Mary Ann's Corner!

Naestved Quilter's Exhibition!

2011-11-04T22:39:00.000+01:00

I was recently able to attend a fantastic Quilt Show in Næstved, Denmark!

I was very impressed with not only the wonderful hand-work, but also the warmth and hospitality of these lovely ladies!

More pictures from the show can be viewed here!

Thanks to Næstved Quilters for hosting a great show!

Friendship Coasters!!

2011-08-20T00:06:00.003+02:00

Hi there! I just wanted to share a cute idea for some sweet Friendship Coasters that are really easy and quick to make!

I've made a a tutorial for you so you can whip some up this weekend!!! Have a blast!! I sure did!!!

All the best!

Mary Ann

Edited to say: I went and checked the link...it seemed to have a problem which I now hope I've remedied!! Thanks for your interest, everyone!!! Have a great day!! MA

Sweet Memories...

2011-07-12T23:16:00.001+02:00

A year has now passed since my dear Mom left this world. Although I miss her so very much, the sweet memories are plentiful and comforting. Thanks for everything, Mom.
I'll love you forever and ever.

A Sneak Preview!!!

2011-07-01T21:26:00.000+02:00

Hello there! This is a sneak preview of a little dress I've made for our grand-daughter, Seyja! She will celebrate her first birthday in a few weeks, and Mormor wanted to make her something special! Her big brother, Ari, turns three just after her birthday, so there'll be lots of partying at their house!

Well, quite a while since I've posted here on my blog! One of my dear quilting friends has been so kind as to remind me (frequently!) about the lack of new information here, so Elna, this one's for you!! ;o)

This is a little fabric bowl in the works from a pattern I recently purchased from Färg & Form in Malmø, Sweden. Designed by Namie Hosogai-Åsenlund, the bowl is made from 2 x 8 tumbler blocks, sewn to a centre octagon (2). I ironed the pieces onto Veladon (a sturdy form of interfacing), basted the seam allowances over to the wrong side and then hand-sewed the pieces together. I will glue the outside and inside forms together (thus the clothespins!) to avoid seeing the stitches on the upper edge. A great little bowl to serve candy in or other goodies on the patio! A good idea may be to spray some Scotchgard or other fabric protector on before using.

Our garden has been doing wonderfully! The flowers are blooming and the veggies are thriving! This is such a lovely time of the year! When a lot of folks travel south to Greece, Turkey or other warm destinations, we love staying at home, enjoying our country surroundings and the peacefulness of living close to forest, field and fjord!

Hope you're all having a wonderful summer!

I know that we sure are! Talk to you soon!

Inger's Double Place Mats!

2011-03-17T20:25:00.003+01:00

Here are some lovely double place-mats made by Inger O. J. of our quilt guild! Lots of talented quilters in our group, so I thought I would preview some of their work here on my blog for you to enjoy!

Inge's Fantastic Shoe Quilt!!

2011-02-21T19:53:00.004+01:00

Inge recently finished piecing her fabulous Shoe Quilt! It's all appliqued by hand and the embellishments she's used are just so creative! Inge is now enjoying the hand-quilting process of her beautiful creation! Way to go, Inge!

Brings me way back to the seventies, those shoes do!!!

I'm packing my own shoes right now (or should I say snow-boots?!), as I'm leaving for Canada this weekend for two weeks of cuddling with the grand-children!

This is Ari playing in the yard...yes, it's the top of the kid's swing-set you see here!! Not sure if my boots are high enough!!! Apparently, this is the most snow they've received in quite a few winters!!!!

Take care!

Mary Ann

In Memory of Robert...

2011-02-06T09:31:00.002+01:00

This past Wednesday, a dear friend of mine passed away. Robert was a wonderful, kind and caring person, always taking the time to talk, laugh and to hear how things were going. Our families being long-time friends, we basically grew up together. Karen, his mom, is my god-mother.

The camping trips, birthday parties, tobogganing outings, all these good memories will stay with me forever. He was a good friend and although we saw each other less frequently later in life, we always managed to visit when I was in Canada. This picture is from September, the last time I saw Robert.

I send my sincerest condolences to all of Robert's family in this sad time. May time help ease the sorrow of this tragic loss.

XOX Mary Ann

Floored!!!!

2011-01-31T22:03:00.008+01:00

Well, it's been a while since I've posted...time sure flies! Seems like just last week it was Christmas! Then came New Year's Eve and our much-awaited holiday to Malta! We spent a wonderful week enjoying the sun and exploring this beautiful island! Rich in culture and history, Malta was an experience that we'll never forget!! Pictures will follow, I promise!!!!

After we got back, it was time to get some work done!!! A while back, we removed all of the carpets in the living-room and dining rooms, all three layers of them! Under the carpets, we discovered these wonderful old planks. Built in 1930, our old farm-house has seen lots of changes, but the old floors were thankfully still intact and just needed a good refinishing. So we rented a floor-sander....well, actually, two of them!!!!

We sanded three times with varying grades of sand-paper, finally ending up with a smooth finish. The planks were quite warped, from over 80 years of wear and tear! This process took the better part of a whole day!

Next, we applied the "lud", or lye soap that they use extensively here in Scandinavia. It is a natural product and gives the wood a nice, light nuance, instead of the rather dark shade that varathane eventually turns into.

After the "lud", or lye soap, has dried for five hours, a layer of white pigment protective oil is applied with a scouring brush. This oil is derived from plants and is non-toxic. After aproximately 15 minutes, it can be removed with a soft cloth, polishing the planks in the direction of the grain. After 7 days, the floor should be fully dry and hardened and you're left with a gorgeous finish that repels water and dirt. Maintenance consists of washing with a special soap, made by the manufacturer, Faxe.

Now, on to painting the moldings and window sills! Oh, and maybe I should sew some new curtains....!!!

Sigh......being a home-owner is a never-ending job!!!

All the best!

Mary Ann

Little Angels!

2010-12-11T22:56:00.002+01:00

We love you, Axel, Ari and Seyja!

Class on Japanese Orinuno Quilting...

2010-10-30T21:28:00.000+02:00

In my last post, I wrote about our introduction to the exciting art of Orinuno Quilting from Lisbet Borggren. Here we all are, very much engrossed in Lisbet's instructions on how to construct our cardboard templates with a compass!

Tying our gathered fabric circles around the templates. The more fingers here, the better!!

In the middle of the circles, you place your piece of batting and fabric, cut from a square template, and fold\iron the curved edges over. If you've done it right, all the corners should be nice and even!! Then, you quilt around the edges.

Here's the back side of some of our first blocks!

And the front sides, too!! So interesting how they can be so different!

And here's Lisbet's own sample of a table-cloth she constructed using circle templates combined with triangles instead of the squares we used. Lots of different variations on this technique! Feel free to check out my Picasa album for more pics from Lisbet's course.

If you're interested in trying this form of quilting, these two books by Sachiyo Muraki are really great. They're written in Japanese, but the pictures and measurements are quite clear!

Enjoy your Saturday evening!!

All the best!

Mary Ann

It's Been A While.....

2010-10-14T22:05:00.002+02:00

.....since I've posted on my blog! I was in Canada for almost three months and have just recently returned home to Denmark. It's been taking a while to get back to my daily routine, but things are gradually returning to normal! I'm missing our little grandchildren very, very much, as well as all our family and friends, but we've already begun to make plans for an up-coming trip next year!

I visited a few quilt shops while in Canada, all in BC where I'm originally from, and will post a little "Shop Hop" for you all to check out! It's so great seeing what other quilters are up to in different parts of the world!

This pic is from Kismet Quilts in Port Alberni, British Columbia. A great shop...I'll be posting more pics soon!!!

This past weekend, I attended a class on Orinuno Quilting, a truly fantastic form of patchwork from Japan, taught by Lisbet Borggren. Here in Denmark, it's known as Japanese Folding Technique.

This form of reversible patchwork is very unique, in that the pattern is totally different on the back of the quilt than on the front. It is also quilted before it is sewn together, so you have a finished project right away! My style of quilt!!

Lisbet provided us with a fantastic day of teaching, as well as a trunk-show consisting of several of her gorgeous creations. Lisbet has learnt this technique from Sachiyo Muraki, a renowned Japanese quilter who has won numerous awards for her talents.

My project is an Ohio Star block with an interesting twist on the back-side! I'll post a pic when it's all assembled!

I hope there's still a few readers/followers left here on my blog! Three months is a long time to be away....I look forward to hearing from you all again!!!

Hugs,

Mary Ann

Milner Gardens

2010-08-12T07:11:00.006+02:00

While recently staying with my niece in Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island, we enjoyed a lovely afternoon at the famous Milner Gardens.

There are 60 acres of old-growth forests, as well as 10 acres of gardens displaying native plants and flowers from all of the temperate zones of the world. Not only has Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip been guests here, but Prince Charles and Lady Diana also visited in 1986, during the World Exposition in Vancouver.

At the end of the day, I was filled with a wondrous tranquility. The forest, the ocean, as well as a glimpse into the past of this regal old home were a much-needed distraction for me.

A visit to this gorgeous estate with it's old-world charm and beautiful grounds is definitely a must if you're ever visiting this part of Canada. The tea and scones are also out of this world!!!

Still no hexies or klosjes completed, though! I faithfully carry them along with me in my back-pack, but haven't had any spare moments to stitch! However, I AM being inspired!

All the best!

Mary Ann

Klosjes and Hexies for Grandma...

2010-07-24T23:09:00.001+02:00

These are my Klosjes for this Saturday! Just the spools, not yet ironed, a little frayed and worn, but resembling Klosjes, none the less!!! Leaving rather quickly for Canada, I managed to grab a bag of stamped fabrics for the trip. I made these sitting beside my Mom's bed, stitching while she slept. In her waking hours, I showed her all of the pretty colours and she smiled when she saw them.

She especially liked the red and blue hexies I was working on! I put them in front of her on a pillow so she could look at them. It was then I decided I would dedicate this project to her. I'm going to call it "Grandma Helga's Flower Garden" in honour of my dear Mom, who loved growing all kinds of beautiful plants and flowers.

Little Seyja is growing quickly! Here she is with brother, Ari!

Ari and Axel both love their little sister!!!

Have a wonderful weekend, all!

Hugs,

Mary Ann

In Loving Memory of My Mom....

2010-07-18T09:34:00.011+02:00

My dear Mom, Helga Marie, passed away peacefully in my arms, on July 12, 2010, at 8:10 am. I was blessed with the gift of being able to spend a last week together with her.

Mom was born on June 16th, 1924 near Aarhus, Denmark. She immigrated to Canada together with my father and two older siblings in 1951. She was a kind and caring mother and friend, a hard-working woman who always put others before herself.

Mom made everyone feel so welcome in her home. There was always the aroma of coffee brewing in the kitchen, along with all of those wonderful and tempting fresh-baked goodies. A fantastic cook and hostess, her fabulous recipes will live on forever with those of us she shared them with.

I expected to be very sad when the time came for Mom to leave us, but I know now that she's together with our Dad and sister, Carolyn. At peace and no longer in pain, she's finally at rest.

Just 24 hours after Mom's passing, my daughter gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Mom knew that she was soon going to be a great-grandma again, but was just too tired to wait any longer. So, when I gaze at my darling little grand-daughter, I know that my mother is with her in spirit, to watch over and protect her always.

Thank you for everything you've given me, dear Mom.

Mary Ann

I'll love you forever,

I'll love you for always,

As long as I'm living,

My Mother you'll be....

R. Munsch

For Mom...

2010-07-05T01:57:00.001+02:00

It's almost 2 am and I just got off the phone with the airlines...I've booked a flight to Canada tomorrow morning to be with my dear Mom. Her condition is deteriorating rapidly.

I made her this quilt two years ago to keep her warm and cozy. It's hard to be parents, but I think even harder to be children and have to say good-bye to those who gave us life.

I won't be posting for a while, but will be thinking of all the wonderful friends I've made here since I first began on my blog journey. Thanks so much.

Mary Ann

Lynette Anderson's "My Garden" BOM.....

2010-07-02T17:26:00.003+02:00

I was very happy to receive Lynette Anderson's

"My Garden" Block of the Month in the mail the other day! I had so much fun stitching this sweet block! The series of nine different designs started with July's lovely "The Barrow".

The fabrics are Evening Mist by Moda.

See the cute little wooden flower button?

There's a new one included every month to compliment the beautiful stitchery design!

Thank you, Lynette, for designing such a great project! Thanks, also, to Patti of Creative Patches & Sewing for sending the lovely fabric and signing me up for these wonderful kits!

My day is a little brighter because of you both! :o)

Hugs,

Mary Ann

One Flower Wednesday...

2010-06-30T23:39:00.003+02:00

Two flowers done today! I traded the blue-patterned fabric with a friend...I thought it would be great for my hexies!

Total flowers made as of today: 8

I've been busy preparing lots of hexagons. It's always nice to have some to take along in my purse, as I like to stitch while waiting for appointments, etc. It's amazing how much you can get done while waiting for other folks!! ;o)

Have a great evening!

Mary Ann

Poppies and Klosjes...

2010-06-26T23:14:00.004+02:00

This time of year is special here in Denmark...the beautiful scarlet poppies are blooming in the fields.

The pictures just don't do them justice. You almost have to experience this beauty in person.

This is my second batch of Klosjes. They're made with three different fabrics. I liked the look of the "thread" being a different colour than the "spools"!

And here on the left is Brenda Papadakis' June Block of the Month. I couldn't resist making a little matching Klosje-Kousin to go along with it! If you're interested in making Brenda's free BOM's, please check out the Dear Jane website for more information.

Well, that's all for now! Take care and enjoy your weekend!

Hope you're having lovely weather like we are here in Denmark!

All the best!

Mary Ann

One Flower Wednesday...One Day Late!

2010-06-24T23:03:00.009+02:00

Well, my hexagons are finally taking shape! I'm a procrastinator, I must admit! It's taken me a while to get going on these little sweeties!! I got myself into a rut with regards to choosing the right fabric....decison-making was never my strongest suit! Even as a kid, I could never choose between all those luscious ice-cream flavours when my parents took us on Sunday outings! Now, I still find it hard to decide on the little things, like fabric for projects!!!! Anyway, I wanted to go with blues and reds with a yellow centre, but didn't have sufficient amounts of the yellow. So, I chose two different fabrics in the same tones, which I hope will compliment each other. This is the first:

I really became engrossed with these hexies!!!! One quickly turned into two, two into three and I guess you know the rest!!!

I'm using my Civil War reproductions that I have left over from piecing my Dear Jane quilt. I have a soft spot for these repros...they're so compatible with everything! I'm also using them for my Klojses, which has also been keeping me busy!

I discovered these Clover templates a while ago...they're fantastic for drawing the hexi-shapes onto the fabric. I use a .05 Pigma pen for tracing. I'm also hand-piecing my hexies, as the English Paper Piecing method is a bit too hard on my wrists (rheumatoid arthritis). I've previously pieced an octagon quilt top via the EPP method, but I've since moved on to good old "American Piecing"!!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Mary Ann

Klosje Zaterdag!!!

2010-06-12T20:53:00.003+02:00

I've thoroughly been enjoying my Klosjes!!! I decided to make them totally out of my scrap-basket and I'm now up to 21 of the little lovelies!

I recently ordered a stamp set by Cindy Blackberg to make my Klosje-work a bit quicker!! Cindy's blocks finish at 2 and 3/4 inches and quickly fill your fabric with easy to cut lines.

I ordered my stamp kit from Tina at Pappy's Quilt Place, as she ships internationally. Thanks, Tina, for your friendly and quick service!

On second thought, I think I'm going to make two Klosje quilts!! One from my regular scrap-basket and another with left-over Civil War reproduction fabrics from my Dear Jane quilt.

Have a nice Zaterdag evening!!

Hugs,

Mary Ann

Leaving The Nest!

2010-06-07T21:15:00.011+02:00

"Hey, Ma and Pa! Wait for me...I'm coming!!!"

Well, the time has come for our little birds to head out into the big world! We've enjoyed following their development and feel great knowing that there'll soon be even more sweet songs in our garden!

And speaking of the garden, I found a little stray cat hiding out there yesterday!! Hmmm...wonder where she came from???!!!!

I'll leave you with a few pictures of what's been growing outside!

Have a great evening!!!

All the best!

Mary Ann

Baby Bird Update!!!

2010-05-28T21:44:00.010+02:00

Well, our little friends are sure growing big!!

Note the cute feathers and also that their eyes have opened!! I'm sure it won't be long before they'll be leaving the nest!

When Life Serves You Scraps....

2010-05-17T23:02:00.009+02:00

Make Klosjes!!!

I finally succumbed to these sweet little blocks! I've been reading about them for quite some time now and after seeing them on so many blogs, I decided to try my hand at making a few! Well, a few turned to many and now I think I may be addicted! Thanks to Valentina for her great tips and advice and also to Pappy's Quilt Place for supplying a handy little stamp for making the preparation of the block pieces a real snap! Pappy's sells stamps so that you can just cut out your pieces after inking them onto your fabric! Ingenious! I ordered mine today and look forward to their arrival!!!

And if my day wasn't fulfilling enough, the post-lady brought a new book to my door, Material Obsessions, which appropriately describes my relationship with fabric!! LOL!!
Anyways, it's absolutely YUMMY and it's inspired me to great extents!!!

Tomorrow, I'm off to Malmö, Sweden, for our annual Quilt Guild tour! We're visiting lots of great places, including Veronica's Patchwork! Stay tuned for a report on our adventures!!

Have a great evening!

Mary Ann

Hungry Baby Birds!!!

2010-05-15T18:39:00.006+02:00

Hungry Baby Birds!!!
Originally uploaded by *Mormor

Aren't they CUTE??!! I couldn't imagine having SO many mouths to feed at one time!!! Both parents are constantly flying back and forth to feed these little ones!! Fantastic!

Snow in May and Magnolias....??

2010-05-15T01:47:00.009+02:00

Is it true? Have we really received a fresh layer of the white stuff here in the month of MAY?? Although our temperatures have certainly been cold enough for snow, this is fortunately just some lovely white petals from the cherry tree in our front garden!

Beautiful, aren't they?

The weather has just been so dramatic. I had to run out and capture this very unusual light the other evening. The sun had suddenly appeared from behind the clouds, reflecting the most luscious colours on the sky and nearby fields.

Well, it looks like I've started on yet another creative past-time! Painting Magnolias! No, not the magnolias you're probably thinking about, but these cute little stamps that I recently purchased for making cards! They are just darling and I've discovered that I absolutely love sitting and painting! Blending and layering the colours involves a creative process that's very satisfying!

Here's the after shot!

And this is little Tilda, one of the characters from the Magnolia series. Isn't she sweet??!! If you're interested in these stamps, the place to find them is at Patchworkhuset, located in Glostrup. I'm going to make a few projects from these figures, so keep posted and I'll show you soon!

Have a great weekend!

Mary Ann

Smile...You're On Candid Camera!!!

2010-05-14T01:43:00.013+02:00

Our wonderful, feathered friends, the Blåmejse, (or cyanistes caeruleus) have once again chosen our nesting box to raise their family! My husband set up a tiny webcam in the nesting box earlier this spring, so we could "peek" at them during their parenting period! They don't seem to mind this intrusion of their personal space! It's actually been quite fantastic to watch them, building their cozy nest, using feathers, hair, thread and all kinds ingenious building materials! They're very talented and skilled workers!

Today, we were amazed to see that there are now 12 tiny eggs in the nest! They're also using many hours to rotate the eggs, making sure they receive even warmth. Once they hatch, both parents will be delivering yummy and wriggling snacks for their off-spring! The nest is conveniently located just outside our window, so we can easily keep track of "our" birds' travels! I'll post a video for you soon, as they're just so darn cute to watch!!

Cheers!

Mary Ann

Kylie Update...she's improving daily and I'm going to take her off the pain meds tomorrow.

Amazing how animals can recover so quickly! Not like humans at all! I remember a six-week recovery period myself for a similiar operation!! Ouch!

Dear Little Kylie...

2010-05-10T20:28:00.012+02:00

Our little Australian terrier, Kylie, had acute surgery today.

I discovered a rather large lump in her abdominal area while giving her a bath. She hadn't been acting like the cheerful little dog she normally is, so we were quite concerned.

I called the vet and he told us to bring her in right away.

The decision was made to operate immediately and we hope that he managed to remove all of the growth. I'm afraid I just couldn't imagine life without this wonderful little dog. Kylie will be ten this summer, a faithful and loving friend. She's resting quietly on my lap right now, wrapped in the flannel quilt I made for my Dad a few years ago. She's warm and comfy and knows her Mommy is taking good care of her.

If you'd like to send some positive thoughts our way, I'd really appreciate it.

Hugs, Mary Ann :o)

Edited to say: Kylie is doing so much better! She's almost back to her normal self...thanks for all the well wishes! :o)

Mary Ann

A Trashy Block!!!

2010-04-23T23:05:00.005+02:00

Dear Jane BOM
Originally uploaded by *Mormor*

I made this block using just fabrics from the trash!! Heehee! Yup, scrounged the bin at our last quilt-meeting and said that I could make something pretty from what my quilting buddies threw in the garbage!!!
I think it turned out ok....for trash, that is!!!
The "scrap-lady" strikes again!!!

Inger's Dear Jane Blocks of the Month!!!

2010-04-23T22:52:00.001+02:00

As I've recently posted, we are a few ladies who meet every two weeks and sew our little Jane Stickle blocks! Here are Inger's first four blocks in the Dear Jane Block of the Month project! These are sewn so lovely...thanks so much for letting me post these, Inger!

On The Rocks!

2010-04-16T21:57:00.012+02:00

This picture was taken on the penninsula, Kullen, in Sweden a few years ago. I just love all of the rocks! I dedicate this shot to my Icelandic friend, Anna Margrét, who is a rock fanatic! With the volcanic eruptions going on in Iceland right now, I am thinking of her often, hoping that all is well with her and her family. Take care, Anna Margrét!

Spring Swap Goodies!

2010-04-02T22:01:00.001+02:00

Isn't this little black-bird cute??!!!

Here are my lovely spring goodies which I received from my swap-partner, Karina, from Lithuania! This sweet birdie decorates the front cover of a beautiful, hand-bound journal. Karina's hand-work is just so exceptional!

Along with the journal, came some very pretty pieces of fabric and a cute card! Thanks so much, Karina!

I just love my swap goodies!!!

Here is the stitchery holder I sent to Karina (made from a pattern by Natalie Lymer!), a matching card and two Fat Quarters in blue tones. As Karina mentioned to me that she one day hopes to learn to quilt, I included a few essentials in the stitchery holder to help her along!!

Good luck, Karina!

Make sure you post a picture of your first Quilt Block!

Thanks again for swapping with me!

Cheers,

Mary Ann

Anne's Pretty Blocks!!

2010-04-01T21:03:00.000+02:00

Anne, who is a member of our little group of Dear Jane stitchers, has completed the first three of Brenda Papdakis'

Blocks of the Month!

Congratulations on finishing your beautiful blocks, Anne!

Star of the West...March Block of the Month!

2010-03-16T12:13:00.003+01:00

I am having so much fun with these BOM's! Big thanks again to Brenda Papadakis for providing these designs for us Janiacs!!!

Is anyone else sewing these blocks? It would be great hearing from you...maybe we can share some pictures of our work?!

It's a beautiful sunny day and I'm going to go out and rake some leaves! Think spring, think spring....!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

*Mary Ann*

Spring Has Sprung!

2010-03-16T00:39:00.003+01:00

Yay! The first signs of spring have finally "sprung" here in Denmark! It's been a LONG winter!

Dear Jane BOM's....

2010-03-10T20:58:00.002+01:00

Brenda Papadakis has designed some great blocks for the 2010 Block of the Month series and you can find them as free downloads on the Dear Jane website! Here are the January and February blocks I've just completed. You can either choose the pieced versions, as I've done here, or you can do the beautiful appliqué blocks that Brenda has also graciously made available! Check them out!

I've challenged our little Dear Jane group here in Denmark to sew these great BOM's along with me! I'll post their lovely blocks as they become available!!

Well, we still have a bit of snow, but not as much as when this picture was taken in February! Here, I'm sporting my cozy woolen knee-highs, knitted up in yummy lavender sock yarn!
They are SO warm that I want to wear them all of the time!

Thanks for stopping by!

*Mary Ann*

UFO's and Farmer's Wives!!

2010-02-01T17:37:00.012+01:00

Yay, another UFO completed! This vest is done up in Alafoss Létt Lopi yarn, a gift from a dear friend in Iceland! The cold and snowy weather we've been having here in Denmark, has encouraged me to dig into my knitting bag for some warmth!! (Believe me, there's a lot of WIP's in there!!) Anyways, this yarn knits up really quickly and I thoroughly recommend it for it's coziness!

I just love my new vest!

Thanks so much, Anna Margrét!

On the quilting front, I've been hand-piecing some blocks from the Farmer's Wife quilt-book, which I recently purchased online. These 6-inch blocks seem gigantic in comparison to the smaller Jane Stickle cuties, but I'm getting used to piecing them! My goal is to create this quilt using just scraps, both from my Dear Jane project and also from generous quilting friends who always remember me when it comes to their unwanted fabric left-overs! I am truly grateful for the donations!

No scrap is too small for the

"Scrap-lady"!!

Well, almost!! ;o)

Goodies from Down-Under!!!

2010-01-14T11:58:00.003+01:00

A surprise came in the mail today, all the way from Dongara, Australia! Many, many thanks to Sue who hosted a draw in celebration of her 100th post! I just love all of the goodies!

I know it's been a while since I've posted...I'll have to become a bit better in that area here in 2010!

Anyways, I hope everyone has had a joyous holiday season and I wish you all a wonderful new year, full of happiness!

*Mary Ann*

Lost in the Mail.....

2009-12-17T17:56:00.012+01:00

I've been quite anxious regarding the whereabouts of a little parcel which should have arrived here a week ago from The Netherlands! I signed up for the Christmas Ornament Swap last month along with my swap partner, Heleen from Dutch Colours. Heleen confirmed last week that the parcel I sent her arrived safe and sound, but alas, still nothing in my post box! :o(

I had been almost certain that the little parcel was lost in the rush of Christmas post, BUT, today the post-truck came and tucked a little surprise into my post box! Yes, it was the little lost parcel!!! I hurried indoors as fast as I could to unwrap it!

See how pretty it was wrapped?! I almost couldn't bear to open it up...almost!!

What a cute little bird decorating the package!

Look at the beautiful Christmas trees!! A gorgeous stuffed tree ornament with
a sweet card to match!!! I'm so very happy with my lovely swap gift!!!

Thanks so very much, Heleen, for the wonderful orament and card! It's been a pleasure swapping with you! Also, thanks to Clare and Robyn for organizing this fun event!

I'll sign off now with some pictures of the "snow-scape" around our house today! Nothing like a fresh layer of the sparkly white stuff (AND a squishie in the mail!!) to brighten one's day!!!!!!

Goodies from the Mail-Lady!!

2009-12-07T21:20:00.009+01:00

Last week, I ordered these great Cinderberry Stitches patterns from Darlene at Bee Sew Whimsical. I was surprised to see them here so quickly! Natalie Lymer is such a talented designer...her stitcheries are just so joyful to work on!
Thanks, Darlene, for your fast and professional service!

And there was also the brand new copy of Quiltmaker magazine!!! I look forward to sitting with my cup of tea this evening and checking out all of the great patterns and ideas!

Here is a completed UFO from last year...a Scandinavian Christmas Heart, which I finally finished stitching together! I don't know why I lost interest in completing this pretty heart last season, but now it will finally be adorning my tree this year!

In the spirit of Christmas and giving, I like to have some charity blocks prepped and ready to work on during the month of December. We sometimes get so caught up in all the festivities that we lose sight of the real meaning of the season. This block is for the Danish Patchwork Association's project, Puttetæpper (roughly translated to Comfort Quilts) for children dealing with eating disorders. The project's goal is to promote self-esteem and healthy eating habits among these kids. This year is the 10th anniversary of the project.

I'm also working on a block for the raffle quilt, 65 Roses, to benefit the Australian Cystic Fybrosis Foundation. Charity has no borders for me, in fact I like to think of myself as a global citizen!!!

On that note, I'll sign off with a picture from Copenhagen's Town Square! The UN Global Climate Conference just kicked off today with a fantastic turnout from all over the world!

Let's hope we can get a deal on the table for the sake of our children's future!

Hooked on Crochet!!

2009-12-05T16:48:00.008+01:00

I've been doing some crocheting these days....got "hooked" by the great tutorials out there in blogland!! This vest is inspired by Garniture, a wonderful blog and shop in Copenhagen. Here, you can buy lots of luscious shades of yarn, as well as retro fabric, gift items and just plain neat stuff!! Anyways, I couldn't resist creating this little vest and it's now for sale in my Etsy shop! I'm making more, as well!
I can't seem to stop!!!

If you've noticed my new crochet hook, it's from Clover. Using one of these is comparable to jumping into a Porsche after driving a Beetle! (no offense to Beetles, of course!) Why haven't I discovered these great crochet hooks a long time ago??!
The rest of the sizes are on my Santa list!!! ;o)

Last but not least, here are some of my little stars and trees from the Grandmother Tutorials from Michelle of The Royal Sisters! I was put on the trail of this cool blog by Lucy from Attic 24, another colourful and inspirational crochetist! (is that a word??!!)

In the meantime, my quilting hoop and knitting needles have started growing a bit of moss, but I'll be back to rescue them shortly!!!

Have a great Saturday evening, everyone!!!

A Few Finishes!!!

2009-11-12T13:01:00.005+01:00

Well, it's definitely November here in Denmark! Dark, dreary and damp! This is when I especially like sitting in our cozy living room, with a cup of tea and some lit candles! Lifts the spirits and warms the soul!! Here are a little pair of socks I made with some fun yarn that creates a pattern as you knit!

And what is this, you say?! A hat, maybe??? A fun toy for the grand-kids??!!

Nope, it's a tea-cozy for "moi"! In this dismal weather, you need all the COZY you can get your hands on!! I used some wonderful Debbie Bliss yarn here, a Baby Cashmerino that's to die for!!! The pattern is by Sandra Polley, whom I was recently introduced to by Caroline from the Knot Garden!! Thank you, Caroline!

And, I also managed to put together a few of these little pin cushions made with selvedge edges from some of the new Tilda fabrics I recently purchased. I'm making some Tilda Angels, as well, and will take a few pics of them when I'm done!

Have a great day, everyone!

Siggies, etc.!!!!!

2009-10-22T16:23:00.011+02:00

Look at the gorgeous siggy I received yesterday from Ineke in the Netherlands!! I must say that she brightened my day with her lovely little penguin!!! I've been a member of Annelie's International Siggie Swap for a couple of years now, but it's seldom that I swap any more, as I actually have enough siggies for several quilts!!! :o)

And here is the siggy I made in return for Ineke. I used some bright Kaffe Fassett fabric and embroidered a little design from Anni Downs' book, Simple Pleasures. A great book to get a hold of if you like really sweet embroidery!!!

Lastly, here's a pic of a pin-cushion I made a while back. I used some selvedge edges, as well as some Tilda fabric scraps that were left over from a swap project! Recycling is so much fun! It gives such a great feeling of satisfaction in creating something cute and practical from virtually nothing at all!

Cheers to everyone!
Mary Ann

Sneak Preview!!!

2009-10-01T21:11:00.008+02:00

Today, our quilt guild began to set up its very first exhibition at the public library!
A long day of hard work, but we think that the results are stunning!
If you live in the vicinity, please drop by Holbaek and see our efforts!
If not, here are a few preview pictures
that we hope will impress!!!

Stay tuned for more pictures from our Quilt Exhibition!

This and That....

2009-09-29T20:32:00.019+02:00

I thought I'd post a few pictures of some projects I've done over this past summer. Here is our grandson, Ari, wearing a little Icelandic-style cardigan which I knit for him. It's made from Sandnes yarn, in a lovely variety called Mini Alpakka. I'm also working on two cabled vests right now, one for Ari and one for big-brother Axel. They're being worked in a denim-coloured cool-wool Merino by Lana Grossa.
Hopefully, they'll be done for Christmas! !

Mormor loves her little sweeties!!!

I've also been hand-stitching some blocks on my second Dear Jane project, called "Kaffe Meets Jane"! It's been a colourful process and really fun, as well! I now have 27 blocks completed. There was a time when I would never have dreamt of putting all of these wonderful shades together in one quilt, but then, never say never!!

I'm also in the process of adapting a table-runner pattern from the talented Norwegian designer, AnnAka, into a door-hanging for my Mom.

Mom lives at a care-facility and during my recent visit with her, I thought it would be nice to make a quilt for her door with her name on it. Lots of the residents have difficulty finding their way back to their rooms, as all the doors look alike!
I actually have the same problem myself, when I visit with Mom!! ;o)
After I get this completed, Mom and her neighbours will know exactly who lives behind the door with the roosters on it!! Stay tuned for the finished results!!

Well, this post was definitely
a bit of this and a bit of that!
I'll sign off with pictures
of my parents from this past
March 4th, on their 62nd
anniversary.
I think they're such sweet
photos....
They look so happy with
the flowers I sent them.
I chose matching bouquets
of red and white,
the national colours of both
Canada and Denmark.

In Loving Memory of My Dad

2009-09-08T05:41:00.020+02:00

My Dad passed away peacefully on August 18th, at the age of 87. He was just so very tired and needed to rest. Surrounded by his family, I know he felt our love and our presence, both physically and spiritually. I miss him so much.
My Dad immigrated to Canada in 1951 with my Mom and my older brother and sister. A huge under-taking, he wanted a better life for his family, to start fresh in the "land of plenty". They endured many hardships, it wasn't easy to leave family and friends and create a whole new existence. He loved to tell about the time he walked twenty miles to apply for a job after arriving in Canada. He was hired, even though there wasn't really a position. The foreman thought he was very persistent and deserved a chance.
My Dad taught me so very much, things that I sometimes take for granted. He instilled in me his love of music, nature, books. He taught me to work with my hands. To create things from simple materials. To never waste anything, as we were "priviliged to live such a good life".
I can still smell the fresh-cut sawdust and apples baking over the wood-stove, as we built doll furniture together in his workshop when I was a child. Later in life, the wonderful blackberry wine that we created from fresh-picked berries, fragrant and sweet. Sockeye salmon, home-smoked, with just a hint of bay leaf. The thick, golden honey from his bee-hives.
I'll never forget these things.
And he loved his family. Especially all of the little ones that gave him so much joy. He would hold them in his arms and just stare down into their faces, in total awe of their innocence and sweetness.
I will always keep that picture in my mind.
And my Dad was a brave man.
He fought courageously with the Danish Resistance Movement during World War II. He never spoke of it until recently, but it must have left many scars, all of the horrible things he experienced, the suffering he saw. He hid those scars well.
My Dad was my hero.
He could do anything and he could fix anything.
He made me feel safe.
I'll miss you so much, Dad.
Thank you for everything.
Until we meet again.....

"Grieve not, nor speak of me with tears,
but laugh and talk of me as if I were beside you there."

-Isla Paschal Richardson

Nordic Quilt Festival 2009

2009-05-29T11:57:00.016+02:00

Greetings! Last weekend, several of us from
our local quilt guild, drove to Göteborg, Sweden, to experience the Nordic Quilt Festival. We had a wonderful time, viewing the fabulous exhibits, spending lots of cash at the great quilt shops (ouch!!) and just taking in the beautiful sights of Göteborg!
I also discovered a scrap-booking shop and went a little over-board!! Is it possible to have TOO many hobbies??!!!! Hmmm...I sometimes wonder!!!

Anyways!!! Here are some photos from the festival....way too many to show here, but these are some of my favorites!!!

I LOVE BUTTONS!!!!

I was also very happy to be able to meet some "blog friends", Hanne and May Britt! I found them amidst the fantastic Norwegian display of quilts and we had a nice chat together! I can assure you that they are just as delightful in person as they are on their blogs! ;o)

Another pleasant surprise, was meeting these nice ladies (below) from Iceland! I am very sorry that I have forgotten your names, but please know that I enjoyed our chat so very much! One of their guild members, Anna Margrét, is a dear friend of mine and it was nice that I could send greetings back to Iceland to her via these ladies!

The Icelandic exhibition, by the way, was just super!! Thanks for sharing!

There were also lots of "Dear Jane-inspired" quilts on display!
Of course, being a Janiac myself, I am a bit partial to them!!

Dear Jane, awesome in reds!!

This lovely quilt caught my eye at once! It's a wonderful sampler made with the centre block of the Dear Jane quilt, G8 - Indianapolis!!
I remember G8 distinctly,
as it was my first hand-pieced Jane Stickle block!

Fantastic quilt. The appliqué is just exquisite!
It was pointed out to me that May Britt is pictured somewhere in this work!
Can you see her?!

Ah, there she is!! Busy sewing, as usual!!!

I'll sign off with a few more photos from the exhibit!
Not enough room here to post as many as I'd like to, but I hope you get a good idea of the quality of these inspirational creations!
Thanks for stopping by!!
Mary Ann

PS: I'd love to be able to give credit to the artists of these quilts, so if you know who they are, please let me know!!
Thanks! Mary Ann

Retro Rocks!

2009-05-10T20:08:00.010+02:00

I just finished a little knitted jacket for a friend's grand-baby! It's done in some pretty cool retro colours, don't you think?! It now just needs buttons (instead of the pins I used to tack it closed!) and little Clara will have her new coat for chilly spring evenings! The yarn, Bambini, is a lovely merino wool by Wilfert's. The pattern is from Nørkleriet, in Copenhagen.

Speaking of "retro", check out this wall-paper we found behind some old panelling! Isn't it cool??!! It reminds me of some of the wonderful Westminster fabrics out on the market these days!!
Anyways, I just love redecorating and finding remnants of previous owners' handiwork!
It's so inspiring to see other people tastes, especially when they make me happy like this great wall-paper does!!! ;o)

I'll sign off with a pic of our cherry tree's gorgeous blossoms from last week!
Aren't they beautiful?!

Shades of Purple

2009-04-19T19:25:00.010+02:00

Here are a few shades of purple from our garden. There's so much going on out there at the moment with buds swelling and flowers springing open...this is such a wonderful and hopeful time of the year. I caught a few of these beauties with the camera today and thought I'd share them with you!

Now we just have to wait for the lilacs, which are about 2-3 weeks away!
They are my all-time FAVORITE purple blooms!!

I've actually been in a kind of purple mood myself the past little while. Not much quilting or sewing happening, but I have put my knitting needles to work! Here is a little top knitted in the Onion Super Merino yarn. It's knit in size 6 months to one year, but the pattern goes all the way up to 6 years. It still needs blocking, but I think it turned out ok. I haven't knit a pattern that required so much concentration in some time, so I found it quite a challenge! But then again, it's always good to give yourself a few challenges, right?!

Hope you've all had a great weekend!
Cheers! Mary Ann

Dear Jane Bag in Bright Batiks!

2009-04-05T19:54:00.011+02:00

Happy Sunday, everyone! Hope you've had a chance to do something special today!
I worked on a project which May Britt on Abyquilt inspired me to! I saw a picture on her blog of a bag made from Jane Stickle blocks and immediately thought of my box of lonely Swap Blocks! A few years back, I participated in an online exchange of Bright Batiks on Black blocks done in Jane Stickle's lovely style! I had always wondered how I would incorporate these little lovelies into a project! When I saw the pictures May Britt had taken at their annual quilt show in Norway, I knew what the future held in store for these joyful blocks! Now, my friends won't ever lose me amongst the maze of quilters at a show, with a colourful bag like this!!!

I machine-pieced the blocks together and machine-quilted them afterwards.
It was a change from just using a needle and thread like I usually do!

Here, I'm using a neat little attachment on my Pfaff.
It's a "Stitch In The Ditch" foot which makes this task very easy!
Anyways, I really love gadgets...in fact, I just very well may be the "Queen of Gadgets"....!!!!!

And here is the back-side of my bag! I used all but one of my
Bright Batik Blocks... I think I just might see a pin-cushion in the works here!

Thanks for sharing your pictures, May Britt!
As usual, you're a wealth of inspiration!
Now, I have my new bag ready for our Dear Jane get-together tomorrow evening!
Cheers!
Mary Ann

Tilda Swap!!!!

2009-03-29T20:47:00.015+02:00

Look what arrived in the mail this weekend!!!!

Inside the pretty package was the sweetest Tilda Angel!! It was love at first sight!! She holds a beautiful basket of flowers and has the cutest braids!!!
And look at those cookies! My husband and I quickly taste-tested these honey cakes and they're absolutely YUMMY!!!!!!
There were also spring napkins, tea-lights, a lovely soft-sculptured heart and some bright-coloured Easter eggs, which I hung on a little tree-branch!

I joined the Tilda Spring Swap which was hosted by Maaike in The Netherlands. Her and I were also swap partners!! This has been really fun and I hope to do it again some time!
Thanks so much for swapping with me, Maaike!! I hope you like the things I've sent you and I wish you a very Happy Easter, together with your new Tilda Angel!!

Pop over and visit Maaike at her blog!
I'm sure that you'll be more than welcome!

Recent Squishies!!!

2009-03-27T18:34:00.012+01:00

March brought lots of goodies in the mail
pour moi! Here's a couple of great books by
Liz Lois. Nearly Insane is from Elaine on the Dear Jane list. I put out an online request to purchase a used copy of this challenging book, and Elaine came through for me!! Many thanks, Elaine! Just Plain Nuts also arrived at my door, a sweet surprise from my friend Karen! This is the newest book by Liz Lois, with even more challenging blocks to hand-piece! Thanks, Karen, for your kind gift!
Don't you just love the names of these books???!!!!

Also, I was the very lucky winner of a draw for Melly and Me's new pattern, EMOtional Anna and SeBATstian!!! Now how cute is this pattern??!!! I absolutely love it!!!
A huge thanks to Melly and Rosie for picking my name!!!! I look very much forward to sewing up this cute pair!!! Oh, there's a new book in the works by Melly and Me...the sneak previews have been wonderful!!!

In the beginning of March, I received a pattern for a Cupcake Pincushion by Sandi Henderson of Portabello Pixie! I found the pattern a bit tricky, with lots of curved piecing, but as it was just my first try, I'm hoping that I'll get a bit better with practice!! ;o) If anyone has sewn this little pincushion and has some good tips for me, I'd love to hear from you!! Oh, the fabric is from Heather Bailey's Fresh Cut series.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Spring is in the Air!

2009-03-18T17:00:00.005+01:00

Spring has finally sprung here in Denmark! These small Eranthus blooms are always the first to pop up in the garden! They are such a beautiful and welcome sight to see after a long winter! Our garden is just filled with them!!

Here is our little grandson, Oskar, sporting the vest I recently knit for him! It's a nice and easy pattern that really fits babies well! It's done in ribbing and because of the stretchiness of the rib, fits over a span of many months!
It's knit in Alpacca yarn.

Speaking of our little Oskar, here are some pictures of his baby quilt made by Grandma! I used some cute Beatrix Potter fabric and framed the fussy-cut prints with blue and off-white. I wanted a soft, subtle look for this quilt and finished it off with hand-quilted hearts in the inner square, around the blocks and finally ducks and flowers in the outer border. I was happy with the results!

And The Winner Is........!!!!!!

2009-03-14T00:24:00.011+01:00

Good Evening, everyone!!

I'm a bit late here...it's almost 12:30 am, but I'm still calling it Friday night here in Denmark!!!

Time for my Give-Away Draw!!

My camera battery is unfortunately dead, but here are some pics taken with my cell-phone! Not the best quality, but I think you can still get the idea!!

My husband was kind enough to volunteer to make the draw for the winner!!!

And the winner is..................!!!!!!!!!!!!!

STINA from Sweden!!!!!

Congratulations, Stina!!! Please send me your snail mail so I can get your
Tilda Prize off to you!!!

Thanks to EVERYONE who popped by and left their sweet comments on my Blog!
It's so nice to read your posts and hear where you're from and a bit about yourselves!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone, and I promise to host another
Give-Away in the near future!

Nightie, Night!!
Mary Ann

Edited to say: I just went over to read Stina's Blog and it's her BIRTHDAY today!!! That was a very lucky coincidence, I must say!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STINA!!!!!

Birthday Give-Away!!!

2009-03-06T22:33:00.008+01:00

In celebration of our darling grandson Axel's 3rd birthday AND my 50th post, I am having a little Give-Away!!! Comment on my blog, tell me a little bit about yourself (where you're from, your favorite past-times!) and you'll be entered in my Give-Away!! Mention my Give-Away on your blog, let me know you did and I'll enter your name twice!!!

Now, what can you win?!
Let's see....how about my newly-created Tilda Jewellry Holder?!!!
Sorry, my jewellry is not included!!
Plus, there'll be a little "sweet" surprise, as well!

Deadline for the draw will be Friday the 13th!!!
Now, that's a Lucky Day!!!!

Good Luck to Everyone and Happy Birthday, Axel!!
Have a great weekend!
Mary Ann

Bushfire Quilt Blocks!

2009-02-26T13:51:00.014+01:00

Last week, my friend Else and I got together and worked on some Maverick Star blocks for the Australian Bushfire Quilt Project. We had lots of fun making these blocks and got quite a few finished. As all quilters know, scraps are the welcome by-products of our loving creations! To be able to find a good use for them, always makes me very happy!

Here is Else, admiring her lovely work!! Way to go, Else!! We were both so pleased to see how you can randomly sew small scraps together and create a beautiful block like this!!! We are planning to have 25 blocks completed, sewn into a finished top to send to Australia!

Pink Happiness!

2009-02-21T21:18:00.004+01:00

It's been so dark and dreary the past few days, that I thought I'd post a picture of something bright and happy! I made a lot of these flowers a while back for Breast Cancer Awareness month. Think I'll go and get out some scraps and do a few more!!
Hope everyone's weekend is going well!!
Mary Ann

Basting My Dear Jane Quilt!

2009-02-18T20:19:00.030+01:00

Here I am, engrossed in the task of basting my Jane Stickle top! It was quite a peaceful and relaxing job, I must admit! I sat there, getting to know every single block again...kind of like reuniting with old friends!! Since I've been working on this for over five years, I found myself thinking a lot about events of the past while basting. Each block also brought back warm memories of choosing fabrics, learning new techniques and just enjoying the whole process of creating them.

I did run into a little problem while layering with the Hobbs Wool batting. Actually, it wasn't the batting that was the problem, but rather my inexperience in working with wool! I opened the bag, spread it out over the backing and wondered just how this crumpled, wrinkled mass of sheep fur was going to be part of my quilt!!! I put out an online call for help on the Dear Jane list, and with the advice of lots of great quilters, I was able to proceed! I misted the batting with room-temperature water and allowed it to relax for a couple of days. This was the best thing I could do! To my amazement, it settled right down, laying nice, flat and ruly! Now, it's become a wonderful, lofty filling for my quilt!

I just have to give a little plug here for Roxanne's Basting Needles!! I'm a huge fan...they're so great! They just glide through those three layers like a hot knife through butter! They're also nice and long, so you can get a good grip on them! I like to use cotton thread that I find in flea markets to baste with. Usually, I choose a contrasting colour that's not too hard on the eyes! Since this is probably going to take five more years to hand-quilt, I don't think I could handle anything too bright and distracting!!!

Kiki, as usual, is my trusty quilt inspector! She's been kind enough to give me the paws up for past projects!! Kiki has always been a great support throughout my DJ journey! Here she is, offering to do a bit of basting for Mom! I think she'd be good at it, because with claws like hers, who needs needles?!!

Bushfire Quilt Project

2009-02-12T21:27:00.009+01:00

I'm so very happy to discover that a Group has been established on Flickr to organize the making of Comfort Quilts for the victims of Australia's terrible fires.

If you would like to help with this wonderful project, click on the photo or check out the Flickr site and see how you can contribute a block or two (or more!) to this meaningful cause. You can also add this Button to your blog to help bring awareness to the project throughout the world.

As I correspond with so many dear quilters from Australia, the past few days have left me feeling so helpless and saddened by the news of this terrible disaster. Besides having donated to the Australian Red Cross, I can now send some blocks that will be included in quilts to warm and comfort those who have lost so much.

Take care, dear friends, and know that you're in my thoughts.

Tilda's Landsted!

2009-02-07T17:47:00.008+01:00

Here is my first project from the new book, Tilda's Landsted! It's a cute little jewellry holder to show off your favorite lovelies!! I tried very hard to resist this book, but alas, I broke down and ended up purchasing it the other day! After reading and hearing so many great reviews on Tone Finnanger's newest release, I decided to add it to my collection! This book is simply loaded with wonderful projects, beautiful pictures and great ideas!!! If you don't have this book already, I would heartily recommend splurging and buying a copy! I know this will be just the first of many, many projects I create with Ms. Finnanger's sweet ideas!

Funky Thread Basket!!

2009-02-07T16:28:00.007+01:00

Here is a really cool little basket that you can make for your loose threads, etc! I found the idea on Leannes blog, The Stitching Room, where she's kindly posted a great tutorial and pics of her Thread Holder! It was easier than I expected it to be! The girls at my Quilt Guild meeting loved it and are also making some for themselves!

You start by cutting out a few WOF strips. Here, I've shown how I sewed the 8 strips together. The strips are 7.5" X 2.5" , four of each contrasting colour.
Slip stitch the four sides and, voila, you have a lovely little basket for all those pesky threads!!!

It's also great for stashing candies, nuts, whatever!!! Thanks so much for sharing this tutorial, Leanne! I just love it!!!
Have a fantastic day everyone!

A Productive Day!

2009-02-01T21:21:00.009+01:00

The Final Pressing!
Originally uploaded by *Mormor*

Today was a good sewing day! I finally completed my Dear Jane quilt top! I gave the whole thing a good pressing before laying it out on our dining room floor. It was fun to see all the blocks up close again. Each fabric brought back lots of memories from the past five years. Memories of first discovering Brenda Papadakis' wonderful book...of learning new skills and pushing myself to new levels...of trading fat quarters and swapping blocks with great new friends.

To those fantastic ladies out there (you know who you all are!), I thank you so very much, as without your inspiration, motivation and friendship, I would never have reached this point of my journey. Lots of Quilty Hugs! Mary Ann ;o)

Fresh Cut Loveliness!

2009-01-30T21:57:00.009+01:00

Fresh Cut Loveliness!
Originally uploaded by *Mormor*

This past week, I took advantage of a fantastic sale at an online shop here in Denmark called Calico. I was very surprised to see this gorgeous fabric by Heather Bailey for Free Spirit, on sale for half price! Well, I couldn't resist that!! Heather is one of my favorite US designers! I'm not sure why, but her bold and bright designs seem to be taking longer to catch on here in this country. Until then, I'll continue to do my best to promote her work through my blog and sewing!

I think I'll do some bags and accessories with these yummy treats!!

Memories From Venice!

2009-01-24T21:19:00.011+01:00

Holiday memories are always nice, especially when the weather's cold and blustery and images of a sunny day and a Venetian café come to mind! In October, we drove to Italy and camped just outside the city, near Punto Sabbioni where the beaches were still sun-soaked and lovely! Each morning, we took the water-taxi directly to San Marco's square and had a great time exploring Venice. During our adventures, we noticed the locals enjoying this very interesting-looking cocktail in the late afternoons. After a bit of investigative work, we discovered the name of this mystery drink is Spritz. The colour is very bright orange and the main ingredients are an appertif called Aperol and sparkling wine. It's apparently THE drink in Venice and, after a taste-test, we gave it a positive thumbs-up!!! Oh, I found some recipes for a few interesting Aperol cocktails here if anyone's interested??!!!

The architecture of this beautiful city is astounding. We couldn't get enough of it, so it was decided we'd come back to Venice as soon as possible! We definitely recommend visiting The City of Light.

Coffee Mug Holder!

2009-01-23T22:10:00.002+01:00

Coffee Mug Holder!
Originally uploaded by *Mormor*

Well, I just couldn't resist this pattern!!! Picked it up during my last visit in Canada...my sewing area is far from immaculate, so I must not be too dull!!!

I used a fat quarter of Kaffe Fassett fabric for this Mug Holder. I traced the motif onto the muslin using a light-box and Micron Pigma marker pen. Was lots of fun to make!

BLC Goshen

2009-01-23T21:53:00.007+01:00

BLC Goshen
Originally uploaded by *Mormor*

Well, I've finally finished all the blocks, tris and kites of my Dear Jane Civil War reproduction quilt! I started this project in November of 2004, so it seems like I've been working on it forever and ever!! It has given a wonderful sense of accomplishment, though, knowing that I now can hand-piece, appliqué and do many other things I would never have dreamt of doing five years ago! Er, like completing a quilt-top with 225 blocks in it???!!
I am currently piecing the borders and cutting the outer muslin sashings so that I can finally prepare this project for quilting. I'll be using Hobbs wool batting with a plain muslin backing. There will be scallops on the outer edges, completed by a narrow bias binding in an emerald shade.
Have a wonderful weekend!

Axel and Ari!

2009-01-22T21:35:00.003+01:00

Axel and Ari!
Originally uploaded by *Mormor*

Here are our two oldest grandsons, Axel and Ari! They look alot like each other, I think! Love those blue eyes!! Axel will soon turn three and Ari is six months old. We look forward to visiting with them later this year!

Welcome Little Oskar!

2009-01-22T21:11:00.004+01:00

Welcome little Oskar!
Originally uploaded by *Mormor*

In September, we were again gifted with another grandson, sweet little Oskar! He is the first-born child of our son and daughter-in-law and lives in Copenhagen! He is being held here by his Farfar!

Welcome Little Ari!

2009-01-22T20:48:00.003+01:00

Mormor and Ari!
Originally uploaded by *Mormor*

Dear little Ari was born this past July to our daughter and son-in-law in Canada. He is the second of our three darling grandsons and a little brother for Axel! He has just turned six months old!

Amy Butler Pincushion

2009-01-22T20:31:00.005+01:00

Amy Butler Pincushion
Originally uploaded by *Mormor*

Just a little project...I was using up some scraps and thought they would make a nice little gift item! They are 2.5 inches square and are embellished with beads! They're also on my Etsy site!

www.maryannscreations.etsy.com

Patiently Waiting??!!

2008-07-13T19:28:00.034+02:00

This weekend, I've been busy working on a welcome-quilt for our baby grandson who is due any day now! I'd like to say that I'm waiting patiently, but that wouldn't be quite truthful! Sooooo....I've been in the sewing room, trying to keep my mind occupied! I pieced a little Zoo Quilt for the soon-to-be new arrival in some bright colours which are supposed to be good sensory stimulation for babies! Didn't have a pattern, but thought I'd start by framing some cute prints with the brights.

Well, the blocks started getting away on me and before I knew it, the top was beginning to out-grow the batting and backing! Hmmm........change of plans!!! So, I had to bid farewell to the wider blue sashing I'd planned on ending off with and will now just use a narrower strip of blue for the binding! Oh, well!! I think this will be ok in the end!I got it sandwiched, basted and am now starting the hand-quilting process. It's going quickly and should hopefully in the next few days!!!

Stay tuned for pictures of the finished quilt...and of course, the new little wee one! Have a great day!!

Mary Ann

Sweden Here We Come!!!

2008-07-06T22:31:00.016+02:00

Well, we've just returned from a fantastic trip to Sweden and are still on Cloud Nine after a great holiday! We loaded up our two dogs, canoe and camping supplies and headed out into the great blue yonder!! We had no definite destination in mind, only that our travels would involve Sweden, a remote setting somewhere by a lake, a few good books for my husband and some prepped quilt work for myself!! The makings of a wonderful vacation!! After arriving in Småland, we paddled out to a remote island on pristine Möcklen Lake near the town of Älmhult. There, we set up camp and ended up doing some day-trips in the canoe, as well as just relaxing around camp. We were also graced with the presence of a nearby eagle's nest, where we could watch the parents feeding fresh fish to their young. Absolutely incredible!

The above picture depicts our crossing of the Øresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden. Also, our shiny new canoe!!!

Did someone ever say that quilting and the great outdoors don't mix??!!! Well, here I am, just loving to stitch in this natural environment! Listening to the wind in the trees, the song of the birds and the water lapping against the stones on the beach was wonderful. And at the same time being able to express my creativity...well, it's pure solace for the soul. Life just doesn't get too much better!!!

Here I am working on G8, the Dear Jane block called Justin's Comet. It's block number two on my second Jane Stickle quilt, which I am calling "Jane Meets Kaffe"! On this block, I'm using a pinky/red Kaffe Fassett fabric for the pattern, with Kona Snow cotton as the background. It was fun to piece! I also finished sewing several "Siggies" for the European Swap I'm involved with. I embroidered some designs on them and just have to sign them now.

I wish everyone a very happy summer and hope that your holidays are truly memorable! Happy Quilting to you all!!

A Walk in the Country Side...

2008-06-23T19:24:00.019+02:00

Beautiful gray skies in contrast with the ripening grain, made me stop and snap this picture the other day! We've been having quite a mixed bag with regards to our weather lately here in Denmark! After two months of drought, there's finally been some rain for the thirsty fields! Not to mention thunder, lightning and some occasional gale-force winds!!

Right now, the poppies are blooming amongst the golden grain in the fields. A beautiful sight, here in the hills of Sjælland near our home. I always think of the poem, In Flanders Fields, whenever I see these gorgeous flowers. Memorized when I was a young child in school in Canada, John McCrae's poem is a tribute to all of the soldiers, Canadian and Allied, who served and died on the battle-fields of Europe.

Here's a few of my own flowers I stitched today. They're for a siggie which I'm sending to an internet quilting friend in Scotland! I usually stamp my siggies with permanent ink in different colours, but today I felt like doing something different! Hope you like it, Elly!!! I'd better go sign it and pop it in the mail!!!

Last but not least, thanks to my dear husband for the beautiful flowers on my recent birthday! You are such a sweetie!! XOXOXO

This and That!

2008-06-13T11:10:00.008+02:00

Yesterday, I opened up the new copy of Danish Patchwork Guild's magazine and was surprised to see a picture of some of my work! I occasionally sew display items for the local patchwork shop, Slotshuset, and earlier this year, I made some little critters from Melly and Me designs. Shown in their ad, are Mrs. Perkins the giraffe and Pocket and Floss, a sweet little rabbit-couple!! They were such a pleasure to sew...I also loved using the brilliant-hued fabric of Kaffe Fassett to create with! It makes me soooo happy!!

I'm stitching on my Mom's flannel blanket these days. I'm doing it in the Yellow Brick Road pattern and using these yummy Moda flannels by Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Designs. I just need to assemble the blocks and start the quilting process. Stay tuned for pictures!!

Last but not least, if you have a minute to check out Lynette Anderson's blog, you can enter to win a very dear little stitchery pattern in redwork called a Trio of Greetings! Good luck and have a wonderful weekend!

Anybody Out There...?????

2008-06-09T22:28:00.008+02:00

Well, it's been such a long time since I posted....I hope there's still a few faithful readers around to read my ramblings!!! Lots of things going on in my life, but I've still found time to sew a few projects....just not posting any pics of them!!!

Anyways, the garden's been just wonderful! We've had very hot and dry weather the past few months, so things are growing really well! A touch of rain would be nice for the plants, though!

Hmmm....let's see what's new!!!

I've finally been working on my Truly Scrumptious blocks!! These are so much fun to stitch!! I must confess that I love switching from project to project and these blocks are a nice break from sitting at the sewing machine! It's also been so relaxing sitting in the shade out in the backyard and indulging in a little embroidery!

I also just received two new Cinderberry Stitches patterns... Fresh Breeze and Tea Party For Madeline. I like to order from my favorite internet shop called Be Sew Whimsical. Darlene has a great selection of patterns and her customer service is fantastic!!! I totally recommend her!! Here are my two new patterns along with a beautiful new Fat Quarter for my collection!

This is my little Tulip Table-Topper I made this spring, too. It's hand-pieced with various batik fabrics from my stash. I had bought the pattern a couple of years ago and thought that now was as good a time as any to complete it!!!

Well, I'll sign off for now and see what I can come up with for my next post!! Have a great day!

More Tulips!

2008-03-06T19:54:00.015+01:00

I was in Copenhagen yesterday and couldn't resist taking a picture of this fantastic flower market! Orange everywhere!! Of course, I couldn't resist buying a bouquet of tulips, either! Flowers and fabric...I truly believe that those are my two biggest weaknesses!! Ok, so I forgot yarn!!!

I bought three skeins of this lovely angora yarn in a wonderful little shop called Sommerfuglen. It's situated in the old inner-city and carries some beautiful and unique yarn brands. I'm making a little neck-warmer scarf and I'll probably use a brooch to fasten it off....I have lots of antique finds in my jewelry box that would be just perfect! The pattern is just a simple crocheted shell stitch, which should work up quickly! Our spring may be early, but the winds can still be chilly!

Here are Pocket and Floss, some sweet little rabbits designed by Melly and Me of Australia. I made them for display in our local quilt shop, Slotshuset Patchwork. They were really fun to sew and I hope to make a pair for myself!!! Maybe before Easter arrives! We'll see!

Last, but certainly not least, I'd like to wish our little grandson, Axel, a VERY HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY!! We love you, Axel! Have a wonderful day!! Love from Mormor and Morfar!! XOXOXOXOXO

A Quiet Day...

2008-02-25T18:09:00.013+01:00

Today was a very peaceful day for me. I've been feeling a bit under the weather lately, so I sat and quietly worked on some hand-piecing projects. A couple of friends and myself are doing an online swap of Valentine's Dear Jane blocks. You may be thinking, "Hey, Valentine's Day is over, so what is she talking about?!", but we had decided not to put a deadline on mailing our blocks! I love these kind of swaps best!!! Absolutely NO pressure!!!

Today, the sun was brightly shining and warmed our living room to a wonderful, cozy temperature. So, with sleeping dogs at my feet and a hot cup of tea within close reach , I snuggled up in my chair and created these two blocks. Justin's Comet and Hannah Lou's Hearts are two of my favorite Jane Stickle blocks! My love of appliqué and hand-piecing make these blocks a joy to sit and stitch!

We agreed on using a pink and red theme of Civil War reproduction fabrics, with shirtings for the backgrounds. I look very much forward to receiving Debby and Terri's blocks...the nice thing with swaps is that you're always pleasantly surprised with everyone's choice of fabric/colours! I'd like to make a little table-topper from these blocks to use for next year's Valentine's Day!

Last week, I found a wonderful, half-price Jinny Beyer print in just the exact colour I had been searching for! I plan on using this for the bias edge of my Jane Stickle quilt. It's perhaps a little different shade than here in the picture, but it is exactly the blue-green teal I had in mind! I hope it will be a good contrast against the muslin scallops! Many thanks to everyone on the Dear Jane list who wrote and answered my inquiries about how much fabric to purchase! I appreciate your help VERY much!! ;o)

Have a wonderful day doing what you love best!

Cheers...Mary Ann

Spring is on the Way...

2008-02-18T20:22:00.009+01:00

After an unusually warm winter with perhaps only a handful of days with frost, the first signs of spring are starting to emerge here in Denmark. Here are Vintergækker, commonly called Snowdrops in english. This early debut is a bit worrisome to me, as nature can very well still send a freak snow-storm our way and destroy all these fragile blooms! I'll keep my fingers crossed for continued warm temperatures!

This lovely yellow beauty is called Erantis in danish, or Eranthis hyemalis in latin. It's native to Europe and is always the first flower of spring!

And last but not least, a very brave little Hyacinth!!!

Jelly Rolls!!!!

2008-02-18T19:20:00.011+01:00

Oh, aren't they yummy-looking??!!! I just received these Jelly Rolls from Three Sisters for Moda in the Shangri-La pattern after ordering them a few weeks ago. I plan on sewing Natalie Lymer's Truly Scrumptious quilt from Cinderberry Stitches....after I get some other projects under control!! I don't know if this will be possible, as my will-power is very low when it comes to Moda fabric!!!!

I am quite excited about this project and am so happy that I was able to acquire the same fabrics as Natalie used in her Truly Scrumptious quilt. It's such a happy quilt!! It consists of 9 BOMs and a 10th pattern to assemble the quilt, all of which were purchased from Darlene Carroll at Bee Sew Whimsical. Sooooo....I guess I'm ready to "roll"!!

I've finally finished my Dad's flannel snuggler and he's looking forward to it arriving! It's been a long and cold winter in Canada and it'll hopefully keep him warm and cozy until the spring weather arrives. I know that Kiki, the quilt inspector, will sorely miss it around the house, but I've actually thought of making her a little "snuggler" of her own out of the scraps!!!

Goodies from Australia!!

2008-02-18T17:57:00.012+01:00

Today was a great day for me, as I received a little parcel all the way from Australia!!! A while back, I had entered an Australia Day competition on Catherine Bayne's blog about what I would like to see if I ever visited the wonderful "Land Down Under"!! I wrote that the fantastic natural beauty of Australia would, of course, be the main attraction of a future visit to her country, as well as visiting the numerous Quilt Shops I see during my living-room cyber travels!! Seeing Rolf Harris live would also make my day!! I've been a fan of his since I was very young!

Anyways, for participating, Catherine gifted me with one of her beautiful patterns, a tube of Vegemite and a lovely Koala card, too! Thanks so much, Catherine! Please visit Willow Valley Store and see all Catherine's lovely creations!! She's an extremely talented designer and lovely person! The vegemite was definitely a unique experience...different than anything I've ever tried before, but I did find it quite tasty!!! Salty and a bit tangy is how I would describe it! I wasn't sure what you drink with a Vegemite Sandwich, so I tried a glass of chilled white wine and that went down well!!! ;o) Again, thanks so much, Catherine! I appreciate your kindness! :o)

A BIT OF KNITTING AND QUILTING!

2008-01-23T17:35:00.001+01:00

I've had the knitting bug the past few weeks, so I thought I'd post a few pics of some projects I've made. A pair of socks for myself and a pair for our little grandson, Axel! Nothing like home-made wool socks to keep the tootsies warm!!! I'm also working on a scarf for myself in alpaca and mohair. It's done in a lace pattern and is proving to be quite a challenge! I hope to have it done soon, though!

On the quilting front, my Dad's flannel snuggler is almost done...it's hopefully going to be a January finish for me!!! Pictures to come!!! I decided to dedicate my New Year's resolution to completing a few of my "UFO's"! Below is a picture of another project, first started in 2003, shortly after I took up quilting! It's hexagons of rose fabrics, sewn together using the English paper-piecing technique. I've now finished piecing this top and am waiting for an up-coming sale to purchase the backing fabric!!!! I'll be using Hobb's 80/20 cotton-poly batting and will hand-quilt this, as well. Stay tuned!!

Happy New Year!

2007-12-31T22:46:00.000+01:00

There's still an hour before it's officially 2008 here in Denmark, but I thought I'd take the opportunity to send my best wishes for a very Happy New Year! I hope that the coming year brings joy, peace and happiness to all of you! 2007 was my first year of blogging and I just want to thank everyone who took the time to comment on my writings! I've had a lot of fun both posting and reading all the wonderful blogs out there! So very, very inspirational! Have a great evening!
Cheers! Mary Ann

Christmas Angels...

2007-12-16T22:46:00.002+01:00

Here is my little Christmas tree that I finished last week. It's made of six stuffed fabric stars that are skewered onto a sharpened dowel and then inserted into a wooden stand. I sewed entirely around the stars and turned them inside out through a slit in the centre. I had four of these cute little plaster angels and thought that one would perhaps look nice on top of the tree. I used my trusty Dremel tool to drill a hole in the bottom of her so that the dowel would fit! I used a bit of glue to fasten her to the dowel, the dowel to the stand and then sewed on beads for decoration. Voila!! Our Christmas tree for this year is ready!!! And no needles to vacuum up!

And speaking of angels, one must have been watching over us this past Wednesday, when my husband and I were driving home from Copenhagen. We were involved in a serious accident on the freeway after being struck from behind. We emerged miraculously unscathed from our totally wrecked car and I am just so very thankful to be sitting here today.

Some Things Are Hard To Live Without!

2007-12-04T16:37:00.000+01:00

If someone had told me 10 years ago that I would one day suffer terrible cravings for Campbell's soup, well, I think I would have laughed out loud!!! Well, the other day, I happily discovered some tins of Cream of Mushroom soup in a local shop which regularly imports "goodies" from across the pond!! Needless to say, I stocked up!! Now if they only would find some Kraft dinner, too!!! And graham wafer biscuits....2 lb jars of Peanut Butter...Red Rose tea...Baker's semi-sweet chocolate...oh, the list goes on and on!! Thank goodness I make yearly trips back home!!!

Last evening, we had a little dinner get-together with a few ladies from our guild. Here are the quilt-inspectors at work!! This is the quilt that I'm making for my Dad. I'm aproximately half-way done with the quilting. It's been tough working through all that flannel and cotton batting, but I'm getting there!! Left to right: Else, Solveig, myself and Inger. We had a great evening!

Some Finishes For Today...

2007-12-04T14:49:00.000+01:00

This is a little "Altoid" candy tin which I've covered in fabric. I got the idea from Val on the Dear Jane list. Many thanks for the inspiration, Val! I picked up a few of these tins on my last trip home to Canada! I think I may to find some more, as they would make nice little gifties!!!

I sewed this little pin-cushion a while back from a pattern from designer, Heather Bailey. I had originally filled it with sand, but wasn't 100% happy with the results, so today I replaced the sand with fibrefill! Much better!!!

Note the little antique "fly"hat pin! I found it at an outdoor flea-market last summer. A bit macabre, but nonetheless, extremely original!

Last, but not least, tulips from my dear husband who continues to brighten my life, especially during these dark, December days! xoxoxo

Another Cinderberries Needle-Case!!!

2007-12-02T22:50:00.000+01:00

After making one of these great little needle-cases for a friend a few weeks ago, I decided that I needed one for myself!!! I'm working on the embroidery now and hope to have it done tomorrow. I was visiting a rather gorgeous quilt-shop called Patchwork Butikken last week and found this pretty fabric from Northcott. I also want to make a bag with this fabric and found the perfect ivory pom-pom trim to accent it!!! I remember this trim from the sixties when it was used to embellish sombreros and vintage cars!!! Now, it'll work great on my new bag!!!!

This needle-case pattern, as I mentioned in a previous post, is a freebie from Cinderberry Stitches. Many thanks to Natalie for posting this great design!

I'll sign off with a picture of my favorite pair of "nisser", or elves in english! I didn't make these two myself, but couldn't resist buying them last year during a Christmas shopping trip! I think that they're just wonderful and they sit happily on my shelf all year round! I've heard somewhere that it's good luck to have "nisser" in the house to keep watch over things!!

Until next time....Mary Ann :o)

Christmas is Coming....!!!!

2007-12-02T21:47:00.001+01:00

....and I'm getting very motivated with regards to creating a bit of holiday cheer around our house!!! I've been making a lot of sweet things from my new book, Tilda's Julehus, by Norwegian designer, Tone Finnanger. It's full of wonderful ideas which I've been very busy with!! This is a plate of yummy apples!! They're just cloth, but still are very delicious-looking!!!! I've made three dozen of these, by the way!!! :o)

I've also made 36 of May Britt's pincushions which I thought I'd let double as ornaments for the tree...I added a string to hang them with!!! I may also thread some of them together with the apples and create a nice little garland! I've used a lot of mother-of-pearl buttons from my collection...I think they add a nice touch. These little pin-cushions/ornaments are actually quite addictive to make! You can get into quite a rhythm winding the string around the buttons!! I had some DMC pearl cotton which I used for this.

And this is one of the little angels...also from Ms. Finnanger's book. I chose to make her hair a bit on the wild side!!! I still need to attach her wings! I'm currently working on three more of these little ladies for Christmas gifts. Very fun to do!!! She measures about 19 inches from head to toe and is supported on a little wooden stand. I am considering making the large version of this angel to welcome guests in our entry hall. I'm just in love with these little gals!!!

Cinderberry Stitches Needle Case

2007-11-15T20:02:00.000+01:00

I just finished a little needle-case as a gift for a friend. It's made from a free pattern I found on Cinderberry Stitches . Natalie Lymer is a fantastic Australian designer whose patterns are heart-warming! Check them out! It was great fun to stitch and should hold lots of goodies!!! I glued some rhinestones onto the stitchery as accents and the dragonfly is a little magnetic pin...just for fun!!

What every quilter needs - needles, thread & CHOCOLATE!!! This variety is the famous, yummy Danish marcipan, covered in luscious dark chocolate! I fused a couple layers of pink felt together to make a nice, thick cushion for pins. There's also a couple of straps so the holder can be carried like a little bag. I think I just might have to make one of these for myself!!!!

Mormor's Little Pumpkin!!

2007-11-15T16:03:00.000+01:00

I recently received pictures of our little grandson from Hallowe'en that I thought I would share! Axel was able to choose his own pumpkin this year! What a difference 12 months can make!! Last year, he wasn't quite walking yet and now he's running through fields of pumpkins!!

Squishy, squishy!!! Now that's quite a big pumpkin for a little fella to empty all by himself!!! I'm hoping Axel got a little help from Mommy and Daddy to complete this task! Maybe there was some yummy roasted pumpkins seeds, too??!!

Axel's favorite movie character is none other than Mr. Shrek, so that's who he was for Hallowe'en!

Love those green eye-brows, Axel!!!! Hugs & Kisses from Mormor & Morfar!

Miniature Baby Jane...

2007-09-14T22:43:00.001+02:00

I was quilting a bit today on my miniature Baby Jane. The little quilt consists of 25 2.5 inch blocks that I re-sized with the Dear Jane pc program. This project has been in the works for quite a while now, but I'm fine with taking my time finishing it. I've been using it as a practice piece for when the time comes to assemble the larger version of this quilt! It's been great for learning how to sash the blocks and set the corners in so that everything fits properly! It's given me the courage to tackle my BIG JANE! Which, I should say, is getting very near completion. I finished my 30th triangle for the borders today, so that leaves just 22 more! Oh, I still have the four corner blocks to make, as well. They'll be a bit of a challenge, so I thought I'd leave them for last!

I can't wait to actually sleep under this quilt one day!!! My helper, Kiki, thinks that would be great, too! She's been the official quilt inspector since I started this project 3 years ago!!! She does her job quite thoroughly, don't you think???!!!

Mountains...

2007-09-10T14:18:00.001+02:00

I've been thinking a lot about mountains today. I sometimes get this incredible urge to climb to the top of a peak, listening only to the wind and experiencing the wonderful hugeness of it all. Living in Denmark, it's not that likely it'll be happening anytime soon, but that's when my photos and memories of Canada keep me fulfilled.

This a view over Peyto Lake, in Banff National Park, from our summer holidays this year. I would have made it to the top in my younger days, but this sufficed quite nicely!!

Well, so much for day-dreaming!! I'm going to retreat into my sewing room and see what I can create! There's a pin cushion pattern that I've been meaning to do a little experimenting with!!! Have a nice day!

Threads and Buttons....

2007-09-09T21:31:00.000+02:00

I was doing a bit of fun stuff this weekend... playing with some Japanese flower patterns! It was quite contagious...I made several different varieties!! These are quite simple. You just start with a little circle of fabric, whatever size is up to oneself, but I used 1 1/2 inch diameter for mine. Fold it in half and then in half again, hand-baste the unfinished edge and pull the thread tight.

Do this eight times and VOILA! You have a sweet little flower! Add a yoyo and a button for the centre and it's complete! Many thanks to Rosane for getting me started on these!!!

I also finished this little wall-hanging. It's an embroidery from Bronwyn Haye's book, Miss Millie's Flower Patch. I just love her designs...they're so cute! Now I just need to find two buttons to go onto the straps...I can't believe there wasn't something suitable in my rather large collection of buttons!!! I'm quite proud to say that over the years, I've scrounged through many a flea-market to acquire my fabulous buttons! There's nothing quite like the feeling of rummaging through a cardboard box and discovering an old, worn metal tin full of some dear grandma's treasured buttons. It's really wonderful to be able to bring them back to life!!!

I'll sign off with a picture of a rather dramatic sunset taken from our back yard. In our hectic world, the beauty of simple things can sometimes be taken for granted. Pictures like this one can very quickly remind me of my love and appreciation of nature.

Have a great week!