Christmas is coming soon

Jos and I both joined the Handmade Christmas Ornament Swap Robyn and Clare organized. We were a bit suprised that we were matched in this international swap, since Jos and I are almost next door neighbors. But how fun it was to meet each other for the second time (((O: We had a lovely afternoon chatting, opening our presents, chatting, showing some of our work, chatting, looking at the hexagons Lyn send me for a Memories Miniature Quilt Challenge, chatting, drinking tea and eating wonderful 'kerstbrood' - my first this year, chatting and after a couple of hours having to say good bye. Jos is such a wonderful person to talk with and listen to! I am so lucky to have met her via blogging, I think about a year ago now (((O:
Look at the lovely tree ornament Jos made for me and the mug she got me which is so very very pretty! She filled it with candies. Mostly I am 'good' and eat only a few candies a day. But the little hearts, she put in always taste like more, after I have one ... and another one ...
Thank you for the lovely afternoon, Jos! I hope we do it again in 2010!!!

Yesterday I received my order from Gaby, who has a lovely webshop. To it she added a gorgeous handmade card and a very sweet ornament. I am the lucky owner of three of Gaby's cards now! I think I will frame them soon (O: Thank you for the lovely Christmas presents, my dear friend Gaby!

Now about Gaby. She is the one whose package got lost in July. Last Saturday, I received a package from her. I was very suprised, not expecting anything. My suprise was even bigger, when I found a little shabby rose quilt inside, another lovely card and some yummy fabrics, which I recognized from the package she send me when we both thought the parcel really got lost after 2 months. When I wrote her a 'thank you' mail and wanted to see how long it took the parcel to get to me (I have a habbit of doing that), I saw the package was stamped 31.07!!! Can you imagine that?!?!? A long lost package came after 4,5 months!!! I am still wondering where it has been all those months ... I will post a picture of the very cute quilt next week. The light is no good at the moment and that would do it no justice!

Last Sunday I showed you the Rudolf I made at a quilting bee, which Mai taught us. She said she would give a class in them again, so I decided to join, since I knew I wouldn't make them at home. I managed to make two of them yesterday. One is already given to a very dear friend of mine and the other one is for a Christmas present.
Aren't they just lovely! And they are so much fun to make!!!



This morning Ger and I took Bibi for a nice walk in the sun after so many days of rain and gloomliness! Bibi was really enjoying herself (O: But when she joined us again after having wandered around a bit, we saw she had rolled herself into something that did not smell nor look good at all. There was a stream nearby, so Ger and I decided to put her into it. Poor poor Bibi. She doesn't like water and see how she looked after she got out... It looked so much worse than before, which you might not see so good on this picture. We have never seen her so dirty before and the stream seemed so clean...
After a nice and warm shower (which Bibi really does not like), she is now nice, soft and white again, where she has to be white. And ... she doesn't smell anymore ...



A few weeks ago I received these very pretty cards from Leanne. She made the photos to the cards herself and inside each card there is a lovely saying. Thank you Leanne, for the wonderful cards!!! They make me happy everytime I look at them.

My favorite saying on one of the cards:

This is my wish for you:

comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes,

rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart,

hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being,

faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt,

courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth.

Love to complete your life.

Lynnie Buttercup

A lovely, lovely week!

On Thursday the 18th Laura heard that she graduated from High School. In Holland there is a tradition, that when someone graduates, you hang out all kinds of things that you used at school. Most people hang out the Dutch flag to it, but since we don't have one, we hung up a flag with 'geslaagd' (graduated) on it.



For the first time I met a blogger friend, on Wednesday (O: I went to Jos, to bring her my charity quilt, which she will take to the person who organizes it. It was great to finally meet Jos. She is a wonderful person! We had a great afternoon. Time really went fast, chatting about all kinds of subjects. I was very lucky to be allowed to see Jos' great projects in real, such as her Charity Quilt, the finished Civil War Diary Quilt blocks, her hexagon quilt, Sylvia's Bridal Sampler blocks and her finished New York Beauty Quilt, to mention only a few. And I was able to take a look in her wonderful Japanese Quilt books. Thank you, Jos, for the wonderful afternoon! I hope we will soon do it again!

This week I finished the two stitchery BOMs I am working on, after having finished the Leanne's House stitcheries of mini block 5. Jutta and I decided to finish block 2 and 3 in three months, since we both are a bit too busy, to be able to do one block each month this summer.

This week my swap package arrived from Evonne. Evonne is a wonderful person I met when I joined her 'Santa is watching' giveaway for a pattern she designed. I didn't win the giveaway, but I did win a dear friend! Look at the lovely journal she made for me. And inside the candy bag there is some great candy (liquorice with chocolate). Even though the Netherlands is famous for its liquorice, I have never had these. They were very good, Evonne. Everyone here loved them, especially Ger!
Thank you, Evonne for having had this wonderful swap with me and for being my friend!

This is one of the presents I made for Evonne. It is a wallhanging with a stitchery pattern by Ursula Schertz. As you know from former posts, I just love Ursula Schertz' patterns!

And now I can also tell you, that I was Micki's June Star. I hadn't mentioned it before, because one of the pictures was the above wall hanging and I was afraid Evonne might see it. Micki interviews a quilter each month. It is a great way to connect quilters around the world! Thank you, Micki, for letting me feel like a 'star' for a while (O:

When I go for my daily morning walk with my sweet beagle Bibi, I often see lovely things nature gives us for free and meet and chat with all kinds of people. I always like looking for clovers with four leaves during my walks and this week I was very lucky once again. I always tell myself, that a clover with four leaves hardly stands by itself. This was so true again. When I found one and looked a little closer, I found six more. The next day, when I went back, I found some again. My family tries to find these clovers too, but somehow they can't get in touch with them ...

"For every beauty there is an eye somewhere to see it. For every truth there is an ear somewhere to hear it. For every love there is a heart somewhere to receive it."

- Ivan Panin

Have a lovely week!

Swap, bag, heart and shoes

This week an envelop arrived from Sarah, with whom I had my second swap. It wasn't due until June, but she told me not to argue with a pregnant woman...
Look at the lovely little purse she made and the pretty needle punch. Thank you so much, Sarah for all the loveliness (O:
I will post my swap for Sarah, as soon as it has arrived Tasmania.



On Sunday Laura and I went to the Stoffmarkt-Holland in Aachen. They had some lovely fabrics there. We both admired the movie star fabric, so I decided to make a simple bag for Laura with it. On the picture, the button is still missing, but I have put on a black vintage one by now, which I found in an old handcraft shop in Tongeren, Belgium.
Laura only recognized Marilyn Monroe, so I am learning her the names of the other stars.



For two special people, I made this little heart from the pattern Dzintra gave me a while ago.

Laura and I both needed new shoes. I guess you can see that the purpose for the shoes is very different. I just love the contrast!

This week I have also been working on Leanne's House quilt that I am making together with Jutta. She made the lovely header of my first three mini blocks.

And I have also been working on a little something for a blog friend who will soon have a baby. Still waiting for the little one to be born, so I can finish it!

A lovely week to all of you with lots of sunshine, happiness and many smiles!

Happy Stitcheries!

On Good Friday my swap package to Lyn arrived. That same day her swap presents arrived my home too! Look at all the beautiful presents that were inside, with a beautiful pink rose card.

The gorgeous miniature quilt! The brown buttons came from Lyn's stash of 1930's buttons and they originated from Tasmania. Please click on the picture below to get a better impression of the quilt. Look at the way Lyn stitched the letters.

This is the miniature stitchery quilt I made for Lyn. She really is a person with a very big heart!
Thank you so much, dear Lyn, for this wonderful swap!

Last week when I visited Tracy's blog (Tracy organized the Teeny Tiny Square Quilt Swap), I read about the 'Potholder Swap - Wanna Play?'.

Fun! Especially after I found this pattern at Stephanie's Loft Creations. You can put the card in the pouch between the two buttons. A great pattern to make, so of course I had to make another one, but will have to show it later ...

From dear Gaby I received this beautiful AMC-card, together with three very sweet fat quaters. I will be using those in my Leanne's Hose quilt.

And finally, I want to share this Friendship Blessing with you from Lyn:

Friendship is a blessing-

it's the best you have to share.

The talents and the wisdom,

the capacity to care.

It's being there to lend support,

whatever needs arise.

It's making sure that others know,

They're special in your eyes.

Friendship is a blessing -

and to all who have a friend.

It's one of the most precious gifts

That life could ever send.

HAPPY EASTER AND FRIENDSHIP (O:

So much to share

On January 15, I won Lyn's Whirl into Winter giveaway. The parcel came in on Friday. How spoiled can one be, receiving two gorgeous parcels in one week? And look what Lyn sent me: a beautiful wooden bell which makes a very warm sound, a lovely note pad - one can never have enough, the pattern for the Star Light Star Bright bag by Jennifer Knol & Yolanda Tomlins, a lovely wall hanger and ...

the Quilt House table topper. A beautiful quilt, that fits exactly on our living room table (not on the picture). It is beautifully made and quilted. Thank you so much Lyn, for this wonderful giveaway (O:

On Friday I finally finished my table runner for the monochromatic 4 season swap. It's my first monochromatic quilt and my first table runner.

Each light block has a little stitchery from A Christmas Story by Anni Downs from Hatched and Patched.

And here are two of my little snow bells that grow in my garden and open when the sun is shining. They look so pretty!

Then please check out the swap Darci at Stiches & Siccors is organizing. You don't have to make anything and have until the 11th to join in.

Take a look at these three free BOMs:

1. 2009 Block of the Month Harmony Village at Harmony quilts.

2. They also have a Free BOM 2008.

3. Friendship Flower Quilt at Grandma's Stitches. If you look through this blog, you can find many beautiful free patterns. She also sells cute patterns with fabrics. I'm glad dear Jutta mentioned this blog to me!

I hope you all have a lovely week! Happy stitching and quilting (O:

Once upon a time and the apron swap

Yesterday I finished Bea's first free BOM block. A lovely pattern!

Then, I told you I was nervous about this apron swap. Well, I guess I was right. When I finished my apron (picture below) I was all satisfied and decided to look on the apron swap blog once again. I don't know how I could have missed this, PINK being my favorite color, but now I read: think pink, pink, pink. Red and white will work too.
No, not even behind pink glasses, did my original apron look pink. So ... I decided to start a new one. Even more fun to make, since I love to be surrounded ... by pink!


And one big suprise for me this week: I was the winner of Lyn's Whirl into winter giveaway!


Have a happy Sunday (O:

Ready for my swaps, some vintage embroidery and two more free BOMs

This weekend I finally decided how to work out the table runner for the 4 season quilt. I started cutting the pieces, which is quite a lot of work. The pattern is from the Mini quilt book, which I rediscovered after I made my teeny tiny square quilt. There will be some stitchery in it too.
And as you see, there is a book next to all this, which I really want to read. In two weeks I've only read about 20 pages. I am a slow reader, but I don't think it's that ... My blogging friend Dzintra is encouraging me to start reading and my daughter already finished it.

Today I received the name of my secret swap partner for the Sassy/flirty apron swap. I am a bit nervous about this swap.

If you ever plan to make an apron, many, many patterns can be found here and here.

OK, and this is an embroidery I made for my parents in ... 1975! I was wondering if that is vintage. I used to do this quite a lot when I was a teenager, always being busy with all kinds of handcrafts, such as knitting, crochet and making cloths for my Barbie and myself. My oldest sister is a genius in embroidery. If you look at her work, you can hardly tell the back from the front.

And then I found two more BOMs:

1. One is a 10 month BOM called Verandah Views, a very cute stitchery by Willowberry designs. I will probably start this one after I finished the first block of Once upon a time ...

2. Season's of the heart by Sandi. It's a very nice BOM too!

Off to some swap work now! I hope you have a happy day!

A bit of everything

This week the postman came and brought me this wonderful present from Sarah. Sarah was afraid I wouldn't like them, because she had read that I didn't like blue. But this combination is just gorgeous! Sarah made me really happy with her baubles (O: Thank you so much Sarah!

Let it snow I made this sweet little snowman for a blogger whom I thought needed something especially made for her, since she makes so much for others. I later read, she didn't like snow, since they get so much snow where she lives. But I guess this is different.

Gail Pan Design for ChristmasGail Pan makes wonderful designs. She has made a Christmas stitchery wall hanging for us all to make. She says it is a truly quick project to make, so maybe one more nice project for Christmas. Thank you Gail!

And then here I have two sneak peaks for my Christmas swap partner Marie-Joze. The swap was organized by dear Janet. She now has 12 tips for Christmas. Go over there and read the first two. They are so much fun ^^)

I hope you all have a very nice weekend. We will be celebrating Sinterklaas, a wonderful Dutch feast for young and old. And after that, when Sinterklaas has left the Netherlands to go back to Spain, we will start with the Christmas decorations.

My very first swap

The last three days we have had quite a lot of snow, which is a bit unusual. It was fun taking nice long walks in it!

My very first swap arrived within 5 days to Australia! And this is what I made for Sarah. I really had fun making it.

And then when I saw this little project she made, I decided to make her a little button bag. As if it were made for me with that color!

I was glad Sarah liked her gifts!