Monday 22 August 2016

Flowers and Sewing

 Here is my rosy patchwork all finished and up in my sewing room....this is the trip around the world mini quilt that i showed you back in june when i paper pieced together the squares of pink and green fabrics from pam kitty garden, lecien and lakehouse studio.............
 ............i really like the trip around the world pattern and am working on a two other versions at the moment............my work in progress list is rather long just now and includes work projects, ones for fun and exploring new ideas and ones that have been started a while ago and get added to now and then which makes them hang around a long time.......but with crafting the joy is in the journey not just the finished projects i do believe :) ........
 ................i found some bellis daisies this morning at the garden centre and had to bring them home....such favourites that i always get them when i see them and they have inspired many a design.....
 ...............the rosy trip around the world as a finished block above and below when machine quilted in a gentle wave pattern..................
 ..........my longarm quilter lady is wonderful at transforming my quilt tops for me.......
 ................below is the beginning of a new applique quilt block for a new quilt that i have had in mind for a long time and now i am rather excited that it has begun.....
 .........inspired by flowers, by history and by antique quilts, this will be a lovely one to make and eventually i hope to share the pattern with you............
 ................more applique flowers below...........as well as real ones from the cutting patch.....
 ...............this design is appliqued using fusible web and blanket stitched round the edges.......
 ...............a sewing room picture from the weekend.......delicious scented and colourful sweetpeas, such a pleasure to have nearby while stitching busily.............
 ................below are the sweetpea and runner bean canes in our garden, with the plants growing well and twining happily upwards.....
 ...........and below is a picture of the cutting garden with its surprising number of orange flowers...........another surprise is the plants that did not come up or simply disappeared.........where did the hollyhocks go i wonder?.......probably the slugs and snails had them for dinner........
 ...............below is not my garden but a national trust garden with a gorgeous display of hollyhocks...sigh.....maybe next year........off to stitch some more flowers now and enjoy the sunshine which has peeked out again after a morning of rain............
..................thank you for dropping by dear readers and for leaving me such kind comments......it is always a pleasure to see you........wishing you a happy crafty week with lots of flowers to enjoy.......back soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

25 comments:

greenrabbitdesigns said...

Your rosy patchwork is so pretty Helen, pink and green are so good together! Your new flowery blocks are beautiful too.
I love bellis daisies, I actually have some coming back from last year, that has never happened before!! I do know what you mean about slugs and snails, they ate all my courgette seedlings and have helped themselves to quite a lot of other things too!
'with crafting the joy is in the journey'....I love that Helen! have a good week,
V x

KC'sCourt! said...

Pretty pretty quilt. I have the same problem with slugs and snails.
I even tried growing Sweetpeas in a pot once standing it on a wire grid and still the slugs and snails managed to eat the seedlings

Julie xxxxxxx

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

Gorgeous adorable quilt
The round flower motif is beautiful. Those kind of flower have a personality that speaks to kinder days.

Susan said...

I love your trip around the world mini quilt. I have so many of those fabrics and find them so cheerful. Sweet peas are one of my favorite flowers, and yours look lovely. I am happy you had such a wonderful holiday. :)

Gracie Saylor said...

It is interesting and encouraging to see your lovely sewing projects and your garden at different stages, Helen. Thanks for taking the time to share. I am sorry your Holly Hocks got munched and hope they come back next year. I still have my first ever over six feet tall Holly Hock stock with a few fuchsia tinted blossoms towering over the little trellis of Sweet Peas. The Sweet Peas are at the stage now that they are producing pods and the vines look stressed from the string of very hot days we have had. I have not had enough blossoms to try to cut a bouquet so have been enjoying the pictures of yours :) Thanks! xxxxxx

Jacky H said...

I love your quilt as usual the colours are wonderful.
Sweet peas are my favourite. I can't grow them for love or money. Thanks for an inspirational blog. I look forward to Monday afternoon read.
Jacky

Betty said...

I love your mini quilts and this one is another pretty one. I must put that on my to make list.

pens and needles said...

A very sweet Trip! And I totally agree with your statement that the joy in crafting (quilting!) is not just in the finished product but in the journey. It's so important to keep that in mind, especially if one tends to "get behind" and not finish things quickly (me!)

Marilyn McLeod @ Pink Paper Cottage said...

Beautiful beautiful pinks and greens mini quilt. love it so much! And I see one of your sweet little fabric houses there too! I'm in love with those and need to get your book with the patterns. I love your shares and am always excited to see your new projects. Hollyhocks are so pretty and unique.... hope yours come back next year. I've always had problems with slugs eating everything in my "wet" climate gardens, but here where I live now, the dry climate doesn't have them.. the pests now that I have to deal with are earwigs and they eat everything too.. the leaves and flowers, unless I spray for them. Always something it seems.....have a wonderful week.

Lorrie said...

Your rosy trip around the world is ever so pretty. And I like the way you surround yourself with lovely things while you sew. My hollyhocks didn't appear this year, either. But I saw some lovely ones in gardens in England and France.

Mylittlepieceofengland said...

I love the flowers, the eternal circle and beautiful colours xx

bj said...

The quilt is breathtaking...i so love your spring and summer colors used.

Leanne said...

Hello Helen, my 2 favourite things are Flowers & sewing. Your garden is beautiful. I don't have much luck with Hollyhocks either, my favourite summer flower I love to grow is Zinnias.
Your quilt is just darling. Happy stitching. xx

Cindy said...

Your mini quilt is so pretty! And I am anxious to see more of the applique pieces. Your flowers are pretty too. I would love to see more of your gardens:) have a great week, Helen!

Jo@awholeplotoflove said...

I love how the colours always match in your photos. My hollyhocks returned this year though they are considerably shorter. x

Jane said...

Your rosy quilt has turned out just beautifully Helen. Such pretty colours and that lady is a whizz with her long arm!! Your flowers are looking pretty inside and out and it's funny how not everything comes up.I think the snails slugs this year were aweful with all the rain we had in June. Sending you sunshine, it's been 31c here today...! Enjoy the week ahead xx

Teresa Kasner said...

Hello Helen.. I'm back from the lake and enjoyed your wonderful photos of your pretty quilt! And I thoroughly enjoyed your post of your seaside trip AND the photo of the regatta!! :-) I'm so pleased that your family was able to be there with you. We had only a few of our family at the lake as 2 of my nieces were ready to give birth and one baby was even born while we were there. Enjoy the summer that is left! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

Annerose said...

Das ist ja mal wieder herrlich hier bei dir, liebe Helen. Ich mag deine Näharbeiten immer und auch deinen Garten finde ich super.
Noch eine schöne Sommerzeit für dich und liebe Grüße Annerose

Summer said...

Your flowers and crafting are beautiful ♥

summerdaisycottage.blogspot.com

flowers on my table said...

Hello Helen, your posts are always so full of delicious eye candy that its easy to miss things. All your sewing projects are lovely, and you always have a way with colour, all your flowers are lovely too! I always have the same problem with hollyhocks, I never seem to be able to grow them to full term, and they are so fabulous. My neighbour has a rather gorgeous one which is a really dark wine colour, almost black, and I'm very jealous!Wishing you a lovely weekend. Love Linda xx

Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces said...

Such a lovely post...your creativity always inspires me and makes me smile!

Elderberry-Rob said...

Your newest quilt is a delight, such lovely ice cream colours and it looks a really textured piece as well. Garden is beautiful - I love hollyhocks but they don't grow well for me. Betty x

Jen Kershner said...

I never cease to wonder at the mysteries of the garden! Love all of your inspiring makes!

gillyflower said...

The trip round the world mini quilt is gorgeous! You are so right, with many craft projects the joy and satisfaction is in the journey as well as the pleasure in seeing the finished piece. The bellis daisies go so well against the quilt.
Its been a strange gardening year hasn't it, with lots of plants succumbing to the slugs and snails, and for me the vegetable garden has been slow to get going with some disappointments. Am finally about to pick the first runner beans this weekend, they just took forever to get away despite my growing sturdy green house plants.Yours look good with the sweet peas.
Lovely post with beautiful photos as usual Helen, thanks for sharing, hope all well with you and yours
Gill xx

Bee Lady said...

I love your quilts, the colors are so happy! And to be able to work on them outside...oh it is so hot and muggy here it's hard to breath outside. I do hear we have a cooling off on the way though. Darn slugs, but I guess they need to eat too. Although, what are they good for? Something I've always wondered, what exactly is a "bank holiday?" I know about the National Trust from reading Susan Branch's book A Fine Romance. Such a wonderful thing, the National Trust. A treasure indeed.

Cindy Bee