Saturday, May 8, 2021

A Million-and-One Tiny Stitches ❣


Hello lovely lovelies❣ The loveliest of welcomes to you❣ How are you all?? I hope you are all travelling okay as the world spins crazily on its axis. There is such sadness in so many countries. Goodness me, has there ever been a time such as this??

As for me, I am just sitting here gazing upon my 'little' quilt. Did I say little?? I must say I am bending the truth just a tad. My fabric flower garden is rather large, and for the past two weeks I have been buried under it, happily hand quilting away. 

The sky is all quilted! I am filled with great joy about that!  Yes......joy.....but the simplest of things, the little joys of life fill me with delight these days. Row after row of pretty variegated threads skipping in happy abandonment across the sky. Threads of the softest of hues; blues, pinks, peachy apricots, lemons, and greens. Who would've thought that 'boring' lines quilted from east to west and west to east, without any bangs and whistles, without any fancy quilting designs, could be so lovely. The quilting of the sky has given me the greatest pleasure, lulling me into a happy space thinking upon all things pleasant. The world can go mad (and it has) but here, with needle and thread in my hand and gazing upon my happy little fabric garden I am a contented gal. LOVE my quilted, watercolour sky. It brings to mind those early morning sunrises when the sun gently peeks from behind the distant, opalescent mountains, splashing streamers of pastel-hued colour across the sky. Sometimes......just sometimes, simple stitching really is best. WHAT!! Well shut my mouth!! What did I say?!! Quick, slap my face and bring me to my senses. I fear I am not quite myself. =)

Do you ever wonder as to the number of little stitches stitched in a quilt, completely fashioned by hand?? I wish my needle had an in-built counter tallying the stitches as the needle goes in and out, in and out. I have a feeling I would be greatly surprised as to the number of tiny stitches that have been stitched, thus far.

I feel as if I have stitched a million and one tiny stitches.  Tiny applique stitches, embroidered stitches, and now hand quilted stitches. AND...still many, many more to stitch. Usually, I cannot wait until the hand quilting is done, but somehow with this quilt I am in no hurry to have it finished. Strange really.  I am just enjoying the slow stitching and the pleasure this pretty quilt gives me. I have a feeling this is going to be my favourite forevermore. Someone asked me a little while ago how will I top this quilt?? I don't know, really; I don't think I can. But enough of the ponderation of future quilts, let us have a look at the lovely quilted sky. 



As tomorrow is Mother's Day I am posting this evening (Saturday) as I will be out all day tomorrow celebrating the day with my good husband. We will go for a long country drive through the magical, autumnal countryside, drinking in the glorious hues, punctuated by coffee and cake at one or two of our favourite cafes. Mother's Day is always bittersweet for me as my girls live in far away lands, but my dear husband always sees to it that I have the best day. And, I am never disappointed. As we drive through hill and dale, sweet remembrances of my darling mum, who is no longer with me, and my girls, will fill my day with the warmest of hugs. If it is Mother's Day where you are tomorrow, I hope you enjoy special times with your family. However you choose to spend this Sunday, may it be sprinkled with smiles, loveliness...and a little sunshine❣

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


Linking up this week to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching.













56 comments:

  1. You've created a glorious sky with tonnes of texture and movement. Fantastic! I hope you have a lovely mother's day tomorrow and that you manage to find a really yummy cake on your journey.

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  2. Patience is the key word to be able to do your "million and one tiny stitches"!
    (It's also the tittle of a beautiful song from the group Take that)
    Your quilt is gorgeous ! You can be proud !
    Have a lovely weekend !
    Hug
    Anna

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  3. Your quilted sky is just beautiful; I can totally understand why you are so enjoying this process and not wanting it to end...The quilt is so unique and lovely--
    Enjoy your Mother's Day outing. ;)))
    Hugs Julierose

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  4. Oh my, Sarah! Your stitches are gorgeous. It gives the quilt so much personality and texture. Yes, times like now make us enjoy the simple things for sure.

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  5. It's absolutely stunning Kim, it is a work of art! I could gaze upon it for hours, you should be so proud of this. Enjoy tour weekend. xx

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  6. Blessings to those that are struggling in other parts of the world.
    Happy Mother's Day, Kim. A ride through the countryside sounds like a perfectly wonderful way to spend the day especially when it's with someone you love.
    Your quilt is lovely and I can feel the special warmth you have for it. The sky is amazing and your stitches look perfect, I know, you always say they are not, but they look that way from here. I know that feeling when you work so hard to complete the quilt and then have a hole in your heart when it is done. Never fear, you and the Lord will find a project to fill that void.
    Thank you for the wishes for a splendid day tomorrow. Looking good for us around here.

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  7. Your quilt is coming along beautifully!

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  8. Hi Kim
    WoW the quilt looks amazing, yes many many stitches but what a wonderful result. I love to looking at the photos, can’t believe you have done so much in such a short time. Hope you have a great day Sunday
    Best wishes Kay c XX

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    1. Thank you, Kay. I wanted to get the quilting of the sky finished, but I fear my wrists have paid for my zeal. A little less quilting this week, I feel. I enjoyed a lovely Mother's Day, thank you. May your week be a fabulous one, lovely Kay. Kim Xx

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  9. Wow Kim! Your quilt is STUNNING! I really admire it. Yes, tomorrow it is Mother's Day in Greece, too. I send you big hugs, my friend.

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  10. Happy Mother's Day, Kim !! I wish you greatly enjoyed it.
    The work is beautiful.

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  11. Happy Mother’s Day to you! I hope your day is fabulous.

    If you should EVER tire of this floral quilt I volunteer to provide a loving home for it. So BEAUTIFUL! Hugs.

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  12. It would be fun if your needle had a stitch counter on it! I can't imagine how beautiful this quilt is in person because it is stunning in the photos. I look forward to seeing it each time you post about it. Happy Mother's Day to you!

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  13. Ohhhhhhh qué bonita tu colcha con todas ésas filas de puntadas, parecen los caminos de la felicidad..............
    Te deseo que tengas un bonito día de la madre. BESICOS.

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  14. Your sky is beautifully quilted, so many tiny stitches! Happy Mother's day, enjoy the day 😘

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  15. This is a beautiful quilt. It will get done with a lot of work but oh what a treasure you will have. Happy Mother’s Day. I’ll probably enjoy a day in my studio.

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  16. Oh my that is just beautiful, such a great idea you had to do the sky that way, Love it! That would be quite the number wouldn't it of all the stitches that have gone into that quilt, along with the love and happiness that put in each of those stitches.
    I too will be away from my daughter as she lives far away too, but we can be thankful and look back at all the times we had bringing them up :)
    Enjoy your day with your hubby!!

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  17. Wow those really are tiny stitches. And so close together in rows. They look really beautiful. They have contraptions that measure steps, surely they can come up with a contraption to measure stitches. Happy Mother's Day, Kim!

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  18. Your quilt is so beautiful, Kim. I can see how you can get lost for hours stitching away and pondering pleasant thoughts in the process. The sweet birds are a delight . Have a beautiful day and Happy Mother's DAy.

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  19. Beautiful! Such a lot of quilting and every stitch worth it. Have a lovely day out. xx

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  20. I hope you had a wonderful day with your husband. Your quilt is so beautiful! Winter is a great day for quilting, happy stitching!

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  21. Your pastel hued sky is so beautifully quilted, well done! I'm sure you had a wonderful day out with hubby, then perhaps today Sunday you had the pleasure of phone calls from afar from both your daughters?
    I had an early Mothers Day lunch last week with my daughter and her family, a a phone conversation with my son today, as well as Sunday breakfast cooked this morning by my hubby, so alls well in my world today.

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  22. I'm not sure how you will be able to top this quilt, it really is beautiful! Hope you have a lovely day.

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  23. Your quilted sky is AMAZING! I can't believe how quickly you have progressed... gives me hope for my whole cloth quilt!!! HOw big is this darling quilt???
    Kathi

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  24. I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day. Your blog always makes me smile with your multitude of beautiful photos and your engaging way of writing. Your quilt is gorgeous and I really love how you are quilting it.

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  25. Great post title which is quite possible with this quilt! The horizontal quilted stitches enhance the applique perfectly. Sharing your progress is admired and appreciated. Hope you enjoyed the day driving here and there via hill and dale!

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  26. What a gorgeous sky backdrop for your beautiful quilt. Yes, at least a million tiny stitches. Happy Mother's Day!

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  27. Happy Mother’s Day! Sounds like you have a lovely day planned. We will be visiting my MIL today, as we do every week. You must have well over a million stitches in this quilt, for sure! It is gorgeous!

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  28. Sweet Kim, Happy Mother's Day!!!
    Your quilt is already a work of art. Just wonderful!

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  29. This quilt is an absolute masterpiece and does not have to be topped! I have to say that I save reading your blog until last as it is a treasure. I feel my shoulders drop as I read your lovely words. Happy Mother's Day!

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  30. Love seeing your gorgeous quilt and quilting! Love each and every picture. Happy Mother's Day and hope and your husband had a wonderful day!

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  31. I hope your day was as lovely as you have made t sound. You must be spending hours quilting - you have made so much progress already. I love those gently meandering lines; perfect for your beautiful quilt.

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  32. It would be so fun to count the number of stitches. It is glorious. It’s as though it is a good book that you want to never end. Happy Mother’s Day..

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  33. Gosh that is stunning Kim & as usual - your stitching is perfection!!! I can certainly see over one million tiny stitches!!! I hope you had a wonderful day yesterday - yes it can be a bittersweet day for many. Incidently you have only just showed up on my blog roll this morning but I see you posted this on Saturday - silly old blogger doing its thing again 😉😒 Have a wonderful week my dear friend. xx

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  34. I will happily follow your lovely place, Svetlana. For it is a place filled with beauty. Kim Xx

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  35. Thank you so much for visiting my blog, it has given me the chance to find yours! I am just amazed by your beautiful work of art!
    I like your header picture too, with so much promise of a wonderful craft.
    I hope you had a good day yesterday, Mother's Day here has been and gone a while back; I am fortunate, both my children are not very far, although we could not get together, due to the restrictions still in place. We are slowly easing up and I look forward to having my grandchildren visit indoors.
    xx

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  36. Indeed all your tiny stitches are to be greatly admired, but it is the exquisite applique of all flowers, birds and butterflies that has me in awe. I hope you had a wonderful day traveling the countryside.
    Pat

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  37. I'm speechless! Your quilt is georgeous. Beautiful velvety colors, the birds, flowers, and the quilting that dances over the quilt.

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  38. I love how this looks. I love the idea of a stitch counter on a needle - lol. Happy (belated) Mother's Day!

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  39. Oh my word, Kim, those itty bitty, teeny tiny stitches are beyond my imagination!!!! You are so dedicated and amazing. I will forever miss my mom, and I know how you feel. Your hubby is such a sweetheart. Happy Belated Mother’s Day! XX

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  40. I'm working on a wall hanging or banner now, hoping to include a garden and sky. Not sure I have the patience for such a lovely sky. Yes, I often wonder how many stitches went into a quilt.

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  41. Kim - my goodness, that IS a myriad of stitches! I know the lines are not straight-straight, but they are relatively so - how do you manage that when you are doing it by hand? I hope you had a marvelous Mother's Day - cake and coffee at a couple of cafes sounds perfect to me!

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  42. I am late...Wonderful details in your fabulous and unique artwork. I hope you had a lovely Mother's Day. Best wishes,dear Kim.

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    1. I enjoyed a lovely Mother's Day, Maristella, thank you. Thank you for your beautiful wishes, lovely lady. Kim Xx

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  43. Hi Kim, gorgeous stitches; thanks for the up close photos. I'm sure you enjoyed your Mother's Day outing. Happy memories!

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  44. So many stitches and such a beautiful quilt, I hope you had a wonderful Mothers Day.

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  45. I can only imagine how terribly you miss your children. My nest is still bursting full and sometimes feathers fly all around and about, but I am sure I will feel the same once my birdies fly away. A heartily "bravo" to your dear gem of a husband for not letting you feel sad on the day!
    The quilt is a true labour of love, passion and dedication!

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  46. Dear Kim, this quilt is truly a masterpiece.
    Thank you for your kind and compassionate words, it made me feel good. Fortunately, most readers and bloggers understand why I took a blog break.
    It is a pity that your children live far away, that does not make Mother's Day any less pleasant, you have a very sweet husband and that makes up for it, luckily.
    Dear greetings.

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    1. Lovely Loes, I feel we should be able to blog whenever we feel like it with no pressure for us to adhere to a strict weekly regime. Blogging is supposed to be fun. I know I can sometimes go weeks without posting....that is perfectly fine. Sometimes it's nice to have a little break. Regardless of when you post, my lovely friend this gal from downunder will always visit your lovely place. I enjoyed a lovely Mother's Day, Loes; calls from my sweet girls and looked after by my sweet husband. As for my little quilt, thank you so much for your beautiful words. Hoping you are enjoying a beautiful weekend in your lovely springtime place. Kim Xx

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  47. Oh, I love the sky, Kim.
    What a wonderous quilt.
    Happy Belated Mother's Day!

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  48. Kim, I hope you enjoyed your Mother's Day drive with your hubby! We visited our son and his fiance' and had a lovely time playing golf, antiquing and visiting a local winery. As Andy said, "Doing Mom things!" This week has been a busy one visiting a cousin who is in town from the east coast, then visiting my sister who I haven't "seen" since November (although we talk weekly). I'm very behind on my blog visits. Forgive me! It is amazing how lovely and realistic your free-style quilting makes the sky appear! Yes, it looks like there are literally a million tiny stitches, but the end effect is awesome!! This is going to be another masterpiece and I know you not only have enjoyed creating it but will continue to enjoy using it for many years! What an inspiration! Thank you for always sharing your work and your world! Wishing you a lovely weekend. I will try to get a post up THIS week....I've been a bit lax lately. Hugs, Zenda

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  49. Such beauty in your stitches. thank you for sharing these lovely photos!

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  50. Hi Kim, I hope that your Mother's day was lovely again this year. It's amazing how thinking of going to your favourite cafés made me feel. I confess to à quick stab of jealousy. We are still in lockdown and it's the thing I miss most...well enough of that! What an amazing sky. So beautiful. No wonder you want to keep stitching forever. I would too! I'm looking forward to seeing the rest. Take care.

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  51. I'm amazed more and more at your stitchworks, darling Kim, I admire you from the deep of my heart!
    Sending blessings of Joy across the many miles
    Xx Daniela at ~ My little old world ~ (Dany)

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  52. Kim, I have no idea how I missed this post, but in any case your quilt is glorious! What a work of art!

    Michelle
    https://mybijoulifeonline.com

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  53. I am glad you are taking your time and enjoying every little stitch. They are creating such beautiful and lovely texture and movement. I hope you had an amazing Mother's Day and found the most delicious cake.

    -Soma

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