Monday 20 October 2014

Being Sociable Again!

Hello, how are you all? It's certainly been a long time since I communicated through this little space - so long I have almost forgotten how to go about it!

Before going any further I'd really like to say a big thank you to you lovelies who have emailed to enquire about me! It really has meant a lot to me! The past couple of months or so have found me feeling a bit unsynchronised at times, so it's been better to just take one day at a time and not push myself to 'do' when what I really needed was to 'not do'!

Let's look at a few pics, shall we?

You may remember the little baby coverlet I had started after being inspired by  'The Sweetest Thing' from Australian Homespun magazine, May 2014 issue: here's my completed variation of it, much smaller than the original, but rather pretty I think.



And here's a little girl's quilt I made whilst playing hooky from blogland; I really had a lot of fun putting this together from little offcuts.



More recently this table runner has kept me busy, and interestingly enough this, as well as a couple of matching placemats, were produced from a little 'Scrappy Bag' of remnants bought recently from Textile Traders in Albany. The fabrics were so well co-ordinated, don't you agree? The backing fabric was one that I already had in my growing stash but seems to work quite well!



The placemats .. ..



I have been busy with a different style of sewing just recently too, but no pics yet, so will show you next time. Also I will make mention that, although I have not been too eager to spend much time on the computer of late, I have posted a couple of pics on Instagram and these you can see under Joyjinks if you care to take a quick look sometime.


On a particularly bright day a few weeks ago I noticed some very interesting shapes cast on the wall by the sun shining through the window and venetian blinds .. .. ..



Some birds make a lot of noise .. .. ..  like these White-tailed Carnaby's Cockatoos insistent on wrecking my next-door neighbour's lovely bottle-brush blooms .. .. .. This bird is unique to Western Australia.



Let's take a look in the garden, shall we? This is a wonderful time of year with so many blooms giving us so much pleasure!



Below you can see the native Irises: they decided to have a wee lie down but that's fine by me, I think they make a pretty picture relaxing on the wood-chips.



We love these little flowers - they close up when the sun goes behind the clouds and then open and shine when it reappears!



Do you recall my Clematis from last year? This plant only ever produces one (maybe two if we're lucky) flowers each season, but oh isn't it worth waiting for. The upper two pics were taken when it was young and fresh, and the lower two when it was older and faded, but still beautiful, don't you think?



Now to finish off I just must share a few of my gorgeous roses with you . . .



Below is 'Playgirl', one of my very favourites!



And last but certainly not least comes 'Blushing Knockout' which is still in a pot from last year and continues to bloom, flush after flush, and to me is reminiscent of a bride's bouquet.



Thanks so much for taking the time to be here, and for your lovely messages which always mean so much to me. Take good care of yourselves and I hope to catch up with each of you soon.

With love,

Joy xoxo

42 comments:

  1. Hello Joy! So good to have you back! I hope you are well, I have been worried about you!! Your post this time is lovely as always and I really love all your projects, flowers and wildlife. I especially like the beautiful baby coverlet. Nice to have you back! Have a lovely week!! :) xx

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  2. Hi Joy! So nice to see you posting again after a little rest away from the madding crowd! I see you've been busy in your textile creations including that sweet baby blanket!
    Such beautiful flower shots too as we are all capturing out autumn colours! I love your shadow photo. I'm a huge shadow fan also! They're so fascinating, aren't they and change constantly.
    Happy days to you! Sandra x

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  3. Bonjour Joy! I'm so happy to see you again. Have a nice come back. I don't know if I can say that... but bon retour!
    Lucie x

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  4. Hello Joy! I too have been away for over a month, and weirdly enough, I was just looking up your blog when I saw that you had done up a new post! As always, you have some beautiful makes. The little quilt with crochet and fabrics is so sweet! The placement fabrics are beautiful, and love how you've done them up. They look very autumnal. Your garden is stunning, and I especially like the orange sun-loving flowers and your favourite rose ... she really does look like a Marilyn Monroe dress!! It's nice to hear you are well, and will maybe pop into blogland every so often to share with us all. I'm trying hard to balance computer/creative/work time, but not having much success. I need to give up computer more and more I think or I just can't be happy. Take care Joy, it's nice to chat with you again, and I hope you have a lovely week. Wendy x

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  5. Hello lovely Joy so good to see you back again, the pretty baby blanket is so gorgeous and your garden is looking so lovely too.
    Clare xx

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  6. Such delightful makes, the baby coverlet and quilt are stunning. The table runner and tables mats are beautiful just up my alley with the fabric and colour choices. The flowers are a delight to see everything here is at its natural end. Have a good week.

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  7. Hi Joy, so nice to see you pop up on my blog list! My you have been busy making such lovely creations. I love the baby coverlet, little girl quilt, the runner and placemats are perfect. The baby coverlet is so dear and sweet, love the delicate stitches. That is a very large bird, we don't have anything like that in my area. (a bit scary) Your flowers are so gorgeous, we have nothing left and winter is in the air! So I'm getting projects together for a long winter rest.
    So nice to visit you, see you soon again, xoRobin

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  8. WOW!!! How wonderful to hear from you, Joy!!! I have not been as much connected to anyone through the internet in the last few months in particular either, but am so glad to see your post appear in my blogroll this morning, and to know that you are still present, and sharing the beauty in and around you. The current projects you shared are so lovely, and your flowers and photos in general are as well. You continue to inspire me! Thanks, and blessings to you and yours xx

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  9. Hello Joy,

    It's good to have you back blogging, I've missed your posts. You have been a busy bee with your wonderful makes.

    I love the picture of the sun shining through your blinds., and those beautiful flowers too.

    Take care
    luv
    irene
    xxxx

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  10. Yay! Hello Joy, Great to hear from you. I just love that blanket and all the workmanship in it. Take it easy Jo xxxx

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  11. Hello Joy it's lovely to see you blogging again, I have been checking back just to be sure that I hadn't missed any of your posts and was a little worried in case you were ill so it's lovely to see you here again. I knew you must be busy making something beautiful and I was right, what lovely makes and your garden is amazing, it's lovely to see such lovely flowers when nearly all of mine have gone to sleep. Take care. :) xxx

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  12. Fantastic,beautiful creations!!!
    Birds and flowers <3 !!
    Have a great week.:*

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  13. My dear Joy, so glad to see that although you have been blog quiet you haven't let creativity go quiet too! Your garden is a delight, thank you for the glorious photos and how close did you get to that way big bird. We get the White cockatoos here and a few of the galahs......love that word galah, especially the way we use it in Australian language. Like "whaddya doin ya big galah" hahahahaha I will look you up in Pinterest with interest......and on that note, speak again soon. Xxx

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  14. So glad to see you pop up on my sidebar and I tried emailing, but for some reason it won't let me get your email address off your profile. Loving all your makes, especially the first one with crocheted sashing. You've certainly been busy and your garden looks lovely. Although I love our cockies, they can be so destructive. I once had a beautiful wattle and they used to destroy it in a matter of days, but never mind they can be comical at times. Glad your back and take care.

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  15. So glad you are feeling well and coming back to share with us again. I sure love your creations and colors. I just got fought up with 3 of your post and I absolutely lobe your blanket, the bag and the pink crochet border fabric blanket... How adorable. Nice to "see you again" :)

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  16. Hello Joy, I'm so glad to read you again. I had wondered what happened to you. But I certainly understand the need to "not do" at times. Sometimes we just need to unplug for awhile and do other things or simply rest.

    Your creations are beautiful, just beautiful. I also love all your garden photos. Such brilliant colours.

    Have a wonderful week ahead dear Joy!

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  17. It is so wonderfully lovely to see you back Joy!! Take your time and do as you please, and we will always have the joy of seeing Joy as and when! xx

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  18. I have missed you Joy and am so pleased to hear from you. Your sewing is gorgeous as always and I love the photos of the garden and wildlife. Take care. Julie xx

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    1. THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR KIND AND LOVELY MESSAGES - I AM OVERWHELMED AT SUCH A BEAUTIFUL WELCOME BACK AND HOPE TO CATCH UP WITH EACH OF YOU IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS! XXX

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  19. Lovely to have you in blog land again. Xx

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  20. YAY hello your back! I've missed seeing you lovely posts.
    Well you've been busy, I must say I really like the baby coverlet I really like the mix between the fabric and the crochet it all works fabulously together.
    So lovely to see all those cheery colourful flowers, those cockatoos look like cheeky costumers!
    Take care and have a lovely week FB xx

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  21. So glad that you're back! Your sewing is beautiful, as always. Love your flowers - we're having autumn weather now so wet and windy and very few flowers. Some lovely leaves and berries though!

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  22. It's nice to see you, Joy. I hope all is well with you. Your makes are beautiful, thank you for sharing them as well as your lovely photos. Take care and enjoy the spring.

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  23. Welcome back Jpy, you have been missed. I hope you are feeling much better now. You got so much done and everything you created is just wonderful. Your garden must be bringing you so much Joy!
    Hugs to you,
    Meredith

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  24. Lovely to see your post! Your creations are wonderful as are your photos. Take care!

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  25. Hello lovely Joy! I am so impressed and inspired by your baby coverlet - it's gorgeous! Combining fabric and crochet is right up my street!
    Your garden looks stunning as well, and it's great to see your summer colour as it's all going a bit grey here as we get closer to winter in the UK.
    Thanks for posting such lovely photos and I am very glad you are back - as well as a lot of other people going by the above comments!
    Sam xx

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  26. Hello Joy :-) Welcome back although I didn't know you were playing hooky as I have been too (since July!). I love your creations... Beautiful
    Tracey xxx

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  27. Hello Joy! Thanks for such a lovely post, hope all is going well with you.
    Your garden looks a real delight, as do the sewing projects you have been working on, so lovely! Your crochet coverlet looks very pretty!
    Thanks for sharing,
    Love,
    Ingrid xx
    http://myfunkycrochet.blogspot.be

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  28. Hello lovely Joy...I am so happy that you are back blogging I have missed you! Although I do love that I can still catch up with you on IG ;) Gorgeous photos and projects as always and I always enjoy the beautiful floral photos you share too.
    Marianne x

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  29. You're back! And with lots of pretty things to share with us.

    I do hope you're back to feeling up to doing things x

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  30. Hi Joy what a beautiful coverlet. I love the sewing crochet combo. Enjoying also the flowers from your garden, with mild autumnal weather here its nice to hold on to some summer colours x

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  31. Hello Joy, how lovely to have you back in blogland again, I have missed you. It's lovely to see all your floral photos as we're just putting things to bed for the winter here and I look forward to seeing some more. Your baby coverlet is so pretty, I love the fabric squares with crochet edging. Hope you are well and see you again soon.
    Jane xx

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  32. Such pretty makes, Joy - I especially like the pink-red-lavender combo in the second little quilt.

    Those bottle brush bushes take me back to my California childhood - there were lots of them in our neighbourhood. And your poppies look very like California golden poppies (the state flower). What a lovely garden!

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  33. What gorgeous quilting Joy-just beautiful! I am amazed at your photos-how wonderful to have such colourful birds around you even if they are naughty in the garden! The flowers are just gorgeous
    Best wishes
    Alison xx

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  34. Hello lovely, so many beautiful and lovely things in this post. Loving yes loving the baby coverlet, it is so so beautiful. Wouldn't it be fabulous to do an entire one for a double bed, oh Im already dreaming of one. I know I have already commented on all the table runner and quilt, but they really are so special Joy. Loving your beautiful garden too and thank you for brightening a rather cold day here. Sending you much love my dear xoxo

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  35. I hope you come back again Joy. Your followers miss seeing your lovely pictures and creations. I hope all is well with you. Hugs.

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  36. I thought I hadn't seen you for a while - hope you are ok :). The baby blanket is lovely - very effective! Sadly our garden is very uncolourful, autumn here in the UK!

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  37. It's always so wonderful to see a post from you Joy! I'm glad you popped into Blogland to show us what you've been up to, and just like always you totally wowed me with your lovely creations and your beautiful garden blooms! I just flipped over that gorgeous baby coverlet you made and the quilt too...and the table runner...just everything all the time. You're so very talented sweet friend!!! You guys have such different birds flying around down there than we do in the USA. He's a beauty! I'm sending you a big hug Joy for brightening my day just as you always do! xoxo Paulette

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  38. Thanks for popping by my blog. I am missing your flowers, intricate handiwork and the warmth and sunshine you bring from the otherside of the world especially when it is winter here. Hope you are all well. Best festive wishes. Love from Jo xxxx

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  39. Hello Sweet Friend! Just popping in today to wish you a belated Merry Christmas. I hope you had a wonderful day, Joy. Miss you and your always beautiful posts! xoxo Paulette

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  40. Very great post. I simply stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed browsing your weblog posts. After all I’ll be subscribing on your feed and I am hoping you write again very soon!

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  41. I happened upon your site. Your photos are a great inspiration. I am from New Jersey and wondered if you knew if you used a pattern for your delicious crochet/quilted baby quilt. mhigbie at embarqmail dot com

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