Friday

My Friday was quite busy; 

I spent the afternoon finishing Blooming Springtime quilt, stitching the binding on.

I started this quilt in February'22, so it took exactly a year to make.

I quilted it by hand, using my usual shadow quilting

 with pearl cotton and a large stitch (because I am an impatient quilter!)

My first finish this year!

I am so glad this is done; when I get near the end of a project, 

I am itching to concentrate on the next one!

Now of course it is the Butterfly's Ball -

so I spent my evening joining the others at Cheryll's for FNwF,

working on the first applique border.

This is where the fun begins!

"Dormice in the winter like to snooze,

Not Now! 

Look at her party shoes, and 

Oh, what lovely eyes!

Her husband married her because he thought her finest feature was their lustre and their size."

Thank you, Cheryll, for getting us organized again!

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2023

October in and out

 "Sunshine and Showers" blanket - finished!

It is always good to have another warm blanket at this time of year.

I loved making it; 

now I have to find something else to crochet! 😧

Lots of progress in Blooming Springtime - the borders done;

one last press, 

and I am ready to hand quilt!

It is a good time of year to have a quilt on my lap.

I am also pleased with the backing fabric, it picks out lots of shades from the top.

Autumn arrived in the garden.

We like to think of ourselves as experienced gardeners, but this year's summer was a challenge.

Our "English Cottage" style garden wasn't standing up to the hot summer very well. 

We have 4 water butts to store water, but there wasn't any rain to fill them up.

So, some changes are in progress; we are experimenting with "Mediterranean" style planting.

We have started with the smallest flower bed; mixed in lots of grit for better drainage and planted out with plants which don't need too much water, putting our small olive tree in the middle (but still keeping it in a large pot). 

We covered the surface with gravel to keep moisture in.

It all looks very small at the moment, but hopefully will bush out next year.

 The English winter will be a test in itself, and of course there is a possibility that next summer will not be hot, but wet English one 😉 

I plan to create a new herb area in the spring, using the same method.

I like having a new interest in the garden.

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2022

and it is September...

..........where has the summer gone? August seemed to have flown by; and last it felt like normal summer month, with just one very brief hot spell in the middle, nothing as bad as July.

I am asking myself - what have I done this summer? Precious little - is the answer. This wasn't the summer of  usual "stitching in the garden" weather, mostly too warm to handle any work.

Ours was a summer of reading - many, many books passed through our house, while trying to find the coolest spot in the house. Some books bought, borrowed or simply from our bookshelves re-read.

Too may to list, but some to be definitively recommended. 

We are having some rain at last, although not nearly enough, 

but enough for the garden recover just a little.

   

The other morning it looked like someone covered the garden in a pearly veil.

Since the weather cooled down, I managed to finish all four parts of 

the Sunshine and Showers blanket, which are now waiting to be joined together.

In one way I am sorry this has come to the end, 

because I have really enjoyed the challenge of various stitches.

Also, a big progress on the Blooming Springtime quilt - 

last night I finished the main part, with all those small applique blocks. 

I am very pleased about that, it was starting to haunt me.

 Now for the border, which will also be time consuming - 58 of these to applique.

You know the feeling when you get to this point - I am starting to see the end of this quilt!

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2022

don't you just love birthdays!

They do come every year, and the number is always higher! 

It was my turn last month. 

It was a wonderful sunny day, BBQ time!

I got some new books for my bookshelf, and CD's to listen to when crafting,

but the star present was this special publication of Jane Eyre. I was given my first copy of Jane Eyre

 (in translation) by my parents when I was a teenager (yes, a long time ago!)

I am grateful to Kim for writing about this one on her blog. 

It is beautifully illustrated by Marjolein Bastin , even the textured cover is very tactile.  

There are several books in Marjolein Bastin series, it must be wonderful to have them all on a bookshelf.

There are small surprises hidden through out the book.

And I was given vouchers to spend in Midsomer Quilting shop, 

what else does a girl need?

Besides that, my crafting is on "slow" right now,

just some more small blocks for Blooming Springtime,

and Tobermory squares, which makes 28 so far.

Summer has arrived at last, although we have been having very cold nights,

not much fun for young plants in the garden.

Extra long weekend here in UK to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee ,

the weather could be better - very windy in my part of the world right now, 

but sunny, so that's something to be grateful for.

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2022

It is the time of cow parsley and pink and red campion - 

they are everywhere at the moment.

More time being spent out than in (watching my garden grow)  - 

but I am keeping up with small applique and reverse applique blocks for Blooming Springtime quilt.

Today was a perfect "stitching in the garden" weather, 

but I didn't take any pictures 😒 - next time.......

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2022

and some sewing too.....

I haven't posted any of my sewing for a while - technical problems with the internet, it has been taking ages to upload anything. We are being connected to a brand new fibre one next month.

The technology has been slow coming to the English countryside........

I have made some new small blocks for Blooming Springtime quilt,

also more circles for the Circle Play coverlet, 

which I started....ages ago!

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2022

spring is coming

The sun is shining as I am writing this and I am quite excited about being able to post this year's first spring pictures from our garden.

I took these pictures yesterday, when it was windy, but some of them have come out OK.

at last there is some colour around

       striking anemone 

                miniature Japanese cherry

                                                            primulas and hellebores  

                                                       even the first sign of aubrieta 

and camellia in the pot is ready to pop open too

 Last night I finished another small block for Blooming Springtime.

I wish you all good week with lost of crafting!

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2022