Cosy October

 Hello lovely readers.......here are some cosy october pictures today as we near the end of the month (already!)......i've been busy sewing with these very pretty old rose fabrics from tilda....above is my redwork berries pincushion......(pattern in my etsy shop link in sidebar)......

 ............and this is the beginning of a bow tie quilt which will have a checkerboard border too......

 ..........i wanted to use some bigger pieces to see the pretty fabrics properly....love these gorgeous shades of purples, pinks, creams, teals and reds.....

 .............i even found a bunch of supermarket flowers in similar colours to enjoy last week....

 ..........it's soup time here (well actually i love soup and make it all year round!).......

 .......but now it's pumpkin soup time :)............and this is my latest (and largest) fabric pumpkin.....

 ..............in the garden the cherry tree has shed its colourful leaves across the lawn.....more work for mr p at the weekend.....

 ............we cut the fuchsia bush back very hard last year and it loved it and has grown much bigger....

 ...........beautiful berries that are perfect for decorations in and out of the garden.....

 ........cottage garden view....plants are dying back but lots are green still and we have towering cosmos flowers.....i bought more tulips ....pink ones!...(i hope!) and need to plant them this weekend too.....

 .............cosy october means candle light, fire light, hot drinks and hand sewing......a log cabin block for my on going quilt in warm colours............and below some cosy decorations celebrating the season.......

............wishing you a very happy end of october dear readers.......hope you are having cosy crafty times and (if you celebrate it)...happy halloween.......thank you so much for visiting me here and for your kind comments which are such a treat to read.......back soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bright Corners

 Hello lovely blog readers and happy new week...........we've had some bright days here as well as some rainy grey and gloomy ones.......here is my quilt fresh from the longarm quilter....it's called bright corners...........

 ............it was made with a jellyroll of lecien child smile fabrics and white kona cotton.....

 .............the block is a nine patch variation.....very simple and quick to sew.....

 ...............i rotary cut all the pieces and then sewed this up on the machine very quickly and then debbie holland longarm quilted it for me in a modern loops pattern.................

 ...........i enjoyed making it and now i'm making a red and white one using the same pattern......

 ............this one is on the wall in my sewing room now brightening it up even on the dullest of days.......mabel the big bunny is there too with her new woolly scarf..............

 .............at the weekend we visited our youngest daughter and her family to celebrate the second birthday of our littlest grandson louis.......our older daughter and family went too and we had a lovely time.........here are some 'in car pictures' on the way...we started out in pouring rain and then it brightened up nicely......

 .............cheshire lanes with falling autumn leaves and the occasional dog walker.....

 ............still lots of green leaves....autumn is late this year......

 ................back home now and this is in our greenhouse..............

 ............i filled the terracotta pots up with violas and bellis daisies ready for some cheerful autumn colour.....and beneath the trees at the bottom of our garden are tiny bright cyclamen blooming.....

.............thank you for visiting me here in my little bit of blogland and a big grateful thank you to everyone who leaves me a kind comment......it's so nice to hear from you......wishing you all a wonderful week ahead with lots of bright and happy times.............keep cosy......back soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Pumpkin Patch

 Happy autumn week dear readers.......here we have fabric pumpkins both old ones and new ones and a cute little pumpkin patch sign from little seed handmade here.....

 ............i love my little fabric pumpkins and make a few each year with the latest fabrics.....they are cute heaped up or individually dotted about and make a nice pincushion sometimes too ......(pattern in my etsy shop link in sidebar)......

 ..............there has been plenty of other cosy autumn sewing going on here this week too.....a couple more log cabin blocks to add to the stack for my quilt......these have some autumn colour incorporated into their scrappy strips.............

 ............and i finished binding my little cherries quilt .........helped by a nice cup of tea.....(the teacup was my mother in law's favourite one.....i like to use it sometimes and i think she'd like that too....)

 .............pretty fabrics from lecien and tilda...........together they have a very soft and subtle effect i think..............

 ..............pretty new jug by greengate...........

 ...............china jugs and quilts and flowers.................some of my favourite things.....

 ..............as well as candles with a gentle scent..........such a cosy time......

 ...............here is mabel the big bunny waiting for her new scarf and maybe a cardigan too.....getting a bit chilly now......

 .............out in the garden there are still lots of cosmos flowering and the latest hydrangea in the cottage garden is turning beautiful autumn shades of red, pink and russet...........

 ..........such a beautiful nostalgic time of year and so many sunny days as well as grey and misty ones......the garden is changing daily and there are little brown mushrooms popping up everywhere.....

................thank you for dropping by to visit my little pumpkin patch.......i love to hear from you and to have your visits......wishing you all a wonderful autumn (or spring!) week ahead with happy times and crafty inspirations..........back soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A Week in October

 Hello again dear readers...............here are some pictures from my week......first the little cupboard in my studio filled with autumnal things...........

 ...............love all the autumn decorations and this year i'm making black and white gingham birds....more about them soon.....we have lots of pumpkins, toadstools and apples and some paper craft items from magazine work i've done..............

 ..............the pumpkin quilt is very cosy on this bed............along with the tumbler pillow.....

 ..............more pumpkins.............

 ..............and i've been working out a new patchwork block inspired by the victorian tiled floor in our home's entrance porch below........

 ..............the tiles are over 150 years old and still intact....so hard wearing and made to last......

 ...............just had to show you this little posy of snowberries too as it's that time of year again.....my lovely eldest daughter bought me these....she calls them sprinkleberries......i've been told they are called lilly pilly in new zealand and another name for them is monkey apple!......they are so pretty whatever name they have....especially the pink ones.....

 ..............on a cool atmospheric october afternoon hubby and i visited the walled city of chester......it's not far from where we live and we have lots of memories of going there all our lives.......

 ................this is the bear and billet inn built in 1664 and described as 'the finest 17th century timber framed town house in chester'.......we used to go there as students....i did my art foundation course at a college in chester for a year before i went on to manchester to do my degree course....four years of art and design and i loved it all....

 .........walking by the river dee in the groves.........the bandstand has musicians in the summer.....and there are boats for river cruises....trees just turning autumnal shades and lots of people including many tourists enjoying the special atmosphere.......i think i love october days more and more :)....

..............thank you for visiting me here lovely readers and for the kind comments you leave me......wishing you all a very happy october week ahead and plenty of bright cosy days and crafty inspirations.......back soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Autumn Days

 Happy October everyone!.............autumn is here in all its colourful beauty......

 ...........and there is a lovely new little sign to remind us too (from little seed handmade here)......

 ...........we have lots of apples both real and stitched ones......(and apple charms too)......

 ...........and even apples appliqued onto some lovely vintage napkins that i found while looking for something else......

 ...............the apple applique is the one i used for my little apples quilt.....(the pattern is in my etsy shop link in sidebar)......

 ............here's the finished napkin in use (the cake in the tin is actually carrot cake though!)...this week i'll be baking an apple cake and an apple crumble too.....

 .............in the potting shed ......tidying away the summer things and getting out the tools to do a whole lot of gardening.............

 ..............still lots of green in the garden but some of the leaves are turning now and we have had some beautiful golden days...............

 ..............we got the pumpkin quilt out to snuggle under.......the evenings have become very chilly....

 ............lovely old terracotta pots ready to plant some seeds....we have harvested lots of everlasting sweet pea seeds so will see if i can grow a few and am giving a few to friends who liked them too.............

 ...........big bunny with an autumn pillow and a pumpkin......think i need to knit her a scarf and maybe a cardie too......

..............thank you for dropping by dear readers......it's lovely to have your visit and always a pleasure to read your kind comments......i have been very busy writing my next book but now it is almost finished and i will have more time for blog visits again.......sending you all warm and cosy wishes for october and plenty of crafty inspirations too.........back soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx