Sunday, December 8, 2019

Goodbye Spring, Hello Summer


A lovely welcome to all you lovely lovelies  It's been a month of Sundays (quite literally) since I last  beamed happy snaps of flowers to you up there in the land on snow and sleet and all things pertaining to the chilliest of seasons. Though, if I am  to be truthful, here in Tasmania summer hasn't really made an appearance as yet. Oh, the calendar has swooshed from September, October, November.....over to December, the first month of summer, but to be honest Ol' Man Sun has been missing in action more often than not this last little while. It seems to me that when he does appear he is playing catch and chase with winds that could quite possibly uproot my humble abode from it's foundations. Yes indeedy, it is decidedly chilly here. But.......being the eternal optimist that I am I do live in hope that days of warmth and sunshine will soon come aknocking on my bright pink, front door and I can swap my woolly aran jumpers for summer dresses. Though, while Tassie is shivering with icy temperatures, the rest of Australia is fainting and melting from extreme temperatures. A lot of Australia is experiencing dreadful wildfires with many, many homes being destroyed and people's lives thrown into chaos....so very sad.

The weather down here might be a little 'how's your mother' but the garden has sashayed to the dance of Mother Nature regardless of  the befuddlement of the seasons. As always, spring was a delight to all the senses with the daffodils, irises, granny bonnets, lilacs, forget-me-nots, bluebells, clematis...........all strutting their stuff in their allotted time, but now that Spring has passed the flowers of summer are beginning to parade.....foxgloves, love-in-the-mist, sweet peas, roses, and soon the glorious hydrangeas, gladdies, cosmos, anemones, zinnias and dahlias. Aah....yes the summer flowers always triumph.




Oh dear, I have got lost in the deliciousness of vase after vase of flowers, I forgot to mention that I have finished my little, flower-filled, quilt top. Yes indeedy....'tis true. All 120 little hexden flowers have been appliqued onto 120 little floralicious squares and each gorgeous square is playing ever so nicely with the others. This quilt is a  joy to my eyes. Every square is dancing with an explosion of floral pattern and colour. In theory a quilt with a 'cast of thousands' of floral fabrics shouldn't work, but somehow it does. Besides I have never been a gal who follows the quilting rules that are set in concrete, and I don't suppose I will start now.





For the backing I found a pretty fabric with flowers dancing all over. There wasn't a great selection of fabrics that I thought would play nicely with my quilt but I am happy with what I chose...AND....it was half price so I am beside myself with great joy. =)

May I say the backing fabric complements a vase or two of flowers perfectly as well. I am always up for a photo shoot overspilling with floralicous delight.......so, so sorry. =)




It is a lovely Sunday morning down here. Why, by all appearances it looks as if Ol' Man Sun is going to cast his happy beams on my humble abode and the winds have swirled away to annoy folk in another location. Could it possibly be that summer might take up residence at my happy place, for a little while??? With this thought uppermost in my muddly mind, this afternoon I will put my little quilt in the quilting hoop and begin the begin.......some enjoyment of a little hand quilting. But for now there is a small matter of a little tea drinking in a pretty teacup, whilst I sit in the swing seat overlooking the pond. May you all enjoy a lovely day sprinkled with smiles and beauty. Wish oh wish I could tap on each one of your doors and gift you with a fragrance-filled bunch of flowers.....but this post oozing with happy floraliciousness will just have to do.

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


Linking this week to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching.

55 comments:

  1. You have the most glorious flowers I have ever seen. Even the ones that are just a little draggy, you seem to make beautiful. The flower quilt is perfectly you. Can't wait to see your hand quilting come to life on this quilt. I hope the sun stayed shining there in Tassie. We had such cold weather the end of October and into November and now it's been warmer and hardly seems like winter. Our family Christmas is beckoning from around the corner - by this time next week, I'll literally be exhausted!! :) Just maybe, we'll have a dusting of snow for our weekend festivities.

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  2. Oh my, your spring has flitted by as quickly as the season does in the Northern hemisphere. No worries as summer brings more flowers and longer days. Sorry to hear about the troubles in Australia. Amazing, how the quilt coordinates so perfectly with the flowers in the garden. Certainly it will be delightful stitching. Sharing your flower-filled days are almost like a personal visit filled with fragrant floraliciousness! Thank you!

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  3. What humble words do I have that could express what I feel about this oh-so-utterly-unbelievably beautiful post? I can only shake my head in disbelief and look again at each incredibly luscious picture. Let me count the ways I love the hexden flower quilt amidst my favorite of all flowers, the oh-so-so gorgeous foxglove! Thank you for tapping on my door! I love the gift!

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    1. The foxgloves do bedeck the quilt beautifully, don't they. I always think foxgloves are magical, always peeking deep within the pretty bells to see if there is a tiny fairy hiding within. Thank you for your beautiful comments. So, so happy you love your gift. Kim Xx

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  4. Your flower quilt looks stunning dear Kim - as does that gorgeous garden of yours. All your flowery pics are so very beautiful. We have had the nastiest winds here too - today they are back again. Not fun to be in at all. Have a lovely week my friend xx

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  5. Oh Kim, sorry that you are still a bit chilly, but sounds like you may be on your way to some warmth. I am glad you aren't affected by the fires, there are others that I have seen their pictures of smokey scenes. Your quilt is just gorgeous, that is great that you found a good deal on the backing.
    My your flowers are just beautiful, a spring delight for sure!! I can almost smell them right through the computer :)

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  6. Hi Kim beautiful post my friend the flowers are so beautiful what a stunning garden.
    I live your quilt to Kim it's so pretty xx

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  7. My goodness! I felt as if entering heaven when I came here and the flowers have enchanted me beyond repair. You are truly blessed to be surrounded with Nature's luxurious fruits! I hope it gets warmer for you and colder for us! We've had an unnatural weather here - too warm for November and December... I still haven't taken back my summer clothes for their wintery sleep. I long for some coldness and snow...

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  8. Beautiful colors !
    Beautiful flowers !
    And pictures !
    Thanks you for sharing those beauties !
    Beautiful lady !
    Anna
    Here, it's a "rainy-cold" Fall to a "we'll see-cold" Winter ;(

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  9. Your quilt is lovely, I'm looking forward to see what you do with the quilting. I so enjoyed seeing all the beautiful flowers. Here in northern Indiana we have no flowers outside, the flowerbeds have been cleared and are sleeping. No snow right now but that can change soon as we have another arctic cold front moving in this week. Please keep those flower pictures coming for us northern folk. Happy Stitching!

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  10. Hi Kim wonderful photos as always lovely to see all the wonderful flowers, glad to see summer on the way to you. Love you hexagon quilt all the wonderful colours.
    Best wishes Kay c

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    1. It was a lovely sunny and warm day today, Kay, so me thinks summer might just be on its way. =) Thank you for the gift of your sweet comments. Hope you enjoy a fabulous week, lovely lady. Kim Xx

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  11. Beyond beautiful! I can almost small your flowers and your new quilt is wonderful. I'm looking forward to sharing your Summer more than to my Winter!

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  12. Oh, Kim, how I wish you could stop by my home with one of your lovely blooming bundles!! We don’t have any blossoms here these days in the gardens so a colorful bunch would be a welcome sight! Your Hexie quilt is absolutely gorgeous and a true masterpiece! What fun you’ll have quilting it and I know you’ll find just the right border fabric when you get to that point. Enjoy your stitching, dear Lady! Zenda

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  13. It always tickles me so to remember that half the world is slipping into summer, as we're slipping into winter weather! Lovely flowers; I can almost smell their intoxicating fragrances! Your quilt is just beautiful and the backing fabric you selected is perfect! :)

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  14. Yes those flowers are definitely strutting there stuff and beautiful they are too! Your quilt is gorgeous, those sunny florals really warm the soul. We have had a lot of news in the uk about the wildfires near Sydney. Heartbreaking.

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  15. I love your quilt and what a great way to photograph it!

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  16. You've outdone yourself again with the gorgeous flowers and delightful quilt. I echo all the superlatives everyone has already used. I particularly admire the fussy cut hexden posies like the blue/yellow pansies with the hydrangea center. Such talent you have in designing both real and fabric flowers.
    Pat

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  17. I'd love to visit your gorgeous garden. On of my favorite flowers is the hollyhocks! As always love your beautiful pictures. We have been rain, rain, rainy. Thanks so much for sharing

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  18. I love when you post Kim... and show off your awesome photography and flower arranging skills... soo glad you are enjoying the beginning of Summer on your side of the world... I am sitting next to a heater as I type this to you... have a great week sweet lady! Kathi

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  19. Beautiful beautiful photographs Kim and oh how I love that quilt. Just stunning. I hope the sun stays around to warm you up. xx

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  20. Thanks for sharing the summer flowers - the rain is beating down on my window here in the UK.

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  21. I love your beautiful flowery hexie quilt blowing in the breeze amongst the paradise of colours from your garden. A gorgeous touch of summer to enjoy on this cold wet day in Spain.

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  22. Your new creation is absolutely stunning, a joy to behold, as are all your gorgeous flowers in the garden. Wonder how you will bring it to life with your quilting? Im sure you will have a lovely time sitting and quilting this treasure.

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  23. Your flowers are all gorgeous and you make such a lovely montage with the vases. Congrats on getting your quilt top finished - it is beautiful.

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  24. Your garden photos and your quilt are absolutely scrumptious!You must have an incredible garden. It is a feast for the eyes as I am shivering here in CT. Thank you for sharing your eye candy.

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  25. The quilt is beautiful. You have a wonderful way with flowers. Your garden is picture perfect flower loving dream come true.
    Very busy decorating,etc. for Christmas.
    Marion

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    1. The garden is a dream of my husband's come true. He has put his heart and soul into his dream AND I get to enjoy all the beauty. I am just on my way out to the garden to help him weed. Argh.....the weeds, they are as abundant as the pretty flowers! Thank you for popping by, lovely Marion; hope you enjoy a beautiful week decorating your lovely home for Christmas, sprinkling sparkles and joy everywhere. Kim Xx

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  26. It is so dreary here in Northern Illinois. What a delight to see your flowers and that gorgeous quilt. I am so envious of those Foxgloves-I've tried to grow them several times without success. They are predicting rather warm days today and tomorrow, 45 to 50 with rain but them it's supposed to dip very low Tuesday. Weather has been very strange all of 2019. Poor Australia and I felt so bad that little Lewis the koala couldn't be saved. Hopefully he's in a better place and pain free. I just bought a koala quilt block pattern and plan to make a block in his memory. I'll see about putting his name at the bottom. I always loved Smoky Bear's story and was hoping for another happy ending. Life has many ups and downs-your flowers did cheer me up. I had to evict a young opossum I found that made a next on top of my car battery. I help wildlife as much as I can but some places are just off limits. He stuffed shredded plastic bags and dried leaves all over and around my battery. I smelled melting plastic when I was driving. Lived here over 40 years and that's a first and hopefully last for that. Take care

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  27. Congratulations on getting a cast of hundreds of florals to play nicely together!
    It's like a flower explosion of beautifulness!

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  28. Oh, Kim, I love your pics ..... all those roses! They don’t look real ..... just beautiful!
    It’s lucky hubbie enjoys his planting. My hubbie likes planting too, but nothing like your place!
    Your quilt is exquisite! It looks so happy amongst the foxgloves! We used to have loads of foxgloves ..... ummm, umtyump years ago, not sure where they went! I used to throw the seeds down, but I guess nothing happened! Well, thank you for sharing yours with us!
    Your quilt really is soo beautiful!
    Hugs,
    Barbara xx

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  29. Fabulous pictures!!!Your garden is heavenly and that quilt is fantastic!Always a pleasure visiting your enchanted world...Such beauty and joy!

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    1. Thank you, lovely Maristella for the gift of your beautiful visit and comments. You are always so very kind. Kim Xx

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  30. Kim, your flowers are Heaven sent. Each and every color is candy to the eye. That quilt is gorgeous. The background is perfect. We have not had much snow just quite a bit of rain. Keeping busy with the preparations for Christmas. Enjoy your balmy weather when it arrives.
    Marilyn

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    1. It's a lovely hot day here today, Marilyn.....YAY! Fingers crossed that hot days will visit my little place for a while. Yes I do believe the flowers are gifts from the heavenly realms....each and every flower is a miracle. It sounds a bit dreary up there, but keeping busy with Christmas preparations will sprinkle joyousness to your days. Hope it stops raining soon and the snow gifts you with a wintry wonderland. Thank you for your beautiful visit, lovely Marilyn. Kim Xx

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  31. Oh, the forest fires are terrible, they just keep on going, I hope they stop soon.
    Beautiful all those summer flowers, I love roses and also columbines, in our garden I have them in blue and purple.
    Dear Kim, I hope that many warm days come and stay with you.
    It rains in our little country, not every day, but now it does.
    After the Sinterklaas days we go to the dark days before Christmas.
    Thank you for your kind words on my blog, I always enjoy it.

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    1. The fires are still burning, Loes. It is such terrible drought in much of Australia and everything is very dry; perfect conditions for fires. I love columbines too (and roses.....well all flowers, actually). I love how columbines look like old fashioned granny bonnets. As for visiting your lovely blog, it is always a delight. I am always in awe of what amazing baking concoctions you imagine. I must say though I leave your lovely place always feeling very hungry. =) Thank you for your sweet visit. I hope your week is a lovely one. No doubt you will be in the kitchen baking some gastronomical delight. Kim Xx

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  32. A beautiful quilt, Kim. Enjoy your time spent hand quilting it, with cups of tea in fine china. Your garden is glorious - flowers, flowers everywhere. Send some of your cool weather up here - not the wind, though. We need calm weather and RAIN - lots of it. The closest fire to me - about 45km away - has burnt through 250,000 hectares. This fire alone is larger than the fires in the Amazon. Tomorrow we start level 2 water restrictions - buckets only to water the garden in restricted hours. I'm deciding which parts of the garden to let go. We're luckier than many, though - some parts of the state are far worse than us. So, in the meantime, I'll enjoy seeing your beautiful garden, and dreaming of rain.

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  33. Your garden is breathtaking as always. I'm surprised that every bride in your area isn't knocking on your door asking to use your garden for their wedding.
    Your lovely quilt mirrors the beauty of your garden.

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  34. I never fail to be amazed by your garden, not to mention the glorious quilt. Oh my heavens...it's hard to tell where the flowers on the quilt begin and where the real flowers end! Absolutely breathtaking, my friend!

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  35. How I wish computers came with smell-o-vision!!! Those flowers are absolutely stunning and I can 'almost' smell them. Your quilt is incredible too - set off so nicely by those foxgloves. You have good reason to be proud of that one! Too bad a greeting card company wouldn't discover your flower photos and pay you big bucks!

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  36. It's hard to even imagine the devastation Australia is coping with elsewhere in its regions when one sees the beauty of your garden, both plant and textile based, Kim! I would just to reach in my computer screen and smell the lovely fragrances that I know spring delivers in the garden.
    So lovely, and what a contrast to our kind of Christmas clime, but so welcoming to see the differences! Merry Christmas to you, and may your 2020 bloom freely!

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    1. Rita, I am very fortunate my husband and I live in an area where there is never a problem with rainfall. It was one of the reasons we moved here as my husband's favourite pastime in this life is tending 'his' garden. Yes, you up there experience a wintry wonderland at Christmastime and we down here always have a hot Christmas. Oh, what it must be like to experience snow falling on Christmas day. We, down here, are normally sweltering with a cool drink in hand. Thank you for visiting my blossoming little place, lovely Rita. AND...thank you for your beautiful wish that 2020 blooms freely down here. I have a feeling it might. May you enjoy a fabulous 2020 in that gorgeous loft of yours over looking your cityscape. Kim Xx

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  37. summer is playing with you, by the time he makes his appearance, you will be more grateful, enjoy him more!! everything looks so pretty, so colorful...i can almost smell the roses!!

    your quilt fabric for the back of that quilt is gorgeous. i love half price...don't ca just love a bargain"!!!

    i love sunday mornings, they always feel so special!!

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  38. Hi Kim,
    Beautiful, breathtaking gardens. And O yes, I love sweet peas, anemones, roses, and isn't Love-in-the-Mist something else? All gorgeous!
    I've been reading about the wildfires in Australia.So sad. I hope they end soon.
    Your quilt--so beautiful. The colours divine.
    Such a lovely post, Kim.

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    1. Hi Dixie, Love-in-the-Mist is fast becoming one of my favourite flowers. I love the delicate, misty leaves and flowers...AND....down here in the garden, they self sow each year and grow more abundantly with each new season. I have picked oodles of these pretty flowers this year and 'plonked' them into vases. They particularly look pretty bunched together with sweet peas. The fires are still burning; heavens knows what January and February, the hotter months, will bring. Thank you for popping by and gifting me with your kind and generous comments, lovely Dixie. Wishing you a beautiful festive holiday season. Kim Xx

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  39. I get by our lists emailed to me, dearest Kim, but somehow this time, your post was delivered to my spam box (of all things!! ). I don’t check my spam box very often, but did today and there YOU were!! Anyway, enough if that, I so enjoyed your flower filled post of real posies and your most gorgeous, finished quilt!!! Oh glory be, it is so enchantingly wonderful!!! You deserve that nice cup of tea, and yes, I wish you could knock on my door and bring me some posies from your garden. Xx

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  40. This lovely post filled with your gorgeous flowers and quilt do the job perfectly of bringing some summer love up to our frigid days! I hope your days are filled with all sunshine soon! xoxo

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  41. I'm so in love with your gorgeous garden, Kim. Our winter has finally arrived with the first proper rain but no winter flowers just yet so I'm enjoying yours all the more. What a perfect setting for that beautiful quilt!
    Amalia
    xo

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  42. Kim - you never have to apologize for showering us with the bounty from your garden OR your imagination. Your posts are always a balm to my soul, what with the flowers and your brilliantly sunny way of writing. How I do wish you would show up at my door with a bouquet! So sad to hear of the wild fires - it makes me want to do something, but what? I hope Old Man Sun shines brightly on you this week!

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  43. So delightful to come here and see all these wonderful pictures of flowers! And your amazing flower quilt. It's nice that you take the time to capture of this for us. It's such a bright spot when the world is cold and wet. Thanks!

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  44. I am a little late to the party. The colours of your pretty garden always is a delight, Kim, and your fabric flowers blends in perfectly in the garden. That indeed is a perfect backing! However did you manage to find it?! Enjoy the quilting :)

    -Soma

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  45. Haaaaa, flowers ;) Good to see you enjoying summer time!

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  46. Oh my goodness! This quilt and flowers are BEAUTIFUL! I needed this burst of color and spring as I'm sitting here in North Idaho and it's dark and snowy outside. I have a bunch of fabric just sitting in my sewing bin waiting to be made into a quilt...I might just have to get that started sooner than I was originally planning too! :)

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    1. Why thank you so much, lovely Annie♥ Perhaps if you pull out all your pretty fabrics and start stitching a beautiful quilt, those dark and snowy days of North Idaho might not feel quite so glum. =) Thank you for visiting my little flowery place, lovely lady. Kim Xx

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