With a little help from my friends!

I am flying right now, my heart is beating soooo fast: I just finished basting my last corner unto my quilt...   had to tell you, right away...Okay it isn't finished: I need to actually stitch those borders together, but I couldn't  resist taking a picture for you... O my Goodness: I have a Klosjes QUILT!
This week has been a roller-coaster ride: It all started with klosje number 720. I was hoping to savour the moment and decided to make it special:

The moment was fleeting, but I found myself really smiling remembering all the funny places where I have made Klosjes over the past year... 

Klosje 720!

Last one attached to Corner number 4...

Celebration!!!

... and immediately rewarded myself with by starting Camelot! More on that to come... :)

 That means I had to find the right red for the border: Okay. I went for the one that gave me goosebumps as opposed to the one that was just perfect... Now, how to proceed...

Basting the corners was hard because of all that Bias stretch from the halfsquare triangles. So  with resolve I decided to "fake it till I make it" ( my heart was pounding, I felt so unsure, period cramps, coldsweats and feeling like running away and hiding in a cave and take Camelot with me, of course! LOL) so despite all that, I tried to keep calm and carry on... I placed the pieces on my kitchen floor (which happened to be clean) and the floor tiles helped me to make sure it was square. I guessed how big the red border had to be, cut it and then realized that machine basting would be best (needle at 5.0). I found the centers of the each corner and matched it to the borders and machine basted from the centers out: and I couldn't believe my eyes, 

it was actually working...

and so: voila!!!

Here she is! All 3688 pieces of her!

It all fits! the quilt is a bit shy of 2m square, and now I have to focus on actually hand-stitching the corners down... once I come down back to earth... and then we'll get a better picture! :)
Yippie!

Wanted to keep you guys up to date, because I LOOOOOOOVE you! And cannot thank you enough for all the support and encouragement you keep giving me...
xox
V.

Spring has sprung!

the poppies taking their rightful place in the olive groves
:)

Corner #3!!!

And there was cake!
:)

Hoping your week was a happy as mine!

Klosjes!

After being at odds with my Klosjes last week, this week we kissed and made up. I kept being lured away by all the new projects dancing around in my head and haunting my dreams since the inspiration binge in Holland. :)

Our love is back and stronger than ever, and we were inseparable again this week. 

The result is that I finished my second corner and am well on my way to finish the third.

:)

This week we enjoyed a lot of fresh air as a family-yesterday was a national holiday- and had fun finding the first spring blooms in the fields. And we even managed to convince our kite the go up (long enough to get a picture!) despite the little whispers of breeze.

My heart jumped at finding a wild grape-hyacinth and spotting the first of the wild poppies among the tall grass.

 

The wild Thyme bushes filled with new growth

 

I had to take a break from machine quilting my quilt for Japan as I felt strain on my shoulder and wrist earlier this week. I am not happy with how it is turning out, but keep telling myself that comfort has very little to do with aesthetics. So I decided to put my walking-foot on my machine and finish quilting it in straight lines. You'll let me know what you think.

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend and that it includes some happy stitching. For us, our 4 year olds' social calendar is booked solid until tuesday with kids' birthday parties "Cyprus-style". Wish me luck-- I plan to break protocol and sneak in some stitching!!!

:)

Valentina

And it seems my new allergy meds are doing their job!
:)

Happy

I am stumped. No words.
:)
..but happy!

This is not just any ordinary Klosje, this little one is my 700th!
...and coming to the realization that this week was my last week making Klosjes was a bit overwhelming!
I made 83 and that means 713, :) happy happy dance!

...but for now, I will need to take a little break, because tomorrow morning bright and early, Mama is going on a little trip to Holland. super happy!

Jinny Beyer is coming to give a workshop and I just could not pass this opportunity to see my nieces and meet someone who I admire so much. I consider Jinny Beyer's book Quiltmaking by Hand  the one who taught me and led me to fall in love with hand-stitching. HAAAPPY!

almond blossoms

You know this first part of the year has been a bit challenging for me, and I have to admit that I am really looking forward to a few days to "fill the well". I am looking forward to taking lots of pictures and share these workshops days with all of you.
My littlest one is back to his happy bouncy self and my friend Elena is over the moon by your support and encouragement! Thank you!!!

So are you ready to come away with me for a little break?

I leave you with a few images of Spring in Cyprus, today the beginning of Great Lent, also known as Green Monday.

I will be thinking of you!
Valentina

Saturday night Klosjes

Spending some lovely quiet time with my Klosjes, tonight. I have 20 finished and a bowl full of 'partials', which I will get through by tomorrow night.
I am feeling like my old self again, and have been celebrating that by having a deliciously busy week, which included a 'play-date' with Tineke and a visit to the indoor park with the boys. Klosjes continue to be my constant companions and they really are moving along nicely. Tineke and I even managed to make some together amidst the catching up, planning and giggling.
I have also had some sleepless nights dreaming of new projects... :) Isn't it fun how we start dreaming of our next project just as we are finishing what we are working on? :)
I am missing my charm-hexies, but know I will be more inclined to work on them when the summer heat arrives. In the meantime, I had the joy of meeting Liz, and order a beautiful pattern from her achingly beautiful blog.
ooooh, life is good!
thinking of you, and trying to sneak in some visits a day, looking forward to catching up soon!
V.
:)

Sunday night update: yeay! after finishing the 'partials' in the bowl I now have added an extra 25, making my week's total 45. This added to the 585 I had makes it... 630! Happy dance!!!
Oh oh, even better: I only have 90 more to go!
wish me luck!
:)

Klosjes update

Not much going on around here apart from Klosjes being marked, cut, stitched--- at breakfast, in the morning, in the afternoon while the boys play, evenings... Ok you get the picture!
It's hard sometimes, as I am getting a bit bored and miss my sewing machine, intensely. And yet, I am convinced that I am making them faster than before. And seeing them piling up is kinda fun, :).
So for the last week I have added 61 new ones, a new record for sure. :)
Anyway, I suspect I will not be stitching much tonight. Today 19 years ago, on the 22 of the 2 of '92, when I was 22 and my love 24, we went out on our first date... and the rest has been a beautiful history. I hope he feels better from the stomach bug that has been pestering him and we can go out.
Keeping my fingers crossed.
...ok maybe I can squeeze in stitching another Klosje before he gets home...
:)

and sending my love and prayers to our blogging sisters in New Zealand.

silver lining

Despite the misery of a lingering cough, I have been really enjoying the unexpected silver lining: Klosjes!

I don't know if this happens to you, but when I am sick, my horizon shrinks and my focus tends to shift inward. The blessing of this is that I have been very aware where I am choosing my limited energy to go: into getting better, into keeping my kids nurtured and happy and into stitching a bit.
Well, bit by bit I ended up with 52 new Klosjes, a flower border, and a clear idea as to how my Klosjes Quilt will look at the end.

These were the only two that were stitched in Aruba,
 but became the first of the new 52 that have been added since.

I had been struggling for months with many lay-out ideas for my Klosjes and finally decided to go with simple. I like simple. And I like that it will show the Klosjes in all their glory without distraction. It just means that I need a lot more Klosjes: 198 more... and that will bring my grand total to 720.

The first of the completed corners! :)
120 Klosjes per corner = 480 plus the 240 already in the centre makes 720! What?!

Had I known this last February, when I first started this love affair with my Klosjes, I might have had some trepidation. :)

Now, I do not regret it, and feel extremely happy that now I know where we are going. However, I know that my time with Klosjes is coming to an end and have decided to put all other projects on hold until I bring this quilt to fruition.

For me this was always a quilt worth making, and seeing it coming together now,  is really exciting...

So don't you agree this is a nice silver lining? 

:)

taken from the plane on our way back home to Cyprus

Missing you, and hoping you are well, enjoying your stitching, and finding your own silver linings,
Valentina

And yes, Happy Valentine's Tomorrow!
:)

  

view of the Mediterranean yesterday morning,
just for you!

8 klosjes and a quick Hello!

Hello, my friends! How are you? 

(Please, Tell me you are also in disbelief that November is nearly over, and that we are only 4 weeks away from Christmas! Yeay!/Yikes!)

8 more Klosjes joined the gang this week making my total 472. And I still haven't had a chance to calculate my grand total, so I will happily keep Klosjing along for now... I just don't feel I have the mental capacity left for anything 'grand' at this moment...

:)

But there is good news on the quilty-front: This week I have (finally!) settled on a setting for my Spotty Dotty Potluck hexi-flowers. It has taken a LOOOOONG time, but I am so happy and relieved that I waited for the right setting to come along!  ...it seems there are advantages to patient procrastination!

:)

This will be a project to be continued next spring. 

Also: The Pinwheel quilt is done! I had a lot of fun working on it this week and rushed to send it off in time to be professionally machine-quilted by my friend Irene. Can't wait to show you when it comes back!

I am wishing you all a lovely weekend, with some fun holiday prep with a sprinkle of stitching!

:)

xox

V.

...or stitching with a sprinkle of fairy-dust that gets the house and home prepped for the holidays... and the kids in bed...

would you believe me if I told you I started this post at least 12 hours ago?!

Oh, joy!

:)

Klosjes and Pinwheels

As we are rushing out the door to get our Christmas Family pix, first visit to the vet with Miss Daisy, buy a suit for daddy who's going on a business trip to Scotland on monday, stubborn me still wants to beat the odds and sneak in a show and tell:

I am crazy, I know!

ok let's make this fast:
20 Klosjes got made which means 464 Klosjes. Jippie!

and the pinwheels have grown this week, as well.

I actually think this is me putting off the inevitable questions: what I am going to wear? What can I do about my hair! ooooooooooohhhhhh!
ok, time to face the music!

looking forward to some time this weekend to visit with all of you!
xox
V.

seriously what am I going to wear?!
:)

Little joys

I'm back! I never intended to be gone so long, but such is Life! (mine, at least...)
:)

I have many things to share with you. And I am so sad I have not been able to keep up with what you have been up to, either. But I am hoping things will be more settled in the next few weeks. (fingers crossed!)

Here are my October Clams, good thing these don't spoil... :) Jossie, I really need to thank you for this project, as I am really having such fun with these Clams. And the more time I spend on them, the more I enjoy working on them.

Halfway there!
Can't wait to see what the other Clam-girls have been up to...

Shruti has been patiently waiting for 2 baby-quilts I promised for her 'SPREAD THE CHEER' initiative. Now they are finally en route to India!
Once I had tidied up my sewing room, it was a delight to work on these little ones (32" by 35").

I even went as far as trying out the things I had learned from Leah last year. I kept hearing her encouraging voice in my head, and took out the Supreme-slider. Do I need to say more?! I kept breathing- relaxing my shoulders- listening to my machines' motor- foot completely on the pedal- breathing... And kept repeating to myself what I heard Leah say that learning came from doing...
:)
My loopy loops just kept getting more fluid and by the time I got to the second quilt I even had mustered enough courage to try some McTarvishing...

Thank YOU, Leah!
:)

And the back wasn't too shabby, in my humble Beginner's opinion.
:)

Oh wow: fun, indeed!  I wish I had more time to spend practicing free-motion quilting. Maybe I should make it a point...

In the meantime, I have kept up the Klosjes production in the evenings, over the past weeks. I am happy to say that another 44 Klosjes have been added, making my total 445 out of 600+. I was so encouraged by your lovely comments and amazing support on my last Klosjes update: THANK YOU! Van Harte Bedankt!

I also had the joy of meeting Kristine this week. It was so very nice to share our quilting stories.

We had a great time together, and I even had a chance to ask her to coach me on my hand-quilting.

Kristine showing me how she handquilts

As a self-taught quilter, it was a real dream come true to have someone with so much experience looking over my shoulder and giving me tips. She told me to cut the tail off from my thread once I made my quilter's knot. Also she showed me my quilt had to be tighter on the hoop. She encouraged me to graduate to a much much smaller needle. ( Just like Ria had done, and so I had 12's at home and was able to start practicing right away). And Kristine also showed me how to position my thumb closer to the needle, and as promised I couldn't believe how teeny tiny my stitches turned out!
Thanks Kristine, it really was so nice to meet you!

Yesterday we added a new member to our little family.

This is Daisy. The boys chose her name, and I was really happy with it, as I think it suits her perfectly!  I am sure we will have lots of fun together. She is one of the smallest sized dog I have ever owned, but she holds her own and is perfect with the boys. Rehoming has been going amazingly smoothly, and we couldn't be more thrilled: Welcome to our pack, Sweetheart!


I have one more thing to share with you today. Look what we picked up this morning at the newsstand:

And inside we found this:

My dear friend Elena was invited to be the stylist for this article in this month's Madame Figaro Maison.
And whose quilt is that stylishly draped on the hammock...

It's the same quilt that keeps us warm at night! :)
This is really exciting, especially when you see that I don't even get a last name in the credits... LOL
in greek: Handmade Quilt created by Valentina...
Remember I told you about this quilt here ...

:)

These are the little joys of my busy life.
And since everyone is still happily napping, I will go and see what you have been up to!
See you when I see you!
:)

ps If you like listening to uplifting things while stitching I recommend you listen to this. Thanks for the tip Nadine, who by the way has a new blog!

Found here

Brene has such an amazing blog Ordinary Courage.

Enjoy!