monday blues

No better way to beat the “Monday Blues” than start making something new!

Using colors pink and red some trim and an old napkin

Listen to a nice tune on the radio while sewing.

That's what I heart...hope you have a fine day too!

good intentions (again)

I'm glad the holiday season is over and life is back to normal again. All the decorations are put away for next december The tree is stripped and put outside where he immediately got re-decorated by mother nature this time in snowy white.

I had had good intentions (for years) to make my own Christmas cards. Wel..the balance for this year...I made one! Remind me to get an early start next time!

Talking about good intentions.. I want to finish of this quilt, deadline: December, 31, 2009. Yes, I know (deep down) deadlines don't work for me but at least I like to think they do!

It's a star sampler quilt. The top is almost finised. I've done the piecing by hand in a time where I didn't need glasses yet. And I can tell you..that's a long while ago!


Lately I'm more attracted to machine piecing. It sure works a lot faster! look at the back of this compass...all those stitches!

Only a few triangles have to be sewn on to the border and then the border sewn on to the quilt. I'm thinking of using cotton for the batting.

But first things first..see if I can find my glasses and start stitching.

Wishing you.....

I wish all of you the very best in this new year to come..
may all your wishes come true!
Happy New Year!

Love to you all!

little Dutch girl

First I must say a thank you for all the warm and lovely comments and e-mails I've had over the last week or so. I love reading them and appreciate them all and want to apologise for how neglectful I've been in answering them. I haven’t been great at keeping up my blog lately. No real excuse except winterblues and lots of activities. I had to do some shopping, decorating, cleaning, go to work and my favorite activity of all.. babysitting this lovely sweetheart.

I also need to spend some considerable time cleaning up my sewing room. Hmm..actually not only my sewingroom!!
I do have to write all my Christmas cards.

And then when I still was desperately looking for new inspiration to get my creative parts going again.... the mailman delivered me a package!
Look what was inside.

This O soooo adorable Dutch girl pegdoll made by Elizabeth from creative breathing. She also made the pretty notecard.
Thank you so much Elizabeth, you made me so very happy!

I love all the little details, Elizabeths work really is perfect.

I believe I've been inspired!

not a jetlag!

We are home from our wonderful vacation for over a week now and still I can't get myself behind this computer to blog. We had a super time! lovely sunny weather, beautiful surroundings and we spend a lot of time with family.
The nine-patch quilt was finished and delivered.

And I saw beautiful objects through my camera lens.

This vase with colorful crocheted flowers...just love it! Wish I had a pattern of those..( + wish I knew how to crocket!)
I took this photo at the Robert Brady museum.

And now back in daily life...I've a lot of catching up to do on reading all of your blogs plus I have to find some inspiration somewhere to get my crafty motor running again! Hope to see you again soon!

vacation

On Thursday Heleen, mom and me are going on a two weeks vacation and during that time I won´t be able to do any posting on this blog. So I´m having a kind of forced break from blogging . But at the end of November I'll be back with (hopefully) lots of new things to show and tell.
Oo, and do you remember this nine patch quilt, it's a gift made by Heleen, mom and me?

It´s almost finished…and ready to be packed to travel. Next time I´ll show a picture of the finished quilt when it has reached its final destination. For now I leave you with these three lovely angels.

They are an embroidered illustration made by Belinda Downes from the book "silent night". I hope besides singing they do a bit of guarduing as wel, 'I do hate flying'! But then our destination is to far to walk so there is no choise, I'll try to be relaxed about it. I'm of now have to do some packing.... I'll be back end of November, until then!
Take care,

{found}

This post I want to share some interesting and fun links I came across the www lately. First I thought it was time for a new blog banner.

I made this banner with the photo editing site Picnik. It's an easy and fun program to use, even for me, a knownothing on computers. Although I must say, since I became a blogger I've spent more and more time behind one and learned new stuff here and there.
Did you ever heard of "favicons"? Well I didn't but now I have one too. It's that little icon in the url bar. I've changed the orange blogger icon for one I made with the help of this site. After your photo is turned into a tiny icon you get a code wich you copy and past on to the html page of your blog. And that's the most "scary" part! I'm always afraid to go to that page...what if I accidentally changed some of the code and there isn't a blog visible anymore, don't want to think about that thought!

One thing I certainly do want to think about are these gorgeous red cashmere fingerless gloves from 'the purl bee'. You can find the pattern on their site....if only I had more time on my hands!!


And how about this cute little mouse house & family from pottery barn kids! Wish we had a pottery barn store over here.

Another store where beautiful wishlist items easily can be found is; Clothkits


I especially adore this skirt with the papercut pattern on. And the little red dress would be so lovely for Luca. Ooh and before I go I've to show you these four beauties from Modern Nursery
These Jess Brown tea dyed dolls are so adorable.. one of them belongs on my wishlist for sure! My birthday isn't before next year and Santaclaus and Sinterklaas are not in town yet..so I better stop dreaming and drag myself away from this computer and go do the grocery shopping otherwise the husband find empty pots and pans (again) when he comes home!

reusing treasures

Mix up a small brown seventies cross-stitched tablecloth, an old blouse not wearable because of its wrong collar but yet with a gorgeous pattern and add some new red and white gingham lace.

And voila....a heart is made.

back

I bought the brown tablecloth at a fleemarket so it was someone else who put all the love in the stitches. I like to make new things by reuse old objects and materials and give them a second live. The blue dishes (photo below)were also found at the fleemarket and are in the kitchen kabinet now for daily use.

And so is this small glass dish.

Isn't thrifting just great, you never know what treasures you'll find!!

nine patch & birds

As this picture shows...all squares ended up into nine patches which on their turn ended up in a bigger quilttop. And now this quilttop is in need of a border and some fabric for the back of the quilt. So time to ask mom what fabric she has in mind for this purpose. When this quilt is sandwiched, Heleen, mom and I are gonna handquilted it together. With six hands making stitches it will be a quick job!

Instead of finishing old projects which are desperatly waiting to get finished I made birds. Sorry I can't help myself!

I'm not so happy with the eyes of this one below, maybe I'll change them for button eyes instead. If you have another suggestion on what to use or how to make the eyes please let me know!

Till next time

jolly spotted bird

Just a short post to show you this little birdie and to tell you that sewing the nine patches is going fine!


Do you see the shadow in this photo? We have sunshine, really lovely weather outside. So than, what am I doing here behind the computer???
Help.. I'm incorrigible..!

it's squares again

To make a quilt for someone special ( in only four weeks time!) you will need:

1.) Squares, lots of squares!
note: Fabric and color arrangement plus the cutting is done by "mom".

2) A pattern that is both simple and delightful. So nine patch it is!
3.) TIME! Hopefully upcomming weekend?
I'll keep you posted. Have a nice day!