Summer-ing Along♡

 

Hello lovely lovelies♡ A beautiful Sunday welcome to you♡ Another perfect summer's day here at the bottom of the world. The summer sun smiled high in the sky for most of the day casting warm, summery rays everywhere.

'Tis the last Sunday in January. Oh no! In my land of make believe it would be January all the time. =) February floats in this week. The last month of summer. How sad. I will just have to make the most of the lazy summer days that are left. I'm supposing that all you lovelies way up there are beginning to see the first glimmers that spring is readying to visit. I suppose the snowdrops and daffodils are beginning to pop up from the cold earth. How wonderful for you. After some of the frigid weather you've had.....you deserve a prelude to the gloriousness that is spring.

But let me talk about summer. It has been a sunny and warm one here. Each lazy day melding into the next. Long, long hours of sunlight. I love all the daylight hours of summer. The garden has been pulling out all stops. The hydrangeas this year have been the best they've ever been, with sweet peas, roses, gladioli, cosmos and now the dahlias are delighting the eye. Though, I must say the weeds have maddingly grown like billy-yo, too. Autumn will be a busy season in the garden wresting with the unruly weeds, me thinks. 

Summer in this far rural outpost  is cropping time. Our little abode is surrounded by paddocks as far as the eye can see. One can always see cows happily munching away, and there are always crops growing. This summer poppies abound. Paddock after paddock of tall poppies nodding in the breeze.

This week I worked on Into The Woods. I made more triangles and finished the bottom row. It is now a flimsy. I dithered and dithered about a fabric for the border. Unable to find one in the shops I decided on a green and white gingham in my stash. Gingham has always been a favourite of mine. Many childhood memories of nostalgia swirl around hand stitching pretties with gingham. Cross stitch, chicken scratching designs, and even smocking; on tablecloths, aprons, cushions......so many pretties involving hand stitching on gingham. Gingham is a pattern that has stood the test of time.  What's not to love about gingham; cheery bright colours and oh-so-fun. Besides, I love the playful feel the gingham adds to this quilt dancing around all the sweet woodland animals.

But, if you are not thinking......gingham can present a few problems when trying to match up the squares. That is of course if you don't look at the fabric carefully and determine if the gingham has squares or rectangles all over. My eyes, and I might add, my muddly brain assumed I was working with squares. Ahh.....not so. As I found out after trying to match the sides to the top and bottom; alas my pretty gingham danced in rectangles. Needless to say I've spent hours today unpicking with my trusty seam ripper and fastidiously lining up each rectangle, and then sewing slowly to match each rectangle in the seams. I don't think I have ever used so many pins so close together. There was quite a bit of fabric manipulation as well. 'Tis a persnickety gal, that I am. It's been a snail-like progress. 'Tis soooo much easier to use an allover print, or indeed a plain fabric for a border, but I do rather love the green and white gingham, so I'm delighted I persisted. Somehow, with some fabric manipulation and a good dose of luck all my corners match perfectly.  The gingham pattern is seamless. Such serendipity.

Now for the quilting. I admit there are a few other flimsies waiting in the hand quilting queue. Perhaps they can wait a little longer until Old Man Winter finds his way here. Winter is the perfect season for snuggling under a quilt and enjoy hand quilting. But, I'm not going to give the frigid season another thought; there's more warm sunny days to enjoy. Thank you for visiting my little place, lovely ladies. I might do a little crocheting and join the slow stitching party at Kathy's place later this evening. Hopefully there will be some progress of my crochet pretty to show next week. May you all enjoy a wonderful Sunday♡

Until the next time.......

Diamond-ing And Crocheting Along♡

 

Hello lovely lovelies♡ 'Tis Sunday morning here at my little summery place. Just sitting here in the fernery enjoying a cup of tea, looking out the windows to the garden beyond. The sun is playing hide and seek with the clouds. 'Tis lovely and warm, and cheery in my little glass room.

So, what pretties have I been whiling away my days with this week?? Some more triangles dancing with diamonds were stitched. These are all made now excepting two half triangles which will be stitched to both ends of the last row. Just two more rows to be made then this part of the Into The Woods will be done. Then I have to decide upon what to do for the border. 

I was in the mood for a little crocheting so I started a new jumper. I had so much fun fashioning my granny square cardie last year that I thought I would enjoy some more crocheting. Another granny square pretty but this time instead of a plethora of little granny squares, I thought I would crochet one big granny square with a myriad of colours for the back and front, with the sleeves being rows of double crochet, again in many colours. Once again, making it up as I go. It should be simple with perhaps the only thing that I need to work out is the neckline. Whatever did we creatives do before YouTube?? Tutorial after tutorial is always only a finger click away. Another thing too, is that my jumper needs to be wider than longer, so I cannot, to my heart's content, do-si-do around and around the granny square.  Such a shame I don't have the perfect body shape. Where oh where did that tall, willowy slip of a young girl go??!! =) So, I'm supposing my granny square will have a border of one colour wool.......more on the sides than the length. But then, I might happen upon another way of resolving my problem. I suppose I'll figure it out. Fingers crossed! Hopefully I will experience a light bulb moment and my muddly brain will see the light! Of course, any of you who are well seasoned crocheters, if you can set me on the straight and narrow crocheting path with any advice, it would be much appreciated.

The wool is a beautiful soft, Italian 8ply wool; Sesia Nordica 100% virgin wool, in gorgeous colours. I had a difficult time choosing shades as there are so many lovely colours. It was more expensive than the Australian wool I normally buy, but then, everything that is imported into Australia these days is a tad pricey.

Later this evening I'm going to join the slow stitching ladies over at Kathy's place and enjoy a little granny square crocheting. A relaxing Sunday evening with crochet and beautiful soft wool dancing round and round a granny square.  Enjoy your Sunday lovely lovelies♡ Have a lovely day♡

Until the next time ......