Sunday, January 27, 2019

Happy Summer Days

A beautiful summery welcome to all you lovely lovelies♥ AND.....it's the weekend...YAY!! Though in saying this, the last month has seemed like one long weekend to me.

Life down here has been filled with happy summery days. Days of sunshine, days of stitching......spilling over with happy, flowery kinda days.

This past week  another birthday appeared on my horizon. Now, I would not have mentioned this auspicious and propitious day (well.....at least it is on my calendar) had not my daughter sent this little gem of a book all the way from the USofA.


I might say at this juncture, that this is the daughter who continually tells me that I have far too many books!! Each time she visits and raises her eyebrows over my burgeoning bookshelves, she is always at pains to tell me that upon my untimely demise she will have "to get rid of them all.....that I have too many books"!!! Really??? Has not my daughter heard of the word "library". =) Besides, my books are beautiful props with beautiful bindings; not to mention all terribly good reads. All my loved bibliophile fancies make my home....well......home. Let's just say my darling daughter whom I love with all my being has an aberrant minimalist and modern gene. She is of the modernistic ethic that less is more. I suppose on the subject of bibliophilia, she and me will just have to agree to disagree.

I must say that I am a bit surprised this sweet little book arrived in my letter box,  considering my daughter's thoughts on my little problem of hoarding collecting books; but I am so happy she decided to gift her dear ol' mum one more book to brighten her dear ol' mum's day. My youngest daughter is a bit of a book collector so I can rest assured that when my last breath is exhaled she will see that my books go to good homes.

But I digress......it is indeed a little gem of a book. It is a little book overspilling with floral happiness. Each page features a "pop-up" flower alongside a description of its symbolic meaning. 

When the dust cover is slipped off, one turns the flowers up and before you know it  a bouquet of happy, zingy flowers has popped up, sitting in a pretty pot to bring a little beauty and joy to my day.


Isn't this the sweetest, happiest little book?? My beautiful daughter knows her mother very well♥ All that floral prettiness cannot help but make me smile........oh.....and I hope warm your day,  especially each one of you lovelies whom are seeing day after day of wintry grey, grey and then some, as far as the eye can see. This sweet little book looks perfectly at home with my real blooms from the garden.

Flowers have been growing on my garden quilt this last little while. Stitching has been happening in all manner of places; in my sewing room, by the pond, watching the Australian Open tennis on the box, on country drives........yep.....those magical seeds have been slowly blossoming into flowers.

The view outside my sewing room has slowly changed, as have the bunches of flowers that I have picked and placed in a vase to sit on the window sill. Aah yes......I have watched the procession of  blossoms flower outside the garden in succession whilst I have slowly stitched each each petal, each flower.





Stitching is slow going but with each tiny applique stitch, Daisies have 'growed', more Hydrangeas have bloomed......Tulips, more Foxgloves, and even some sweet, dainty, little blue flowers have popped up near the pond. Oh....and I forgot another Water Lily has greeted the sunshine from beneath the lily pads. 


I am still loving stitching this quilt, even though the stitching is at a snail's pace. As I stitch each flower it seems to be mirroring what is flowering out in the garden. With the stitching of this quilt I am finding I am observing all the tiny details of each flower more closely to get a sense of each particular petal, each leaf.....vein, each stamen etc etc. I am amazed at the intricate details in the minutiae within each flower; details that I have never really noticed before.









We have a few weeks of school holidays left down here so I am supposing more applique and slow hand stitching will be enjoyed. I would love to see some Irises and  perhaps some Gladdies, perhaps a Tiger Lily blossoming on the quilt. The bottom of the quilt is nearly finished so I will soon be able to join the sky fabric and begin to design and stitch more flowers towering in the background. I think too, I might also start another scrappy quilt......just to mix things up a bit. To be perfectly honest I am hankering after a little machine stitching not to mention that I just want to play with some pretty 1930's scrappy fabrics once again....but I will see how I go.

Thank you for visiting my summery place. I hope you all enjoy a lovely week. May you find many moments to enjoy the beautiful, to appreciate the simple things of each day. As it is Sunday, I am going to stitch a blossom or two, embroider french knots as stamens on the Hydrangeas; but right this very minute, I am off to re-read my little gem of a book and play with the pop up flowers. After all a book has to be read and loved over and over again.


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


Linking up this week to Kathy Quilts, Slow Sunday Stitching

55 comments:

  1. Your book AND your quilt are just beautiful dear Kim. What a lovely thought for your daughter to send you that. Belated Birthday Wishes my friend ... have a wonderful week Xx

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  2. Happy Birthday! I guess no one buys you flowers - Champagne & chocolates then?

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  3. Happy birthday ;) Your daughter is so sweet, she knows your love for books and flowers ;) As always your real flowers are beautiful, as your stitching!

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  4. Happy Birthday Kim. Love your little flowery gift, so you. Love your quilt too,so much love in it I suspect. Happy sewing
    X jeanette ann

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    1. Thank you, lovely Jeanette♥ Yes there is certainly a lot of love going into my flower quilt, which is a good thing as it is taking what seems forever. Thank you for popping by. Have a great week. Hope it is not too hot up there. Kim Xx

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  5. Happy Birthday Kim and I love the book your daughter sent to you,it's wonderful. Ohwow yourappliqueflowers are so pretty,you are very clever my friend ,well done xx

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  6. What a beautiful, thoughtful gift! Such a lovely colourful post, certainly brightened up a dreich Scottish morning!

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  7. Your post is a delight for my eyes !
    Your gift is gorgeous ! Happy belated Birthday ;) I'm a booklovers too ;) And they are so many in my home that I have to search a new place for every new one that comes into my house...
    Your flowers and your quilt are so gorgeous !!!!!! They illuminate my day ! We are in the middle of the winter here...
    Have a shinny week, lucky woman :)
    Anna

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  8. What's not to love when it comes to flowers! All the detail you are taking from the garden and adding to your quilt is really paying off! Lovely indeed!

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  9. What a sweet book. I think I might try to find it to give to my mom for her birthday in May. I too have way more books (and magazines) than I should, but I love to re-read them and look through them as the mood hits me. You sure love your flowers. I love to look at them, but I am allergic to their scents so I rarely have them indoors. Your quilt is gorgeous. I love the hydrangeas.

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  10. What a very special book Kim. Your applique is looking amazing. Enjoy your lovely weather. We are now in the south of Spain so getting some warmer days and lots of sunshine which we really needed. xx

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  11. happy birthday dear friend...i suspect that book was made just for you!! do you know the author?? hehehehehe...it is so perfect for you!!

    another beautiful, colorful post!! the flowers and stitching on the quit you have displayed are simply gorgeous!! another scrappy quilt?? you are so ambitious!!

    your gladiolas are gorgeous, i LOVE all the different colors!!

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  12. What a delightful post, from the charming book to your stunning flowers and your marvelous applique work, it is a feast for the eyes!!

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  13. Happy Birthday Kim, your little book of flowers is absolutely precious! I love it. I have a birthday next week. I love celebrating birthdays. Your quilt is gorgeous, every flower and leaf and stem are just amazing. You do beautiful work. I love reading your blog about the lovely little area you get to live in. Hugs,

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  14. That is a funny story about your daughter sending you a book....but what a beautiful...perfect gift for you!! Oh and you applique Kim is just wonderful! I thought immediately that is was perfectly YOU!!!! I so enjoyed your post today...thank you!

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  15. Your Garden of Flowers quilt is progressing so well; I'm amazed at how much you've accomplished. Happy Birthday, Kim. What a lovely and amazing book but even more wonderful is that particular daughter would pick out the book for you. It is a lovely sunny day here though the ground is covered in white. We've had lots of snow in January; I love it. The temps are going to be falling HEAVILY and it's forecast that we'll have lows of minus 20 or more by the middle of the week. Yikes! That's what we call 'damn cold'! :)

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  16. Happy belated birthday, Absolutely love your gorgeous flowers and quilt project!

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  17. The book is lovely. That quilt is beautiful. Thank You for this enjoyable post. Wishing you a year of happiness and blessings.
    HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY
    Joan,Marion and Marilyn

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    1. Thank you so much, Joan, Marion and Marilyn for your sweet and beautiful comments♥ How lovely to have you all visit. Your visit has delighted me and sprinkled oodles of sunshine in my day.

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  18. That is a darling little book! And your flower garden quilt is blooming marvellous!

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  19. Happy Birthday! That is a most wonderful book :D And your applique and garden flowers are all growing beautifully :)

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  20. Happy Birthday,dear Kim!What a treasured book...I am enchanted with so many beauty!Adorable quilt and flowers...Here is summer too,38-40°Celsius,,,people and plants can't stand the hot weather and the lack of rain...Today I visited my parents and their beautiful garden...I wish we would live closer,I miss them...Hugs and blessings!

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    1. Thank you so much, lovely Maristella. The hot weather you are experiencing must be awful and certainly not good for the garden. The weather here is hot but there is always a cool breeze to cool one down. I too wish you lived closer to your parents, then you could visit them and enjoy their garden a lot more. Sending you an armful of hugs, lovely lady♥

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  21. Kim, a very happy birthday to you! And the book is absolutely perfect for you! What a delight that the flowers pop up to greet you! And your quilt is coming along beautifully. Though it may be at a snail's pace, it is just that much longer you can gaze at your work! ♥

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  22. What a wonderful post! The sweet birthday book was definitely the perfect gift for you. And, I am just blown away by all the loveliness you are stitching into your oh-so-gorgeous quilt. I love love it!

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  23. Happy belated birthday. I too love books. I have several "coffee" books-large books with colorful photos. There's text too but the pretty photos-I look and look sometimes. I think needle turn applique is the prettiest but yes, it's the slowest. I have done the machine blanket stitch but it's not as beautiful. They are predicting, are you sitting down? 40 to 50 below zero wind chill factors this coming Wednesday in Illinois. I am tired of shoveling snow and they are predicting 4 to 8 inches more. Where to put it all? I am thankful it hasn't been the wet, heavy snow. And we've been in a deep freeze about to get deeper in the deep freeze. What Global Warming????? Enjoy your summer and flowers.

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  24. Oh Kim, Happy Belated Birthday wishes to you!! Yes, I'd say that your daughter knows her mother very well indeed. The book is just darling and so delightful. Your appliqued quilt is blossoming right before our very eyes. Thank you for sharing the progress with us on it's beauty. May you have a week of happy stitching and flower gazing. xx

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  25. Happy Birthday, Kim! And what a brilliant present to open the celebrations. Your quilt is equally brilliant, I must say, what a labor of love. I've been glued to the TV for the past couple of weeks, watching the tennis from Australia, what an amazing tournament!
    Amalia
    xo

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  26. Happy, happy belated birthday Kim!
    What a fantastic book she gifted you! And I agree to disagree with your daughter on collecting books, because when it comes to them for me less is never more.
    As I can see from all the photos, you are the true flower collector of every kind there is: paper, fabric or real! Enjoy your piece of heaven!

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  27. Kim, first of all I want to wish you the Happiest of Birthdays, and may God bless you with many more happy years to come!
    Second, on this very dreary, cold and cloudy, rainy day, your beautiful post so lifted my spirits seeing the lovely gift your daughter gave you, was that ever perfect for you and I am sure in the winter months you will enjoy it even more.
    Your lovely quilt is coming along so wonderfully, you are doing a beautiful job of stitching your flowers, how exciting to see it all come together like it is.
    So glad you are enjoying your summer and sharing it with us :)

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  28. Happy belated wishes Kim, the book is just the most perfect gift and who can have too many books and magazines? Love your beautiful quilt, full of colour and happiness. Wonderful stitching.

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  29. Your quilt is looking so divine! Such beautiful handiwork you have so patiently stitched. Happy Birthday! I seem to recall that we both have January birthdays...mine was Sunday. I love that we have that in common! I am a little jealous that you get to celebrate yours in the warm summer weather! Your little book is just too sweet and so perfect for you.

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  30. Tantissimi auguri cara amica ❤ le tue opere d'arte sono un piacere per gli occhi, hai utilizzato dei colori che si fondono tra loro con meravigliosa armonia. Continua così tesoro 😀

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    1. Thank you so much, lovely lady♥ Yes all those bright and happy summery colours do dance in harmony, don't they. Thank you for your beautiful visit. Kim Xx

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  31. Happy Belated Birthday, Kim! I love the book.
    What a wonderful plethora of garden flowers to choose from. My they are gorgeous.
    And your quilt: a profusion of beauty!
    (My iPad wouldn't let me say anything again...hopefully you won't get three of these.):^)
    Enjoy...your lovely garden and the beautiful summer days.

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    1. Thank you, lovely Dixie♥ Yes, there is a plethora of pretty flowers to inspire me. Indeed, I am making the most of the beautiful summer days before they disappear. Thank you for visiting. Kim Xx

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  32. A belated Happy Birthday - how lovely that your daughter knows you so well. Your quilt is looking spectacular, as are your real life flowers. If I had your garden I fear I would spend all my time admiring it and get no sewing at all done.

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    1. You are very kind, Sandra. Thank you so much. Kim Xx

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  34. Your book and quilt are truly exceptionally beautiful. Dear flower lady, I still enjoy all the beautiful flowers in your blog, it brightens up my day.

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    1. Oh....I rather love the name "flower lady", lovely Loes....thank you♥ Why I think that is what I will call myself from now on. =) I am so happy you never tire of seeing a gazillion pretty flowers each time I blog; I do tend to overdo it don't I. But...everyone loves a flower or two, so I guess I will just keep on beaming bright and happy flowers up to you. Have a beautiful day, my lovely friend. Kim Xx

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  35. Happy Birthday Kim!
    I love the book! It’s so you!
    Your quilt is looking amazing! Beautiful stitching ..... all those tiny pieces!
    Well done!
    Hugs,
    Barbara

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  36. Wow, Kim!!!!!!!!!! I LLLLLLLLOVE your gorgeous quilt with the amazing applique flowers!!!!!!!!!! Hugs, my dear friend.

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  37. Happy Birth Day Kim!!! Your new book is indeed a tiny little treasure - your daughter does indeed know you, despite her protests over the size of your library. And that quilt - oh, my dear - you are outdoing yourself with this one! How I wish I could see it in person once it's done!

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  38. Kim - what a clever, clever book, and so appropriate for YOU! I am drooling over all the fresh flowers in your house, especially the gladdies. They are so majestic in the way one flower follows after another on the sturdy stem. Your quilt is coming along in quite a spectacular fashion - I am pleased you included photos of the whole project - the detail is interesting, and even more so when put in perspective of the SIZE of your creation. Fabulous, darling!

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  39. Las fotos son estupendas! Feliz día ! 💚💚💚

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    1. Thank you for your lovely comments, Carolina. Kim Xx

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  40. Well my dear, you did a wonderful job helping me feel like I could actually smell the lovely flowers on you very special hand sewn quilt. I feel like a little girl again. Having found you to follow once again!

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  41. Happy Belated Birthday!! You have certainly been working those little fingers of yours to the bone, dear Kim! I am in awe of the details and how much you have accomplished on this magnificent work of art. And the book your daughter gifted you with looks like it was created just for YOU...oh my word, how perfect! Blessings to you!

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  42. Kim I was just thinking about your flower quilt and wondering how it was coming along. You've made so much progress. You definitely have vision. A very happy sweet birthday blessing to you! I think your daughter gave you the perfect gift. She knows you so well. Enjoy reading it over and over. **Smiles**
    xx Beca

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  43. Hi Kim, I hope you had an amazing birthday. That is a really sweet book and in my opinion, there is no such thing as too many books - and in your case, flowers too! Your quilt is really coming along. What a labour of love :-)

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  44. Your flowers are beautiful!!!! I love this project. And I agree with other commenters that there is no such thing as too many books.

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  45. Your quilt is wonderful, what a happy breath of spring on a dreary winter day! Happy stitching!

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