Already two weeks later

I was planning to update my blog weekly, but somehow that doesn't work for me. Maybe next time.

In my last post I promised you to show you some more lovely projects dear blogger friends have made for me.
The very personal lavendel bag was made by the very talented and sweet Jos at Cybele's Patch. Jos is the first blogger I ever met and that was so nice! We could have kept on talking for hours. Soon we are planning to see each other again.
Thank you dear Jos, for this wonderful present. I look at it everyday (((O:

Isn't the back just lovely too! I turn it around every now and then, so that I can enjoy both sides.

Then a wonderful suprise came from my dear caring friend Dzintra at Queen of the Armchair. I love the fabrics and colors she used for this clever bag and the tag is so special: Friends are flowers that never fade. A wonderful present, dear Dzintra and so beautifully made!

Over the last few months I have received quite a lot of siggies. It is so much fun, to receive these from different kind of people all over the world. I am not going to show you all my siggies, since I have them together with the letter people send with them and then I would get them all mixed up. But I wanted to share these two special ones with you. The left one with the note is made by an 85 year old lady, who collects siggies and communicates via email. Now isn't that something. She reminds me of my almost 83 year old dad, who is still into internet and communicating via email with among others his grandchildren. I always enjoy receiving emails from my dad!

The other siggy is from my wonderful friend Jutta at Stoff und Nadel, with whom I make Leanne's House together. She made this one especially for me. And yes, that reminds me, dear Jutta, that I still need to make you one. I haven't forgotten it, even though it is a few months ago ...

This week I received an email from an Italian lady, in Italian. I figured she wanted to swap a siggy with me. The only word I could recognize was - yes, siggy. So I will gladly make one for her and look forward to receive one from Italy!

And this is one of the things I have been working on over the last few days. It is a pattern by Gail Pan, which I won on her blog last December. It is called Gentle Dreams. A lovely stitchery to make!

I have also been working on Laura's quilt, which I showed you in my last post. I received the fabrics this week. So the top is all finished and I got the batting today at The Logcabin. Very nice batting. 80% cotton and 20% polyester. It feels very soft and I wanted that for this quilt. I will show you the whole quilt as soon as it is finished.

Today Jacqueline at The Logcabin had Christmas in August. She showed some lovely Christmas quilts and new Christmas fabric collections. I found these two fabrics to finish my Christmas Wish. The picture doesn't really do them right. Soon you can see my blocks surrounded by them!

Laura is doing well in Amsterdam. She started classes this week and has to get used to the new system and all the homework they get. She was home last weekend. That was so nice, not having seen her for 2 weeks! But we talk to each other daily via skype and there is always sms and emailing.

Two quotes this week, since I could not choose:

"Joy is not in things; it is in us."
- Richard Wagner


"Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts."

- Albert Einstein

Have a lovely, happy and creative week and I hope to be back with you within a week next time (O:

Finally done (O:

Last week I finally finished my droomdekentje (charity quilt). I had had the top finished for quite a while, but somehow didn't feel like getting those layers together and machine quilt it (sound familiar?) I must say, it went quite fast and I even enjoyed the machine quilting. I quilted it in diagonal lines.



Then I want to have my stitchery BOMs finished before the end of the month. Gail Pan's was so much fun to make again! And I changed the Verandah View block a bit.

I also finished mini block 5 of Leanne's House and will put the whole block together today. So Jutta, off to block 2 (O: It is so much more fun to do this together with Jutta, giving each other advise and just knowing that someone is making it together with you, really wants you to work on it. Go over to Jutta's blog and see how she finished her block 5. Then you can also see what she did with her gorgeous strawberry cross stitch!

Over the past two weeks I received these siggies. These are from the Netherlands and Belgium.




I would like to share some flowers that are at their best at the moment with the beautiful weather we have.

This plant blooms only once in two years, I think, because last year it only showed its leaves.

And this is definitely my favorite flower! It has never had so many rose buds. My neighbors are very lucky too, because many of the roses grow their way (O:

And a quote that I really enjoyed reading this week and is so true:

Emotions fuel memories. Memories fuel emotions. Choose what you want to remember each moment. It’s a quick and powerful way to shift perspective and can change everything.

- Kim Allen

Take care!

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!

The beginning of April

Two weeks ago, I joined the Siggy Swap with Annelies at Quilts and Siggies. This is the siggy I made for Annelies.

From Annelies I received this siggy and ...

from Micki from Ireland, I received this one. It is machine embriodered. Very pretty!

Then a few weeks ago, when I mentioned that I was going to start Leanne' House in May, together with Jutta, Monika told me she would send me some materials I could add to it. Look at the lovely fabrics and threads she send me. Thank you so much, Monika! It all fits perfectly to what I have so far!
Monika is also making Leanne's House. She has already finished block 1-6!



And then finally, this week I received two patterns I had ordered at the beginning of December last year. It was really worth waiting for after all. The patterns are explained very well, with many many pictures. So I think I should manage to make them!

Then I received some wonderful news this week. My former 4th and 5th grade teacher will be visiting from California at the end of April. We've known each others for 40 (!) years now. The last time she was here was 10 years ago. Then we visited her 6 years ago with our children. This is so very special to me!

And remember, if something doesn't go the way you want it to go, "He that can have patience can have what he will." - Benjamin Franklin.

Off to do some ironing now. And my daughter just baked cookies, so I really have to try one (O:

Have a wonderful and happy week!