New Inspiration

When I was a stay at home mum I used to spend a lot of time reading blogs, all sorts of blogs, quilt blogs, craft blogs, food blogs, lifestyle blogs even wooden spoon making blogs. They connected me with other like minded people, inspired me and provided some escapism from my life.  Over the past few years a lot of my favourites have disappeared, so I thought I would find some new inspiration.  Here's a little list of  mostly new to me blogs and what I like about them.

• Southern Charm Quilts

The most beautiful photos, the gorgeous colour palettes, her regular posts, in fact she is almost inspiring me to totally change my style and colour palette.  Lots to drool over here.

• Tilkunviilaaja

This is a Finnish blog,  (a translate option is available) again beautiful creative colourful quilts.

• Fox's Lane

I have been reading this blog pretty much since I discovered the world of blogging all those years ago,.  Kate an Australian writes about her family, their lives and their organic farm. Lots of lovely photos of food, knitting, family and everyday life.

• Twiggy & Opal

A Tennessee quilter who likes colour, very textured quilting and just creates amazing quilts.

• The Craft Sessions

Another Australian blog,  Interesting posts discussing all sorts of crafting topics and people, gorgeous photos of stitchers, knitters,  food and foliage.

• Musings of a Menopausal Melon - mmmquilts

Quilts, cats, yoga, sometimes books, interesting places and food too.

• Lilabelle Lane

Another Australian quilter, EPP fanatic,  Beautiful photos and colours, always inspiring.

• Three Dogs in a Garden

Plants, flowers, beautiful gardens - lots of colour and beauty

Happy reading everyone.  Hope that you all have a fabulous weekend, let me know if you have any favourite blogs too.

Sew, Stitch, Snap, SHARE

I have been busy cutting squares and strips and sewing them together for my AMH quilt, which I am working on as part of the #AMH Sewalong.  Currently I have completed 100 blocks, so the end is in sight.  Of course this is where the enthusiasm starts to wane as well.

I was hoping to not have any repeated prints, but to get to the number required, I will need to double up on a few favourites.  Thanks also to Linda for sending me some of the new Retrospective range to include in this.

Over the weekend I installed a very basic design wall in my living room using a flannelette sheet, so I could see how it was looking.  Nothing is in it's final place, these were just whacked onto the sheet as I pulled them off my pile of blocks

It's definitely bright and bold,  (or as my sister said "looks good, a hot mess") and now I can see what colours I need to add in the way of solids to it.  It has been quite interesting too, seeing how the quality of some of the fabrics has differed over the collections, the newer ones definitely have a nicer feel to them.  Have to admit I am not looking forward to sewing them altogether now.

Now, it's YOUR turn to share, by linking up your sewing and stitching projects, whether they are starts, wips, or finishes, following these guidelines.

1. Link up from any post from the past week that features something you have been sewing or stitching,
2. Somewhere in your post, please link to this post.
3. Please comment on a couple of the other Sew,Stitch, Snap, Share links - it's fun to receive comments from new people, and we are trying to encourage people to read blogs and keep blogging too.

Weekending

52 and Others by Anne Bell

Oma's Garden by Willie van Florestein

c1960, made in Birmingham, Alabama, assorted fabrics, edged with broderie anglaise

These will be pieced together and turned into quilts for Women's Refuge and neo natal wards

A Bit of Blue and Green by Gloria Davies

Flower Garden by Jean Groves

• I attended the Project Hexagon Exhibition at Nathan Homestead, a heritage arts, culture and events centre.  Built in 1925 it has beautiful grounds and gardens too.   Over 30 quilts in varying colours, styles and sizes were exhibited all made from hexagons.  The majority of quilts on display featured hexagons based on the book, The New Hexagon.  Some quilts were hand pieced and others machine pieced.  Over 1000 pre-quilted loose hexagons have been donated, and these will be stitched together to make quilts which will be distributed to Auckland Women's Refuge and the neo natal ward at Middlemore Hospital.

• Enjoying some vicarious garden visiting through this post and for those who really want to experience colour, craft, food and friendship, check out this beautiful post.

• A little retail therapy - some for my AMH quilt, some for Ice Cream Soda Blocks, and a tiny rotary cutter for easier fussy cutting.

• Meeka, was she sheltering from the sun or trying to camouflage herself under the rhubarb leaves?

Hope you have all had a lovely relaxing colour filled weekend too.

Blogger's Quilt Festival - Liberty Bloomsbury

It probably doesn't seem that long a go, that I posted about finally completing my Liberty Bloomsbury Quilt, however I'm linking it up for the first time to Blogger's Quilt Festival Fall edition 2017.

Back in 2015, I had been looking for a special project for my Liberty fabrics and when I came across Bijou Lovely's, Bloomsbury pattern, I knew I had found it.  Not wasting any time I downloaded the pattern and started having fun making beautiful Liberty dresdens.  Gosh it was hard to cut into those beautiful fabrics,  Once the dresden plates were completed they were hand appliqued to the background fabrics.  These were no quiet subdued choices, I went for a gorgeous periwinkle shot cotton and a very vibrant magenta.

Because I wanted my quilt to be able to fit my bed I had to add a border.  After a little trialing and sketching of different border options I went for a simple scrappy liberty strip and solid  all the way around.

A Tula Pink fabric was the perfect colourway for the backing.  My machine, I decided was a little too small for quilting this 80" square quilt, so I chose a variety of cottons for simple  hand quilting. I love the texture of the handquilting on the back, not that photos really do it justice. Liberty fabric was used for the binding.

I love how this has turned out and am so pleased that two years after starting it, I completed it just in time to use on my bed,  and to add a beautiful splash of colour to my  bedroom over the colder gray winter months.

Now that warmer temperatures have arrived, I'm carefully putting away till next winter.

Weekending

Making me happy this weekend

• Friday morning yoga class (I don't work Fridays but have to work every second Saturday), so I try to get to my Vinyasa class each week,  I have only been doing yoga since February, but I love it.

• A pile of pretty in the mail - this beautiful Liberty collection from Ava & Neve

• More completed Ice Cream Soda blocks for month 4

• Hand stitching with variegated threads and wool felt - testing an idea

• Reading a long waited for book and working on another Ice Cream Soda Blossom.

• Another garden has been weeded and mulched, the pile has diminished oh so slightly

• Pretty new nail polishes for summer toes.

• Not having to cook dinner, The Scout cooked dinner last night and currently has a roast slow cooking in the oven for tonight's dinner.

What has made you happy this weekend.

Sew, Stitch, Snap, SHARE

I'm still working on my AMH quilt, I worked out that I need about 130 blocks. After my weekend sewing effort, I have accumulated a nice little pile of pretty, but still have about 75 still to make.  I was hoping that I wouldn't duplicate any fabrics, but I think a few favourites will be repeated.  Luckily they are quick and easy to make.  I think cutting the fabric ready for sewing takes longer.

To stop me starting too many new projects, I made a little list of my outstanding WIPs:

• Seaglass Sampler Quilt - turn blocks into a quilt top
• Midnight in the Tulip Garden Medallion - finish the last two or three borders
• No.7 from the Twelve Days of Christmas decoration swap with my sister
• Bird Dance is currently at my quilters, so that needs to be bound upon it's return.
• Ice Cream soda Blossoms - ongoing EPP project

Once the AMH quilt top is completed, I'm going to be good and start working on these again.

And to finish off, a photo of an honest sewing room, mid project(s), that pile down the far end of my cutting table is all my WIPs, not shown are the ones on my ironing board!

Now, it's YOUR turn to share, by linking up your sewing and stitching projects, whether they are starts, wips, or finishes, following these guidelines.

1. Link up from any post from the past week that features something you have been sewing or stitching,
2. Somewhere in your post, please link to this post.
3. Please comment on a couple of the other Sew,Stitch, Snap, Share links - it's fun to receive comments from new people, and we are trying to encourage people to read blogs and keep blogging too.

Here & Now

Loving //spring blooms, blossoms and lambs (these lambs are on the farm where Miss B's archery club meets) Though it's back to feeling more like winter this weekend!!

Eating //tamarillos - gosh I really hope my tree fruits next year

Drinking //water, cups of tea and hot chocolate

Feeling //more positive about my new job, maybe the new vitamins are helping too.

Making // blocks for my Anna Maria Horner quilt 

Thinking //that this pile of mulch is going to take a lot longer to move than I thought.

Dreaming //of summer, warm days, long cold G & Ts, open doors, bare feet, light clothing,  summer fruit and vegetables (can you tell I'm over winter)

Hoping you all have had a fabulous weekend.

Linking up to Here & Now at Say Little Hen