Where to begin?

A lot has been going on this week in my stitchery and quilting world. I am unable to show you everything, since some projects are secret swaps and others are just not ready to be shown.

But this one is definitely ready to be shown. It is my the Monochromatic Four Season Quilt I received last week from Kerry. The colors are just perfect for me! It is my very first pink quilt!


And look at this beautiful stitchery detail. Incredible tiny stitches. the quilt feels very soft. Maybe it has to do with the colors ... Thank you so much, Kerry, for this wonderful quilt! You did an amazing job, even though pink is not your color!

I finished my fourth Verandah Views block. Once again, Cheryl did a wonderful job. My stitchery block didn't turn our so bright, but I think it fits perfectly to the other three blocks.

The Verandah Views so far:

And look at the gorgeous Easter post I got from Jutta, together with a wonderful Siggie she specially made for me, which will be shown further down this post. The cute little bird houses are actually egg warmers, but they found a very nice spot on our window sill, so we get to look at them every day! Vielen Dank, liebe Jutta!


Then, at the beginning of this year I joined the Calendar Quilt Challenge 2009. I finished up until mid March as you can see here and here. Yet, somehow this quilt never really felt like me.

Then I saw this quilt on Annelies' blog and the one Leanne made, with The 365 Challenge Tutorial.

Here are the fabrics I bought for this new challenge :

and here is the process of cutting and organizing. A total of 365 blocks in four sizes and 11 different colors. I haven't started writing yet, somehow not knowing what to write on my first block.

Notice the glasses. They are also very important in this process! LOL

Here is Jutta's beautiful Siggy and one from Cuny, with a special message about time.

This week I also finished my first border for the Spring Fling Round Robin-3 organized by Margaret. I can only show you a corner, for if I would show more, the person who made the center square would recognize it, since I used her fabric all over the border. I must say, working on a quilt this way really makes you think and combine colors. A very special and fun process!

And last but not least, I want to end my post with a gorgeous stitchery package Dzintra send me together with a pretty bookmarker for my Friday Night Knitting Club book. I actually finished the stitchery by Anni Dawn the day I received it! And as if Dzintra knew, I still had a frame that goes to it perfectly! Thank you so much, dear Dzintra! You really warmed my heart!

So with this friendship stitchery I want to end my post.

Have a lovely weekend and a creative and peaceful week!

Already a week later

This week I received two wonderful parcels! One was from Sarah. Sarah and I have special themes to our swaps and this time it was Friendship.

Thank you so much, Sarah, for the wonderful stitchery and presents!

Unfortunately I forgot to make a picture of my present for Sarah. It is a stitchery with the saying: A friend is a present we give ourselves. This saying has been with me since I was 9.

And then two days later, a parcel arrived from Lyn. Lyn send me stories she wrote about her dog Monty. What a dog full of mischief! To the booklet she send me some gorgeous shoe fabrics. She couldn't decide on the color, so she send all three of them. You really made my day, Lyn!


I have been working on my calendar challenge again. February done and March is doing well too. Jutta and Lyn have send me some strips, which has made it very easy for me! The quilt will be special in many ways!


This week I have also been working on a quilt that I want to have finished by the end of this month. I'll show it to you as soon as I have finished it. This project has been a real WISP!

Then I've also done some stitching for a swap and send my PIFs away. Getting them ready always takes more time than intended. I hope they arrive savely!

Stitcheries, Calendar quilt challenge 2009 and Lyn's Silent Auction

This week I finished two of my stitchery BOMs! They are so much fun to make. For the Verandah View, instead of a bluebird, I made a black bird, since we don't have bluebirds here in the Netherlands and it would look a bit strange to me. Thank you Gail and Cheryl for these lovely free BOMs!
If you want another free BOM, 'short and sweet', see the Wonky Houses on Jenny's blog.


Then on Sunday I finally caught up with my calendar challenge. That was Sunday. Now I'm behind again. If you look closely on the strip of February 14, you will see a little heart ribbon which came along with my Sassy Flirty Apron Swap.

At the end of this month, I will start a challenge with my daughter, mother, 4 sisters, sister in law and niece: Anni Dawn's The Twelve Days of Christmas. This will definitely be a challenge, since only Laura, my daughter has done some stitching before.

Then please go over to Lyn's blog. She's having a Silent Auction for the Bushfire Appeal, a lovely 1930's Package.

And here some more snow bells for you, to remind us that spring will soon be here (O:

I'll be gone for several days after today, escaping Carnival, that is celebrated elaborately in this part of the country. Have a lovely weekend and a happy week!

Applique and calendar quilt challenge 2009

This is my applique try out. I found out very quickly, which is my favorite. It is the one using freezer paper (bottom bird). It has volume and looks soft. I know the middle one with the vliesofix looks best, but somehow I don't like making the blanket stitch and it looks too perfect. The top one, using Tilda's method looks uneven and is too thick.
I will have to practice on the freezer paper applique, but one has to start sometime!

See, I need some practice ...

Here are the first 25 days of my 2009 calendar quilt. It really is a challenge and becoming very large the way I had planned it. I like the green stripes, bringing some rest in the whole.


On Saturday I received another pin cushion pattern with materials, this time by Leanne's house. This is definitely my favorite one! Four pin cushions in one and I haven't even finished any of the other ones yet. Shame on me. But I guess those are wisps for this year!
In the green thread you can see the pin that goes with every pin cushion package.

And Saturday when I was in Aachen, Germany with my husband, I bought myself this book. It has such wonderful patterns in it. And even if you don't make any of it, looking at all the beautiful things is very much fun too! Very inspiring.

Have a happy day!

Teeny tiny square quilt and other things

This week I finished the quilt for the Teeny Tiny Square Quilt Swap. I have had these fabrics for a while and never knew what to use them for. This, I think looks very cute. I made an identical one for myself, but of course I only finished the top. Finishing it will be one of my Wisp's, I hope for this year.



I finished the wonderful stitchery of the first block of the Christmas Wish by Gail Pan. You should really make it! It is fun, easy and fast to do (O:

Today I finally started the quilt for the Calendar quilt challenge 2009. I'm not quite satisfied. The stripes are 1 3/4" x 10" cut. This I think is too big, so I'll change the stripes to

1 1/2" x 6", making five rows. The fabrics are from projects I just made, I recently baught and I have in my stash but don't know what to use for, such as the 'kitchen' fabric. My stripes will sometimes be higher, so that the figures come out better. That one will count for two days then, otherwise I'll have to make too many changes.

And here is a picture I took when taking a walk with my DH and our dog this morning. The snow was better during the week, but I always forgot the camera. Today is the first day that it is no longer freezing. The snow will probably be gone soon now. Luckily we were able to enjoy it for over a week, which is quite special.