year of the koo koo...

koo koo: a feeling of disorientation or craziness

 usually caused by the excessive intake of disco biscuits, 

mexican speedballs, or wiffle dust*

the koo koo quilt

 Is it me or has there been a massive explosion of crazy quilting going on?

You'll know by now that I do crazy most a lot of the time.

With so many online outlets now available to peruse such doings

I needed time out to find myself again!

It's all to easy to get caught up in people pleasing.

We are nearly halfway though the year

this is what I have to show so far...

 the network quilt

 the economy block quilt

 stars and stripes mini quilt

 the Liberty shell quilt

and the native American one.

* let me make it clear, I do not take drugs....but if I did....whoaaaa what quilts I could make!!

my chelsea garden

I've been watching the Chelsea Flower show all week.

They've been requesting pictures of your own Chelsea garden

so here are mine.

I know I share similar things every year

it's a good way to keep track of how things are developing

for me as well as you.

I think this garden will always be my biggest WIP

(Work in Progress).

*clematis ville de lyon

when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie....

 ..thats amor-eh!

 And that's our view of Sorrento from our balcony!

I have a big birthday this year

lets say it's the one where they say your life begins.

So this holiday was my choice

and somewhere I've wanted to go for a long time.

Not Sorrento actually 

but the historical sights of Pompeii and Heculaneum.

I didn't however expect to fall in love with Sorrento.

It's my third trip to Italy

and can honestly say it is by far the friendliest most easy going town,

I would highly reccommend it.

I strangely put it on a par with St Ives in Cornwall,

great views, quaint cobbled streets with an artsy vibe.

I have a feeling we will return...maybe sooner than later!

I'll leave you with the awesome Vesuvius over looking Pompeii.

More pics to follow

with masses of quilting inspiration that truly puts the 

'who got there first, regarding block design' to bed.

ps. I'm still a thirty-niner!!

Ciao bella xx
pps.
No one tells you that the air is filled with the
most intoxicating lemon blossom fragrance.
If you know what ylang ylang smells like you'll have an idea
of the headiness that follows you around!!!!!!!

spring break

It seems that a natural break from blogging has commenced.

I highly recommend these breaks from time to time...

it does wonders for your creativity.

I'll leave you then with my latest creation;

remember how I wanted to recreate that magazine feature here?

Not bad for the first year.

ps. I often find that flowers can be wrongly labelled

leading to undesirable results...

I think however in this case

I like the tulip mistake.

pps Audrey your gift is now a wip!

See you all soon 

Clare

xoxo
*did anyone spot the levitating blackbird?

the return of the liberty...

..you just never know where it will strike next?

wordless wednesday

*back view with papers still intact.

spring quilting

After a morning of serious spring cleaning

I have come to the decision that when my husband works from home

the house gets tidied

and now that he's popped out

I'm back to my quilty ways.

And whilst I'm cleaning I'm thinking of blogging.

So why is it when I do get to blog, my mind goes blank?

I'm nearly done with this little project

and as always I'm unsure.

I don't seem to be able to make pretty,

I seriously don't set out to make 

the type of quilts I make...they just evolve.

I guess we all have our ways...when I'm creatively blocked

I fall back on my quilting default

 english paper piecing + diamonds + startling colour combinations

So what's your comfort quilting style?

ps.
A damp duster is my new best friend (truly)
especially when cleaning seven years of dust
from wooden venetian blinds.