectacular gardens featured beautiful flowers. 

Steve checking out the Hedge Maze

This garden also had an interesting Hedge Maze. Our trusty guide made sure he didn’t loose any quilters in the maze.

We Made The Paper!!!!

When we were off again, we found out that we had made the paper. There was an article and picture about our visit with the Dunedin Quilters.

The article started off with “Introduced as the “Tiger Woods of quilting”, visiting American author Carol Doak said in Dunedin yesterday quilting was undergoing a resurgence as more people embraced traditional art forms.

The author of 17 books on quilting, which have sold more than a million copies worldwide, was visiting Dunedin with 40 other quilters “on a trip of a lifetime”.

“We have had a great time,” she said.”

OK, so I am not sure how I am going to live up to that introduction….lol…if you want to see the photo and read the entire article, you can at 

http://www.odt.co.nz/your-town/dunedin/40879/quilters039-trip-well-sewn

Hydro dam

We passed by a hydro dam, a major source of energy for New Zealand.

Beautiful water color

The color of the water was gorgeous.

Steve about to jump

We stopped by Kawarau, the original place that bungy jumping started. Now we had been teasing Steve for days telling him he should jump and he would have none of it. So imagine our surprise as we stood at the railing watching others jumping to find out that our own Steve was jumping and so was his wife! He and Amy are our heros!

What goes up comes down with a bounce!

It was amazing!!!!

They earned them!

All smiles now, but boy I bet the knees were knocking when they were looking down before the jump.

View of Queenstown

As soon as we arrived in Queenstown, we took a gondola ride to the top of Bob’s Peak to see the view….just breathtaking.

Looking at Sue Wademan's quilt

Our first morning in Queenstown, Beth and I headed over to the arts center where we met Sue Wademan. Sue is know for her wonderful unique landscapes.

Antarctica by Sue Wademan

We also visited Sue in her studio where she showed us this special piece. The words printed in script on the front of the quilt are the last words that Robert Falcon Scott wrote in his diary before he and his fellow explorers died. Sue said that she felt their pain as she traced those words onto a stencil to print over the already pieced quilt…

They read…

‘We shall stick it out to the end but we are getting weaker…and the end cannot be far. It seems a pity but I do not think I can write more.

R Scott

Last Entry

For Gods sake look after our people,

Beth in Queenstown Harbor

We ventured out into the downtown area to view the sites. I took this picture of Beth at the Harbor. We had traveled for almost two weeks together and had a wonderful time getting to know each other, laugh and explore.

Too pretty to drink

We stopped for a latte and this is how they delivered it to the table. It was decorated with a familiar site for New Zealand.

Farewell dinner

We all gathered that night at the Boardwalk Restaurant for our farewell dinner. We had been together for nearly two weeks and experienced so much. Saying goodbye was not going to be easy.

Queenstown quilters

On the morning we were to leave, as happened several times before in other New Zealand Cities, we were invited to a tea put on by the Quilters of Queenstown.

Colorful quilt

And as in other places, they went to the trouble of putting out their quilts for us to see.

They were all so welcoming

All of the Queenstown quilters were so welcoming and made us feel so at home. It was the perfect way to end our tour of New Zealand.

Sue Wademan's Quilt Bids Us Farewell

Our bags were packed and we gathered at the Queenstown airport in the gate area ready to board our plan, heading home. When we looked up, there we saw Sue Wademan’s quilt bidding us farewell.

Detail of Sue's quilt

We came from all parts of the United States and Canada. The thing that bound us all was our love of quilting, or we loved and/or supported a quilter. We had the spirit of adventure and the desire to explore this wonderful country, New Zealand. We saw much, we experienced many new things, we made new friends along the way and we became a family.

My deep thanks and gratitude are extended to:

All New Zealand Quilters who added so much to this trip by sharing with us their friendship and their quilts

Uncle Steve Grace, Nephew Steve Grace and Amy Grace for all your efforts to make this trip truly a trip of a lifetime. Your planning was exquisite and your execution right on.

All the members of our group who made this trip such a pleasure and for sharing your time with us. I loved getting to know you all!

Beth Hayes for the opportunity to help her escort this tour and for her friendship. Many thanks buddy.

The end.

All the best,

Carol

Dunedin Train Station

As we arrived in Dunedin, it was apparent this was a lovely town. The fabulous train station and gardens are really impressive. This is also the home of Cadbury chocolates…who wouldn’t love that thought.

Albatross at Taiaroa Heads

Our sight seeing began with a visit to Taiaroa Heads where we were able to view a colony of Royal Albatross. 

View from Taiaroa Heads

We walked to the top of a hill to view them. The walk wasn’t easy, but it was worth it to view this majestic bird.

Mother and baby

The story of the Albatross is amazing.

The Yellow Eyed Penguin

Then we were off to Penguin Place to view the Yellow Eyed Penguins at the Colony at Penguin Place. This little fellow is waiting for his dinner.

The beach at Penquin Place

Again, it was a bit of a walk about to view the Penquins. We also walked to the top of a hill to view the seals.

Interesting design

I was struck by the interesting design created by the seals on the beach.

Typical serene scene

Sheep were everywhere and this was a typical scene no matter where we went.

The colors of the flowers were amazing

Flowers are such a big part of New Zealand and I was just amazed at the vibrant colors. We were off to lunch at the Glenfalloch Gardens overlooking the Otago Harbor.

Let the flower show begin.

Resting

I needed a bit of a rest after walking the gardens.

The Otaga Museum Quilt

When we returned back to our hotel, we headed off to the Otaga Museum to view some of the exhibits and see this lovely quilt made by some of the local quilters for the museum.

Smiles all around!

Quilters are universal. The local quilters set up a wonderful shopping trip so our group could purchase New Zealand fabrics. Do they look happy or what?!

That evening we were joined by the local quilt group in our hotel for a reception and for a wonderful show and tell of their quilts.

Let the Quilt Show Begin

This was an early wool quilt.

Everyone enjoyed the evening

It was indeed a lovely evening. We made a point of having our group and the local group of quilters sit together at the tables so lots of sharing and conversation followed. Thank you Dunedin Quilters for a lovely evening and for making us all feel so welcome in Dunedin.

Next we are off to Queenstown and everyone enjoyed an amazing thrill…..we have folk heros in our midsts!

All the best,

Carol

Judith Ross, wonderful Christchurch Quilter

On our first evening in Christchurch, our group was welcomed and inspired by a wonderful Christchurch quilter, Judith Ross. Judith brought several of her pieces with her and shared with us her inspiration behind her lovely quilts.

Beautiful Judith Ross Quilt

The colors and stitching in her quilts were exquisite.

Judith has combined her love of making clothing with her love of quilting by making the quilt that has the shape of a coat.

Another spectacular pieced coat

We all were in awe of Judith’s work and so appreciate the time she gave us and for sharing her beautiful work.

Ooooh, that was fun!

The next morning we were off to see the sights in Christchurch. Christchurch is the jumping off place for Antarctic exploration. There is a wonderful Antarctic Center that is just amazing. We were brought to a room that simulates what it would be like in the Antarctic and treated to a simulated Antarctic storm. OK, so this ice slide was just something I couldn’t pass up. Wish I had noticed those bumps in the ice before I decided to slide down!

Darling little guys

These little guys at the Antartic center were just so cute.

Mona Vale Estate

Christchurch is called the Garden City and the Mona Vale Estate gardens did not disappoint us. There were so beautiful and fragrant.

Gorgeous flowers and beautiful fragrances

The flower colors were amazing and walking into the rose gardens just filled you up with wonderful fragrances.

Our Christchurch Quilters Reception

We hurried back to the hotel because we knew there were a group of quilters there from Christchurch waiting to greet us.

Group of Christchurch Quilters

When we arrived, we were not only greeted by a lovely group of quilters from Christchurch, but they had decorated a room in the hotel with lots of their quilts. They chatted with us, shared their quilts and just made us all feel so welcome in their beautiful city. 

Cathedral in Christchurch

One of the most important landmarks in Christchurch is this beautiful old Cathedral in the center of town. Just look at that tile roof!

The Tin Shed

As we departed Christchurch for Dunedin the next morning, we made a pit stop at the Tin Shed. This is a charming woolen mill.

We did love to shop!!!

We all scattered about the shop looking at wonderful woolen sweaters, yarn and everything woolen. 

We arrive in Dunedin next and have a few surprises.

All the best,

Carol

Award winning quilter and quilt

We arrived in Wellington and were treated to a wonderful reception at Minerva hosted by Anne Scott, Editor of the New Zealand Quilter Magazine. Anne had invited several recent award-winning New Zealand quilters to come to the shop and share their beautiful quilts. This quilt was stunning.

Another winner

This was a striking quilt and very graphic.

Just wonderful

Anne Scott is helping to hold this wonderful award-winning quilt.

New Zealand Quilter quilt

After being treated to an array of wonderful award-winning quilts, Anne Scott shared several quilts that were featured in the New Zealand Quilter magazine.

Let the quilt show begin:

Beth Hayes, Anne Scott and me chatting away

Anne was so gracious to plan such a wonderful evening for us. Our quilters loved seeing all the quilts and meeting these wonderful New Zealand quilters. Not to mention, Anne’s shop has the most amazing collection of quilting and needle art books I have ever seen. So…shop we did!

Maori building interpretation at Te Papa Museum

The next day we were off to visit Te Papa, New Zealand’s National Museum. What a gorgeous building and the collections were just amazing.

Cook Island Quilt

We did spot a few textiles at Te Papa Museum. This pieced quilt was so colorful.

Now we were off to the airport to fly to Christchurch….Guess who we met there?

All the best,

Carol

Geyser at Te Puia Marae, a traditional Maori village

Our visit to Rotorua offered the opportunity to learn so much about the Maori Culture. We went to Te Puia Marae, a traditional Maori village. One of the things that we learned was the geothermal properties of the area and the amazing steam escaping from the ground and the interesting colors that were produced.

Amazing carvings and inspirational designs

The Maori people do the most amazing carvings and decorate their homes with them. I found lots of inspiration for quilting designs in these carvings.

Our greeting

Next we were greeted by the Maori and treated to their traditional “powhir” (welcome), concert of Maori song, dance and hangi dinner.

Our greeting

The music, song and dance were delightful to watch. These Maori people are carrying on the traditions of their heritage.

Beth and I in front of a traditional Maori building

Our next day was a visit to the local sights of Rotorua including the Government Gardens, the lakefront and Ohinemutu.

We then boarded a plan to leave Rotorua and headed to Wellington where we met up with Anne Scott of the New Zealand Quilter magazine and members of the New Zealand Quilting Society.

Wait until you see, what we were treated to!

All the best,

Carol

Heading into Grandmother's Garden Quilt Shop

As we departed Auckland, we stopped in Gordonton to visit one of New Zealand’s leading patchworking and quilting stores. You would not believe the smiles on everyone’s faces at the prospect of visiting this charming shop.

Just look at those smiles!!!

We were primarily in search of New Zealand style fabrics. When the group found the fat quarter tables, they could hardly contain themselves.

Gotta love that fat quarter table!

I contained myself until the others wandered off to other parts of the shop and then I jumped right in. I purchased several New Zealand style prints to make a new vest!

The dog's name is William Wallace...

The shop also was home to a lovely cat and few darling dogs. This one was not at all upset about the shop being invaded by 40 quilters. He just too refuge under a quilt.

We were treated to a lovely tea.

Everyone in the shop made us feel so welcome and were just as warm as they could be. We enjoyed a lovely morning tea in the workshop area where we were able to admire even more quilts.

They waved good bye with their fat quarters

When it was time to load the bus and leave, everyone came out to send us off in style, waving their fat quarters. What a fun time was had by all.

Lunch at Longlands Farm

We traveled along the New Zealand country side and stopped at Longlands Dairy Farm in Matamata for lunch. We were given a tour and learned all about dairy farming in New Zealand. We then were treated to a lovely family style lunch.

Even the bread basket was pretty

Lunch was a lovely porch setting . As they brought out the food, we admired the lovely colors and floral decorations.

Look at those colors!

The group of vegetables were almost too pretty to eat.

Next, we are off to Rotorua to learn about the Maori people.

All the best,

Carol

Exploring downtown Auckland

 After a good night’s rest, we were ready to go out and explore the city of Auckland. It was fun to wander about the city and check out the shops.

Wonderful Mariner's Compass tile floor in an Auckland store

One shop that we wandered into had this gorgeous marble Mariner’s Compass style emblem. We were impressed. 

Beth and I am looking over the city of Auckland

Our group traveled up to a hill top that overlooked the city of Auckland. The views were just spectacular. We could even pick out our hotel because it was situated right next to the sky needle between our heads. 

We were joined by a herd of cows...

We were not the only ones on the top of the hill. There was a herd of grazing cows who seemed to have no interest in the people…just the grass.

Of course, what goes in must come out creating a very interesting design.

I’m sorry, it was so perfectly placed and seemed to have such an interesting design.

This little gecko was very interested in all the quilters looking at him.

Then the group was off to the most amazing museum, the Auckland War Memorial Museum. One familiar New Zealand creature, the gecko was displayed. Loved his color!

Very colorful quilt.

This very colorful patchwork quilt was on display at the museum. It looks like something that could have been made in the USA.

Hiapo, bark cloth

This style of Niuean hiapo featuring intricate free hand patterns that are painted in fine black lines appeared suddenly in the 1880’s. Looks like a quilt, doesn’t it?

Polynesian quilt

It is also evident that there was quite a Polynesian influence in New Zealand as shown by this colorful quilt.

Just checking out the vines

Then we were off to the docks to board a ferry boat to Waiheke Island off the cost of Auckland. We visited the lovely Mudbrick Vineyard were the setting was just amazing!

Someone had to taste their fantastic wines...

We were given the opportunity to taste a variety of their wines. They were all really wonderful and it was fun to be given the insight into their winemaking.

Tomorrow I will share the adventures of leaving Auckland and heading to Rotorua. Of course any bus trip should include a stop at a fantastic quilt shop….and we did!

All the best,

Carol