There are a few changes happening in the Studio Barn at the moment — including the rather exciting addition of a bathroom! But I've also been puzzling over another improvement. I would really like a permanent way to hang my quilts for photography, so I'm currently plotting a pulley system that would let me raise and lower them easily. In my head it works beautifully… whether the ropes and pulleys agree remains to be seen! So here's my question for you: How do you hang your quilts when you want to photograph them? Have you devised something clever, or is there usually a willing helper standing just out of shot with aching arms? 😂 I'd love to see your solutions — photos are very welcome!

Have you got an Un-Finished Object (UFO) hiding somewhere in your sewing room? 😊 We've all got them... those projects that started with great excitement and somehow found their way into a basket, drawer or cupboard! This weekend, instead of starting something new, why not choose just one unfinished project and spend 15 minutes with it. No pressure to finish it. Just find it, unfold it, admire how far you've already come... and perhaps stitch a seam or two. I'd love to see what resurfaces! 📸 Pop a photo in the comments—even if it's only a pile of pieces or a project bag. Every finished quilt was once an unfinished project. Let's encourage each other to give those forgotten projects a little love. 💛

Not everything happening around here involves fabric and thread! I've been trying to make a few things around the barn look a little better, and this cupboard is currently a work in progress. As you can see, I'm very much at the halfway painting the inside stage! 😄 It did get me thinking though — sometimes it's quite satisfying to stop sewing for a while and tackle one of those jobs you've been meaning to do forever. So that's a little glimpse of what's happening here today. So I'm curious — are you a one-project-at-a-time person, or do you have several things on the go at once?

Would it be Japan? The USA? France? New Zealand? 😉 Or somewhere you've always dreamed of visiting? Tell us where—and why!

Hi everyone, I love attending quilting retreats - do you? I have attended many retreats over the years, both local in NZ and also some overseas. Many years ago I was able to attend a retreat in London, UK. More recently I have attended several in USA. I have friends who run quilting retreats in NZ, these, of course, need to be supported! Do you love to attend retreats? tell us more, we would love to hear where you go, what you do at retreat and anything else you would like to share about retreats.