More postcards.

I heard today that the postcard I sent to Annette in the Spring Postcard Swap had finally arrived - I was beginning to worry as I had sent two at the same time and the other arrived last week. So panic over.

This is the card I sent to Annette

I used a piece of procion dyed fabric and printed onto it with acrylic paint using a funky foam print block I cut a couple of years ago. Some simple running stitch around the outline emphasised the shape.

The postcard swap was organised by Sheila and as a little thank you for her organisation I sent her this tulip postcard which used the same technique as the daffodil one.

I am pleased to say that both cards were well received!

Hope you are having a good week- the weather here has returned to winter although, unlike some parts of France, we do not have any snow.

Happy stitching

Lin

FNSI

A cosy evening by the fire, a good film, a glass of wine and my Spring Crazy block - what more could a girl want!

As the evening finished I started on the beaded feather stitch which reminds me of the forsythia that we have flowering at the moment -  a lot more has appeared since the photograph was taken!
There is an awful lot more colour needed and next week I shall be collecting some silk ribbons which I am planning to add in a couple of places.

Thank you Wendy for hosting us again. I shall be spending some time this evening looking to see what everyone else has been up to.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend

Lin

Busses and Postcards

A strange combination for my title you may think but where I come from we say that you can wait a while for a bus to come along and then two arrive together!
Postcards come into this category and today I received two beautiful although completely different cards.

This beautiful card is from Annette

my swap partner in the Spring Postcard Swap organised by Sheila. Thank you Sheila.

I love the frill at the bottom and the little button that finishes off the flower. Thank you very much Annette.

The other postcard that arrived today was the one that I won from Monika of My Sweet Prairie.

I was fortunate to be able to choose from Monika's recent batch of cards and this sunset stood out for me. It is so beautiful. Thank you very much Monika.

Not much sewing to show you so I thought you would like to see a few pictures that I took in the garden this afternoon. There is so much spring colour around it was good to wander round the garden even though we had a sunless day!

This japonica seems to be even brighter than usual.

We have masses of blackthorn around the garden - good news for sloe gin this winter!

The cowslips are at their best at the moment.

As are the grape hyacinths.

These pretty primroses brighten up a wild corner.

And this is where we  have been working hard over the last couple of weeks!

The tall wigwam is for our runner beans and the shorter ones for mange-tout. The curly poles to the right are for tomatoes. In the foreground are our broad beans and just behind onions.

This Friday is FNSI

Sign up now with Wendy at Sugarlane Quilts.

Have a good week.

Lin xx

Postcards!

I am so excited!!!!

I have just won one of Monika Kinner-Whalens beautiful postcards!

Monika's blog is My Sweet Prairie and if you have not visited then you must, right now! She makes the most amazing pictures, mostly based on her local landscape in the Canadian prairies Some of her work is machine embroidery and some is by hand but all of it is just wonderful.

Monika has just released a series of postcards for sale and had a giveaway of one of them on her facebook page. And I won - I can not believe it.

I will show you the one that I chose as soon as I receive it.

In the meantime I have just finished making a few spring themed postcards and my swap card will be on it's way to Annette tomorrow. The swap was organised by the amazing Sheila of Sheila's Quilt World. Again, you will get to see what I made for Annette as soon as she receives her card.

The weather here has been perfect for the last week - clear blues skies so warm sunny days with the odd frost in the mornings. So we have been busy in the garden. This morning we had our annual bonfire, mainly to dispose of the prunings from our buddleia trees plus any other prunings that we have accumulated over the winter.

It is lovely to see the garden coming to life and all the colourful spring flowers blooming.

And so I have moved on to my spring block for the Crazy Quilt Along 2014. For me spring is all about bright, vibrant greens punctuated by the jewel bright colours of golden daffodils, ruby red tulips, ultramarine grape hyacinths, purple and orange crocus and bright yellow primroses.

So the basis of my block is vibrant greens

and I plan to add all the other lovely colours in the stitching.

Well, this is my 100th post - thank you to everyone who has been following me.

I had planned to have a give-away on my 100th post but it has suddenly crept up on me! So as I have a big birthday coming up at the beginning of May I shall have my give-away to celebrate that instead.

Happy stitching

Lin

PATCHY DETAILS

Just a short post to tell you that Cathy Daniels aka Potter Jotter, the lady who made the lovely buttons I won in her giveaway at the end of last year, now has a new blog - PATCHY DETAILS.

Not only a new blog but a lovely range of Homewares - mugs, aprons, coasters etc - based on patchwork blocks.

She is also a hosting a giveaway of one of her new product range so do please go over and have a look, she would love to meet you! I did hear mention of lemon cake!!

The sun is shining here!!

Lin