Chillier, or more chilli?

 Remember this? well, it was only a couple of days ago!
The smallest chillies in the world?

Well, they are bigger! See the little beauty hiding behind the stem? It is the same one hiding in the first picture, but double the length!

I am just so tickled that we have any
So I have to share, in pictures anyway!

Rainbow

6.30am from my back door! a lovely sight to greet me this morning! It is actually double, but the reflection above doesn't show, sorry!

Go have a look at my daughters makes here . I think she has done a brilliant job on these!

a little chilli?

 If you look quite carefully, you can see my tiny baby chilli pepper, and a second one lurking behind the stem! Yes we have peppers! Still to grow!

















And this block made today for the 'round the world' quilting bee! My daughter has still to do hers, and we can then photograph them as a group.

I have not done much on the machine lately, as little one has been sewing. she has been making 'mug rugs' and an apron to take off to college with her, and a pair of gorgeous jimmy-jams trews. So I have taken a step back for a little bit to let her get on.
Very good job she has done too! I will see if she lets me show you, later.

And, in the post this week, some 'summersville' fabric to make a block for Reene. Want to see?

neatly tied, in kona Ash

So now my imagination has to come up with a house. Hmm.



And my son has a new job! thank goodness. And other daughter not feeling too wonderful. Labyrinthitis is miserable, feeling dizzy and sick almost all the time and trying to work. Hope she feels better soon.

Friday, garden riches. NO insects.

 The contrast between the day-lilies and the crocosmia is better in real life. That crocosmia is 'Lucifer' if you know that one. About 5' tall, and richly red. And the hemerocallis is a dark bricky red, so they enrich each other.




















And this peachy one is nearby.
















I have forgotten what these blue spikes are called, but they make a lovely foil for the pink 'silver wedding' rose.

 We have the smallest golden courgettes in the world, but they are growing!

 and these are squash. I do hope they get big enough to eat!

 This fuschia is 'Lady Boothby'- advertised as 'climbing, but they just mean tall!












More Lucifer growing through 'Lily Marlene' rose. A gorgeous colour, but almost no scent.

 Boy, does Lucifer get everywhere in my garden! That is because I pulled (most of) it out of the front and spread it round the back...

 There is a delicate pink shading to this white geranium,




















and this fuschia was supposed to be dead ( as in, I supposed it was dead) but it had other ideas and is merrily flowering on a waste pile! Amongst the weeds!

It arrived at my partners!

I posted a parcel, yesterday.I had some wrapping paper, but as I know my partner will be doing some 'interesting' block making shortly, I thought, I could give her an interesting trim, rather than just 'normal' parcel ribbon. so I tied her parcel, with this rainbow organza ribbon.




Now, you know what was inside,




 There was this frame purse. And the little butterfly brooch which was attached on the outside. And, thank goodness, my partner seems to like the purse. Phew! As she hadn't commented I was rather nervous!



The instructions dictated that there had to be a little something for the inside. But I was not sure what. So my initial thought was 'machine needles'.  As a sewer, these have to be useful, and welcomed. So a couple of packs lurked inside the purse. But I had a thought about a little something, which I really really wanted to make. But I needed an excuse. Sorry, Partner, you were my excuse. So I made this,



Oh, I forgot, you can't see through the wrapper. And yes there are some other ribbons there for her to use, Because they are pretty!

Now, I said at the time this was for someone special, so here it is again,

A little etui, in pretty fabrics.



My daughter does occasional swaps of what are called, 'Crappy Day presents'

And I thought, this lovely lady has had one or two less than wonderful days lately, so, let us try to put a smile on her face, So this fitted into the purse neatly.


And no 'Crappy Day present' is complete without chocolate- so a small amount of chocolate went into the parcel too!

 

And Then I made her a card. It is a dead simple card, and I made several at the same time- I forgot to take a photo of her one, but this is similar. Quick and fun, I think!

And I only posted yesterday, but she received it today! Yeay! and I am so glad she was my partner!

Comma,

 Have you ever had this happen to you? The little lever that snaps the blade back into shelter has broken off.
My daughter was just putting together a signature block when, ping, the lever broke off. I suppose these things do not last forever, and I suspect this cutter is over twenty years old, but still!

 I have a different make, but this cutter gives such a satisfactory click as it hides the blade away, and my friends lovely son, who has sewn with me for about three years, very quickly grasped the safety aspects of this, despite being severely autistic. He was very particular about the blade being safely stowed away each time it was used. He might threaten to burn my fingers with the iron, but that blade? away!

 Today we found an invader in my 'pop up fruit cage' It is the second one, and I think it must have emerged in there - I do not think it got in there under it's own steam.

It was playing hard to get as far as photographs were concerned, and in the end we decided to release it, so I carefully captured it in my hands, and, daughter at the ready with the camera, slowly opened up.

The butterfly decided it liked the warmth of my hand and quietly sat and posed for its portrait to be taken. 















It is a comma, and sat for several minutes just enjoying the attention. Then the battery on the camera ran out, DD said, I will have to get the spare, and comma decided that it was time to go!

 This little cyclamen is slightly ahead of itself, flowering just a few weeks early,














and a bud about to break beside it.

and these rudbeckia continuing on from last year.



Hemerocallis,





and there is a path under that ladies mantle!


















And Genny, decided that, beautiful as she knows she is, she is not posing for the camera. She is not a butterfly, and is quite disdainful of the process!

Coals to Newcastle

Whilst up in Stirling, staying with my daughter, I purloined scraps of fabric from her, and started hand stitching a pincushion. I also purloined the paper and EPP'd it, using diamond shapes. I just got very frustrated with having nothing constructive to do, for a couple of evenings.
However, we weren't there quite long enough for me to finish it, so I brought it home with me, with a promise to complete it, and send it back.

And now it is complete, (I watched some rubbish on TV- well listened to) and stuffed and the buttons sewn on. It is a twin humoured pincushion, so she can choose her humour!


Just do not look too closely at my hand sewing!






I am just very quietly mentioning, while I am there, Kiki is having a mega giveaway, she has been having a clear out, and there is a lot of stuff being given to one person- to whom? maybe you, if you go enter?

Moulin Rouge- or something

 In our Quilt Around the world set there is someone who is asking for black and white Paris blocks for her daughter. A tiny touch of turquoise is also permitted. Several people had already used the Tour Eiffel, but I decided to try to get some cancan dancing going on, and the Moulin Rouge.


And this is what emerged from the sewing machine, between yesterday evening, and this evening after work.I really hope that dancer works better than I think she does!

 I have added a garter, and a feather in her head-dress, in the turquoise, and just done a line of the same round the sails of the windmill.

Well, if they really do not like it, I may have to use it as a cushion front and do something else!











I am joining up with Sew happy geek  again, for manic Monday!

more butterfly

 Brooch backs are really not that expensive, I go to a funny little fabric and craft shop in a small local town, and she tends to have something you want any time you go in. So a dozen brooch backs are not too costly, and judicious use of a hot glue gun ( would this work for the frame purse? Possibly not, as the glue goes off too quickly), and you have a brooch.

I think this will make an acceptable extra? and my partner can always dispose of it if it is surplus to requirement!

I can see myself making more of these, and various other variations come to mind!
hmm.







This brooch pin is secured with a fabric band stitched to backing, and then glued to stop it slipping- hot glue guns are wonderful-

And it sits up proud, a bit like a real butterfly!

The other one I glued directly onto  the butterfly, so this feels less secure to me. I don't think it really is less secure, but feels it!





















 I think this is the better version to go on this bag, I am sure I will find another home for the other one!The back of this has the pin attached with some fabric. I think this is because some of the colours in the lower wing echo the bag fabric.