Sunday, March 16, 2025

A Little English Paper Piecing♡

 


Hello, lovely lovelies; lovely friends♡

A beautiful welcome from my little place where the hydrangeas are beginning to transform into their autumnal beauty. The petals of the summer blooms are beginning to transition into muted shades, slowly drying into crinkled loveliness.


If you recall, last year in late winter 'the gardener' had taken to my hydrangeas with a machete-like implement and hacked pruned the hydrangeas to within an inch of their life. I must say despite my protestations and objections of him 'murdering' my beautiful hydrangeas; the gardener indeed, did know best. But, shh......let's just keep this  little secret between you and me, shall we?? If you tell him I admitted this truth to you, it might give him carte blanche with my pretties next time. Although there weren't masses of blooms this summer, the mophead flowers were the biggest I've ever seen. The flowers are bigger than a dinner plate measuring 15" or 33cms.  Truly, they are quite spectacular.


Mmm.... a little romance  among the hydrangeas. =)


But enough of my pretty hydrangeas and of a little afternoon delight for critters in love; let's chat about some slow hand stitching, shall we??

I've picked up my EPP Liberty Stars again. I searched high and low for a Kona solid for the hexies which will join the stars but even though I auditioned a few different colours, none were pleasing to my eye. I wanted a grey with a lavender tinge but couldn't find one. So, yet again I searched my fabric stash and I actually found a fabric I thought would work. It's a fabric I bought for another quilt that's crystallizing in my imagination, but that will have to wait. The fabric is called Spring Hill Farm by Dianne Swartz.  It's a sweet fabric and I think gives the quilt a fresh, cheery, spring-like aesthetic.



I have begun to stitch stars to hexies. I'm not waiting until all the stars are pieced to start stitching the quilt together as I haven't enough papers.  I'm removing the diamond and hexie papers as I stitch the quilt.




Sending a little hydrangea love to you, lovely lovelies; lovely friends♡ May you find joy in the little things this Sunday♡ I am going to enjoy a little hand stitching this autumnal, Sunday afternoon As ever, shining my little light from all the way down here♡ Take care


Until the next time......




21 comments:

  1. Lovely post Kim, that fabric will work beautifully with your stars.

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  2. Hi Kim
    Your hydrangeas are wonderful, such lovely colours. Your star quilt is lovely and the between fabric is perfect.
    It is cold here but sunny with lots of lovely daffodils.
    Best wishes Kay cxx

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    1. Ahh...my beautiful hydrangeas; they never fail to make my heart beat just that little bit faster. Those lovely daffodils of yours will bring cheer to the coldest of days, lovely Kay. Have a wonderful week in your little spring world. Kim Xx

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  3. Your hydrangeas are stunning! The fabric you have chosen to join your stars is working beautifully - enjoy your epp. xx

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  4. Your EPP project is so much fun. Enjoy your slow stitching. The hydrangeas are beautiful.

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  5. You can be proud of your hydrangeas Kim, they are gorgeous !!!
    An other project, an other shape ;) Your quilt will be beautiful !
    Have a lovely week !
    Hug
    Anna

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  6. Knock-your-socks-off--hydrangeas, Kim!! --love those shades of blue and lavenders--they are really lovely. My DH hacked--[uh trimmed;))-] my hydrangea last Fall and it is just now starting to send out a few little shootlings...
    We are transitioning to Spring very slowly here; hotter than normal and then back to cold, windy weather...
    I pulled out my "last" big piece to be quilted yesterday and will attempt to get its long seams machine quilted and then hand quilt the blocks ...
    Your stars are so pretty--love that joining fabric--just enough of a pattern...great choice...hugs, Julierose

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  7. The background fabric is perfect…so pretty! I love it when I find the perfect fabric in my stash and I don’t have to go shopping. Those hydrangeas are glorious! They are huge! Your secret is safe with me. Gail at the cozy quilter

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  8. Such gorgeous hydrangeas! I'm completely jealous. They don't grow well here, well to be honest as hot and dry as it's been the last few years, not much does grow well here. You picked a perfect fabric for the background. Enjoy your slow stitching.

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  9. i don't think i've ever seen hydrangeas that are so, so big and beautiful - i remember watching a Bones episode with Hodgins solving a murder by experimenting with hydrangeas (i always loved the bugs and slime guy and his spin on life, even if in Real Life i don't like bugs OR slime) and changing them from pink to blue - or was it from blue to pink? anywho, yours are gorgeous and their pictures are uplifting to weary eyes...

    last week's post is (was?) a welcome balm ... i upside-downed the backing of my brother's 60th birthday quilt - it was a print of his favorite NASCAR driver and i explained that he could see it right-side up when he folded it down ... he probably was rolling his eyes, right? his thank you was (as always) "ya didn't hafta do that" ... goodgawd i miss that man ... anywho, thank you for the flowers and for your words.

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  10. the hydrangeas are beautiful I hope mine do well this year - I only have one bush and most of the time it will have a variety of color from pink to lavender to purple as I put a lot of pine needles under the bush which helps it be colorful - last fall I didn't do that so I don't know what it will have this year.

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  11. Your hydrangeas are beautiful. I like the background fabric that you decided to use. Those stars are very lovely. Enoy your stitching.

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  12. Those hydrangeas are enormous! I whacked one of mine a couple of years ago, so it's not looking so scraggly. Looked a lot better this year. (This year's turn was the burning bush... we'll see how it fairs.). I fell in love with hexies because of your quilts. :-)

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  13. I’m so envious of your hydrangeas. They are stunning. What fun to make a few EPP stars. Fabric is perfect.

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  14. Lovely hydrangeas Kim! I never got around to pruning mine, and I am afraid they are going to be long and
    leggy. Hope you have a great week!

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  15. Those hydrangeas are just gorgeous, Kim! Aren't you glad to have a gardener who really does know what to do to get such results? I love that background fabric you found for the star blocks. Now you've got me wanted to stitch up some stars, too!

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  16. Beautiful hydrangeas and gorgeous EPP stars!

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  17. Today’s post is exquisitely lovely, Kim! That periwinkle colorof the hydrangeas is my absolute favorite shade of blue. 😻 The hexie fabric choice is really inspired; it will enhance the stars beautifully, as if you had planned to use it from the start. And that it was already in your fabric dowry is icing on the cake! 🍰 I always think my guardian angels are behind such serendipity—😇😇😇 Hugs, Nancy O.

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  18. Ver tus hortensias es disfrutar💜💜💜💜 y tus colchas preciosas siempre. BESICOS.

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  19. Hydrangeas are one of my favorite blooms. Your EPPs look gorgeous . It is always a delight to see your passion of gardening and quilting. Warm hugs.

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  20. Your hydrangeas are amazing. The color, the size are incredible. I've tried growing them, but my soil is not acid enough to maintain the blue/purple color and the deer won't leave them alone.
    Your stars will shine against the neutral background. Can't wait to see the final quilt.
    Pat

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