Friday 6 May 2016

Bloom Quilt & Blooming Garden Friday Smiles

I haven't managed to join in with Friday Smile for a couple of weeks, over at Annie's astitchintime blog, as I have been galavanting and having a super time with my dear friend Dolores in Kent. We went out and about to some lovely places, had some lunches out and some lovely meals in (thanks to Dolores) and managed a bit of crafty time too.
Before we drove down South I finished this quilt, inspired by Lori Holt's Bloom Quilt. I made it to try out the applique  technique of lining the applied flowers with Pellon or fine Vilene before blanket stitching  them onto the background (by machine). Full details over at Bee in my Bonnet blog. It was made from scraps of fabric I had saved from other projects, except for the backing which only cost me a bargain £4 a metre.
I also finished making this table centre which will be a prize at our exhibition next week. This is so easy to make as the component parts are just 6 inch squares and they are joined to make this circle. It can be used just as a centrepiece or cutlery and napkins, sweets or gifts can be popped in to each segment.  
I made them last Christmas in seasonal fabrics and they were a great success.
This morning the sun was shining and I ventured out into the garden in my PJs to see what had popped out whilst we were away, so here is my smile for this week, a tour of my own little bit of England that I am so lucky to have.
It was so warm and the garden was bursting forth with blossom and buds.
The central flower bed is a good mix of colour and the rust coloured,  slow growing Acer was planted over 20 years ago and was a gift from our two daughter's for DH's 50th birthday. He'll be 73 soon!
We have so many sentimental shrubs around, some which our grandchildren have planted. 
The ones planted by the Brighton Belles are only in bud but this one, planted a few years ago by our little Fraulein, has really bloomed early and there is a close up of its lovely white flowers.
Planting it in 2012 
Planting it in 2012
Look at the shrub today and that cute little girl is now 6 and as high as my shoulder!





















Looking down the length of the garden I noticed this branch which had grown into a crazy curve, totally different than the rest of the tree.
We really are lazy gardeners and just potter about in fine weather when we have time and a whim and these pictures are taken before any tidying has been done this year. 
It's ages since I had a veg plot but I still love to grow and use a variety of herbs.
This bay tree, which I have to keep chopping back to keep it short, was another purchase from Woolworths for £1.99, in a tiny pot, just like the Camellia tree in the background. I once cut the Bay tree down to the ground as it blocked my view from the kitchen window and it still came back.















The Forget Me Nots seeded from the garden of a lovely neighbour, Mrs Heaney, who lived over the road when we first moved here 40 years ago.  They are in the gardens of all the other neighbours and they create a blue haze at this time of year. I always remark that Mrs Heaney is here!!!
The bluebells below arrived as a gift of Nature but I think they are the Spanish ones that are pushing out the natural English variety.
This is the apple tree that was so rotten last year so we had to cut it back. I left part of the trunk so I could grow a clematis to twine around it but I am so happy to see that there is life in the old tree yet.
Catkins have arrived on the miniature weeping tree that was a gift from my SIL after his first visit almost 20 years ago. 
We joke about it as a gift and call it "the stinky tree" as it really smells so dreadful in the Summer.
It is, however, home to our family of wrens each year and we love to watch them dart in and out of their nest in there.
This is a piece of  1960s ceramic sculpture that my late neighbour was going to throw away some years ago! It has weathered many Winters and reminds of the lovely man who made it.
Thanks for calling in, hope it gave you a smile or two and now I'm off to join in some more smiles at Annie's place.

14 comments:

Annie said...

Your quilt is stunning Jo as is your garden.....so very many smiles to share with us. Thanks for joining in. Have a wonderful time with your German family members and send them my love.
Hugs,
Annie xxx

Felix the Crafty Cat said...

Quilt gorgeous! sculpture brilliant! but the icing on the cake has to be the English Garden! There is no country I know that can beat an English garden in bloom and certainly makes me smile. Love it Jo. Angela x

Helen said...

your garden looks fantastic and so does the quilt - what an absolute beauty! Hope you have a great weekend.

Redanne said...

Wow Jo, the quilt is stunning and I love the table centre, it is beautiful! The photos of the garden are wonderful - thank goodness you saved the ceramic statue too, it was a great rescue! Hugs, Anne xx

Hettie said...

What a beautiful quilt Jo. Love the fabrics. I really love the scrappy quilts as there are often many memories in them. Such as in your garden. Beautiful little tour round there and thank you for sharing.
Hugs
xx

mamapez5 said...

Your quilt is beautiful Jo. So much work! And I love to have a wander around other folks' gardens. You have so much colour in your shrubs and it is lovely that so many of them guard a story. You are so lucky to have wrens visiting you there too. I hope the coming weeks give you plenty of nice weather to enjoy your garden more. Kate x

Twiglet said...

Oh Jo what an absolutely beautiful post - the quilt, the plants and that little tot back then! So many things to smile about - thanks for sharing. x Jo

tilly said...

a stunning quilt, love the colours, it,s nice when a garden holds memories, I was given for-get-me-nots from my sister before she dies in 2006, there are pebbles and shells collected from visits to the seaside with grandchildren and of course shrubs as gifts. a lovely post
Christine x

Elizabeth said...

Your quilt is lovely, Jo, and I love the table centrepiece. It's very deceiving as I would never have guessed it was made from squares. I so enjoyed the trip round your garden - it's beautiful. A garden can become a very personal thing. Having plants that have associations with friends, family, anniversaries and birthdays makes gardening all the more pleasurable. Thanks for sharing. Elizabeth xx

Lee said...

WOW,Jo,another Stunning Quilt,so Beautiufl I love the detail in it.Glad you have had a lovely time with your dear friend.Another WOW,your garden is so pretty,glad to see that both little Fraulein ( not so little now lol ) and plant are doing very well.We really must do something with our little postage stamp of a garden soon.Huggles xxx

pearshapedcrafting said...

Your quilt is so beautiful Jo! I am on a bit of a catch up - time keeps running away from us!! Your garden is looking beautiful and you have obviously put a lot of work in there! Love the ceramic sculpture! Hugs, Chrisx

Barb said...

What a wonderful post Jo. I'm so glad you were spotlighted by Annie as I missed Friday Smiles last week and would have missed it.

Your quilt is absolutely stunning. It's amazing to read that it was made with your left overs. A beautiful piece of work.

What a beautiful garden you have. It looks so peaceful and I really like the garden sculpture. How sad it would have been if it had been thrown away.

Enjoy your week. Barbxx

Carola Bartz said...

You have such a lovely garden! Sentimental shrubs and bushes are just the best, aren't they? I have some sentimental plants in my garden as well. I love the Forget Me Nots - I have some, too, they just appeared and now self sow all the time. Every spring there are more, and they do remarkably well in the drought.

sandra de said...

A beautiful tour of your gorgeous garden, thank you for sharing the little bits of information which always makes it so special.
sandra de