just before christmas i said i would be back back in a week, how has that turned into 3 months ! and now it is nearly easter ! thanks to those of you who have been in touch to see if i was ok, it is always good to know that people and readers of this blog care enough to get in touch
the summers here in australia can be harsh on the gardens, this year in melbourne, my home city, it hasn't been too bad. i always love the hydreangeas and this year was no exception
bringing them inside to the various corners of my home gives great pleasure
made a couple of 'elements bags' a new pattern from margaret sampson george, available in the etsy shop on my side bar ! these are great fun to do, use the elements in the pattern and add some of your own to personalise your bag
here are two made by ange and narelle
lots of broderie perse of bits of your favourite fabrics and some simple embroidery stitches just give them an edge and they are simple to make up, instructions included in the pattern
order a pattern and have a go, they are good fun and a fast project
back into the garden, this white crepe myrtle is just outside my kitchen window and is so beautiful, until the possums come and destroy it, they eat the buds of the flowers and then when they have all gone start on the leaves, so instead of lots of flowers and lots of beautiful coloured leaves in the autumn, you just have to take what's left. i know many people love them, possums that is, but i'm not a fan
visiting a friend for a sewing day, i was in awe of their beautiful veggie garden, everything was so lush and so green, very inspiring
i opened a bag, knowing what was in it, but something i hadn't been to for a long time, lots of tumblers cut out and ready to sew up all in blue and green. i have sewn quite a bit, one other thing i must give some attention to, i have a few bags and projects just hanging waiting
started some new cross stitch on january 1st, in a sew along with the crewel gobelin in sydney, new south wales. you know what it's like, always good to start a new project, and i'm also stitching thimbles !
lots of those cut out also, those who know me know about my passion for cutting out, all with my templates, pencil and scissors, love it !
some 'marrakesh stars' from christine vlasic's pattern, there is a group of us stitching with her once a month and these belong to one of the girls ! we are all doing different things
the embroidery girls had also been busy over the last few months, 'mrs sew and so' and the girls produce some beautiful work. this belongs to anna, the embroidered sections are being appliqued to a background
and still in the hoop is jan's beautiful embroidery, lovely textures
the colours are also so gentle, unusual for jan who is usually bright, i love this
this is a little section of a piece gail herself has been working on, love a bird !
kerryn too has been very busy and finished her latest project, well done kerryn, not known for her 'speed' ! just an in joke with the group
over the past eighteen months i have been running a programme, cutting and preparing hexagon blocks for over 40 participants, all people i know, using my own fabrics, based on my knowledge of these people and the colours they like and/or their personalities, a combination. over many years i have purchased lots and lots of templates and they have been living happily in a bag for a very long time, i have known most of the participators for a very long time, some are getting to the finished stage, they are breaking some of the rules, but rules are meant to be broken ! the one above is jan;s
this one is anna's, and below is marion's
i have and am still enjoying this process, still going with many !
then at the end of february, another margaret sampson george workshop was held and many of the girls had reached the nearly finished point of their projects
this is marie's, top finished and ready to be hand quilted
marie has so enjoyed the make of this quilt top, working along with marg and planning the bits and choosing the fabrics. i think the result of the collaboration has produced a wonderful finish and can't wait to see it quilted
anne's first workshop with marg was just over 12 months ago and she was going to do 'bombay blooms', but after some 'influence' shall we say from her friends, this is what anne has produced. she loves applique, not so keen on paper piecing, so i'm happy to do her papers anytime and maybe she can do some of my what i call 'difficult' applique. anne has also reached the quilting stage with this, oh what a beauty !
wendy, (is she that friend i was just referring to), she is, has also been very busy doing all her wonderful circles for her version of 'jane pizar', she has added a 'margagon' ! this is going to be beautiful !
sally's version of 'not the levenshall' is very pretty, using some big florals
and you saw the 'elements bags' earlier !
amanda's 'going green' is still progressing, i love this picture, showing all the wonderful mix of pattern and colour of the fabrics she is using and marg is the master of playing with
tracey has chosen 'elements' from different msg inspirations and added bits of her own to her quilt top which is such fun and very quirky, its just gorgeous
here is some detail, very clever
are you still with me
narelle has finished her quilt top also and is now in the quilting process, the good thing about this also is that the girls are all starting their new projects, exciting
so much beautiful detail in this quilt, well done narelle !
meaghan has done some beautiful applique stitching and her 'fly away with me' which is progressing well
here is a good collection of fabric to play with !
catherine was building her vase of flowers beautifully and her backgound green is a wonderful colour. also hope that knee replacement is coming along also !
back to some work from sally, this is her sheet
lovely play with the fabrics
one of the carolyn's gorgeous sheet top, lots of rabbits with personalities on this (did someone say it's nearly easter)
and this gorgeous mix is the beginning of something new for anne, using some of her treasures, some small hand painted panels from 'patchwork house', a well loved patchwork shop in melbourne in its days, but sadly no longer, and some fabrics that were part of anne's sister's collection. this quilt will be a special memory for anne and of her sister who died far too soon a couple of years ago. i've already seen some of its progress and it's lovely, building a medallion.
then, another workshop was over and we all packed up and went home, marg went home to her place for a short visit and i went on a short visit to hobart to look after my dog ! will show you some more pics of all of that next time, very soon i promise