Exactly 2 years to the day that this gorgeous quilt top was pieced together, I've finally managed to do a photo shoot of "Flowerville" - this was pinned very precariously to my garden fence this afternoon, and I was crossing my fingers and toes that it wouldn't fall down before I managed to get a picture! "Flowerville" was a gorgeous BOM designed by the incredibly talented Australian designer Rosalie Dekker. Started back in December 2015, eventually the borders were added in January 2017. It has been made with some beautiful Tilda fabrics and each Dresden plate has got 36 blades! The handkerchief linen centres are hand embroidered using variegated Cottage Garden Threads. The Dresden plates were hand appliqued into place. This was custom freehand longarm quilted by J-Quilts back in 2017. At the weekend, after a long time of deliberating, I eventually added the quilt sleeve and a label. This is the first time since I had it quilted that I've actually hung it up and seen it from a distance - and I really am thrilled to bits with it!

Next weekend I'm doing a "show and tell" at a local quilt group, and I've been sorting out which quilts to take with me. "Flowerville" (designed by the incredibly talented Australian designer Rosalie Dekker) was completed back in 2017, and was sadly still lacking a label. (A label had actually been made and appliqued into place soon after it was returned from the longarm quilter, but I really wasn't happy with it, and it was quickly removed). So this morning I doodled several ideas, and finally decided to draft my own miniature Dresden plate for it...

Back in 2017 I'd finished a gorgeous quilt, Bluebird Lane, by the Australian designer Natalie Bird of The Birdhouse Patchwork Design. It was longarm custom quilted, and had been on display at the Festival of Quilts, in Birmingham. The only thing that was missing from this gorgeous quilt was one of my hand embroidered quilt labels...

...a few weeks ago I doodled some ideas, and this is the result! I'd pieced together some of the background fabric scraps back in 2017 ready for the label. I used an applique design from the front of the quilt (there are 4 of these birds in block 5) and added a few words which I hand embroidered. The completed label was finally appliqued into place this morning! I'm doing a "show and tell" at a local quilt group next Saturday, and this quilt will definately be coming along with me.

I love to display my quiltystuff in my sewing studio, and this cute quilted wall hanging "Sewing Day Sampler" was no exception! I'd bought this decorative hanger absolutely years ago, when having my own sewing space was just a dream. Mr F very kindly leapt into action with his power tools and fixed it to the wall whilst I was busy in the kitchen whipping him up some culinary delights to reward him for his handiwork! 

Hooray! Another project is completed. Sewing Day Sampler, by the Australian designer Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched had originally been started back in October 2017, when I was on a long haul flight to New Zealand. I'd stitched some of the embroidery while I was on the plane there and back, and when I returned home it was packed away and forgotten about. Taking part in an online challenge to finish 5 incomplete projects before the 1st May has encouraged me to have a good sort through in my sewing studio! This is the 4th project that I've completed during this challenge - not sure that project number 5 will be completed quite so quickly though!

I've really enjoyed stitching this project! The pattern is "Sewing Day Sampler" and is by the Australian designer Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched. This was originally bought back in October 2017, was started and packed away incomplete. Anyway, the embroidery has now been finished, along with the quilting and applique. The pattern suggests using a facing rather than binding the edges of "Sewing Day Sampler" and certainly gives a very professional finish to this project. After a good rummage in my scrap bag (I normally donate these to my sister, but might have to rethink that after finding these treasures!) I managed to pull out enough fabric for the facing on this wall hanging... Once the facing was hand stitched to the back of the wall hanging, I added a hand embroidered label, again from that never ending pile of scraps! Finally a small quilt sleeve was added to fit the decorative hanger that I planned to use. I'm so pleased with this wall hanging, and VERY pleased that I managed to find so many "perfect" scraps!

...once the facing was hand stitched to the back of the wall hanging, I added a hand embroidered label, again from that never ending pile of scraps! Finally a small quilt sleeve was added to fit the decorative hanger that I planned to use. I'm so pleased with this wall hanging, and VERY pleased that I managed to find so many "perfect" scraps!

I normally donate all my scraps - however I forgot to take my HUGE scrap bag to my sister recently, so had a rummage in the absolute mountain of scraps that is threatening to engulf my studio to see if there was anything I could use for this project - and what a result!! These treasures were perfect for the patchwork piecing for "Sewing Day Sampler" and there were plenty of scraps to make all the applique too...

...once all the patchwork had been completed, it was layered up with a felted polyester wadding (Pellon H630) and was machine quilted very simply using a neutral coloured King Tut quilting thread and a size 70 Schmetz Topstitch needle. Finally it was embellished with some vintage buttons from my button tin.

Eeekkk!!! Look arrived in the post this morning from Stef Francis! Lots of goodies to complete an "arty" project that I started on a workshop with Alexandra Waylett just before Christmas. Unfortunately I've got a long list of chores to do today, so these beauties will have to wait until the weekend until I can play with them.

I'm taking part in an online challenge to try to complete 5 projects that are in my "waiting to be finished" pile before May 1st, and this is project number 4. It was initially started when I was going on holiday to New Zealand and needed something to keep me occupied on the long haul flight. As you see, the embroidery wasn't quite finished, and was put away on my return to the UK 3 weeks later, and it has been languishing in my sewing basket ever since. The pattern (Sewing Day Sampler) is by Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched.

The opposite wall in my studio is also looking bright and cheerful! This shows the trio of bright batik quilts that hanging together.
1. Trees - improvised piecing and machine applique on a workshop with Helen Howes several years ago. Finally free motion quilted by me in 2017...

3. Stargazey Heartz - based on the pattern by Jan Mullen. A selection of blocks were pieced by my daughter and me (she was about 12 or 13 at the time).
I absolutely love walking into my studio and seeing these bright colours on a dull grey January morning!