Dogwood Blossom Quilt

There is always time after a hot and sweaty gardening workout to sit at my table and try something new. This is the next project with the online class Stitched in Color. The Modern Medallion Quilt. The centre has a reversed applique in a shape of the dogwood blossom.

The finished quilt has a beautiful embroidery, framing the centre of the flower shape. 

( more to come next week)

This is my beginning and I have to hurry up with the next steps - but it's so much fun....

Blanket stitch sounds easy, but not for me. What is the secret to keep always the same distance?

Hanging things " work in progress" on my laundry line gives my time to reflect.

My online class with Rachel

Browsing through blogland I came across Rachel's blog Stitchedincolour.  Her on-line class showed this amazing quilt top with the dogwood blossom in the centre and embroidery sashing. I was sold!  My first project was a small eyelet needlebook with a blanket stitch. I recall the stitch sampler we did in grade 4. ( I think my stitches were more precise due the strict education!)
Having an cold ice tea with my feet up and soaking in the sun I finished this:

Cheerio

This old  tin tray memorabilia I found a year ago which I placed behind a frame given by a friend.

Cheerio to the Queen!

In a heartbeat

I started this blanket five weeks ago. My husband had a small heart surgery and while waiting during our hospital visits I started crocheting which was very relaxing. After 146 multi- colour hexagons it came together!

Attaching the single hexagons with s solid blue super wash merino wool.

Just be patient ! This was the boring part, cleaning up the ends.

 Shaping the outline of the throw I started with 2 rounds of the same blue wool as I used for the hexagons. I wanted to give this "flower-power blanket" a real retro look and found this awesome 

sock yarn.

Yup, orange is my colour this year.

I decided to finish my edge with a bobble stitch instead of a flatter version the shell finish.

Tada!!!!!!

( I wish the lighting would have been better.)

Progress

I am spending more time gardening and watering my vegetable garden. I have to admit that my harvest in the past just feeds the four of us.  ( One meal !)   Deer and slugs are getting a healthy meal from my garden way before I get my hands on it. I always admire the ads for gardeners picking chunky and meaty tomatoes. That never happened to me, so I decided to have two plots right outside my front door.

Kitchen gardens!

I call it my humble vegetable plot.

The flower boxes were done, sunflower seeds went into the ground where I had space and after tilting a big patch for potatoes every bone in my body was aching.

My hexagon blanket made a big progress and I love what I see so far. All single flower hexagons are crochet together and I am working on my border. I will post my finished retro throw next week.

We are not melting....

 Today I was stopping at a garage sale. These snowmen are not running from the heat. The barometer hit 30°C which equals 86°F.

I am back again

I can't believe that I managed to retrieve my blog since blogger changed the format. I was absent for 3 weeks  and couldn't sign in again .Several times I changed my passwords and as my friend Nancy says have  your little red book with all your codes and passwords. It's true, we think we will remember but the chance of forgetting is there. Since my last post my husband is doing just fine and your heartfelt thank you notes meant a lot to me. I also realized how therapeutic crocheting was during that time and my hexagon flowers are growing a on a bed of moss. I finished around 100 and placed them on a moos carpet at our cottage. Just the look of it made my heart jump.