For a quiet walk at Stourhead gardens today....

No such thing today - loads of people, despite most of autumn colour is gone now.

Also - teams setting up Christmas lights display  - on from next weekend.

                             

Lots of little boats in the water - I presume they will light up in the dark....

I know someone who has tickets, so I will find out....😉

So, back at home I finished another flower block for Quilter's Patch; I decided to carry on, but as this quilt is not designed for applique, I have to make my own templates from the main picture, hence this one is looking a bit wonky ( but in the grand scheme of things...) - must do better with the next one.

pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2021

back in my sewing room!

At last I have reclaimed my space, which was a store room for a while;

 inevitably when we do any DIY in the house, it takes longer then planned 

(as does anything else these days - we are not young any more.......) 

The main object was to sort out our bedroom, which has not been touched since our last move, when we moved with furniture larger than this house could take.

Now, freshly repainted, including old dark wood chest of draws, it looks larger and bright. 

I could also move some of my quilts in at last.

My sewing room needed a good tidy up and in the process one always finds some forgotten projects in the corner.

This is  "Quilter's Patch" quilt, or was supposed to be. 

There was a point when I got fed up with it.

The instructions in the pattern are for piecing, where every block is made up of loads of small pieces, and that is where the problem was. 

As you know, I am an applique girl, but at the time I thought that I should get familiar with another method; and I got on with it - in fact there are 12 blocks here, all done.

So, what to do with it? It would make nice cushions, but who wants so many small cushions?

These blocks on their own would make a small quilt, but I think every time I would look at it, I would remember the defeat! 

The other possibility is to carry on and make the rest of the blocks in needleturn applique; I don't think mixing methods would be too bad, it would make the quilt more interesting - and it would give me something else to play with - yes, this idea is now developing in my head.

The reason I need something else to play with? I finished "Surrounded by Flowers" quilt!

I finished the binding last night, I chose a green fabric with small ladybirds, which is probably quite fitting.

I had to try to do a photoshoot outside today, because the light inside is really bad now, the artificial light just doesn't show off the right colours. 

Although it is quite warm and dry outside, it is very cloudy; 

we had some great sunny days last week, but not today....

So - this is my version of "Surrounded by Flowers". 

I say my version, because I changed the final border, 

so this is different from Janine Alers's original pattern.

I hand quilted it very simply with a large stitch in pearl cotton no16.

I leave you few pictures from our walk in Wells last week; again not very bright, not good for taking pictures, but dry day.

This is mainly area around the Cathedral  and the Bishop's Palace.

Our garden is looking rather sad now,

but still great colours outside my kitchen window!

touching base

Just to let you know that I am still here!

There hasn't been any stitching progress to report; we have been doing some stuff in the house and my work room became a temporary storage space. I am now slowly reclaiming it!

Earlier in October we had a day out, visiting Fyne Court (NT), a rather well hidden nature reserve in Quantock Hills in Somerset. 

As you can see from the welcome board, there used to be a large country house here once, the home of the Crosse family

The house burnt down in 1894; what is left of the buildings in now a tea room, second hand book shop and offices, with a picnic area in the space where the house once stood. 

Autumn came late this year, and although there were any leaves on the ground, this was more due to the very dry weather we had. 

Despite the lack of autumn color we enjoyed our walk through the grounds.

 Tussock moth caterpillar?

Autumn colour did arrive eventually in our garden.

We even harvested 5 (!) quinces

from our young tree growing in the pot. 

This abutilon will probably flower until Christmas.

That's all for now. 

I hope to have some stitching to show you soon!

pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2021

                                     .....................................in the woods.....

I was surprised that there weren't any more signs of autumn, 

we found only one young tree which has changed its frock already

                                                                              and little of this     

                                                                        

   and this,

but the rest of the forest is still very green, 

and now holidays are over, very quiet, we didn't meet another human.

...................designed by nature..................

and by a man

.........................and at home..................

making "summer" jam; I know, little late for "summer", but there are still summer fruits around.

My regular followers know that I like to make small batches of mixed fruit jams, 

depending on what fruit there is around.

Enough to make small amounts of  "summer in the jar".

.....................and at last hand quilting "Surrounded by Flowers"........

I changed the final border from the original design, because I wasn't very keen on it,

and because I like the blue/grey batik so much.

Thank you for visiting, you lovely people, 

and I hope you will have a wonderful week!

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2021