Hi Everyone

Hope you have all enjoyed the Easter Holidays. The weather in my part of old Blighty has been most enjoyable. Small jobs have got done in the garden, today I was on pond cleaning duties which is quite smelly as the water had gone very green and it reminded me of a seaweed estuary. It was very satisfying when completed. Birds do not seem to mind the horrible water and we had one frog which I rescued and he hopped away – hope he comes back. Anyway at 9:30 this morning I took the following photograph and there was a bright rainbow halo to the sun – does this have a special name?

Also the fern is beginning to unfurl – they look so mysterious

And to end a pretty picture in pink

That is the pond before being cleaned.

Bye for now

Sorry forgot to mention that we have a blackbird nesting and a robin nesting as well as the return of the bats or rather they came from their roosting site because of the warmer weather. They whizz around the garden faster than Lewis Hamilton (not quite sure on that fact) but they are delightful to watch. Do you have any unusual creatures visit your garden?

Daisy x

Hi Everybody

Hope you have lots of chocolate, flowers and hot cross buns to delight you.

I have finished my Daybreak Quilt – here is a photo

This is my first quilt finish totally, I have various other quilts in the quilting stage and am getting more confident with every stitch. I haven’t measured this but would say it makes a lap quilt.

Thats all for now, hope you have a few nice days over the Easter Period.

Daisy x

Hi Everyody

Feeling much better now and have been sewing my Nashville Quilt. I need so many little 1.5″ squares in black and ivory. I’ve also had a problem with one of the blocks already made but I have re-jigged how the quilt will look and that has solved the problem. So much mathematics – you need a degree to work it out sometimes. I much prefer language to maths anyday.

Well enough of that – here are the photos

I have sewn the two silhouettes together and they make 15″ which is good and then the strap line “Spirit of Nashville” will sit as shown but needs an inch either end and then that leaves me with 12″ divided by 2. Perfect! The area above will be 1.5″ black squares and then according to my original projections I think that 2 rows of black 1.5″ squares are required underneath.

On the middle section I have sewn loads of ivory squares together in strips and attached them to the chair sections. I thought it would look too pale so decided to fussy cut the star and make that the centre of the dance floor. At the moment it measures 9″ square and my feeling is to sew two more rounds giving me a 15″ square, the next row to be in red 18″ square, and then ivory making it 21″ square.

Lets hope that all works out otherwise back to the drawing board.

Bye for now

Daisy

Now why not pop along to the other members to see how they have progressed on their individual projects.

Kathy, Margaret, Deb, Nanette, Sharon, Karrin, Daisy and Theresa

Well as I have been off ill from paid work, the opportunity to sit and watch the garden in the spring sunshine was one not to pass up as Mrs Blackbird is fervently building her nest. To my dismay, she arrived on her second forage with a piece of plastic and before I reached the door ( not very speedy on one crutch), she was in the nest area in the Choisia. Why we leave plastic lying around I do not know! A few minutes later she left and Mr Blackbird arrived, he isn’t helping with the nest building but he dived straight in and to my delight had the plastic in his beak and promptly flew off with it. Mrs Blackbird arrived with several long pieces of grass and shrubbery. She didn’t seem to notice that the plastic was missing and there was no screeching at the husband so his good deed passes without remark.

I have also managed a little sewing between the coughing fits and headaches – so do you remember this

Well it is now hand quilted – I didn’t really have a plan but decided to stitch closely to the seams making complete squares of the central designs and then a concentric square around that. Photos show it best. I chose three different threads Aurifil No. 2312 a light beige, Aurifil thread 2318 a golden colour and Aurifil variegated thread 4668.

The backing fabric is from “Folklore” Moda fabrics.

Well that is all for now.

Daisy x

My apologies for missing the SAL on Sunday 3rd April but I have been terribly ill with a heavy cold and a mega migraine attack. I will have something to show next time though.

Daisy

Hello Everybody

I haven’t done a garden update for what seems like ages, so here are loads of photos of wildlife and flowers amongst the various trees in our garden. I like knowing that we are doing our bit to help the wildlife, especially the bees. Very large bumble bees love the Pieris forest flame flowers – some with white bums some with yellow. Can you see his little wings in the second frame?

My husband refurbished this jackdaw (which he purchased last halloween) with some black Hammerite paint – it has a nice sheen to it. The robin pays no attention to it and blatantly sits on his head – bold as brass!

Rhododendrum buds awaiting to burst and Camelia bud just opening.

Photinia – Crispy Pink and Pieris – Forest Flame in full bloom.

Last but not least – an “arty” photo of our palm tree

Well that is all for now.

Daisy

Hello everybody

I have achieved a little on my Nashville Quilt, having had to redo some calculus on the middle section as the table and chair blocks came to a strange size. So I have now imagined that the table and chairs are sectioned within a booth. See photo below ……

These will be placed at the bottom of the middle section either side and some bars and barstools added around the edge and then their is an empty middle section of ivory squares – perhaps an area to dance to the music.

Well that is me this week, so grab a cuppa and see what our other members have achieved these past three weeks.

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Margaret, Deb, Nanette, Sharon, Karrin, Daisy and Theresa

Hi Everyone

I know it it unusual to here from me on a Saturday but I wanted to show you what I had achieved this past week – although two days have been lost to a migraine attack with a very disturbing addition of feeling faint. However, I have recovered and stitched a lot of different items, so in no particular order

Some stitching on the Flower Fairy Quilt … actual colour is green and pink background to the fairies. This was the more relaxing item to stitch.

Some stitching on Sophia Loren …. the black section is part of her hair. I can feel her eyes following me as I stitch.

The Stag Quilt has also progressed ..

Two rows are complete with additional side block panel in the first photo and various blocks in varying stages of completion in the second photo.

Well thanks for popping by and take care.

Daisy

Hello Everybody,

As some of you know from a previous post I have completed Lady Greensleeves, hooray, hooray a happy dance day.

I first blogged about this project in March 2017, and 4 years later (that is what a WIP is), 61,600 stitches later on the 4th March 2022 it is complete. I keep gazing at the finished piece – in awe of how beautiful it really is. (Sorry if that sounds like blowing me own trumpet.)

Well I have chosen my new project, again it is rather large and it is Modern Folk Embroidery’s “The Fruit of Plenty” designed by Jacob de Graaf as a SAL last year but I just paid for the downloads so I could stitch within my own time schedule. Jacob showed his design in two shades of blue but I have chosen two shades of purple DMC as my main colours accentuated with black for the birds and squirrels and a dark green shade for the twiggy bits in the design.

Deep Purple shade 3837; Lilac Shade 554; Black 310; Deep Green 319.

Well lets show some some pictures of my start ……..

Well that is me for this week – so please take a peek at what the other members of this sewing group have achieved on their various projects.

Daisy

Avis, Claire, Gun, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Megan, Deborah, Carmela, Sharon, Daisy, AJ, Cathie, Linda, Helen

Hi Everybody

I’m so excited – hip hip hoorah!! I’ve finished Lady Greensleeves.

I first blogged about this project in March 2017, and 4 years later (that is what a WIP is), 61,600 stitches later on the 4th March 2022 it is complete. I now have to think about the picture frame – do I go for an antique style frame, a gilt frame as in the photo artwork or a dark green frame to carry on the green theme (who knew there were so many greens?) Arhh! decisions decisions!

And now I have to decide on my next project – I could start something new or use Sophia Loren as my project. I do have a dowload from last years SAL at Modern Folk Embroidery or another project that I have a printed pattern for or I could use the Butternut Road design that I had started at work. You will have to wait and see but for now ……

I’m H.A.P.P.Y I’m H.A.P.P.Y I know I am, I’m sure I am, I’m H.A.P.P.Y

Does anyone remember that sitcom with James Bolam set in a hospital ward.? Revealing my age a bit here!

Daisy