Calico bag makeover

Underneath this bag hides a simple calico shopping bag.
The kind of bag you sometimes get for free at the store.
They often have names and logo's printed on them. If you don't use those bags anymore than this is a great way to recycle, it's easy and quickly done.



step 1.
unstitch both sides of the bag so that the bag will look like this
(photo below)



step 2.
Sew fabricstrips,lace and ribons on the right side of the open bag so that
the whole surface is covered.



step 3.
Close the bag again by stitching both sides.
Turn the bag and .......



finish!



You see it's so simple as can be !

trip around the world

We had a lovely hot, sunny weekend and therefore I don't have much to show here. I spend all of my lazy time outside doing as little as possible! It's just so nice to be outside again after a very wet July!


Trip around the world in my backyard. (Trip around the world is the name of the pattern.)

This tablecloth started of originaly as a quilt. I made the top years ago but after that was done I didn't feel much to quilt it anymore. So I choose the easy way out and sew a backing fabric against the top and .... there was my tablecloth!
Now I use it on my table outside. So when the sun is shining, like it shines today it gives me that extra summer feeling!

Have a nice day, until next time, now I'm off again for another lazy day!

found treasures

Thank you for all the nice comments on my last post. Our son is back home from the hospital and I'm happy to say that he is doing very well.


We temporary placed a bed in the livingroom for him and I practice a bit of nursing. Not that he's waiting for his mother to do so but hè, I'm his mother!


I almost finished the little quilt that my mother arranged see this post

And I've been busy sewing some crazy nine patch blocks using my lovely french fabrics for the
Dollquilt challenge August



Last saterday I went to a triftstore and found some great stuff. I was very lucky this time see pictures below.


Ribbons.... love those colors!




These hand embroidery patterns are on one long piece of fabric and originaly made as a wallhanger. I don't know yet how I will use them, maybe in a quilt?


And finally this blue plate for my blue china collection. This one has a label on the back from Petrus regout Maastricht. It cost me five euro's, don't think that was too much, do you?

knee trouble

Just a quick post today.
Today our son went to the hospital for a knee surgery. He injured his knee by playing basketball. Unlike him I was very nervous so I'm glad the surgery went oke. And if everything still goes oke tomorrow he will be discharged from the hospital. He has a long way to go with rehabilitation but according to his doctor his knee can completely recover. We just have to be patient.
The pictures are from a bag my mother made for him when he was about five years old.
I thought it would be nice to show it here. She made one for every grandchild. All those lovely bags are differend made and they all are many times used!

France fabrics

The Provence is located in the Mediterranean side of France and is one of my most favourite camping destinations because of the abundant sunshine, wine, markets and the scent of lavender. The landscape is beautiful and there are many old towns and villages to visit. And it's especially fun (not for DH) to discover places where they have fabric stores!
Two of these I want to share with you because you can buy there the most gorgeous france fabrics.

1.) Tarascon a town with a Historical town centre and a midieval castle.
In Tarascon is the Souleïado museum that exhibits the famous Provençal fabric. It is in a 14th. century building in the center of town. This traditional cloth is still being manufactured by the Carles Demery factory and is exported throughout the world. Next to the museum is the Souleïado store. Beside table and bedlinens they have a large colection of fabrics that are great for quilting.


the museum



2.) 6 kilometres of Tarascon is a little place called Saint Etienne du Grès. It's a small, picturesque village in a quiet and magnificent countryside. It's a nice place to walk around and enjoy the beautiful views.
In the little village is the factory of les olivades established. There is a shop next to the factory where they have the most pretty fabrics. Some fabrics they sell for special prizes!

the factory and store

Les Olivades
Chemin des Indienneurs
13103 Saint-Etienne du Grès
France




My purchases from last years visit. I really love those fabrics, they are so bright and colourful!
I hope to visit those stores again sometime!

finished

I finished the little quilt I have been making for the doll quilt challenge group. This really was a nice project and my first ever “doll quilt” too!
It's machine pieced and hand quilted. I used flannel fabrics because they are feeling nicely soft and fluffy. I also made knots from embroidery-floss on each point where four squares come together. The colors in the picture are a bit bland. Sorry, this was the best one! I thought it would be lovely to make a picture from the little quilt together with the doll crib that my grandfather made for me when I was a little girl. But after a search through the whole house I still haven’t found the crib! I'm certain it’s stored away somewhere. However I did found the first doll I had when I was a kid which I named “Hansje”. Remarkable coincidence my DH’s name is Hans!
The doll is wearing clothes made by my mother and is in perfect condition. That's because I didn’t play a lot with her. I never was a girly- girl playing with dolls.



But I like to make little quilts! So guess what my next project will be!
These rectangles were cut and arranged on a dish towel by my mother.
She completely forgotten all about them and doesn't want to finish it off anymore. So I will. It's the perfect size for a little doll quilt don't you think?

on the hoop

Just a quick post this time. Life is moving so fast this week! Busy with work, Family visits and obligations. In between I luckily find some time to quilt!
Have a great weekend everyone, and hopefully I have a finished dollquilt to show next time!

doll quilt challenge

The other day I was just blogging around when I discovered a doll quilt challenge group on Flickr. After reading the theme of challenge for the month June I got real enthusiastic ( I just love making nine patch). So I joined the group and start working on the doll quilt right away.



June challenge: "the disappearing nine patch"
It's a real simple pattern. Start with making a big square out of nine equal sized little squares. Then cut through the big square both vertically and horizontally so you end up with four equal sized squares. Rearrange these four squares to make a different pattern. Make as many blocks as needed.
There are many various patterns possible, that's what makes it so fun.
The colors I used are very, very (candy) sweet. But I quess because it's a dollquilt it doesn't matter.



where did the nine patch go?



made this card from little bits and pieces out the wastebasket.
Hope to share more photos and progress next time!

happiness

Yesterday I received my first Etsy purchase. This lovely creature made by Fluffy Flowers.
Her name is "Carolina". She came together with her little friend the mouse.
And I can tell you; It was love at first sight! They are adorable! Thank you Felicia!

Another creature that made me real happy is "calico cat".
She was an unfinished project that I have been finished of this week. I'm so happy with the way she turned out, and I can't say that of everything I make (lol). I used a nine-patch pattern, one of my favorite patterns. And I like the combination of the colors red & white.

sampler

Pfff.. The ironing is done!
And because I haven’t done anything else, their is nothing to show here.
So I took a photo from a sampler I made in 1996, sorry not the best photo!
And thought to share it with you.
It’s in cross-stitch and shows a little family history.



Maybe one day this will be a family heirloom, or it ends up somewhere on a
dusty attic? Who knows?

Busy

I don't have much time for blogging this week. There are to many other things that have to be done.
I'm busy working in and out the house. I'm behind with ironing, so far behind that my household members are beginning to be a little bit desperate by now! They all got empty closets.


This is just one of the...... baskets!!
Isn't ironing just one of the things to hate most about housekeeping?

But I'm making good progress on the applique quilt I'm still on schedule!!

polka dots

First I want to Thank everybody for all the lovely comments on my last post. Blogger doesn't always send a persons email-adress along with a comment, so I didn't got the chaince to thank everyone personal.
When I was taken the pictures of the quilt at my daughters home I also made a picture of her Oilily servies. I find this so lovely and colourful with all the polka dots. It makes me happy just to look at it.



M is collecting this servies piece by piece at Douwe Egberts with coffee-points. Those points come with the coffee and tea you buy from Douwe Egberts. Lots and lots of points are needed. Luckily M has the whole family saving for her, otherwise she was a nervous wreck by now from drinking all that coffee!!

vogeltjes (birds) quilt

Here are some pictures of the quilt I talked about in my previous post.
The books of Jean Ray Laury inspired me to make this quilt. I started with one little bird, I just had followed an appliqué course and really liked the technique. I had no intention to make a quilt out of it. But after bird one was done I made another bird and another one. I just could'nt stop. Slowly it became a quilt. I planted a appletree in the middle. The border with the flowers was real fun to make. I love all the round shapes.
The fabrics I used for the triangles and the border are a replica from an old dutch chintz. I bought these by “the Haan en Wagemakers’. Applique, sewing and quilting is all done by hand.
This quilt was also shown at the yearly quiltshow of the Dutch quilters society. I was so proud!!



My daughter gave the quilt a beautiful place in her home.



detail of the border



The light green leafs are cut out an old blouse of mine



I made a personal label on the back of the quilt in cross-stitch.

leftover bird

Full of new energy that I’ve got from last week break, I made this book cover today.
The little bird was a leftover from an appliqué quilt that I made for our daughter. I always thought she wasn’t interesting in quilts because she didn’t showed much of attention for what I was doing. But she likes the quilt with the birds, it hangs in her living room now. Next time I will make some pictures and show it here.
I'm making good progress on the appliqué quilt (last post), I'm still on schedule!!

mini break

In case you wonder where I was last week? My husband and I went to Lanzarote for a mini break. We stayed in a nice hotel. During the day we relaxed by the pool had a little sunbathe and discovered the island. In the evenings we had some delicious dinners.
It was wonderful!!



room with a view