Playing with Tilda Lemontree

Happy Monday!
I have to confess to being a rare breed of person who loves Mondays. There is nothing like a bright shiny week of opportunity and to do lists. It is a day I can 99% guarantee all three kids are at school and after the craziness of a weekend filled with sport and family time there is nothing like sitting with only the sound of a sewing machine and snoring dog to listen too.

To start the week off right I am delighted to be talking all about Tilda Lemontree, Mulberry Lodge and my newest quilt pattern Piccolo Kaleidoscope. It will be a long one again guys – but then I am pretty confident you are used to that!

Fjrst up lets set the scene and talk about the divine Mulberry Lodge, the spot I was lucky enough to take my photos for this post. Only 15 minutes up the road from me at Willunga it is a stunner – beautiful gardens and rolling views of our wine country. On the days where I stop and take the time to look at where we live, my breath is always taken away by the simple beauty of our landscape. We really do live in a beautiful part of Australia.

Hazel and her husband put a lot of time into their gardens and it shows. It is such a beautiful spot and it is easy to see why it a favourite spot for getaways, weddings and the winner of so many Tourism Awards. And the reviews speak clearly of how tirelessly Hazel and Nick to provide an amazing experience for their guests. It really is a local treasure.

Now onto the quilty part of the post – where we discuss the pretties we played with on the day.

I was lucky to be invited to play with the stunning Tilda Lemontree range, released last month. This collection was an absolute delight to play and I decided it would make the perfect model to showcase my very first quilt pattern, Piccolo Kaleidoscope. I wanted to keep the design quite modern with lots of white space but still show off those stunning florals, I am really happy with the end result. It is a very simple pattern and beginner friendly but it certainly packs a visual punch, especially with that gorgeous centre floral. You can purchase the piccolo Kaleidoscope pattern here.

The quilt is a throw size, and measures 60″x60″ or 150x150cm. I love this size quilt because it is so versatile. It is designed to be on your couch, in the car, at the beach, wherever you need it to be. And it is fast to sew up too so that means you could have it made in a weekend.

Don’t the colors of Lemontree match work perfectly in this quilt. Some of those patterns remind me of vintage sheets so I felt a really nostalgic vibe while creating it. The backing is actually a vintage sheet which sadly I forgot to photograph. The sheet was lovingly rescued from a friend’s linen cupboard where it didn’t deserve to be hiding away in the back. I regularly use sheets to back my quilts in because it is a quick and affordable way to finish a quilt and usually you can get some great patterns and styles. I always buy double sets so the kids can have the bottom sheet and pillowcases and then the flat sheet comes to me for quilt backings. Usually I go for flannelette – I love the added snuggle factor and warmth it gives.

There were so many great places at Mulberry Lodge to photograph the quilt and the light was beautiful and dappled for the first part of our shoot. We haven’t had much rain in months here so I am planning another shoot up later in the year when the garden is looking its fanciest. But I loved the colours around me for this shoot, it all tied together so well.

Its been a while since I made an apple pie cushion but I knew I had to in this range – how pretty is she with those dark pink pom poms around the edge. It was hard picking my favourite fabrics to include because they are all so pretty.

That chair looks so cosy and inviting. It was hard to not grab a book and ignore the world for a while.

This cubby house! I am going to sneak back up there one day and wrap it in bunting – it is so sweet and begging for some piccolo love. In fact I think this cubby house needs a photo shoot and blog all of its own once I find the right fabrics to play with.

On the day of the shoot my friend Leah came along with me to help with photos. We have known each other since we were 13 years old. I think that the best part of getting older is realising how much history you share with the people you choose to have in your life. I am lucky to have a small handful of friends that have known me forever and this was the perfect day to sit on the grass, soak up some sun and catch up away from the craziness of our lives. Leah has a photography page called Authentic Bliss Photography. I cant wait to see where the journey takes her.

It isn’t often you will see me in front of the camera either yet I have 3 photos from this shoot I really like. I don’t like posed photos and I know I drive people crazy when they try to get pictures of me. These though were caught in busy moments where I wasn’t overthinking it.

For the last part of the shoot we ducked into one of the guest rooms inside the lodge. It was such a restful place and the quilt looked perfect draped on the bed with the cushion as the final touch. It made me realise I need a quilt for the end of my own bed actually. Although naturally  mine all gravitate towards the lounge where we all sit together.

So there we are! Another quilt finished for 2018, a beautiful spot visited for a morning, a lovely old friend to catch up with and my very first quilt pattern released! Not bad for a week at Piccolo Studio. I say it every week I know but I really really love my job.

x Sarah