From stitching to safari

So how did you spend your Saturday? Mine was quite nice, thank you. 

Who am I kidding? It was amazing!

It began with a morning visit to Wendi's quilting group in Bulawayo, and ended several hundred kilometers away sipping 'sundowners' in the bush and photographing giraffes.

Note yours truly standing in long grass. Aren't I brave?

It's always fun seeing what quilters in other places are making, and these were a few of the cute Show and Tell pieces on display at the Bulawayo Quilt Guild

Sourcing a range of good quality quilting fabrics hasn't been easy for these ladies for many years. Even mail order is difficult, so I think they do exceptionally well.

Those little frolicking sheep are all cross stitched.

Wendi had been asked to do a demonstration of the Disappearing Nine Patch Block, which she broadened to include even more aways to use charm squares.

Finally, to many 'oohs' and 'aahs', she inveiled her latest quilt top, the As Time Goes By quilt, where she used charm squares to make all those pinwheel blocks.

Inspired by the patchwork quilt on the bed in the TV series, "As Time Goes By", Wendi has spent months creating her own variation, with an exquisite feathered star medallion in the centre which she's going to dab with weak coffee to mellow the whiteness of the background fabric to tone in more with the reproduction fabrics.

The drive north through intermittent rain provided some stunning skies.

Our destination, Ivory Lodge, near the Hwange Game Park, was another 'pinch me' moment.

 

That's my kind of camping!