a UFO finish.....

It's been a quiet and difficult time here lately trying to deal with the loss of my best friend.
How life changes!  A whole new routine has to be created, and you miss lots of the old routine, the things that brought comfort, the passing of time, the rhythm of things..

I can't tell you how grateful I am for having something to pour my thoughts and focus into during troubled times.  Quilting is that for me without a doubt.  There's a baby quilt waiting desperately to be finished as baby Nova is already here, but I won't work on it.  Energies and all that.

So I took it out on a UFO that's been hanging around taking up valuable closet space.  Looking back at my project notes the top was completed in a weekend during December 2009 (!!) I didn't put too much effort into it, it was just something to finish and get it out there to live on the couch or bed during this cold winter.  I finished it Sunday afternoon, and tossed it straight into the washer and dryer.  It didn't ravel as much as I'd hoped, but I'm sure with progressive washings it'll look more "loved".

So there you have it.
Bullseye quilt.  Done.

Now back to the quilt waiting patiently folded on top of a standing quilt hoop.  Two-thirds of the quilt is done and then I can check this one off the list too....see a pattern here?

first 2013 finish...

Yep, it's been a long while since blogging, but the hiatus was good and needed.

The fingers did stay busy and here's the sampler that Jovita and I created for my beginner's quilting class.  Check out her blog for two different versions she's been making of this same quilt.  

The colors were so unlike anything I've used in a quilt before, and I think it has set the tone for me as to how I will look at fabrics from now on.  

This quilt was hand-pieced and hand-quilted.  The fabrics, the colors were just so cheerful and really made me smile every time I worked on it.

It was also the first time I really enjoyed hand quilting as well.  I just stopped fussing and fretting about every stitch having to be perfect and got on with it.  It just got better and better, and easier and easier.

As for the rest of the year - no real quilting resolutions made, except that I'll be finishing up a bunch of UFO's and adding only one new project to the list.  

This was so much fun to do though, that it will be hard not to make another sampler....!

bye, 2010

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

3 done, 1 to go!

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!

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

Summer's over...

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

finally a picture...

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....

good and plenty!

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!

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....

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

TaaDaah!

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?