Hello everyone........another busy crafty week has gone by and here is my new blog post with a little catch up.......in the sewing room LoTs of patchwork has been going on.....new and old fabrics being cut and sewn, arranged and rearranged...... ........my vintage charm quilt was finished off with a red gingham binding.......i love this quilt and making it was so enjoyable..........new flower scissors were a gift...... .............roses from the garden...........so many roses opening now each day and other flowers too.... ..............luckily not much damage was done by the huge gale force winds we suffered last weekend....a few leaves and sticks came off the trees, but the cottage garden is quite sheltered and the plants there were ok even the tall ones...phew.... ............but one highlight of the stormy winds was when part of the wisteria came loose (now fixed up again by mr p) and out fell the tiniest sweetest little bluetit's nest (luckily with no birds or eggs in it).....the nest is a perfect little woven work of art...lined with the softest whitest fluffy down.....and studded with tiny purple wisteria flowers....and as i was staring at it i realised that woven in among all the natural nest material was unmistakably some of my dmc green embroidery thread...ahhhhhh... ............flower of the day today is....columbine...granny's bonnets, aquilegia...it has lots of names and i love it so much..........these pink ones are so gorgeous i had to have a close up picture............ ...........such interesting shapes and colours.......... ............and the lupin growing continues....on snail watch still but doing well in the cottage garden....as with all my flowers i always plant pink ones so these were a surprise but i love them......a sort of rhubarb and custard colour way..... ...........the next fabric play was this piece of collage/patchwork which is for a dress..... ...........a fun mixture of different prints with added appliques and words..... .............making a new patchwork dress for mabel, the big bunny, here below......she will be modelling it for us very soon............but for now here she is in her old gingham....the pattern for her (and her dress of course) is in my etsy shop link in sidebar............ ............thank you for dropping by to see me here in my little blog space dear readers.........thank you for the sweet comments you leave which i always enjoy so much.....i hope you are all well and enjoying crafty, inspired, happy and cheerful moments during this strange time we are all going through......take good care of yourselves till next time............back soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Good Morning! Today kicks off the first day of the Cozy Cottage Calendar Blog Hop! This is the January page of my 2016 Calendar.... all photos were taken in my own cozy cottage:) At the end of the calendar are my instructions for the Cozy Cottage blocks and projects. CLICK HERE to get a copy if you want to make your own cozy cottage projects... as well as today's tutorial for my Cozy Seasons Mini:) This is the first little cozy cottage that I made. I made it out of my small scrappy stash while I waited for my Modern Minis fabric collection to be available for sewing all of the projects for my calendar:) I had so much fun making the cover quilt! ***WARNING*** These little cottages are addicting to make! And I LOVE the 8" block as well:) I designed this little "Cozy Season Mini" especially for this week's blog hop. It finishes at 13" x 15" A perfect little project to add to your fall decorating this season! I grabbed my scrappy stash basket and quickly cut the pieces. Here is the cutting for the 3 cute little fall flowers; Cut 18 - 1" squares from background. (yes! I said one inch lol) Cut 3 flowers...for each ONE: Cut 2 - 1" x 2" and 2 - 1" squares for flower top Cut 1 yellow 1" square for center and cut 1 - 1" x 1 1/2" for stem and Cut 2 - 1" squares for leaves. Sew them together like this... using an accurate 1/4" seam allowance. These are small pieces so be sure to press the seams open for less bulk. Add the Easy Corner Triangles onto the 4 corners of each flower like this. Press these seams open as well. Sew them together and press seams open. Add a 1" x 5" background strip to the top and press towards the background. Aren't these fall flowers so cute and tiny??? Set them back onto your design board and let's move onto the flying geese:) Cut 8 - 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" rectangles for the geese and Cut 16 - 1 1/2" squares from background. Sew an Easy Corner Triangle onto one side of the rectangles. Trim and press seams open... And add another ECT onto the other side. Trim and press seams open as well. Sew them together and press seams open. Add a 1 1/2" x 8 1/2" background strip to the bottom and press towards background. Now for the tree! Cut 12 - 2" squares out of bright fall colors Cut 1 - 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" and 2 - 1" squares brown for trunk From background; Cut 2 - 2 1/4" wide x 2 1/2" tall for sides of trunk and Cut 4 - 2" squares for ECT's. Stitch your tree together like this... then add the ECT's. You will of course need to add them onto the background pieces before you sew the trunk sections together. Again... Press all seams open. Now you have a cute little fall tree to add to your Cozy Seasons Mini:) Lay it back out on your design board and sew one 8" Cozy Cottage block from the instructions inside the calendar. Easy Peasy and Fun! Sew the flying geese to the top of the cottage and the tree to the top of the fall flowers:) Press seams towards the background strips. Cut 1 - 1"x 11 1/2" background and join the two sections together. Now for outside borders... Cut 4 - 1 1/2" x 13 1/2" from background... And sew to the top and the bottom first... then the sides. Time to quilt it!!! Cut batting and backing fabric 2" larger than quilt. Pin baste and quilt as desired. I used two strips of 2 1/2" x Width of Fabric to prepare my binding. CLICK HERE to see my tutorial on how I bind my quilts. Your mini is complete... wasn't that fun?! I hope you have enjoyed my little tutorial:) Today's guest bloggers are; Jolly Jabber Messy Jesse Donna's Lavender Nest Charm About You Jina Barney Designz Click on each one to see more Cozy Cottage fun. Happy Sewing! xx Lori
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Patchwork Cottage www.therabbitfactory.com
Over the last couple of months, I realise I've become addicted to Cottages! They seem to be appearing everywhere in my designs! We have a beautiful home which I absolutely love, but a modern large home just doesn't cut it when it comes to applique and stitching!!! My Rosebud Cottage was the project I taught at the Creative Craft Retreat last year, and now it has been published and the pattern is available in Australian Country Threads magazine, Vol 14 No 1. Of course a sweet country cottage needs a wheelbarrow full of flowers: and a fountain through an arch: As you can see, it is a practical project - a 6 inch box for all your treasures: I was looking back through some of my designs to see when I started becoming addicted to Cottages. I think it began with my Country Cottage Calendar a couple of years ago: Then my free 2011 Block of the Month Quilt, Consider the Lilies, had this cute little cottage: and last year Maisie lived in this while she tended her Market Garden: Now we're up to this year! Remember my 100th published design, Calista Cottage? The pattern is now available for purchase along with my other cottages on my Wall-quilt page. If you prefer instant download, you can purchase the pattern at my Craftsy Pattern store. Our house is rather quiet now. Our daughter who lives overseas was living with us for the last 6½ weeks and she went back home on Friday. She has a very hearty laugh and kept us entertained with lots of anecdotes. Now it's time to start meeting some of the deadlines that are looming - a cushion, a tablecloth, a stitchery, answer to Profile questions and some embroidery for an editor who phoned to ask did I have anything in mind for her! I love my retirement career! As if there aren't enough photos in this post, I will finish with a sneak peak of another cottage which will be published later this year: Happy stitching! Val
Empezar un nuevo proyecto siempre es muy exitante, como este ultimo trabajo de Lynette Anderson. Me enamore de este miniquilt desde que lo vi...así manos a la obra Chelo también se animo, y este es su resultado hasta ahora. Me gusta su combinacion de telas... Faltan los botones de madera y un bonito acolchado... y listo. ( el resultado definitivo: mas adelante Lynette Anderson gran diseñadora Australiana de Patchwork Un libro que no puede faltar en la estantería "Gracias" a el periódico "Diario de Avisos" y la estupenda periodista Laura Barrera por apoyar nuestro arte y el pequeño comercio !!!!!!!
【Size】Twin - 2 Piece Set includes 1 Quilt (68 in wide x 86 in long), 1 Standard Sham (20 in wide x 26 in long) 【High Quality Material】100% cotton outer fabric with soft cotton fill offers breathability and a luxurious hand-feel 【Design】Reversible design with print and solid color options allow you to change the look of your room in an instant 【Easy Care】Easy Care Machine Washable Care - recommended wash cold, gentle cycle and tumble dry on low heat. Do not bleach. 【About us】We has specialized in design and production of quality home textiles for over 10 years.We have an outstanding production R&D team. Highly skilled design team, and a robust sales team dedicated to our brand and services.
Rebuscando por la red, encontré en el blog "katrosblog.blogspot.sk" está preciosísima labor que ya tiene un par de años, diseñada por Shabby Fabrics, y publicada por entregas mensuales durante los doce meses de 2.012. Lamentablemente no he encontrado los patrones de esta labor y yo misma me los he hecho y ando de lo más entretenida haciendo estas casitas que me encantan. No suelo enseñaros labores que no estén acabadas, pero en esta ocasión hago una excepción y os enseño, en primer lugar, la foto de la obra acabada, que he extraido del blog que os indico al comienzo, y a continuación algunas de las casitas que he empezado a preparar: Y aqui tenéis unos detalles del bordado de la parte superior de la fachada. Ya os iré mostrando los avances de estas casitas. Un abrazo y HASTA PRONTO!!!
It is nicely autumnal here today, not too chilly and with a little sunlight filtering through the grey clouds now and then.....a very atmospheric day............we have been busy outdoors over the weekend, gardening and walking in the colourful woods...........as always i have been collecting natural finds for my seasonal decorations............... .............fir cones, berries and leaves............ ..............i have been getting the extra quilts out ready for the chillier weather........... ...........and making more wrist warmers......... just love making them...so easy and so quick :)........ .........someone asked me which pattern i used for them but i didn't have a pattern.....simply made a chain of 34 (measured round my wrist) and then worked 15cm in double crochet and random stripes......then repeated this for the second wristie.........sewed up the seam with the yarn ends from the stripes so it was nice and neat......... .............i have made a few pairs now and will give some to my daughters............ ..........the touch of orange in this pair is unusual for me and right for autumn i think...... .............cross stitch cherries for a cosy kitchen pot holder is my project in this month's crafts beautiful magazine...........ideal for a festive gift.........or to keep to brighten up a kitchen corner....you can find out more on the crafts beautiful website here........... ..........the cookery and baking books are out now as i plan some new tasty treats....... .............and some nice bright dahlias are gracing the sewing room with their gorgeous petals..... ..............i have been hand quilting my rosy churndash quilt.....it is fairly quick to sew as it is only a small one which i plan to hang on my sewing room wall when it is finished......... ............there are lots of other things i want to make too....i have a big list....it is always like this in the autumn, with christmas on the horizon and that feeling of cosy homeliness settling in....... ..........thank you for visiting me here, dear readers, and for your kind comments which i so love to read..........i hope you are all enjoying a wonderful cosy crafty week wherever you may be......back soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxoooooooooooooooooxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cottage Garden Sampler www.therabbitfactory.com
Rebuscando por la red, encontré en el blog "katrosblog.blogspot.sk" está preciosísima labor que ya tiene un par de años, diseñada por Shabby Fabrics, y publicada por entregas mensuales durante los doce meses de 2.012. Lamentablemente no he encontrado los patrones de esta labor y yo misma me los he hecho y ando de lo más entretenida haciendo estas casitas que me encantan. No suelo enseñaros labores que no estén acabadas, pero en esta ocasión hago una excepción y os enseño, en primer lugar, la foto de la obra acabada, que he extraido del blog que os indico al comienzo, y a continuación algunas de las casitas que he empezado a preparar: Y aqui tenéis unos detalles del bordado de la parte superior de la fachada. Ya os iré mostrando los avances de estas casitas. Un abrazo y HASTA PRONTO!!!
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Patchwork wall art is charming, eclectic and absolutely adorable. Perfect for any room within your home but especially ideal for living rooms, bedrooms,
Super Simple Even for Beginning Quilters! The Courthouse Steps quilt block takes on a whole new look in this red, white and blue table runner. Display this charmer on your table for patriotic holidays or all year around. It’s a nice choice for summer, as well. The runner would also be wonderful in other colors. …
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Make a cosy quilt to curl up with in front of the fire in time for those cold winter months. We used all the Cottage fabrics and Tildas matching off white quilt fabric for the design. The Cottage quilt reminds us of crisp Nordic winters with it's its red cottages and fir trees surrounded by
Well, I am officially blown away by the response to my first batch of Tilda Cabbage Rose and Memory Lane. I knew it was beautiful, and knew others would love it too, but I didn't quite expect such an amazing response. For that, I thank you!You may have noticed that there are many sold out signs in the shop. Not to fear, a brand new order is on its way and the shop will be re-stocked! It does take approximately a month to ship from Sweden, but hopefully will arrive sometime in October. In the meantime, I have decided to add two...
These lovely four patchwork cottages are perfect for decorating your home. They can brighten up for example your living room, (children's) bedroom or nursery. They are unique and will never be made exactly the same. These sweet houses are made of beige linen and a number of matching fabrics in green, yellow and white. They are embellished with free machine embroidery, mini pom pom trim and tiny buttons. Some of them are flower shaped. Each fabric house measures approximately 8,5 x 7 cm, without the chimney. Using the flax hanging loop you can even decorate doorknobs and cupboards. When you're interested in a set of cottages in another color please let me know by asking for a custom request or send me a message. Thank you for your visit, please take a look at all other items.
Explore Alicia Paulson's 508 photos on Flickr!
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Awesome quilting by Michele Turner
The June 1976 issue of Quilt World included the appliqué pattern English Cottage from 1937. I love house quilts. One of my early quilts was a house quilt using the block Madison House from Quilts, Quilts, Quilts by McClun and Nownes. I made twelve houses, one for each month of the year. When I made my album quilt I included a block based on my childhood home in Tonawanda, NY. I still want to make a house quilt based on all the homes I have lived in. Some day...
Lace cottage #3 it is now done and ready to put on the CQJP2014 project. I'll post when the cover is finished. And as promised here is a guide to copy and use to follow all the steps I did. It is the same I used but I did clean it up a bit.... My cottage was only a little over 3" high but I would recommend doing it larger.... I made the lace cottage #2 block for the cover when I was only going to make one large book with the 12 CQJP cottage block pages ... Now that I'm making two books I need another cover and thought I would do a simpler lace cottage and do it step-by-step tutorial with a pattern. I worked on this one for 2 years. Except for the cottage, the garden is ALL tiny, single strand French knots. I plan to use lots of ribbon embroidery on this next one..it will go faster. So I'm looking for inspiration and I find these images in my picture file.. First here is a garden in ribbon embroidery. I just love the picket fence and all the flowers peeking through. I want a simpler roof line this time. I really struggled with the roof on the first cottage...and I do like the double chimneys but not crazy about the stone wall. In fact I really like the lines of this cottage though... Here is a simple roof and a picket fence but I'd like a little different angle to allow a climber on a side wall. It also has a stucco finish similar to lace. And the detail on the front entry would lend itself very well to lace. Now this one has a simple roof, two chimneys, a side wall and a picket fence....but it is two stories. I love the bird houses. Since I had a lace bird house on my first cover I need at least one lace bird house on this new cover. So this evening I will sit down and draw my own pattern for my new lace cottage but these images have given me lots of ideas and direction..... I hope you follow along on this new project. This is my rough drawing for my new lace cottage. I will make a simplified one later that you can download, but this is what I usually work with... pretty rough and as a rule I make a lot of modifications as I go along. I mainly am concerned with the general placement of things, not details at this point. I do not like to make any marks of any kind on the front of my work...ever. well almost ever. STEP ONE: The very first thing I do is make a "reverse image" of this drawing. I do it in my photo editing program but you can do it with most printers also if you check under options. I do this because I will be putting the image on the back side of my block. SECOND STEP: Apply fusible tricot knit interfacing to the back of fabric. Do not skip this step. THIRD STEP: Using a light source (light box or window) lay your fabric front side down on the reverse image and trace the outline onto the back of the fabric. Since it is on the back of the fabric on the interfacing I can use a fine permanent marker such as a pentel micron fine liner. You only need the basic outlines.. Note that I marked the corner of the outside of the block as a guide for now as I may adjust the outer edge as I go along. FOURTH STEP: Then using a single strand of thread I do a fairly small running stitch over all these lines. This basting will be the guide as to where to place the laces When I turn the fabric right side up I have my guide and no marks on my fabric. I can remove the basting stitches as the work progresses. I use this method of marking on the back and basting to the front so often and love it. I use it over and over and over again. It is by far my favorite method of getting a design on fabric. FIFTH STEP: I don't intend to stitch in the sky so at this point I apply a light wash of blue in the general area of the sky.. It doesn't matter if it bleeds into the area of the house as it will be covered with laces. Start with a VERY light wash and test where it won't show. You can always add more color but it isn't easy to take it out if it gets too dark in the beginning. I went through my laces and picked a few I might use. It is fairly easy to find narrow laces for the roof but much harder to find lace for the walls. This is the type of lace I look for....an small overall pattern. It matters not to be if it is machine lace (as on the bottom) or hand made as on the top. I prefer the top lace because the stitching is denser but it may be too thick... I will just have to test them.. It is difficult to find this type of lace... large enough and the right density.. For the fences I'm always collecting laces with a grid pattern such as these. They work well for so many things....but especially fences. The top machine lace will probably work the best because of scale but I'll see. This grid is especially nice for fences because it works as a guide for stitching in every other column to make the slats for the fence... clever huh? Second Stage: Step 1: At this point I use a black sharpie pen to darken the windows Very little of it shows when finished but it makes the sashing on the windows pop. Step 2: Once you decide on your lace, put a large enough piece to cover with excess on the top of the cottage. Depending on the size of the cottage, baste or pin in place. My cottage is quite small so I just pinned it down. Step 3: Turn your needlework over and from the back, baste just around the wall area. With my particular lace I could have seen through the lace to baste from the top but it is neater and works better doing from the back. Step 4: Turn the needlework right side up and trim leaving at least 1/4" outside the basting line. Now the fun begins.. I can guarantee that if you trim the lace to exactly fit that it will pull loose. I work with lace a lot and the biggest problem is stabilizing a cut edge. I have a few tricks I use that I will share as I go along. Step 5: Choosing laces for roof and trim is fun because as long as it is in scale, the possibilities are endless. On the left is a 1/2" piece of crocheted lace that I have dyed and antiqued for the roof. On the right is an assortment of very narrow braid, soutache, cording, and rat tail. I will antique small pieces of these for trim around the doors, windows and the edge of the roof. Before I start on the roof I will satin stitch the chimneys and the tiny roof over the door. I'm hoping to find time to do that this evening. Step 1.. I embroidered the chimneys and the little roof section over the door with a long and short satin stitch. . The roof section I just embroidered right over the cut edge of the house lace. I also found this cute little edging that I wanted to use. Step 2: I split it lengthwise and used part of it across the ridge of the roof. People often had a ridge decoration to keep birds off the thatch roof. I used the other section for trim along the eaves which I may or may not keep as it keep shifting.. Step 3: Then I attached the lace I had dyed for the roof. I ran it about 1/2" beyond the edge of the roof. Then from the back I ran a basting line so I knew where I wanted to cut for the roof. But before I trimmed the excess I used a matching thread and all along the inside of the edge (see arrow) I made tiny stitches securing all the lace about 1/4" in and then I could cut it without it raveling. Now I can start on the windows and door and the roof trim. While looking through my journal laces I found a quite large table runner that I had been saving for a large journal cover. It would be perfect for the fence and since it had a damaged section right in the center I would have had to remove a section anyway, I will have enough to use for the fence... To answer Cindy's question.... I am using a piece of cotton. I love using good quality used sheets from the thrift store. They have a good thread count and after repeated washings all the sizing is washed out and they needle beautifully. This one was a treasure. It was a king sized Ralph Lauren that was a soft white. It will last me a while but I do use up quite a bit for projects for my students. I spent most of last evening on the curtains and one window. Tonight I hope to finish all the windows and the door. I am anxious to get to the fence so I can start on the garden... the fun part. I don't know how large this looks on your screen but the entire cottage is less than 3" tall...very tiny indeed. The lace I used for the curtains is just a hair over 1/4". It is a machine lace and very intricate. I am using the band part of the lace as my guide for my shutters. Notice I did a tight chain stitch around the door to secure the lace before I start stitching the door. The actual cottage part of this piece is complete. Besides finishing the door and the windows, I added a tiny lace along the left end of the roof and I did a chain to secure the lace on the corners of the house. I wove a thread through the chain to catch even more lace...than I trimmed the lace close. Any little fussies will be concealed by shrubbery later. Now I can turn my attention to the fence in front... Visually I want the fence to cover the area in front of the house because I don't want to spend months doing French knots although the possibilities for a front garden area are great if I positioned the fence farther front.... I want to use a small lace for the top rail of the fence. I want it to be rather bold to separate it from the lace on the house since they will be touching. I want to bring the fence to the forefront and a strong lace could do that. This is my drawer of small laces from years of collecting. It is very easy to overlook small edging lace on ugly linens. You just see the stains and terrible embroidery and tend to put them aside. But that's where I find some of my best small edgings. You can also find some new machine laces that are cheap and fantastic. Again I remind everyone not to be a lace "snob". Not everything has to be handmade to be wonderful.. embrace them all. So I start trying different laces and it makes it easier if I can see them all at once. So I take photos so I can compare. The bottom two were my final choice and the one bottom left won out as it was the laciest and I could envision roses spilling over it. I am also trying out laces for the lane in the foreground. Just as I wanted the fence to be heavier, I want the lace for the lane to be very delicate and unassuming... This will be a hard one to find. Well I "planting" my cottage's garden...starting anyway. I have no plan and just grabbing colors as the spirit moves me. I dry brushed some dark green fabric paint where I want the back shrubbery... Adding the color will mean less French knots. I also found a piece of inexpensive nylon lace and cut a strip for the lace and I will leave the lower edge raw. I'm using the silk ribbon I dyed last summer. I love it but don't have enough colors. I am going to dye and overdye a lot of ribbon this summer. Unfortunately the big storm last fall blew the top off my greenhouse so I will miss having the dry sheltered work space. It is too expensive and too much work to replace it. I'm also using perle instead of floss. Remember these gardens by picket fences that were my inspiration... One had the garden mostly inside the fence and the other had the garden mostly outside the fence. I want my garden BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE the fence... like Bette Midler, I want it all. We are going to Seattle this weekend to a granddaughter's graduation and this little garden gives me something relaxed and easy to work on. Hope to have it done by the time I get back. The whole piece is only 6" by 6".... Didn't quite finish over the weekend but it is now done and ready to put on the CQJP2014 project. I'll post when the cover is finished. And as promised here is a guide to copy and use to follow all the steps I did. It is the same I used but I did clean it up a bit.... My cottage was only a little over 3" high but I would recommend doing it larger....
blogged posy.typepad.com/posy/2011/02/patchwork-curtains.html
Pre-cut paper squares for use in English Paper Piecing.
Sometimes, a quilt just needs to be simple enough to piece, quilt, and bind in a weekend. That's the magic of the Cozy Cottage pattern. It's made to spark your creativity, clean out your stash, and bring a touch of handmade charm to your life.
Cottage Garden50" x 65"This quilt was an obvious choice for me to design because I LOVE everything about gardening. I even love the dirt believe it or not! I get really excited in the spring when the soil is perfect for planting and it smells fresh and full of nutrients for growing. I impatiently wait for the way the soil crumbles in my hand with just the right texture, which means it's ready for planting. This might sound really strange to those of you who don't enjoy gardening- but to those gardeners out there; you know EXACTLY what I mean! I named the quilt Cottage Garden because that is the kind that I grow and the kind that really speaks to me. Cottage means not quite so formal, with abundant plantings and LOTS of flowers with a good mix of fruits on the vine, flowering shrubs, herbs, veggies and a few shade and fruit trees. The first block that I designed was the lawnmower. I drew the old reel kind because they have so much more personality and that’s what I remember using as a girl when mowing my section of the lawn (my Dad divided that chore up between us because we had so much grass). My husband still uses a reel mower to cut our front yard. He's very particular about his lawn and likes the front yard to look just like a golf green! Next came the drawing of the hand tools- they go right along with my love of turning everyday objects into art. A wheelbarrow for hauling, a pitchfork for turning the soil, a spade for planting and pruners for the upkeep of what you just planted! Of course, after good soil, a plant needs water which is where the watering can and the garden hose and spicket come in. I drew the red spicket to look like the ones that we had on my Dads farm. I remember finally getting big enough to turn them on and off for watering. The 3rd thing that a plant needs is SUN. I drew a big one and put it next to the moon and the stars in the border. O. K. What to wear in the garden? Who says you can't look good while doing yardwork? I really wanted to do an apron in this quilt also because I do wear one while I'm gardening but I couldn't fit it in without making the quilt HUGE! So I thought I could appliqué one on the back for the label- and so can you! I added boots for mud (and irrigation), a nice garden hat with a wide brim for sun protection and of course, really cute gloves. I had fun doing the garden gloves. To me, these are a necessity while gardening, I wouldn't want to ruin my nails (after all, I am a girl). I drew some up that I thought would be fun to wear. The embellishments are cute too. Of course I added a birdhouse and bees with a beehive. You know I like bees, I even named my company after them! Bees are also very important for the garden. They pollinate everything. Without bees there wouldn't be any gardens. I did have to add a few more bugs. The two that I like are ladybugs and butterflies. I HATE slugs, grasshoppers and ants but they're in the quilt too! (Whoops, I forgot to mention the worm which is a good kind of worm). Speaking of things that I've included in the quilt but despise- let’s talk about the dandelion and morning glory (bad kind) that I've added. I spend a lot of time in my garden pulling out both of these obnoxious weeds! (And to think I used to pick them and give them to my Mom for the kitchen windowsill). Here's a photo of me with my 3 older sisters. I'm holding a dandelion- apparently this is upsetting to my sister Tammy who is dramatically drying her tears with a hanky! I added lots of veggies that I grow now in my garden and my Dad grew in his. My Dads garden of course was MUCH bigger than mine as he was raising a large family and had plenty of land. He has never been able to let "good fertile soil" go to waste , so he always planted seeds in everything that didn't have sheep, horses, cows or pigs on it. He always had the most beautiful gardens! One on each side of the house and fruit trees all around. He always bordered his vegetable garden with big yellow marigolds to help keep the bugs out (they don’t like the smell). Some years he would plant a row of GIANT sunflowers (russian mammoth variety) along the front. Anyway, they seemed like giants to a little girl. He sure produced a lot of food in those gardens. All of us kids would spend our summer mornings up at the crack of dawn picking peas or beans trying to get them done before it got really hot. I love fresh shelled peas, but what I really love are fresh tomatoes- warmed from the sun and delicious! I remember when I was a little girl, that me and my brothers Morgan and Brian would just sit in the tomato patch and eat them right off the vine. My parents didn't mind unless they were the early crop and there wouldn't be any left for the supper table! By the time fall came around I was sick of tomatoes after picking and canning bushels of them- and then during the winter would long for them again. I put a red potato in the quilt because that’s what Dad grew and would sell in 50 lb bags during harvest time. I also spent a lot of time planting and picking up potatoes with my brothers and sisters. I put a chicken in the quilt because I love chickens and they seem to go with gardens. I would have a chicken or two in my garden now if I wasn't afraid that my 15 lb. cat Oliver would hunt them down and kill them. We've had him for 13 years and he thinks he's a watchdog; he doesn't like any other animals in our yard. My Dad raised chickens as a boy but not on his own farm- He said they were too messy and they smelled. We traded milk or cream for fresh eggs with nearby farmers. I "planted" a lot of flowers in this quilt and included some of my favorites, although whenever I'm asked which flower is my favorite, I always say "whichever one is in bloom!" I especially love old fashioned flowers like single hollyhocks and pansies. My favorite roses are the old fashioned english and my husband and I grow several David Austin varieties in our garden. I stitched a few sayings about gardens between the blocks and of course added a couple of my favorite scriptures about gardens. I also added a glass of lemon-ade because we all need to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature- what better way? I finished the quilt with a fence around the garden. I have a white picket fence around mine and I really like the way fences define an outdoor space. I hope you enjoy this quilt. It's really close to my heart. I know I talk a lot about my childhood memories but that’s why I love gardens! Aren't we all a product of our childhood? Please send me your own comments on gardening or as always, I would LOVE to see pics of your gardens or your Cottage Garden blocks or quilts. Here are a few more photos of me and my sisters out in the pasture with our "pets". I told you at the beginning of this post that I love dirt and as you can see, I spent a lot of time outside playing in it. I'm no stranger to making mudpies and climbing trees!!!
The June 1976 issue of Quilt World included the appliqué pattern English Cottage from 1937. I love house quilts. One of my early quilts was a house quilt using the block Madison House from Quilts, Quilts, Quilts by McClun and Nownes. I made twelve houses, one for each month of the year. When I made my album quilt I included a block based on my childhood home in Tonawanda, NY. I still want to make a house quilt based on all the homes I have lived in. Some day...
Bohemian Patchwork Textiles
You all know how much I admire the Japanese quilters and among them Yoko Saito. When I discovered that Martingale was about to publish a bo...
