A special gift

I have had so much support lately, from a lovely aunt, always thought of as my 'pretty auntie' when I was small- she gave me a few books for my eighth birthday- Beloved books- Little House in the Big Woods, The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm, and John Masefields The Midnight Folk. She also included an invitation to be a founder member of the Puffin Club. I think it cost 5 shillings, and I had to get a postal order to send off, but I received my Puffin Posts for years. I still have them! She and I have been a mutual support system. Yes, my children, and husband have been excellent, but her children are all boys. So, we have leaned on one another a little.
So among various emails I slowly got inspired, and on Sunday I sat with a rough ( very rough ) plan to make a bag for her.

Very quickly this happened

I mentioned little ends of spools, which are clearly not big enough to go on the machine? Well, some of them went- on the machine!  You see  the ends of those petals? They have been played with by my machine, to give an extra dimension

And this now becomes part of a pocket panel. I couldn't ask about preferred colours, after all, this will be a surprise for her- so, she is getting green!

All had to come from stash, as it was a Sunday, and I wanted to just get on with it. With coronavirus, fabric shops are basically shut, you can buy online , but not go and get the stuff. I was pleasantly surprised that I had enough that co-ordinated well enough to do the whole thing. 

A zip pocket put in, I liked the lilac zip- a little quirk?  and piping above and below the panel

A pretty leafy pocket lining, with the label in,

and then that panel incorporated into the front of the bag

 a gentle anount of quilting- Keep the back fairly plain

 and put on a tab for fastening

 linings had to be pieced, but these went well together

 a small slip pocket to take a phone if needed

covered button to fasten that tab

I even managed to remember to put in the loop for a key fob to be popped in. 

This now needs to go in the post. 

And that was my whole Sunday gone!

Happy days. 

I have to share..

Some of the beauties in my garden.. 

 This gorgeous iris,

Do you see the bright blue 'caterpillar' on the fall? Is that not just unbelievable? I am amazed by how stunning this is. Sadly, the wind blew it over a bit, and I have had to stake it, but it is giving me great joy. 

 Penny lane looking perfect in her half open state, when she gets a bit of sun on she will smell super, too.

 The veining on the petals ( bracts really, I know) of this clematis are so clearly marked, I love it!

 And this beauty hiding under my little pink rambler... treasures to be found by accident!

and, no, my garden is not manicured, but cottage-y and it suits me! That white clematis does so well, climbing up Penny Lane and sharing it's flowers for everyone to see!

Flocks of Geese!

For Leonie

 We are making geese.. Well, when I say we, what I mean is some of that group calling themselves Lazy Bums.
You see, we have agreed an internal bee, running fairly randomly- well we are the Lazy Bums- between November last year, and October-ish this year. The idea is that we shall each make 10 blocks in total for other members of the group, but we all know what is to be made already, and can do it as the humour strikes. No sitting around wondering when we shall be told, and actually, if we want to wait until September is disappearing, and then do all in a rush and flurry, fair do, we can do that.

But I quite like to be ahead if I can, if I have a deadline- it is when there is no deadline that I am in trouble...

For Gi

 Some of us, like Leonie up there, designed their own blocks,
some of us, like Gi sitting off to my Left, took a pattern and just specified certain parameters.. light star, darker ground...







Some others also took an established pattern and said 'NO SPIDERS' - Kathinca, I think you have a secret yen for a spider or two...

Can I find a spider here for you? Sadly, no

and these spiders are all owls... and dinosaurs

For Annaliese

 These would not print correctly for me, from the document sent, but I also got measurements and was able to draw the diagram. I love these, they are very pretty. Love your choice, Annaliese.

And these pretties for my good friend May.


So, you see I have been quietly busy here.












In the garden I am delighted to report that I have actually seen my winter flowering clematis winterly flowering!

I tried to get proof...

 Those white blobs are buds. The wind is up and they were not prepared to sit still even long enough to get a focus....

 I tried again...

If you look carefully you can see the flowers out, white and printed inside with red.. But at least I have seen them this year, last year I blinked and missed them!

In case you are wondering I am standing beneath them, head bent back on my neck, arms upstretched and hoping they do not escape as the shutter goes..


Happy flowers everyone.

making progress

At the cost of housework, other things have been getting some attention round here. Who wants to do housework anyway?

So some weeding and planting, two golden courgette plants are now planning to reduce the weeding just here.





while this Graham Thomas rose has decided to play nicely.













And this yellow flag is giving it's share of joy

 near to this allium. I love those clean stars on the heads.


















and, I promised a photo of this 'multiblue' clematis, yesterday


but, just to demonstrate that there is work aplenty left, here is a fine crop of stinging nettles, which grace my front garden!

That is right- they are in the front... Nuff said.





 And the rest of the  day? Tote number two is taking shape. Slowly!







this is one side - finishing touches still to be sorted..

 The other side

and straps..














I am now sorting linings. will I be done tonight? I hope so, but am not confident.
it looks quite purple to me in the photos, butIpromise you, it is a bright blue!

I  am trying to link up to the lovely Lucy. Anyone who doesn't know Lucy- go see her! She is lovely, and great fun.She has asked that instead of a name,we put in either a favourite font, or a letter. So, I have done that!

 Someone reminded me, it is only 5 weeks until the retreat. And I have swaps to make!

Foolishly or otherwise, I have volunteered myself for totes!
I think a tote will be useful, as there may well be bits and pieces to be taken to and from the venue- they are promising a 'quilt market' in the evening of the Saturday, and if I manage to make any sneaky purchases, a tote would be a help. So, possibly, other folk may also appreciate a tote.

So, totes it is.

I have been making tote number one. Shades of yellow, with some free embroidery leaves and stems on the one side, modelled here by my long suffering son, he is good to his Mum....

and on the other side, double aster from Quilters cache, done in shades of yellow. Now, I made a mistake on this one as I started it. So it is all made in reverse, as it were. This is the laevo version- as opposed to the  dextro version. yes, I am just trying to dress it up nicely... I got it wrong, okay? and didn't want to get out the seam ripper... so that is that!

A couple of pockets, but I forgot the D ring.... I shall maybe have to forget the D ring in the others too...

One down, two to go!

Sorry for the quality of the pictures, but daylight has gone, and they are not the best. Ah well. 

And for the daughters, again, some garden shots. And I will let you look too if you like!

Here is 'Penny Lane', my first rose this summer ( summer? what summer-  Oh that three days of warmth and sunshine? THAT summer!)

When the sun shines, she smells heavenly. When it is cold and damp. she smells of nothing. Come back summer, you didn't spend long enough here!

 This is the first year this clematis has really shown it's mettle, yes we have had a few flowers the past couple of years, but this year- we are showing our stuff! This one is growing up the same trellis as Penny Lane, and may intertwine with her in years to come, I hope.


















 and quietly lurking is this beauty.


A rich purple specimen is just coming out, too but I will have to wait for daylight to take the next photograph.








 These poppies are doing their bit for the garden. I love their frilly edges.

see little one- the cocoa shell mulch is down!

and alliums are self propagating behind the garden geraniums here.

So the garden is progressing!

I just need a little more weeding...

Belated, Sewmamasew, I was a winner!

I was lucky enough to win two giveaways in the
 great giveaway, but I was waiting until the second one arrived, to blog about both at the same time. First, I won some patterns that the lovely Germaine over at Yageol was kind enough to be passing on to be put into use. 

There are two magazines with traceable patterns, and two actual patterns here. I do not know why it is so difficult to get this type of magazine in UK. I think they are brilliant. And there are a really fabulous selection of patterns here. Oh, yes! they will get used!

Thank you Germaine!

And then I also won these rather fun charms. These came from Atia. There are very varied prints in this collection, with florals and scissors, leaves and butterflies, as well as some abstract prints. I think these should prove very useful, Thank you Atia!

 Now, a few shots from the garden, to keep my daughters up to date!

Clematis

tree peony

Fruit cage to go on very soon! There is a redcurrant lurking!

and today's disaster? The iron decided to send out smoke signals... I smelt it first, and then saw the little plume of smoke arising... Ok , a new iron has had to be bought... I feel as though I buy new irons every 5 minutes! I know it is a few years really, but surely an iron should last longer than this! And you just cannot sew without an iron!  Can you?