Snowbound # 9 & More Post From Australia

Here is my snowman for September (Snowbound, Bunny Hill Designs). I'm still working on the one for August in his little cart. He has still got some work to be done on him.

As I have decided to go with a different layout for this project, I will be making some small changes to previous blocks, to make the fabric which I have chosen for the sashings (see pinkish birdie) and for the little squares in between the sashings (see hat and bird's wing) work better. Not a lot of work to do and it will make the whole layout pull together a lot more (here's hoping!)

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Today, postie brought me a little package from Australia with My Garden BOM (Lynette Anderson) blocks #2 and #3, and I got word that block #4 is also in the post already. That's the nice thing about starting a BOM late! You get lots of blocks to play with within a short space of time.

In the background there is another fabric from the Evening Mist range from Moda Fabrics. Ineke and I just couldn't refrain ourselves from ordering some more fabrics from this beautiful range, so we have lots to choose from.

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Remember I told you a while back about the family of collared doves living in our garden? I'm happy to report that another baby dove has shown up. I haven't yet had a chance to take his/her picture, as he/she is being pestered by a huge adult wood pigeon that has also taken up residency in our garden.

Thanks for your lovely comments. They really are very inspiring.

Le Jardin Progress Report

Despite lots of distractions in the form of cute snowman patterns and other goodies, I'm still persevering with Le Jardin. It is so much fun to work on and I'm determined to at least get one project completed by the end of this year. I reckon my best bet is Le Jardin.

Here is block #4: the applique was already completed, but the block needed to be assembled:


I finally got the (huge!) block 7 completed and assembled:

And now I'm working on block #8, which I placed on the beautiful fabric used for the borders.

You'll probably think, "this is all looking really positive and she's well on her way to complete the top", but I still have some work to do on previous blocks, some of which are in various stages of completeness and one (block #3) hasn't even been touched yet. When I was still doing this project using needleturn applique, I found all those leaves (no fewer than 25!) rather daunting :o)

As usual, please excuse the creases. I cannot keep ironing these blocks when I take pictures. It will all come out once the top is completed (I hope!).

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Thanks for all your good wishes for my SIL. I'm happy to report she came through the operation well and is now awaiting further treatment at home. She's not out of the woods yet, but the prognosis for a full recovery is quite positive.

And since I know she is reading my blog: here's to you, Maudy, for a very speedy and full recovery!

My Garden BOM # 1 & Other Things

First of all my apologies for ignoring you!
I'm working on a translation assignment together with a fellow-translator and it is so much fun, but it does have the knack of taking up too much time. It is lovely to be working together with someone, since being a freelance translator can get a bit lonely at times.

Still, the pennies to spend on all my pastimes have to be earned, so....

.... Saturday our lovely lady postie brought Ineke's and my package with fabrics for the My Garden BOM by Lynette Anderson and of course I had to send Ineke her share and use mine to complete block #1, since the stitchery had been ready for several days:


A detail of the flowers, the button and the birdie:

And a few piccies of the fabrics which we chose. One didn't make the cut, because it is a bit too purplish to work for My Garden. This range, by Moda Fabrics, is called Evening Mist, a beautiful name for a gorgeous range of fabrics. Have a look:

A while back, Ineke and I went fabric shopping at De Sampler in Haarlem.

I fell in love with this stitchery, also by Lynette Anderson. It is called The Quilt Shoppe and it comes with a cute cat button.

Ineke helped me buy the kit (her present for my birthday) and I chose the same fabric to do the finishing as the people at the LNS used, this pretty pale blue fabric with gorgeous flowers:

And I keep saying to myself, 'I'm not going to start this, I'm not going to start this......'

Not that is doing me any good, but for the moment I have been able to leave it be.

Instead I worked on block #7 of Le Jardin by Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs:

Block #7 is the big one bottom left. It is now nearly done and I will share pictures soon, I promise.

Anne Sutton posted a new cute snowman for Snowbound yesterday and I still haven't made the snowman for August drive his cute little cart, so I had better get to work!

So sorry for all the cat lovers: no cat piccies this time. I'll make it up to you soon.

And last but certainly not least: please send healing vibes, spare a thought, or light a candle for my SIL, who is currently having an operation for thyroid cancer. Fingers crossed she will pull through and make a full recovery.

Thank you.