RSC for May and other things!

 The RSC colour for May is red and so, as usual, I started by pulling all the reds from my scrap box and making a couple of little red dresden flowers.

There were a few strips of fabric in there left over from my Red Manor House so I was able to make a few squares for the Scraptherapy box and then most of the rest went into five crumb blocks just leaving a few oddments to go back in the box. I must say this is very satisfying!

I am linking up with Angela for Scraphappy Saturday here

                                                                         +++++++++++

I have been busy quilting the 'skirt' of my tablecloth this week and I have to say it is far more enjoyable than working on the baskets in the centre and I have left the flowers in hope that inspiration might strike. Sorry, no photograph yet but I promise for next week.

I have also been painting more watercolour fruit. I am happy with these two.

The next challenge is a clear object ie a glass of water. For this I need masking fluid and as the shops are still closed I am awaiting a delivery. Meanwhile I could get a few sketches made.

For those who mentioned it I can report that my poppy now has it's hanging sleeve and has been put safely away until November.

It's wild orchid season here and we have been out and about looking for nice examples to photograph (it's also tick season but we wont go into that!) Here are a few of my favourites.

First a Bee orchid

Pyramidal

Three Twayblades

Sword leaved helleborine

Early spider orchid

Fly orchid

This strange 'stick' is a Limodore orchid - you can see its flower in my header picture

and finally a Military orchid

So thats it for now - I am going to get my paints out! Have a good week.

Saturday Catchup

Is it just me or is anyone else feeling overwhelmed by all the online stuff out there at the moment? There I was thinking that this lockdown was going to be a nice quiet time to get on with ufo's and catch up with things around the house and what I find is that I could be spending all day on the computer!

However, I have managed some sewing - I finished my Basket Case wall hanging with some ditch quilting and it is now hanging in my 'studio'.

I do love it and am really pleased with how it has turned out. It hangs next to a selection of spring/summer flower postcards.

Not the best picture but it is narrow there and tricky to get the camera at the right angle.

Also this week I finished off last weeks stitch challenge which was to fill four shapes with different types of couching.

I enjoyed working on this and it has given me a few ideas of how I can use couching in the future.

I have several flimsys sitting in a pile waiting to be quilted and I thought it about time that I got at least one of them finished off. So out came my Super Scrappy quilt. I put it together in 2018 and you can read about it here -you will need to scroll down a bit.

So first I had to layer it up. Batting was not a problem as I always keep plenty on hand but backing fabric? What did I have. Then I remembered an old yellow cotton sheet that I had found after my Nana died and we were clearing out some of her stash! Nana was very good at stash. There were two sheets and two pillow cases still in their cellophane wrapping and were 'Made in England' which will give you some idea of their age. Anyway they have been well used and are now nice and soft. One of them I used to back my hexagon table cloth and the remains will be used on the back of some secret stitching that I am working on. The other one was sitting in the cupboard and looking at me so out it came!

The flimsy is full of memories - samples of embroidery and quilting from years back, long forgotten fabrics and recycled patchwork, gifted scraps and of course plenty of my own scraps. So nice to have a memory of Nana on the back.

At the moment I am ditch quilting around each block but I may also diagonally quilt it as well.

I will leave you with some pictures of a few of the wild orchids that we have in the garden at the moment.

Early Spider

Green Winged

Lady

Burnt

Pyramidal

Man

Fly

Have a lovely week.