Looking back at August

One of the pleasurable things about blogs is the connection you make with others. When blogs were much more a "thing" than now there was a lot of "linking up" going on, a great method to find other blogs and for others to find your writings, too.

So I was pleased to see that Archie the Wonder Dog is (still) hosting a monthly link-up, for any crafty blogs. And since I have done a good bit of crafting (and a few blog posts written) it may be a good time to join in today and give an overview.

So what has happened here this past month?

With restarting blogging last month I have been much more motivated to sew, too. I finished a quilt top inspired by my Irish Summer Garden, strips of green with accents of red and purple representing the colours in my garden:

I also "found" my wool felt while tidying up and made a little rabbit and then some small seaside-themed keyring charms.

And lastly, I had some quilting ideas for the Summer Garden quilt, but wasn't sure I could pull it off. To practise I stitched some scraps together and they were made into two small "art" pieces while trying out quilting ferns. They are only about 6 inches square and I absolutely loved making them! I called them Glimpses of an Irish Summer Garden. So now I have to admit being quite distracted from quilting the quilt by ideas for making more small pieces and using up my scraps.

Distractions allowing, I hope to finish quilting the Irish Summer Garden quilt next month. Knowing myself, there may well be a few small "glimpses" joining the first two as well! 

Find others joining Archie the Wonder Dog at the August "Furtle around the Blogosphere". And more info on the "Furtle" can be found by clicking the button:

I will be doing some more sewing now...

Sandra

A glimpse (or two) of an Irish summer garden

Earlier this summer I wrote about the Irish Summer Garden Quilt I started, inspired by my Irish summer garden. I finished the top and have layered it up ready for quilting.

In the mean time I have been playing with some scraps, making mini quilts at about 6 inches square. I am thinking of them as glimpses of an Irish summer garden. At the same time they gave me an opportunity to practise quilting a few ferns before tackling the bigger sister. I am so happy with the results that I am inspired to make more small quilts now!

I also experimented with the binding, making it narrower than usual which I think suits their small size. I'm working on a tutorial for that...

Sandra

Preparations

I am preparing to quilt fern shapes across my green summer quilt...

Seaside felt

After finishing Ella rabbit and her clothes I had loads of felt left, so I played some more. This time I drew some simple patterns myself.

I started with a few fish, then decided to make a shell and starfish, too. Making it up as I go along, as is my usual way, they ended up as keyring charms and got gifted... Fingers crossed they all arrive with their recipients soon!

I think I need one or two felt creatures for my own keyring next...

Sandra

Project in Felt

Recently I have been procrastinating on my quilt projects. Fortunately I have been doing other crafts instead!

I "found" several pieces of wool felt in my cupboard and remembered a book of felt animals that I received for Christmas. A new project was quickly started! Several happy days were spent stitching, filling, and dressing this little one. Meet Ella Rabbit:

There are some more felt items almost done, I may show them next time!

Sandra

Summer Garden Quilt

If you've been here before you'll know that our garden is one of my great pleasures. So it's no real surprise that it sometimes influences my quilts, too.

After someone remarked "you never use green in your quilts" and realising that the view outside my windows is actually mostly green (this is Ireland after all!), I decided to look for green fabrics in my boxes. Turns out I have a few!

As so often happens, the quilt changed a few times while making it. I started with a plan for a huge quilt, sewing strips of varying widths to a length of 80 inches or so. Going from darker to lighter green and back to dark. And I didn't quite like it... So the strips got cut in half, going from dark to light, and aiming for a smaller quilt.

I debated on orientation of the dark/light: Random? Alternately light one way and the other? I decided they needed to go in one direction, dark at the top, light at the bottom. A bit like the border from my kitchen window.

Then I realised that it needed something more to break up the green a little bit. Little scraps of purple and red were added here and there to represent the fuchsia flowers and foxgloves that are plentiful in the garden, too. And that the strips needed to go horizontal rather than vertical. So this is where it is at now, shown in its natural environment:

There is more to do, and I am already thinking of how to quilt it...

Sandra

Blog email

Well, two days in a row!

Today a short message to those who get an email message whenever I write a new post. You will at some point have clicked at "Follow by email" as shown on the side bar of the blog:

However, the service that provide this, Feedburner, will soon stop offering this. Which means you will no longer receive emails when I write a new post. You may be happy to hear it (after all, TWO posts in as many days!) and if so, you will not have to do anything and the emails will soon stop.

If you would like to keep up with what I write you will have to do something. Here are some options:

* You could just check the blog now and then and see whether there is a new post. You can even bookmark the page in your browser

* You can use a blog reader site and add this blog to it. Check out Bloglovin or Feedly or maybe you have found another reader site? You will need to create a login for either of these. 

* You can follow me on Instagram (IG). Apart from regular posts of a photo with a caption about my  garden and craft activities, I will regularly mention when I have written a new post. With a link in my IG profile to the blog for easy access.

I'd love to know if you are still actively reading blogs, and which way you prefer to find out about new posts...

Sandra

Starting afresh

Are you tempted by new notebooks, a blank page, a new pencil? I am!

New notebook and pencils with motivational phrases

 

It has led me to consider starting a new blog... New layout, fresh start and all that. But after some thinking, I have realised that it is more important to create new posts, rather than a new blog. So this will be a new start on the old blog.

I intend to be writing a few small posts, mostly for myself to get into the habit of blogging again. A photo, a little text. A gentle easing back into blogging after a long absence.

I may play around with the banner photos, or some other minor changes to the looks, but essentially this is my blog, and it will stay that way. At least for now 😊

Sandra