Fireworks and quilting

We had a bit of fireworks on Saturday night for Guyfawkes, the boys loved it!  We've still got half of the box to go,which we'll do next Saturday.

This week I've been concentrating on George's quilt, I'm about 1/3 of the way through the free motion quilting of the main part of the quilt, hoping to get the other 2/3 done by Tuesday, then another couple of days until I get the border done as well.

Each block will be done the same as this one.

Detail shot

The story I'm telling with the quilting is the dragon in a cave by the seaside, hence the pebbly rock in front of the cave, the swirls of the sand after the tide has gone out, the waves as it comes back in and the gentle waves further out on the sea.   The charcoal squares have either branches or roots to suggest the vegetation around the area.   My quilting definitely isn't as good as I'd like, but considering this is the first time I've done FMQ on a full sized quilt I'm pretty happy.

I've also been working on the mystery shawl and so far it's just stocking stitch, but I do have beads for it now.  The beads have changed simply because the green of the previous lot was too blue based and the bronze I couldn't get more of, so here we have the new one I've chosen:

They'll blend nicely, maybe I'll go with a contrast next time.

I also had some yarn arrive today, it's taken a while and now the project I bought it for has been cast on in a different yarn, but here's Trail Socks by Handmaiden Yarns in the Raven colourway.

It's beautiful

And I'll leave you with some beautiful examples of what's happening in my garden

Paeony, surrounded by lots of weeds

George's Lamb's Ear plant.

Hosta showing snail damage with rain drops

Very nicely scented rose

Black iris, my favourite

Another iris with a visitor, I love honeybees.

Aquilegia with a bumble bee visitor

A favourite pair of clematis

Sweet peas, I have no idea where they came from, I never planted them but they smell divine!