cheerful little tumbler quilt

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...

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

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...

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

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

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

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?

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?

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

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