Monday, July 31, 2006

Some questions and Goals for july and august

Thanks that I could join stashquilts. I am iin a thinking fase for a really stashquilt, I have received a mysterie FQ serie earlier this months, see here and am figuring out what to do with them, also want to do with some other fabrics in my stash, so will have to go and think harder these next days.
Than some questions that were asked:

Karin, yes I did chose the colors myself, but they had kits for this mysterie and I loved these colors the best. So picked out of a few kits.

Forest Jane, it will be around 78"square when finished or 2 by 2 meters. A HEAD chart is a chart for stitching from Heaven and Eart designs

Well my stitching goals went pretty well, but my quilting goals not so.
Here are the results
Goals for July:
Quilting:
1. Finish part 1 from It's Summertime - Done
2. Finish part 2 from It's Summertime - Half way done
3. Finish part 3 from It's Summertime - Not started yet
4. Finish part 7 of mysteriequilt - done
5. Finish Hiskequilt - Just 15% done of the top
6. Finish Yvonnequilt - Was to hot to quilt
Stitching:
1. Finish Purr-Turbed Done
2. Stitch on Colonial garden Done
3. Finish Victoria City Sampler Done
4. Finish part 10 of MTM Done
5. Finish my fob exchange for rotation stitchers Done and on it's way
6. Finish June stamp-it Done
Also finished July and August stamp-it and started spring snapperland

Goals for August
Quilting: 1. Finish part 8 of mysteriequilt
2. Finish part 2 of summertimequilt
3. Finish top of Hiskequilt
4. Finish Gerardquilt (depends on the weather)
5. Finish Yvonnequilt (depends on the weather)

Stitching:
1. Finish part 11 of MTM
2. Finish Spring snapperland
3. Finish seedback exchange for rotation stitchers bb
4. Start Crazy cat lady exchange
5. Finish Animal shelf
6. If animal shelf is finished start little red hiding hood

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Strangest place I have quilted or stitched


Well Barbara asked the question what was the strangest place wel for me it was MacDonalds.

I have stitched this afghan for my little nephew and as I didn't know his name I had to wait till he was born. We heard on the day itself off course that he was born late in the evening and the next day I had to work and we would go visit them. So I went on the train to meet up with my husband which was a travel of 45 minutes and to short to stitch the whole name. I also lost my needle in the trainride and lucky me I had a sewingneedle in my bag. So I went further with that one. When I arrived on the station I wasn't finished, so my DH drove to MacDonalds and ordered something while I was stitching and finishing the name. So she got it totally finished an hour later. Is this strange or not.

Finally some cool temperatures


Yes it is there some nice cool weather. They say it will stay here till at least the end of the week, so please keep your fingers crossed.

I worked on the mysteriequilt some hours yesterday in the evening and this morning some more and it is finished. I have made the big block 4 times, but was to lazy to get them from downstairs. The big block is made from the middle block that we made in part 1 and the little border we have made in this part. I love the look of it. Now I will go and work on the Hiskequilt for awhile, but I don't think it will hapen today, first I have some stitching to do.

Today I decided to stitch two HEAD charts Little red riding hood and Snowwhite. Probaly will stitch them for myself or my little nephews. I ordered the per e-mail, so I hope they will arrive quickly, so that I can go and sort out floss and fabric for one of them and than start one after MTM is finished in september. I think I will do them over one, but not sure yet.

Saturday, July 29, 2006

snapperland series


I would like to thank everyone that has looked at my blog and has make comments through my blog, I always love reading them.

I am busy stitching spring snapperland. This is a pic of thursdays and yesterdays progress.

I just was to lazy to make a pic yesterday. I hope to finish the border and little frames today, but that depends on a lot of things, because when the weather stays like this I also will go and work on the mysteriequilt, but when it gets warm again I won't quilt, but only stitch.

I like these snapperlandseries a lot. I am already looking forward to seeing how Summer and autumn will turn out. I like the house on summer so far. First I wanted to start that one, but as I am missing two colors of WDW/GAST and on the border chart wasn't the DMC equivalent I decided to than stitch spring first.

Yesterday I became a member of Robin's nest and decided to join the Crazy cat lady exchange, which is about cats and it sounds really fun, my brain is already doing overtime for that one to think about something for it.

Yesterday I send also out my scissorfobexchange for rotation BB and hope the one who gets it will be happy with it. It doesn't have to travel a long time, but you never know what happens in the mail.

Yesterday I also got an request from Jeannette Douglas to look at her new website and look if I could find any bugs. My topiaries are also on the new website so that makes me happy to see it there. I am still deciding which design of her to stitch next. I thing it will be one in the take time series or one of the canadian journey designs. Will look at them in september when MTM is finished. I am already busy deciding my goals for August and decided to not do that many quilting goals as they prenounced some more heatwaves for august.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Victoria City Sampler finished


I just put on the last beads on this sampler from Jeannette Douglas and it looks so good. If you click the pic you will see it nice and big. I loved stitching it, I have done more of hers and still have a lot of hers to do and this was one that had a lot of over one stitching in it, but that makes everything that is over one more stand out.
Next on my list is spring snapperland. I started it late last night and will stitch some more on it today. Pic will follow later this weekend.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Yes, it arrived



I already finished this little one in may to make sure it was on time for carol her birthday. I always try to send on time, but sometimes life can come in the way so I try to stutch and finish exchanges and gifts as soon as I have thought about what to make. Tomorrow I will send of my scissorfob exchange for the rotationstitchers bb.
Now I am going to finish Victoria city sampler, only a bit of backstitching and the beads and than I can do a happy dance.

Sunday, July 23, 2006

August stamp-it finished

First I wanted to thank everyone for the compliments on my finishes. It was nice working on both. I have bought the kit for the autumn quilt in Canada 2 years ago as I fell in love as soon as I saw it.

Yesterday in the afternoon I finished august stamp-it. A little stitch again, but now I am busy with a big one again. I worked on Victoria city sampler after that one and have managed to finish the over one stitching on the flower row in the top of the piece and have finished the row with the lampposts and the one beneath it. Now I am getting busy on the next row which is almost finished too and than something like 3 rows and it is finished. I have ordered the beads yesterday and they are shipped so I hope mail will work with me so that I can finish this week.

This week I also got mail from Jacqueline to finish a quilt for her. The pic isn't the best, but here you can see her beautifull job. Now it is on to me to go and quilt it.

Friday, July 21, 2006

July stamp-it finished


Late last night I finished July stamp-it.

As I didn't want to stitch something difficult I started August stamp-it yesterday evening and I will stay stitching on that one the next couple of days till it is finished.

Also I finished sewing the Harvest time top yesterday eveing. I like it a lot and as you can see in the pic Sjors was adoring it too. I have to say that it was a bit hot to be under such a big quilt, but I survived. But I think the quilting has to wait till the weather gets cooler whenever that will be as they predicted 30 or more degrees celsius the next coming days also. I hope to receive also today or tomorrow to other quilts. One Jacqueline made the top and the Gerardquilt as due to her mother she doesn't have time to quilt them.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

I have a long weekend

I just called my boss and she said I have tomorrow the whole day off. It wasn't that busy at work and as I worked a lot of hours these past weeks I asked to have tomorrow also totally off and so I have. So I have now really weekend and today I also had the whole day, so it is an official 4 day weekend for me. I have been sewing and stitching a lot and hopefully I can show two finishes tomorrow, one quilttop and July stamp-it finished.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

very very hot

It is just very very hot here, so I haven't been much behind the computer or do anything else. These last days I have been working on the babyquilt for my neighbor. I now have to go and do a lot of Applique.

Also I have worked on my autumn quilt and hope to have the top finished this weekend.

Today my father finished painting our house. So now everything is creme with red.

This is the side of the house:This is the back.This is the front from a distance:The shed.And here the front close to also see our new housenumbers. First they were painted on the house.

Saturday, July 15, 2006

June stamp-it finished


I just finished June stamp-it like I said this morning while watching the Tour de France. I did add the backstitching on the little bees as my fabric is a little wite you couldn't see them very well and I thought let's at a little something. Also here a pic of how they look now all together as some people asked about that. I haven't decided yet what to stitch next July stamp-it or go finish Victoria city sampler. Just will see which one will call the loudest tomorrow as the rest of the evening I will be working on my quilts.
I am busy with the windmills and the are going great. Here is a pic of the first 8, still 16 to go. I am now first going to cut all of them and than go and sew them all.
I can see now that a new sewingmachine can do a lot. My centers are finally getting better and better each day. Even John was surprised. I like the new part also a lot with the airplanes, but down part of them is that it is paperpiercing again and that isn't one of my favourites.

I will have to decide which quilt I will work on when I finished all the windmills as I also want to work on my other mysterie.

Updates

I heard from Gisele that Roland is doing ok, only they can't get him from the ventalator at the moment. But the first 72 hours stay critical.
Jacqueline her mom is still very critical.

On the stitching front: I hope to finish June stamp-it today while watching the Tour de France.

On the quilting front: I made a mistake in my first windmill and I had to recut and redo it, but I now have 8 of the finished, so still 16 to go. Also got in part 3 and we have to make 6 airplanes.

Pics will hopefully follow later today.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Keeping my fingers crossed

This past day I have to keep my fingers crossed for Jacqueline and Gisele.

Jacqueline is a good friend that lives an hour from me and her mother is doing very bad at the moment. Hope she will survive the operation she had on her lung. While the operation was being done. She got a big bleeding. Hope she will survive.

Gisele is from Canada and I met her 2 years ago in Canada, also her husband and childeren. Her husband was than already waiting for a new liver and they just got the call last night that there was a liver suitable for him and at the moment he is in surgery. Hope all will go well with him too.

On the stitching front I started June stamp-it this afternoon and it is going very fast. Think there will be a finish tomorrow. But first I have to go work tomorrowmorning, so goodbye to my long weekend this week.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

That is one.



This is the first of 24 windmills that I have to make for this part of the it's summertimequilt. So I still have a lot of them to make.

Tomorrow I hope to work some more on them, but this whole week I have been doing a lot of overtime on work, so you never know if I will be home around 1pm or later. I hope 1 pm, but I think it will be around 3 pm when it will be as busy as today.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Progress and stash

I haven't been much around, but that is because my father is here. I have done a lot of patchwork these last days and finished part 1 of "It's summertime"mysteriequilt just a few minutes ago. I love how these boats look. Now I have to go and work on part 2 which are a I believe 24 windmills and I have to cut a lot of pieces for all of them, so first will be cutting and after that sewing. So I think maybe to finish them this weekend. I think I am goig great on my goals this month. Only stitchingwise I am getting behind as I haven't stitched since my latest finish. Was thinking of starting on June stamp-it in a minute.
Today I got the kit from Keepsakequilting I ordered for my colleague, which won't be for her, but for my neighbour. She is also pregnant and her due date is december 2. My colleague is december 5 and I will make her a nice thing to for the maxicozi or something like that. With that package I also got a mysterie medley and you can see it in the pic. So looks like I will have to make something christmas.
Also yesterday I go spring stitches in the mail, I am on a automatic programm for her on a LNS so as soon as a new chart comes out it comes flying to me.

Sunday, July 09, 2006

I didn't do anything,..

, but some other people did do a lot. Like I told maybe a few months ago I learned my mother patchwork and quilting last autumn. Here is another quilts she is making since than. She is now busy getting the lines on it for quilting and after that she can start. She took it with her as we have a glasstable and with a light beneath it she could draw the lines very easily. With ordering this kit I learned some french again, I had it 4 years on school, but it was one of my worst classes. I had to order it in France and my mother couldn't understand it even after having 8 years of French. It worked out well and she started it in May. She has done the patchwork by machine, but the applique by hand and it looks very good.

Than I send Loes some embroidered stitching to make into a comfortquilt for Petra, who is sick and here is what she made of it. I have to say I really love it.
Even the back looks great.I haven't quilted or stitched as I was busy with my mother and father. Today we had a horsecontest a few km's from here and my mother was the jury there. So I went with her to be her secretary.
Tonight I am going to work on "It's summertime".

Saturday, July 08, 2006

What is it?

Is it that MTM for this month is already out of the way or what that I am in a finishing mood at the moment. Yesterday I finished the fob for the exchange, only have to make it into a fob, but that will happen this week. I loved stitching it, but that can be as it was from one of my favorite designers and I know it is also a favorite as far as I can see from the receiver of this.
Also yesterday I came very far on "It's summertime", I don't think I will have time to work on it today or tomorrow, but hopefully I can finish it monday. It really looks good. But before my mother comes I will clean my desk again, so that she can't say anything about that.
Here is what it will look like, but there still have to be corners at the botton with light and dark blue.
Today I will work on Victoria city sampler again and hope to get that one finished next week some day. Not that much to do on it anymore, so I am sure I will do my best on it. Also I made up the present for a friend that has her birthday this month and I hope to send it of on it's voyage.
Yesterday my package from the silverneedle finally arrived. It took almost 2 months to arrive. I guess it took a very slow boat.But I am happy now and now can start my snappervilles. Just have to order the last two spring charts in the next months somewhere when I have time and money to do that.

Friday, July 07, 2006

Finished purr-turbed and update


I just finished this one late last night very late as I wanted to have it finished when I started the backstitching. I must say that I love the charts, but that backstitching is hard to do. Really a lot of counting, but as you see it looks really great, it makes the design come alive.
Next in line to do for my stitching goals is start and finish the scissorfob for the scissorfobexchange at the rotation BB. It has to be send the 1st of august, but I want to make sure it will be on time finished. So when I start today it will be probaly also be finished today.

About the questions to come and clean at all your houses. No sorry, I still have some other rooms to clean before tomorrowafternoon also because my dad will stay for a few days longer to paint the outside of our house. We have it now blue with cream and it will be darkred with cream when he is finished.
Also I wanted to show you a quilt start I made last month, but didn't have time to make a pic yet. I still have a lot to do on this one. It is a quilt for charity and will look the same as the flower one from last month, but now with this woman from all over the world. Same fabrics will be used, but with this one I will maybe add a border at the end. Just have to see, how it will work out in the end.
Yesterday I also worked on "It's summertime"mysteriequilt and finished 4 more boats. Now only 12 more to go, but first I have to go and cut some fabrics for them for the sails and the sky. When they are all done and put together I will post a pic again. And after that I can start part 2. I decided I hate paperpiercing, but well it looks good, so I will have to get over it. For the big mysterie I also have to do 32 little rows of triangles also with paperpiercing.

Thursday, July 06, 2006

I am very proud

to say that I cleaned out my whole sewing/stashroom. I have made some pictures before. Here is one from the side of the window, this sight wasn't that bad.

This other side was really the most messy side. I just had to go and clean also because my parents come visit us this weekend and I already know the reaction of my mother when she would have see n it like this.

But here is the sight that wasn't that messy.

And here is the very messy side that is now clean too :-)

My DH said yesterday if I would turn it into a palace and I think I did a good job to make it a palace. It is the first time I have got my sewing/cutting desk totally clean.

This winter we will renovating it and it will look totally different, but for now I am satisfied. Now I can go and work on the "It's summertime mysterie". Also here a pic of almost all the fabric stash I have collected and what is not used in quilts I am working on at the moment.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Part 10 of MTM finished and SBQ

Ans here it is part 10 finished. I was so happy that this month was little and no houses at all. I already had 3 of the corners finished yesterday. The last corner took me a long time because of the wet heat of today.
Next to finish is purr-turbed.

What is the biggest mishap you have had with your stitching material(i.e. spillages)?
My DH once put a chocolate cookie on Summer Queen after that I almost killed him. Also with the same queen I threw all the beads on the couch and first my DH laught, but after that he helped and wasn't happy at all.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Hot hot hot

It is really hot here in the Netherlands and I managed to get a cold :-( I have big trouble breathing, but hopefully it will be gone soon. It looks like it will cooldown tomorrow and than thursday som more.
I have been stitching on MTM part 10 and it goes very fast, I almost have the second corner finished and that only in one day as saturday and sunday I didn't have much time to stitch. I hope to make a pic this afternoon from both the corners and than maybe tomorrow also the other two will be finished.
Today I also have said goodbye to my sewing machine, I sold it to someone and a friend of mine is making sure it will arrive there as the new owner doesn't live close to me, but my friend does. So she will pic it up at John his work as that is a lot easier to explain than my home. The new job of John is a nice one. Just have to get used to that he goes to his job very late and comes home very early. He has 2 hours of more time for his own.
Yesterday I got part 9 of the mysteriequilt and wow it is a bog star we have to make for that one. It is a star with 12 points and about 60 cm big. Hope to work on that quilt this weekend when it gets a lot cooler. Now it is just to hot to sit in my sewingroom.

Saturday, July 01, 2006

And here is my mothers and update purr-turbed

And here is the one my mother made on the workshop.

And here is another time mine.

Yesterday was very hectic due to work and the bbq. I had to work 4 hours and than I would get the meat and fish for the bbq, but that all worked out totally different. In the morning my boss cut herself in her finger vey horrible on one of the machines and had to go to the ER on first floor of our building ASAP ( we are on the fourth floor). One of our doctors went with her and stayed with her all the time. Than I alreaady had something like well I think I have to stay a little bit longer as work was already hectic before she cut herself. So I called John that he had to get the meat and fish on it's own as I didn't have time. So he did that and than he called again around 3 am if I would ever come home before my colleagues. Well I than said probaly I will, but not a lot. At the end I worked 8 hours and was home just 15 minutes before the rest and even got to take a fast shower. So you can see it was a very hectic day and I really planned to do everything and than go and work on purr-turbed and maybe almost finish the crosses, but with everything that didn't happen. Now he has to wait this month till part 10 of MTM is finished and my scissorfob exchange So that is why I took a pic of him now, to let everybody see how far I already am.

Tonight we will have a bbq with the neighbors behind us from all the leftovers from yesterday as we could borrow their chairs. Also the weather was working with us for the first year in the three times we already organized it as we had some beautifull weather. I have now a bit of a cold, but hope it stays that way and not get worse.

Today I also looked a bit around the blogs to find some more quilting blogs through the blog of Shelina and I found some really pretty ones. I really found out I am still a beginner on the quilts, eventhough I am already quilting for 3 years now.