Happy May to everyone! I hope you all enjoyed your Easter break. As a self-confessed workaholic I have to really focus on 'not working' and allowing my mind some down time (not easy for a self-employed sole trader!). As part of my 'word for the year' - CULTIVATE, I've been working […]
So I'm back from my adventures abroad (eventually!), and what a fabulous few days it was! Of course the surroundings were completely spectacular, and my photos simply don't do justice to the beautiful part of the world that is Morzine, France. But despite gloriously warm temperatures and the clear blue Alpine […]
Mental Health Awareness Week is 14th - 20th May here in the UK (photos explained at the end of the post!). Did you know that 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health issue and 5% of the world's population currently suffer from depression? That's 350 million people! […]
Hello there! We have just had a wonderful bank holiday weekend here in UK. And what made it so wonderful? The beautiful sunny weather! I spent the bank holiday Monday in Florence Court, Enniskillen, with 2 of my girls, having lots of photo fun, and enjoying this wonderful National Trust house. […]
Hello everyone! I hope you've had a wonderful weekend! I had a fun few days with my best quilty buddies, up a mountain, with glorious sunshine and sheep for company (there may also have been lots of cake and buns)! There was lots of sewing done too, but alas I can't […]
I love Chevron quilts! They are simple to make and are so versatile in providing many different designs. One of the simplest ways to make chevrons is using half square triangles, and with clever fabric placement, or mixing up your fabric 'values' (low volume, high volume) you can achieve all sorts of wonderful patterns. […]
Hello everyone, we are well into Spring here, and the April issues of quilting magazines are hitting the shops! In keeping with the Spring theme, I designed a birdhouse wallhanging for British Patchwork & Quilting (April issue). One of the things I love about Spring is the sound of chirping birds […]
I spent the weekend in Derby with my 3 favourite girls! My eldest daughter turned 21 at the end of October and it was so lovely celebrating with her in the most inspiring surroundings! Autumn is such a beautiful season. But it's time to put on an extra layer, turn the thermostat up another […]
I support 2 charity quilting groups - Bee Blessed and Siblings Together. This means making different blocks for them each month, which is a non-demanding way of supporting these wonderful causes. Here is a wee round up of my recent bee blocks. In Bee Blessed, we were making Woven blocks in pastels for September ..... […]
Happy Tuesday everyone! I'm super excited to be able to show you some of my new friends! This is my Woodland Friends quilt, made with Aneela Hoey's 'Foxgloves' & 'Vignette' collections on an Essex linen background. It all started with a commission from Popular Patchwork to make an Autumnal/Woodland quilt. I found a picture of […]
I think it's time I said farewell to summer! My first ever harvest of apples! We have enjoyed an Indian summer here, but temperatures are starting to drop and I'm feeling the need for an extra layer! So just enough time to show you my last 'summer' quilt. This is imaginatively called the 'Scrappy […]
It would seem that Autumn is just around the corner! Lots of evidence of it today on our lovely picnic and walk around Crawfordsburn Country Park. Of course that means a new term of sewing projects for me. Can you guess what type of projects I've started working on? I'm not even going to mention […]
We've been experiencing something of a mini heatwave here in the UK this week! Almost too hot to get out and enjoy some local delights (well, I did say almost!). view from Castle Ward Bangor Walled Gardens While my sewing room has been 'closed' for 2 weeks, it's the perfect time of year […]
It's been a crazy busy week here! But the sun has been shining and my friendly flowers are making an appearance once again. I haven't even had time to tell you about the rest of my magazine entries this month! Quilt Now sent me some lush Alison Glass fabrics (Endpaper) for a […]
I knew summer was just around the corner! The particular corner today was Rowallane House and Gardens, owned by National Trust. A truly inspiring place with the 'all time' best climbing tree ever! Not too many bees around yet, but here are some 'bee' blocks I've been making. First up, Corner Log Cabin blocks for […]
Hello everyone! How are you all doing? Every now and then we get a glimpse of summer here, and my garden is loving it (that of course means my grass is growing faster than the weeds!!). I've been beavering away on some secret squirrel stuff, can't wait to tell you all about it soon! In […]
We had the most gloriously sunny day today! I tried to capture the light on the limited features in my small garden. Isn't light so inspiring, and seems to make everyone feel much more positive! One of my daughter's names means 'bringer of light' and she does just that, every day! And here are a […]
Spring rain is something we get lots of here in N.Ireland!! In fact we also get lots of Summer, Autumn and Winter rain too! But I'm hoping you could live with this kind of spring rain all year round!! 63" x 63" This is my 'Spring Rain' quilt, as seen in the April issue […]
It was a typical spring day here today! Sunshine and showers! Our walk along the beach was what you would call 'bracing'! But no matter the season, there is always beauty to be found. Back in the warmth of the indoors, let's talk table runners! Photo courtesy of British Patchwork […]
Here in the UK, the clocks go forward an hour. That means 1 hour less sleep tonight (boo!). But it also means 1 hour closer to Easter Day (yay!). Easter Day is a very important day to me and my faith. I hope you enjoy your day, how ever you celebrate it. I'll leave you […]
