Crazy Flowers - A Quilty Finish♡

Hello, lovely lovelies♡ There's another quilty finish to showcase here at my little place. Crazy Flowers is finished; just in time to sashay with the spring flowers. Yes indeedy, she's kicking up her heels and dancing among the wisteria and blossom trees. =)

Crazy Flowers was imagined upon a whim; to play with as many fabric scraps as a girl could possibly unearth. And, play with a gazillion scraps of fabric, this girl did.

Each crazy flower was fashioned by machine stitching scraps of fabric onto a white octagon shape, base fabric, round and round in a crazy patchwork method. The centre of each flower is a smidgen of a rose print. When all the flowers were finished, the flowers (octagons) were English paper pieced to squares, hand stitching until the centre panel of the quilt was finished. As I do-si-doed around and around, stitching snippets of scraps crazily to each octagon, it occurred to me that what was before me reminded me of a rose with petals slowly unfurling.

When all the octagons and squares were stitched together, I bordered the centre panel with a Kona solid, mauve fabric and then machine stitched another crazy patchwork border dancing in a myriad of pretty fabrics. The backing is the same Kona mauve fabric with a panel of  crazy patchwork across the width and, the mauve fabric was used yet again, for the binding. The quilting is  hand quilted stitches spiralling round and round the crazy flowers, and sometimes, marching in straight lines one behind the other. I must say, I rather enjoyed hand quilting this pretty.

A 'bloom' of scrappy crazy flowers sashaying with the springtime flowers.

Oops......did I say this pretty was finished??!! Oh dear. I fear I wax lyrical about the finish of my pretty just a tad too soon. Let's see if you can spy with your little eye, what's wrong with this picture?? Looks like there's a tiny bit of hand quilting to do this evening. =) It truly is amazing what looking at a quilt a thousand times can miss, and then, all of a sudden, just before one presses the detonate publish button, that one photo shines the spotlight on that itty bitty oversight. My only excuse is that my addled head and eyes were dizzy, dizzy, dizzy from all those spirals. =) 

My very favourite quilts are those that are fashioned with pretty morsels of fabric scraps. One starts with a 'tureen' (well I did with this quilt) overflowing with scraps; then one begins to throw these nibbles of fabric up into the air and voila, a 'bloom' of flowers; a garden of crazy flowers grows. Another scrappy quilt finished (excepting of course, for those few spirals on that one crazy flower). =) This is the third hand pieced and hand quilted quilt these last four months. My 'to quilt' pile of quilts has diminished......YAY!! That's enough hand quilting for now; time for some other pretty to hand stitch.....perhaps some embroidery??

Thank you for visiting my little place. You have blessed my day♡ Sending you a little springtime love and beauty, this lovely Sunday♡

Until the next time.......

Linking up to Frédérique's Quilting, Patchwork and Applique

Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching

A Simple Life Is A Beautiful Life♡

A beautiful Good Morning to you, lovely lovelies ♡ 'Tis late Sunday morning here at my little place. Just sitting here in the Fernery enjoying a little hand quilting of Crazy Flowers and a cup of tea; of course. 

Lady Spring has settled in beautifully. The garden is bursting  with bluebells, rhododendrons and azaleas. Azure blue skies above, and carpets of forget-me-nots at my feet. A world of colour and delicious scents thrilling my soul. 

Ahh......a simple life♡ It is what I aspire to in these complex and troubling times. Days with moment after moment enjoying simple pleasures. Moments of contentment. Moments of simplicity. Moments of peace...stillness...reflecting upon my walk with God. Moments of chubby-arm hugs from my precious grandbaby...a chat with my girls....a crinkled smile from my Pete. Moments where tea is enjoyed in a pretty teacup. Treasured moments spent with a friend. Moment after moment relaxing with an unputdownable book journeying emotively through page after page in anticipation of the final reveal at book's end.  Many, many moments where playing with fabric and thread is enjoyed. Moments strolling in a garden, listening to birdsong, drinking in the colours, the textures, the scents; and picking many a flower for many a pretty vase, and capturing the beauty in a happy snap. Oh....I could go on and on and on about all the simple and beautiful things that sprinkle joy into my day. And, as I sit here in the quiet solitude of the Fernery, I'm savouring these beautiful moments....grabbing the simple moments with both hands before they pass me by.

Now.....to all things Slow Stitching. All the hand quilted stitches do-si-doing around and around the Crazy Flowers have been finished. Now to quilt the crazy patchwork border. I'm just quilting around the perimeter of each crazy shape. As the crazy flowers section is densely quilted I wanted a softer look for the border. Besides, it will be quicker to stitch, and I must admit with this pretty being my third hand quilted quilt in four months or so, I'm a little over hand quilting quilts.....just a tad.

A lovely, sunny Sunday to luxuriate in the joyous and simple things of life♡ A little hand stitching. A little stroll in the garden to see what flowers are beginning to unfurl. And of course another cup of tea. A simple life filled with simple joys truly equates a beautiful life♡ Have a lovely day, lovely lovelies♡ May you enjoy some simple pleasures this Sunday♡

Until the next time......

A Sunshiny Sunday Morning♡

Good Morning to you, lovely lovelies♡ 'Tis Sunday morning here at my little place and I do believe it's cup of tea time. But then, it's always a cup of tea time here at my humble home.

I've had a pleasant week just appreciating the simple things of life. With days of spring, sunshiny sunbeams casting warmth upon me, I have puttered about enjoying myself doing a little of this and a little of that; and sometimes, revelling in doing absolutely nothing at all.

A little gardening was 'enjoyed'. I use the word 'enjoyed' rather loosely as I don't really like getting down and dirty in the garden these days. Oh, dem old knees! Of course, I could cut bunch after bunch of flowers till the cows come home, but weeding, pruning and other labour intensive garden tasks, I'm just not a fan. My body is feeling a little old and creaky these days gardening for hours on end, and it seems to take so much longer. Thank goodness Pete loves to spend his days pottering about in the garden. I did a little pruning though. Our Waratah shrub was decimated in the storms a few weeks ago so it was in need of a good tidy-up. Such a pity, as Pete has for a couple of years now cajoled and teased it into the perfect shape. So we start again. As I gathered all the branches and flowers together I took these striking crimson blooms inside and captured the gorgeousness of these pretties in a happy snap or two.

Waratahs are gorgeous flowers consisting of many small flowers densely packed into a compact head or spike. The one in our garden is a vibrant crimson and the beauty is quite striking.

And the photos?? Just playing, really. I used a gorgeous fabric for the background.........Hollyhock Delight - Cottage Garden by Snow Leopard Des. Philip Jacobs. Love, love, love the blowsy flowers in those gorgeous colours. The Waratahs and fabric really do sing beautifully together. Of course books, teacups and a sweet machine sketched embroidery which I fashioned many moons ago were added.

I enjoyed a little hand quilting on my Crazy Flowers quilt, too. Hand quilting dizzingly round and round the scrappy flowers.  As it is Sunday I will quilt a little more for Slow Sunday Stitching.

I started another quilt. Oh dear! A little while ago I fashioned a charity quilt and as  I loved all the bright and happy squares of floral deliciousness, I decided I wanted one as well. So, I machine stitched many flowery blocks which are now waiting to be joined together in rows.

Oodles and oodles of floralicious delight sashaying in the spring sunshine.

I'm off to enjoy a little springtime sunshine and see what flowers there are in the garden to snippety snip. Sending you a little springtime, flowery love to you, lovely lovelies♡ Have a wonderful day♡

Until the next time.......