Greetings From Budapest!

These costume dolls made me pull out my camera.

I always say, experience is more important than photographs...

and then something charming like this catches my eye!

I don't even need to explain what I'm doing here!

Beautiful embroidered linens and laces...

a tour bus completely to ourselves!!

I really enjoyed exploring the city and taking it in, all at a relaxed pace

so many beautiful bulidings, so much grand architecture

so many details that caught my eye

I soaked it all in...but there were still some buildings that had to be snapped.

I want to look them over again and again, later at home.

And for dinner? Gulash of course!

WOW: Travel WIP 4

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

Cherry Picking 

Already the 4th travel WOW! Where does time fly?? There have been times when hours have felt like days (airports) and entire days (with family) that have passed in what feels like hours.

I guess that's just what travel is. But the nicest thing for me is time with my family.

Of course its summer in Europe and I'm really feeling it!

Here are some home grown cherries...which I've been loving

 this looks like it belongs in a Red Delicious block

Here's my DH doing all the hard work and picking those cherries

(the higher the cherry the sweeter the taste :)

Here are some more garden berries.

And a sumptuous cake make from all these beautiful garden fruits

for my younger Sister's birthday.

and a naughty doggy.

Don't worry, the cake was never in any danger. 

Yes, but what did you eat there?

The problem with traveling is that it has to come to an end.

I don't know how I'm going to return to cooking, washing and grocery shopping after this!

I've really been living it up.



Here I am in Budapest perusing a menu, seeing what tickles my fancy

Lovely relaxing ambience, interesting table flora

and this is how I'd like my goat's cheese served from now on

(DD's I'm talking to you)

Jó étvágyat!

(that's Bon Appetit to you and me)

WOW: Travel WIP 3

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

Roses and Ruins

Do these steps speak to you as much as they speak to me??

I'll have to revisit this postcard when I get back home

to show you some more, it's a real treat.

Doesn't matter where I am in the world,
I can't pass up photographing roses.

Aren't all roses the same? No, they aren't.

I can tell you just by looking at photos of roses
that are years old, exactly where they were taken.

Poppy, details

Poppy

This is a block from Part 5 of my free 2012 Mystery BOM Forget Me Not 

When I decided to make 2x of my Mystery Bom at the same time - a light and a dark background, I thought I might struggle to decide which block to use for the light, and which to use for the black.

It was a real theoretical dilemma, because often finding the right hues for just one block can take hours....

But, I have been pleasantly surprised and have found that the flowers really speak for themselves, each month I know immediately which will be the light and which will be the dark quilt.

Of course, you can have delicate pastel poppies too, but I went for vivid colours for my black background quilt.

This is a block from Part 5

of my free 2012 Mystery BOM Forget Me Not

You can download this month's block via my website or my Yahoo Bom Group 

Forget Me Not, details

Forget Me Not

This is a block from Part 5 of my free 2012 Mystery BOM Forget Me Not

This block was a real pleasure to make

There's just something so joyous about a bunch of forget me nots. Of course, being so tiny and so many hundred being in a bunch, I have stylised the design into more of an interpretation! Being the namesake block of the quilt, I thought it was fitting that my plum bird make it into the design too.

I hope you love this block as much as I do

Select fabrics to compliment your background

I cut away my stem after stitching the inside shape and lines in,

it's so much easier this way

 the little forget me nots in a bright sky blue

 the plum bird

(well all my quilts have a bird in the design somewhere)

 tiny yellow centres

I think the forget me not centres are calling out for

embroidery knots or small beads

putting them in place with tweezers!

This is a block from Part 4 of my free 2012 Mystery BOM Forget Me Not

You can download this month's block via my website or my Yahoo Bom Group 

Part 5 is Launched

This month you have the option of

Forget Me Not

Poppy

Here are the pattern sketches. Remember, colour in your patterns before commiting to fabrics.

Stay tuned as detailed block images and working pics will be posted tomorrow.

Also, remember to check out the Yahoo Group to see what we are all talking about over there!

Forget Me Not is my 2012 Mystery BOM

 

Anyone can take part.

 

Each monthly block is available for download via my

website and Yahoo BOM Group only.

  

To learn more about my BOMs, click here.

 

 

WOW: Travel WIP 2

WOW= WIPs On Wednesdays

I've just found out that Hearts Desire

was placed 2nd at the Sydney Quilt Show in it's category- Predominantly Applique!

How's that for some Work In Progress...during my absence??!

A Carriage In Vienna

What can I say about such a historic town?

Horse drawn carriage is probably the best way to enjoy Vienna

It's definitely the best seat for taking in the views: I love looking at the all the old buildings and the rich details of plasterwork and ironwork ....and all without a moments thought for traffic. Bliss!

 Here I am really enjoying the view (and some gentle sun)

 I love the historic statues

the hotdog stands

 the view of the streetscape

the ironwork... just looking at this gate got to me thinking about Sunshine & Shadow, my stencil quilt which was designed around traditional iron scrollwork motifs. I love it!

and more ironwork in windows

Of course once around wasn't enough to take in a city as beautiful as this,

I had to go around again just to appreciate things from the opposite view

and changed seats with my DH who was sitting opposite.

So much motivation for one morning, the only thing missing

was a stop inside a quilting shop for some fabric to go with my fresh ideas.

Luckily, I didn't find one!