Coming up Roses

A quick search on the internet told me that 'coming up roses' means that 'everything is going well' but watching current world affairs one could question that! On the home front I'm feeling pretty happy that in just over a week this jolly arm cast will be coming off and I am hoping the constant burning sensation underneath will cease. Yesterday was an extra special day as little Wade turned two and he is most definitely 'coming up roses' so we celebrated by having a day at the zoo. It was very warm but thankfully there was lots of shade and he had a wonderful time........

The Adelaide Zoo has the only pair of breeding giant pandas in Australasia but Wang Wang and Fu Ni are yet to produce offspring. Check out Larry's coffee...

and gosh pandas eat an awful lot.....

Adelaide's hippopotamus Brutus is 54 years old and has fathered 6 calves with his late partner Susie who died in 2017. At that time she was the oldest hippopotamus in captivity in the world and we were told Brutus did show signs of grieving having been with her for 45 years. Brutus was certainly slow on his feet yesterday....

 I took lots of photos but none of them were much good as I was using my phone one handed! 'Coming up roses' was on the agenda for us last weekend when we decided to go and see the Australian Rose Show being held here in Adelaide. It was a rather grand affair as it was opened by none other than the President of the World Federation of Rose Societies Henrianne de Briey who had flown from Belgium for the occasion. There were so many beautiful blooms and I took way too many photos (again many were blurred) but these are some of my favourites........

 How on earth one judges them all is beyond me but we enjoyed it immensely. My late Mum instilled my love of roses (and after 9 years I still miss our chats), and I know she would have loved it all. Here at home our roses are now blooming and we have picked our first vases for inside where I catch Larry having a sniff every now and then.......

 The rose arch is not quite blooming but the rest of the garden is......not sure how it will cope with the heat over the next few days.....

 A couple of weekends ago we also 'came up roses' at the second "Seaside Indulgence" with Penny of Pennylane Patchwork. It was less than two weeks after my surgery but we had a wonderful day and thankyou to Penny for having me and for sending me these photos........

 I designed two projects for the participants with the first being a cushion inspired by a chintz petticoat from c.1725. 

 While doing my chintz research for the presentation I came across some Victorian embroidered pinballs on the internet, so I set myself the task of trying to replicate them. It took several versions but this is what everyone worked on during the day. A huge thanks to everyone who came........

 I am missing my stitching immensely and these past few weeks I have been suffering from unexplained fatigue and nausea. I think it may be that I am sitting around feeling sorry for myself too much so I am trying to get back to it cutting with big scissors and all! These donated embroidered blocks will be used for a charity quilt so I've cut the stitcheries into circles and I am hoping I can start the machine appliqué one handed tomorrow......

Originally I was just going to place them on a pieced background but instead decided on simple blocks with petals under the stitcheries........Larry did the rotary cutting for me.......

While chatting about quilts I am thrilled to share some more photos from overseas. First is from Michelle in New Zealand with blocks from the 'William Morris Garden' quilt pattern using her own sashing design......it is beautiful Michelle and thankyou x......

 and Connie from South Carolina with her stunning version of the 'Kelmscott' quilt pattern photographed in this beautiful backdrop. Connie stitched this quilt entirely by hand (appliqué and quilting!). Thanks so much Connie and I hope you receive a well deserved prize for it very soon x

Well I think that is all the news I have for now so I hope things are 'coming up roses' for you 🌹