Vignettes of Blue

Blue, blue.....my heart is blue....not in a sad way, but in a peaceful, happy and tranquil kinda way.  To me there is no other hue quite like blue. Misty Blue, Dresden Blue, Majolica Blue, Swedish Blue, Porpoise Place, Ocean Surf, Northern Sky...............................paint chart after paint chart sing of rhapsodical names of exotic shades, of the colour blue. Why, our humble abode is painted in a Dulux paint shade called Harbour Master.

I have loved all things blue ever since I was a wee little girl. Blue is the colour of the sea and sky. My earliest memories are of Summer holidays at the seaside with my extended family. For weeks on end we would all holiday at an uncle's house just a hop, skip and jump from the beach.  We seemed to live at the beach, day after day, after day. I can remember being mesmerised by the sun-filled sky touching the sea in a straight line, almost as if the sky underlined and emphasised the horizon. I remember thinking in my child's mind, what would happen if those ships in the distance dropped off the edge. =).

These days my humble abode is far away from the beach, though I am still mesmerised by the wide, blue skies which kiss the landscape in which I live. Down here at the bottom of the world, I never grow tired of the Australian skies. They are painted the most beautiful azure blues on those sun-filled Summer days. As far as the eye can see God has dipped His brush into his palette of blues, swishing them around and around and magically painting broad strokes in myriad of blue hues.

Because Hydrangeas bloom everywhere in the garden in the summertime....AND....because I pick basket after basket of my favourite blooms, they appear everywhere in my (very) humble abode at this time of the year.

I love the late afternoon summer light peeking in, casting lovely shadows everywhere.

This wall clock is one that I painted many, many moons ago. It was way back when  I dabbled in folk art painting. I wanted to paint simple scenes of a lady (me) picking flowers and a scene of my husband and me with our two little girls. The bottom painting encapsulates my two girls perfectly. My eldest daughter was such a serious and proper little wee one and my youngest daughter.....well, she ran barefoot through meadows; no hat, climbed trees and always chatting to all the animals. These are very simple paintings..........artists of the world have nothing to fear from me. =)

It is said, is it not, that one should never judge a book by it's cover. Well.......this shallow gal quite often judges a book by the pretty binding which hugs the pages inside. Since a wee girl, I have been attracted to books with beautiful bindings. Old books with beautiful bindings send my head into a giddy spin. AND.......if ever I happen upon an old book with a blue binding, and all the better if it has a pretty picture......well it is a no brainer.....it comes home with me.

Pretty lace curtains, blue, blue Hydrangeas and a blue and white patterned rug.....heaven!

Once upon a time, this sweet little chest with painted Hydrangeas, was a present from my husband...love, love, LOVE!

Indeed, Hydrangeas and all pretties, blue, make me want to slip on my ballet slippers and pirouette through my day.

A recent acquisition. A lovely in blue T2 teacup, saucer and plate dancing with glorious pattern and hues of blue. I love the busyness of the different patterns. These patterns remind me of beautiful moorish tiles and Moroccan architecture.

The plate sings with a sweet verse around the border.........

Here’s to the feeling blue gives you, shining bright in the night, full of endless possibilities. Here’s to spending days chilling out and keeping content, celebrating the little wins this shade brings about.

I have read that blue is closely associated with harmony and peace. I must say I feel extremely calm and relaxed when surrounded by all things blue. It evokes within me a sense of "all is well with my little world". According to Colour Wheel Pro, "light blue is associated with health, healing, tranquility, understanding and softness. Dark blue represents knowledge, power, integrity, and seriousness. In addition, blue symbolizes faith, truth and wisdom." Well, there you go.......who am I to disagree with the learned ones. =)

We intuit colour, do we not?? Each one of us has a penchant for a certain colour or colours. I wonder, what colour or indeed colours, make your heart sing? So many colours in all their variational tones make me smile, but it is the blue hue that will always sing the most lyrical of songs.

Aah....blue Hydrangeas, blue teacups, blue tarted up chairs fashioned by moi, blue and white rugs,  blue quilts and throws, books embraced in  blue bindings.........all so very pretty.

While you are belly button gazing and thinking upon all things colour, I am off to enjoy a cuppa in my pretty, Moroccan inspired, teacup, and be swept away for a li'l while on my magic blue carpet, to the imaginative, faraway lands of the exotic Arabian Nights.....and I might add.....without ever having to leave the comfort of my tarted up, pretty blue fabric and doily, chair.

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

A Beautiful New Year to You!

A beautiful new year to you. 'Tis a beautiful new year down here at the bottom of the world. I am little tardy with my new year greeting I know, but here in my little part of the world, I have been chilling out enjoying beautiful and warm, summery days as they roll on and on. Down here, in my little part of the universe, there has been a rather relaxed kinda feeling. Nothing but a snail's pace is the order of my day; going for early morning walks watching the sun rise as it smiles in the sky, enjoying many hours by the pond and in the garden.....YAY OH YAY.....'tis Hydrangea time), reading a book or two or three, and among many other pleasant activities, stitching and finishing my Japanese silk, quilt top.......but more about my Japanese pretty later on.

Just because our garden is blooming in a concoction of gorgeous colours, I thought I would zoom some happy snaps to those of you, way up there who have been bombarded by snow cyclones, dark, dreary days and other such travesties that Ol' Man Winter is throwing at you. My goodness he has been nasty, hasn't he. I hope you are all okay. I suppose it will be my time to experience his wintry, frigid breath in a while, but I won't entertain that thought at all for the moment.

There is a profusion of beautiful flowers in the garden; Hydrangeas, Roses, Dahlias, Cosmos, just to name a few.

Some pretty pink roses, beautiful blue Hydrangeas and a swan or two or three. I love my latest bric-a-brac find, a gorgeous swan vase. I love the graceful, flowing form of it.

A friend gifted me this pretty tablecloth for Christmas......so very pretty.

Now to that finished quilt top. I am very excited....my beautiful (well I think it is)  quilt top, where scrumptious Japanese silks abound and a scattering of origami flowers flourishing here and there, is finished.

When the idea of a quilt fashioned out of Japanese kimono fabrics with origami flowers thrown into the mix, began to formulate in my brain pan, I confess I did wonder what was I thinking. My daughter had gifted me some of these beautiful Japanese silks so I decided I wanted to fashion a quilt showcasing these amazing designs. When 'we' first arrived in Tassie, I happened upon a stall at my favourite markets, where a lady sold Japanese fabrics that she had cut from vintage kimonos. I purchased quite a few and added them to the mix. A match made in heaven if you ask me.

As I have intimated on a few occasions, I have always found origami.....the art of folding paper into amazing creations, a tad puzzling. Indeed I found it impossible. BUT.....as I scratched my pea brain and discombobulated and puzzled over the "how to" I began to figure it out......well in any case, the simpler designs. I am so happy the last stitch of this quilt top has been stitched. AND.....I must admit I am happy with this pretty.....thus far.

Every morning, whilst on my walk I walk past a most beautiful lavender field. The fragrance emanating from this field is intoxicating. It belongs to a neighbouring farmer............the perfect backdrop to showcase my Japanese pretty.

This quilt is a rather large one. It is a queen bed size, with both sides touching the floor. Fortuitously, I had just enough Japanese fabrics to fashion this pretty.

I am happy to have grabbed my origami inadequacies with both hands with the stitching of this quilt. I am so happy that I gave fabric origami a burl, as I rather love this quilt top. The slow hand stitching of this quilt has put a smile in many a day. When I quilt this pretty, I am thinking I will use different coloured threads, following the design in each panel in a go-with-the-flow fashion. But for now........there are some more warm summer days to enjoy.

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

Happiness is a flower.......or two!

This last little while I have been having a rather relaxed time. I have been playing ladies enjoying tea parties and have been playing with pretty ribbons; with other such genteel pursuits thrown into the mix of everyday.

The husband of a dear friend of mine has been feeling poorly of late and has gone through some anxious moments. As she lives in Sydney and I live way down here at the bottom of the world, I thought I would send her a basket of flowers. Not the kind that putrify into a pongy bunch of organic matter, but the kind that never fade away, the kind that will put a smile in my friend's heart forevermore. Yes indeedy, I thought another flower cushion, Kim style,  would be the perfect gift to sprinkle a little sunshine and love in my friend's very worrying days.

Yet again, I gathered an assortment of pretty ribbons and fashioned pansies, roses, fuchsias, chrysanthemums and leaves. I thought this pretty fabric with butterflies fluttering allover would be perfect for the cushion. After all butterflies and flowers are the best of friends. My friend loves the hue blue, so pretty, blue flowers feature in the basket.

Sitting in my sewing room, with the morning sunshine radiating warmth and contentment I happily coaxed pretty ribbons into flowers stitching as I went, cinching each flower here and there. For the basket I weaved raffia-type ribbon in and out. This ribbon really adds the texture and feel of a bone fide basket.

After auditioning the arrangement, popping a  pansy here and a rose or two there, some leaves sprinkled throughout tucked away peeping from behind pretty blossoms, I began to stitch. I know you have seen my cushions of baskets filled with dancing flowers before, but every arrangement is a little different, is it not??

With the fashioning of my basket of overspilling flowers complete with a few little changes here and there, I stitched the cushion. I changed the ribbon for the bow as I decided the darker pink looked a li'l spiffier. Actually, the finished arrangement is a little different to that above, but that is what happens when you play with pretty, ribbon flowers; one always changes a flower or two.

On the back of the cushion, a lovely sentiment stitched on a doily to my lovely friend.

I have gifted many of these cushions to friends. Though a bouquet of fresh flowers is one of the most delightful things to receive, I always think a forever bouquet of flowers sitting ever so prettily in a ribbon basket is the perfect gift.

Hopefully this little basket of ever-flowering blossoms will put a smile in my friend's heart in these most anxious of days.

Just because 'we' are waxing lyrical about a flower or two, let's talk about Hydrangeas and their glorious autumnal, petal dresses. The bushes that grow under the canopy of trees have mellowed into the prettiest of autumnal shades. Being protected from the frost under the cover of trees, they have been allowed to change slowly without being burnt to a crisp by Jack Frost. Indeed they seem to have escaped his icy clutches.

With the garden being now bare of any pretty colour, I picked a few last remnants of Hydrangeas. They too will soon disappear, and won't return till November. I cannot believe I have been continually picking bunches for seven months. Hydrangeas truly are the most wonderful flowers.

I love the pretty autumnal-hued Hydrangeas against the soft shades of a vintage Italian coverlet.

Then again, I love the soft autumnal Hydrangeas as the star attraction against sumptuous folds of Fuchsia pink velvet. No matter the backdrop, Hydrangeas or indeed any blossom, shine.

Indeed a pretty flower fashioned by the twirling and ruching of ribbons, or a freshly picked flower from the garden always touches my heart with a smile. Either the fresh new beauty of Spring or indeed those that bloom beautifully even though their flowering season is drawing to a close, fading with their autumnal beauty; no matter which, a flower or two always puts a smile in my day.

As it is Mother's Day this Sunday, I would love to wish all you lovely mums the most blessed of days. For me, as it is with some of you, Mother's Day is bittersweet. For those of us whose darling mums are no longer here to celebrate the day with us, it is a day of sweet remembrances. Oh, how I would love to give my lovely mum one more hug, to be embraced with her sweet smile that always warmed my heart one more time......to cry with, to laugh with, to chat with, to enjoy that cup of tea with. So, so many happy and beautiful memories to be cherished in my heart. So, so many love-filled times that will always be held close to my heart.

This Mother's Day may all you lovelies enjoy a little sunshine, much love and many happy memories spent with your loved ones.....oh, and enjoy a li'l flower or two.

Until the next time.......