Just in time

Phew, that was a narrow escape (o:
Today being January 31st I shouldn’t wait any longer to start working on the January blocks for Sew-Euro-bee-an. I had to finish an important quilt first – I’m going to show you the photos as soon as “the cover of secrecy” is lifted (o;

So after I finished the secret quilt yesterday I started making the January blocks today. “X and + Blocks” for Nicole (aka Follow the white bunny). They were so much fun to make – and I would have been much quicker if I hadn’t sewn the + of Block A to the X of Block B. Enter seam ripper.

Here’s the happy end:

I hope you like your blocks, Nicole. I am sure your finished quilt will be gorgeous! Thanks for being our bee-mama this month!

Thanks to all of you who inquired after our eldest who was doomed to take it slow after his pneumonia. He has fully recoverd by now and he and little bro work hard on their skills to “look dangerous”:

Are you frightened yet?!
Christine

New Weekender

Last week my friend Meike gave me this incredibly fabulous weekender as a belated christmas gift (we didn’t manage to meet earlier):

And this is the back:

I am a lucky girl, am I not?! I love her choice of colour and the way she quilted the outer panels.

And I love the sturdy handles and the little pockets and the zipper pocket and the little flower and… and… everything!

And isn’t this stamped label just too cute?!

And it has a perfect size for the weekends I spend at my parents’ when I take my kids there for a visit. A perfect gift! Thank you again, Meike!!!

Now you may want to see the christmas gift that I had made for her:

I made a fabric basket to match the quilt I made her last year:

And I gave Meike two Kate Spain Charm Packs to convince her to start making quilts. We took a basic sewing class together 3 years ago and developed different sewing preferences since. I became addicted to quilting and she makes the most beautiful clothes for her children, awesome pouches and phone covers, loops and bags. Plus she has great taste – for example when it comes to colour coice and combining solids with prints. I’m so glad we met 4 years ago!!! (in a water-gymnastics class for pregnant women when we were both expecting a second baby).

Here’s to a long lasting friendship and many more happy sewing hours spend together!

Give your best friend a hug!
Christine

Fusing, drawing, snipping

I’m alternating keeping bed and sofa with another sick child.
My eldest has caught pneumonia. Deep dry coughs and high fever. Last night was a nightmare! Luckily grandma kept our youngest today as my husband had to go to work and I did not want another infected child. In an emergency visit on saturday morning our doctor confirmed my suspicion.

So while he is sleeping next to me on the sofa, I am drawing and cutting out some letters for a quilt I want to finish next week.  Let’s see how far I’ll get with the prospect of nursing a five year old boy that has to keep bed or take a rest on the sofa. As long as he is feverish he will consent but once he feels better I see some trouble ahead.

Here’s to hoping that our youngest won’t catch it, too!
Oh, and BTW I don’t want it either (o:

Have a healthy weekend!
Christine

First Finishes 2013

Happy New Year and best wishes for a healthy and happy year 2013!

I didn’t get much me-time (aka sewing time) during the holidays (and to be honest neither during most of december) so I am keen to get to my machine more often. I made a good start on New Year’s Eve and finished an easy Pillowcover for my youngest son:

Dinosaurs are quite “en vogue” over here and my boys can’t get enought of them. They memorize names and facts – the bigger the Dino’s mouth the better (o:

Guess what happens when you sew a pillowcover for one of your kids?!
Yep. I made another one on New Year’s Day.

 

And then there was another first for me this year: I never played with Denyse Schmidt’s fabrics before. Linda sent us some beautiful DS fabrics for her Sew-Euro-bee-an month:

She asked for two 12,5” patchwork blocks with a special square – a pieced or appliqued part.

Here are the two specials I made for her: a pieced block that I made up (but I’m sure there is an official name to it) and a little appliqued fish.

 

Linda, I’m sure your quilt is going to be gorgeous! And thank you very much for your giant paper clip!

Onto my resolutions for this year: More me-time. For sports, sewing and my newest discovery: audiobooks. Quite selfish, isn’t it?! Oh, and BTW I want to sew more for myself and my family. I saw someone call that selfish-sewing. I guess with those two pillows I made a good start (o: And then there is one other thing: I want to keep our house tidier. But that isn’t likely to happen as this resolution is contradictory to my first / selfish resolution… /o:

Wishing you all the best for 2013
Christine