Frosty views and folded star

Just for a change I decided to finish a folded star (also called Somerset patchwork) coaster that I had started years ago. All it needed was a ribbon round it, and now I have something for Christmas.

After the snow almost disappeared we had a lot of fog, and the next day everything was white, after a hard frost. I like getting up in the morning to see a white world! This is the view from the kitchenwindow.

But the birds are not quite so happy with it, so I give them some food several times a day. By now I get 5 robins, 5 male and 2 female blackbirds, two thrushes, and numerous finches, wagtails and of course sparrows.

The bluetits, coaltits and greattits have their own 'playstation' with sunflower seeds, fatballs, peanuts, and a coconut shell with homemade filling (fat, raisins, seeds and, oh the irony of it, finely ground catfood !!). They love it, especially as there is a huge dogwood bush next to it, so they all sit in there waiting their turn. There are dozens of them!
The robins always likes to try and get some of all these things, and love to sit there.

Now it is time to make some coffee, with mince pies - lovely and cosy by the logburner! And then some applique on my Baltimore border.....
Have a great day!
Jane

Snow in Autumn

Everything is white. Only two days ago I had finally made a small cushion with a stitchery of an Autumn  Sheep that I had done last year.

Outside it was still beautiful autumn weather:

And today my little lamb ornament that I bought for in the garden, was almost hidden under the snow:

The garden looked beautiful and dreamy, even though it was very cold.

The view over the valley is nice too.

Early this morning, about 7.15, I went to the guest bedroom to get something, and saw the sun trying to get up. It looked cold, but beautiful. The building on the hill is the Welsh chapel where we go on Sundays.

But inside the house the logburner is on, and it is lovely and cosy, nice weather for quilting! Alan had bought some beautiful roses for me, and I keep looking at them, such nice colours, very inspiring.

It is getting late now, and almost time for bed. I might just be able to do some applique on the Baltimore border...
Enjoy your weekend!
Jane

Baltimore Blocks

Now my Baltimore blocks for my first Baltimore quilt are finished, I am working on the border. I also laid out the blocks to see what they would look like.

After that I started inscribing some of the blocks with something special, and with the date on which they were finished.

This quote from Mark Twain "Forgiveness is the scent of the violet on the heel that crushed it" has special memories. When I first came to England, to the Lake District, we often went to a little church in Cartmel, and this quotation was next to the entrance. I never forgot it, and thought it would be perfect to put on my violets block.
Here is another one:

I am having great fun doing these inscriptions. I use a Pigma pen, which is permanent, and then I heat it with an iron (from the back) to set it.

I must show you this wonderful sunset we had too.

It is dinner-time now, so I'll sign off, and tonight I want to do some more applique on the border.
Have a lovely weekend!
Jane

International Pincushion Day

At last I can show the wonderful surprise that came through my letterbox!
I have been really spoilt by my swap-partner, Irene. You can see her blog here. Thank you, Irene, I wish you could have seen my face when I opened the envelope!!

Not just a beautiful original 'Tumbling Block' pincushion, designed by herself, but a matching needle-case and a small cube to put on my scissors. I am so happy with these lovely things. Only a week before that I thought that I should make something for those scissors, because they look identical to my paper scissors!

The pincushion I made was a Dear Jane type block that I designed, and made into a biscornu. I had never made one of those and they fascinated me. I chose fabrics in the colours of Irene's Dear Jane. By the way, you should go to her blog and have a look at her Dear Jane in the making. It is fabulous!
Here is the pincushion I made for her, front and back.

I have really enjoyed this pincushion swap, and now I am going to look at some of the others!
Thank you Jeannet, for organising this swap!
Enjoy your weekend!
Jane

Baltimore Violets

Thank you all for your lovely comments on my Dear Jane quilt. The latest on it is that we have never been so cosy as under this quilt....!
Last night I finished a Baltimore block, and it is the last one for this quilt of 'beginners' blocks, so that I can now start working on the borders.

The autumn is getting rather beautiful out here. The cherry tree that I see from my sewing room, is turning into gold. Slowly the trees on the hills are changing colour too. I love autumn.

It is late now, and I am going to think of inscriptions on some of the blocks, before dropping of to sleep. Perhaps I will wake up with some wonderful ideas....
Goodnight
Jane

"Dear Jane for Dear Alan" is finished !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At last, after working on it off and on for the past 8 years, here she is:

If you click on the photo, you can see it larger. (Especially for Margreet!).
I still can't quite believe it, and I feel quite flat suddenly. After all, lots of people are making one - what's the big deal?
For 8 years, since October 2001, she has been an overshadowing part of my life.
First, our daughter got married, and I made a quilt for her.
Then I was diagnosed with breast-cancer, and a lot of the reproduction fabrics I used, were sent to me from all over the world, as I belonged to the Dear Jane Forum. They were a wonderful support.
Then we moved to Scotland, and after 2 years there, it was my cousin Hetty, who prodded me into carrying on with making the blocks, as I had been too busy with lambs and calves and hens to worry about this quilt.
Part of the problem was that I was re-drawing all the blocks, because I wanted it to be like the original. Nice idea, but it took a lot of time.
Then our daughter started producing grandchildren, so we went over to help each time.
After that our son got married, and I spent several months planning and making the wedding cake.
Finally, we moved to Wales!
So this quilt has seen a lot of changes!
I kept a journal, right from the beginning, with pieces of fabrics for each blocks, and notes of things that were happening when I made each block. One day, it will be interesting to read that again. But for the time being, I have had enough of this quilt. I shall have to keep seeing it though, because it was a present for my husband, and he wants to sleep under it!!!
Have a wonderful day
Jane

Last stages of Dear Jane

Today I have been quilting the last lines all around the triangles.
I had made a template so that I would know where the cutting line was, and quilted within that line.

It was a perfect day for doing this exciting job. This morning at 7.00, when I opened the curtains, I saw this:

And all day, it was perfect. Late in the afternoon, the low sun was shing through the dogwood leaves, they have such a beautiful lime green colour.

Then, a bit later in the early evening, the day finished like this:

And then I had finished the quilting (!!!!!), and started cutting the edges.......

Will I be able to sleep tonight? It is getting so exciting, to be so near finishing!
Good night everyone!
Jane

Souvenirs from Holland

When I saw this pair at the quiltshow in Holland, I could not resist them. So I bought the pattern, and made them for our bedroom.... She reminded me of myself, as I take my pillow everywhere too.

Another kit I bought there was a beautiful cricket, made from fabrics from the Provence. It has become a lavender bag.

And, since I love sheep and cows, I brought back several of those. Some of them sit on the windowsill.

The good news is that I have only got 3 more triangles to do on the Dear Jane quilt, and then on to the last corner!!

To finish off the day, there was a beautiful sunset from our kitchen window.

Have a lovely evening!
Jane

Back from Holland

Many apologies to those of you who have been waiting for this next post! We have come back from Holland, stayed with my sister, my cousin and my mother. When we came home, my husband got a very nasty cough/cold, so I didn't feel much like internet. Today he is a lot better though, so here we go again.
We were away for two weeks, and it was a great time! I had taken this block - easy applique - with me, to do in odd minutes. Well, I did one leaf! (I had already finished the bunny at home, the day before we left...

While I was in Holland, they had the annual Quilter's Guild exhibition, and I went there twice!!! It was a lovely exhibition, and of course there were traders, so I bought much more than I should have done..!
Staying with my cousin on the farm was a wonderful experience. On one of the evenings, it was the get-together of the 'Quiltmutsen', the local quilt group. So we all sat in the farmhouse kitchen admiring each other's work. Everyone had brought quilts and bags to show, and I brought my Baltimore blocks, so we didn't really do much stitching. They were working on a hospice quilt, and I was allowed to do a few blocks too.
Of course I took photographs, but unfortunately they did not come out well. So the next day I took a picture of Hetty's quilt in the making.

We had a lovely view from our bedroom:

We also went to a Staphorst, a village where many women still wear the national costume for that area. They had a vintage day, with old tractors and threshing, and I must show you this lovely photo:

 And one of a typical bike in Staphorst:

When we came home I decorated our doorstep with one of my clogs, and some 'pompoenen' from Hetty's garden, to celebrate the autumn.

And now I am working like crazy to get my Dear Jane quilted. I only have 8 triangles and two corners to do and then the binding. After that I can treat myself to my Baltimore blocks!!!
Have a great day!
Jane

Baltimore Clipper Ship

Yesterday, while the wind was howling and the rain was coming down, I finished my clipper ship.

To make it was pure joy. I'd better tell you a little bit about the story behind it.

In Baltimore quilt symbolism, the ship stands for Christianity.

But in my case there are added meanings.

It commemorates the day when I came to Britain by boat, just for a year, to learn the language better. Of course, I am still here! The top flag is of course, Dutch. The next one is of Overijssel, where I was born, and then there is the British 'red duster', since that was where I was going.

The name on the ship is that of my grandfather's ship. The rhyme underneath is a line from a rope-skipping song, which I grew up with. 'Witte zwanen, zwarte zwanen, wie gaat er mee naar Engeland varen..' (White swans, black swans, who is coming with me to sail to England..) I remember how often we used to sing this song, and that I used to think that I was going to go to England when I had grown up...

Have a lovely evening!

Jane

Quilting in Mid Wales

We are staying with our son and daughter-in-law for a few days, and in between going out I have been quilting triangles of my Dear Jane quilt. I am trying to reproduce as much as possible the way the original was quilted.

One of the reasons we are here is that there are two steamtrain excursions, and Alan wanted to film them. So on Wednesday we went to a lovely spot on the Dyfi estuary. We watched the tide coming in....

The next day we went to the dunes overlooking the sea and the railway......

And then, further North, we saw the engine at the station of Blaenau Ffestiniog.

And now I shall carry on with my quilting. Only 36 trangles to go..!!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Jane

New Baltimore block

A few days ago I finished my first block for a quilt I am designing. For this one I made a papercut.

This first block is about Wales, "Cymru". 

The harps/lyres signify 'the land of song'. The red dragon "Y ddraig goch" is the national emblem of Wales, and the Fleur de Lys is also used in the Royal crest of the Prince of Wales. The hearts on top of the harps are a reminder of the Welsh 'love-spoons'.

All around I have written in celtic letters the word of the National anthem, and the writer of it, with the place and year of writing. Here is a close-up:

Although the papercut was the whole design, I have changed some of the colours, as the Welsh flag is red and greeen.

We have been going to some Welsh starter lessons, and it is a difficult language, but at the same time I am looking forward to the classes starting in September.

Our granddaughter loved her quilt, and wanted to sleep under it that evening. Her little brother seemed very taken with it, so I shall have to make something for him as well....

I have been enjoying watching all the birds in the garden - from woodpeckers to wrens. Yesterday a woodpecker, three sparrows and a greenfinch all sat in the birdbath. Of course, by the time I got my camera, they had gone!

And I saw the robin too, looking a shadow of his winter self. His breast was a very pale orange, and he acted as if he really did not want to be seen.

Have a great day!

Jane

Finished quilt and Civil War Bride block

Last night at 10 o'clock I finished the binding on the Nursery Rhyme quilt.

Just as well, because today was our granddaughter's birthday. She will sleep with it on her bed tonight.
I had quilted it on the machine - first time for me....!

Last week I finished a Civil War Bride block, but because my sister from Holland was here, I waited until now to show you. It was fun, and I chose to embroider the strawberry crowns.

Now I shall have to catch up on cleaning the house.....
Have a nice evening.
Jane

Nursery Rhyme Quilt top finished

This afternoon I finished the borders of the Nursery Rhyme quilt. Because I am fairly new to machine piecing, it is not as perfect as I would like it, but it will have to do.

I am very happy that I have got this far. Over the next days I shall sandwich it, and then machine quilt it. If there was more time, I would love to quilt it by hand, but less than one month ..... not enough!
The weather here in Wales is beautiful, lovely and sunny with a breeze.
Enjoy your day!

Mary Simon and a small sheep

Last night, after 7 months I finally finished my 4th Mary Simon block. All the memories of the move from Scotland are stitched into it...

I was very happy to find exactly the right fabric for the eye of the little bird on the left.

Then the postman called and there was a sweet little sheep from Holland, with a postcard of a place that has many memories. Thank you, Carolien!

It is now time to try and finish the border of the Nursery Rhyme quilt...!!
Enjoy your day!
Jane