Colour My Winter

A lovely Sunday morning welcome to all you lovely lovelies♥

Of late when Old Man Sun has been hiding behind grey threatening clouds, I have been colouring  my wintry days; embellishing many moments with splashes of beauty, pretty colour and smiles. Yes indeedy, I have been playing with pretty ribbons, lush velvets, ribbon flowers, french laces........all for pretties that I want to fashion further down my rambling path. I am thinking I am in need of a new bag.....or two. Also, I haven't fashioned a cushion flourishing with floralicious delight for a very long while. As my ribbon flowers are as scarce as those real 'breathe-in-the-golden-sunshine-so-that-photosynthesis-can-occur', type flowers; I thought I should perhaps twirl and whirl  ribbons around and around, coaxing them this way and that way until  blooming beauties appear. I like to have a smattering of ribbon flowers on hand in readiness for a cushion, or indeed some other pretty that is in need of a ribbon flower.

Here are pretties for a new bag. I know......a tad flashy, but then I am not a plebeian, one-bag-suits-all-occasions, kinda gal. I love to step out and about with a bag overspilling with embellished gorgeousness. Do you know, I really cannot remember when last I purchased a carryall. I have been fashioning one-of-a-kind Kim Sharman bags for years now.



Upon crossing the threshold of a most glorious fabric establishment on Fashion Avenue in the Garment District of downtown New York, (I was blessed to visit this most amazing city last year) a velvet fabric gushing with gorgeous detail caused me to stop dead in my tracks. To tell the truth, many...... oh all right, every bolt of fabric made me stop so that I may linger over each one, drinking in all the exquisite details. The forest green velvet  oozing with beads and jewels and pops of turquoise and black patterned velvet is stunning. I must say at this juncture, I am a little pea green with envy with you lovelies who live in New York or indeed, are only a short air flight away. Seriously, I thought I had stumbled upon the pearly gates of fashion heaven when I strolled down Fashion Avenue, where shop after shop wooed and cajoled and enticed me. With the quote of  that luminary character, Oscar Wilde, in mind....."The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.......I can resist everything but temptation", I succumbed and walked out the rather posh doors with this sumptuous velvet and a few more in hand, but the other pretties are for another post.

Ahh......New York!! How I love thee so!! This book toppled from the shelf of a book store the other day, so I had to, had to take it home with me.

The author and photographer of this breathtaking book is Georgianna Lane. Georgianna's sublime photos and gloriously lyrical words which dance off the page has caused me to pick this book up over and over again, drooling over every page. Page after page of gorgeousness spills over with the floral beauty of NYC in the springtime, interspersing throughout with photos of the exquisite botanical details found in the city's iconic architecture. If ever I should visit this magical and exhilarating city again I must do so when Central Park and the surrounding metropolis are buzzing with the beauty that only Spring can bring. To see the "hundreds of thousands of bulbs donated annually and planted by residents and volunteers for the Daffodil project, as a living memorial to those lost on September  11", in the New York Botanical Gardens, would be a show stopping and poignant experience; or indeed, to walk along paths lined with flowering magnolias, crabapple and cherry trees, all blooming profusely would make my heart skip a beat or two. Then, to drink in the hundreds and hundreds of roses in the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, where arbors and trellises peep from behind  the climbing roses, would be an explosion of all the senses. Indeed, a walk through this utopia would be a perfumed paradise. Between the covers of this beautiful book there are so, so many glorious flowery experiences to be wowed by, during springtime in New York City. If you were to ask me, Georgianna's beautiful book New York in Bloom is a must-have-addition to your library. Georgianna has published several other 'eye candy' books. Paris in Bloom is on my to buy list and when her book London in Bloom is published, this too  will be finding it's way onto my coffee table.

But I digress yet again, let's get back to those fabrics.

There have been a few days where there has been no illumination by the sun, hence the need to play  with pretty, french-wired ribbons, hand stitching them with a stitch here and there to form flowers, hence cheering up a gloomy soul on a dark and sinister winter's day.

As well as playing with pretty fabrics and sumptuous velvets, I have continued with a little hand quilting of my pretty basket quilt. Four rows have now been completed. Three more rows to be quilted and then the border. Not long to go now.......famous last words!! Love, love, love all that quilty texture!

Once again, on those sunshine-filled days  I have found a sunny spot and quilted. A little hand quilting in a sunny corner is a most enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.

Truly, scrappy quilt upon scrappy quilt is a vision splendid!

It is Sunday morning here and I am enjoying a cup of tea in a pretty new teacup. My beautiful friend, Trish, (Holly's mum) gifted me this gorgeous china pretty as a thank you. Isn't it beautiful?? Why, it matches my hydrangea teapot. I wonder......how did my beautiful friend know that hydrangeas are my all time favourite flower. I truly have no idea. =) Oh, by the way, I always take tea in a teapot with both cup and saucer and teapot resting on a tray........don't you?? No?? Me thinks if one partook in a little tea ceremony each day, where one pours tea from a pretty hydrangea teapot into a pretty hydrangea tea cup, with both pretties resting on a sweet tray, well......the world would be a much happier place. Those ego-maniacal leaders who stomp their feet and shake their fists in a tanty, with murmurings of war and other such deeds of chicanery should sit down, take a chill pill and pour themselves a cup of calming tea in a pretty teacup; relax and think upon  all things peace to mankind. After all, is not a cup of tea the panacea for all ills. =)

Before I am up and at it, I might just linger in my comfy bed for a little while longer, luxuriating with my cup of Melbourne Breakfast tea and flowery book as the sunshine slowly creeps over my quilt, engulfing me with its happy beams. Sundays......a most wonderful day of the week, at least it is for me. Love, love, love lazy Sundays. Off to church, perhaps lunch with friends then this afternoon most definitely a spot of book reading and a little hand quilting. More pretty baskets and buds to be quilted. There is sunshine in my soul today ♥ As always thank you, lovely lovelies, for visiting my sunshiny little place♥

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

Sharing this week at Kathy's, Slow Sunday Stitching

"I wish you enough"

I love this poem. A couple of years ago I saw it on a wall in a friend's kitchen. The beautiful and touching sentiments resonated with me so I scribbled it down on paper, keeping it for another day. As I was tidying my sewing room this week, I found the crumpled piece of paper on which I had written the poem. Upon researching the internet for the provenance of this poem I could not, at first, find the author of this thought provoking poem, though after searching more deeply I found the copyright belonged to a man, Bob Perks.....and it stated he was the author.

I also discovered the touching story behind these words. It tells of a father as he hugged his daughter before she boarded a plane saying to her "I love you and I wish you enough". The father knew that it would be the last time he would see his daughter, as he was dying. A fellow who had witnessed the touching scene between the man and his daughter asked the father what he meant when he had said to his daughter "I wish you enough". The father said the saying was something he had heard his parents say over and over to everyone.  The father went on to say that when one said "I wish you enough" they want the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them. This beautiful saying reminds me of the many precious little things I hide in my heart, to remember those blessings and be warmed by the memory of those good times when life is tough and sometimes, 'almost too much to bear'.

This week, besides pondering and thinking upon this poem and the beautiful story associated with it, I have fashioned another cushion overspilling with a basket of ribbon flowers. Another cushion; another opportunity to play with ribbons, coaxing them into floralicious delight. This cushion is not for me; more's the pity. It is flying over land and sea to a beautiful lady. I wish I was there when she opens it. I think she will like her sweet little cushion.

Thank you so much for popping by my little place. As always your sweet visit has cheered my day and sprinkled a little ray of sunshine into my rather chilly, wintry day. Wishing all you lovelies a week filled with 'just enoughs'. ♥

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

Linking up this week to Julie's Handmade Monday over at Sum of their Stories.

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.......