Monochromish

 Strange, how subconciously I opt for this rather monochromatic colour scheme every January / February. This year I thought it wouldn't happen as we have had no snow, the daffs are starting to bloom and our general landscape has been pretty green and verdant.

And still it happens. After Christmas it's as if the eyes need a rest.

These Japanese woven fabrics are just the ticket for some kind of relaxation and a sense of peace.

Even if they do turn into a chicken quilt without me really thinking about what I'm doing! This  one is for the kitchen table as Spring approaches.

Unbidden, this afternoon, six inches of snow fell in six hours. The first of the winter.

More fabrics laid out. More of the same easy hues.

I'm not sure what will happen to them!
But they lie here, winking!

A note in the sketchbook - snow surrounds the terracotta pumpkins.

January's diary shows a little more vibrancy. The month has been a difficult one with my Mum's failing health. After two months in hospital she is taken into a nursing home. We feed and water her. We make her comfortable.

Some solace in the sketchbook as printing is explored. Acrylic pears stamped with hand cut expanda-sponge and a watercolour dye wash.

The snowmen that my very good friend Tracy made me for Christmas are at last feeling at home in the seasonal weather.

Phew!

Phew. Finished two projects today and went to work!! This MUST SURELY be a sign of Spring?

I like getting up to these two quilts! They have a lot of flannel fabric in them and just HAVE to be touched every time I walk past!

Smartie has done a lot of "helping". Any sign of thread makes him dribble with delight.

But then, after all is said and done, he needs a cuppa!

What next then?

Chicken Quilt on a Cold and Frosty Morning.

I have a deep desire to finish off various projects that are lying around. I'm swirling headlong towards Christmas and the children start to break up for the holiday in two weeks time. Until late last night and before anyone stirred this morning I wielded needle and thread at the hand quilting on this Chickens quilt, completing at least some of the rustic style cross stitch. This quilt has been ongoing since the beginning of the year so I can't let it extend over into 2010. It was a lovely frosty start to Advent this morning, so I decided to pin it up outside to take a look at its progress. I love the way the warm colours make me feel inside!

The pink quilt for my daughter on my last post is now complete with binding and ready to be labelled on the back so that she can always remember the Christmas I gave it to her.

I wanted chicken but I got duck....

This year once again there have been ducks lurking in the garden from time to time (see last year's mallards links). I never knew there was a nest until Sunday when I parted some the same hostas as last year. There was Mrs. D hiding her eggs away again. After the cuffuffle last year we really haven't wanted this and have been chasing any of the birds who landed here away recently. I need to be clear here that we live in suburbia in a house with a walled garden so any unfledged ducks are trapped (i.e. until they are about 3 months old and ripping the place to shreds!). However here are the merry little band of ten after hatching this afternoon with proud Mum.

Another duck turned up on Sunday on the FRONT doorstep with nine babies who had walked down the steps into our coal bunker and of course couldn't get up again. I lifted them out, put them in a box and freed them in some bushes to follow their mother off to another garden. Did you know mother ducks fly at your eyes when their young are in danger. Good job I wear specs!

But really as you can see I only want chickens. Hmmm still sticking to the fabric ones.

The cat looks nice in it's antique pine frame. Perhaps I'll make some mallards next in honour of our "plague"...

Rain On

The rain is really coming down this afternoon. I really love it when it pours. There's no way I need to worry about the gardening at least. It's out of my hands. No guilt. The ground has been so dry lately it needs a good soak. The weeds will love it. As long as it's sunny again tomorrow then all's well with me.

The chicken quilt is coming on. I only get to squeeze in half an hour a day but it's amazing what gets done. I find that if I keep my sewing area tidy (ha ha) it helps so much and if the next stage is put out and ready to do I can be productive in any available moment.

This is a self-seeded plant in my garden - I think it's a Verbascum. It was about four feet high until the rain began. It's now four feet horizontal.

Summertime and The Livin' Is Easy

I had a little time today and it was humid so I didn't feel like hand stitching. Instead some machine applique as part of the ongoing "chickens" quilt. It's got an Autumnal feel to it with the reds, golds and greens. The nights are drawing in so why not!

There was a baby blackbird in the middle of the garden this morning being fed by both parents. I suspect it will not survive as it may have failed to fledge, but it's parents seemed determined to nourish the little mite.

Other birds are in abundance and we now have a visiting woodpecker as a daily guest on the sunflower seed feeder.

As homage to the lovely long evenings I strolled to the allotment tonight just to see what needs doing and picked this whopper of a strawberry. It certainly is one thing that the English climate does well. 

The taste is sheer heaven. It hasn't been chilled, packaged or messed with. No chemical has been near it. It doesn't need washing and it's food miles are nil. Perfection!

Another thing which is sheer heaven is my new computer. I have converted, seen the light and had an epiphany. Yes I have swapped to a Mac. A beautiful cool white laptop one. It even works in the summerhouse. I may never come out. Except in a minute I must go and get my "MacBook For Dummies" book to find out where the delete button is. Perhaps it is just such sheer perfection that I will never make another typo ever again.

I Love Chickens (Just another fetish).

I love chickens and would like to have the space to be able to keep some. Since I can't have the real thing I'll have to make do with fabric ones. I've started a new quilt with a theme to satisfy this fetish!

There are various roosters and chooks around the house and this will be the next addition.

Isabel (7) has got into the bird a patchwork background idea too. Today she has entered a competition in the RSPB Junior magazine which involves drawing some wildlife. She chose to do a red-backed shrike which we have sent off in the certainty (?) she'll win this one. We've never won a competition before so we are working on the law of averages!

Meanwhile it's roast chicken tonight with lemon and rosemary.

Well we can't be romantic about our feathered friends all the time can we?