I love December! The anticipation of many celebrations in the next few weeks, all leading up to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. This will be a particularly special Christmas Season in my home because both hubby and I have spent much of the year travelling, and so time together with our girls will be even more precious than usual. There could be no better gift.
I am enjoying hand quilting 'Down In The Garden' and it's just as well because I had a little accident while cleaning out gutters in a storm last week and damaged my knee quite badly! (Thanks to Mum and Rosie who have been driving me around!). The silver lining is sitting and quilting:
I have had lots of emails about what threads I have used in 'Down In The Garden'. So in answer, here they are. I used DMC stranded cottons: 844, 996, 321, 602, 604, 701, 703, 472, and 744. I also used Cottage Garden Threads 602 Larkspur:
Gail introduced me to Cottage Garden Threads varigated hand dyed yummy deliciousness just as I was starting to complete the stitchery on 'Down In The Garden'. The Larkspur was the perfect blend of colours to finish off my palette:
You can see it here in one of the blocks. Some of the daisy petals and the circles are done using Larkspur thread:
Of course my latest addiction is Cosmo stranded cottons. I know many of you out there are just as addicted as me. I would have liked to stitch 'Down In The Garden' using these equivalents: 895, 2412, 346, 504, 501, 274, 272, 270, 143 and still used the Cottage Garden Threads 602. There just wasn't the stock in Australia at the time:
I hope this answers some of your questions!
Leanne Beasley xxx
P.S. If you are after purchasing Cottage Garden Threads online (or would just like a peek at the entire yummy range head over to The Thread Studio). If you are a retailer looking to stock Cottage Garden Threads you can contact Pam on pam@cottagegardenthreads.com.au or (03) 5668 1513.
your stitching is perfect..i wish mine were like that ..i try and i keep trying guess that is the answer...
Posted by: margie | December 10, 2009 at 11:10 AM
I noticed your stork scissors; have you tried the scissoroos yet??? Mine were a free gift when I subscribed to Homespun and love using them so much I am considering purchasing more.....
Posted by: Bec | December 09, 2009 at 06:08 PM
Hi Leanne, Sorry to hear about your injury, hope you recover soon and in the meantime enjoy your hand quilting. I am really looking forward to starting Down in the Garden next year. Cheers Sue
Posted by: Sue | December 02, 2009 at 12:33 PM
Hope the knee feels better soon, not a good time of the year to be incompacitated but perfect opportunity to be able to sit and sew guilt free!
Posted by: cindy gray | December 02, 2009 at 11:04 AM
Memories of broken knees.... I had a nasty accident in 2005 and was unable to walk for a couple of months due to two broken knees. The result of all this was the beautiful Leannes House quilt I have hanging on my wall. A friend did the 'big' sewing and i did everything else by hand - finished in record time!
Posted by: Kerrie Anderson | December 02, 2009 at 10:32 AM
Sorry to hear you hurt your knee - but, it does give time to do lots of stitching.
Love that Larkspur color!!!
Posted by: Sara | December 02, 2009 at 09:57 AM
Looks just beautiful! Have fun quilting "Down in the garden"!!
Hope your knee is feel better soon!
Greetings from the Netherlands!
Posted by: ria | December 02, 2009 at 01:21 AM
Hei. Hope you knee are well soon.
I just love your new BOM , it will be soo fun to make it.
Snow hug from Laila
Posted by: Laila | December 01, 2009 at 08:37 PM
Sorry, to hear about your knee... but I will say ... that out of every bad comes good! To me your good could be quilting your quilt :-)
Thank you for sharing the thread colours used in 'Down in the Garden' ... I have just fallen in love with 'Cosmo' Threads ... can't stitch enough with them :-)
Keep smiling and happy stitching, P
Posted by: Perri | December 01, 2009 at 06:46 PM