Wednesday 10 July 2013

Summer Time

Summer time is certainly here and what a wonderfully sunny and warm week we've been having.... here is a little bright and summery sewing project i've been finishing off sitting in the shady/sunny garden.........a cherry patchwork potholder for my summer kitchen.............
 ...............the lovely fabrics are from the very talented lori holt's bake sale collection for riley blake and i couldn't wait to make something with them.................i bought them from here................loved making the hexies..............i want to do lots more hand sewing over the summer...........
 .............and the fabrics are so sweet,  especially the cherries on pink....and the recipe ones....and the lattice patterns........ and the kitchen utensils prints which look so pretty with some of my little kitchen cross stitch designs................the gingham edging is from another of my fabric favourites, pam kitty love :)...............
                ...........i will be showing more makes from these fabrics very soon................
 ..............there were lots of real cherries around this week....some delicious dark red ones from the greengrocer's and some small pretty ones dropping off our neighbour's ornamental cherry tree at just the right moment to be gathered up for my photoshoot................
 ..............the beautiful weather arrived just in time for my birthday....and thank you to everyone who left me such kind wishes for a happy day, you are all such lovely readers :).............we had a picnic in the country, a walk amongst beautiful rose gardens and afternoon tea there too.......and in the evening my daughter sarah and her hb and children came round with dinner for us and lovely presents.........
............ at the weekend we had more celebrations with all my dearies here.........thank you for your sweet wishes for my daughter rosie too...she had a lovely birthday as well, and got engaged on it!!....so our weekend was filled with romance, sunshine, blue sky, pimms, strawberries and cream, wonderful wimbledon tennis, meals and bbq's, family old and young........and lots of cake..................
 ...............some of my presents .......a rainbow of crochet hooks which are neatly enclosed in their own little stripy roll.........so looking forward to trying out the different sizes...........
 ..............a special jug with flowers from the garden, the nostalgic scent of the mock orange bringing back so many memories...........and below the sweetest little vintage inspired dog from northern primitives here........... so happy to have one of these little animals which i have long admired...............
                        ................other lovely treats will be appearing in future posts :).................
 ...............the flowers have been blooming away too, glad not to be battered by the wind and rain at last..........these pink roses are from a lovely big old rambly bush near the bottom of the garden which has a lot more blooms this year.................i love to arrange them with some alchemilla mollis.......
............a quick picture of the cutting garden as the sweetpeas begin their scramble up the canes and lots of little flowers begin to open up in the warmth too............i don't know how long this weather is going to stay, but this little scorchio spell has been amazing :).............thank you again for your kind wishes, comments and emails................wishing you happy summer days and lovely crafty times......back soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxoooooooooooooooooooxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

51 comments:

  1. Helen, It sounds like you had a very lovely birthday!! Your cherry potholder is adorable and you sure used such cute fabric!! It is a beautiful post with all your pretty flowers and gifts!!

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  2. Oh, everything is lovely as always! I just adore the hexi potholder...I might have to make some of those!

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  3. So glad you had a wonderful family birthday Helen, you did get some beautiful presents!
    Congratulations to your daughter and her fiancé on their engagement, busy happy times ahead! :)
    I love your little potholder, much too nice to be near any pots though!
    V xxx

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  4. Looks like you had a wonderful time, congratulations! love to read and look at your post again, all so lovely. And a very cute doggie. Groetjes, Gerda

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  5. Congratulations to your daughter!! Yay! And gorgeous pot holder!!

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  6. Happy belated birthday Helen! I love your potholder. It is so darling. Love the little dog too.

    Sounds like you had a wonderful birthday.

    Judy

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  7. What wonderful presents! Glad you and your daughter had great birthdays and an engagement too!

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  8. So glad you both had a wonderful birthday!! And, congrats to your daughter on getting engaged!! So fun! I love, love your cherry and hexie pot holder!! So sweet! Your flowers are so gorgeous, and how cute are those strawberry napkins!! Oh my!! Have a lovely week! xo Heather

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  9. So happy the weather was perfect for birthday (and engagement ) celebrations!! Love the pot holder! Happy stitching xoxo

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  10. Happy Birthday to both you and your daughter and congratulations to her on the engagement. I love love the hexie and cherry potholders. So sweet. The little terrier is adorable. We can always count on you for a lovely post filled with beautiful photos!
    jan@sewandsowfarm

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  11. What a lovely weekend. Congratulations on your daughter's engagement, how exciting! xx

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  12. Oh my, your family had a wonderful weekend! Congrats to your daughter! Love the potholder, I'm really wanting to do some hexagons. Enjoy your creative week! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  13. Hi Helen,So glad the weather was good on your birthday!!!!Sounds like it was a really nice day out for everyone!!!Love the potholder and adore the fabrics!!!!Have a sunny and happy day!!!
    Love
    AMarie

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  14. Congratulations!!!So wonderful news!
    Your fabrics are adorable Helen, your hands are magic!
    Thank you and have a nice summer week end!
    Kisses!
    Olympia

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  15. Everything is so gorgeous as always! I do love the new fabrics from Lori too. Congrats on your daughter's engagement - now you can look forward to all the fun of planning a wedding :-)
    Enjoy the sunshine!
    Xx

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  16. Gorgeous photos always so clean & fresh looking xxx sounds like a great birthday and huge congratulations to your daughter on her engagement xxx

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  17. Sounds like you had a wonderful birthday and congratulations to your daughter too. You use such lovely colours. The weather is so different from this time last year, you have the most beautiful flowers.
    Julie xxxxxxxx

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  18. Happy belated birthday! Sweet little patchwork there, and oh those flowers....gorgeous! :) x

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  19. sounds like you had a very special birthday and your gifts look lovely - the crochet hook roll looks adorable.
    I mustn't forget your pot holder which is of course very beautiful - hope you have a sunny day x

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  20. What a wonderful birthday and lovely gifts. Many congratulations to your daughter on her engagement. I adore your pot holder, it is just so pretty.
    M x

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  21. It looks and sounds like life couldn't get much better, Helen, surrounded by such love and colour and creativity and generosity! Congratulations on all the wonderful events you celebrated! Chrissie x

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  22. Sounds like the perfect birthday, to be honest I can't imagine anything better. What love gifts you received. I LOVE the dog, ita adorable. Speaking of love I absolutely love your gorgeous potholder it is so gorgeous. Yea it certainly is the perfect weather for hand sewing. Your garden is looking wonderful, I wish my sweet peas were there yet, but I need to stay patient. Enjoy this weather and thank you for always leaving such lovely comments on my blog. Here is to a happy year for you dear Helen xoxo

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  23. I just love visiting here, it's like a ray of sunshine all year around!
    Everything is so beautiful and full of inspiration!
    Hugs, Shari♥

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  24. Great to hear about all the reasons for celebrating around your place, Helen.

    Your cherry potholder is truly a work of art...I would be very hesitant to actually use it, but would want to admire all its pretty fabrics and fine stitching. The gingham binding makes a perfect frame.

    Every one of your photos in and out of the garden sings a great summer song.

    Wishing our NYC summer would soon lose some of its heat and humidity. The air is thick!

    xo

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  25. Happy belated birthday Helen!!
    Those hexagons are so sweet!
    Glad you had a lovely birthday with your loved ones.
    Pati x

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  26. Helen! Your post is very interesting and clear for me! I'm learning English and trying to read more and more...i like knitting, crocheting and other needlework. I always read your blog, look at wonderful photos, read lots of comments too! Thank you very much for your excellent English and beautiful projects!!! Happy birthday!!! Later is better than never!
    Maria from Moscow

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  27. What an exciting weekend you had Helen, many congratulations to your dear daughter. I love the cherries in your sewing, what a sweet little quilt that made. This wonderful hot sunny weather is bringing everything on a treat isn't it. Long may it last. Jane x

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  28. Hello Helen, belated Happy Birthday to you. I think you enjoyed yourself and your prezzies look great!
    I love your patchwork, and the fabrics are really sweet. Aren't cherries so pleasing to the eye?
    The weather has been amazing hasn't it?
    We are off to southern Ireland tomorrow for a week's hols, so lets hope the weather stays.
    Much love to you, Linda xxcoin

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  29. Hi Helen I adore you work and your photography is just wonderful, everything that I aspire to. I am so glad that you had a lovely birthday, you so deserve it Helen and your family obviously appreciate what a talented and warm person they have. Enjoy your weekend, it looks as if we still may enjoy the sun for a little longer.
    Lots of love
    Dorothy
    :-)xxxxxxxxxxx

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  30. I love to visit your sweet place and see the cheery projects you are working on. Happy birthday past!

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  31. Hi Helen..cherries yum! That is a very cute appliqued cherry you've made and the hexies are sweet too. It is strawberry season here on the Sunshine Coast and we have enjoyed a few punnets full too with cream of course. Wishing you a lovely sunny weekend!

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  32. Dear Helen, sounds you have had most wonderful time! Congratulations to you and your daughter! What a lovely presents and your new hexie potholder is adorable! Have a great weekend! x Teje

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  33. Belated happy birthday! Sounds like you had a fab weekend, well deserved! Yes, weather is spoilig us this year, lets make the most of it :)

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  34. What a lovely sunny birthday and family engagement party. l love the cherries and the summer fabric. Thank you for sharing your presents and beautiful flowers from your garden. Pat x

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  35. Gorgeous summery fabrics Helen...your pot holder is so pretty! Congratulations to your Rosie on her engagement too..x
    Your pink roses are beautiful and I love all your birthday treats...If your hooks are the Clover Amour they have become my definite favourites...they are so comfortable to use!
    Enjoy the sunshine,
    Susan x

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  36. Auguri di Buon Compleanno. Seguo volentieri il tuo blog, molto vivo e colorato. Ciao

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  37. It sounds like the best kind of birthday!

    I think you know what a huge Northfields Primitives fan I am ... I'm building a whole menagerie here! Your tiny hound is delightful :)

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  38. Gorgeous gifts and amazing appliqué! Glad you had a blissful birthday!

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  39. Hello Helen. I really do admire your work. You really have a good eye. Loving the cherry design so cute x

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  40. Happy belated birthday my friend...I am in love with your cherry design..we have been eating cherries for a while now...love them. I really want to make jam out of them soon. Hope your Summer is going well. Take care. xo

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  41. A wonderful post Helen with so many happy memories for you and your family. The pot holder is lovely and I like all the fresh colours and cherry in the middle! Great birthday pressies too!!! x

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  42. Bright and sunny , as always..
    Hugs and a wonderful weekend
    Erna xx

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  43. What lovely fabrics again, Helen! I love the cherries - edible and otherwise! A friend who comes to my crochet group was also given a set of hooks in its own holder for her birthday last week. Clearly the ideal gift for the best birthday girls!

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  44. Hi Helen,

    Happy belated birthday to you and your daughter Rosie. Your received some wonderful presents. Thank you for your sweet comment on my blog too!

    Your first sweet peas look lovely! Hope mine will be in bloom soon too.

    Happy week! Enjoy the sun.

    Madelief x

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  45. Lovely pot holder - too nice to get dirty holding a pot though!

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  46. Happy Belated birthday! It sounds like you had a wonderfully exciting one with an engagement too!
    We have lots of July birthdays in our family too plus yours on on our Independence Day here in the U.S. and I have 2 grandchildren who have them on the 5th and 6th and of course they think the fireworks are just for them and we don't tell them any different! LOL!
    I had to go catch up as I've been remiss in visitng my blogging friends...busy trying to tame the yard! Now it's getting so hot that I can't be out there but early morning and evening.
    I wanted to mention I finally got your book back from my friend. Did I tell you, I had hardly gotten to look at it when I loaned it to a friend? So, she returned it and I am settling in tonight with tea and your book. I love Lori Holt's fabrics and cherries are my absolute fav so I will be thinking of those fabrics and how I can utilize them in your/my projects from your book. I love your Home Sweet Home quilt and your quilt labels. I remember the one you made with the crocheted lace around it which I adored.
    The little doll quilt with the pillow and cross stitched strawberry? TOO CUTE! I could go on and on as I love everything you do. I also love the bright colored crochet hooks you received for your birthday and the little terrier? Precious as are all the things she creates.
    You are so pretty too! I have never seen such a good looking grandmother! Your picture was in the book. It must be all that "misting" you get over there....keeps your complexion moisturized! LOL! Keep your creativity coming too as God knows I don't have any! LOL! Take care and keep enjoying your summer!

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  47. Oh c`est tres jolie ! J`adore tout la couleur tout !!

    Bone semaine!!

    Maria xxx

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  48. Helen's hexies...I love it!

    No heatwave here on the east coast - it's quite lovely and cool.

    Nina x

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  49. Dear Helen,

    Seems that you had such happy times, belated happy birthdays to you! And oh how cute those crochet hooks are in their matching stripy-case, I see many pretty granny squared being made with those...

    Happy weekend!

    Yours,
    Mia

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  50. Every post you do is delightful! So many pretty fabrics and designs! Enjoy your week and the fun times ahead! Sweet hugs!

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  51. Those are very beautiful, good job!

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Thank you for your lovely words...I so enjoy your comments and read them all.