with a little help from my friends...

it all started back in September when i was queen bee for bee a brit stingy flickr group...a fab bee filled with lovely british quilters.

i have never been in a bee before so i wasn't very sure what to expect or how it was all going to play out.

my first dilemma was what block to choose. the bee started in january and some peeps had already picked some blocks that i may have chosen so that was those out. some demanded a more cohesive palette, some were too large and some were just too fiddly.

i eventually decided on this hourglass block and requested low volume, 1930s, liberty, vintage type fabrics.

to be honest i wasn't entirely sure how it

was all going to pan out. when i create my quilts i spend forever picking fabrics moving them around until they don't jar in my eye anymore and remove any fabrics that just don't sit well. in the bee group we are all very different, have different styles, different fabrics to pull from and i was a little nervous with how this would work for me.

but apparently what i love most about this is that it is full of little jewels of fabrics that normally i don't get to see in my own work, from overtly pretty florals to more muted geometrics. every single block that arrived filled me with EEEEEEKS!

honestly they are a magical bunch this crew.

i'm not even sure you can tell how wonderfully everything gels here, but in the flesh it is all so alive. the bee group made about half the blocks and they all look stunning with the ones i made.

it's all been a great big success in my eyes and hopefully we'll do it all again next year. (i hope so because i have already picked my block...)

and if you want to see how everyone else's quilts turned out go and check out the group here. there are some stunners.

the only question that remains is...

how on earth shall i quilt this thing??

Thank you all for your positive and encouraging comments yesterday. I didn't mean to be all moany yesterday, it's just with the thought of worse to come this week got the better of me. I'm feeling a lot better today, thanks to a little Ikea jaunt with Manda and Lily. Thanks ladies...the distraction was just what the doctor ordered. (So was the tray that you can see featured in these photos!)

In celebration of remaining cheerful I thought I'd post some pretty, beloved objects that make me happy.

I have a bit of a thing for jugs. I don't know what it is about them, but I just can't have enough. Here is a little collection of my favourite ones that either sit prettily on shelves in full view, or get used nearly every day. Some do both.

Starting from the left, this is my latest vintage pick up, which I blogged about a few weeks ago. it's rapidly become a firm milk favourite to accompany my morning tea.

This next one is one Matthew bought for me whilst at The Edinburgh Festival one year. I love the drip marks sliding down the side. It's my favourite one for heating milk up in the microwave for my morning coffee ritual. It's the perfect size for 2, so please pop in and share a cafetiere with me.

This next one is probably my most expensive jug and thus is never used. It sits on my beautiful cake stand in the kitchen alcoves where I can see it every day. It is exquisite and delicate and I could stare at it for eternity.

This porcelain dimpled jug is very special to me. Not only is it unbelievably tactile and sits just oh so comfortably in your hand, but it was my very first item sourced for Blueberry Park. I have used mine every single day for 4 years ever since and have never stopped getting that breathless feel when I pick it up out of the fridge. I know - it's a jug, goddammit! But simple pleasures 'n' all that...

And now for my latest addition to my all time favourite jugs... It was my birthday last week and the gorgeous Kristy, quite rightly, decided that this would be the perfect gift for me (along with this fab bowl too). Not only do I absolutely love it, not only is it just perfect in my home, but the fact that Kristy has come to know me so well, despite us never actually having met. The wonders of the internet that our paths can cross so.

Definitely a day for cheery thoughts...

Something for the house

Yesterday ... or was it the day before now? I lose track ... it was Ladies Day. Today it is the turn of your home.

I've been coveting these beautiful cushions by Roddy & Ginger for aeons and finally they are here at Blueberry Park.

If you are a regularly reader, you know all about my soft spot for hand printed fabrics. And my soft spot for cushions. So it's hardly surprising that these were going to hit the spot.

Virginia, the talent behind this vintage inspired company, handprints stunning retro inspired designs onto linen or cotton using water based dyes.

I love the freshness and colours of her designs and never tire of gazing at them. Go check them out right here and tell me what you think. I know you'll feel the same way as I do.

Flickr Swap #1

I was invited to join Fat Quarters Fabric Swap with a Twist Flickr Group last month, my first Swap Group and it's been such fun. July's theme was entitled 'When Life Hands You Lemons', which as you can imagine was full of lemony themed items. For those of you that are novices to the whole Flickr Swap Group thing going on (I was until very recently) you receive a list of items that are in the swap and if you fancy signing up that month you reply to the discussion. A little later you receive your swap partner and send off your goodies. This was the list of our items this month...

Min. of 3 F/Q's of lemony colored fabrics

Lemony recipe

Small lemony colored gift (Not mandatory but a nice little handmade item is always fun)

Min. 1 sewing notion (ie. thread, trim, buttons, etc)

My swap partner is the lovely Cheryl all the way over in Missouri, USA and my gorgeous pile of goodies arrived this morning.

As I said, this is my first swap and the effort and the quality of items I received from Cheryl has filled me with enthusiasm to do more. She was so generous and thoughtful. Not only are the fabrics oh so scrummy, but the other items she included are just fab. I love my notebook cover and the apron is already a fave. I was thrilled to receive a fat quarter of Free Spirit Katie Jump Rope, as I had recently used up my little stash. And I'm in love with the pretty ditsy white floral 'Holly Hill' by Laurie Bird.

And how on earth did Cheryl know that I love chocolate - dark chocolate - more than any other confectionary in the world. And I simply can not wait to try out her Mom's Lemon bar Recipe.

So if all this has persuaded you that it's worth giving a swaps a try (did you notice the buttons? Did you? My goodies were never ending), go get 'em and enjoy! And if you do, cross your fingers that you get Cheryl as a partner, because she is such a thoughtful and incredibly generous swapper. (I just hope you aren't disappointed with the swap I sent you...I'll post that when I know Cheryl has received it)

Pretty as a Picture

In the theme of wanting to show you some of my new acquisitions to Blueberry Park, please give a warm welcome to Samantha Peare. Sam does the most exquisite embroidered items using recycled and vintage fabrics as much as possible.


Sam is inspired by nature and the art of nature illustration and her pieces have beautiful embroidered insects hiding in the patterns.

The fabrics themselves are tactile and rich and then with the added element of the embroidered creature, each item is unique and original.


I love the little purses and can imagine taking one out with a few essentials in on a night out. As for the clutch bags. They are super chic and will definitely be a show stopper.

The lavender birds are so cute and look so pretty hanging in all sorts of little hooks, nooks and crannies.

Sam is one clever lady.