Blooming Wednesday

Only a little to report this week!! Here's is today's bloom....pretty in pink.

I've also finally worked out how to put mine together (with a little help from my latest Quiltmania magazine). I will sew three white hexies to the top of each flower like this—

— then I can shuffle the flowers around and join them up as the colour combinations dictate.

I've also decided to join them in sets of just 4 for now; so that as I introduce new fabrics they can be scattered throughout the quilt, rather than clustered together because the first fabrics used are already  joined up (if that makes sense!!).

Below is the latest on my 'pretties-hexieflowers'... I think I promised a few weeks ago to show you the finished article...can't do that yet sorry, but I will get there!!

Thank you for visiting... I'm off to have a look at some more Wednesday Gardeners.... happy sewing everyone!!

My weekend..including a finish!

Some of my friends went off for a (patchworking) retreat this weekend out at the beach, but because of these................

.....................I stayed behind.
However, YD and ED were both home so they were put on farm duties for a few hours and I was able to be shopkeeper at my favourite quilt shop. The things we do so friends can retreat!

When I got home someone had been baking.... 

When I got the chance, I retreated into my 'cave' and did a bit of sewing. I finished a journal cover I had started a while ago.....

The stitchery is one from Brenda Ryan which she put up for us on her blog...sweet isn't she?

I put the older calves outside for their first taste of freedom... (not counting an escape episode a few days ago). I just love watching their first time out on the grass... they just run...

and run..

and run... until it all gets too much and they stop for a rest!

I completed another hexie flower, and cut some more hexagons, but didn't quite get them prepped ready for the week.

So in spite of not retreating, — I had a good weekend  :-) but I am hoping next time I can join in!!

Catalicious

Here is Block 5 of Bronwyn Hayes' Catalicious BOM. I really like the buttonhole stitch for the flowers and blanket edging. I'm only one month behind on this BOM now... but as you can see below I have started the next one so should be caught up soon!

I thought I could show you my latest little technique-discovery. I was reading somewhere about basting a quilt. The author said to cut a longish thread, pull only half of it through and baste with it. Come back to the other end of the thread and baste away in the opposite direction. I thought I would try this idea with my stitching.
Above I have started a new thread and am busy sewing away.
Underneath it is a long dingle-dangle thead, out of the way and waiting to be used (sometime I tack it loosely out of the way if it is being in an annoying mood).
In the next (bottom) photo you can see I have finished the stitching with the first half of the thread; I have threaded the second half (that was dingle-dangling below my work) and started a new patch of sewing in another direction.

This technique has been working really well for me; I have half the number of ends to tidy up and sew in at the back. I make sure I start in a spot that is in the middle of a pattern so I don't run out of places to go.
It's really good for this redwork / one colour stitching but I guess if you were multi-colouring it could be used in the odd place where there is a large amount of one colour.

Well that's my words of wisdom for today!! Hope you're all having a good weekend :-)
Happy sewing!!