Free Monthly Flower Block, 8

Forget Me Not: Part 8 is Launched!

This month you will choose between Violet & Pansy or Hibiscus. Of course, you may be like several of my Yahoo Bom Group members who are adventurous enough to be making both each month. I am too, because I have 2x DD's and it's hard to choose just one design each month....even for me.

Regardless of whatever else is going on, I'm always still really excited to launch each month's new block. And I'm always suprised with how quickly they get made. If you're not a member of my Yahoo Bom Group - join up and see for yourself how many talented quilters are making these blocks each month, it's inspiring!

My Violet & Pansy block this month is bright and contrasted - I wanted a vibrant block. Of course, violets and pansies come in various shades from the bright to the pastel and delicate, so you can select your own colours to suit your background. I know many of you are looking at the blocks you've made so far and thinking about the tone, colour balance and overall 'look' as you put your blocks beside each other and try to envision what the finished quilt top will look like...luckily you have much scope to adapt these blocks to suit your own style.

There's quite a bit of fussy cutting for me this month

I decided to stashbust this month and found the perfect yellow in this scrap piece. So I will be taking the yellow from here for my Hibiscus block. It's such a lovely yellow.

And I really like the green I settled on for the leaves as well.

The 'green' each month is becoming as important a choice as the flower heads.

Actually, I've found that in the making and then in looking over everyone elses blocks each month, green is such an important ongoing colour in the overall quilt look. Apart from the various shades of green being used, a strong green can tone down some bright flowers and a lighter green can really pick up some pastel flowers so that they don't appear drab.

We're reaching an exciting part in the mystery, where you have enough blocks so far to get a feel for your quilt top...but really no idea as to what's coming next!

Love it!

These are blocks from Part 8

of my free 2012 Mystery BOM Forget Me Not

Yes, anyone can join in:

You can download this month's block via my website or my Yahoo Bom Group 

WOW: Another Bear Finds A Home

WOW = WIPs On Wednesday

It feels really good today, knowing that this cute bear is on his way to his new home.

I don't like keeping my bears boxed up and it always feels so nice to send them on to a home where they're wanted. And one less boxed bear is more WIP space for me. No I haven't tidied my studio up yet because of my cracked rib, so I've been catching up on my reading.

How's your wednesday?

Here I Go Again

Things have been very quiet in my world these last 2 weeks, as unfortunately I have lapsed back into the flu. I'm feeling awful and this time around it's much worse as I discovered yesterday that I have a cracked rib!

I've never had a broken bone before, so this has come as a big shock. I've been in a lot of pain, but was really suprised to hear that I'd cracked a rib. I don't know how or when it happened - which seems impossible, but I really haven't injured or hurt myself. My Dr. thinks it happened when I coughed too severely during my new bout of flu...which I can't believe is possible....but must be!

So it's rugged up, drinking tea and more rest for me. I am so sick and tired of resting. It really hasn't been my month! Hopefully I'll be on the mend...again...soon.

WOW: Much Ado About Nothing

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

Last night we awoke to a thunderous bang! What was that? We all shouted as we ran about the house trying to work out what was going on. Well, it was my fabric mountain. My shelf collapsed under the weight of all my fabric (and a few other tools stashed there) and toppled over. Hmm. I was meaning to fix that slight lean. Everything is in a heaped up mess.  

So that's that. I've been putting it off. But now it's just gone too far. It looks like I'll be spending the next week or so going through everything, sorting it out and ...well....having a much needed clear out.

I will post some photos as soon as I find my camera (which I keep and charge in my sewing studio) and which I know is nestled beneath a box I need my DH to move for me.

WOW: Quilting Daisy WIP

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

It's about time I finished something. I've been feeling a bit tired, uninspired and generally unwell since getting over the flu, so I need something a little lighthearted to get back into my WIP mountain.

Predictably, all my outstanding WIPs have a fair bit to be done on them before I reach the final stage. So I've started a new WIP. I know I really shouldn't start anything new, but  I need the motivation. This is a beautiful table runner I picked up in Budapest. I didn't have much time at the market there (which was lucky or who knows how much I'd have brought home with me!), but I did find this daisy linen piece which I think is sooo lovely.

The edges are beautiful uniform crochet and the embroidery is charming.

Just the thing for my table. Not too strenuous and lots of payoff for an afternoon's work...

I'm thinking of easing myself back into my WIPs with a bit of pleasurable quilting.

Quilting the free space. Should be quick and easy...ish.

Watch this space....

 

How's your WIP ?

A little bird told me...

During our mid week post flu break, I stopped by a giftstore and found these tea towels. Of course, I wasn't looking for tea towels, I was actually after some special wool fat lip balm I usually pick up in Ballarat (and can't find anymore). But when I saw these little characters, well, I couldn't resist:

Luckily I also found these oven mitts. As soon as I saw these, they were mine! I instantly fell in love with the polka dot ruffle and floral print. Now, these oven mitts are really an economy - because although I said I wouldn't buy anything when I went into the shop to look, the fact is, we needed oven mitts.

Our old ones are looking rather desperate and shabby. And most importantly, they don't protect our hands anymore as the thermal lining has disintegrated.

Well, I added Make Oven Mitts to my WIP list and even planned on going shopping to buy the thermal lining...and now I don't have to, and the gloves were cheaper than I could  have purchased the material for. Talk about excellent shopping!

these birds really caught my heart, they are so dear

I have a soft spot for birds and all of my quilts end up having one in the design somewhere

these charming characters are drawn / designed by "Madeleine Floyd"

isn't she super talented? I'd love to invite her to my house and give her an entire wall to work on

 and the tea towel brand is Ulster Weavers Linen Tea Towels

this is their website

www.ulsterweavers.com

I know that if I had seen these on any of my daily blog lists, I'd have rushed out to buy it

it almost makes wiping down surfaces enjoyable

so I also purchased the matching apron...because who has enough aprons??

and the only thing that disappointed me was that there was no matching cups

 I'd  love some tea cups with these sweet drawings

but I should be careful what I wish for because I just took a moment to look at the website

and oh no, I think I'd like to overhaul my Tea Towel Cabinet

all of them

and start all over again, exclusively with Ulster Linen Tea Towels

because I've had a long planned make fabulous quilt fabric tea towels WIP

on my mind...and now I think, hmmm, Ulster Weavers would be nicer...

but more importantly

what did the little birdy tell me?

Go home and tidy your kitchen!

Hello Quilt of the Day !

There I was, just browsing through my usual blogs...and look what I found:

Thanks to The Quilt Show for listing my quilt.

If you're interested in viewing my other quilts,

you can view them through my gallery by clicking here

WOW: Home Again

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

Well I've had enough of this exhausting flu!

My DH and I got in the car and decided to get away for some serious fresh air and relaxation. We went to Ballarat and it really was a restful break from the last few weeks.

Of course, I'm completely disorganised at the moment (even more than usual) so when I packed the camera, it hadn't been charged since I got back from Europe! At least I got in one snap - of this luxurious spa - where I spent a lot of time soaking away all those aches and pains.

On the way back home we stopped at a giftshop where I found some really charming teatowels and an oven mitt and pan mitt too. It was a good reminder of all the housework waiting for me at home...

Today I've got lots of emails to catch up on, a house to sort out and a few lists to make. I'm really looking forward to creating some time to get some WIPs done. If feels like months since I last enjoyed some productive WIP time!

How's your wednesday?

FMN: Block 7: Details

Magnolia: I was really undecided about which background to set the Magnolia block on. I'm making 2x of the same quilt: one light and one dark background, so each month I have to select the right block for the right quilt.

The Crown of Thorns was an obvious choice because the colour really stood out against a dark background, but I had to consider the flowers that came before, and to achieve balance of the quilt overall. It's an unusual choice for such a flower, but it works on my quilt.

I edge turned all the pieces and then went back in with coloured pencils to create depth and shading in the petals. As with all my blocks, I will be embellishing the block further when I reach the quilting stage.

Crown of Thorns: Again, all the pieces have been edge turned and I've used coloured pencils again for shading.  Only the thorns are raw edge as I will be stitching over them for effect.

These are blocks from Part 7

of my free 2012 Mystery BOM Forget Me Not

You can download this month's block via my website or my Yahoo Bom Group 

WOW: Magnolia & Crown of Thorns

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

Part 7: Forget Me Not BOM  is launched

I'm feeling better today but still rather tired. The flu has really taken it out of me and I could use another month in bed just recuperating. I'm looking forward to seeing what you all do with the BOM blocks this month, it's always exciting when the photos start trickling in. If you're not already a member of my Yahoo Bom Group, it's always a good time to join. There's always some beautiful work going on.

Magnolia or
 Crown of Thorns



WOW: August Already?

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

When did August get here?

I've lost three weeks I'm just not ready; I'm still in an early July state of mind. The flu's been staggering around the house. First my DH, then me a week later and a week after that my DD.

Looking at my DH, I have hopes that I'll pick up this week. I really hope so. The worst thing is the lost time. And the realisation that a virus can seriously leave you bed ridden. I can't even remember the last time I was this unwell. I actually had a flu shot this year and I don't know it it's helped, all I know is that I did all I could to prevent this happening. Oh well.

This is the best I've looked for the better part of a month!

It's my first coffee since the flu arrived so I must be feeling better...

but I'm still taking it easy, I'm totally exhausted. And I'm thinking about the rest of the year and starting a priority list of things to do. Because there's so much to get done and I really want to see as many as possible WIPs become finished pieces to enjoy. I also have a lot of clearing out and generally tidying up to do. I might even start a completely new WIP to motivate myself. Anything to get going again.

Hopefully my next WOW will be full of doings instead of recovering.

How's your wednesday?



WOW: Blogging from bed :(

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

I got a bit ahead of myself last week; I thought I was over the flu and went ahead with my plans as usual.

Last wednesday I was at Vic Quilter's Showcase. I did it again on Thursday...but by friday I was feeling unwell again. Then on Saturday I picked up a little...but it wasn't to last and I've been back in bed since.

This flu that's been going around is a lingering one. The most annoying thing is the lost time, particularly as I have so much to do and so many things to be getting on with. But for today, I'm taking it easy and just working on getting better.

I did spend some time looking for the Vera Moda yarn last week, but with no luck so I might have to stop my winter crochet WIP for now, it's so frustrating to stop so near the end of such a useful WIP!

It's tea and rest for me today...



A Little Winter Crochet

Remember my inherited WIP? My DD started out on an epic crochet WIP but moved onto something else and abandoned her WIP to me. I left it with my knitting things, thinking that I'd return to it during winter. Well, it's winter now so I thought it was time to do something with all that beautiful yarn.



I really loved her granny ripple but at pure wool 8ply and 1/7th finished (above), it would have weighed about 5kgs when finished and needed another 3kgs of extra wool to be purchased. This just wasn't workable and the expense would have really been ridiculous. In wool and working a blanket this large, the yarn should be at about 3ply to make it useful as well as beautiful. I've been wanting to make another ripple since my last one here, I have had so much use from it, and it's so warm that I definitely need another - so this is something I might consider for next winter..

But back to my current stash dilemna; I looked at all the pink wool yarn left and considered what I could do to make it useful and I came up with a puff flower hex triangle motif blanket idea. It was quick and easy to make and I've really been enjoying my cold nights snuggled up hooking. And it's so fast, I made all of these in a week (evenings only). The puff flowers are made from all the pinks and surrounded with white.

The beauty of this was that it would be using up her entire stash (!!) as she has quite a bit of white in there that I wanted to put to use. So everything was going so well, and I'm only about 45 motifs left (120 total) until joining together time...and I've just realised that I've run out of the very specific green used around all the pink puff flowers! I miscalculated and need another 300grams of the green.

Well, yesterday I looked everywhere for this green. It's nowhere to be found. So today I will be hitting the internet in hope of finding some Moda Vera Pure Wool 8ply in COL 3061 LOT 775513

It's so frustrating to be so close to finishing a WIP...and being thwarted at the last minute. It's hook down and steady searching for me today...

Wish me luck, I really want to finish this blanket

WOW: getting over the flu

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

4kgs lemons

1.5 kgs raw honey

8 x tissue boxes

3 jars Rosehip Jam (84%)

Rosehip is a miracle jam. Rosehips have 40- 60 times more vitamin C in their natural state than oranges; although after boiling for jam this is rapidly diminished down to 20 times more vitamin C than oranges - a significant vitamin C pick me up for colds and flus. I haven't made Rosehip Syrup for years, (luckily we haven't needed it) but I think I will next year as it's been so useful in getting us back on our feet.

Here's to a better week ahead!

Postcard from the Cake Cafe

words are completely unnecessary ...

Wish you were here??