early morning mist

I'm still here, just really focused.






It is so restorative to walk with Darwin very early in the morning. No one around, just us and the birds...

- from my iPhone

Hello 2012!

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....!

morning mist...

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

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....

time for a break...

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?

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!..)

She did it!!!

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

Congratulations my baby girl, you did it!!

yeah!

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...

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

season's greetings

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...

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! 

Fall drab?

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,

some sun and sea air...

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

Hope you enjoyed your weekend...

Sunday morning...

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....

happy national quilt day!

 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

2010

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

and a new decade!

holiday wishes

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

St. Marie-aux-Mines

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!