Coming Down to Earth...

Having Nadine around was like having a 'Quilters' Party in a Box'.

And we did swoon and lose our breath over our new shared fabrics like Moda's Breath of Avignon, amongst others (Thank you, Thea and Gin!).

So "Coming Down to earth" ;) is taking a bit longer than I thought.

But a softer landing was provided by the the Lovely Sandy of Vintage Sandy when I received her lovely Valentine Give-Away. Thank you so very much, Sandy!

While finding my feet again and figuring out what how to tackle my next projects, I have been keeping busy with my Klosjes.

Another dozen joining the group! I am really loving the scrappy look of them...

That makes 38 all together.

This morning the sun is out so I will continue washing my new beauties and dream...

Don't you just love the smell of fresh laundry in the sun?

These pictures are dedicated with lots of Love to all you suffering cabin-fever in the snow and rain... Come dream with me!

Have a great weekend!

Valentina

Two peas in a pod... and Klosjes

...Who's coming?

...From Belgium?

...And you have NEVER MET IN PERSON?!

... and she's staying at your HOUSE?!

What a joy it has been to Finally meet Nadine. We have not stopped laughing, stitching, exchanging ideas and then laughing some more.

So many, many projects are being planned, some are being started and some agreed upon for later. Much fabric, tips and impressions being shared. And she is showing me the ropes when it comes to blogging as well.

Ingrid, Thank You! I have had quite a few inquiries regarding the "Klosjes" or Spools. Please, go and see Karen's Klosjes! So cute! So you see Ingrid: Klosjes are spreading all over the world!

Happy stitching!

:)

Tumbler Quilt

Here is hoping everyone had a lovely Valentine's!

Today, as we celebrate Green Monday here in Cyprus (the beginning of Great Lent) I wanted to share with you my Blue and White Tumbler Quilt. I made this last summer (June 20o9).

I loved making this quilt.

I was very much taken with Kathie Holland's former Header on her blog. Kathie's blog Inspired by Antique Quilts is just such a joy to visit and such a source of constant inspiration. Kathie, you are the best!

The simplicity of the design allowed me to play with the fabrics, even though I was working with a 'tight palette'. I just loved the sparkles provided by the periwinkles, lilacs and the shy turquoises. I kept the hand-quilting in the ditch to really make the tumblers pop.

This is a quilt I really would like to make again.

This time in reds and whites, perhaps?

Have a wonderful start to your week!

Valentina

Olympic Fever!

Oh Canada!

Some proud Canucks around here today...

:)

Klosjes update: I managed to complete another 6, and mark quite a few more. I have only been using scraps, but I really like how the colours are coming together

This is my Olympic challenge for the next 2 weeks: To embroider the 14 names I have left to do on my Sept. Potluck 09 Hexies, assemble them plus that stack of hexies!

Robyn, look what arrived just in time! Thank you, sweetie!

I hope everyone has their own Olympic quilty dreams that they will accomplish in the next 2 weeks,

Valentina

Has it been a week?

Oh, My! And What a week it has been!

I never expected I would meet so many new friends and be so inspired in my first week blogging. Thank you.

I am slowly figuring it all out and finding my pace. I also feel so much more focused in my own work, because I have your support. Thank you for you comments and for believing this little blog is worth following.

These are for you!

And here is another quilt that I have made:

I called it 'Dotty for Spring' and it is a simple traditional Lattice design I teach beginners at our local Quilt Shop. But for me, personally, this little quilt reminds me not to be afraid of Spontaneous Saturated Colour!

This morning we had preparations for a fancy dress party at school... So today I am the proud Mama of a baby Elephant and a Baby Giraffe...Oh, How happy I am that my sewing machine came to the rescue! Instead of those nasty elastics for their masks I sewed on some matching scrap strips, and they looked cute, even Ellie the Elephant wanted in on the action!

Tonight I am getting ready for Sharon's Olympic Challenge: No watching Olympics without Hexagons in hand... Thanks Sharon!

Gin's Quilt

Thank you all for the happy wishes!

This is Gin's quilt: Flying Cranes. I made it for her wedding in the summer of 2008. It's an elongated flying geese and I used the Darlene Zimmerman and Joy Hoffman's EZ quilting Tri-Rec templates.

I Loved quilting it, and delighted in the ribbons of corals and rusts woven through the ribbons of Turquoise. This picture remains with me, as it encompasses what I love about hand-quilting.

Have a joyous day!

Valentina

St Valentina of Ceasarea in the year 308 under Emperor Maximian II Galerius

It's My Name-day!

Made extra special because I share it with my Mami. Feliz dia de nuestro santo, Mami!

As an Orthodox Christian I celebrate St Valentina today.

The story goes like this:

Ennapha was being humiliated and abused in public, persecuted and tortured for being a Christian. A crowd started gathering, and not being able to withstand the injustice a voice in the crowd was heard shouting out: What are you doing to my sister?!

St Valentina was apprehended for standing up for this stranger, and forced to offer a sacrifice to the pagan altar. Now there are different versions: she either threw a stone or (my favourite:) she kicked over the altar and the whole thing caught fire. Yes, Ennapha and Valentina were beheaded or burned together, anyway, but it was a glorious exit!

:)

Now that's a Superhero in my books!

Holy Marthyrs among the Saints, Valentina and Ennapha, pray to God for us!

Iconography by the hand of Matthew D. Garrett

Dollies Online

I love Sarah. When I first saw her book Material Obsession, it was like coming home. Sarah started her own blog The Last Stitch just as I was discovering blogs, so I went along for a ride! And what a ride it has been! Then she launched Sewn, and loads of new possibilities opened up for an often isolated quilter like me. I feel that Sarah is a generous teacher and I have learned so much from her, especially how to trust myself and make quilts that reflect who I am, making fabric work for me and not to blindly follow trends or fabric-lines. I have become a much better teacher myself, and more capable of inspiring those same things that Sarah has awoken in me.

So before this turns into an 'Ode to Sarah' along came Dollies Online.

And not only do I get to learn from Sarah, but also from Amy Lobsiger: Mrs Schmenkman!

One happy girl am I!

So our January Dollie Quilt is "Hurry Home" designed by Amy.

I had a blast and met Joan in the process.

Sarah's quilt will be next (February 15th), and this means that my Mini Quilt wall dream of 2010 will be one quilt closer of becoming a reality!

If you want to see more find the button on the right.

In the midst of this dizzying swirl of bloggity excitement was blessed with a very sobering moment.

Kim of Dear Daisy Cottage introduced me to Blogging. I was doing a casual search online and BAM! I found myself 'sipping iced tea' with her on her veranda... She truly taught me to see the beauty of my everyday life, and encouraged me to celebrate it. I even picked up my camera again and found Kim's colour celebration seep into my quilts and my home. Thank you Kim, for being gloriously YOU, and encouraging me to be ME.

So Kim, here's my heart for Jack,

And I will let Kim tell you the rest of the story...

Vintage Sandy is having a Give-away!

Please, do not miss out on a very generous Valentine's day Give-away at Vintage Sandy.

Thank you so much for letting me know!

Valentina

Stringy Luv

Hi Everyone, thank you for the countless visits and sweet comments.

You are so encouraging, and patient with me, as I figure all this out.

Please do leave a comment in either

English, Dutch, Spanish or Papiamento,

and I'll try to get back to you a.s.a.p.

At the beginning of the year Stephanie over at Loft Creation offered a challenge: To use up our load of scrap and start stripping! Robyn, our Fearless Leader over at GHQA and GHQA2, told us about it in her awesome blog Daisyquilts. I couldn't resist, as I rarely can resist anything Robyn proposes! And signed up. As I had been in organizing mode I went back to the oldest scraps and started there. That box had not been opened for 10 years! I challenged myself to use only what I already had cut into strips and not to add any new fabric to it. The blocks were so much fun to make, I managed to make 14. Odd number for a quilt.

Like most people, I do my hand-stitching and hand-quilting in front of the t.v. in the evenings. I usually have several projects going so inevitably I tend to take over the dining room table. I have had this lovely hand-made basket for years, but it needed a lining for me to feel comfortable to stick my quilts in.

(^_^) ...big happy grin.

The flannels were a joy to work with... and I even made 4 stripy pockets: one for my scissors, one for my crochet hook, and 2 shallow ones for my thimble and quilting thread.

And even though it looks quite amateurish I had a blast!

Thanks Stephanie!!!

I already have collected a big pile for project number 2!

You can click Stephanie's 'Loft Creations No Strings Attached Challenge' button on the side for more inspiration.

with much stringy Luv,
Valentina

Klosjes Zaterdag! Spools Saturday!

Thank You all so much your encouragement and patience!

What a lovely Bloggity Birth Day I had yesterday...

I have lots of fun pictures and ideas to share with all of you, eventually!

(^_^)

So what are 'Klosjes'? It is the Dutch word for Little Spools. According to An Moonen, a Dutch Textile Historian who has written a lovely book about Traditional Dutch Quilts, Klosjes or Spool quilts are one of the oldest Dutch designs, and in all honesty who could resist?

In Holland there are many Quilters who dedicate Saturdays to making little spools. Thanks to the kind invitation and encouragement of Ingrid I have joined up together with my friend Nadine.

So today is Klosjes-day! Hiep Hiep Hoera!

My Goal is 500 Klosjes and I have made 15! They will be 2.25 inches finished size and they are such a pleasure to hand-stitch.

So it will be awhile...

Valentina

Due to the overwhelming response to my Klosjes I am adding my measurements here:

As far as I know there is no 'official' pattern. And some Dutch ladies even make them in different sizes. I tweaked my measurements because I saw a lot of them looking too much like bow-ties, until I ended up with a 2 1/4" spool.

My centre square is cut at 1 1/2 inches and the trapezoids are around 1 inch and 1/8th 'from top to bottom'. So these measurements include a 1/4 inch seam-allowance.

But I need to warn you... these are terribly addicting!

I bet you can't just make one in one sitting...

:)

Daring...

Hello big world!

it's just me

Valentina

here in my little corner