September 26, 2018

Enchanted with Toadstools


I’m not really sure where my fascination with toadstools began, but they have enchanted me for a long time. 
 

I love spotting them on our bush walks, drawing them, embroidering them, photographing them, appliquéing them and looking at their amazing designs. 


I guess some of the captivation began with the delightful ‘fairy-rings’ I learned about in my childhood. We didn’t have actual rings of fungi in our lawn, but I was allowed to pick certain flowers out of our garden and make my own ring for the fairies, complete with a little throne for the Fairy Queen! That’s one of the fondest memories of my happy and innocent childhood. 


And I am still playing with toadstools! I showed you my Enchanting Forest Cushion when it was first published in Homespun Magazine, but I have now put the pattern in my Craftsy Store. You can find it here.


As you know, I LOVE playing with felt, and then to combine it with some lovely textured stitches, is the ultimate joy for me. Palestrina Knot stitch features heavily; it is so easy to do, lots of fun and gives quite a unique finish to any edge. 


We had a lovely holiday recently, filled with things we love. We flew to Broome, an amazing place that had been on our bucket list for a long time, to attend a Bird Congress. We spent two days listening to amazing presentations, then two days of field trips viewing thousands upon thousands of migratory shorebirds. Next on the list of things we love was spending time with our grandson, his wife and our great-granddaughter in Darwin. 


We were only home for a week or so, and our son and daughter-in-law flew from Melbourne to spend some time with us. To add to the delight, our other son and his family visited, then we caught up with another grand-daughter and her husband over dinner last night. When you add in Skype calls from our two daughters, you can see we have had a month of pure bliss! 

Needless to say, not much has been happening on the sewing front, but I did manage to crochet around the edge of a couple of pincushions I had embroidered.


...and yet another toadstool!


Happy stitching!
Val

September 4, 2018

Quilters Meet and Greet ... a fabulous Prize

Hello to all my blog friends and a special welcome to new visitors who are participating in the fabulous Quilters' Meet and Greet in September.


I am an Australian patchwork, embroidery and quilt designer and love to design projects that are useful and beautiful.


 More than 200 of my designs have been published in craft magazines and my patterns are available for purchase in my Craftsy Store. 


I hope you'll enjoy browsing through my designs - you will see the headings of my pages in my side bar. If you like what you read and see, you are invited to follow my blog to see my regular posts.


Now, whether you are one of my old friends or a new visitor, as a reward for coming to visit me, you may have one free entry into the amazing Great Grand Prize associated with the Quilters' Meet and Greet Party. Have a look at the amazing prize - it's a parcel of goodies anyone would love to win!


The winner will be chosen October 1st, so you have plenty of time to visit lots of amazing quilters. Every blog you visit during the Meet and Greet Party gives you a chance to have another entry for the Great Grand Prize.

You will find the links to lots of wonderful quilters
here.


I'm off to meet and greet!

Happy stitching,
Val