Playing with Flower Sugar...

Last night I decided to make tulips. You see they don't grow in the tropics because it's quite simply too darn hot. 

So what to do?

Grow sew  my own!

I purchased the tulip block pattern online from Thimble Blossoms (here) and the pretty Flower Sugar Spring 2015 fabrics were a gift from the lovely Yoko at Lecien Fabrics. I thought they'd both look rather sweet married together so after a couple of hours cutting and sewing I had three pretty tulips ready to use in a project...

The green fabric along the bottom is one I found in my fat quarter stash, not sure who the designer or the range are but it added the grass element I needed for 'planting' my tulips...

Hand quilting came next, using Perle #12 thread in white...

Just simple running stitch around each tulip...

The inside of the tulips were quilted with more Perle#12 thread in either red, yellow or aqua...

The inside edge of the grass and around the base of the aqua tulip stems were quilted with green...

The next step will be to make the tulips block into a cushion for our bed.

Alongside it will be another pillow I've almost finished. It too was pieced from Flower Sugar, but this block features a Dresden Plate on white linen...

Hand quilting on small projects like this is very relaxing so I tend to do it a lot.

For the Dresden pillow I used a single strand of co-ordinating Cosmo embroidery thread inside each blade, radiating from the blades, and as a swirl inside the centre circle...

As I still have some Flower Sugar squares left I might see if there will be enough to piece a simple bed runner. Just squares sewn together, an easy afternoon project...

...with more hand quilting of course.

It's nice to take time out from embroidery (my work) for a hobby like patchwork.

Next blog post I'll show you two quilts I finally finished over the weekend. One for Blossom and one for me!

What's your hobby?

hugs

A blessing of thread...

A couple of months ago I was blessed to be sent some sweet fabrics from Lecien to play with; some of their new spring and summer lines. 

This happened quite out of the blue and I have to say that it's been a lot of fun to create with fabric as inspiration.

But I did mention to the lovely Yoko of Lecien that I'm more of a stitchery designer than a quilter and asked if there were specific Cosmo thread colours (Lecien make Cosmo) that blended with the fabrics because I really like Cosmo embroidery floss and wanted to work 'with' the fabric.

Well, sometimes you receive far more than you expect, don't you?

On Monday a parcel arrived from Japan...

 It contained every Cosmo thread and their new metallic range as well!

Can you imagine the tears than came to my eyes? The pounding heart, and the grateful exclamations?

I was over-whelmed, blessed beyond words. Speechless. 

Once I had composed myself and brewed a strong cup of coffee I sent off a text to Mr E and Blossom who replied "WOW", before sitting down to carefully open the plastic containers and simply enjoy the moment.

Remember back here when I showed you those threads I'd purchased on sale and warned you to check floss before grabbing a 'bargain'? 

These were nothing like that. 

Smooth as silk and waiting to be given life in hundreds of future projects.

That colour chart is not printed, but real thread samples, so all I need do is lay a fabric beside it and I can choose the exact thread I need to stitch with.

Yesterday I began by choosing some fabric from my stash for a cushion, and drew up a new pattern for the June Stitchery Club. Then it was time for floss-play!

The fabrics are pretties purchased last year, and which I've had an idea for since I saw them, but as yet I hadn't pursued the project. Until now.

The Cosmo thread chart made the marrying of fabric and thread a breeze...

So I'm having the day off today to go and buy a dress to wear to Blossom's 21st dinner next week, and then to sit quietly and stitch "the quilt barn". 

Perhaps with another Jane Austen movie and some smooth dark Lindt chocolate as well ...

Have a lovely day,