littlebusybee

Just a glimpse

2012-01-14T12:43:00.001+01:00

I added the borders and now the top is complete.

I’m thinking about quilting it by hand, there are nice patterns to fill in the big spaces in the diamonds. I still have to ponder about it.

Have a lovely weekend!

Working on my first PIP

2012-01-12T15:03:00.001+01:00

Hi there!

We’re having an incredibly mild winter, no snow around here.

I am not complaining, there’s a positive side also, no snow shovelling!

Stephanie’s invitation to be a Pipster sounded very good to me-no rules, no pressure.

There is one I started last year, it is a quilt from the book Material Obsession from Kathy Doughty and Sarah Fielke. I loved how the kites were sewn together, they make a beautiful block – though they are a bit tricky to sew.

These were the first ones, not completely sewn and still hanging on the wall:

12 blocks ready and the top is sewn,

but what about the borders?…

It took me a while to find the right fabrics. The chosen one is Lark from Amy Butler, a beautiful collection.

Next picture on my next post!

Have a lovely day!

Happy New Year 2012!

2011-12-31T10:51:00.001+01:00

My Wishes for You...

Happiness deep down within.

Serenity with each sunrise.

Success in each facet of your life.

Family beside you.

Close and caring friends.

Health, inside you.

Love that never ends.

Special memories of all the yesterdays.

A bright today with much to be thankful for.

A path that leads to beautiful tomorrows.

Dreams that do their best to come true.

Appreciation of all the wonderful things about you.

Author Unknown

Sincerely,

Merry Christmas everyone!

2011-12-24T12:52:00.001+01:00

This year,

no snow ,

no white Christmas….

But that does not really matters,

“It is Christmas in the heart

that puts Christmas in the air”!

A last visit to the Christmas Market,

can you find Santa’s cap in this picture?

A Christmas pyramid, with angels and nutcrackers.

And look,

it snowed at our Gingerbread Cottage!

Faith makes all things possible,

Hope makes all things work,

Love makes all things beautiful.

Wishing each of you,

dear blogger friends

all over the world,

a blessed, peaceful, Merry Christmas!

Looking for a moose?

2011-12-18T10:54:00.001+01:00

It’s always a pleasure to find moose items to add to my DH’s collection.

I bought a couple more and they’re spread out decorating the house, a little red pail:

A cute mug and a “moose on the loose”!

It’s a wooden moose that rolls on his “feet” ( a gemstone called Aventurine) and it’s supposed to bring you luck – who knows….

Wishing you a lovely, cozy 4th Advent!

Fresh from the sewing room (2)

2011-12-11T11:43:00.001+01:00

Today is the deadline for Barbara’s “Occupy your sewing room”!

My last two finishes!…

One of the pictures of my sneak peeks was a little wonky star, now it is a little table cloth. It is my “entry” for the mentioned event.

A little stitchery (in red and white of course!) for a little jug or pot.

I guess my little projects are all finished by now!

Or maybe not?….

Well, it was a lot of fun!

I’m excited to see what the other participants have accomplished.

Thank you Barbara for organizing this event!

I’ve swept the sewing room, dusted the sewing machine and the table is “clean”…

What is coming next?

Hmmm…

Just let me have a look….

Next time folks!

I wish you a peaceful, lovely Sunday!

Fresh from the sewing room

2011-12-09T15:18:00.001+01:00

Did you notice the button on my side bar?

I’ve joined Barbara’s event for this holiday and, I have to confess, although I don’t spend a full day in the sewing room, it’s working fine!

A little basket:

Mug rugs with one of my favorite fabrics (that I already used last year):

Isn’t she sweet? I really like her:

Another mug rug:

Actually, two!

On Dec.11th you can visit Barbara’s blog to see what the other participants accomplished, I’ll be posting here too.

Now, back to the sewing room! ;-))

Have a lovely weekend!

Christmas bakery

2011-12-03T16:52:00.001+01:00

Grinding the almonds,

adding spices, cinnamon and ground cloves,

carefully rolling the dough and cutting out little stars,

covering with icing sugar glaze,

baking for about 12 minutes.

Letting the Cinnamon Stars cool for a while.

Oops, how many did I eat?!…

Another sort of cookie called Vanille Kipferl:

Just let it melt into your mouth, hmmmmm,

irresistible!

What are you baking?

Do you have a favorite recipe?

Wishing each of you a sweet weekend!

In the nick of time

2011-12-01T12:37:00.001+01:00

A lovely Advent Calendar,

fresh from the sewing room!

The numbers are little buttons:

Last week came a parcel from my dear friend Simone,

everything was sorted out and had little notes on it,

I just had to sew it together until December first!

I did it!

Just in the nick of time!

Thank you so much Simone, I love it.

Now I have to go back to the kitchen to bake more cookies and other goodies!

Have a lovely time!

Being naughty….

2011-11-25T12:36:00.001+01:00

Oh my, busy, busy!

Some presents are finished, some are not!…

And….

I’m breaking the rules……

Santa, I hope you will understand!…

…. sneak peeks!!….

Now…..

I’m being really naughty!……

Well, maybe it is ok, nobody knows for whom they are ;-)))

Red and white,

Christmas delight!

Santa’s toys,

and goodies!

Pitter-patting in the kitchen…

Chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, almond, ginger….

What a wonderful smell!

The first Christmas cookies!

Next ones will be baked soon!

Hope you’re enjoying this wonderful season!

Have a lovely weekend!

Blogger’s Quilt Festival

2011-11-18T11:57:00.001+01:00

This year, for the first time, I joined the Blogger’s Quilt Festival organized by Amy.

I’ve always enjoyed this fun event where you get to see and admire the beautiful quilts and the quilters.

Can you imagine how happy I was to read I had won one of the prizes?

A wonderful package of Hand Dyed Fabrics from Vicki Welsh!

It arrived this week, I love it.

Thanks so much to Amy and the sponsors for such a wonderful event.

And it’s been getting colder. ..

So….

It’s time to knit new socks to keep my feet warm ;-))))

Another week that went by so fast!…

The First Advent is coming!

And that means baking and decorating, making, sewing, wrapping, sending. When this lovely, pretty busy time of the year begin, this is the song that comes to my mind:

MRS. SANTA CLAUS
(Fulton / Harple / Steele)

George Melachrino & His Orch. - 1954
Nat King Cole - 1956


Who feeds the reindeer all their hay
Who wraps the gifts and packs the sleigh
Who's helping Santa every day
Mrs. Santa Claus

Who keeps his red suit looking nice
Who does he turn to for advice
Who gives the brownies all their spice
Mrs. Santa Claus

She pitter-patters all around the workshop
The whole year long
Amid the happy clatter of the workshop
She sings a very merry Christmas song

Who reads the notes from girls and boys
Turns in the order for their toys
Who fills every wondrous heart with joys
Mrs. Santa Claus

Doesn’t that sound familiar to you?!

I have to go back to the sewing room, some sneak peak next time.

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

Sewing and giving

2011-11-08T16:36:00.001+01:00

Now I can show you some gifts I’ve made for friends that celebrated their birthdays and also some gifts as a little “thank you”:

My friend Annie showed me how to sew this one, it’s a nifty bag. Not difficult to sew, but you just have to understand how! Thank you so much Annie!

Another zip bag with a funny fabric:

Until next time!

Have a lovely and creative week!

Yellows, oranges and a bit of brown

2011-11-02T14:59:00.001+01:00

With a lot of Kaffe Fassett fabrics and wovens, I started this top.

I had never worked with his fabric collection before, but somehow when I decided to start buying them, my choice was orange and yellow tones. What I realized when I was washing, cutting and sewing these fabric was that it was making me quite happy – nothing new for quilters, that’s our passion. But it was more than just happy as usual, I felt good about it. Perhaps because I was having a difficult time, I was feeling down. Working on this quilt helped me to liven up.

I remember I read once about the meaning of colors, but did not pay much attention to it. After this experience I got curious and looked for an answer. These are some of the explanations I found:

Orange is a power color. It is one of the healing colors.(…) It also stimulates enthusiasm and creativity. Orange means vitality with endurance.

¨ Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy, sunshine, and tropics.

¨ Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation.

¨ Orange increases oxygen supply to the brain, produces an invigorating effect, and stimulates mental activity. It is highly accepted among young people.

¨ Orange is the color of fall and harvest.

How about that?

I was amazed how true that was – in my case, anyway.

How do you feel about colors? Are they an issue for you?

Time to tame the “beast”!

A good advice I was given was to put an ironing board at the same level as the table so that you get more even space.

It was done when the leaves started to fall.

I just love it.

Now…

Changing to another color…

A little “Granny Smith” for a dear friend:

Until next time!

Have a lovely and creative day!

Getting “old projects” finished

2011-10-31T18:01:00.001+01:00

There are some projects that just take time to get finished.

Why?

I don’t have an answer.

But then, the right time comes and,

ta da ta,

they’re done.

What a wonderful feeling when that happens!

I’ll show some things that I managed to finish during the past months.

One project was a Schnibble wall hanging I made last year. I quilted it by hand and now it’s hanging on the wall:

This one was also on the list, patiently waiting…

I thought it would be very nice to hang both of them THIS year so I quilted this one by machine.

A bold and bright batik top :

Leaves here and there and everywhere:

And it’s already in use, that’s the best part!

There’s another batik quilt…

… it’s finished too.

I am thankful to God for all what I was able to accomplish.

Many ups and downs, health problems and everything else.

That’s life, learning, coming along and getting forward.

Next post I can show some other finishes, what I’ve started, what I’m working on.

Take care

and have a lovely and creative week!

When the leaves begin to fall…

2011-10-14T12:05:00.001+02:00

“Autumn is a second spring

when every leaf is a flower.”

Albert Camus

Off beat

2011-02-20T15:17:00.001+01:00

I’m sorry to have dropped out of sight for a while.

Some health issues have kept me busy, though not the joyful and creative way I like to be busy.

I’ve been reading the mails when I can, but I won’t be able to catch up with everything.

Today I read some newsletters and in one of them I saw a really awesome video. It’s all about creativity, imagination, playing with motifs and colors. I want to share it with you.

I hope you like it.

I’m taking a deep breath.

And I’ll wait patiently.

I want to come along again.

Wishing you a nice, lovely week

Small delights

2011-01-31T11:02:00.001+01:00

Many hours cutting and trimming this time, but it was worth while!

I love how Mon Ami turned out!

It has to be quilted, but at the moment it’s hanging on the wall (with little pins). It looks so romantic, exactly what I wanted for Valentine’s Day.

I used Rural Jardin by French General (like Sherri, hers is gorgeous!), it is a beautiful collection and I was lucky to find a shop with almost all the fabrics.

I’m looking forward to see the other versions on the parade! If you are too, visit Sherri and Sinta!

I got myself in gear during the last two weeks, the floor in the sewing room is full of threads and tiny pieces of fabrics, bags of scraps, the table is covered with fabrics, magazines, templates (where’s the cutter?!)…

One would say “What a mess!”, but you know what?

That makes me so HAPPY!

A pristine room means no work in progress, no work done ;-)))

With this in mind…

I wish you a very lovely and productive week!

“Do what you love,

love what you do”!

Sew many blocks

2011-01-21T10:57:00.001+01:00

After reading this post from my dear friend Ulla, I thought I should make some blocks and send to Jan in Australia. She has a very good tutorial of how you can use your batting leftovers to sew a “Quilt As You Go Block”, it works well and fast. If you have some spare time, you could think about helping her.

This is (or was?…) supposed to be a wall hanging. Now I’m not so sure. But on the other hand, it should not become an UFO….I’m stuck.

The Le Petite project for this month is Mon Ami, a lovely one, with lots of cutting!!

I’m using Rural Jardin from French General, a wonderful collection in beautiful colors. When I saw the one Sherri was making, I knew those were the fabrics I wanted to use, too.

Here are some of the blocks I’ve made:

Talking about Le Petite….

Something slipped through my fingers……

I forgot to post a photo from last month’s project!…

Shame on me!…

So, here it is,

Being a fan of scrap quilts I just don’t miss a chance of collecting magazines with more ideas.

This is another source of “new old” ideas!

Now I’d better go back to my sewing machine, more blocks to make!

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

Read and knit till I wilt…

2011-01-10T15:05:00.001+01:00

When I start reading a book I know what comes next…

Stagnation….

I simply cannot stop reading, I do nothing else….

Terry Pratchett is a fabulous author.

Do you know Tiffany Aching and the Nac Mac Feegles?

She is a witch, a very good one!

And that little folk, well, “…they are, strictly speaking, one of the faerie folk, but it is probably not a good idea to tell them this if you are looking forward to a future in which you still have your teeth”. (!) They make me laugh all the time!

And I also got two books from Jennifer Chiaverini. Beautiful stories and amazing quilts.

With a cup of tea, a cozy quilt and the hours went by….

The weather has been calling for these quiet moments.

My friend Renate came for the holidays and it was nice she had the time to show me how to knit socks. She said I don’t need to because she loves to knit and she can always knit some for me, but I thought it would be a good idea to learn it.

Here is my first pair of self-knitted socks!!

I think a new hobby took hold!!!

I’m having a lot of fun knitting them and…

….yes, it’s like reading, it is hard to stop!….

Another one in progress!

And more yarn!

What else has kept me away from the sewing machine ?

(And from my computer?….)

My favorite magazine!

Comfy socks,

pretty winter outfit,

…..a reindeer on the back !

Need a place for the paint brushes?!

I love these patchwork cushions made with tweed.

The first picture is not a good one, it does not show the warm colors.

The second one has a problem with the flash, but the colors are not so pale.

I hear a low, soft weeping…

I think it’s coming from a small room….

I open the door….

It’s my sewing machine!

“I’m feeling lonesome, neglected…nobody cares about me….”

Oh dear…

I’m going to spend some time in the sewing room and give my machine all my attention and love it needs!

Enough of one-sided activity!

This week is going to be a well balanced one! ( at least I hope so!)

Until then,

have a lovely and creative week!

Happy New Year!

2010-12-30T16:11:00.001+01:00

At the close of 2010

I’d like to thank all of you

for visiting my blog,

for your lovely, friendly comments,

for your support when life got in the way and kept me away.

Your caring made

and makes my heart feels at home.

These are my wishes for you,

“I wish you Health...
So you may enjoy each day in comfort.

I wish you the Love of friends and family...
And Peace within your heart.

I wish you the Beauty of nature...
That you may enjoy the work of God.

I wish you Wisdom to choose priorities...
For those things that really matter in life.

I wish you Generosity so you may share...
All good things that come to you.

I wish you Happiness and Joy...
And Blessings for the New Year.

I wish you the best of everything...
That you so well deserve.”
~ Author Unknown to me ~

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sincerely,

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T10:43:00.001+01:00

The joys of this wonderful Season!

Sewing, stitching, knitting.

Going to the Christmas markets, Glühwein.

Watching the snow fall down.

Baking, a lot of wrapping, packing, sending and giving presents.

Lighting candles, drinking tea.

Family gathering at Christmas Eve.

Thankfulness.

On this special day I want to wish

all of you

a very Merry Christmas,

filled with peace,

love and joy!

More gifts and a cuppa

2010-12-14T16:03:00.001+01:00

The Le Petite project for this month is Prairie Point Christmas, a pretty wall hanging.

I’ve cut the squares and I’m going to make a smaller version - instead of using Charm Packs (5” x 5”), the squares are cut 3” x 3”. This nice idea is from Sherri!

I got a cold last week, but fortunately it was not so bad.

I could finish some Christmas gifts and give them to my friends. I think I’ve made mug rugs for almost all of them!

A little stocking for a very sweet little boy:

I bought this cute little fellow for my DH, his collection has to keep growing!

Mrs. Cookie has been very busy, she is the one who gives the best spice to the cakes and everything else!

I told her I’d appreciate her help during the weekend, I want to bake more cookies, DS1 is coming home for the holidays!

A sweet idea to bake for your cup, but don’t let it fly away!

Make a cappuccino and it feels like heaven! Hmmmm!

It has been unusually cold for the beginning of winter, we haven’t had this much snow for years, I think.

Yesterday, before I went to bed, I looked through the window, all was white, clear, peaceful, I wish I could have taken a photo (I’m an amateur as you might have realized!…)

Hope you’re enjoying this unique season!

Have a lovely week!

Butter Churn

2010-11-30T10:57:00.001+01:00

It’s difficult to find an adequate place to take pictures at this time of the year, not enough light.

I tried hanging it on the wall, but it did not work well.

Ok, then on the floor:

This is the second “Le Petite” project, it’s a pattern called Butter Churn.

I used fabrics from my stash, I think they have a “touch” of Christmas. In the day light the colors seem “warmer”than in the picture, the background is not so mealy, I wish the real colors could be shown here.

The little squares measure 1 1/2”, it was a bit challenging. At the moment I have no idea of how I should quilt it. Any suggestions?

On my last post I had a picture of two critters which I called moose. Well, I admit I am not an expert on this subject!!!

What I bought were reindeers!

Like DH said, just because both of them have antlers, that does not mean they are all the same!

Now, these ones here, they are moose,right?

Can you guess for whom I’ve made them?!

Here are the little Santa’s helpers taking a little break and chatting:

Time for more stitches!

Hope you can spend some lovely and creative hours with your sewing machine this week!

Happy sewing!

The first Sunday in Advent

2010-11-28T12:49:00.001+01:00

The last two days were quite busy, I wanted to get many things ready for the first Sunday in Advent. I baked, I cleaned, I sewed, and I quilted.

Yesterday the Hunter’s Stars wall hanging was done! :-)))

It’s now hanging at the entrance:

I quilted mostly in the ditch, then I also did some outline quilting. The borders were free machine quilted:

After these two days away from computer…

I started reading the mails, and to my surprise, Jackie wrote me I won her giveaway!!!

It’s a Hunter’s Stars ruler from Deb Tucker!

I ran upstairs with a huge smile, and asked my DH, “guess what, guess what?!!”

He was happy for me, too.

Thank you so much, Jackie!!!

I’ll start showing part of the decoration, a small stitchery:

Some of my last purchases. DH is a great moose fan, and I love polka dots, specially in red, and when both of them come together I can’t resist!

This is a cookie jar – that I first did not see (unbelievable!…), but my friend did and said “That look’s perfect, don’t you think?”, “of course, that’s just what I was looking for!”, ggg!

The first cookies and a lot of fun!

I found this cookie cutter, it’s the most lovely boot!

“Oh, Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree…”

This afternoon we’ll sit together by the fireplace, light the first advent candle, read a passage, and enjoy a warm cup of tea (DH needs coffee), and eat some cookies!

The weather is just right, the sky is clear, it’s cold, but it feels nice!

The work isn’t done! More lovely things to prepare, make, and send next week!

And, more cookies to bake! ;-)))

Wishing you a peaceful and blessed Advent Season!

Just a note

2010-11-25T12:43:00.001+01:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

“See you” soon!

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas”!

2010-11-18T11:33:00.001+01:00

When I saw a set of Sweet Little Santa I knew I had to give it a try.

I actually don’t work with wood and I’m not that good in painting, but, why not?

The bodies are really tiny! About 1” or so.

I had to paint and let it try – but how? They have a round head, they don’t stay upright!…

My “solution” was to place them upside down in a scrubbing brush:

With “clothes” on:

And now they have some “hair”!!!

I’m sewing their pointed hat, pics will be shown later!

My next first try was to felt. I’ve never learned neither tried this before and I can say, it was not easy. I read the instructions and started – I’m not going to show the first ones, they were for the bin!!!

This one looks fine, but I need a little break, phew….I would be thankful for any tip!

Another “first try”?…

Yes! The Hunter’s Stars pattern. A small wall hanging to get confident:

I got the idea for these sweet houses from a dear blogging friend, the very creative Lisa. They are so much fun to make! They are called Advent Houses and they’re used to count down to Christmas like a calendar. I stuffed them with a little fiber fill and I’m going to give them as gifts.

You can find her instructions in this magazine:

I’m also having a lot fun sewing Mug Rugs, I think they make great gifts. I’ve made several different ones, mostly in red and white:

The Christmas gifts I’ve been working on for my family and friends should be a surprise, but if I don’t show any picture of them, my posts will be quite dull…So, the surprise is to guess which gift will be in the parcel! ;-)))

These cute fabrics are my last purchase, just have to noodle up what I can make with them!

Hope you are all sewing and crafting with joy for the most wonderful time of the year!

More sneak peaks soon!

Happy stitches!

World Kindness Day

2010-11-12T17:05:00.001+01:00

Through Tracy I’ve just learned that Tomorrow is World Kindness Day.

I do believe that kindness makes this world a better one, a beautiful one.

Smiling, caring, giving a hand, just saying “thank you” brings you closer to other people.

Anyes and Se’Lah are co-hosting A Random Acts of Kindness Day in blogland on the 13th, it would be nice if you stop by.

“The value of kindness cannot be measured in human terms. An act of kindness enriches the heart of both the giver and the receiver.”

Br. Arockiam

Wishing you a lovely and creative weekend filled with kindness!

Wishes come true

2010-11-10T16:40:00.001+01:00

It is more than two years ago the first time Ulla and I “met” in Blogland.

Meeting her in person was a very special moment. Though we’ve never seen each other before, I knew it was her at the minute I saw her standing there! And I think she thought the same! It was like meeting a good, old friend, it was so great!

The hours went by so fast, she had to leave. A warm, heartfelt hug, and a wish that we shall meet again.

I took a picture of the Mall where we met:

We both had presents for each other, she gave me many lovely gifts. Isn’t the little angel sweet? And the mugs, for me and DH- who is a moose fan! I love the beautiful Marimekko fabrics, everything in blue:

And delicious chocolate with an exquisite filling:

I hope to meet all the other blogfriends one day!

Don’t you, too?

Now I can reveal what I “showed” in my last post, the gift I made for Anne Ida, an owl pincushion ( Bunny Hill Design):

I’m so glad she like the presents. Here’s a picture she took of the parcel:

One of my favorite magazines came last week:

Some nice ideas for Christmas decoration and also for gift making.

And, talking about gift making…..

I’m right in the middle of it!

I hope to have them all finished and packed very soon!

Maybe I’ll look like that, full of presents to send:

What a pleasure ! :-)))

Some sneak peaks in my next post!

Hope you are all having a lovely and creative week!

It’s “finished”!

2010-10-28T12:31:00.001+02:00

Hi, there!

I’ve just finished sewing the borders so that I can show you my version of Paganini:

I’ve never made a scallop border before, it is going to be a challenge for me - I think it’s not easy-peasy!

This is a strange picture, but I did it on purpose.

It’s a birthday gift for a friend!

Can you guess what it is? I hope not!!!

But I hope she’ll like it. I’ll show you when she opened it.

Have a lovely weekend!

Happy sewing!

As you sew, so shall you rip…

2010-10-24T17:36:00.001+02:00

Though in this case it won’t help this block anymore…

I’ve cut the fabrics before I noticed the mistake…

Pretty silly, isn’t it?….

I’m making the blocks for Paganini, the first “Le Petit” project. It is a great one, there are 4 different ways to sew the pattern, they are all beautiful!

I read the instructions, cut the pieces, start sewing.

So far so good!

No idea what I was thinking of (perhaps nothing!) when I added the corners in the wrong position. But still enough fabric left from the Charm Pack so I could make a new block ! :-)))

Sorting the blocks:

I chose Awesome by Sandy Gervais (Moda) because I want a new wall hanging with Fall colors. My wish is to get it done for this Autumn!

The handles for the new bag are now finished.

I will show you how I inserted the thick batting inside.

First, roll the batting as tight as you can:

Use the twine to secure and tight it well:

Make a little hole with an awl or stiletto:

The hole is for the big safety pin:

Now you can start to pull through.

My advice….

At this point you could ask your own hero at home, your Indiana Jones with strong arms to help you with this issue! ( My wrist had to be operated once, I’m very careful since then).

He will get it faster!

That’s how it looks like:

Pretty busy days ahead!

Wishing you a lovely and creative week!

Happy sewing!

YQT

2010-10-17T17:12:00.001+02:00

Hi, there!

I would like to introduce you to my Young Quilter in Training!

She is the daughter of a good friend of mine. She is only 12 years old and full of enthusiasm and excitement about sewing!

It all began last year when she came here for a couple of days to learn how to sew. The fist thing I taught her was the English Paper Piecing Method because it was easier for her to do it at home ( my friend, her mom, did not have a sewing machine). She made many things and was so interested that she wanted more. Now she has a sewing machine and she tried by herself at home. She phoned me, “Suzie, may I come to learn and sew with you? I have school holidays and I would love to sew bags!”

Can you resist such calling?!

The passion for sewing, for fabrics, for being creative is a gift, you should not turn your back on it!

She came by train on Wednesday and brought all what she could – her sewing machine also!

With her backpack full of fabrics and a heart full of wishes, we started planning. This time I showed her how to do some simple math, use the rulers and cutter.

She loves bright colors!

Choosing from her little stash, the production began!

She worked very concentrated and paid attention to everything.

Even a zipper was one of her wishes! And she got it right!

The results of three intensive days of sewing:

“Oh, my parents will soon come to pick me up!

One more thing, please!”

And there it is, a little bag in her favorite color!

The last piece before her mom and dad came with cake for a nice talk in the afternoon. They were stunned! “Did the two of you got some sleep?! It is incredible!”

Yes, we slept!

Yes, I did my best to keep up pace with her!

Yes, it was a lovely time!

You have to come again, my dear YQT!

Next day was the bag course so I sorted my things out and packed them.

Needless to say that I forgot “some” important things…a piece of batting – my friend shared hers with me – a bodkin and cotton twine…and the worst of all, I forgot my bag at home….

No money, no phone cell, no camera, no cough drops…

It was raining when my friend came to pick me up, my attention was to get my sewing machine and all the other sewing things dry and safe in her car. I said bye to DH and left. I’m lucky that the shop owner knows me, she said I could pay later!!

Bird brain or my fatigue?!

You tell me!!!

The bag is almost done, the rest is hand sewing.

This is how the zipper was sewn together with the binding:

The sides of the bag are also sewn by hand:

And the handles…We had to make the thick batting fit inside!

It worked! I still have to prepare two more, I’ll show you how in my next post.

WHEW!!!

Today I need some rest!

Wishing you a lovely and creative week!

Weaving

2010-10-10T16:32:00.001+02:00

After a couple of weeks with a very nasty cold, I finally could get my hands busy again, that felt sooo good! Thank you for all your good wishes, it sure helped me.

On Thursday afternoon I could attend a class on a Japanese Weave technique. I’ve seen that in a Japanese Book, but never tried it. First you have to cut very thin strips of fabric and iron them using a bias tape maker (from clover). On a prepared foam board the “fun” begins, the strips are pinned on vertical rows, then you weave from right to left – and you still “see” nothing… You turn the board the other way around and weave for the third time and, oh, now I can see the stars!!!

It was a good idea to have batiks, it frayed less the normal cotton fabrics.

Here you can see a better detail:

The instructions were a bit short, the rest we were supposed to do at home. My “homework” was to finish this piece (I’m almost done), then iron it, let it rest for a day, iron it again and let it rest once more. Then I have to sew around the boarder. I know you might be asking, “what are you going to do with it?”, right?

That is going to be part of a bag, the front of the bag. So, my next “homework” is to prepare the bottom of the bag, a piece of batik, batting and lining and quilt it with the machine.

The class about how to sew this “simple” bag is on Saturday next week – can you imagine how curious I am? My thoughts are, how will it turn out? Will I be able to get it right? Did I bite off more than I can chew?…We’ll see!

Yesterday DH and I went for a short walk, the weather has been nice the last past days, temperatures around 15°C and the sun has been shining. I love the beginning of Fall with all the leaves changing its color! It is the season for bold colors, the season when you say good bye to Summer, but to Winter you say, wait just a little bit longer!…

It is the time for the warmth of a fireplace and a cup of tea (or coffee or hot coca, whatever you prefer :-)), a quilt on your lap and a good book, or even better, do some quilting or sewing!

Before I go back to my homework…

Some photos from yesterday:

Have a lovely and creative week!

First a wry neck, then a bad cold

2010-10-04T15:56:00.001+02:00

After days with a “pain in the neck” – I could not turn my head half way to the right, it hurt so much – a bad cold took over.

My whole body started to ache and I knew that meant something bad was going on. A week with a terrible headache and a red blocked nose, now a sore throat and I cough like crazy…

They say:

“If you take medication the cold will be gone in 2 weeks.

If you don’t, it will take 14 days”

(…)

I have been taking all medication I can get, drinking all kinds of tea, steam inhalations, whatever it is meant to help.

I’ll come back to you as soon as I get better.

Missing you

Because she likes coffee

2010-09-15T16:31:00.001+02:00

I’ve finished the birthday gifts for my friend H.

A set of “Cup mat” - I call it like that because it is smaller than a table mat, but bigger than a coaster, it fits a cup and its coaster. A coffee cozy for her coffee pot and a little bag.

Now I only need some nice paper to wrap them and the other little things I bought for her!

That’s all for now!

See you!

Sew, stitch, bake, and enjoy!

2010-09-12T15:37:00.001+02:00

Hi, there!

I’ve been working on a birthday gift for one of my friends.

I still have a couple of days to finish it, here is a sneak peak:

It’s not hard to guess about the motif, is it?!

Will she like it? I hope so!

And I also have been stitching. I’ve got a little bit behind with the “Little Christmas Elves” stitch along project…

This week I got two blocks done and I’ve started a big one.

Some fabrics I’m going to use:

Sewing, stitching, and backing, hmmm!

Things that make any quilter feel better!

Banana bread and a cappuccino – no tea today, sometimes it has to be stronger and creamy!

And because I was in the mood to try a new pattern…

A “Pear pouch” - funny!

Yesterday we had a beautiful late summer day, it was sunny (23°C) and it felt so nice!

Two pictures to bring you a little bit of warmth. Save it for the coming cold Seasons!

Now I’m ready for Fall!

Leaves, acorns, pumpkins, toadstools!

Have a lovely and creative week!

A cup of tea

2010-09-04T15:12:00.001+02:00

My friend Ulla said I should wipe my tears and make a cup of tea.

That’s what I did – tea always help.

Next day I needed more than a cup of tea. I baked a blueberry cake – you can imagine that was another “big” help” (LOL)! Not a crumb left…

Drinking, eating and reading the new Marie Claire:

Though I’m still looking for the lovely late summer days, these pictures gave me an Autumn feeling. Aren’t they beautiful? I love the clogs.

What about a little trip to Paris?!

If only it could be that easy!…

This is the book I got (just gathering more ideas, you know…):

She gives you the instructions for 12 different blocks:

The blocks can be combined in different ways, like this one for instance:

Only two blocks and you get stunning quilts.

Some more examples:

Now that “A Year of Schinbbles” is over….

Another year of fun is about to start ;-)) !!

These lovely and creative people, Sherri, Sinta and Carrie (I love her book!)planed something new, it is called “Le Petit”, you can read about it here and here. This time I’m game since the beginning and I can hardly wait to start!

I’ve baked another cake today, poppy-seed cake, hmmmm!

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

My “Short Story”

2010-08-31T12:40:00.001+02:00

Hi, there,

just a brief post, I finished sewing “Short Story”, the Plan C for this month’s Schnibbles.

I used Charms Packs again, “Botany” from Moda.

A closer look:

I’ve just received the new Marie Claire and a book with the mail, I’ll show you in my next post.

DS1 left home this morning. Boxes with all his things, books, his bike, his computer.

I still have tears in my eyes.

Slowly coming back

2010-08-25T16:59:00.001+02:00

I’ve been away for a while, but I’m still here.

I have to stop and think before I answer “when did I come back from the holidays?…”

Seriously, I have no idea. Though I can say that we came back on a Saturday and on Monday we started to look for a place for DS1. He is moving out. He got an answer from the University and everything had to be done in such a short period of time.

He is the first one to leave home so this situation is “new” to us. I am happy for him, he’s going to study what he wanted. But that is not just a matter of packing his suitcases and leaving home. It takes more than 3 hours drive because the high way is a terrible one, constantly full. Getting a small apartment for a student is a hard job, it means much more work, for him and for us, too. In the middle of getting things done I got the bugs….Quite hard this time, I felt miserable.

DS2’s turn. He went with his class and teacher on a trip for about a week – everything went fine, he only came back home with a cold and a sore throat.

It is still all in haywire….The kitchen from IKEA is going to be set up today and tomorrow (if everything goes fine). The rest will be on its way on Monday and Tuesday next week. On Wednesday he wants to go to his first lecture. Whew!….Is it then finally settled?!…A little voice tells me, “no,dear”….

How mistaken I was to think I would have time for other things…My chaos is now much more confusing than ever before. I am slowly coming back to my sewing room, doing my best not to juggle appointments around, and hoping I can soon keep track of some deadlines.

The Schnibbles for July was on my list, and though I started it, I was not able to finish it on time. It was done a week or so later. I preferred to sew the pattern like Stina did:

Here is a better picture:

How many days I have to finish the Schnibble pattern for August??

I chose Plan C (Short Story) and that’s how it looks so far:

Messy or productive?

Either way, I like this picture! It gives me the feeling I’ve been sewing.

Remember the sneak peaks I showed from gifts I was making for two dear friends?

Simone received hers on time: (the little dog reminded me of her real dog Bibi):

I was glad to hear she liked them.

But Deb never got hers…..

I’m so sad about it. I keep asking what happened to the parcel, who is cuddling Bob “the Bear”?…..These gifts were for her:

Now…I know what is missing here, pictures of the holidays, right?

Right….

But….I can only show you two!!!!

Thanks to my bird brain, the batteries of my camera could not be reloaded. Great.

Here is the bridge:

And here comes the ship to takes us to….

Denmark!

I can go there again and again, it is always a pleasure!

At home I decided to take pictures of the things we bought there, things we like. Is it ok? I hope so. Then I played a little with some of the pictures.

I love Marie Kiks, I had to buy an extra package to bring home:

I love blueberry cakes, pies, jam, everything!

What about in these colors?

The original Blueberry jam:

Lavender honey, it tastes so delicious:

I still have to try this:

You prepare the dough, leave it over night in the fridge and you can bake them next morning. Sounds good to me! Havregryn means oat meal.

Home made Hot dogs for the “boys”!

And even though DS2 is not a “little child” anymore, he still loves to eat this sort of cheese:

Isabellas is a very nice magazine with ideas for decoration, garden and cooking and baking:

Combinations in orange and blue:

An unusual bedroom:

A lovely box:

This is an informative picture from a card:

It is interesting to know that the word “gift” means poison in Danish and in German!

In this case, one should be aware of these beautiful flowers, they are “Pretty, but poisonous”!

That’s all for now.

Hoping that life will soon get into a “normal” and smooth flow

and wishing you a lovely and creative week!

Up and away

2010-07-06T12:59:00.001+02:00

I have a brief post today,

I’ve slowed down since summer started.

To me it’s the time to take a break from everyday life,

it’s time to smell the flowers,

enjoy the lazy warm days,

soak up the sun,

recharge my batteries,

relax :-))

Time for a nice afternoon with ice tea and two new magazines,

my favorite one:

Just a few pictures from a lot of great projects – do I have to mention I love the bags?!

I don’t buy this magazine very often, but this issue has lovely quilts and other projects – the pincushion is so cute:

A simple and beautiful quilt in red, blue and white, and of course, a pretty bag!

But guess what…

I still did some sewing!!!

Sneak peaks of two gifts for two dear friends!

One of my blocks from the Stitching along project “Busy Little Elves” with Melanie and Simone. I am not so far ahead like them because I am making a small version, it will be a wall hanging.

Time to:

dig out the suitcases from the attic,

fill them with a lot of stuff (the ones we really need and all the ones we really could have left home…),

try to choose which good books I should take (and read only one….),

decide which hand sewing project I should take (and forget the scissors at home or any other important part…),

pack the camera,

grab some notes and address book,

take the sun glasses,

and,

see you!

I’ll be back in August,

wishing all of you

a very

A weather to enjoy!

2010-06-30T11:40:00.001+02:00

It feels so good outdoors!

It’s warm and dry, such nice summer days!

That’s the reason why I’ve been away from the sewing room!

But I have finished a “Strippy Bag”, my last project for Stephanie’s challenge!

More strings for the inside pocket with a zipper:

I used D rings to attach the handles, it is a good idea, too:

And, TA DA!

My Schnibbles for this month, “State Fair”.

These patterns are soooo much fun to make!

I think I’m getting addicted to it! ;-)))

I used 2 “Sweet Hearts” Charm Packs (Benartex), which had only 27 per pack. The pattern asked for 68 charms, what should I do?…

Fortunately I had two FQs from the sampler and then I added a “stowaway”!!! Can you find it?

***You can find the “stowaway” fabric in the last block of the 2nd row, the 2nd block of the 3rd row and in the last block of the last row!

DH and I took a little trip during the weekend, some lovely time together.

We went to Wernigerode and Quedlinburg, pretty small towns, nice cafes and places to visit:

If you wish, you can see more photos here and here.

No sneak peak today….

But I sure have projects to work on!

Some gifts for lovely friends ;-)))

So for now I can show you some pictures of beautiful flowers!

Have a lovely,

delightful week!

A new lovely bag

2010-06-24T12:56:00.001+02:00

When Stephanie sent me grommets and a beautiful fabric for my birthday, it was clear to me, they were meant for a bag!

First I looked for a pattern, then I found two other fabrics that matched well.

I had never used grommets before, I was a bit afraid I could ruin part of the bag.

But it worked just fine and I still have one more set for another bag :-)))

Thank you so much, Stephanie! I love my new bag!

This is the pattern used, it is from Anka’s Tresures:

After the bag was finished I made a cappuccino,

sat down,

and,

enjoyed! ;-))

I don’t want to tease you, but here’s another sneak peak!

Turquoise and greens again?

Yup!

Scraps from batiks, a project for “No strings attached challenge” .

It is not hard to guess what I’m sewing!

Nice things, nice day

2010-06-21T13:16:00.001+02:00

Melanie makes wonderful trips and shares her photos on her blog, it is like taking a tour!

This time she sent me some lovely souvenirs from her last “gallivating “(that’s how she calls it) and I am very happy with them! The FQ had a lovely scent, the whole parcel was perfumed. Thanks, dear friend!

On Saturday some ladies from my Quilt Group and I also made a little trip.

The weather was a bit grey and cold, but we had a nice time. We visited a small quilt shop and then we went to a lovely place to have a meal. They had strawberry cake and I couldn’t resist it!…Hmmm! A bag with quilt goodies + laughter + a piece of cake = happy ;-))

On the calendar it is clear : today is the begin of Summer!

The Clematis is blooming, it’s so beautiful:

The first yellow rose:

Yesterday I finished the wall hanging that I named “Waiting for the summer”. Now it is ready, just in time!

Hello, summer!

The machine quilting “runs” in one direction, like water or soft waves. This was the first time I’ve tried this motif, it was fun.

A little sneak peak from a bag that is nearly finished!

Wishing you a lovely and creative week!

And a delightful summer time!

Let the sun shine in!

2010-06-11T11:15:00.001+02:00

I had to ask DS2 and one of his friends to hold the quilt outside so that I could take a picture of the batik quilt. Bright, cheerful colors to brighten up the days:

This pattern (from Brenda Henning) was supposed to be made with one jelly roll of 40 strips. I used the batiks I had been collecting for a while and that was fine, too. Using what I had from my stash I could make one more row, it measures 62” x 78” (1,58 cm x 1,99 cm).

Working with bold colors is like a therapy, they cheer you up, they give you impulse and stimulate your senses to work in different directions. With some scraps from the quilt, some other scraps and some FQs I started to make “Liberated” sort of Log Cabin blocks, a bit wonky, a bit skew, it was fun. The result was a small wall hanging.

I did the quilting by machine.

Here and there, coming back and going the other way around, having fun again:

Ta da! There it is:

It measures 22 1/2” x 24” (57,5 cm x 61,5 cm).

One thing I’m not very found of is sewing sleeves on wall hangings.

I’ve found a new way and I would like to show it. Maybe it is what you already have been doing, but it might also help others, who knows!

When the top is quilted and trimmed, cut 2 squares ( in my case for the wall hanging, I cut the squares 6” x 6”) and fold it in half:

Place the folded squares at the corners and pin it in place:

Sew the binding on the right side of the wall hanging the way you usually do. The folded square will be sewn together and you’ll have a “pocket”. I placed a small ruler so that you can see it better:

Now sew the binding by hand :

Ohh,I see! It is hard to see it clearly, so here’s another picture with a piece of paper:

That’s how it looks like on the back.

Now you can hang it on the wall!

Wishing you a lovely, sunny weekend!

And I bought her a hat!

2010-06-08T20:13:00.001+02:00

We’ve been having such lovely sunny days!

It feels so good to sit in the garden! Blue sky, sunshine, fresh air, hmmmm!

It made me neglect everything else!

A glass of water or lemonade, my little basket with my English Paper piecing project and the hours went by. I did make some progress with the pentagons, sewing outdoors paid off!

Isn’t the color of this Clematis beautiful? I can hardly wait to see it in full bloom!

Summer feeling is everywhere!

But when a girl has a delicate skin, she should better take good care when the sun is shining.

So I bought Martha a hat!

Can you see how happy she is with it?

Do you remember her? She came all the way down from Finland, Ulla made her and sent her as a birthday present. She is the most lovely girl! The garden is her favorite place, she loves flowers.

And here is one more reason for Martha to be happy, Ulla sent her a sweet nightgown!

And also an underwear, but Martha asked me not to show it, she would blush!…

Thanks dear Ulla, you made both of us happy!

These blocks are for a quilt for donation. My Quilt Group does that every one and a half year, all the members take part in this activity. We chose the “Wonky Stars” as a pattern, it is fun making them. I think we’re going to have a nice quilt.

I’ve made three blocks, using scraps:

The block I like most is the one with “Snoopy”, I still have some scraps left from the quilt I made for DS2.

Kick it, baby!

I’ve started to sew the borders to the bright color batik quilt (the one I showed you a sneak peak) so it will be on my next post.

Happy quilting everyone!

“I can see clearly now the rain is gone..”

2010-05-31T11:10:00.001+02:00

And it was “a bright, sunshine day” last Saturday. My Schnibbles for this month was finished and I was lucky to take a picture of it outside.

I used Boutique by Chez Moi for Moda, a beautiful collection in delightful colors.

And here is “Hot Cross” (31 1/2” X 31 1/2”):

Though when I look at this wall hanging I think I could also call it “Waiting for the summer”, the colors remind me of warm sunny days and ice cream!

But it is raining again since yesterday…..I ordered the batting, washed batik, drank tea, did a little sewing.

Today I can show you what I’ve made with the lovely fabrics I got for my birthday from Anne Marie:

My dear friend Annie sent me three old issues from Miniature Quilts, a magazine that unfortunately no longer exists. Miniature fascinates me, they a challenge and they are lovely, and you can hang them everywhere. Flipping through these magazines makes me think about sewing a miniature again…..To sew or not sew, that’s the question!…

Enjoy your day!

And have a lovely and creative week!

High and low tide

2010-05-27T16:06:00.001+02:00

That’s how it has been going around here.

Spring is supposed to be here, but don’t ask me where!…Maybe hiding behind the clouds, hiding behind the pouring rain…the flood…..May is almost gone, too many cloudy, rainy days….. June?….Heaven knows….

But that is not the real reason for my “low tide” days. I’m still learning not to fight against it, instead, it is better to make the best out of it. Instead of sewing, when my mind skips from one thought to another and I make more mistakes than I can count, I go for a walk. Instead of stitching or crocheting I have been reading books, baking cakes, drinking tea. And that’s good too. “Don’t ask for more, take it.”

My best girl friend phoned in the afternoon and asked if I would like to go to the theater in the evening with her.

…..Theater?….

………………..When was the last time I went there?…..

…..What should I wear?…………………What do I need?…..

…………………………………….Why not?

“I’ll pick you up! Be ready!”

A spontaneous decision, a nice evening, a lot of laughter. “Appreciate the moment to the fullest and be thankful for it.”

High and low tide……

I went to the sewing room, swept the floor, sorted out fabrics, magazines.

Batiks in bright, beautiful colors, I’ve been collecting them for a quilt. “Don’t step back, jump into it!”

Squaring them up and that’s what’s left over:

Have to decide which color for the border, I want to show it complete.

I cut much more strips than it was necessary for the quilt. The colors swing, they make me happy and I want to play a little bit more with them.

Liberated sewing, liberating me

…….”Savour the high tide”…….

I was lucky to get Carrie Nelson’s Schnibbles times two last week.

The project for this month is any quilt from the book.

Which one??? They are all so beautiful, it is hard to decide….

But time is running out…..

Ok, “Hot Cross” is the one.

I cut all the pieces yesterday and started sewing. It should be done until tomorrow, but no commitments.

“Nothing is worth more than this day” (Goethe)

Wishing you a day you are enjoying yourself and enjoying whatever you’re doing!

Tagalong, some flowers and a lovely parcel

2010-04-28T17:38:00.001+02:00

I’ve finished sewing my Tagalong just in time!

Old and new blue fabrics, what I had left from other projects, what I bought the other day. Sewing the Schnibbles patterns is a lot of fun, they are simple, lovely, and they are not too big, they make great wall hangings!

Today is a nice day for taking pictures outside.

Blue sky and green grass, exactly what I needed!

Some flowers from our garden.

I don’t know how this one is called, but I love it.

The cherry tree in full bloom:

The lovely forsythia:

The other flowers need more time, just have to wait until they are ready.

I sent Lisa and Sarah (a spoon full of sugar girls ) a magazine we both love and some other little gifts for them. In return they sent me a very lovely parcel. It arrived today from Australia and it made my day!

A big smile when I opened it! :-))))

A great magazine, a cute Matryoshka keychain, a beautiful FQ and Japanese stationery. Isn’t that sweet?

Thank you both so much for your thoughtfulness!

Now I have to finish some blocks, see you later!

Have a lovely day!

The hexagon bag is finished!

2010-04-26T12:42:00.001+02:00

I found a nice way to sew the zipper (in a Japanese book) and the hexagon bag is finished.

I did not sew the zipper directly to the top of the bag, instead, it is sewn to strips and the the strips to the bag, can you see what I mean?

Ready for shopping!

A short sneak peak of my Tagalong, I know I’m a bit late again, but I guess I can still finish it in time.

This the Church where DS2 had his Confirmation. I would like to show some more pictures, but we were not allowed to take photos during the ceremony. It was done by a photograph and we can get it later. Anyways, it was a nice celebration, well organized and the weather was nice, too.

My Quilt Group has a meeting next week so I have to get some blocks and a project done. Pretty busy days ahead!

Have a lovely and creative week!

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

2010-04-23T09:58:00.001+02:00

Have a lovely weekend!

I fell in love with a bag!

2010-04-21T16:32:00.001+02:00

The new Marie Claire was in the mail box! Can you see my big smile? ;-)))

I am never disappointed with this magazine, on the contrary, I am always amazed with so many lovely and fresh ideas, just wonderful!

There are some pretty bags this time, like this one here:

Recycle your old jeans and have an original bag!

And in case you have more than only one old jeans, just go ahead, there are more ideas!

Have you already made a Jeans Quilt?

What about this table cloth? I’m very found of it!

Embroidery with bright colors:

Don’t forget about Mother’s Day!

Blue, isn’t it a wonderful color?

And, finally, here is my favorite bag. I fell in love with it at the moment I saw it on the cover!

I did not wait long!

I started cutting the hexagons.

I have never sewn them with the machine, but, there is always the first time for everything, right? Take heart, Suzie!

This is the tutorial that helped me, thanks to Rachel of Lady Harvatine

It worked!

Five rolls of 9 hexagons each.

After I finished sewing the hexagons, I cut about 4 cm at the top and at the bottom. Then I ironed the batting, but not completely, I left about 20 cm (8” ) at each side so that I still could sew the hexagons on the side. The “tube” was sewn and then I could finish ironing the rest of the batting – that was quite tricky, I tell you! And it was another “adventure” to sew the straps! But it is done :-)))

Can you see where I “mended” the batting? And the bottom is sewn!

So far so good!

The next step is to sew a zipper.

Time to breathe deeply!

I’ll show you how it turned out on my next post!

Have a lovely week!

And happy makings!

Hooked again!

2010-04-19T11:18:00.001+02:00

What can happen when you just don’t feel like sewing?

The ideas come and go… there’s something missing …but the urge to do something is there, your hands can stay still…

Crochet! That’s a good idea! I looked for the cotton yarns I had and got started.

The first one I made is called Modern Vintage Potholder, you can find the instructions here.

Then I made this one, it is cute!

Crocheting and letting the ideas flow….patterns, colors, motifs…Hmmm, crochet, sewing, stitching ! :-))))

That was a lot of fun and my yarn stash (yeah, I have a yarn stash, too!) started to decrease. I still have pink, red and yellow, should I use them too? I’m still “hooked”!

Evenings are great for this craft!

COUCH + YARN + HOOK = CROCHET!

Have a lovely and creative week!

Happy makings!

Little bugs

2010-04-14T10:42:00.001+02:00

I haven’t done much lately, things are a bit slow at the moment.

But I have finished another preemie quilt and that’s nice.

May these cute little bugs bring joy and luck to the baby and its family.

Have a lovely and creative week!

One preemie quilt done and a lovely mini quilt

2010-04-07T15:32:00.001+02:00

Hi, there!

The weather has been so nice, sunny and beautiful! There are more daffodils in the garden and the first tulips are also coming. Spring will soon blossom out all over.

….sigh….to my surprise I started sneezing like crazy and soon I had a nasal congestion and my eyes got swollen…Yea…A new allergy test!.. I am allergic to some pollen - Hazel, Birch, Alder and specially to Beech. Gosh, where does that come from??… I did not have anything like that before!…Last year everything was all right, we had a wonderful Spring and Summer, I had NOTHING. I sat often outside, I read books, stitched, sewed by hand - no sneezing, just normal. Now I have to use a cortisone-containing nasal spray and a medicament as long as the pollen are there….sigh……

I finished the preemie quilt, I think it looks bright and joyful:

And I started another one, just need a fabric for the border:

Yesterday I felt relieved, the parcel Anne Ida sent me arrived safe and sound!

A beautiful card with daffodils!

And this lovely mini quilt was inside, it is absolutely darling!

I love this little bee!

And the flower and the button, too!

Thank you so much, Anne Ida! *^* Tusend takk!

That’s all for the moment.

Wishing you a sunny, lovely week!

Books and blocks

2010-04-03T13:12:00.001+02:00

I think I could flip through a new book or magazine every day, I never get tired of it. It is like buying fabric, you never have enough!

The books DH gave me are full of inspiration, here are some pics:

Many fresh ideas for the Summer, with polka dots, birds, hearts, roses and bags:

For a very fine breakfast!

A romantic “tea and cake” in the garden:

Piece O’ Cake Designs have beautiful ideas for appliqué:

This one is so lovely:

And this one with leaves, it is beautiful! I love their color and fabric combinations.

For hand sewing some pretty ideas with hexagons:

A tea cozy and a place mat – look at the little red tea pot!

Pretty bags and pouches:

And a quilt:

I hope you also feel inspired for new projects!

Now and then a little time spent in the sewing room, no idle hands! ;-))

I had so much fun making these blocks:

They are for a preemie quilt. I make them for donation, it is a little gesture to show the parents that other people care. The first time I delivered them at the hospital I met a young mother there, she had three babies, two boys and a girl. They were so tiny, so helpless, the tears came by just looking at them. The mother was surprised that a group of women thought and cared about them. Unfortunately, only the little baby girl survived. But they were thankful, later we saw a photo of the little baby girl, she was doing just fine. This is the wish with every quilt, may these babies survive and grow up healthy and have a normal life, may they play and laugh and be happy.

The first daffodil in our garden! Everything else is still dry, more green, please!

A new little bunny stitchery, just in time!

May you have a wonderful weekend, with a wonderful weather!

Wishing you a lovely, blessed Easter!

A beautiful day – and my Roundabout

2010-03-30T18:18:00.001+02:00

Hi, there!

For about more than two weeks I received parcels and kept them safely in the living room – can you imagine how hard it was to wait until I could open them?!

But I am a good girl and I did not peek!

Last Friday was the day!

And what a wonderful day I had! The sun was shining in the morning and though it rained in the late afternoon, that did not spoil that special day.

My family and friends were here and we had a lovely afternoon with tea, coffee and cake.

DH gave me great books (I’ll show them in my next post), wonderful flowers, and a very funny T-shirt:

He said that is how he sometimes find me in my sewing room!!!

I have to confess…. that is true!

The first parcel I got was from Anne Marie with a beautiful and practical organizer, pretty fat quarters, a nice card and lovely buttons.

I like it so much! It matches perfectly with a gorgeous tote bag I got from one of her giveaways. Tusend takk, dear Anne Marie!

The second one was from Ulla. It was a huge parcel, the postman had a curious expression on his face when I opened the door!

She sent me a Unicef doll she makes to raise money, you can read more about it here. Isn’t she lovely? Her name is Martha. She is dressed in her school uniform, she is a very good schoolgirl, she likes to take walks and , what makes me happy, she loves handiwork!!

Her sister, Dot, is living with Melanie, and that is a little bit far away…Martha told me she is missing her sister already and she wants to write to her as soon as possible.

Wonderful presents, dear Ulla! I felt like a little girl!

The third one was from dear Stephanie. She wrapped the presents in a beautiful tea towel!

Inside there was a wonderful fabric (for a bag), gromets, lavender bags, and a crochet wash cloth:

The gifts are so lovely, thank you!

From sweet Melanie came two parcels. She wrote that the first one was not the “proper present”, but I did not open until Friday. The second one came later, it was a round parcel!

I love the wrapping paper and the card with snowdrops.

But I love this basket much, much more!

How pretty is that? I’m still amazed by her work!

And there were so many lovely goodies inside, flannel, a thimble for my collection, a nice pen, a perfumed candle, a little heart tin with tiny needles, chocolate eggs and a wonderful tea towel.

I call the “not proper” gifts an extra care to sweeten the days!

Heartfelt thanks, dear friend!

Simone, another dear friend of mine, sent me lovely presents, too.

You girls have such great wrapping papers, I’m keeping them all! Sweet butterflies on the notepad with a pen:

This is one of the most cute little bunny stitchery ( the other one lives with Melanie!), here a closer look:

I love them, Simone! Thank you so much!

All of you made my day a special one, full of loving and caring, warmth and joy. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Oh, I still have to show my “Roundabout”!

I used “Cherish Nature” from Deb Strain (Moda). It is a very nice color combination, I’m pleased with it.

Wishing each of you a lovely, sunny and creative week!

Where’s the thread???

2010-03-23T11:58:00.001+01:00

That’s a real problem for me, I get sidetracked and then… I simply loose the thread …and need some time to find it again…

I needed a push! And a straight off one!

Have you seen fabric covered canvas? Like the ones here?

I decided to try it. Just a little bit different.

I found a cute rabbit pattern from Nancy Halvorsen:

It took me about an hour and soon after it was hanging on the wall!!!

You would like to see the back? Well…Ok!

Not that “clean”, right? But for some weeks during Easter it is not that bad! And it is ALWAYS hanging on the right side! ;-)))

That brought me back to sewing and crafting, what should I ask for more??

These ones also belong to Easter and I had fun making them:

Then all of a sudden…

I realized that the Schinnibles project for this month is not ready yet!!!

I started cutting right away!

So, that’s all for now gals!

I have go get “Roundabout” sewn!

I’m “on the road” again and that makes me smile!

Have the most lovely week!

Time for a new generation

2010-03-05T16:55:00.001+01:00

I cannot tell whether it is kind of a conspiracy or just a strange coincidence….

It started with the dish washer, this machine seems to claim for attention every now and then. Luckily this time it could be repaired – for a notorious amount of money, of course.

Not three days later the washer got “infected”, too. What is going on?!…DH tried his best to see if he himself could repair it. He gave up hours later….After 15 years of good mutual work I have to say goodbye to my loyal friend. Will the new one be as good as my old one?…

Then something really bad happened, my ruler got broken. (Please, don’t ask me how, that is so embarrassing…) I need to replace it soon.

May I go on? My iron “forgot” that it has a “Anti-Drip” function. And it is not “that” old! The ironing board was getting more than wet. I tried later again, it seemed to work and I thought nothing was wrong. Finally yesterday I had the afternoon for my sewing!… (I thought….) I turned on the iron, started ironing, and I heard a sizzling. That was it, a short circuit….”What happened??!, We have no electricity! What did I do?…” DH said, it was no one’s guilt, “shit happens!”. And he fixed it. My angel.

Melanie called it a “black cloud of doom” and I agree! Please, black cloud, go AWAY!

That was our contribution to help the economy, we had to buy new electrical equipments, but enough already! I’ve had it.

To my frustration I did not manage to sew half as much as I wanted to. This is a post without pictures, I have nothing new to show…And what I have I can’t!!! The birthday gifts for two lovely blogfriends will soon be on their way to them ;-)))

Hoping next week will be a creative and good one for all of us!

See you,

Something finished and lots of new ideas

2010-02-26T16:02:00.001+01:00

I’ve just finished my first Schnibbles! :-)))

The fabrics are from Moda Mill House Inn (Joanna Figueroa). It is also the first time I have used Charm Packs, I had no idea how all the fabrics would look like, but I’m pleased with the results. The instructions were clear and simple, it went together pretty fast.

Now I can say I’m ready for next month’s pattern!

I realized later (after reading your comments) that I forgot to show you what I purchased at the Quilt Show....(excuse my bird brain...).

These ones here “jumped” into my bag!!! I love the tea pots, such a cute fabric; the scissors and spools got my eyes, too.

Turquoise, teal and other prints to use with linen - have to find a nice project for them:

When I received my favorite magazine, I simply had to stop what I was doing! Kind of a boring chore, I did not feel bad about it!!! The dish washer got broken, oh no….

So, let’s sit down and simply enjoy the lovely ideas for Spring!

A tea pot with buttons! Santa, please add this to my wish list!

This bag is called “The Princess and the Pea”. So sweet!

A lot of Polka Dots:

More Petit Pois:

Beautiful bread! Love and imagination everywhere.

Isn’t it a pity to eat them? But they sure taste good!

Blues, white and green, a beautiful combination, always!

See the white tea pot?

I’ve seen some pillows like this one, crochet is a pretty neat idea:

And the best for last, a beautiful quilt!

A lovely one to welcome Spring:

It has rained a little….

………some sunshine now and then….

…..the snow has melted away.

I can hardly wait to see the flowers blooming!

But not just sit and wait, you know, busy fingers, happy heart!

In my sewing room the strips in a variety of colors are ready to be sewn into another project. They are the substitutes for the flowers in these grey days.

Wishing you a lovely and creative weekend, with lots of sewing, stitching and quilting!

Have a good time!

Quilt Show

2010-02-23T20:43:00.001+01:00

My friend and I took a little trip to a Quilt Show.

We stayed 3 days there and it was a very nice “quilt vacation” , we had fun, saw beautiful quilts and learned new things.

That’s how our trip started, at the train station:

First, the traditional quilts

This one is all sewn and quilted by hand.

A Baltimore Album.

A beautiful Sampler.

I really liked this one:

Here you can see what a wonderful work she did:

There were also a lot of contemporary quilts:

Can you see the fish? Great job!

This is an amazing one:

The Log Cabins are stunning!

A beautiful combination!

A leaf ? Or a tree?…

Another one of my favorites:

What about vests?

365 in all possible colors, techniques and shapes.

One for each day of the year!

A few photos from the Landscapes wall hangings:

I took a lot more pictures, everything was so interesting.

And I could have taken even more, but we also wanted to see the new fabrics and all the other quilt goodies and there were workshops, too! So much to see and do and so little time. We just could not make to visit one of the exhibition, that was a pity.

I came home quite tired yesterday, but oh so happy! ;-)))

It was a great weekend!

That’s all for now,

have a lovely and creative week!