Girls Just Want To Have Fun♡

Hello lovely lovelies♡ I hope you are all travelling okay. Down here at my flowery little place, where sweetly fragranced, rose petals fall into heart shape patterns, it has been day after day of  happy sunshine and lovely warmth.

This year I thought it might be fun to hitch my caboose to the monthly, mini quilt train, over at  Wendy's place of The Constant Quilter. I thought it would be delightful if I joined Wendy and her merry band of mini quilt makers, and fashion a mini quilt each month. Fashioning a mini quilt, monthly, sounds doable and rather pleasant. I rather love the thought of designing and creating on a mini scale every month. It would be a delightful interlude from the everyday of making my bigger quilts. 'Tis always fun to have the thought upmost in mind of going with the flow and seeing where my playing takes me because when one skips down the path of creative play, you never quite know what will eventuate. AND...I'm rather taken with the thought of stitching small and only taking a month in which to reach the finishing line.

What to make??  What will I fashion for my first mini quilt?? With only a week till the end of January; yes I left it to the last minute; I decided to fashion a mini quilt with a vase of flowers taking centre stage. 

Two years ago, before the world went into lockdown, I went to a Rachael Daisy, of Blue Mountain Daisy fame, Whizz Bang workshop, where we learnt all things burr cone, or as some might prefer, prairie point, pretties. At the time I bought Rachael's book, Whizz Bang  which is a fabulous source of inspiration overflowing with wonderful ideas on the how-to's of all things folded triangles. Arranging triangles is really playing in the truest sense of the world. One folds triangles from an assortment of fabric strips and then plays; placing triangles around and around in dizzying, gloriously hued circles, ovals, rectangles, squares; or indeed any shape you can dream up. But, we will chat that about a little later.

I decided prairie point triangles skipping around the edge of the quilt would be rather fun.  For the background I chose a pretty fabric with a collage of hearts, bows, roses, music, butterflies etc etc; all with a nod to Valentine's Day which lovers the world over, celebrate in a couple of weeks time. A perfect fabric. A fabric which was leftover from a knitting bag I made for a dear friend last Christmas. 

But before I could begin making the prairie points I first needed to design and stitch the vase and flowers. From a suitcase overflowing with lace remnants I unearthed a lace curtain remnant.

The remnant had some vases and flowers which would be perfect for what was swirling around in my imagination.  I carefully snipped a vase and flowers, placing these to the background fabric. Mmm....a tad bare, perfectly fine for some, but for me, a little flower magic from my 'Aladdin's cave' suitcase would definitely be needed.

Being a gal who considers more is never enough,  I began to add flowers, leaves and whatever else was needed to make the floral arrangement pleasing to my eye. I happily played, placing  a flower or two here, a leaf there, until what was before me caused me to smile. I had a party of a time as I hand stitched each sweet little flower and leaf wherever it landed. It has been an age since I have embellished with all my pretties. I have missed it. It is always a joy to reacquaint myself with all my vintage pretties. 

BUT!!!! When all the flowers (probably a 'few' too many....if I was to tell the truth....but hey....you did not hear that from me!) were flourishing in the vase the more I looked at what was before me, I didn't necessarily see a vase of flowers per se; I saw what could be a girl's face with flowers flourishing all over her head!! Perhaps one of those fabulous vintage, flower-covered hats?? How fun!! Now, would I continue on with what I had originally imagined, or, would I play a little more?? Mmm.....what to do, what to do?? I am thinking the girl notion might just win by a nose. =) Funnily enough, while I was adding the facial features Cyndi Lauper's song, Girls Just Want To Have Fun, popped into my mind, so that is what I named my quilt, of the funky girl with the flowery hair....or hat....I cannot decide. Mmm....the hat has it! A mod 1960's girl wearing one of those fabulous hats which only a 1960's hip young thing could get away with! I must say though, the 1960's girl's lips look a bit pursed for a girl who's supposed to be having fun! Perhaps the weight of her flower-filled hat is heavy on her mind!! =D Poor darling, she looks positively worrisome!

Just look at those eyelashes♡

With all the stitching on the girl and flowery hat finished, I then hand quilted around some of the sweet hearts that appear on the fabric. I then proceeded to make the prairie points adding them to the edge. The prairie points dancing around the edge as a frame adds to the whimsy. For the back I found a polka dot fabric in a pretty green and machine sketched Girls Just Want To Have Fun on the back. For the binding I again chose a Tilda fabric.

I spent four days and today, Sunday, petting my flowery pretties, placing and hand stitching them here, there and most definitely everywhere! I have a feeling I got lost in LaLa Land where vintage, lacey flowers were raining from heaven. It happens to me sometimes. =) It was fun to just play. It was fun to change course midway and skip down another path to see where it led me. AND.....it was fabulous to sew on a mini scale. In my crystal ball I can see a few more mini quilts in my future. I have put my suitcase burgeoning with vintage lace pretties away for another day when lacey inspiration will again swirl and swirl around my muddly head. Hoping my mini quilt is acceptable to add to the monthly mini quilt party. I wonder, at 20 inches by 17 inches, if my pretty is mini enough. Well, for me who always seems to make queen size quilts, I should think this quilt is downright Lilliputian in comparison. I did look to see what was acceptable, and I read there were no rules. Well.....excepting of course the quilt has to be 'mini'. No rules....my very favourite stipulation when it comes to quilt making.

Bye for now. Sending all you lovely lovelies, a little love, and sprinkles of falling rose petals into your day♡ Hoping your week is a fabulous one♡

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

Linking up this week to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching and Wendy's Monthly Mini at The Constant Quilter, Frederique's Applique, Patchwork and Judy's Design Wall Monday.

The Funnest of Weeks♡

Hello lovely lovelies♡ 'Tis Sunday again♡ Did you enjoy a pleasant week?? I did. My week flew by in a whirl of birthday celebrations and surprises; and the piecing of the backing of my Hydrangea Cobblestones quilt. Birthdays♡ They are a big deal in my family. Birthdays are always a special event. All stops are pulled out to see that the birthday person celebrates in the way they desire. When my girls were younger they never went to school  on their birthdays. They were treated like princesses for the day. My two girls and I (Pete always went to work......how sad) always celebrated their birthdays however which way they pleased......(well, within reason....=D ). I always said to their teachers that life was too short to have to go to school on your birthday. The girls have fabulous memories of 'wagging' school and enjoying their special day to the hilt. It always involved going somewhere fabulous and enjoying delicious food, worthy of such a momentous celebration. My birthday this year seemed to carry over a few days; morning teas, afternoon teas, lunches, gorgeous gifts, flowers......feel totally spoilt♡ So blessed♡

Between much too many cups of tea in pretty teacups and much too many pieces of several birthday cakes, I actually enjoyed some sewing, too. I stitched the backing of my quilt. I used fabrics from my stash, and also the extra fabrics from the same line of the hydrangea fabric; at the time of purchase. The fabrics are the Cottage Bleu Collection designed by Robyn Pickens; so they all dance beautifully together. At the time of purchasing these fabrics, I had no idea what I was going to do with them, so I purchased 1/2 metre lengths of some of the co-ordinating fabrics. When my eyes first espied the hydrangea fabrics, I just had to have them with not a clue what I would make. Thankfully all fabrics have been utilised, so all's well that ends well.

I stitched together large patches of fabric together in a fairly haphazard fashion. When the stitching of the backing was finished, I then hand stitched hydrangea octagons along some of the seams to add a bit of visual interest. I am that gal who never really over-thinks the backing of a quilt, as to be honest, no-one ever really looks at the back.......do they?? Of course, I suppose those with judgmental, imperious and exacting eyes, who pick up a quilt and inspect the quilting stitches on the back do, but truly, no-one who has walked along the path of life with me ever has. =) They are always bedazzled by the front (at this point my tongue is fixed firmly in my cheek). =D In saying this though, I do try to back a quilt with a complementary fabric, but I have been known to use the odd old sheet or two.

Oh dear, I did get a little carried away with the happy snaps didn't I??!! But, put a camera or in this case, a phone, into my hands and I get lost in a gazillion scenarios of capturing that one perfect short....or two...or three...or...!! But you kinda expect that from me; right???? Who knows, by the time the next birthday swings around again, my enthusiasm for capturing happy snaps will have been curtailed.

Who says that flowers are the prettiest when in a vase?? Certainly not I. Me thinks beautiful gift bags, boxes and the like, are the perfect receptacles for a flower or two♡

Thank you for your beautiful visit and taking the time to have a bo peep at what I have been up to this week. Perhaps this week there will be less cake and a little less tea......but then perhaps I will just keep on partying....as there is still a lot of cake. Wish oh wish I could share a piece or two with you. But I cannot, so it just means me and My Pete will just have to see that it is not wasted. Goodbye waistline.....not that I have one! =) Have a beautiful week. May you bloom a little, each day♡

Until the next time.......

Linking this week to Kathy's, Slow Sunday Stitching, Judy's Design Wall Monday and Frédérique's, Quilting, Patchwork and Applique.

Summer and Hydrangeas♡

 

Hello lovely lovelies♡ How are you all?? Is this new year being kind to you?? Life has just rolled into another year.....much the same as the last year, really. War mongering, political intrigues and other such  world-shattering matters; such as gladiatorial battles in the tennis arena, where lies and subterfuge are being combatted, blow by blow, the likes of which has never been seen before. =) Sorry.......just my droll sense of humour. Us Aussies are a funny mob! Thank the Good Lord for my sense humour!! It truly keeps me sane......as does all things stitching. 

Down here at the bottom of the world me and my Pete welcomed the new year in by standing outside blanketed by inky darkness with only the spectacular theatre of the night sky as our witness. We stood awe struck with The Milky Way glistening just above our heads; The Southern Cross and The Saucepan (Orion) shining down upon us, too. Both of us silent, lost in our own thoughts.....prayers; awe struck by the beauty that is the night sky. If ever one feels a bit how's-your-mother, one only needs to step outside in the death of night, look up at God's sky and feel a sense of wonder and astonishment; a sense of majesty. Though, is it only 15 days ago the new year rolled in; really?? 

I love this time of the year in Tassie. Long summery days filled with sunshine and warmth that seem to go on forever, punctuated by cooler, rainy days for good measure. Fabulous lazy days filled with sewing, reading, gardening.......and more often than not, not much at all, really. Also, it is hydrangea time♡ The hydrangeas this year are spectacular! It looks as if my pruning regime in early spring has reaped amazing results. There are hydrangeas everywhere. So, so gorgeous. Truly, the mop heads are huge.....and some of the bushes are towering above me.  So many different blues, purples and a few pinks; all happily jostling for space. It always amazes me how hydrangea bushes can be planted next to each other but the hues are vastly different. 

My Hydrangea Cobblestones quilt top is finished. The last time you visited my sewing room all the EPP octagons and squares were sewn into a central panel and a pretty border fabric had been attached. I wanted to applique hydrangeas dancing around the border in a relaxed fashion, but this didn't quite eventuate as I didn't like the look of the flowers. Try as I might the several designs I came up with were not pleasing to my eyes. The flowers didn't look symmetrical, and though more often than not, I am perfectly content to live with assymetrical, this time the seemingly haphazard fashion in which the hydrangea flowers were placed didn't make me jump up and down with great joy. So......I decided upon a rather stylised design and I must admit I love the way the design finishes the quilt top. Not as free flowing as I would've liked but I think a good resolution. I think the border is a good fit with the EPP hydrangea cobblestones.  Actually, now I am jumping up and down with delirious joy. =) Gosh, it took an age, though. This mathematically challenged gal had difficulty working out the maths. I am afraid the very word 'maths' causes my brain to go into an apoplectic shock and shut down! When it came to the leaves I was going to embroider the veins with stranded cotton, but decided against this as I didn't want the leaves to stand out. Also, there was no embroidery anywhere else on the quilt. I machine stitched the veins and am happy with the look.

Now for the quilting. Some hand quilting to enjoy over the next couple of months. I have a few thoughts re the quilting but haven't decided on a final pattern. For the back, because I don't want to purchase fabric, I will piece together some fabrics from my stash.

Thank you for stopping by my little place to see what goings-on have been happening down here......not that there's a lot going on. =) Me thinks relaxing, summer days will be the order of my coming week. Oh...and there is a birthday, so that is a wee bit exciting. Sending some warm sunshine your way (because I have a notion some of you are in need of a little warm sunshine to shoo those wintry chills away).....and a basket overspilling with drop-dead-gorgeous hydrangeas. Cheerio from my  paradisiacal, hydrangea place♡ Have a beautiful week, lovely lovelies♡ 

Until the next time........... 

Linking up this week to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching and Judy's Design Wall Monday and Frédérique's Patchwork and Quilts.........when of course, Sunday and Monday roll around in my little paradise, once again♡