Hydrangeas, Hydrangeas, Hydrangeas.....and a Water Lily or Two

Hello all you lovelies, how delightful to have you visit my little Spring place. It has been a couple of weeks since I last chatted but I can assure you I have not been twiddling my thumbs and doing nothing. Indeed, I have been quietly and ever so slowly fashioning more fabric flowers for my garden quilt. Why, this very afternoon, a sunny Sunday afternoon, I am going to spend a few hours enjoying a little slow hand stitching. I have reserved a spot in the swing seat beside the pond, for this very occasion. =)

Those of  you who have visited me here for a while know that whilst I sing a rhapsody of all things floral, the flowers that sing the sweetest song to my heart are Hydrangeas. Those gorgeous mop head beauties are my favourite flowers. So, because I am in the mood of a little Hydrangea blue, these are the flowers I have been fashioning this last little while. Yes, that magical packet of mixed seeds has sprung petal after petal (120 itty bitty petals to be exact....but hey who's counting) of Hydrangeas. I am rather pleased with my little Hydrangeas and their leaves. They almost look like the real thing. =) I thought they would be near high impossible to fashion, but surprisingly they were not. Once I got into the groove they played happily under the soft touch of my fingers.

If you were to walk through my rickety front gate in early Spring a row of sunny Daffodils would smile at you, welcoming you to my humble abode.

But as these pretty, trumpet-like flowers begin to fade, the Hydrangeas burst forth onto the stage with great aplomb  and perform the most beautifully choreographed dance, month after month after month. From early December until May these beauties gift me with flowers.  That's six months of these ever flowering shrubs......not bad, not bad at all!

In Summer the Hydrangeas truly are the most gorgeous of flowers. They flourish along the front picket fence needing not much attention. Their only requirement is to be kept well watered, as they are thirsty plants. They are a car-stopping spectacular. We have had  tourists stop and capture happy snap after happy snap of these beautiful flowers. En masse, I don't think there is any flower that can outshine Hydrangeas.

In Summertime vase after vase of these mop head beauties can be found everywhere in my home. They last for weeks and after a while fade into glorious soft hues. Of all the flowers that dance in the flower kingdom, the beautiful Hydrangeas in my humble opinion, reign supreme.

Water Lilies sitting on lily pads have popped up from that floral seed packet of enchantment as well. It's astonishing how magical this mixed packet of flower seeds is.

The pond my husband imagined and then slowly created is the heart of the garden. It is a place of peacefulness, of serenity and of healing. It is a place of enchantment; it is balm to the soul. In the warmer months it is a place where you will more often than not find my good husband and my good self sitting in our swing seat being renewed; by the peace and beauty of the pond, the flowers that hug it and the little critters that call the pond home.

So, of course when imagining my quilt the pond had to have pride of place.

With the Hydrangeas and Water Lilies having been fashioned I decided to begin to stitch the flowers onto the the background fabric. There are a lot more flowers to be 'growed' but I am a little impatient for my garden to flourish. I decided now is the time for the flowers to begin to bloom in situ. I stitched blue batik fabric onto the background for the pond and then the Water Lilies, arranging the Hydrangeas to the side of the water. Stitching the Hydrangeas and leaves I feel, will take forever but that's okay, because as I have intimated before I am loving this hand applique caper.

Love, love, love these sweet little Hydrangeas. In reality there are no Hydrangeas growing near 'our' pond, but as this garden is one which grows in my imagination, anything is possible.

When I have finished stitching the Hydrangeas and leaves on this side of the pond I will be stitching the same or very similar on the other side!! That means....120 or thereabouts, itty bitty petals to fashion and then stitch........not to mention many more leaves! Oh my giddy aunt!! I wonder if this big girl will live long enough to see this quilt finished?? The thought has crossed my mind, wondering if I will have exhaled my last breath before my fabric flowers will be blossoming beautifully altogether. Oh well, I guess I will just keep on keeping on.

But.....I won't worry my muddly little head wondering will I or will I not finish, as this week my good husband and I are off on a little jaunt over hill and dale, on a little road trip around the countryside. The final destination is an acre upon acre Tulip farm where a rainbow coloured tapestry astonishes all who gaze upon it. We are going with a dear friend and two of my sewing girls. We will all have the best fun. There probably will be little time for stitching, but that's okay......there will be oodles of opportunities for me and my camera to take lots and lots of happy snaps.

Until the next time.....................

Linking up this week to Sunday Slow Stitching at Kathy's Quilts and
Soma's Wandering Camera at Whims and Fancies, at the end of the month.