Updated

It was back in October when I showed you my Homage to Mary Brown and since then I have finished the applique on the centre and also the 1st corner with some small changes to leaf colour.                             

I have been returning to my Drayton Hall quilt to attach the hexagons to the centre panel and to continue cutting more diamonds for the surround, neither of which excites me.  I caught up with a few friends this morning and saw 2 other Drayton Hall quilts in the making and realised I have to have more colour variety with my diamonds. Time to pull the stash out and see whats there that I can use.
The other projects I have been busy on, are Xmas gifts. I like to make things for my sewing companions where I can.    My No.2 grandson starts school next year and I have an order for a Chair Bag with name clearly visible, this I must have ready for the end of January. He has grown so fast and lost his two front teeth to the tooth fairy on Saturday. Where did those 5 years go ?

Hot Days

The last couple of days have been hot, over30C so what was a green bud 10days ago quickly changed to a pink bud and then opened completely yesrday with the heat. It is not a reflection in the window it has two flowers from the one bud. Just glorious. I was given the bulb by a friend whose plant doesn't have a bud, yet, so her suggestion today was that we swap plants. I told her, No Way!                                            

It has been sitting outside all winter so the copper pot has turned green.                                                  

The Clematis at the front door has excelled itself this year. I didn't cut it back last winter and it has

flowers from the ground up. It is hard to tell in the bright sun but the flowers are pale lilac in colour.

Today, it has rained and cooled down. Much better for sitting and sewing.

Applique and Diamonds

I haven't posted all week but I've been busy doing preparation and appliquing. This one is my Drayton Hall. I have changed the centre around to have the broderie perse in the middle surrounded by hexagons whereas the pattern has the hexagons in the middle and they are surrounded by broderie perse. This week I made a start on cutting out the diamonds that surround the centre, I have about 500 cut so far.

This is the first corner that surrounds the centre, of Homage to Mary Brown,
which is set on point. I added a few more leaves to the pattern as it looked a bit sparse. There are a few more ivy leaves to be stitched on and I think it also needs something extra to the right side. Hmm! and now that I have a photo to look at, I don't think the green leaf in the middle is right. Will have to work on this.

Over the last year or so I have been collecting signatures of as many friends that I have sewn with in different groups and also a swap of signatures of people online from a Yahoo group that I am a member of. There are others I haven't managed to catch up with but decided last week it was time to put it together.

I bought this book of Samplers and it shows the most amazing  antique stitcheries from the collection in the Glasgow Museum. It is just a little book but lovely to have to browse through.

A Parcel in the Post

I received my PIF in the mail today from Sharmayne. It is 2 washers she has crocheted with bamboo fibre and they are soo soft and some lovely homemade spearment soap. It smells wonderful. Thank you Sharmayne.  

I have been stitching away and have finished my Ann Daggs quilt top.

I am really happy with it. I have been getting together with a couple of friends that are making this quilt too, and working together has kept us from putting it down or it becoming a UFO. Our Applique Sundays are so nice

with plenty of chatter while we sew.

I have it booked in to be quilted in February which isn't too far away,especially with how fast this year has gone. They say time

flies when your having fun. 

A Lucky Streak

I won another give-away, this time from Elisabeth in Norway.
She has knitted little Christmas dolls. It is really
lovely and has a beautiful fair isle pattern.

Thank you Elisabeth.

Stitching Away

I am busy sewing the centre of my Mary Brown centre applique. It looks more open as the fabric get turned under.
This x stitch is called 16thCentury English Knot Garden.  The outer border shows the different herbs in flower.                                                              

This was a pattern I found in a magazine and the 1st one I stitched on 22count Aida.

This is the 2nd one on 22count Aida.

This is called Victorian Bouquet.