Peony and Cake - Birthday Perfection

Peonies are my favourite flower. I've been having a peony year - with my quilt Peony Pride, my endless sketchings of peonies and peonie sampler quilting and now, for my birthday, a breathtaking peony bouquet.


Peonies are perfection in a flower. And the perfume - it's just glorious. It's mild and fleeting, then collects intensity - I've been breathing the scent non stop for days and I can't get enough of it. It just reminds me of how difficult it is to bottle beautiful and natural scents.


Unfortunately, peonies only last a few fleeting days. When they crumpled, I couldnt part with them and the petals were still heavily scented, so I collected them in paper and they are still scenting everything beautifully. I definitely have to look into planting a poeny garden, even for a few days of flowering, I cant think of a nicer thing to enjoy in a garden.

This cake was almost too beautiful to cut, I love the chocolate leaves. The cake is a delicious walnut / chocolate layer cake.

This is the experiemental lemon layer cake. I think they girls enjoyed decorating it more than the cake itself.

The year has gone by so quickly, before I know it, it will be Christmas!

FREE FREE FREE...

Red Delicious is launched!

Many thanks to Brenda - without you, I would'nt have known what to do! You have saved my blog yet again (Brenda is also the reason many of you can view my images these days as she kindly let me in on the secret of "re-sizing" images). Well, what can I say? I put my energy and desire to learn new things into creative things and not technology (although I should!)...as there is no real reason not to know these days...ahem....anyway, thank you so much for the advice. I feel like I learn something new everytime I get on the computer!
Brenda's site is linked on the side of this blog under 'Serendipity Patchwork and Quilting'.

Red Delicious is easy to access. Simply double click the BOM motif on the side of the blog and it will redirect you to the PDF file.

Enjoy!

UFO Update

My girls still arent showing any interest in seeing this quilt finished....and I dont need any encouragement to abandon it again!

I still dont know what I was thinking when I cut it up and packed it away - except that I was enjoying a period of brights. The problem is that as soon as I start a project I'm thinking of another one.....It did look like this UFO (still unnamed I'm afraid) would stay on the wall a few more weeks yet....but we had an unexpected cold snap during the last few nights and were all bemoaning the lack of quilts available to cosy up with...and as it's expected to be hot again mid week I'm furiously working to finish it before I change my mind. Again.

101, advice sought

I promised that I would launch Red Delicious on my 100th posting....and the good news is, it's ready to go!

The bad news is that I am looking for a suitable way of hosting the PDF file up on this blog so that it can be accessed easily by any one who's interested. So far, all the file sharing programs I've seen are unsuitable and advert clogged.

Bare with me, I am seriously technically challenged and have been trying to work this out most of today.

I will launch Red Delicious ASAP. If you have any file hosting advice, please feel free to share.

Well, what a suprise

Well, what a suprise!

I can still remember the first afternoon I spent exploring other artists, gardners and baker's blogs, thinking what a great technology - for everyone to share what they're doing with anyone who's interested.

It's hard to believe that this is my 100th post! Especially since I often think, well I don't have anything to say....or more often, I'm just too busy getting on with things to get around to posting. I've been rounding up loose ends these last 3 weeks, and havent had much time to post.

To celebrate 100 postings, I will be launching my mystery BOM, Red Delicious shortly. I know we all have serious fabric stashes that we intend to get into, and this BOM is a perfect way to make more shelf space.

Thank you for emailing me your comments and stopping by this blog, I'm always suprised with the range and interests of those who stop by, its always great to hear from you all.

Esther's Occassional Quote for the Day

Another UFO Found

Whilst I was investigating my red stash, I found something else of interest tucked away under my desk.

Fully cut out pieces, neatly folded...a UFO!

It's about 6 years old (I think!) and I've given it a good look over and actually, although I can't remember what I had in mind, the florals and fresh and lively - and who coundn't use an extra quilt? So I'm quickly stitching up this newly found floral.


It's seems to me that originally it was supposed to be 4x4 patch, so I laid it out on my table and quickly starting putting it together.


I don't know why I cut these up this way ( I think it's just amazing how much quilters can change in taste after just a few years!) I wouldnt do it this way now, but it looks like a pinwheel block with a small bowtie block in the centre.

I do like the green though, it looks very fresh and lively, without it I would have packed this UFO away again. Obviously I was mixing in the pinks in this 'era' as well.

Raiding the Stash

Here is my red stash. I've been raiding it and adding to it.

Originally I was going to go out and buy new season reds to keep up with trends....but then I got to thinking (as I was trying to clear out my studio) that we all have stashes and stashes and stashes....and that *maybe* I should resist fabric shopping and make do. Red Delicious will be made from my stash.

I WILL NOT BE ADDING TO THIS STASH. That is my commitment!

Here are all my reds in all their glory.

I must admit that there are some burgundy reds which I will need for some contrast.

So, are you going to join in and make Red Delicious?
Lots of red





and more red





And more red still ( I really dont need to keep adding to my stash!.....I will be allowing white (or maybe off white depending on the reds selected) as the background.