A Pretty Interlude

A brief departure from the sludge then, today, for I have still been busy with Civil War repro fabrics but let's have some prettiness, yes? It's a funny old day here today, blowing a gale but it's really quite welcome as it's Monday and so I feel like I am struggling against a mountainous pile of laundry. Yeuch. Monday is a day of chores, not of sewing, and not one to be savoured but needs must, you know. I'm sure you do. However, going out to peg out the washing did result in some other outdoor activity which was much more fun, including picking this little posy of flowers from the garden.

On my way, I couldn't help a gay chuckle when I found Vorey had a new hidey hole, right in the sun, of course.

We found the old wooden crate when we went fruit picking back in the Summer and the farm let me re-home it. Since, it has sat looking interesting on the patio, not knowing that its fate lay as a kitty bed! Further down the garden then, we find that it is pleasant enough for another furry friend to be outdoors. Here is Jacky Ginger in what we call his "grass bed". If he cannot be found in the usual spots (eidys, quilts, beds, arm chairs), you can bet he shall be curled up here. Were you thinking we had a nice tidy garden? Now you know better! (It is a work in progress, honest!)

One way to distract yourself from the surrounding jungle begging to be tamed is to gratuitously fill the space with items of a decidedly more pretty and textile nature.

Remember my gift from the folks over in America at Accuquilt? Well, many many cranks of the handle later and my first tumbler quilt has been born. I started this way back in the midst of the sunny Summer (well, we had a few nice days?) so the fabrics were drawn from some appropriately gorgeous bright fabrics I'd been hoarding, many Japanese Lecien "Flower Sugar" with some Red Rose Farm and other 1930's reproduction cottons.

This tumbler block is 3" in size so it took an awful lot to make this lap-sized quilt. I also spent an age pinning all the rows so the points lined up as well as I could make them, and then ages quilting which in truth was a very dull job, outlining each and every seam a quarter of an inch either side. I stayed sane by doing a few hours then wandering off for a while before going back for a few more hours. I wouldn't do it again!

(Delilah the owl and her friends can be found here.)

I backed the quilt with a jolly polka dot fabric and added cute pink and red heart binding.

It managed to stay on the line for this flat shot but soon whizzed off in the wind!

The tumbler quilt is not the only pretty thing going on round here. My car boot sale Ted has found himself a cosy spot in this crib I've given a new lease of life.

Several pain-staking licks of pretty pink paint, vintage bedding and blanket and a mini patchwork quilt made, and this crib is ready to make a little lady (or even a lady who is young at heart!) happy. How many days until 25 December, dare I ask?!

Details of the pretty pink crib can be found in my blogshop here.

Back to the quilt though. Time to find it a home. I decided to have a little move round in the sitting room, it had been on my mind for a while (not a bad thing to have on your mind?) Out went the enormous chest of "not-often-played-with-anymore" Lego to the Munchkin's playroom upstairs, in came the cute turquoise-painted table I bought at the Bridport street market a while back. With a new table lamp at the cottage, we needed to re-home this one (old design lamp base from Cath K, with an old shade I covered with one of my fave old Cath K fabrics), so onto the turquoise table it went along with our old 'phone (a Shepton Mallet flea market find) and the afore mentioned posy of flowers.

I do so love it when you can create an entirely new scene from bits 'n' pieces you've already got at home.

It's a very pleasant spot to indulge in my latest hand sewing project.