A Clamshell Party ❣

A lovely New Year welcome to my little place. Another year has been ushered in, ever-so-quietly. No shebang and fireworks here. No popping of champagne corks, nor the chorusing of Auld Lang Syne. Me and my good husband usually like to stay up till the magical hour and be amazed at the theatre of the night sky with a gazillion scintillating lights twinkling down upon us mere mortals; but as the sky was cloaked in clouds, I am afraid we both went to bed. I know, so, so boring but dreaming the new year in, snuggled under a pretty quilt or two was a close second, it truly, truly was. =)

No New Year Eve's party here.....BUT....there has been a party of sorts...a Clamshell Party. Yes indeedy, I have finished hand stitching all the happy little clamshells together and have evened the sides and bottom edge, in readiness for the border. Oh.....happy day❣  Before I can stitch any further I need to search for a border fabric (I don't have any in my stash) and a backing fabric, then begin the begin of hand quilting.

I have decided to call this quilt Clamshell Party as it is a celebration of little clamshells of every imaginable hue, and floral patterns. Flowers abound. Pansies, roses, daffodils, hydrangeas, daisies, chrysanthemums, orchids; flowers which were conjured up in the happy and clever imaginations of designers. Why, Clamshell Party is a glorious garden blooming beautifully. The scrappy-ness of this quilt gives a joyous, festive air, causing one to party; to clap one's hands, blow up a few balloons, kick up one's high heels and whirl and twirl in a happy dance. Just imagine the dance I will dance when the last quilting stitch has been stitched! =)

Thank you for visiting my little place❣ Hopefully you will find your way to my little place many a time throughout this new year, and each time you do, I hope a little beauty is sprinkled into your day. At the beginning of a fresh new year I always wonder what the year will present to me. I wonder what stories will be inked onto each page of our books entitled 'The Year 2021'?? I wonder what words, sentences, paragraphs; what chapters you and I will write?? I know there will be multifarious stories. Joyful stories, doleful stories, frustrating stories, triumphant stories, exciting stories; stories with many twists and turns as we walk down, or perhaps skip (as I tend to do) down the cobblestone path; many, many stories of the simplicity of the everyday where we notice the beauty and blessings that are sprinkled into the moments of our day. Perhaps there will be stories you and I will never wish to pen, but as is the way with this thing that is called life, we sometimes must.

I am thinking you and I will chronicle many a creative story, punctuated by beautiful illustrations of the pretties we are imagining and fashioning. We will write stories of beautiful quilts, pretty stitcheries, sweet embroideries, gorgeous hand knitted and crocheted pretties, the tarting-up of some op shop treasure find, a little home decorating, the odd travel story thrown in for good measure....story after story of glorious blossoms; well I know I will. =). I know there will be a few stories penned by me, dripping with facetiousness as the sense of the ridiculous is always percolating within me. After all, I am an Aussie gal.

For me, I am excited to think I will be visiting your lovely places, smiling at the inspiration which is before me. Why, I will smile at your happy stories, shed tears at your sad stories. Because, I have a suspicion with the horrible year we have all experienced, the sad and difficult days are not going to end anytime soon. I will knock on your virtual door and gift you a beautiful bouquet of flowers, cinched with a pretty bow. Whatever stories you and I write this year, this thing I know for certain, you and I will find encouragement in each other's narratives.

As my stories are written this year, I desire each page to be underlined with thankfulness for the gift of each new day; gentleness, tolerance, beauty, encouragement, kindness, hope, faith.....love. I want to find the joy in the ordinary everyday.....the simple things and blessings which make the moments of my day. And, I want each page to highlight the nuances of God's grace and His love  for me; invisibly threaded throughout my everyday.

So here's to a new year where we will visit each other and read each other's stories, and when we leave, our hearts will be grateful and gladdened  for the beauty and inspiration we have just been witness to.  As for me, I am thankful and pleased that there will be a year of Sundays in which to enjoy a little hand stitching over at Kathy's, Slow Sunday Stitching. A year of Sundays to be inspired by others' gorgeous hand stitching. So, so very excited about that.  May we all have a year of Sundays, and every other day of the week, where we glory in the beauty of each day❣ 

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