a few images from england

stunning cornish coast

padstow harbour


almshouses , padstow

lichen covered hedges

mystical tintagel

our 15th century inn at lacock , wiltshire

festive foliage at lacock

heritage listed village ...lacock

I am loving all the wintry landscapes & foliage , we had our first taste of snow yesterday , just a flurry but enough to keep my hope of a white Christmas alive !

We are now staying in a 15th century inn called "sign of the angel" in a heritage listed village called Lacock in Wiltshire.

The village scenes from the BBC series Pride & Prejudice were shot here in this perfectly preserved 15th century village .

We will be heading toward Oxford & a cottage in the countryside to spend Christmas with our

2 eldest tomorrow. Turkeys to purchase & a very makeshift celebration for us .

It will be bitter sweet as we'll be missing our youngest daughter at home.

Skype will be just the remedy !!

I'll take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy & peaceful Christmas & a brilliant 2010

Signing off till January

xxxx

Here I am in London

I am posting from London & it is very exciting !
Lots of Christmassy shop windows & decorated city streets .
Crisp weather which I am really loving.
The main purpose of our trip is to spend Christmas with our two eldest children who are living & working here .




She no longer spoon feeds him & they hang out in the pub instead .




I would love to post some pictures of the trip but I have stupidly left my camera cable at home.
I have managed to check out some of my favourite fabric sources ... the Liberty of London store & Cloth House in Soho.
Cloth House sells beautiful linens , organic cottons , canvas ticking & a great range of vintage & new trims & ribbons ..... I was overwhelmed & unable to choose . Must go back .
Yesterday we walked all day , from Westminster over the Thames & all the way down the Thames walk to Tower Bridge with a stop at Borough Markets for a spot of lunch . Best roast pork roll !!!
Maybe Covent Garden & the Apple Market today & then we are off to Cornwall for a week.
Hope to post an update from there.
xxx

beginnings & endings

I have a particular fondness for hand sewing a binding .... it is one of the rare times I can plonk guilt free on the couch & watch all manner of rubbishy TV.
That's how I spent the morning .
Fan going full steam to keep cool.
Bound in a bright Brandon Mably print.
Heather has quilted this beautifully. A rush job so that this quilt could be finished before I leave on our travels.
Large & ever smaller pebble shapes with the letter "A" scattered over the quilt.
So Adrienne's quilt is finished !!
Pattern is found in Kaffe Fassett's book "Quilt Road"




A new project started ... the red triangle quilt I have wanted for ages .




Happy stitching

lots of little things

hi there

sunday where I am is a breezy spring day just made to open the doors of my sewing room get started on a new project !!

I am going to cut into my collection of reds & create a simple half square triangle design quilt.
inspiration has come from here , I loved this quilt the minute I clapped eyes on it .
in fact I covet just about all the quilts Allison creates.


I have also taken inspiration from Aneela & three bears to get started on some Christmas presents . My first zipper experience was without tears !!!

some cute boxy pouches in Heather Ross Mendocino & a zip pouch using HR Lighting Bugs .




Japanese linen purple "dot dot dot " from Echino & a pretty pink Liberty







I may not be able to give these away ;-))

I was lucky enough to score the Denyse Schmidt cheater cloth on sale & included in the purchase came a tote pattern & here are the results ... some more booty to fill a stocking !!

feels good

This quilt top seems to have taken such an age to finish & it does feel good to have it all done !!
Off to the quilter with it now ....far too big for me to attempt .
It is a monster .....100" x 100" for my king size bed .
It was quite difficult to get a decent image , there is no space big enough & cats were lurking around ready to perch on it , so excuse the ordinary photo.

It is made from my collection of blue Liberty print lawns & will look fine in my blue & white bedroom .
I hope .
I will never alter a pattern again .....it caused much distress & unpicking .
The pattern is from this book by Brenda Riddle

Sunday Stash #17 + a small quilt

Yay ... postman has delivered cheater cloth from Denyse Schmidt along with a pattern for a simple tote .




On sale & ready for making into Christmas gifts



My Godson has a son .... so he had to have a quilt !!




A cute combination of Minny Mui & American Jane .

Bound in red & white polka dots from the Bee's Knees collection.




His mother & I have been friends since grade 2 .

We had a catch up on Friday night .

Mmm... well .....yes , lets just say we also had very big headaches on Saturday .



Couldn't resist a teeny weeny fishy bag for Angelina .

red and pink

My quilt top pile is growing .... must now call a stop to all new ideas until I get on with some quilting !!
This is a quilt chosen by & made for my sister-in-law Adrienne .
She lives a few hours away so we spent a long phone call & simultaneous online fabric browsing on the weekend in an attempt to choose the backing fabric .



Considering her first choice was to be gold & cream silk we have come a long way !
Her exposure to some Kaffe Fassett books did the trick & she claims to love it so far .
By the way have you seen the TV show Kirstie's Homemade Home ??
It shows in Australia at 7.30 Thursdays on cable , I think the series is nearly finished but Kaffe featured in one episode .
Kirstie visited his home ..... fantastic .




Using up a charm pack of Wonderland by MoMo was easy & yet another bag is made .
I am not usually a lover of patchwork bags but this fabric has won me !