Last week I finished making my 1st Sweet 2016 block. This was such a FUN block to make.
Where it all started making my macaroons.
Another week has slipped through my fingers, sewing is my constant companion at present and having Esther Aliu lovely designs to quilt and sew keeps me sane.
I arrived late at the shop to buy my macaroons and all that were left was one cake stand of assorted Macaroons!!!! See below LOL
My 1st block of Sweet 2016. My block finally ready to be sewn together. These pieces are just placed. Completed this block 9th Mar 2016
This is one of Esther’s designs it is a mystery BOM for 2016 called Sweet 2016 and so much fun to make. If you are working on a few quilts that take a lot of concentration like I am this year this is a fun mystery BOM to join in with in between your major projects.
Trying out backgrounds, no to bland for meLOL
What if I add some strips to that background fabric. No still not right.
My Macaroons made but how to stack them to look inviting enough to eat?
Will this lace be OK if I unpick ? I made up 10 macaroons now which ones to use as the plate only needs 9 to balance the display?
I call this my work station every thing at my finger tips. pieces of LE Quilt, PNG Quilt, Quilty365 circles, and Little Hazel for part 3, a DVD and CD player, my iPad, a fantastic view, a wee dog for company and I can lye down on the sofa when I’m tired. life is GOOD.
Start of a computer bag. Making the bottom of the bag using a thick felted wool in between two cotton fabrics, will show more next week????
This week I have spent a great deal of time sewing my panels of leaves for my PNG quilt, here are the 4 borders at different stages. I love how the yellow berries make the pinks in the panels pop.
In my garden this week. It has started to rain and so every thing is been given a good wash and how happy they now look.
For this time of the year there is so much colour in the garden after a dry wet season, even the toadstools are so colourful.
Strong splashes of colour pop out from every where.
A surprise find in the garden on one of the palms?
Plus we are seeing flowers on palms for the first time and many are so unusual. It Looks like a sea creature to me.
A dead flower head from a palm tree some of them get very big, this one covers a 6 seater table so is not small. When it is covered in red berries the birds flock in.
This is the biggest scorpion I have seen here, I thought he was dead and nearly picked it up to photograph!!!!! I would have been a sick chicken if he had nipped or jabbed me!. I did not know we even had such big ones here. I have been bitten by one about the size of this ones legs and OHHHH the pain so goodness knows what this one would do to you. Would you believe they sell these for pets?
My view this morning??? I can only see as far as the bottom of the orchard, we are closed in with clouds. I have all the windows closed to keep them out and I’m nice and dry.
This group of heliconias are enjoying the rain, they look great after a good wash.
This moth which is the biggest in the world was on our verranda screen several years ago, I just found the photo yesterday and took a photo of it to share with you. It was a perfect moth and flew away the next night. It was a good 12inches across.
This is one of our native frogs and is very a very calm one, he will just sit when you come close and not even move if you touch him, he was sitting on the other side of my window where I sew at night time last night he was a good 4inchs long crouched like this! he must of worked out the insects are drawn by my sewing light. Will be interesting to see if he is there tonight.
Thank you for dropping in and reading my blog, Im now off to link with Esther as it is WOW today on her blog
http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com/
I will enjoy visiting other links there from quilters all around the world and see what they are doing.
Cheers ALL Glenda
Your garden makes me think of my childhood. Growing up in the Southern Hemisphere where everything grows all year round and dangerous creatures are the norm. Bromeliad flowering and hot days. Miss it on days when the temperature is minus forty. In my sewing room, one thing I added was a designated cutting station. It is set up permanently, amazing how projects is progressing far better than ever before. Love those appliqué leaves! Frogie is too cute.
Maggie it is very similar one is constantly aware to see what is around you as we have so many venomous snakes and spiders. I grew up in NZ were we had only one venomous spider nothing else and it was only found on some beaches, you could run around bare feet in the bush with out a thought that any thing might bite or sting you. It took me years to be comfortable living here and to be on the watch constantly, a difficult place to bring up children for a mum if you live out in the country but it sure has its rewards also from stunning beachs to endless days of sun and fun? Friendly people and wonderful job opptunities. Hugs Glenda
very nice to have your workstation next to the sofa that way you can get your rest and be motivated to work at the same time. Always love to see your garden and the little bugs and plants from your area of the world – some are so different than ours are
It’s the best sewing area I have ever had Karen I just love that I can sit down and every thing is right there for at least 4different projects, my iPads for looking up a show or information, my DVD and CD player at my finger tips, wonderful day light and great over head lighting for night time. Only thing is I need more hrs in the dayLOL. But I guess if I did it still would not be enough as I would be doing other things in that time LOL. Hugs Glenda that
Looks like a lovely peaceful work area but those creatures would do me in lol. Love all your leaves on your borders you are working on.
Hugs
It’s so peaceful Bunny, this weekend I have sat here and watched some great shows on The Quilt Show as it is free shows all weekend so I have been more or less on a quilting retreat in my own sewing area LOL. Learnt some wonderful new tips and went in to the site you sent me for the recipe and made a lovely dinner for tonight. Hugs Glenda
I enjoyed looking at your macaroon play — the arrangements and color changes. I’m looking forward to seeing which one you choose. I like your strips in the background, too. I agree with you about the yellow berries on the borders. The colors look great together. Ugh to the scorpion!
Hi Nancy Im trying to work on around 6 different quilting projects at present, so each month I want to see a little progress on them all LOL So far Im on target but on the weekend I watched the free shows on TQS and saw two projects I must make up so I don’t forget how to make them (one was a small art quilt by Tula Pink what an amazing quilter she is) so thats a whole day out the window this month LOL. I have 20 berries left to make for my leaf borders so I’m a head with those and also ahead with my Quilty365 circles slipping behind with my LE Zig Zags Boo Hoo so you get the idea I’m not good at saying NO to some thing new. Thanks for dropping in Cheers Glenda
Wow, such a great setting for your stitching, Glenda!
I can’t wait to see your computer bag, and I love the colours so far. Love the macaroons, they are great! The flower on the palms looks just like an octopus with olives stuck on it, so exotic, and it’s hard to believe the size of that moth, it’s amazing!
I’m glad I found your blog you show us such interesting things about your part of the world.
We woke up this morning and badgers have been digging in our garden! Such a surprise when we open the blinds and there is a freshly dug hole under the bird feeders – well actually about four holes! I’ll post some pics on my blog hopefully later today!
Hugs, Barbara xx
theflashingscissors.blogspot.co.uk
Hi Barbara, Yes it is a wonderful spot it feels like I’m sitting out side but the mossies and sandflies can not bite me they are rather vicious at the moment want to suck my blood through my clothes even. checked in to see if you were able to upload photos of the badger but no photos of them but I did see the photos of your lovely wee sewing bag. Loved how you finished it off with a pincushion lid? If any one is reading this message check out Barbaras blog she has designed the sweetest wee sewing bag to carry her scissors thread and such things it is delightful. Cheers for now Glenda
Your yellow berries do make the pinks pop, perfect choice and love how your PNG quilt is progressing. Love your sewing space with couch, I have to go back to the lounge when I need to think “what’s next” if I could just lie down and look at my design wall- what bliss that would be. The moth photo is gorgeous and am glad your scorpion has found a new home. I have been bitten by centipedes in Raro and that pain is bad enough but keep scorpions as pets I don’t think so, Lol. Hugs Jenny
Hi Jenny, it must be cooling down over your way now as it is even here thank goodness, all though the last week we have had rain and temps back up and OHHHH the humidity is awful. Would you believe my design wall is beside my bed and when I go to sleep I can lye there and think about whats on it and solve all my problems before falling a sleep LOL Raratonga is paradise compared to here regarding nasty bity things. If I could live any where in the world with all the mode cons it would be Raratonga. Hugs Glenda