Yoyo-ing along......

Source: decoreblablabla.blogspot.com via Catherine on Pinterest

Inspired by this beautiful wall hanging found on Pinterest last week I signed up to join Penny's yoyo quilt along. Penny has assured us that this will be a long slow quilt-along finishing in Octoberish which is the perfect time frame for me at the moment since I have lots of projects I want to complete over the next few months. Penny will be making a single sized coverlet but I'm not sure whether I can commit to 1008 yoyo's so I'm thinking  something like the above wall hanging might be more achievable :) 

The quilt along is due to start this week so if your keen to yo-yo along with us go check out the details here I think this would be a great way to use up those fabric scraps that get accumulated from previous quilt projects.
Edited to add: Part one is up on Penny's blog now.

Finished brooches!

I know I was only meant to make one brooch but the creative juices were flowing so I just couldn't stop at one. Hopefully I've got my partners tastes right with at least one of them. I can't decide which one I like best so she'll be getting them both.

 I finished the second one up this morning. It's made using 3 shades of pink felt with a little white as well. The centre is made using Heather Baileys free tutorial here. I used this same tutorial to make a brooch for my Mother on Mother's day but forgot to take a photo. The french knots in the flower centres were replaced for some pink seed beads to add a little sparkle.

And here's my original brooch idea all embellished with some embroidery and beading. I used a tutorial I found on Pinterest for some of the layers.

I'll be popping them in the post tomorrow. For more brooch eye candy check out our Flickr page here.

This week in my garden....

Amy from During Quiet time has started having a weekly link up of Bloggers garden tours and I thought I would join along. I've realised today that this is going to be a challenge to find new things in my garden to show each week but it also might make me look at my garden in different ways to find new blooms or vistas that I take for granted but will be new to readers. It might also provide further incentive to get out there regularly to keep my garden looking nice and of course worthy of photographing. So here are some things I've found to share today. Above is one of  the many ferns that thrive in the shady areas. 

In our backyard we are lucky to have a grove of very tall Redwood trees which create a beautiful backdrop to our garden but also create a challenge as to what to grow underneath. We have about 6 on our property but the rest are owned by the neighbor below us. Quite a few years ago now we built some meandering steps in this area and I have since been slowly finding the right plants to thrive there and also plants that will cover the ground and suppress the weeds. The maidenhair fern on the bank in the above photo loves it here .

Tree rounds made into steps in this same woodland area. I am hoping to have these steps completely surrounded in maidenhair ferns eventually.

A lovely rich red Azalea just coming into bloom.

A two toned Azalea also just starting to flower this week. 

One of 3 Daphne bushes in my garden. This one is first to begin flowering and I can smell it beautiful perfume already as I walk past it.

Berries on a Clivia which has bold orange flowers during Summer.

Sorry yet another Azalea but doesn't this one have a pretty centre:) 

A delicate little ground cover in my rock garden around the front of our house. This is all I'm prepared to show you of this garden at this stage as it needs some serious weeding which I started doing yesterday.

My green thumbed Father has grown these annuals for me from seed and I shall be filling pots with them to provide some pockets of colour around the garden. I think I have Lobelia, Poppies, Pansies and Sweet William.

If you'd like to share your garden too go on over to Amy's blog and join the garden tour .

Sneaky peek...

 It's been a wet miserable day here but I've been happily ensconced by the heater surrounded by various silky fabrics, tulle, felt, beads, thread and buttons creating a brooch for my secret partner in the Flowerpress Brooch Swap. We have 10 more days so I thought I'd better get a move along.

Tonight I'll be adding some pretty details with some beading and embroidery. Sure do hope my partner likes it although I do have a 2nd brooch idea that I might whip up as well....they're sort of addicting once you start.

You can see more beautiful brooches on our flickr group.

A perfect winter activity

The batting has been joined to make the right size for the quilt.....

....and the layers all pinned together. Such tedious jobs but now it's ready for some hand quilting which is the perfect activity on a cold winters evening. What better way to keep warm with a pretty quilt draped over my lap. I couldn't get the right colours in the Perle thread so I have a mixture of threads and we will see how we go. If anyone has a good source of Perle threads please let me know. Locally would be good but I'm willing to go further a field if the price is right. So frustrating when you can't get what you want. Grrrrr

A Winter Garden......

 I took a few moments this afternoon to appreciate some winter flowering plants in our garden .....

A Camelia that has been in flower for a couple of weeks now......

A lone white Azalea flower on a struggling plant. Love the little green centre.....

Snowdrops flowering amongst a bank of maidenhair ferns creating a nice woodland scene under some tall redwood trees......

Some bright pink Azaleas bordering a pathway....

Delicate purple flowers on a Hebe......

A sweet smelling violet.....

Pretty pink cyclamens...

Tiny pink flowers on a succulent.

Nothing like a walk in the garden to clear the head and inspire some creativity. What are you inspired by this week?

See more June gardens here.

Another quilt top finish!

I have been sewing virtually at every waking hour these last 3 days to get this quilt top finished. It's my entry for a jellyroll quilt competition which Lara told me about way back in January but it seems I need eminent deadlines to get some things completed. I put my entry in last night NZ time with just hours to spare. 

This quilt was made using a jellyroll I won last year on Marguerite's blog so I feel like it's been put to good use to make this quilt. It's "Shangri-la" by 3 Sisters for Moda. I added the creamy white fabrics from my stash for the border. I had wanted to use a solid colour for the border but just didn't have time to get to a quilt shop  but I think the almost lacy look of these white fabrics goes with the muted vintagey colours of this fabric line.

I used the diagonal stripes for the first border which nicely frames the inner blocks.

I wish I could say that it went together very smoothly but it didn't and I think it was mainly because I was in a rush to get it finished. I had to re-cut  and re-sew "3"  of the blocks because I had cut the diagonals in the wrong direction. And then yesterday I was doing silly things like not making sure the right sides were facing when sewing on the white borders...yes there was a little silent cursing going on but I got their with just 1/2 an hours daylight left to get some photos taken...Phew!

So what do you think?? I hope its a winner but if its not I know I've given it my best shot. The prize of a new sewing machine sure would come in handy though!