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Fabulous Quilt

In May, we went with friends to Amsterdam and while there visited a lovely quilt shop as our friend K is a quilter. A couple of weeks ago, an enormous box was delivered and to our utter delight, inside was the most beautiful quilt, the pattern being the very distinctive houses of Amsterdam, along with a bridge and canal. Absolutely stunning.
We were given washing instructions but wanted to hang this beautiful piece of art rather than throw it over a bed. We found a curtain pole, a pair of bronzed hooks and over the weekend, have rearranged paintings on our landing and hung the quilt in pride of place in the stairwell. It looks amazing and we love it.

Little Amsterdam designed by North Sea Quilters and made by K.

The amount of work in this is remarkable and we treasure this beautiful piece.

3 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on August 9, 2026 in Amsterdam, art, Beauty, friendship, Happiness, Postaday 2026, quilting, Uncategorized

Tags: North Sea quilters

Six on Saturday – Golden Yellow and A Poem

08 Aug

Last week was all our white flowers and this week the golden orange hues have caught my eye. As we in Cornwall move into our 5th heatwave and a hosepipe ban, I don’t know how much longer the flowers will last. They have all been going over more quickly than usual already given we have had no real rain since early June, just a smidge of Cornish mizzle last week.
We’ll concentrate our watering, with watering cans, on the food we are growing especially the tomatoes and sweetcorn and hope that the leeks, kale and kalettes will survive. The autumn raspberries are looking very small and really need lots of rain…..and then sun!

Courgette flower

Orange Cosmos

Begonias in a chimney

These were seedlings I was given as volunteer harvest at Community Roots and I didn’t get the name.

California Poppies

Nearly 7′ Sunflower

And today, a very short, sweet poem by Emily Dickinson. I’m not sure that yellow is so rare in nature but like that the sunflower picture gives us blue too.

Nature rarer uses Yellow
Than another Hue.
Saves she all of that for Sunsets
Prodigal of Blue

Jim, over at Garden Ruminations, hosts Six on Saturday. Pop over and in the comments, find so many delightful posts.

5 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on August 8, 2026 in Cornwall, environment, garden, nature, poetry, Postaday 2026, Redruth, Uncategorized

Tags: Emily Dickinson

Ferry to St Mawes to Sing

07 Aug

It was late when I arrived home last night so here is a small gallery showing our trip from Falmouth to St Mawes to sing and the ferry ride back again. Click on any photo for the caption and if you like, listen to us singing on the ferry on our way home. It’s ‘Cornwall, My Home” written by Harry Glasson and it’s really the new Cornish anthem.

Leaving Falmouth

Approaching St Mawes Castle

Cottages in St Mawes

Rowers

One of the races

St Mawes Hotel where we were to sing outside

Sunset on the way home

4 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on August 7, 2026 in community, Cornwall, environment, Falmouth, friendship, Happiness, music, Postaday 2026, Sea, singing, sky, St Mawes

Tags: Harry Glasson

Pie and Singing

06 Aug

Today I have made a family recipe, Picnic Pie, for my friend and I to eat just before singing in St Mawes for their carnival. I’ll add pictures of that event later if Im not too exhausted. We are to sing from 7-9pm!

Picnic Pie – Mum’s recipe

4 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on August 6, 2026 in baking, Cornwall, Postaday 2026, St Mawes

Exhibition, View and Bunting

05 Aug

We went to Falmouth today to see an exhibition of paintings by a local artist, Julian Christophers. I first met him when I was part of the art collective Fannie and Fox where I used to sell my stained glass work. I always found Julian’s paintings to be full of joy, full of colour and always smile inducing. I especially love his portraits. Today’s exhibition met all expectations.

Here are two of his pieces for you to enjoy but for those of my readers who are local, go and see them for yourself. You’ll come away smiling!

Loula’s Meadow – mixed media showing flowers from a dog’s viewpoint

Afterwards we went into another local gallery where the view from their window is another beautiful piece of art.

View from the window of the Beside the Wave gallery.

Falmouth Week is coming up and the streets are full of bunting.

4 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on August 5, 2026 in art, collage, Cornwall, Falmouth, friendship, painting, Postaday 2026, Uncategorized

Tags: Julian Christophers

Tomatoes, Onions and Sunflowers

04 Aug

It’s been a day of harvesting today at Community Roots – all the onions and the ripe tomatoes all gathered in and room now to plant out the winter brassicas and the later salad crops.

Just one of the 7 varieties we grow – these are Costaluto Fiorentino

My job today was to organise a Tomato Tasting of all seven varieties. The favourite was the cherry tomato, Mango Lassi, sweet and delicious!

A Sunflower somehow planted itself in one of the poly-tunnels and we’ve been watching it carefully, not clearing it away. It has bent over and sprouted flowering stems from up and down the stem – 8 flowers so far and at least four more buds to open.

8 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on August 4, 2026 in community, Cornwall, environment, Food, growing, nature, Postaday 2026, Uncategorized

Happiness Calendar, Posy and Water Babies

03 Aug

A bit late this month with the Happiness calendar….

Friends came over for tea in the garden this afternoon and brought a beautiful little posy of flowers from their garden,

Thanks P&J

As part of my clearing, I came across a very small booklet that I had as a child – a picture book version of Charles Kingsley’s Water Babies. I was reminded of Mrs Bedonebyasyoudid and Mrs Doasyoyuwouldbedoneby, both characters whose words we should all live by – The Golden Rule in fact. I’ve written about the Golden Rule several times before. Here’s one should you wish to check it out.

Garden Visitors and A New Word

02 Aug

Today was a beautiful summer day, temperature about 23C, blue skies, sunshine and a gentle breeze and we have spent much time in the garden, some reading, some weeding and a lot of birdcrastinating.
We’ve had more butterflies than we’ve been seeing, our squirrel came by and we’ve watched the delightful Long Tail Tits and Blue Tits enjoying the seeds on the Crinodendron Hookerianum.

Squirrel

Long tail tits

Blue tit in the Crinodendron

Close up, getting the seeds

and the new word for you:

5 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on August 2, 2026 in birds, Cornwall, environment, garden, nature, Peace, Postaday 2026, Uncategorized

Tags: littlepinelearners

Six on Saturday – White – and A Poem

01 Aug

I love white flowers in the garden. They lift dark corners and sometimes even catch the light of the moon.

Cosmos

Agapanthus, struggling in the heat

Gladiolus

Japanese Anemone

Clematis

Daisies

And a poem for you, White Flowers by Mary Oliver whose work I always find interesting.

if you want a peek over other people’s garden walls then please pop over to our host, Jim from Garden Ruminations where you find links to many more wonderful garden enthusiasts from all over the world.