Between Stitches

a little more...

2012-02-01T12:37:00.000+01:00

Stuck this up on my design board a moment ago, just to get an idea of how it's coming together...
I'm smiling...!

In it for the long haul....

2012-01-17T11:27:00.001+01:00

Call me crazy, but this block was too much fun to make!
Just wanted to share, I'm off to make melon number two!
(only 80-plus more melons to go.....lol!)

It's going to be a Double Wedding Ring, by the way.....

Have a happy Tuesday!

- iPad Reports

Weekend report

2012-01-15T21:23:00.001+01:00

I've plopped down on the couch, ready to wind down the weekend with a hot cup of Earl Grey with, but not before I write a quick post about Bloggerday at Atelier Quiltgebeuren.
This time the guest bloggers were Jeanneke of The Building Houses from Scraps fame, and Jovita known from the Got Dots Quilt. Simply by asking fellow readers on their blog if they would like to join in with making these projects, the quilt-a-longs went viral!

I've been steadily working on my dots, and having so much fun with them, and now I'll be preparing to build a few houses as well. Not sure if I'll do them by hand (although that is my preference), or try my hand at foundation piecing, but I will get stuck in. If you are interested, check out the button on the right with the house, and perhaps you'd like to join? Hurry, the patterns are only available until the 16th of this month.....

Similarly, if you'd like to try your hand at dots, just check out the Got Dots button and check out Jovita's blog. The patterns for both projects are free.

Jeanneke had her hands full with her Building Houses from Scraps workshop, showing the ladies tip and tricks to achieve a successful build...

Busy cutting templates.......

Jovita is showing how she makes every block perfect. That's her quilt so far...she's making a second version of this quilt as well with bright candy colors!

I really enjoyed watching Jovita's technique for making perfectly round dots.

Jeanneke's little house.......

Diana's mom working on her hexagon quilt.......

Willy demonstrated her star templates......

I picked up some lovely pieces of fabric for my Double Wedding Ring, which I will blog about soon. During a brief quiet moment, my quilting buddy in crime, Diana, offered to cut the fabric in strips so I cut cross-cut them later at home. Oh, yes please and thank you, I said, and with the enthusiasm of a Labrador, she cut ALL of my FQs!!! There went my plan for a little bit for the quilt and a little bit for the stash......ach well, I didn't tell her HOW to cut them, just figured she wouldn't do it all.....so it is my own silly fault! LOL!!!

You do realize that these fabrics will always remind me of this story, in every quilt they end up in.....

So if your quilting buddy ever asks.....you know what to do....lol!

A funny ending to a fun day! A birthday party in the evening, a day playing squash with family and friends have made this just a very satisfying weekend!

I'm signing out now, ready for that last hot thee. I hope you are enjoying or will enjoy your Sunday evening and have a great and inspiring week!

- iPad Reports

Hello 2012!

2012-01-03T14:39:00.000+01:00

The New Year is here, and I haven't counted the quilts finished or made a list of projects to work on or complete in 2012. To me, it's not very important. My love of quilting, to learn more, improve my skills and have just plain fun making something pleasing to the eye, and warm for the body is what I've been focusing on, and wil continue to work on this year.

Having more fun taking care of myself is something else I will be focusing on this year. It'll take a bit more time away from my quilting, but in the long run it will be worth it. It began in the fall with with longer and sturdier walks with the dog, re-joining a fitness club to get stronger. All that sitting around stitching is fine and well, but not very good for overall health. One day I went with Mr. Betweenstitches to the Squash club to use their fitness facilities, and asked him if he wouldn't mind letting me have a go in the glass box? The result is that I have become the latest card carrying member of the Squash Club, and love that Mr. Betweenstitches is teaching me to play the game. I love learning something new - it just wides my perspective, brings new focus and energy!

What better way to ring in the New Year than together with friends "camping" out in the eastern part of Holland! The 1st day of the year was spent quilting, laughing, teasing, eating, and enjoying each other's company. Back home, it's time for me to focus and finish up a little sample quilt and prepare for the presentation of my workshops during the Open House at the Quiltgebeuren this coming Friday and Saturday.

These Dresden Plates are what I'm working on and will be part of a workshop I'll be teaching in the near future...

They're so much fun to make, and I've used only scraps and stash to make them.

At least they are much more cheery than the terrible storm raging outside right now!

I'll do my best to write a bit more often, and would like to, but I've been trying to keep away a bit more from the computer so I can get more handwork done and do other things as well. - I'm sure you know what I mean about all the time you can lose surfing the internet!

In the meantime, I'm going to grabe needle and thread and get going on those happy little plates!

Have a very good year....!

2011-12-24T15:01:00.000+01:00

To everyone a wonderful Holiday and the Best Wishes for the New Year!

...and of course, lots of quilty-goodness!

Mariner's Compass in progress...

2011-11-25T09:00:00.000+01:00

Strange sunlight today, so the colors don't come close to the actual quilt, but here it is anyway.

The idea was to put a nice wide border around the blocks and call it a quilt top, but now I've thoughts of making a dense, leafy applique border around it, using the same cream solid background fabric as used in the compasses. What kind of border, leaves, flowers, I still have to figure out. Looking for good sources of where to find ideas.

It's nice to have made a quilt out of mostly scraps out of my bin, but mostly I'm proud of the flat blocks!

For now, I'm off stash diving to collect fabrics for my Dresden plates......

after the workshop...

2011-11-24T10:00:00.000+01:00

Remember the Spiderweb Workshop I gave? Well, some of my students were kind enough to send me photos of their completed ( or almost completed) tops.
The rest are still working on theirs...

Gerda's Spiderweb

Gerda did mention to me that she had changed the look of her quilt, and would be sending me the changes as son as they were completed. I still like the random feeling of this quilt and the warmth the pinks/reds give.

Heleen's Spiderweb

Heleen's quilt is very different! Bright colors surrounded by a cool blue plain fabric.
It reminds me of spring and pick-nicks in the park. Last I heard there may be a border
made to trap the webs ....

Well done ladies! I'm so enjoying your progress, and can't wait to see the end results!

morning mist...

2011-11-22T12:36:00.001+01:00

I enjoy my morning walks with Darwin.

Yesterday was quite special.

A heavy mist surrounded us.

It was cold, damp, but above all, very quiet.

Even the birds were silent.....

I think we both enjoyed that walk.

World Championships Squash 2011

2011-11-06T09:40:00.000+01:00

Could have stayed home and spent a lovely afternoon with my quilting friends at the Camelot Bee,

Could have spent the evening getting the the end of my Mariner's Compass blocks,

Instead I went with Mr. Between Stitches to the World Championships Squash in Rotterdam held in the very lovely Luxor Theatre. ( bad iPhone photos to follow)

(star dancers...who, once in the box, couldn't get out...)

The thought crossed my mind to take some sock knitting with me....but I couldn't find the one I was working on. I even thought about taking some hand stitching with me, but that didn't last as the lighting would be bad,

( blindingly fast games...)

I gently suggested that perhaps he'd like to go with one of his squash buddies, who really understood the game ( to me it was merely fly swatting in a box) but the tickets were bought with me in mind, wich included evening of dinner and spending time - just the two of us....

(entertainment during the break.....)

So I armed myself with tic-tacs and rolls of salty licorice, and settled in my seat, took a breath,

and ended up getting into this incredible game of skill, speed, stamina, and strategy, and had a fabulous time! I was calling shots, and hooting and cheering with all the rest to the pleasant but quizzical surprise of Mr. Between Stitches. He beamed, happy, and I think I've earned quite a few brownie points....(wink!)

What do you think? shall I offer him to join me at an afternoon Bee, followed by a romantic dinner?

Would that work? Ok, I'll wake up out of that dream now....

Spider Web Workshop

2011-10-23T14:07:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I gave my Spider Web Workshop at Atelier Quiltgebeuren. Can I just say straight off that it was heaps of fun? As a teacher you can't ask for better than a group of fun, eager, and willing students ready to learn and try new things.

After going through the basics and the preparation, we got out the fabric scraps and bits and made a wonderfully colorful mess and got to the business of sewing....

or so I thought.....did I miss the coffee run.....?

at least there are a few left...

ah! there they are!....can you hear the silence of concentration?

Gerda is doing this by hand....or will she change her mind and get behind the machine?

Marijke is also working by hand, and also wondering if she should do this by machine.....

Jeanette and Menda are hard at work after deciding their color schemes

Ah! this is what I like to see! students happy and busy!

And there's progress! As they finish them, units of the block are put up on the wall.

To the left with the border, is Janine's sample, and to the right, is my chaotic sample.

Gina had a mean little machine that sounded like it took off every time it sewed!

Marijke and Gerda in sync....

Menda dared to cut up some amazing african fabrics and wow, I can't wait to see this one complete!

Here's the result of their work - not bad for all the chatting!

Ladies, you were amazing students, and made my easy and a pleasure to teach. Thank you Nel, Heleen, Gina, Gerda, Marijke, Jeanette, and Menda for a great class. I can't wait to see what I know are going to be fabulous results!

in a right mess...

2011-10-11T13:41:00.001+02:00

You don't want to be here in my sewing room: ankle-deep in fabric scraps
in all colors. Closet doors, boxes and bags open and their contents on the floor. I'm just grabbing blindly, and sewing them down...
I'm trusting in the Universe that this quilt will work out.....
But for now, it's great letting go!

Do any of you like to work like this?

- iPad reports: cause I can't reach the keyboard.....

Thank you Steve...

2011-10-06T11:19:00.001+02:00

on a sunny Saturday...

2011-10-02T15:41:00.001+02:00

...while the boys went out to do this:

I went and did this:

My first Camelot block.

I had most of it completed at home, and put in the last wedges during the Camelot Bee at Atelier Quiltgebeuren where those participating in with this B.O.M. get together to share in the fun of making this quilt. Janine and I are running this Bee together, guiding and helping those who need it with working with circles for the first time. The Bee was great, I really enjoyed the relaxed and friendly atmosphere, and how everyone was excited to try something completely new to them!

I chose to work with my own fabrics instead of going with the lovely fabric pack that Janine prepared. I'm trying to experiment more, expand the repertoire of fabrics I normally use within a project, mix them up, toss them about, and see what happens. After all, I have a nice collection of Reproduction, Japanese, Handwoven/dyed, Modern, and what-not fabric in my closet. This means I will be working without a compass on this project, and will really have to work the instinct!

One thing I can tell you, although I'm casting about in the dark, it feels right going in this direction to find my own voice in my quilting. The Camelot quilt is my experiment.

enough dots...for now...

2011-09-30T14:16:00.001+02:00

The next seven dots blocks are prepped and ready to be stitched down. This set is so diverse, I'm wondering if they won't be too chaotic in the quilt? I guess I'll let daughter be the final judge on that - after all, the quilt is for her....

It's so much fun jumping into the bin and pulling out not just bits of scraps, but lots of memories as well!

How is it that I remember when and where I bought that bit of fabric and the friends I was with, even the weather is was, but I can't remember where I put my favorite Moroccan scarf?

Anyhow, here are some pics:

This is really one of the coolest projects I've worked on and am enjoying every moment!

But now that these fellows are prepped, I think I'm going to continue prepping blocks for the Beyond the Cherry Trees quilt. It's waited way to long..

Now to go and enjoy some sunshine with Darwin..

Have a great weekend!

seeing spots....

2011-09-24T10:00:00.000+02:00

I've made a good start on the "Got Dots" quilt.
After preparing a stack to take with me to St.Marie-aux-Mines, and working on them in the evenings,
I've finally got 10 done out of the 20 I'm making of this block.

Yes, I know, they are wonky, but that's how daughter wants them. She liked the organic/imperfect look of the original quilt, so even though I'm using paper pieces to shape the dots, I'm not getting too exact when stitching them down.

The preparation and stitching of the first two blocks was a bit fiddly and took a bit getting used to with those 3/4' circles, ( making me wonder what I had gotten myself into!) but it picked up pretty quickly, and now they've become addictive to make!
Another fun side effect of this project is that I'm now building a collection of applique threads. It's great to see all the different colors in my basket, and soon they will have to have their own home...
Any good ideas about storing threads?

Here's a quick picture of the blocks so far:

Out of the scrap bin:

Well behaved dots!.......

Now for a bit of a change, and work on sorting and prepping the heart blocks for this quilt today.
It would be nice if I could get some done and put aside for evening stitching, and pick up my other projects that have been neglected this summer....

impressions...

2011-09-23T11:00:00.003+02:00

What an amazing time that was in St.Marie-aux-Mines.

Some impressions and inspirations:

Perhaps this weekend will offer some inspirations?
Have a good one!

Day Three

2011-09-17T19:36:00.001+02:00

Oh my! I can't feel my feet, my back, well, is barely able to hold me up, but what another good day it was!
Found some more fabrics for projects, and a few for the stash.
We decided to complete the exhibits in St.Marie-aux-Mines, traversing the village, and stopping at an antiques quilt shop where we did became proud owners of adorable quilt blocks. I'll show those when I get home....

Anyhow, I'm wiped, and have few sensible words left, so here are some pictures:

Tomorrow we're on our way back home, richer in fabrics, inspiration, memories and friendship.
For those of you who are there too, I hope you had a great time, and I wish you a safe trip home.

Day Two...

2011-09-16T22:09:00.001+02:00

Slept in and took our time with breakfast and getting ready for the day. Why? It's what's needed when you spend until late in the night eating, stitching and laughing until your tummy hurts!

We had to pop into the shops to pick up a "few" things, namely, fabrics. Wil and I were looking for fabrics mostly for current projects, Diana to build stash, and Janine was also looking to add to her project stash.
She's also started making dots after she fell in love with my prepped blocks.

Books are an important part of a quilter's reperatoire, so we spent some time at the book shop:

If you keep nosing around long enough, you'll find a book you love and for me it was the 1776 Quilt. Lots of inspiration and great ideas!
After the books and fabrics, and lunch on the little green, we went off to check out some expos:

My favorite of which was the Wagga-Wagga quilts that showed in the same building as Edyta Sitar's beautiful creations.
Annette Gero was there as well, and it was wonderful to meet her!
I already have her book, and the very last three she had were for Janine, Diana and Wil. Signed, of course! Tomorrow we will go to her lecture. Even though she's giving a tour of the quilts this evening, tomorrow's lecture will be more in-depth, she said.

The quilts hanging here are also to be seen in the book:

I'm wiped out, but oh, the fun!
It'll be nice to sit down with a cup of tea and let the day settle in my memory tonight with stitch work in hand...

The connection is really weak here, so I hope I can post....

Heidi
iPad Reports

Day one...

2011-09-15T23:41:00.001+02:00

A beautiful sunny day, and the Quilters are coming from all directions!
Wasn't planning on doing it all in one day, but I completed most of the shopping list, most importantly, my shiny new silver Roxanne's thimble. I found it a bit odd to walk around with my iPad taking pictures, so forgive me for the simple shots.

Tomorrow, if we can avoid popping into the shops, we'll begin visiting the exhibits. The one I'm most looking forward to is the Anette Gero lecture! I have the book she wrote on Australian quilts, and am excited to see her in person and the Wagga-Wagga quilts as well.

Short report, I know, but my poor feet and rest of my body is begging for bed.

I'll try to make more sense next time....
Cheers,
Heidi

- iPad Reports

Safely arrived from Holland

2011-09-14T09:16:00.001+02:00

Bonjour!
It's a beautiful morning here in Liepvre, the sun is shining and it's the day before the Carrefour starts. My friends and I are settled in our little chalet and getting ready to start the day.

Thought you might like to see our little house:

And here' the room I'm sharing with Diana:

No, we didn't plan it, but while making up the beds, we realized we brought the same quilts! Ha!
It's so lovely and quiet, the air fresh and cool, and I hear Wil is back with fresh croissants and baguettes. So thats my cue to take my leave. Is Wifi behaves, you'll hear from me later....

-Posted from my iPad

A quick round up...

2011-09-12T18:51:00.000+02:00

Oh my, Blogger has changed things around here - something else to play with when I get back from my trip, (but more about that later....)

I'm back. Actually, I've been back, but for the first time since I've taken a trip, I've needed to take a rest from it! New York was fun, hot and hectic. It's always good to come back, but this time I did realize that Holland is my home now, the place I want to be. The moment DD and I landed at Schiphol, we hit the ground running, she going straight to "Introduction Week" at the University of Leiden, and me off to my LQS, eager to see my quilting buddies at the monthly Bee. I wasn't sure if I was going to pop by at first, wondering if it was a good way to keep me awake a few hours, but when Diana called me and said "hey I'm in the car and on my way, want to join me?" the decision was then easy to make.

Fast Forward to the class presentations for the Fall Semester at Atelier Quiltgebeuren. It was really cool being with some amazingly talented teachers with whom I have studied under. Good fun, and exciting times to be able to share and learn about the art I'm so passionate about with others.

Press the Fast Forward button again, to the part where I tell you that I'm packing today, and getting my sewing basket together to head off to the 17th European Patchwork Meeting in St.Marie-aux-Mines in the Alsace of France. Seven days of quilting and good friends. What more could a girl ask for? This will be the second time for me. Wil, Janine, Diana and I sharing a log cabin house...I can't wait!

There. You're basically up to date, with the exception of what's been going on in my sewing room...
I'm working on the last three Mariner's Compass blocks, and....started a new quilt. Pffft! I fell...
Ok, can I just say it's my daughter's fault? Her eyes fell on the web page I was looking at and she just went "Awww....it's so cute, I love it!...I'd love a quilt like that...."
So now I'm making her graduation quilt. Gives me plenty of time...lol!!

Here's the first block stitched down:

It's from the Got Dots quilt-a-long from Jovita's Patchwork. Based on a museum quilt, that you can read about on her blog, she's adapted the pattern to create a new quilt from all these little dots. I in turn, have chosen to use two of the main blocks from the quilt, but then branch out on my own to make this quilt unique for my daughter.
I've prepared nine of these little blocks, and am taking them to St. Marie-aux-Mines to work on them in them in the evenings. I've prepared all the blocks and used the smallest drops of glue to hold them down. It just seemed a bit treacherous to have so many little pins in one small block!

That and the first block of the Camelot quilt is coming along too...you think I'll get that much stitching done? Ha! We'll see, it's the thought that counts, right?

Now I've got to run. Time to get dinner going, pack and have a moment's rest before leaving early in the morning...
If the stars allow, I may try to post while I'm there. Haven't tried my iPad's camera yet, so this may be a good opportunity to do so!

Have a great week,

time for a break...

2011-07-25T11:19:00.000+02:00

A last walk in the cool woods with Darwin.

..and then it's off to take a trip to visit family and friends.

It seems New York City is having a heat wave.

Washington Square Park by Luis Sanz

Looks like fun, doesn't it?

Taking some sewing with me to finish - hopefully they'll let me do some on the plane.

It'll be nice to take a blog break, and come back refreshed.

Where are my followers?

2011-07-09T12:29:00.000+02:00

Do you have this problem too?
My followers are gone, and although I've tried a few things, they haven't come back.

Checking out the Google forums where many people have addressed this problem - all advice didn't work.
Unless, it's just me who can't see the followers' list and you all can?

I've removed the followers list gadget , refreshed the blog, and placed it back - no go.
I went into the Friends Connect account and saved it - that didn't help either.

any ideas?

(..in the meantime, have a good weekend!..)

good wishes...

2011-07-05T08:00:00.014+02:00

To Marcha whom I had the pleasure of meeting during the Blogger Day at the Quiltgebeuren!
She just opened a brand new little web shop, de Quilt Ster because there are no quilt shops in her area where she lives in the province of Zeeland.

I thought that was a really cool thing to do, so here's my little shout-out, to wish her all the best and
ask you who read this, to go visit her webshop and say "hello"! A little quilty-love can go a long way...

Good Luck Marscha!

Blogger day...

2011-07-03T07:00:00.004+02:00

A day where bloggers, blog readers and non-bloggers could get together, connect, and do all sorts of quilty things! Janine hosted this day at her shop Atelier Quiltgebeuren. It was really cool to meet the quilters behind the blogs. I helped by manning the beautiful Jasmine quilt frame and demonstrating hand quilting, for those who have never used such a frame.

As always, it's so energizing to meet new quilters, exchange ideas and admire each other's work.
A few moments:

making a covered button

pincushion workshop

stash building...

focused stitching

sweets are never far...

All in all a wonderful day.

Thank you so much Janine, for being such a wonderful hostess!

...and yes, I forgot my fabric! ...but I'm sure it's in a safe place...;-)

per adua ad astra...

2011-06-30T13:56:00.000+02:00

The diploma is signed, a chapter closed, a new one opens....

The important thing is not to stop questioning
-Albert Einstein

She did it!!!

2011-06-29T11:49:00.001+02:00

My "little" Monki has graduated VWO-TTO!!!!
Now it's off to Leiden University!!!

Congratulations my baby girl, you did it!!

yeah!

2011-06-28T12:09:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I was sat at the dining room table gritting my teeth cutting out hundreds of little bitty shapes for my Mariner's Compass blocks, when I took a little break and checked out the blogs on my Google reader.
Lo and behold, Dawn's Blog, Collector With a Needle came by the name of the winner of the Triangle Giveaway, looked very familiar: me!
If you're not familiar with Dawn's blog have a look, lots of wonderful fabrics and quilts, vintage sewing notions and I've learned quite about about old quilts and patterns from her informative posts.

Thank you for your generosity Dawn!

..and now back to those itty bitty bits....pfft!
listening to some great bands ( U2, Coldplay ) of the Glastonbury Festival is helping to get me through...

steadily stitching

2011-06-17T06:43:00.000+02:00

and not having anything really new to show for it as yet. More Mariner's Compass Blocks have been made with 10 more to go, and I'm working on The Beyond the Cherry Tree blocks, stitching them down. However, a girl has to take a break once in a while, and get some fresh air.

Perhaps I'll head up north to Amsterdam and have a wonder here: A Stitch A Day: Embroidering in Prison 1940-1945 at the Dutch Resistance Museum. A very interesting part of Dutch history that I first read about in Handwerken Zonder Grenzen, in edition #130 from 2005.

It's on from now until March 2012, so maybe I can get some quilting criminals to join me...

Hey chickas, (and you know who you are!) up for a field trip?

a visit to a castle..

2011-06-07T07:00:00.032+02:00

On Sunday past my quilting buddies Janine, Diana and I went to Kasteel Cannenburch to spend the day admiring quilts in a beautiful old castle, doing a bit of shopping (of course!), and enjoying each other's company. It looked like the day was going to be a wash-out with heavy storms and lightning on the way there, (even striking ground objects along the road as we drove along - making us jump, and almost landing Janine on my lap in the drivers' seat!), but eventually the sun came out and we could enjoy our pleasant surroundings.

Unfortunately it was not allowed to photograph the quilts on display - apparently this was not the case the year before, and no explanation as to why not this year, so that's why I could not share the wonderful work with you.

Anyhow....

There were some great shops there, all decked out in their finest wares, and naturally some souvenirs had to be brought back:

Something for the stash...

something to read....

and something just for the fun of it!

The catering was wonderful, yummy sandwiches and cakes and we indulged ourselves on strawberries and cream in the sunshine, what more could a quilter ask for?

...and now back to sewing!

to the stars....

2011-06-06T07:00:00.001+02:00

As promised I was going to share my new project. Here's the first block:

After spending time taking courses on learning all sorts of techniques on the sewing machine, and becoming comfortable maintaining and using it, the time came to go back to my quilting roots and sew by hand. Perhaps a bit ambitious, starting with a Mariner's Compass, but I think this block turned out all ok.

The last time I made such a block was when I took a beginner's quilting class, many moons ago.

I fell in love with the background fabric, and given it's vintage look, went for scrappy, randomly placed rays. I'll make a few more and see how that pans out....

Beyond the Cherry Trees Block #3, and some of #4

2011-06-03T14:37:00.000+02:00

This should have been posted a few weeks ago, but I was too busy cleaning my sewing room, which with a big helping hand from a non-quilting friend of mine finally got done this week! All the fabrics in my closet are sorted by color, and tools and trinkets have their place. What a chore! Yuck! But Oh, what a feeling when it's done, and everything is clean and in place! I can tell you, even though I haven't made as much sewing progress as I would have liked to, it sure feels good to get that project out of the way!

I have another excuse why ( besides thinking I should rather be sewing that taking out my camera to take pictures) nothing's been posted: I've not been happy with Block #3 and how it came out!

Did have to remind myself that this was a learning quilt, so after leaving it alone for a while, I decided to keep it, and just push on.....

No, I don't feel like pulling out the iron to flatten this one, you're just going to have to make do...

All in all, those fiddly-fingers were a pain-in-the-patootie, but it's all behind me now, and Block #4 is prepped and looking a bit scruffy from traveling...

...nothing an iron won't sort out.

Although I made a start, it's on hold for a moment while I plunge into a new project:

Can you guess what it is?

It feels great to give the sewing machines a rest, and go old school. Working with needle and thread, stitching in lost moments or while chatting with friends. I love that.

Speaking of which, the sun is shining here, and it's warm, with a gentle breeze - you don't mind if I go outside and stitch a bit would you?

I'll show you my new endeavor very soon, promise!

Beyond the Cherry Trees Block #1

2011-05-06T11:42:00.000+02:00

This one was easier and more fun to do that block #2.

I like the subtle effect of using the different greens and reds.
Block number 3 is prepped and ready to go - this is becoming quite addictive!
As you may notice, I haven't cut the block to size yet. That will wait until all the blocks are completed and ready to sew into a top.

But before I get stuck into stitching, some household chores first, the re-folding of all my fabrics! Well, not all of them, I made piles of all the colors, using the mnemonic ROY G. BIV as a guide plus, black, grey, cream, brown and shirting fabrics.
Where before I kept my fabrics relatively separated into collections, types or fabrics to be used in a future project, they are now all mixed up, old and new, batiks, reproductions, modern, solids, japanese, etc.
Why, because I tend to choose fabrics more on color than print, and it makes things more fun and adventurous to try and mix styles and types of fabrics together....
At least the fabrics that have languished for a few years now in the closet will get a fair chance to show their stuff in the next project, and now I also know that I really need to add orange and purple and double pinks to my collection!

And speaking of next projects, I have become reacquainted with some old UFO's, kits and things I don't want to part with, yet do want to work on. Time to make a list and see if they can be gently worked in my already growing one for stuff to do this year...

Have a wonderful weekend!

Beyond the Cherry Trees Block #2

2011-04-29T18:36:00.001+02:00

Well, I've officially gotten started on the Beyond the Cherry Trees Quilt, you could say...
Yesterday I completed the block and I'm on a roll now!

It'a bit wonky in spots, but that's ok, I'm just beginning to get the hang of things, and I'm looking at this quilt as my "learning quilt" , the quilt that will help me learn about applique. I have one or two pieced quilts made many moons ago, and looking at them always reminds me of how far I've come and what I still need and want to learn. I find that very valuable, especially now that I'm focusing on "the process" of quilting....

For this block I pre-basted the leaves, and glued them to the background. Very handy, easy to transport, and makes stitching them down quite easy. When the stitching was done, it took not even 15 minutes or so to soak the Roxannes' glue out. Nice.
Oh and, I'm not pre-washing my fabrics, and the reds held beautifully! Phew!

Today was also "The Wedding" as the media called it, and while Prins William and (now) Princess Katherine were getting married, I got started BTCT's Block #1.

I must admit, I'm still a bit scattered, and need to find a rhythm of working a bit more efficiently, but I guess that will come eventually too....

I've pinned down the pieces because we are having beautiful sunny weather here, and since doors and windows are open, I didn't want my bits wafting off under couch and table...as it was, Darwin ran off with the toilet paper roll with my stems on it, with the intention of offering it as a gift to a friend who popped over. Usually it's a bone, or toy of some sort, but they had been left the garden.....silly dog!

So tonight the leaves and buds will be pre-beaste, I'll continue making the flowers, and the glue everything down, and get to my favorite part, the stitching...!

And lastly Sharon at the Beyond the Cherry Trees blog, asked me to show which fabrics I was using...

These are the base line colors from which I'll work. Mostly Moda Bells solids in a few different greens and solids from Modas' Maison Garance and Petite Ecole collection. If and when I do add prints, they'll be bits from my stash.....

Since I've never made an applique quilt before, and so never a red and green one, I thought to stick close to the original. I fell in love with the fresh colors of the quilt, and all it's faded bits. I've never really made a quilt from solid fabrics, so this is a new something for me. A good new something!
There's something to be said for the knowledge gained from "copying" or closely following an original.
Let's see how long I can keep that up!

Enjoy your weekend,

a new start, a new quilt

2011-04-12T09:00:00.003+02:00

I spent the weekend making a start on the Beyond the Cherry Trees quilt.
It seemed the most simplest one to start with so I began with Block #2.
Because I'd like this project ready to take to my Bee, and easy to transport, I opted to try pre-basting the leaves, and using Roxanne's glue to hold them. This way I can just grab my needle, thread and snips and get to sewing.

The background is Natural Moda Muslin, and I'm using Modas' Bella solids for the leaves.
This may become a test block as I'm still not sure if the muslin was a good idea to use, but that is what I had in my stash, so in my eagerness to get started, that is what I grabbed.....

I love this quilt just as it is, so I may just keep to the colors as they are in the actual quilt, including the faded cream colors. Since I don't have all the fabrics yet, those plans could change....

Here's a picture of of where I am now...the very very beginning...

I'm really looking forward to learning a lot from making the quilt!

keeping busy...

2011-04-11T11:25:00.000+02:00

It's been really quiet here on my blog, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy!
I've mainly spent my time hand quilting and it's coming along nicely. I've been enjoying the process which is something I've wanted to get into more rather than the focus on finishing a project.
Taking time to just do something and learning from it has been very enlightening indeed, and has helped me to slow down and enjoy this art even more.

I'm just about half way through the quilting and with each fan I complete, I get more and more excited...

A snap of what it's starting to look like:

But that's not all I've been up to.

I've also decided to take the plunge and make an applique quilt.
I fell in love with the Beyond the Cherry Trees Quilt , was invited to join the blog, and finally got some baseline fabrics together to get started!

My resolution for this year was not only to enjoy the process, but to also make do with what I have and only purchase fabrics or supplies when needed. I had a bolt of Natural Moda Muslin on hand, so that's what I'm using for the background blocks. I am however, having questions about using this fabric as it's kind of thin. I like the color and feel, but wonder if it's the right fabric for this project. I do want a vintage, krinkly look, and plan to hand quilt when I'm done...

Wondering if anyone out there has had any experience with using this muslin and would want to share their thoughts on it?

Other than that, another activity that has been keeping me away from blogging is the big cleaning of my sewing room! I guess the easiest thing to do would be to toss everything in the closet and close the door, but after having done that and still spending waaay to much time looking for fabrics or occasionally finding that I've made a double purchase, it's time to do a serious clean and find an system to store all those different sizes of fabrics!

Right now, all the patterns and magazines and being sorted and that's going pretty quickly. Saving only those patterns I want to keep, putting them in a binder and tossing the rest of the magazine, is making for a lot of space and there's already an empty shelf for the books stacked on my sewing table waiting for a more permanent spot.

Speaking of which, it's time for me to get up there and work for another hour or so in that mess, so I have some time for my hand quilting as well.....

for her new shop...

2011-03-04T07:00:00.113+01:00

A few weeks ago,. It all started with an email. An email asking for help. Janine owner of
't Quiltgebeuren and friend, asked if we could help out cutting fabrics into strips and fat quarters so she could clear out those leftover bolts of fabrics. This all in preparation for the move to the store's new location. Myself and the rest of the gang, being more than happy to help out, popped in to the shop to help out.

I was helping to clear a box of fabrics, cutting what could become a roll, or fat quarter. Odd cuts and bits I put aside, until Janine told me to take those with me, knowing that I'm a big log cabin fan, Sweet! Yes, she is a dear....

And then....during a tea break....

Don't ask me how this happened, but somehow I got roped into making a liberated log cabin quilt for the new shop! How cool is that? Janine, gave me that puppy look, and I fell. All I remember is asking about a wall in the new store.....

Luckily there were witnesses, all of whom had a good laugh, so I lassoed the loudest laugher, my friend Els, to help me with this project. Next, we both told our quilting buddies, and they were excited to help as well, and that's how Tineke and Diana got hooked into this project too!
I was given a few bags worth of the shops' scraps and bits and a sample roll of wall paper use as reference for the colors of the quilt, and sent on my merry way to organize the troops.

Since I was deemed the liberated log cabin expert, and the rest had never made one, we gathered at my house for a quick-start lesson, and everyone had 4, 12 1/2 " blocks to complete. Diana and I got together this past Monday and spent the evening sewing everyone's blocks into a quilt top.
Here our contribution to the new entrance of the shop ends as we leave the quilt in Janine's capable hands to quilt it on her longarm machine! Since she doesn't like the last task, I offerend to hand sew the binding on......;-)

So here it is:

close up detail:

This was so much fun to do and so liberating to work like this, I'm planning to make one for myself with all my left over bits and scraps. I sure do have enough to make a few! After making Janine's I have some new ideas, or may just let the fabrics speak for themselves....so stay tuned...

Now back to my hand quilting - the Baptist Fans are coming along nicely and the first fan of the second row is drawn, leaving me to settle on the couch and quilt this evening. I've really come to love hand quilting and find that I look forward to doing it every moment I can!

take a moment...

2011-02-23T10:09:00.001+01:00

Just wanted to share this with you after reading about it on my friend Diana's blog, thanks Diana!

A wonderful little film celebrating the beauty and symmetry of quilts.

I enjoyed taking a moment to enjoy the animation and images, I hope you will too...

Here's the link just in case it won't work in the post...

Quilt by Gayle Thomas

enjoy!

souvenirs from the Patchwork & Quiltdagen....

2011-02-15T12:53:00.000+01:00

Saturday I spent a wonderful day with my quilt buddies at the Patchwork & Quiltdagen in Vijfhuizen.
Oh, so much to see, and lots to be tempted with!
Of course I couldn't leave without some souvenirs:

a basket full of goodies:

some tweed, linnens, reproductions fabrics and quilting thread

here's a close up of the white linens

and a snap of the luscious tweeds

Yummy, no?
I've got a few projects that I can't show right now, that I need to get done, and then I can't wait to get my hands on my new goodies!

working the hands...

2011-02-08T20:21:00.000+01:00

Today I spent hand quilting. It's been such a long time since the classes I've taken, that I thought I'd forget! A friend told me it was just like riding a bicycle...hmm, perhaps....

I've been wanting to quilt a quilt using the Baptist Fan pattern - I've always loved it as an overall pattern, and on this quilt I think it's just right.

After consulting Quilting With Style by Gwen Marston & Joe cunningham, from my library, I made my own fan maker from some cardboard, grabbed a pencil, and I was good to go!

Here you can see the bit of cardboard I cut, with holes 1 " apart. The holes are just big enough for my pencil to fit through so I can draw the lines. I use two pencils, one lead, the other green so I can see better in the darker bits of fabric.

My stitching isn't perfect yet, and I'm not really focusing on making small ones, just making them as even as possible. The batting is 100% unbleached cotton, Tuscany Collection. I chose it for the wrinkly/shrink effect after washing, but I must admit, it's not very regular in it's texture. It seems as if it needles quite easily at one point, then gets tough at another.....

Just as I was bringing my quilt to the table to draw my third fan, I received this in the mail:
Accidentally on Purpose by Eli Leon an inspirational book filled with the kinds of quilts that inspire me with their color and form. If you love liberated quilts and their history like I do, I think you'll enjoy this book!

..and now back to my fans....

liberated wednesday

2011-01-28T11:05:00.000+01:00

Having fun with lots of beautiful scraps making liberated log cabins

Making a lovely mess, chatting, laughing and working.

We did finish some blocks, but I'm not going to show them to you yet because it's a surprise...

bye, 2010

2010-12-31T16:31:00.000+01:00

2010 is coming to an end. A lot learned. New friendships made, old ones deepened. I joined quilting Bees, made some amazing friends, my creativity expanded, I began to explore more. Mistakes were made, but I've learned from them. It was a year that felt like a new chapter in many ways.
For 2011 there are new plans, new things I want to try and things I want to learn to do better.
I'd like to get back into handwork, doing applique and quilting by hand. Of course, I'll be working hard to continue to finish UFO's and "making do" with the stash I already have.
Most importantly I've really begun to see the pleasures of "the process" and not worrying about the finish line. That is something I really want to work on, enjoying and getting better at my crafts every step of the way.

To all who visit my blog, thank you so much for your encouraging words! This blogging community is so wonderful and kind. I wish you all a wonderful 2011 filled with goodness, laughter, good health and lots of creativity!

in friendship,

heidi

season's greetings

2010-12-24T21:22:00.000+01:00

Wishing you and your loved ones very Happy Holidays

with good health and laughter for the New Year!

...from my family to yours,

Heidi

winter wonderful...

2010-12-20T10:52:00.000+01:00

The biggest snow storm in about 25 years hit Holland....

I see it as a little gift from nature, reminding me of the white winters back when I lived in New York. It's wonderful to walk with Darwin, hiding little treats in the snow for him to find. I hope we get lots more!

3 done, 1 to go!

2010-12-18T10:29:00.000+01:00

I must be the worst blogger around! It's been very hectic around here, and time to photograph and think of something sensible to say just wasn't working. But that doesn't mean I haven't been busy on the quilting end!
I'm happy to say that I did manage to complete yet another project for the New Year's Even UFO challenge! Here it is:

"shoo!"

A little quilt done in the liberated style from my bits and scraps. It was really good fun to make and looking at it now, I think putting the block on point would've been a good idea as well, but at the time I just wanted to put the little shoo-fly blocks together quickly. I do just love that paisley border fabric don't you? Those were the last bits left from my "Chicken Soup" quilt.
As for the machine quilting, I'm still working on getting my head around free-form machine quilting. I would've preferred to do it for the whole quilt, but my machine acted up again, creating little loops in the back and shredding thread! I gave up and quilted the center using straight lines....
All in all I like this little quilt, and it gave me plenty of ideas to do for the next time when I make something liberated, which if the stars are aligned properly, will be soon!

till then,

2 done, 2 to go!

2010-11-15T15:40:00.002+01:00

I'm motivated. A comment led me to be invited to participate with the New Years' Eve UFO Challenge happening on Finn's blog, Pieces from my Scrap Bag. The idea is to pledge to complete an amount (you decide) of UFO's before Year's End.
Since we're already well into November, I didn't have a spectacular number of UFO's that I could realistically finish in time, but I did have a stack of quilts ready for quilting that I would love to have done so I could get a bit of a fresh start in the New Year. Besides, having stacks of unfinished tops and projects just cuts into the fun of it all, doesn't it? I can't stare at them anymore, and trying to hide them doesn't help either ( because we all know they're there, lurking somewhere...), so getting a few done feels good.

My challenge is to finish 4 quilts before year's end. If I keep up the momentum, and the holidays don't get to me, I may add another! Here are the first two:

"Cherry & Chocolate": a quilts made, oh months if not a year ago! Simple straight line stitching put it all together to make a nice little lap quilt.

Here's a quick snap of the back. I've also been trying to use up my stash lurking in the closet, and this is part of my ongoing "make-do" project. After all, what's the point of keeping those fabrics in the dark? I'm pulling them out and working them into my quilts so I can enjoy them!

"Chicken Soup": now this quilt makes me happy. Lots of fun fabrics put together in a pretty much random way and left the border on three sides only to create this vintage look quilt. I also like the gold binding. It brought a touch more light into the quilt, and I felt like trying something other than the perhaps more safe choice of using a darker binding. This was also quilted by machine in simple lines. The idea was to create an overall diamond quilt pattern, but I ended up with squares on point. Oh well....
The evening I finished the last stitch of this quilt my daughter snatched it up and took it to put on her bed; it hasn't been seen since...kids!

Here's the back of the quilt - another bit of stash that can now be put to good use.
This is also the first time I used a bamboo batting. My fellow house dwellers were not too thrilled with it. They found it a bit flimsy and light, not enough "beef" to it. When tested for warmth....eh...perhaps good as a summer cover. Ok, fair enough. They may be used to the 100% cotton batting I normally use. Those quilts are a bit heavier, and so far have kept us nice and warm in the winter ( either on the couch or in bed) and they do have a bit more "beef" to them. I haven't formed a final opinion yet, but did notice a difference in the feel, and the quilts are indeed lighter in weight and to the touch, although to be fair, they do have a nice drape to them. I'd need to experiment a bit more...

In the meantime, I returned to the sewing machine guy this weekend and he checked out my Pfaff. Turned out the "shredding" of my thread was due to the plate not being centered to the needle. As the threaded needle moved up and down, the thread chafed against the plate, causing the thread to shred and break. Mystery and problem solved! Now I can go back and try my hand again at free motion quilting.
Quilt number three is on the table and ready to go, so let me get to finishing!

Have a great week,

heidi

pulling, shoving, bunching....

2010-11-05T17:16:00.000+01:00

Pffft!
I love my craft, but this can make me grumble...
...but I'm in that "must. finish. now." mode, and this is quilt number two....(out of four)

So, while the water slides down the window, the wind thumps against the house, like the big bad wolf, I sing, hum, and bop to my favorite tunes while trying to get through quilting this mass of fabric!

Since the quilt is made up of very busy fabrics and my machine has decided to shred my Yli cotton thread when I attempt to free motion quilt ( yes, I will bring it back to the Sewing Machine Guy ), I'm doing a simple all-over 60-degree diamond pattern.

You can see the paper tape I used here to get me started. Once that first line is done I'll use the guide to help me to the rest of the lines.

The stitch-in-the-ditch foot is very handy here. I use the "skate" to follow the line exactly.

You know, it's not all that bad really, I just need to get into a groove, have my tea and music nearby and remind myself that just because I'm sitting behind a sewing machine, doesn't mean things will or automatically have to go faster! Repeating that to myself today while puling, pushing, adjusting, propping and bunching the quilt through my machine, made it go a little easier...a little.......

Have a great weekend my friends!
( I'm heading back to my machine......)

Fall drab?

2010-11-05T07:00:00.002+01:00

Who thinks Fall is drab and depressing?
I'm enjoying my walks with Darwin even more and am loving the inspirational colors around me....

...and when you come back inside and shake the rain and wind off, that hot cup of tea tastes soo much better....

happy stitching,

sandwich...

2010-11-04T17:23:00.000+01:00

That's my daughter helping me to sandwich the Fall Stars quilt. A task made very pleasant by working together, chatting away and giggling over some silliness...

...with tea and her freshly baked cookies nearby...

thank you Monki!

shoo-flies...

2010-10-21T07:00:00.001+02:00

The moment I finished my "leftovers" top I started playing around with some liberated shoo-fly blocks.

Three inches square, it was fun to work with small pieces again, after the large pieces I quickly put together. grabbing a handful of stash and just getting started without thinking too much about it was fun and very, well, liberating!

They're still up on my design wall, a bit unruly and needing to be pressed and trimmed, but I think they're kind of cute, no?

Now I'm wondering how to put them together in a top ..... sashing or alternate blocks? Hmm...

It's here!

2010-10-19T19:11:00.000+02:00

I'm going to write this post real quick so I can dive back into the goodies I received today....

From Glorious Color , the Roseville Album Quilt by Kim McLean! Since I've been more of a "piecer" than an "applique-er", I not only got the pattern and the starter pack of fabrics, but some Rowan cotton thread in "Circus" to get me started. My postman came just a few moments ago to deliver it and I'm really excited to get stuck into this project.

I've been sewing on the machine for some time now trying to get projects done, and I was ready to get back to handwork. As it happens I was fortunate to take an intensive three-day applique course with Ted Storm a few weeks ago and being the wonderful teacher that she is, inspired me even more to add applique into my work in the future.

Together with finding and now being part of the wonderful blog, Glorious Applique, I hope my skills will continue to grow!

So what better way to dive into it than with this quilt?

I'm off to get back to that box of goodies!

happy stitching,

Heidi

leftovers

2010-10-10T15:54:00.002+02:00

What a fun quilt this was to make!
...and on my Featherweight too...
A simple nine patch and alternate block pattern, I cut lots of different fabrics, some of which that have been laying in my closet for years, and randomly threw them together.
It's not easy to work randomly, but once you get started, it's lots of fun and the quilt just makes itself.

leftovers, originally uploaded by Monkicat.

I'm not too sure about the results yet, so after taking this picture, I folded it away and will not look at it for a while. Maybe after a few days something new will come to me.

Thoughts that have crossed my mind:
- an appilque edge on the bottom? ( simple and folky)
- perhaps a thin border between the main part and the large red border?

Any ideas you may have?

Now off to do some quiet cross stitch...

a happy mess...

2010-10-09T15:41:00.000+02:00

This is the reason why yet again I haven't been taking pictures and blogging.
I've been just so inspired by wonderful quilters making wonderful things that I've only wanted to sit behind my machine and get to sewing!

This past Thursday we've had our first Featherweight Friends Bee, where a group of us get together and sew with our Singer Featherweights. Good fun seeing all those shiny little black machines humming and sewing away! My quilting friend Diana and I decided to make a similar project based on a "privy bag "
with the "rules" that the fabrics really shouldn't match, giving the quilt a "make do" look.

Having started with a packet of fabrics, I ended up digging through my closet and pulling almost all of my collection out: it's spread out in my sewing room, the living room, and the dining room! Ok, so things are a right mess at them moment, but my fellow home dwellers don't seem to mind all the colors scattered about. It just doesn't make sense to tidy things up if I have to only go looking for stuff later!
( How's that for an excuse...?)

Normally I'm not this bad when working on a project, I like to keep things relatively tidy to keep my scattered self organized. But I'm having so much fun finding 5, 6, 7, year-old fabrics that have been hiding in my dark closet. I can still remember where each scrap came from!

Well, now you know what I've been up to, and why it's been quiet around here on the blog. There's just so much going on at the moment, I'd rather just keep going sometimes that stop and go through ( what seems to be, but really isn't) the trouble of blogging. Silly really, since I love to share things with all of you!

Anyhow, I'm off to play with fabrics and my Featherweight, and I hope you all are enjoying your weekend!

some sun and sea air...

2010-10-03T18:01:00.000+02:00

No stitching or quilting today, just a day filled with sun and sea air....

Hope you enjoyed your weekend...

mail day!

2010-09-10T16:59:00.000+02:00

I love getting boxes, don't you?

Just before I was getting ready to take Darwin out for a bike ride, I spotted the postman, hands full of boxes. One was for my neighbor, and yet another book for me to add to my growing collection, and just in time for the weekend to get stuck into! My neighbor had also ordered a stack of quilting books to begin her quilting library. She wasn't home, but on our street it's quite common that we take each other's packages so that we don't have to wait yet another day to receive them or to have to pick them up.
What did I get?
Well, something that departs from the usual books I buy...

Comfort Zone by Maggie Bonanomi

I've been thinking about working with wool and felt in different ways, have some beautiful Harris and Irish tweed to make two quilts with, and thought this would be a fun place to start. There's all sorts of homey, folky projects in the book, big and small, so lots of inspiration to work with for this winter!

When I came back from my bike ride, I spotted the second post-lady, and just as she was about the round the corner, I greeted her and asked her if there was anything for me, and sure enough! My eagerly awaited fabric arrived! Ten yards of "sprout spots" background fabric for The Roseville Album quilt.
I became aware of this quilt while reading several bloggers who were writing about it. After finding and following the Glorious Applique blog and seeing all the wonderful work done there, I was sold! And, I must tell you, I'm not even an applique "fan", so to speak.

still in it's wrapping fresh out of the envelope

Things happen for a reason, I guess. I'm getting ready to take a master class in applique in two weeks, and the Bee I just joined is also working on an applique project. Hmm, you think it was written in the stars?

So while there's some time before my classes, I'm spending this stormy Friday catching up on some podcasts, and sewing a "droom deken" or " dream quilt" for Stichting de Regenboogboom. A good thing to do on a day like this...

Well, I've got my work cut out for me, so let me get stuck in!
Have a pieceful weekend!

Heidi

fall celebration

2010-09-03T15:50:00.000+02:00

The summer's over and it's time to prepare for what is probably my favorite part of the year, Fall.
I've always seen it as the start of the new year, with things picking up their normal rhythm after the lazy days of summer. With that in mind, I decided to make a simple quilt to cuddle under during the cooler nights when one can find me in my favorite corner of the couch stitching on a sampler.

It's also the first large-sized quilt I've made with my Featherweight, and it held up quite nicely too!
There's a wonderful 1/4 inch foot on it, but I can't sew over the pins as I usually do with my Pfaff, but with a little practice I managed to get most of the points just right.
Yes, there's a boo-boo in it - I saw it too late and left it in, as I always do with my quilts!
And now it's time to dig into my closet and find fabric for the backing. In keeping with the folksy feel, I decided to "make-do" and not buy any special fabric for it....so it may look a bit scary back there!

That should give me some extra time to consider the quilting bit...babtist fans? meander? If you have any suggestions, I welcome them!

In the meantime, enjoy the weekend!

Sunday morning...

2010-08-29T08:58:00.003+02:00

Woke up before light, and took a quiet walk with my Darwin in the pouring rain.
The house is still sleeping,

Think I'll sew now....

Summer's over...

2010-08-26T23:32:00.001+02:00

But that doesn't mean I've been idle.
I managed to make 3 quilts, all gifts for children, two of which I can show you, the third, I can't yet because it's not been given yet.

The first one was for my dear "sister" friends' first daughter, Analicia. I was so pleased to be able to give this to her personally while on a visit in New York this summer! I wish her many warm cuddles with this quilt....

Analicia's quilt

A detail:

When my next door neighbor asked me to help her make a quilt for her daughter's 9th birthday, I of course said "yes" and well, not only was a little girl chuffed to bits with her new quilt, a new quilter with lots of talent is now in our midst....

not bad for a first quilt, no?

her butterflies...

The third quilt? I can't show you that yet. It's done, but the new owner hasn't received it yet. I can tell you it's a very special baby quilt that I made for a dear friends' first baby...

Uhm...what else have I been up to?

With all those finishes, I thought to treat myself to a new project. Yes, a new quilt is in the making, but this time it's a sampler:

Oh, and wanting to make the moment I saw it, the Hannah Gilpin 1800 sampler from Needleprint

I'm keeping this one short and sweet, tomorrow is going to be a long day, but I'll tell you about that later.

At least now you don't have to stare at pretzels anymore...lol!!

see you soon,

Heidi

A preference for pretzels over peanuts...

2010-06-21T19:22:00.000+02:00

Be back in a while....

-- Post From My iPhone

on a rainy sunday

2010-05-30T18:00:00.016+02:00

I'm very quickly typing in this post, awaiting my friend whom I'm giving a cooking lesson.
I hope you all had a good weekend, Mine here started out beautifully with lots of sun and gentle winds, but now it's grumpy outside, dark rainy and windy.

At least Friday was a good day! I met up with my quilting friends at 't Quiltgebeuren to help owners Wil and Janine celebrate the shops' 5th anniversary. They beautifully decorated the store and Wil's home ( who lives upstairs ) with quilts of their own and customers.

The moment I walked into the door, I was sent up the stairs by Diana, with no chance to greet anyone.
Upstairs, I was greeted by quilting friends, and congratulated. Congratulated? For what?

My quilt was there too, it was hung upstairs in the living room. And it won second prize! Wow!

I had no idea that prizes were being given, and never won anything, so this was really very special!
Normally it's friends and family that see my work and tell you it's nice, but it's another bag of beans to have it judged by people in the business, and other quilters you don't know compliment your work.

The first and third place quilts were truly wonderful and deserving of their prize.

..and the third prize...

Super, aren't they?

There were so many wonderful quilts hanging, it was hard to capture them all, but here's a sample:

What a great day to catch up with friends and talk quilt! Seeing and meeting up with quilters is always good fun and inspiring. It certainly gets my fingers itchy and eager to get back to sewing, my head full of new ideas and things to try out in the future.

I'm really proud of Wil and Janine, they worked so hard to get to this point, and they are going farther still! They've made this shop not only a great quilt store, but a place where you are warmly welcomed. I wish you many, many more years!

So now, it's time for me to get back to my projects - I've finally got some more foundation to finish my log cabins for the baby quilt, and the pieces for a simple modern wall quilt ( an experiment really) are cut and ready to go under the needle. So stay tuned!

have a great week,
heidi

finally a picture...

2010-05-27T17:46:00.001+02:00

of the log cabin quilt I made! Completed in early January of this year, it was hanging in the living room all this time where the lighting just wasn't right to photograph it. I managed to remember to take a quick shot of it ( still not pleased with how it came out) before it went off to Brielle to be be part of a show they are having to celebrate their 5 year anniversary.
I haven't seen yet how it will displayed, so I'll be just as curious as the rest of the quilters who've brought in quilts when I go to celebrate with the "meiden" (girls) tomorrow.

This quilt was inspired by the woods we walked in with friends during an Easter weekend getaway last year. It's made up of mostly Japanese fabrics I've collected over the years, batiks, reproductions fabrics, and who-knows-what bits and pieces.

Here it is:

the color is better on the detail I think....

I must admit, I'm pretty pleased and proud of how this one came out!

Log cabins always continue to fascinate me, and perhaps one day, when I've collected enough bits and pieces, I'd like to make a traditional scrap log cabin.

For now, there's enough to work on....

Veldhoven 2010

2010-05-03T13:09:00.005+02:00

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day to head out to the European Quilt Championships in Veldhoven. There were beautiful quilts to see...

...details that caught my eye...

In the paper bag: a pallet of Japanese fabrics and shot cottons from Kaffe Fasset, for a modern wall quilt. Oh, and I couldn't wait - they're already cut up and on my brand new design wall - thank you Ro!
A cute little "Basket & Stars quilt pattern.
...and a stack of some solids from India out of my stash that I'm auditioning with the solids I bought.

a beautiful pallet of hand dyed and printed linen fabric from a German Artist.

But the weekend didn't end there...
Sunday I got together with some friends with our Featherweights to begin work on Droomdekentjes.
These are quilts made for children who are seriously ill, suffer from a life-threatening disease, and or have suffered from a trauma be it physically or mentally. The quilts are there to offer comfort and everyone is welcome to donate supplies for quilt making, blocks, or an entire quilt.
Armed with scraps, a production line was sent up and our little machines were humming away! I'll post soon with the our simple but heartfelt results.

All in all, a wonderful weekend, filled with quilty goodness!
I'm off now to unpack, and get ready to do some stitching on this cold and rainy day. It really is a day for some chicken soup made from scratch!

I hope you all had a great weekend...do anything cool?

coasters

2010-04-28T17:25:00.001+02:00

I really wasn't in the mood to work on one of my larger projects today, but still wanted to feel like I did something that was on "the list" to finish, so I sat down and made 8 coasters. I've made these before for friends as gifts, and finally I made some to match the neutral colors in our living room. I found some Japanese fabrics scraps left over from a previous project, and here's the result:

I really need to make little projects more often! It feels so nice to have something done at the end of the day to enjoy! That, and it keeps the hands busy while I decide what to work on next. I always seem to have a period of time where I don't do much after completing a large project. There's so much I'd like to work on, that I don't know what to work on! Ever have that?

But now it's off to make a shopping list of things I really do need to continue and finish some projects. Tomorrow I'm off to the European Quilt Championships in Veldhoven to meet with friends and enjoy some beautiful quilts. As far as shopping goes, I will try to stick to what I need, and not come home with yet another bag full of fabrics! Perhaps just a few to make a modern wall quilt for the living room...? With the wonderful weather we've been having here, no matter what I come home with, it will be a great day!

12 klosjes

2010-04-24T08:00:00.003+02:00

a modest beginning...

12 done, 488 to go.....

green logs

2010-04-23T17:35:00.001+02:00

I haven't only been cutting and stitching little klosjes, I've also been busy building log cabin blocks for little baby due in around two months. The mom was very specific about what she wanted ( you know how pregnant moms can get - I know, I was one many moons ago...) and so I am only happy to oblige.
I was also under strict orders to stick to making do and using what I have. It's becoming more and more doing this and a joy to see the results in not only this project, but in other projects as well.

I would have zipped through these blocks, but I'm a bit stuck in the water waiting for the tearaway foundation that I ordered to come in. I'm hoping it will be here soon so I can pick it up again!

My hands won't be still waiting however, there's lots to do, so I think I'll do some more quilting on my red and white log cabin that is still waiting to be finished. There's also a granny square throw that needs the rest of it's fringes knotted on, cross stitch samplers...pffft!

Enjoy your weekend,

old school stitching

2010-04-18T15:46:00.001+02:00

I did't get to make anymore klosjes blocks before Saturday, but did spend this week preparing lots of little pieces so I can sit and make the blocks in what will be rare quiet moments this week. Beginning such a project really makes me realize how important it is to have a collection of light fabrics is! Even though I have built up a nice variety of lights, they would not do as the majority in the background effect I would like for this project. EQC is coming up in Veldhoven, so I'll dig around for some there.

It's been a while since I've pieced by hand! I've been so focused on getting to know my sewing machines better, becoming a better machine piecer, and quilter. I feel much more confident working a sewing machine now, and since I have the Featherweight, I have less fears to open up a machine and work on it.
Drawing the block, making the templates, making sure the pieces fit exactly, and using my favorite quilting pencil to trace the shapes on fabrics brought me back to my first days of learning to quilt. There's something soothing and comforting about it. It slows my thoughts, calms and I find joy in the process.
When I stitched the first klosje, it felt slow and clumsy, by the time I completed the second block my fingers knew what do to and where to go. Just like riding a bike.
There's so much on my plate right now, it's hard to keep my head organized, so stitching these fellas in stolen moments will help me catch my breath...

on the bandwagon....

2010-04-15T08:00:00.001+02:00

Ok, ok, you got me!
All those cute little klosjes on all those blogs finally made me relent, grab fabric and get started.

Still making do with what I already have, I found some old Den Haan & Wagenmakers fabrics lurking in my closet. Finally a good project to use them with!

So you know what I'll be doing tonight right? Sitting in front of the TV, tracing shapes to make a stack of pieces ready to stitch when I'm not behind the sewing machine. The old cigar boxes collected during the beginning days of learning to quilt will come in handy now.

So where do I sign up?

I'm currently working on yet another baby quilt, so I don't know how many klosjes I"ll get done by Saturday, but I'll do my best!

little log cabin

2010-04-14T15:33:00.002+02:00

The moment I got my little Featherweight, I was itching to start sewing with it, so since I'm "making do" with my stash, I went diving into my scrap bin and this came out. I made this a few weeks ago, the moment Grasshopper was oiled and lubed and ready to go.

It's now hanging on the wall in our guest room, a wall I plan on using to hang all sorts of little quilts on.
What will be the next project for the wall? I've been thinking about trying out some classic quilt blocks, to play with color and fabric and hang them up to create a quilt collage.
With all the large quilt projects I tend to make, it will be kind of nice to have some little projects to do in between or as a break.

Do you do that too?

note: in answer to Rhonda's question regarding the size of the quilt that popped up the moment I posted this is:
The quilt's finished measurements are 15 inches square and the blocks are just shy of 2 inches square.
In metric measurements: 38 cm x 38 cm, and the blocks are 5 cm square.

just chuffed to bits!

2010-04-02T09:00:00.003+02:00

May I introduce you to my new Singer Featherweight?

No romantic story here, it came to me from England purchased from eBay and I find myself very fortunate to have one in such nice condition. This one is from 1952. Found under Grandmothers' bed. Shiny and clean on the outside, and just as pristine on the inside. It's clear to see it was barely used.
I gave it some oil, lubed the gears, and now it's just purring away.

Although I do enjoy using my two Pfaffs, this is a different piece of pie. I understand now why quilters around the world love this little machine and take it with them everywhere they want to sew.
I love it's simplicity, and the fact that it's so easy to maintain. I may love my high-tech gadgets, but there's nothing like good old-fashioned mechanics! You do understand when I tell you that in my enthusiasm I've made a little quilt with it ( soon to be posted ) , rather than properly photograph and post to my blog....hey, I was having too much fun!

Many quilters name their Featherweights. I've never done that before with a machine, with the exception of my Mac and iPod....
So for me, "Grasshopper". What do you think? It's the only thing that came to mind because it is so small and cute...you almost want to knit it a sweater...lol!

till next time,

happy national quilt day!

2010-03-20T23:45:00.092+01:00

It's almost midnight, but I wanted to get this in before flopping into bed, so here it goes:

To celebrate the day I met up with my quilting friends in 's Gravenzande for "Tomatendag" or "Tomato Day" with Ted Storm ( with whom studied the art of hand quilting ). In this region many greenhouses are located where amongst many other kinds of produce and flowers, tomatoes are grown. Hence the name, simply put. It has been some time since I took her course, and the first time I came to this event. Why I didn't come before, I cannot for the life of me remember, but I'm happy I did this day!

This is an annual happening where Ted's alumni can meet up again, catch up with each other, do a show and tell, and a little shopping. What's a quilting day without a little sniffle through some fat quarters? The shops certainly did not disappoint!

If I hadn't been so busy catching up with friends, and sharing our latest adventures ( mine you will here about soon, so watch this space...) I would've take some better pictures, but this is some of what I've got from the show and tell - wonderful quilts enriched by the stories they hold, told by the makers themselves. I was touched, inspired and felt a kinship with much of what our fellow quilters shared with the group. So here are some snaps:

Drawings from a son translated into wonderful appliqued blocks.

An alphabet quilt - so charming!

Made from Dutch folkloric costumes and fabrics - beautiful colors!

The applique is adorable, and the colors of the circles quilt are wonderful.

A massive block of the month quilt, wow!

A little family history and thinking out of the box with these two little quilts

Souvenir quilt top and vintage block from a holiday in Amish country in Pennsylvania turned into classic quilts.

These kinds of events recharge my quilting batteries, make my fingers itch to get busy. I have another reason why I'm even more motivated, but that story is for next time....

I hope you felt charged and inspired on this national quilt day.....

signing off,
heidi

lap quilt

2010-03-17T05:44:00.000+01:00

Made for a friend in a wheel chair from her favorite fabrics with a plush fleece for the backing.

The fabrics are traditional Staphorst folkloristic fabrics used in making traditional Dutch costumes.
I decided on simple squares to make the most of the fabrics. Why make things more difficult when simple is just as effective?

a little baby quilt

2010-03-05T12:00:00.000+01:00

made for little Raphael

In my continuing quest to use my scraps of fabric and not to buy anything new, I made this little quilt as a welcoming gift for the new baby of friends of ours.

good and plenty!

2010-02-01T12:34:00.002+01:00

It's been lying on the bed for two weeks now, and I finally got around to taking a picture, even though it's still dark and snowing outside...

The girls stopped in from school on a short break so they helped to hold up the quilt...

The quilt top is almost 3 meters by 3 meters in size, made up of scraps of fabric, including the muslin. 2136 triangles, if I counted correctly. Phew!
I had this puppy machine quilted, the first time I've done that. I'm glad I did!
Now our bed finally has a quilt of its own and it's large enough for us to get under without having to fight for a corner...lol!

..but it still hasn't made a dent in my scrap stash......

so on to more finishes!

2010

2010-01-01T11:44:00.000+01:00

Best Wishes to all of you for the New Year...

and a new decade!

holiday wishes

2009-12-25T10:18:00.000+01:00

Wishing you all very happy holidays and a very good New Year!

Happy Thanksgiving to all celebrating!

2009-11-26T14:25:00.000+01:00

Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.

~Seneca

Just wanted to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving to all those celebrating the holiday today.
Here at home we'll be celebrating the holiday with friends on friday, because it's only a holiday for us ex-pats who live here in Holland. It's really my favorite holiday, a time to spend with friends and reflect on all that we're grateful for.

In the meantime, I've been very very busy sewing like I've never sewn before, finishing three quilt tops in this month of November! That's the main reason I haven't been blogging, every available minute of the day has been dedicated to piecing and completing tops, ( now perfectly ironed, and folded ) so they can be ready next week to be sandwiched for quilting ( with the generous help of my quilting friends ), some by machine, others by hand.

...and now's there good reason to begin new projects already in planning) for after the new year..... (wink!)

Have a great holiday everyone!

-heidi

St. Marie-aux-Mines

2009-09-28T16:15:00.000+02:00

Jimmeny Cricket!
I just can't seem to get it together with blogging with all else that's going on, but I hope that will settle soon so I can blog more often!

I went to the 15th Carrefour Europeen du Patchwork in Ste. Marie-aux-Mines, France. What an experience! Together with my friend Nanda, we spent a weekend seeing beautiful quilts, meeting wonderful people, and shopping, of course! The fact that it was impossible to see everything (unless we ran ourselves ragged like chickens without heads remembering this trip as only one long blur) wasn't as important as focusing on what we wanted to see, and really learning about the quilts and their history. We took our time, and enjoyed every moment, leaving us inspired, relaxed, and joyful of the experience.

So without further ado, some photos...

Lecture and discussion of the Quilts of Gee's Bend presented by Rudolph Dittrich, Phd.

Exposition of the Quilts of Gee's Bend in a beautiful chateau in Ste. Croix-aux Mines
I have the book, The Quilt's of Gee's Bend, and was so struck by their power, but seeing them "live" was a whole other ball game! Can you belive it that we were told that some visitors were outraged (yes, that was the word they used) that such ugly quilts were hanging here? Ok, well, we all know beauty is in the eye of the beholder....

The towns are beautiful to stroll through with their little stands filled with local products...

In the theatre of St.Marie-aux-Mines was the Amish and Mennonite quilt exhibition...

...and it was a pleasure to see the 30 years work of Yoko Saito ( who was present together with her students) and The Ottoman quilts and costumes of Elizabeth Strub-Madzar....

After seeing so many quilts, and doing "a little" shopping, what better way to relax than to find a spot on the grass and share experiences and treasures found?

This was absolutly the most wonderful quilt event that I've been to in all the years that I have been quilting, made better by not only the sun, the kind and friendly people that we met, but also going with a good friend! Should you have the chance to go, I would really recommend it, it's worth it!

preparation...

2009-09-17T15:00:00.003+02:00

I'm off to the European Patchwork Meeting in St.Marie-aux-Mines, France. It's just for 3 days and for the first time. It'll be a 6 hour drive or so, and whirlwind weekend where I'm sure we won't get to see everything, but hopefully, a lot of some things.

Next to packing P.J's and checking my playlist on my iPhone, I prepared some Cathedral squares to have some handwork on hand....

I did these by machine to save some time, and will finish them off completely by hand from here on in. Now to see if there will be time to actually get some stitching done!

It almost makes you wish for a traffic jam, doesn't it?

(ah...maybe not.....)

little treasures

2009-09-16T15:22:00.004+02:00

Two little old quilts found in the attic during the "Purge"...

I bought them years ago in New York and somehow they got lost during the many moves.

I'm a happy clam!

not far to go...

2009-08-28T09:43:00.003+02:00

It's been a hectic few weeks with birthdays, what-I-did-on-my-summer-vacation get-togethers, and the continual purging and deep-cleansing of the house to free up some of that positive energy. In between these events however, I did manage to keep on my minimum of a 2 block per day schedule to keep work on my log cabin going. Long chats with friends on the phone, did help a lot; what better way to use that time than to sew up some extra blocks! It never ceases to amaze me how much I get done while on the phone..lol!! Plus, I think my friends are getting used to hearing the background humming of the machine....

Yesterday I laid out the blocks to check to see if all was in balance, and if any bits of light or dark needed to be added here and there. Last night I got stuck in and finished the last five of the 60 block that are green and brown. Now just 30 more to go in the brown background color.

This is to become a wall quilt for our living room that has soft greens and neutral beiges and white as the main color. The dark brown will add some contrast and warmth to the room, at least, that's the idea....

There's all sorts of fabrics in this quilt, Civil War reproduction fabrics, batiks, lots of Japanese woven and textured fabrics. They may not have worked together in another quilt pattern, but with these small 1 cm strips, it's all about the colors and one of the reasons I keep returning to log cabins because they never stop fascinating me.

If all goes well, I hope to have this puppy sewn together today ( I just can't wait to see it in one piece ) and pick up sewing on the background blocks next week.

So, off I go to roll back the carpet and play with blocks!

have a wonderful weekend all!

happy birthday to me

2009-08-19T09:35:00.006+02:00

“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life
in your years.”

- Abraham Lincoln

textile noodle soup

2009-08-17T12:09:00.000+02:00

It feels good after working hard to finish the Quaker samplers to get back into quilting. I hadn't split my time between the two as I had intended, but somehow I feel a little less pressure now that some major projects are done. Now it's time to relax at my machine and sew away, catching up on some quilting podcasts I'm waaay behind on!

40 blocks done, 50 to go!

Watching Beckham bend it

2009-08-12T23:14:00.001+02:00

I know, I should be focusing on the guys in orange in this Netherlands v. England match, but hey, can a girl enjoy some eye-candy during a game?

Here a shot just before the game. Cool huh, all that orange, no?
Current score: Holland 1 -England 0

Edit: great game, end score: 2-2

-- Post From My iPhone, Amsterdam Arena

Morocco

2009-07-29T12:36:00.007+02:00

Some images to share with you while I unpack ...

spinner - Dyer's Souk, Marrakech

crocheted caps, Medina, Marrakech

drying scarves, Dyer's Souk, Medina, Marrakech

Terrase des Epices, Artisans Souk, Medina, Marrakech
a restful place to eat, cool off. and relax - beautiful use of color

drying scarves, Dyer's Souk, Medina, Marrakech

a place to hide from the Scirocco's hot wind...
Cafe Clock, Medina, Fez

A wonderful trip, my senses are saturated with sound, color, scent and spices.
Inspired again, I'm eager to try out new things, new colors, new ideas, and in what form, who knows...?

Commes les serpents

2009-07-21T13:40:00.001+02:00

.... And that's exactly what we are doing. Like the serpents in the desert, we are keeping very, very still, sipping water, not moving until the worst of the heat passes, after five, six o'clock.

-- Post From My iPhone: Fez, Morocco

cheerful little tumbler quilt

2009-06-26T14:00:00.000+02:00

Another reason for the silence here at my blog: not only was I hard at work on my Ann Grimshaw sampler (now complete), but made together with my quilting friends a quilt for our good friend who's getting married in Paris. This post is therefore post-dated, as our Parisian friend also reads my blog and this quilt had to remain a surprise, even though I really wanted to share this with all of you!

As the the three of us live in different parts of the country, it took four weekends of driving quite a few kilometers north, south and east, late-night sleep-overs, and early morning breakfasts to get this accomplished. We moved living room furniture, crawled on floors, fought and won small battles with irons and sewing machines. We could have gotten this done a lot sooner, if it weren't for the fact that we only had one template to cut all the pieces with, so each of us had a task in order to keep things moving along. One would cut, the other laid it down, another would choose and iron fabrics for cutting.

When all the pieces were laid out, rows were made and numbered, and I took the quilt home and sewed it together. The next week I returned with the top, and we sandwiched it, and spent until past 2 am in the morning knotting each and every corner. I took the quilt home again, cut and made the binding, popped it into the washer and dryer, and it got that wonderful vintage look we were looking for. I would have loved to quilt it, but since the wedding was planned very quickly, we had to move quickly as well.

Oh yes, and then the label...it's still a bit of an after thought for me, making a label, but the day before departure, I managed to get that done as well.

This little quilt was made with lots of love and so much laughter - lots of positive energy!
It's a large lap quilt, with the basis of muslin, and lots of little scraps of fabric and charm squares from our collection. Many of them are bold bright colors, matching our friend's personality. There's lots of fond memories in those scraps, and while making the quilt we shared those stories together.

We were so busy, that there were not many photos taken of the process, but you'll get the basic idea.

Laying out the pieces

sewing the binding

I think I would have to say, this is my favorite part of quilting: stitching down the binding. The quilt is just about done, and you can just sit and stitch snuggled under the quilt.

The quilt was completed on time, label and all, and presented in a basket of other gifts, goodies from Holland. Here's a picture:

edit: We've returned from a whirlwind weekend of celebration and fun, and the quilt was very well received.

A happy finish...

2009-06-18T22:08:00.004+02:00

She's done - completed a few days ago, and finally photographed.
Now to find a proper frame, but that will have to wait until summer's end...

I made a few small changes such as adding the completion date and my own initials.

It was also the first time I've stitched over one thread ( Ann's name and year) - I dreaded it at first, but it was not so bad after all!
It was a lot of fun stitching this sampler, but for now I'll take a break from Quaker samplers and pick up some stitching in need of my attention, or will I start something new? Let me enjoy this finish first for a little while....

Strawberries & Chocolate

2009-06-08T11:43:00.003+02:00

A little quilt I made during a fun workshop this past Saturday to make a quilt top in a day using a brick layout.
It would have been done in that one day, but we had so much fun chatting and laughing so hard, it didn't matter. Who needs a sauna when you have a bunch of hysterically funny quilters in one room?

Although the top is completed, it'll have to wait for the border fabric to arrive at the shop for me to finish it and prepare for quilting.
Not a problem, as I'm heading for the finishing line of my Ann Grimshaw sampler, and have plenty to do outside of the handwork realm!

not far to go...

2009-04-29T12:53:00.005+02:00

Even though I've been away for quite some time from my blog and you all, that didn't mean you weren't in my thoughts!
With the wonderfully warm and sunny weather, I've been away from the computer and spending time outdoors and with friends.
The Challenge posed be me by my friend Marni I haven't forgotten either, I've been working hard to reach it, but doubt if I will make it - I will do my very best though!

In the evenings, when we haven't had company pop in, I've sat and stitched as much as I could.
I'm still really enjoying this sampler, even with the occasional glitch caused by the faults found in the original pattern, causing me to spend precious time taking out stitches instead of making them! Not matter, it gave the brain cells a workout....lol!

Here's where I've left off.....

...and speaking of workouts, that's another thing I've picked up whilst gone from here, going back to the gym, which is where I'm headed to now!

I also want to say a big thank you to all of you who sent such kind responses and encouragements!
I'll try not to stay away too long....

cheers,
heidi

Blame it on the weather

2009-04-26T16:34:00.001+02:00

I'm sorry I haven't been around, but me, my family, friends and fellow patiots have been enjoying the most beautful weather here! So we've taken the kites down from the attic and are giving them a full check up here at the Maas Vlakte beach near the Rotterdam Harbor.

-- Post From My iPhone

Easter morning

2009-04-12T09:54:00.000+02:00

To those celebrating or just enjoying the long weekend, Happy Easter! We're in the Eastern part of Holland, enjoying the holiday with friends. Yes, I took my stitching with me and even managed to do some during a quiet moment yesterday morning. At the present time I'm enjoying a cup of tea in bed, and curious to see if this blog post I'm writing on my iPhone will end up for you all to read on my blog. It's also my way of giving the men who've already risen a moment to have a chat and enjoy their coffee alone.

That's my night table. New York Times Crossword puzzle, sunglasses, reading glasses (actally a substitute for my daylight lamp with the magnifier in the middle at home, used here in combinaion with my portable daylight lamp) Mala/prayer beads, and my Trollbead bracelet. The little tube of Blistex fell out of the frame, but it's always nearby...

Guess I've hung out here enough - I can ony lie in bed for so long before getting figdty, so while the rest of the girls are sleeping , I think I'll grab another few stitches before breakfast.......

How did you start your moring? However did I hope you enjoyed it!

-- Post From My iPhone

2009-04-01T22:04:00.000+02:00

You Are the Sacral Chakra

You are open hearted and expressive. You let your feelings be known, without being too emotional about it.

You are very sensual and comfortable with your own sexuality. You are passionate and alive.

You feel inspired, happy, and creative. You are able to live the life you want without fear of judgement.

You have a lot of respect for yourself and other people. You never violate others' boundaries or let them violate yours.

What Chakra Are You?

2009-03-25T21:59:00.000+01:00

You Are a Morning Person

You're optimistic, alert, and full of energy to start the day.

While you would love to party all night, you rather be up at the crack of dawn.

You don't procrastinate or spend time worry about what to do next.

You take life by the reigns, and you like to have an early start.

Are You a Morning Person or Night Person?

idea for the next quilt?

2009-03-18T21:56:00.002+01:00

Your rainbow is strongly shaded white.

What is says about you: You are a contemplative person. You appreciate quiet moments. People depend on you to make them feel secure.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

Until Midnight

2009-03-14T10:12:00.022+01:00

Friday the 13th may be an inauspicious date for some, but for a group of 30 some-odd quilters in the small village of Brielle, it was our lucky day!
't Quiltgebeuren, run by owner Wil and "de meiden", Patricia and Janine (the girls), hosted an event called Until Midnight, where participants are asked to bring basic sewing materials from home, and at the store, pick out a fat quarter of fabric and get a packet of the rest of the materials to make....something. You see, it's a mystery! Participants are welcome to bring snacks and goodies, and the evening starts at 7 in the evening, and it usually runs "until midnight".

It was so very good to see Wil and the girls again! the welcome is always very warm, and it feels more like visiting good friends than going to a shop. I was so very pleased to see quilters that I had taken classes with, and met very lovely and funny new ladies this evening as well!
Everyone was so curious as to what we were going to make and kept pressing Wil to finally reveal the surprise. When everyone had their machine plugged in and tea in hand, she finally showed us the project: a roll with 5 see-through pockets to keep you sewing supplies in - handy for on the go!

Ah ha! So that's what we had to bring our zipper foot for! Myself and a few other quilters, had never used our zipper foot before, (and why would you if you basically piece quilts with it?) or had sewn with plastic for that matter, so it was exciting to learn something new. After a quick demonstration, we all settled down and got to work.

Let's see, how does your zipper foot go?

...and lots of catching up to do - how easy it is to forget to sew with so much to chat about!

Taping a piece of paper on the plate, helps the plastic slide along, and using a strip of thin sewing paper on the top prevents the zipper foot from sticking to the plastic as you sew the zipper...

Next to Wil (sitting at my machine at the bottom of the photo) are Tieneke and Els, two wonderful quilters who had us all laughing!

As the evening progressed, you could begin to see the fruits of our laughter and labor, a very handy roll began to emerge from the humming machines...

pretty no?
well, better stop chatting and snapping and get back to my own machine....lol!

I did finally get mine done, thanks to Wil who quickly put a decorative zig-zag on my binding just before midnight. Would've gotten it done sooner if it weren't for Patrica and I getting into a chat and sharing some extra-quilting ideas......lol!

This evening has certainly spurred me on to take a closer look at my machine, beyond the basic things and play a little more with the extra bells and whistles it has to offer.

...and this is the one I made!

Thank you Wil, Patricia and Janine for a wonderful evening! The creative batteries have been recharged and I just can't wait to get my sewing room back and get sewing again! I think everyone really enjoyed themselves - speaking for myself, I did and am very happy with my roll, having learned something new and to have spent time with good friends and quilters.

Looking forward to the next mystery,
heidi

taking on the challenge...

2009-03-09T17:17:00.003+01:00

While the painters are working on our home, and the wind blows cold and hard against the windows, I've been stitching away wondering if I will get Anne finished by May 1st.

There hasn't been much time to have long sit-down sessions, so I've been taking a few minutes here and there, even if it's just to do a few stitches. Surprisingly, it's added up nicely and progress is coming along. I'd thought I'd get tired of the Quaker motifs, but no, it's still just as much fun stitching them!

That, plus the incredibly kind words I've received from all of you who commented on the completion of Hannah Beeby, has, like Chicken Soup for a cold, really done me a lot of good and has motivated me even more to complete this larger sampler. Thank you so much!
Add a challenge from a dear friend with what seems a daunting deadline....

...and you've got me signing off so I can go back to my Ann!

Handwerkbeurs in Zwolle (long post, lots of pics!)

2009-03-06T12:35:00.002+01:00

It took me a while, but here it is, a "quick" digest of my trip...

Two weekends ago I attended the Handwerkbeurs in Zwolle. Over a 140 merchants presented their wares from all sorts of crafts: quilting, spinning, knitting, cross stitch, sewing, tatting. There were stands that had the necessary tools of our crafts, merchants from not only Holland, but Belgium, Germany, France and England, to name a few. My friends Diane and Nanda (who are unfortunately still blog-less) and I got an early start Sunday morning, so we could scope out the place before the crowds arrived.

workshops

knitting tables, to chat and hang out...

First things first: out slipped the lists, with our "necessities": Daylight lamps, adaptors, threads, needles, wool, patterns, batting, scissors, fabrics for quilt classes, and other bits and bobs.

I have a standing Daylight lamp, you know the one that looks like a big glowing doughnut with the magnifying lens that allows me to do micro-surgery on torn pockets and teddy bears, next to letting me stitch for hours on end...
Finally a portable Daylight lamp to take with me on trips and visits!

Another little light I use for reading in bed when the man wants to, or is already asleep is the Mighty Bright Mini light, a handy lamp you clip onto a book or even your clothing. I bought it at my fave quilt shop, and it's even more compact than the table lamp. When I got it home at the time, I was checking out what batteries it would take, and if it could take an adapter - oh oh..it's American! At the same stand in Zwolle, we were happy to find that it had one for Europe! So I had to grab that puppy fast!

Let's see...what else....and what did it look like over there?
It was a well set up place, lots of room for everyone, even for those in wheelchairs and scooters.
Everyone was very helpful, friendly, customers and merchants alike.

fabrics for projects...

my friends picking up necessities...

|
and not so necessary necessities...

This stand got the girls buying sock wool, and me to promise to teach them how to knit socks (with pleasure!). It was tough for me to resist, but I have a full basket at home of all colors waiting to become socks. There is nothing like a hand knitted sock!

I joined Merkwaardig, a national "sampler society" as they call themselves, that focuses primarily on historical samplers and their history, bringing those with the same enthusiasm for these works together.

Now, since I've not been quilting for some time now, because of work being done to the house and my sewing room still functioning as storage room, and I've been keeping to my New Year's resolution of finishing works in progress and NOT starting new ones, I've been left with no choice but to cross stitch (Gasp!!-woe is me! lol!). Having said that, you can imagine my interest led me more to the cross stitch stand than anything else.

Picked up some patterns that caught my fancy for a while now:

Amager Panel 1799- NeedlePrint

Rebecca Blake 1809 - Needleprint

EA 1798 - The Marking Samplar

Into the Ark - Blue Ribbon Designs
I have a thing for Noah's Ark designs....

I just couldn't resist picking up a book or two....

Simple Quilt by Yoshiko Jinzenji (French Translation)
Les Editions Saxes
ISBN:978-2-7565-0220-5

and a signed copy of -
Geschiedenis van de Nederlanse Quilt by An Moonen (Dutch)
Uitgeverij Van Gruting
ISBN: 97890-75879-414

What else? hmm..some bits of marbled and dyed linen, now tucked away (and I'm too lazy to pull it out to photograh) and a few teeny weeny patterns that will undoubtedly show up in this blog one of these days as little weekend projects...

All in all, a great day with friends, lots of ideas, lots of itchy fingers ready to get into the next project, so many new things, gadgets and goodies, so many tips and tricks learned from merchants and fellow enthusiasts. We were completely recharged, and have lots of plans to do lots of things together and individually, all of which I will share with you as they present themselves.

So there you go! I haven't figured out how to put photos next to each other to save a bit of space, so forgive the length of this blog - hope you enjoyed reading, and if any of you went to Zwolle, I'd love to hear what you thought of it!

Now back to my regularly scheduled stitching......
heidi out.

Marni's Challenge

2009-03-02T15:00:00.006+01:00

My dear friend Marni has challenged me, thrown down the gauntlet:

"Now Miss Heidi, we have a race- me across the US from San Diego to St. Augustine, and you to finish Anne. You have until May 1. at a stitch per mile that's only 3200 stitches give or take."

On your mark, get set, go.

Ok Marni, I accept the challenge!

The rest of you...wish me luck!!! ...and Marni too, with her race!

Another Quaker Sampler

2009-02-19T11:50:00.003+01:00

..and this time it's Ann Grimshaw 1818, an Ackworth School Quaker Sampler.

progress so far....

a close up....

It's going to be short and sweet for a while here, still busy with the house, and have other priorities to attend to. I will however, be going to the Handwerk Beurs in Zwolle this weekend. There will be all sorts of crafts featured, including knitting, spinning, cross stich, and quilting. Hope to be able to take some photos and report back to you all about that.
In the meantime, I'll try to catch up on blogs, and see what everyone has been up to - I do miss seeing all that wonderful stuff!

TaaDaah!

2009-01-27T13:25:00.005+01:00

Happy Day!
My first finish for 2009....

I'm very pleased with how this sampler came out, and how much fun it was to stitch.
This is the first sampler I've ever completed! I've used the word "completed" but actually it's not really done yet, is it? Now the question is: Do I frame it myself or have it done? Do I display it with glass, or without?
In France, at shows and in shops, I've noticed that the works are framed, but no glass is used. Many I've asked prefer it that way because they feel it brings out the relief in the stitching. I found it very pretty as well.
So, any advice, comments and experiences with this would be greatly appreciated!

In the meantime, since we're still in the middle of re-doing our attic, and my sewing room is being used as a temporary storage room, I'll be "forced" to stick to stitching until the work upstairs is done. All current quilting projects are machine sewn ones, and there's no way a mouse can squeeze through the stacks of boxes , let alone quilt in peace!

So for today, I'll be going through some works in progress and see which one will get some attention...perhaps Ann Grimshaw?