broderie

I couldn’t believe that two months had nearly passed since I did my last post, but lots have been happening and so enjoy some of my pictures that will tell the story

In July we gathered for another workshop with Margaret Sampson George and it’s always lovely to see the progress that has been made on the many wonderful quilts my friends are making, above is part of Sally’s, she thought she had finished, but she was issued a challenge and accepted it !

 Below is Jo’s Springfever, it’s so lovely !

And ‘Tile Tripping’ was also a popular new design in classes from Marg, this is Anne’s pictured below 

And also Anne’s Ruthy got her crown, there was concern for a long time that Ruthy would be faceless, so as you can see below, she’s now looking her best

Ange’s ‘Not the Levanshall’ is so pretty and almost finished ! Such pretty fabrics have been chosen and have come together so well 

Another bit of Sharon’s ‘Not the Levanshall’, she has delved into her large fabric supply and found some beautiful centres

Sorry ! These pics have loaded all over the place, but they are all lovely projects, this is more of Jo’s ‘Springfever’

An overall look at Sharon’s ‘Not the Levanshall’

And this sweet little nest, I’m so lucky Sharon gave me a piece of this special bit of fabric, very lucky !

On another day each month here at home a group of us come together to stitch with Christine Vlasic of Yarra Design and all of these quilts are so beautiful I think, it’s a very productive group ! Above is Wendy’s, so lovely and fresh in these colours, this pattern is not available yet.

below is Sharyn’s ‘Come in Spinner’, well one of her blocks

And below is Jenny’s ‘Bright Star’ now ready for hand quilting ! It’s beautiful !

Sharyn has now completed her ‘Come in Spinner’ top and it’s very lovely done in a very beautiful palette, it’s so good !

When I’m taking photos it’s so hard to keep the pointing fingers out ! So I mostly embrace them ! 

Another look at Jenny’s ‘Flying By’ a pattern of Christine’s ! This is all hand quilted and has it’s binding on and has been slept under and is just so beautiful, I’m sure sweet dreams were had during a good sleep !

And a new project from Christine in a lovely collection of soft colours !

 

On Instagram at the beginning of the year some of us challenged anyone who wanted to join in to make something featuring a three inch hexagon 3inchhexagonproject 

Christine has made a lovely quilt and featured her two sides as a scalloped edge, embracing the large hexagons, picture above, and the quilt below ! A new pattern is available in my Etsy shop

I also did the challenge and have made mine into a tablecloth to fit my big old table, pictured below, and there is also a pattern for my version in the Etsy shop

the link to my shop is in my side bar of my blog, there are lots of temptations for a new project there from all my friends and some from me too !

 Below is one of my latest bag designs in the series ‘It’s in the Bag’ , this one is ‘Blondies Bucket Bag’ and features some lovely pear fabric ! I love a pear !

How do you do most of your stitching, not that it matters at all, but all these projects that I have showed you,  have all been hand pieced and hand quilted ! Think of all those stitches put in by the busy hands and all the meters of cotton we have used collectively ! I often think about that .......................

for those of living in the Southern Hemisphere we are looking forward to Spring and  so I hope you enjoy these reminders that it is on the way, though in Melbourne, my home city it is going to be very cold this week  

The camellia bloom above was a big as a dinner plate and a friend had it floating beautifully in a large crystal bowl

and my favourite Euphorbias are bobbing around in the winter breezes, I love them 

Hope you have enjoyed this small glimpse into some of the lovely things I have seen over the last couple of months ! Back soon !

 

 

 

 

one more sleep

yes one more sleep and I will be home, back in melbourne after 2 months away in hobart, tasmania ! it's a home away from home that i always enjoy, spending time with my cousins and looking after a good friend's home and dog ! i'm sure you are all probably tired of my pics of roly, but he has been a great companion friend as dogs are to so many people

i love you roly !

living on the derwent river over the past 2 months i have enjoyed the changing conditions of water and sky, the everchanging clouds and beautiful colours are captivating. i will share some with you 

roly in a comfy bed at my cousin paula's home, his home away from home !

roly and lucy having a chat, dear old lucy is 16 years old !

there has been a little cottage industry production going on also and i'm bringing lots of these home to sell, love a good coat hanger and my other cousin barbie is in full production of these beauties

spring was taking over in the garden and the house was getting its summer look

and these succulents are also lovely, the shapes and colours are amazing

and a close up of this cloud

i didn't always have my head in the clouds, but they were lovely to spend time gazing at at and thinking, thinking, remembering and wondering ................. i like doing that !

and i've still been stitching, a bit of this and a bit more of that, changing according to the mood of the moment

and back to a scene on the river, so calm, so peaceful, taking some sort of fishing nets or crates out to sea

so it has been lovely, and a change of pace, lots to look at all different times of the day and evening

spring sprang in the garden !

the new fence was finished

the temporary fence was removed, which gave a greater area for our furry friends to discover, roly and i enjoyed our weekends in the 'country' with family and friends who came visiting 

love these boys

so it's home tomorrow night, up into that sky i've been looking at

it won't be blue

and it won't be silver, it will be dark ................ home tomorrow night !

thanks hobart, tasmania for another lovely visit

from my hobart homebase

not many ships passing on the river at this time of the year, the odd brave/crazy person/persons in their kayaks, but otherwise all quiet, just different moods with the changing hours and weather conditions

some lovely little details in this garden and with spring with us here in the southern hemisphere there are lots of the spring bulbs and blossoms popping up and opening out

lots of my favourite euphorbias !

and the blossoms

this lovely cream clivia has burst from its bud stage in all the beautiful sunshine we have had. hobart's weather is crisp, clear and sunny at this time of the year !

and i have been sewing, brought lots of my projects down with me and have been doing a bit of each of them, all getting a turn depending on my mood, the above picture is of my 'carousel' blocks, pattern by sandra boyle ! i have cut out my background fabric, some fabric i purchased from trish harper after a trip to india some years ago and has been sitting in my cupboard waiting for this quilt

i love the making of this quilt, lots of handpiecing involved, but worth it i think

i've also been adding more geese to 'flying by' my version of christine vlasic's pattern. i remember christine said when making hers, she used some of her favourite small bits of fabric that she had kept !!! i do the same, i keep small pieces of some fabrics that i just love ......... i wonder why we do this ......... for a few hexagons ........... or just to keep ! well i'm using mine in this quilt !

there are some that i have 'just been in love with' !!!

i have also been putting together some 'halo' blocks, the pattern is by jenny kingwell of amitie

and i also have been spending alot of time at my cousin paula's home here in hobart, roly the dear dog i'm looking after loves the company of all the family dogs, both resident and visiting with her son

as you can see, they were all enjoying the wet sunday just past, from the inside looking out ............ they all get on extremely well ........... now home alone i think roly is missing the other dogs and the rabbits and chooks and other wildlife that he can see through the window ! the two miniature horses are always present too, these pics just for you michelle !

mowing the back lawn area, and topping up with a carrot

zac and prissy are very lucky little horses, they have a 'mum' who loves them so much

and not far away is beautiful kingston beach, where my mother was born, the big old family general store was just a road width from this wonderul spot and i love making my visits here and the big old trees cast fantastic shadows on the sand

till next post, i will look out for some more photos to share with you !




 

 

 

 

spring in september

thankyou to everyone who sent me birthday wishes in the last post, very spoilt with your kindness and thoughts

i do so love this time of the the year, each evening the day lengthens slightly and the buds are bursting and the birds singing ! and after spending most of the autumn and winter inside healing my leg injury it has been lovely to finally be able to get out into the garden with my whipper snipper and make a difference !

it's not at all flash, but it's private and a space where i can get out and play in and if it wasn't for the pesky possums who also like it, the baskets would be far more lush etc, but you can't just keep replacing plants because of their diet

a new little cushion to the collection is this 'berries and bow' design by elizabeth bradley designs ( i just realised the picture is on its side, sorry ) but i have always loved this and very pleased with the end result ! a lovely memory of my friend sharon who did the tapestry section

an old cross stitch cushion worked in wool back in my teens, really vintage now !

my dear old friend who makes these beautiful little knitted people is not well after falling and breaking her hip ......... auntie barbie get better and stronger soon

playing with fabrics cutting lots of different shapes like this and ending up with lots of biggish scraps of fabrics that i love, so turning them into this collection

this is a very large glass vase and now it's nearly full of 1" hexagons

creating some new borders, these are all stitched down now

another bit of fabric play

this is my printers tray with some cottons and some old treasures from over the years

i have some of the printers trays to sell, $120.00 each, please send me an email if you are interested ( strictly pick up from me melbourne suburban area )

enjoy this wonderful springtime, the sunshine and the showers

pumpkin, cabbage and beautiful roses

i did say in my last post here that i would be back soon, well that did not happen ! call it the winter blues perhaps ! or being tied up in tight knots by all the arthritis !

september is here and winter in the southern hemisphere is officially over, spring has brought us new fresh bits, flowers and more colours to make us happy !

love these old lillies

such beautiful form, simple colours, nature is amazing

and unpacking the shopping after a trip to the supermarket

could not resist this very small half savoy cabbage along with the other colourful fruits and veg on the bench at home, a photo was taken ! 

and a bunch of mint, wish you could smell it !

and i bought some tulips, guess you were thinking roses because of my heading for this post ! but no, i have been stitching some old rose fabrics and chintzes

into these lovely blocks, all soft and pretty 

and then there is this

love these !

away from home

i have been missing from these pages and september is gone and october has begun today and away from home i have not got my photo editing to play with and its time to do a post.

a few renovations going on here but the view though always changing is always here

the tall ships came and went sailing on the derwent river, what a great sight it was and so fortunate to be here at the right time

these pictures are of them leaving after the five day festival

this silverbeet as well as snow peas and spinach have been plentiful from the garden, so lovely to just step out riverside to pick some fresh produce, with all the sun and lots of rain at night everything is growing beautifully

and this was as the sun was rising one morning, not a sight is see very often !

and whose been sleeping in my chair

is that you roly ? is it you roly ? he was very sulky this day and was ignoring me and sat in my chair so i couldn't ............

i have been sewing all sorts of bits, no new projects really, just some new bits to add to those already started 

been a little shopping at the local shops by me and my friends who have come visiting, supporting the local retailers and just visiting some of the places i love here, living a simple life and spending a lot of time just staring, just being !

and this is a water colour of the general store and family home where my mother was born and grew up in at Kingston Beach here in Hobart Tasmania, sadly it is no longer standing, pulled down and replaced by an ugly concrete building.

be back soonish !

spring is in the air

and it's a beautiful sunday, father's day and the beginning of a new month !

this old birds nest fern that has travelled with me for years, loves its new spot and has new growth everywhere ! it has a real history !

and my favourite euphorbias are speaking to me at my back door, the fresh green looking lovely in one of my blue pots

we all have things started but not finished, personally i have many, but marilyn has renewed interest in her crazy patchwork quilt started years ago with robyn melia

not lots to do to complete this, i'll show you more as we go

sharyn arrived in her very springlike new scarf

jenny brought some daffodils for daffodil day, lovely at the kitchen sink !

lovely fresh vegies for dinner one night

the indian hawthorne hedge at the front of my home is just a picture at the moment, new place, new bits to admire in the garden !

so green and lush and with the white flowers, it is a pleasure to have in the garden

and this is a very sweet version of bridget giblin's small hexagon purse that beverley has made for her grand daughter, lily ! i was just helping getting the clip on !

this cyclamen, both by name and colour has continued to delight since it was given to me by michelle, thanks for the happiness you left with me !

packing a bag, i'm away for a little while !

 

 

 

 

tea and roses

so many beautiful roses in the last couple of weeks

and some lilly of the valley

lots of flowers and cups of tea

some sewing, packing and heading south for a couple of weeks today 

 

big bloomers !

this weekend in my home town has been so beautiful, the air a bit warmer and the sun shining, makes you feel that the change in season is coming fast. 

friends have been bringing flowers and they are so lovely to have in the house !

these from a friend last sunday, i am very fond of hellebore's, and then yesterday i was lucky enough to get some more from another friend who knows i love them so !

thanks so much, many of the gardens in my area have them growing in abundance.

and there were also these gorgeous daffodils, no ordinary daffs these ones, all double and very interesting, as i said gorgeous blooms from another friend, thank you !

and then there are the big bloomers i have been playing with 

my tumblers are also growing !

and anna picked up her cushions, this is a pattern from mrs sew and so and will go so beautifully with a quilt in blue and white that she has already made. a combination of applique and embroidery, a lovely project!

 in this one the fabric appliqued for the eyes was a perfect choice !

and some more flowers from my neighbours !

that's all from me, back soon with some new items !

 

 

spring signs

today was such a lovely sunny, almost spring day here in melbourne, so nice to see and feel.

these little violets from my garden, you could smell the perfume in the air when i was outside this morning, so i picked a few !

 and i have been playing with these big bloom fabrics

playing with the colours, spring must be on my mind

and thanks for your reaction to 'dancing dollies', many of you can expect them in the post in the next few days

a new month again tomorrow, august is here !