WOW: Getting Sea Air

WOW = WIPs On Wednesday

Here I am, wind swept!

Today I'm resting at home. Yesterday we spent the day at Venus Bay. It was a long drive but I really needed the sea air. My rib has been really hurting this week and I just needed to get out of the house!

It was windy and there was certainly plenty of sea air to take in...so hopefully it will aid my recovery.

I can't sit comfortably for any length of time so I haven't even been in my sewing room (which still has shelves in need of fixing) and I've missed out on my usual quilting friendship groups too. I can't believe how long it's taking to feel better...:( Definitely looking forward to some WIP browsing.

Add your WOW !

Free Monthly Flower Block, 8

Forget Me Not: Part 8 is Launched!

This month you will choose between Violet & Pansy or Hibiscus. Of course, you may be like several of my Yahoo Bom Group members who are adventurous enough to be making both each month. I am too, because I have 2x DD's and it's hard to choose just one design each month....even for me.

Regardless of whatever else is going on, I'm always still really excited to launch each month's new block. And I'm always suprised with how quickly they get made. If you're not a member of my Yahoo Bom Group - join up and see for yourself how many talented quilters are making these blocks each month, it's inspiring!

My Violet & Pansy block this month is bright and contrasted - I wanted a vibrant block. Of course, violets and pansies come in various shades from the bright to the pastel and delicate, so you can select your own colours to suit your background. I know many of you are looking at the blocks you've made so far and thinking about the tone, colour balance and overall 'look' as you put your blocks beside each other and try to envision what the finished quilt top will look like...luckily you have much scope to adapt these blocks to suit your own style.

There's quite a bit of fussy cutting for me this month

I decided to stashbust this month and found the perfect yellow in this scrap piece. So I will be taking the yellow from here for my Hibiscus block. It's such a lovely yellow.

And I really like the green I settled on for the leaves as well.

The 'green' each month is becoming as important a choice as the flower heads.

Actually, I've found that in the making and then in looking over everyone elses blocks each month, green is such an important ongoing colour in the overall quilt look. Apart from the various shades of green being used, a strong green can tone down some bright flowers and a lighter green can really pick up some pastel flowers so that they don't appear drab.

We're reaching an exciting part in the mystery, where you have enough blocks so far to get a feel for your quilt top...but really no idea as to what's coming next!

Love it!

These are blocks from Part 8

of my free 2012 Mystery BOM Forget Me Not

Yes, anyone can join in:

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

WOW: Another Bear Finds A Home

WOW = WIPs On Wednesday

It feels really good today, knowing that this cute bear is on his way to his new home.

I don't like keeping my bears boxed up and it always feels so nice to send them on to a home where they're wanted. And one less boxed bear is more WIP space for me. No I haven't tidied my studio up yet because of my cracked rib, so I've been catching up on my reading.

How's your wednesday?

Here I Go Again

Things have been very quiet in my world these last 2 weeks, as unfortunately I have lapsed back into the flu. I'm feeling awful and this time around it's much worse as I discovered yesterday that I have a cracked rib!

I've never had a broken bone before, so this has come as a big shock. I've been in a lot of pain, but was really suprised to hear that I'd cracked a rib. I don't know how or when it happened - which seems impossible, but I really haven't injured or hurt myself. My Dr. thinks it happened when I coughed too severely during my new bout of flu...which I can't believe is possible....but must be!

So it's rugged up, drinking tea and more rest for me. I am so sick and tired of resting. It really hasn't been my month! Hopefully I'll be on the mend...again...soon.

WOW: Much Ado About Nothing

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

Last night we awoke to a thunderous bang! What was that? We all shouted as we ran about the house trying to work out what was going on. Well, it was my fabric mountain. My shelf collapsed under the weight of all my fabric (and a few other tools stashed there) and toppled over. Hmm. I was meaning to fix that slight lean. Everything is in a heaped up mess.  

So that's that. I've been putting it off. But now it's just gone too far. It looks like I'll be spending the next week or so going through everything, sorting it out and ...well....having a much needed clear out.

I will post some photos as soon as I find my camera (which I keep and charge in my sewing studio) and which I know is nestled beneath a box I need my DH to move for me.

WOW: Quilting Daisy WIP

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

It's about time I finished something. I've been feeling a bit tired, uninspired and generally unwell since getting over the flu, so I need something a little lighthearted to get back into my WIP mountain.

Predictably, all my outstanding WIPs have a fair bit to be done on them before I reach the final stage. So I've started a new WIP. I know I really shouldn't start anything new, but  I need the motivation. This is a beautiful table runner I picked up in Budapest. I didn't have much time at the market there (which was lucky or who knows how much I'd have brought home with me!), but I did find this daisy linen piece which I think is sooo lovely.

The edges are beautiful uniform crochet and the embroidery is charming.

Just the thing for my table. Not too strenuous and lots of payoff for an afternoon's work...

I'm thinking of easing myself back into my WIPs with a bit of pleasurable quilting.

Quilting the free space. Should be quick and easy...ish.

Watch this space....

 

How's your WIP ?

A little bird told me...

During our mid week post flu break, I stopped by a giftstore and found these tea towels. Of course, I wasn't looking for tea towels, I was actually after some special wool fat lip balm I usually pick up in Ballarat (and can't find anymore). But when I saw these little characters, well, I couldn't resist:

Luckily I also found these oven mitts. As soon as I saw these, they were mine! I instantly fell in love with the polka dot ruffle and floral print. Now, these oven mitts are really an economy - because although I said I wouldn't buy anything when I went into the shop to look, the fact is, we needed oven mitts.

Our old ones are looking rather desperate and shabby. And most importantly, they don't protect our hands anymore as the thermal lining has disintegrated.

Well, I added Make Oven Mitts to my WIP list and even planned on going shopping to buy the thermal lining...and now I don't have to, and the gloves were cheaper than I could  have purchased the material for. Talk about excellent shopping!

these birds really caught my heart, they are so dear

I have a soft spot for birds and all of my quilts end up having one in the design somewhere

these charming characters are drawn / designed by "Madeleine Floyd"

isn't she super talented? I'd love to invite her to my house and give her an entire wall to work on

 and the tea towel brand is Ulster Weavers Linen Tea Towels

this is their website

www.ulsterweavers.com

I know that if I had seen these on any of my daily blog lists, I'd have rushed out to buy it

it almost makes wiping down surfaces enjoyable

so I also purchased the matching apron...because who has enough aprons??

and the only thing that disappointed me was that there was no matching cups

 I'd  love some tea cups with these sweet drawings

but I should be careful what I wish for because I just took a moment to look at the website

and oh no, I think I'd like to overhaul my Tea Towel Cabinet

all of them

and start all over again, exclusively with Ulster Linen Tea Towels

because I've had a long planned make fabulous quilt fabric tea towels WIP

on my mind...and now I think, hmmm, Ulster Weavers would be nicer...

but more importantly

what did the little birdy tell me?

Go home and tidy your kitchen!