As a keen gardener, I love watching my garden grow.

I find all the steps involved in this, from the planning stage to the preparation (yes, even weeding!) just so compelling.

I love browsing all the pretty pictures of flowers, fruits and vegetables.

I love choosing the varieties of seeds that we'll buy, and those we'll plant from seed and which ones we'll buy already sprouted.

But sometimes I can't get into the garden as much as I'd like. Life gets in the way. Injuries spoil the fun. The weather doesn't play along...because winter.

And late last year, ideas that were floating around in my head materialised into a flash of solid inspiration.

The Spring Seed Catalogue was born.

Could I bring the best of both my favourite hobbies together?

Could quilting and gardening be combined...well yes.

Yes they could.

I could sew my favourite flowers all year round, whatever the weather, and despite whether my back was playing up.

It began with browsing my the covers of seed packets.

Seed packets, especially vintage ones, evoke a whole story for me. They hold a promise of joy inside that little envelope.

I started sketching my favourite flowers, and right away I knew the first flower had to be the marigold.

More often than not, marigolds thrive on neglect. They're wild, cheerful and bring that rambly look to the garden.

They speak to me of resilience, and so they were the perfect start to this series.

I used my favourite sunny and cheerful fabrics, and just loved the result!

A little piece of spring all year around...And the next logical step was of course designing a mini version of the mini... a mug rug.

I have to tell you...this mini packet has my heart.

It's simple, but adorable, and is the perfect small project to bring some flowers into your life, and maybe gift to someone who needs some flowers in their life.

It just makes me smile. That bee was fussy cut from another print that I had, and I embroidered the rest of his flight path across the flower.

Both these mini quilts have plenty of opportunities for adding some fun fussy cutting, or embroidered a special detail.

They're small enough to use your special hoarded scraps and create something to be very proud of.

You'll find the pattern in my etsy shop here.

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