'Friends & Flowers' quilt by Princess Martha

We were home at the farm last weekend to check on our lupin crop. It is the first time we have grown lupins, which is nitrogen-fixing legume crop. In as much as I know anything about them, they seem to be looking really good.

Being back in our farm garden always gives me a chance to take nice quilt photos! This quilt was won by my brother in a local charity raffle and was made by my lovely friend, Princess Martha.

Such a fresh and happy quilt. My brother likes to pretend he wasn't too excited about winning a 'girly' quilt, but let me tell you, he was on the phone immediately to boast about his win!

The fabrics The Princess has used are Mary Engelbreit 'Friends & Flowers' for Moda. She very artistically pieced the back. The artistry was lost on my brother, but I love it! And it is beautifully stippled all over.

Gorgeous quilt, Princess - you were very generous to give this one up!

Hey baby, my name's Bloom ... how am I doing so far?

Life has been so busy lately that I don't know if I'm coming or going. My mum would say, "I don't know if I'm Arthur or Martha"! But at last, today I have reacquainted myself with my sewing machine. It has been a while, and she barely knew who I was either!

When I am 'time=poor', the stitching has to be simple & quick. I am working on a very simple quilt using 'Verna' fabrics by Kate Spain for Moda. I have used Kona 'Snow' for the sashing.

Simple, fresh and most importantly, DONE!

This baby is off to the quilter. Hope you have a great weekend and find some quality time to spend with your machine. Best wishes, Bloom x

I have this naughty friend Nellie ...

... she works in a fabric shop and is always on the look out for fabric treasures, which she duly purchases, stashes away and posts to me, out of the goodness of her heart. Her parcels arrive, unexpectedly, and often at a time when I really need cheering up! She is such a lovely friend to me, and we've not yet met 'for real'. Her poor husband has his 'axe-murderer-internet-friend' suspicions!

Anyhoo ... why naughty? I nicknamed her 'Naughty Nellie' because she keeps sending me beautiful fabric when she really shouldn't! She spoils me way too much! I came up with a brilliant plan to, in some small way, thank Janelle for her generosity.

The conversation went like this:

Me: "Nellie, thank you so much for sending me beautiful fabric AGAIN! Please allow me the pleasure of making you a Frilly Dilly bag to thank you. The deal is, you send me five x 25cm fabrics of your choosing, and I will do the rest". (See this post for context!)

Nellie: "No deal, unless you allow me to send you one of my rosy bags".

Doesn't she drive a tough bargain! Resistance was futile. This arrived in the post last week:

Janelle is making these GORGEOUS bags and has just opened her very first online shop to sell them. They are really beautifully made, wonderfully textural and oh so glam! She has some of her PVC totes available for sale too, all made with 'to die for' fabrics. You can find her shop, Janelly Belly Bags and Things, right here. Please pop over for a browse, and tell her how wonderfully talented and lovely she is. Bloom said so!

And these are the amazing fabrics she has sent for me to transform into a Frilly Dilly. I'm very excited about these. So vibrant and happy, just like Nellie I'm sure. Can't wait to see how they come together. I'm thinking they will make for one very cute Frilly Dilly.

Love to you Nellie. You are an absolute treasure!

Daybook entry #5

Outside my window ... it is dark and very cold. The kids went off to school today excited by the forecast of 'snow showers' and it didn't disappoint:

I am hearing ... my daughter doggedly practising scales for a fast approaching piano exam (AMEB 6th grade for those of you who know about these things).

I am reading ... Jane Eyre ... again! I was introduced to the world of the Bronte sisters by my aunt when I was about twelve, with my first copy of Jane Eyre. I still love it. From the sublime to the ridiculous (!), I have just finished reading this:

From time to time, I like to read the books my children are reading. This one belongs to my 11-year-old son and is about a young boy who has lie-detecting nipples!! Every time he is exposed to a lie, his nipples go all 'feather duster' and itch - you can only imagine the adventures that might lead to!

I am wondering ... which of my birthday purchases I might start first! It was my birthday last Friday and in what is fast becoming a tradition, I visited Hatched & Patched with my Mum, and returned with appropriate birthday booty.

Should I start this? A sweet felt needlecase, scissor fob & pincushion set called 'Bluebirds in the Hedgerow' by Diane Leftwich:

Or this? A new release quilt pattern from the always divine Joanna Figueroa of Figtree Quilts:

Or perhaps this? 'Petite Sewing Kit' by Hatched & Patched:

I am spoilt for choice! If I don't get off this computer, I won't make a start on anything. A perfect night for sitting in the toasty warm & doing some stitching.