Apologies

I apologise to any of you who have not been able to see photos on my blog. Please let me know if this happens to you by leaving a message. This has happened a couple of times now, and on both occasions, the photos are visible on my computer so that I have no idea there is a problem. Very weird. I have reloaded the photos on my last post, so I'm hoping that has fixed the problem. Best wishes, Bloom.

So many ideas, so little time

This is the last of my Club Quilt Christmas swap gifts I have to show you. I made this for Christmas 2006. I ran out of time last year & unfortunately was not able to make something with a stitchery incorporated. The handles for this one are ruched fabric over Rigilene. A little fiddly to do, but they worked really well. The pattern is called 'Pieceful Bliss' by Liz Newton & was published in Australian Country Threads Vol 6 No 11.

A 150 year old rose?

My 'Reine des violettes' rose is in full bloom at the moment. It is a hybrid perpetual rose & was bred way back in 1860 by Millet-Mallet in France. My rose is only 8 years old, but I think it has earned a spot in my garden with such a long history. It is a 'living antiquity'!

Have I mentioned my Bareroots fetish?

Oooh, I was really happy with this one too. I made this for the 2005 Club Quilt Christmas swap. It is a Bareroots design from a Country Threads magazine published a few years ago. Photos of this one aren't great. I remember being in a raging panic trying to get it finished in time, so the photos were taken hurriedly before heading off to our dinner together. There are three embroidered & appliqued heart panels, lots of pockets, and an embroidered band around the top. The handle was supposed to be embroidered too, but I ran out of time & opted for my favourite handles mentioned in the last post! I loved the little hearts attached to the end of the drawstrings. Hmmm, it was hard to give this one away! Always intended to make a second one for myself, but of course, it hasn't happened!

A humble offering!

I made this little bag as my first Club Quilt Christmas swap in 2004. I was really very pleased with it. The stitchery is a sweet design by Anni Downs of Hatched & Patched. I made a lined pocket behind the stitchery & I think there were pockets on the inside. This is the reverse side of the bag. The handles on this bag are my all-time favourite way of doing handles. I must do a little tutorial on them sometime. I love how they look as though they are piped on the edges.

Club Quilt Christmas swap 2006

Opening last year's gift was another gobsmacking moment. This gorgeous creation was made by Carol and is a stitchery by favourite Australian designer, Bronwyn Hayes. And of course, the bows on each side undo to reveal more treasures; a needlebook on the left, a scissor keeper on the right & a drawstring bag for threads & stitchery WIPs. Carol is another of our very prolific Club Quilt members & always has something new to show us. How talented & generous are these women & how lucky have I been to receive such beautiful things for the last three years? Very special. Now I suppose it is only fair that my next few posts should be about what I GAVE for the last three years! Let me tell you, you have seen the very best, so be prepared for things much more ordinary! I may well even chicken out in the next 24 hours & decide not to show you at all! BUT comparing quality of gifts IS NOT what it's all about is it? ... it's about the spirit of the giving, isn't it? ... see you tomorrow!

Note to self - must do a photography course ... soon!

I have been trying to get a decent photo of this beauty for days, and this is as good as I'm going to get. It is a flower from our Cape Chestnut tree (Calodendrum capense), native to South Africa evidently. Very pretty. For my local friends, there is a stunning specimen of this tree in the front garden of The Abbey.

Club Quilt Christmas swap 2005

If I wasn't blessed enough in 2004 by receiving Dale's stitchery basket, look what I received the next Christmas! Against amazing odds, I drew Dale's name for the second year in a row and received her stitchery portfolio. It opens up to reveal plastic zippered sleeves for storing bits and bobs ... and came with matching scissor holder & needle case! The inside of the needlecase looks like this. To say Dale is a prolific quilter & needleworker is an understatement. Her blog is here. She would love to hear from you, I'm sure!

Friday funday

Birthday lunch for a friend today. Took some flowers for her from my garden, as you do. Good food, special friends, too much champagne & lots of laughs. A good day.

The anxiety of a Christmas swap!

For the past 3 or 4 years I have attended a local quilting group in my little country town. You can read about my group, Club Quilt, here. They are the most lovely, generous, warm-hearted group of women. Each year at Christmas time, we have dinner out & a Christmas swap of handmade gifts. It is time for me to start thinking about this year's gift. I always get a bit anxious about what to make, whether the receiver will like what I make, whether it will 'be good enough', etc etc, the usual paranoia. But of course, it is the spirit of the giving which is important, and we are all just so excited & thankful for the time that is lovingly spent by each member to bring pleasure to friends. I thought I would spend the next few posts showing you some of the outrageously generous & beautiful gifts I have received from my Club Quilt friends in recent years.

This is one of the first gifts I received and was made by Dale. I was understandably overwhelmed when I opened this! It is a stunning sewing basket, a design by one of our Australian stitchery heroes, Leanne Beasley.

It has internal pockets for all those stitching essentials ...

Did I say beautiful, stitched internal pockets? This basket is never far from my side in the evenings, & is in constant use. The initial pleasure of opening this gift has not waned - I still love to just stop & look at it. Thank you Dale.