Anchor Me.

It’s done. It’s finished. Well… except for the label.

Anchor Me is Inspired by this quilt, 

But I didn't buy a pattern, I made my own way, designing it in my head as I sewed. 

It measures 96 x 104 inches.

When I suggested to Josie she and Jiffy would be anchored together, she loved the idea. So the Name came before I even started.

The very first fabric pull for this quilt happened way back in April last year, when I realised I didn’t have quite enough blues and greens. Batiks are hard to come by in New Zealand at the moment, so I shopped around here and found very little. Later, in Bathurst, enabled by Janice I hunted down more, and between us we gathered what I needed.

Those fabrics then sat quietly in a box on my cutting table for months, whispering at me every time I walked past. Finally — with a bit of encouragement from several people — I began cutting in the first week of January 2026.

Chooky had suggested using 4‑inch squares, so I cut them at 4.5 inches to finish at 4. There are 580 blue‑green squares in total, forming the background and the outer border. The inner border is a 4‑inch strip of Moko, a Māori‑inspired charcoal‑on‑black fabric. 

It isn’t a batik, but it sits beautifully with the blues, and I used the same fabric for the anchor itself.

As you know, I played around with scrap paper to get the proportions right before drawing the anchor freehand onto Vliesofix. I’m very happy with how it turned out — bold, clean, and exactly the right presence on the quilt.

Last week, on my days off, I layered and quilted the top using an E2E design by Keryn Emmerson called Waves. It felt perfectly appropriate. Yesterday I trimmed it and added the binding, stitching about half of it down by hand before heading to bed. This morning, I finished the last of the binding and then waited for Joe and family to arrive so he could help Tony hold it up for a good outdoor photo.

The back is a huge piece of wide back in another kiwi inspired fabric called Kiwiana Koru Frond. The binding is more of the Moko fabric. 

It was an absolute delight to make. There’s something so satisfying about the simplicity of squares — the calm rhythm of straight lines, the ease of nesting seams, none of the drama of bias edges or tricky angles. Just fabric, shape, and flow. These blues and greens sing together exactly the way I hoped they would, each one adding its own note to the whole.

And there, sitting proudly on top, is the anchor — bold, steady, and unmistakably the star of the show. The quilting design, Waves, felt right not only for its name but for its gentle movement. It adds texture without stealing the spotlight. The anchor may shine, but those blues and greens hold the whole story together, the perfect sea for it to rest upon.

∘◦❀◦∘

Of course, no quilt around here gets finished without a little “help” from Tony. The final photo shows him unpacking his shopping all over my ironing board, happily showing me fishhooks and bits of tackle while I was trying to sew rows of squares together. He has an uncanny ability to appear exactly when I don't need interruptions, but he does it with such enthusiasm that I can’t help but smile as I roll my eyes.  

The rest of life doesn’t pause for quilting, and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I can't wait for June!

January Round‑Up and February Goals.

They say you should start the year as you intend to continue, and I was lucky enough to do exactly that. I rang in the New Year with Chooky and the girls on Zoom — stitching, chatting, laughing, and easing into 2026 with good company and a pile of hexagons. I was working over New Year’s as well, but the Zoom, the sewing, and the familiar faces are what stayed with me.

∘◦❀◦∘

Deana is running her Chookshed Challenge again this year to help everyone tackle their UFOs (and, let’s be honest, anything else we feel like throwing on the list). I’m not officially taking part this time, but I have committed to making a small list each month to keep myself focused. So here’s how January went.

January Goals

1) Keep working on my scrappy hexies

I was hoping to get them to lap‑quilt size and maybe even quilted and bound. I didn’t quite get that far, but I’m only a few hexies away now and very happy with the progress.

I’ve actually added a little more since this picture was taken.

2) Finish the poppy quilt and get it off the frame

It didn’t get finished… but it is off the frame. It’s currently folded and sitting in the naughty corner. I’ll get to it one day.

3) Make a start on Jiffy and Josie’s wedding quilt

I’m pleased to say I made more than a start — the top is finished, it’s quilted, and it just needs binding. Hopefully I’ll get to that later today.

4) Decide on this year’s ornament and hopefully make a start.

Well, I decided! I even pulled out some supplies… and that’s as far as that got.

One goal smashed, one politely ignored, one shoved out of the way, and one nearly done. 

Honestly, that’s a win.

∘◦❀◦∘

What Else Happened in January?

My girl Kaiy will be on the island for her brother’s wedding, so I decided she needed a quilt too. (Yes I know, I said no squirrels, but this squirrel is very important).  A rummage through my batiks drawer revealed more than enough in her favourite colours. All the cutting is done and everything is ready for sewing.

The majority of these fabrics have now been cut into 2.5 inch squares honest! The rest are sitting in reserve, just in case I did my sums wrong. LOL

∘◦❀◦∘

Tony and I finished a few jigsaws. Always fun. 

We also had a week away with friends. It was relaxing, full of good company, and we even brought home the fish we caught.

Back at home, the greenhouses and garden have been producing beautifully, so I’ve been busy in the kitchen making sauces and relish, and I even pickled some onions for Tony.

∘◦❀◦∘

February Goals 

Time to put some February goals down and see where life takes me.

1) Bind the Anchor quilt. and make a proper label

Not just my wee Loulee label — a real, grown‑up, proper label for this one.

2) Make huge progress on Kaiy’s quilt.

All the squares are cut, and the sashing fabric is sitting on the table. I just need to make a start and keep the momentum going and figure out a name for it.

3) Make a start on the ornaments.

It would be lovely to deliver three of them in person in June when I travel to the island for the wedding. There’s plenty of time… I just need to get busy.

4) Finish the hexie quilt.

A job that really shouldn’t take long if I get myself into gear.

No squirrels. No side journeys. Focus!

 

∘◦❀◦∘

Back on the Frame Again.

 Yesterday started just as planned, with a cauldron of relish bubbling away on the stove. I was up with Tony before six, so the pot was on before seven. It needs a good 90 minutes before anything else can happen, so I took the chance to relax and catch up on some blog reading.

Once Tony headed off to work and the cauldron had done its time, I moved on to the next steps of the recipe. While it bubbled some more, I set about loading the anchor quilt onto my frame.

I'm happy to report that there was plenty of backing fabric this time. 

With the relish still simmering, I wound four bobbins and got myself organised. When the relish was finally poured into sterile jars and the dishes were washed and put away, I treated myself to a quick cuppa before starting the quilting.

I was glad I’d chosen a simple design — it’s been a while, and I was definitely wobbling a bit. A practice piece might have been wise but never mind. It is what it is. The smell of vinegar still hung in the air, and it wasn’t a day for wide‑open windows, so a headache settled in and refused to budge. I decided to step away from the quilting at lunchtime.

I spent a while looking for this year’s Christmas ornament and I think I’ve found it, so the afternoon wasn’t wasted. Hopefully on my next days off I’ll have time to gather the supplies.

By the time Tony came home I was already back to quilting. I did a quick turn while tea cooked, then finished the quilting after we’d eaten. As you can see, it’s still not trimmed — that’s a job for the next round of days off.

Back to work today, so I might sew a few hexies, or maybe start joining those 2.5‑inch squares here and there before or after work.

The good news is the rain clouds have finally blown away, and the sun is supposed to return to Timaru. With any luck we’ll warm up and dry out a bit. Fingers crossed. I know some of you are hoping for cooler days and a drop of rain, while others are wrapped up avoiding the snow. Whatever your weather, I hope you have a wonderful day.

I Zoomed Along Today.

No work for me today, though I was still up early with Tony.  Once he had departed for work I continued the morning cutting squares for Kaiy’s quilt, but when Chooky opened up her Zoom chat I joined in there instead. I ended up spending a good portion of the day sewing and chatting with the girls. I forgot to grab a screenshot of the group, but trust me — all the regulars were there, chatting and sewing away as usual.

∘◦❀◦∘

I still haven’t quite finished cutting my 2.5" squares, so for the Zoom session I switched over to my hexies. This is where I was at when I picked it up this morning:

I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about this piece. It’s a true scrappy concoction — so many different fabrics, some mine, some bought ready‑basted from sales, op shops, and Facebook, and others just odd scraps that have drifted into my stash over time.

But I’ve enjoyed creating the flowers, and I’ve enjoyed the process of joining them, even if I did lose my way somewhere along the line and had to fill in a few gaps with random hexies. Never mind — it all adds to the scrappy charm.

Looking at it now, after today’s progress, I think I might be starting to like it again.

It looks small in this image, but I’m pretty sure it’s as big as it needs to be. Plenty big enough for a crib, or even a lap quilt. I’ll tidy up that right side and call it done. I’ve got a piece of polar fleece ready for the backing, so that part is sorted. I'm not sure when it will make it onto the frame for quilting, I'm hoping to load The Anchor tomorrow and make a start on that.

∘◦❀◦∘

During a break for tea, I sliced two bowls full of tomatoes, added 2 kg of onion, and left the whole lot to brine overnight. Tomorrow’s job will be making a batch of tomato relish — the house will smell amazing and hopefully I'll get a great start at quilting The Anchor while the relish is bubbling.

Not a bad way to spend a cool, grey day — with intermittent showers and the sun making the odd half‑hearted attempt to break through. A little stitching, a little chatting, and the promise of quilting and relish bubbling away tomorrow.

∘◦❀◦∘

Cutting My Way Through Kaiy’s Colour Palette.

In my last post, when I was swearing about ordering the wrong size of backing for the Anchor quilt, I mentioned an idea that just might use up those extra two metres of fabric. With all my chores completed on Thursday morning, I spent some time rummaging through my batik collection, looking for colours that might be perfect for my daughter, Kaiy. (I hope she's not reading this. She's been known to pop in from time to time. If you are Kaiy....Surprise! I'll see you in June and bring it along). 

I was fairly sure I knew Kaiy's preferences but thought I’d better check. She sent me a mood board — 

and I wasn’t far off the mark. She’s gotten a little brighter in her choices lately. A quick photo of my fabric pull went off to Janice to make sure nothing was trying to leap out of the pack, and then, after some quick maths (ably handled by the co‑pilot), I was off and running. I don’t even have to pull out a calculator anymore; I just waffle at the co‑pilot and it sorts everything out for me. I could get used to this.

Anyway! I told it my block plan, the size of the squares, the layout, and the size of my backing piece, and asked: how much fabric do I need? In no time at all it informed me that I’ll need 1,225 two‑and‑a‑half‑inch squares — about 22 fat quarters. I do have fat eighths and various bits and bobs in the mix, so I suggested aiming for 25 fat quarters’ worth, just in case. Co‑pilot agreed that was a sensible idea. It also worked out how much fabric I would need for sashing strips and binding! Amazing. I weeded out a couple of repeated fabrics and some in very similar colours. I'll keep them handy just in case. I think I ended up with 25 or 26 fat quarters worth of fabric pieces.

Then I started cutting… until my back complained. By that point I had about a third of these pretty pieces done. I spent the next couple of hours in my comfy armchair playing with hexagons. I really should take a new photo of those — they’re coming together slowly.

 ∘◦❀◦∘

This morning before work I pressed a few more fat quarters and a couple of fat eighths and even managed to get one cut before heading out the door to work. I’ll try to do the same over the weekend. Yes, I’m working, but that’s okay — I’ll be off on Monday and Tuesday. And my new piece of backing fabric should be delivered on Monday, so I’ll be spoiled for choice. 

∘◦❀◦∘

If you’re heading into a proper weekend, I hope it’s a lovely one. I’ll be working through mine, but there’ll be fabric waiting for me on the other side.

∘◦❀◦∘