Weekending - The Bloomsbury Quilt edition

My Liberty Bloomsbury quilt has been pulled out of the WIP pile this weekend, and well and truly worked on.  Over the last few evenings I have been hand appliqueing the Dresden circles and their centres on to the solid backgrounds.  I decided to go with the grape solid rather than a contrasting colour, but then while rummaging though my stash, I found this floral fabric (I think it is a Kaffe Fassett print) which picked up all the colours perfectly.  It looked too busy as the actual centre circle, however by making smaller circles I was able to use it as a feature, and I think this has also toned down the grape.  Piecing the blocks together certainly didn't take long, but pressing those seams has been hot work today.

I love how it looks so far, however I have plans to make it bigger than it's current dimensions of 60" square and have some more beautiful liberty strips that I purchased from Polka Dot Tea Fabrics to use.  

Quilt Facts:

Solids - from Spotlight
Liberty  - from Westwood Acres Liberty Club
Pattern - from Bijoux Lovely

Scenes from my Week

From my morning walk 

• beautifully vibrant pelargonium and a rose which I think is called Sally Holmes

From the sewing room

•  my final Christmas placemat is finished - so another goal completed from my Q4 list for the 2015 finish-along.  

From the WIP pile

• another finish - my French Hen decoration for my sister 

From the bedside table

• new books to read and freshly picked, sweetly scented, sweet william.

From the vege garden

• the humid spring weather means my tamarillo tree and beans are having a rapid growth spurt.

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend.

Weekending

Rachael and Mr Chew Chew - pom pom making

Crochet lessons

Got to love my library!!

My beautiful Meadow pillow - photo courtesy of Deb

My beautiful AMH pillow/pouf from Rachel

Button detail

Beaded stitch markers

Today I made the trip from Auckland to Matangi again, for our last sewing day get together for 2015.
I had accumulated over the past couple of weeks a lovely pile of new quilting and cook books, so they were well browsed through.  Hand sewing, cross-stitch, pom-pom making and crochet lessons were all taking place today.  Lots of yummy food again too.

Gwen and I were the lucky birthday club recipients this time. I was very spoiled with the handmade gifts I was given.  From Deb, I received a beautiful Meadow pillow cover, featuring  so many gorgeous fabrics and from Rachael I received a beautiful Anna Maria Horner pillow, featuring her handmade pottery buttons.  I think my family will be banned from using these.

I made Gwen a pouch for her knitting (my first finish in my Q4 finish-along goals) and some beaded stitch markers.

Such a shame we probably won't have another get-together until next year now.

Wednesday WIP

A Christmas ornament for my sister,  from"The Twelve Days of Christmas" collection from mmmcrafts. I have the odd days, she has the even days.  This will be a French Hen!!  The embroidery is done, now I just need to wash away the stabiliser and sew it  all together.

Linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Weekending

Well it's been a while since I did a weekending post, but here's what I got up to this weekend.

• relaxing on Friday night, after a somewhat manic week at work - a new magazine and a glass of chardonnay, the perfect way to start the weekend
• in the garden - lots of weeding, cutting back and planting new plants  Pleased to see my passionfruit vine has started flowering, lots more buds on it too, here's hoping I get a bumper crop after last years rather drastic pruning gave me a total of about 12 fruit.
• in the sewing room - finally I have made a start on the final Christmas placemat , so nice to be sewing again.  
• in the kitchen - this recipe for school (and work) lunchbox treats

Wishing you all a fabulous week ahead,