Sewing with Doc Martin...

Are you a fan of the British series "Doc Martin"?

Blossom and I love it!

We've watched the Doc since the first episode (around 2005 in Australia) and I think I'm ready to go back to the beginning and watch them all over again, especially as they'd be perfect for keeping me company during the afternoon stitching hours.

My other go-tos for stitching company is Monarch of the Glen, Poirot, Midsomer Murders, any Kirstie Allsopp craft show, Lark Rise to Candleford and Miss Marple.

What do you watch when you're creating with needle and thread?

On Monday afternoon I prepared this festive pretty for sewing during the rest of the week...

After carefully fussy cutting shapes from three of the aqua, red and white fabrics inside my bundle of 'Flower Sugar Holiday' I appliqued birds onto a white linen background and made some sweet little paper pieced hexies...

I know it's early in the year for Christmas patterns, but there's a lovely joy which bubbled out of my heart as I began to stitch this and I think that's rather lovely, don't you?

Do you make Christmas projects all year?

I haven't before, but things could be changing...

May you be blessed with a delightful day, 

hugs

Out in nature....

 With four days to rest and recuperate from over-work and health challenges, Mr E and I spent quality time over the Easter break out in nature with our cameras close at hand.

Good Friday night we drove up the mountain to capture sunset pics, but got side-tracked by the kangaroos feeding around the grounds of the Heritage Tea Rooms. It wasn't till we got home and I was transferring the pictures from camera to computer that I discovered the little joey sitting in his mama's pouch so I've enlarged those sections for my dear overseas readers who don't get to see kangaroos the way we in the countryside of Australia regularly do.

On Easter Sunday we packed fresh baked muffins, drove through Zarraffas to grab a couple of delicious cappuccinos, and headed north to Saunders Beach...

 

These few days of holidaying-at-home have lifted our souls, refreshed our spirits, and relaxed our minds so well that we've been out and about in the early morning or at dusk with our cameras every day, a hobby we'd almost lain aside over the long hot spring and summer. 

Taking the focus off work, and letting your eyes rest on the beauty of nature is a tonic that cannot be purchased over a counter. It's a free gift, we just need to close the door at home and go exploring.

hugs

Free "Country Square" pillow pattern...

When Lecien sent me a bundle of their soon to be released "American Country" fabrics I knew immediately that I wanted to create a design based on my favourite patchwork block, the Churn Dash.

After drawing a 9-patch grid for the centre square I sketched some small applique shapes for eight outside squares whilst adding a fabric square to middle.

If you'd like to make your own version of the "Country Square" pillow download the free applique templates from here in my shop.

Cut yourself a 9" square of fabric to trace the design onto, and after fusing the applique shapes in place blanket stitch around each one. Stem stitch the outer square line, and back stitch the inner lines of the 9-patch.

 Trim the block to 7 1/2".

I've made a 15" Churn Dash block and if that's the size you'd like to make here are the fabric measurements you'll need...

Cut from fabrics A, B and C

 

Fabric A: 

Four, 2 1/2" x 7 1/2" rectangles

Fabric B: 

Two, 4 7/8" squares

Fabric C: 

Four, 2 1/2" x 7 1/2" rectangles

Two, 4 7/8" squares

Assembling the block:

Sew one A rectangle down the side of one C rectangle. Press the seam open. Make three more the same.

Draw a pencil line from one corner of a C square diagonally across to the other corner.

Lay a C square down onto a B square, right sides together. Sew a 1/4" seam down either side of the traced pencil line. Cut along the traced line to create two triangles. Press the triangles open to create a 4 1/2" square. 

Repeat with the remaining C and B squares.

Sew a C/A rectangle unit down both sides of the centre applique block.

Sew 4 1/2" B/C squares to both ends of the remaining two C/A rectangle units, using the graph above for correct placement.

Press all seams open, and then sew the three rows of the block together to create your completed Churn Dash.

I added a 1 1/2" border all around with more C fabric before finishing my pillow with a envelope style backing and a 1/4" French seam all around the outside to enclose the side seams.

Extra:

Fuse thin Pellon or cotton quilt wadding/batting behind the block before you finish assembling the pillow.

Sew lines of running stitch around the centre square of the nine-patch, and around the stem stitched outer line of the nine-patch.

This is a very simple pattern to re-create and would look very different in soft pastels or solids.

I wonder what style you'll go for first?

hugs

Blessed are we who believe...

This is what Easter is all about.

Christ died for you and me.

But death could not hold Him down, for He is RISEN.

 Christ lives,

and because of His sacrifice and triumph over satan, we have life forever if we believe in Him and accept His free, bought with His own blood, gift of eternal life.

If your life has been empty of love, empty of hope, floundering in despair and loneliness, there is a Saviour who loved you to the point of His own death.

Call on His name today.

"Jesus"

He can hear you, He can answer your call.

I'm praying for you,

Making a start on Splendid...

Earlier this year I shared the news that I'm blessed to be one of 82 designers across the globe participating in the creation of 100 free blocks for The Splendid Sampler project.

This incredible venture was the brainchild of fellow Aussie designer, Jane Davidson (Jane was a guest on my blog last year and you can read that post here), and world renowned American quilter, Pat Sloan.

Have you been following along with the blocks? 

 I've seen them all and they are gorgeous! 

So far 12 of the 100 blocks have been shared, but you won't get to see or make mine until the very end of May. I'd love to show you a peek, but I'd best not, after all patience is a virtue. 

(I suppose that's easy for me to say when I have those 100 block patterns already, right?)

If I had time up my sleeve I'd be sewing all 100, but as my spare hours are limited I've decided to choose a handful of blocks that represent things I enjoy in life and make them into a mini quilt or wall hanging. 

Today we had a quiet day at home and while Mr E was pottering around doing various bits and pieces, I sat down with a cuppa, chose fabrics and threads, printed up the pattern sheets, and spent a few delightful hours making my first two Splendid Sampler blocks.

I'm using fabrics from a bundle of old Lecien "Retro 30's Child Smile" which I bought a while ago through Etsy. All the blocks finish at 6½” and these fabrics have a small design, perfect for little patchwork pieces or applique shapes.

The first block I made was Jane Davidson's "Local Quilt Shoppe".

It had a little bit of hand embroidery as well as patchwork and is very cute indeed...

The second block was Jen Kingwell's "Happy Happy" and it certainly did make me 

happy to stitch it!

I used a Tilda striped fabric for the flower pot and fussy cut my flower circles...

Have I inspired you to sew along with The Splendid Sampler?

Go HERE to download the blocks shared so far, and HERE to follow The Splendid Sampler blog.

 I intend sewing a few more blocks over the Easter break, and may even re-make my own Splendid block in thread colours to blend with these fabric.

(Did you get that hint? My block is all embroidery!)

Hubby and I decided to take a 'holiday at home' so we're choosing to relax over these four days by pottering around, taking our cameras out in nature, reading, playing games, going for drives in the countryside, having Blossom and her beloved over for dinner, and sleeping in if we feel like it. 

I don't mind telling you that this is indeed blissful.

I hope your Easter break is restful too.

hugs

New fabrics and a recipe...

You may remember that I'm one of fifteen Lecien "Flower Sugar" World Ambassadors and every so often I receive a parcel from Japan, overflowing with not-yet-released Flower Sugar pretties to play with.

This week not one, but two bundles of floral and fancy came to bless me...

Flower Sugar 'Holiday' will be waiting at your local quilt shop in June, in plenty of time for Christmas sewing!

Before then I'll share a free festive pattern with a list of materials required which you can print up and take with you to the shop. There's a design wafting around my creative space you see, and it could be the perfect choice for a Christmas project.

For now though, let me show you the two prints I love the most from the FS "Holiday" bundle. Do they make you giddy with delight too?

The other bundle is just as delicious! 

Flower Sugar "Sweet Carnival" will debut at Spring Quilt Market in Salt Lake City, USA, and will arrive at local quilt shops by October.

I have ideas for these too...so many ideas, but which one to choose????

I may even host a little giveaway...stay tuned for that one. 

Every week, Monday to Friday at 7am, without exception, Mr E and I have breakfast together.

It's a special time of the day to chat, share a healthy meal, and pray.

Saturdays are different though, because he starts work 30 minutes later. 

On those mornings I pack a 'finger food' breakfast I've baked the day before, some cheese squares for our Merri-dog, and after picking up coffee from our favourite drive through cafe (Zarraffas) we head down to the beach, sit back under the palm trees and enjoy the morning view across the water.

It's a very special start to the last day of what has become a rather long working week for Mr E.

This little detour from the weekly routine helps make each Saturday quite bearable for my beloved, so I like to give extra time to planning and preparing our 'picnic' brekky.

This week I've played around with an old recipe to make it dairy free, wheat free, and sugar free.

Seriously, it was delicious!

In fact, we taste tested so much that it disappeared rather fast, so I'm glad he has a 4-day Easter break and no work on Saturday.  

(Although, I will make more cause we'll still go down to the beach - some routines are too good to miss...)

Would you like to try it?

I've shared the recipe over HERE on my 'cooked simply with love' blog where there's a link for you to download and print the recipe for your own files.

Do you eat fish on Good Friday? There's nothing yummier than macadamia crumbed coral trout in my personal seafood menu so I'm off now to buy the fish and some salad trimmings. Then I'll work on that Flower Sugar "Holiday" design...

 May you have a blessed and faith filled Easter!

hugs