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Welcome to my blog about my quilting journey! I started quilting in 2006 with a quilt of my own design which started as a cushion cover and ended up as a single bed sized quilt! Now I'm totally hooked....maybe obsessed is a better word for it.

Friday 4 December 2015

A Little Sewing is Better Than None at All!

Well yet again my UFOs go unfinished - surprise, surprise!  I did at least get one set of my placemats quilted. What that taught me was that I am quite rusty so clearly haven't been doing enough quilting!
I started the second set but I really am not thrilled with the design I'm quilting. Can't be helped though as I can't unpick as the white fabric has a zig zag pattern which is ever so slightly rubbery and leaves holes if you have to unpick. So onward I go with it and it will have to do.

I've always been a reasonably organised person and I don't know whether its a hangover from moving house or something else but I'm really finding it hard to keep myself focussed and on track with just about everything since we moved. I do feel like we've been very busy, with something on every week and that may be adding to my problem. I am a person who likes a routine and I think I'm having trouble getting back into my old routine. I'm spending way too much time at night on the computer instead of sewing.  I haven't even finished doing all the necessary address changes 4+ months after our move! Normally I'm the queen of admin-type stuff (which is what I do for a living) but not at the moment. Don't even get me started on Christmas shopping, as in I haven't started!

As if we haven't had enough changes this year, here is one more! We have another fur baby, a little brother for Livvie. His name is Justin and he's a lovely 12 month old golden retriever who was unfortunately a wee bit short for showing. Luckily we're not fussy about height! Isn't he lovely?

The other reason for bringing Justin into our home was that while Livvie is a wonderful, sweet natured darling, she is extremely fearful of people she doesn't know - unless they happen to be walking a dog and then they're old friends. She also doesn't get as much doggy playtime at our new house as there doesn't seem to be the same close knit community of dog lovers nearby.

Livvie was so excited to meet Justin and just over a week later she still thinks he's great. They get along so well and he is very outgoing so hopefully he will bring her out of herself with people.  Either way she is loving having a little brother to play with.  Justin is a more traditional golden colour while Livvie is a beautiful cream with slight highlights on her ears and tail - and don't ask about babies because Livvie is desexed!
One of the things that makes me smile about Justin is the way he lies in the froggy position! Nice and cool on the tiles (and a sign of great hips!).
We had a housewarming a couple of weeks ago and one lovely gift I got was a couple of mug rugs from my sister-in-law for my sewing room!

I'm not sure what she's saying!

In my continuing story of garden surprises here are my recent finds. I had an inkling these plants near our front door were agapanthus and I was right. I had always planned to put some in the garden at our other house but here they are already in and blooming in a couple of places! They're not quite open fully but I couldn't resist taking a snap.

This plant is one that we are planning to remove once a couple of others we have planted get a bit larger. You might think its odd to remove a plant which is happily flowering but this plant is covered with the webby nests of a moth larvae which is apparently specific to this type of plant. We've come across it before at our other house and there's not really a very effective way to get rid of it other than get rid of the plant itself.  It has decided to flower so here it is while it lasts!  These are quite small so I am in quite close so you can see it.
I had to leave my lovely liriope behind but it turns out I have quite a few in this garden too which are just sending up buds. Whether they make it to open up is yet to be seen as they frequently get trodden on by two playful dogs at the moment!
Not really a flower but interesting I think. This is some sort of seed pod opening up on one of the palms in the garden (it has quite nasty spikes around the base). It looks like lots of little flowers! The second photo shows you its relative size to the plant.

Last time I shared a photo of a variegated canna lilly. Here is the same flower once the petals had all dried up and fallen away. Isn't it interesting? Its covered in little stubbly spikes and must be its seed pods.
Well that's it for now, hopefully I can get myself back into gear and get on with things by next time I post!