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Tuesday, 24 March 2015

only little embroidery










We are having one of those crazy spring days today; hailstones earlier, covering the garden and making it white for a while, then the sun was out, and now hailstones are back. 
It is cold....

I finished Yoko Saito's quilt top by the end of the last week, so Sunday morning trip to Midsomer Quilting was fully justified (as if I need a reason :-). 
Time to get some wadding, backing and binding fabric.










I also finished (at last) all embroidery for the silk bag, and I have found a pretty fabric to line the bag with. 
I wanted to line it in silk originally, but I think this will work as well.














Otherwise I don't seem to have much of a "go" in me at the moment, it must be the spring tiredness...

Last night I just wanted to do something easy; 
little stitching on Mrs Beasley's quilt was just right.

























©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2015

Saturday, 21 March 2015

sun, glorious sun




Yesterday's solar eclipse was only partial and brief in our part of the world, but still very exciting experience. 
After the sun stopped hiding behind the moon, it gave us a wonderful warm spring day. 
We even managed to have our lunch outside on the garden bench.
 Bliss!









Issue 12 of  the Vignette magazine arrived yesterday, at last! 
It has been long time in coming, which made me wonder if we'll ever see it. 
But it is here, with instructions for block 3 of "Mrs Beasley's Sample Quilt".
 So out came my project box, with the first 2 blocks. 
For some reason this quilt always makes me think of summer, may be because last time I saw it was last summer, when I stitched the first 2 blocks.






































But as you can see from the pictures, the embroidery is still yet to be done.
I look forward to stitching it outside in the garden, so it might still have to wait little longer.






























©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2015

Saturday, 14 March 2015




This last leg of winter always catches me out. 

After a very brief spring like interlude, the cold and grey days are back. Only now the thought of huddling with stitching in the warm doesn't hold the same attraction as it did some 4 months ago. I want to be out there, with my garden, and enjoying my stitching in the sunshine. 
Perhaps this is the reason I haven't touched any sewing this week.
Instead I turned to TV; we finished watching the four disc set of Danish "The Legacy" and yesterday afternoon, when it was grey and wet outside, I turned to another Danish film, a "feel good" - Love is All You Need (I believe the original Danish title was The Bald Hairdresser).









A new addition to our garden, a lilac called  Belle de Nancy, which arrived yesterday, is waiting to be planted.

I must admit that I am a convert to buying plants online, specially unusual ones which I can't find in our local garden centres; most of the plants and trees in our new garden have come from online suppliers. 
I am very impressed with the quality of the plants and the packaging. Majority have arrived in a very condition. Any minor problems have been sorted out very quickly. 
The autumn before last I ordered lots of lavender plants to plant a new lavender hedge. The plants supplied were very good, but not until they started to flower early last summer, I realised that they were the wrong kind. I emailed the supplier, including a photo. They apologised for their mistake and immediately replaced the whole lot, asking me to use the "wrong" lavender elsewhere in the garden or give them to my friends.
You can't ask for more than that.
















For now, I am just enjoying a colourful display in our porch.



To all UK mums I wish a very Happy Mother's Day for tomorrow!



©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2015

Tuesday, 10 March 2015





Special weekend



which started Friday evening with FNwF. 
I am afraid I did not stitch anything new or interesting, just another set of steps for the border of Yoko Saito's quilt. 






All that is left to do is one more set of steps and some applique birds, and the top will be done at last! I have been working on this quilt for last 2 years, it will be so nice to get it finished and hang it on my wall.













The rest of the weekend was very special for another reason - we were celebrating DH's birthday; a number which has 7 and 0 in it. 

Really? Is it possible? All I can say that he doesn't feel, doesn't behave and doesn't look as someone with so many years behind him :-)



Today was a beautiful spring day in our part of the world; we sat on the bench in the sunshine, enjoying signs of spring in our garden,





©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2015

Thursday, 5 March 2015

FNwF


Friday Night with Friends






Just a quick reminder that this Friday will be the first Friday of the month, which means Friday Night with Friends over at Cheryll's blog. I hope to see you there!

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