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!

I have been battling the worst flu I can remember. It started with the boys and Hubby, and then I succumbed. Don't know how much jet-lag played into it.  Don't know where January has gone.
I am worried for the people of Egypt, I pray for the Queenlanders. I carry my friend and her imminent adoption in my heart.
I stitch and read and try to get better.

This scrap quilt was made with so much love for a little girl in Aruba, that has had to survive more ugliness than I can even comprehend. In her young life the climb ahead is still so hard and almost disheartening.
She couldn't believe someone would have made something specifically for her: she kept asking me: you did this for me? did you work on it everyday, for a long time? For me? ...
and she was fascinated by the tiniest scraps... You don't throw out even those small ones?...

and then my 8 year old niece said:
"God uses everything, even the smallest things, and the pieces no one thinks of as important, to make something beautiful..."

Tropical Hexies

You should have seen me and my hexies in Aruba, a bit ridiculous, they went everywhere with me! I actually think they had a really great holiday! LOL
Seriously, it was really humid and in the evenings it felt like I had to fight to survive the mosquitos. Anyhoo, you get the gist: not a lot got done. But One Flower did,

and actually, when I count all the hexies that got prepped, and the diamonds that got finished from last year, it is not a shabby turnout!

Now, the funniest thing happened: we were driving along and what do I see?

Honestly, I had to drag my hubby the very next day to take a picture: this happened last wednesday and I thought: PERFECT! ONE FLOWER WEDNESDAY! No one will believe THIS! (unfortunately the internet connection was so slow and my laptop battery leaving so much to be desired... Good thing Wednesdays have a tendency of coming along once a week!)

now, really, sometimes too much is just toooo much, even for me!
:)

I can't wait to see everyone's new blooms and gardens, I certainly have missed you all!
Valentina

Feel like going for a walk?

Aruba is a Dutch island in the Caribbean. This is so beautifully obvious in it's architecture as you take a stroll around town. Shall we?

This is the beautifully restored house of a national hero Boy Ecury. It is now part of the of the complex that houses the Archeological Museum. 

Sometimes you just need to look up...

The more touristy part of downtown.
Most people looking for bargains: perfume of jewelry being the most sought after.
For me, I walk around being flooded by memories of a happy carefree childhood.
We often used to walk these streets after school to get to my dad's Dentistry Practice.

I am so happy that some of these old private houses have been 'saved' by turning them into Government offices.

This is a lovely example of a restored traditional 'Arubian House'.
This one turned into a dutch restaurant.

Fort Zoutman, for a bit of  history, go here.

 Hope you enjoyed that. Now let's sit on the veranda. Can I offer some of my mom's lemonade?

 I have been so wanting to share my niece's pinwheel quilt with you.

Remember how I told in early december how easily it was coming together?

Some quilts are like that, aren't they? After simmering for a while they almost make themselves. Others simmer for years!!!

:)

This quilt was a wonderful way to end 2010. And my niece's joy receiving it and her proudly placing it on her bed, was quite overwhelming to me. 

Enjoy it, my sweet! 

 

Something struck me so deeply as I was taking these pictures. I realized for the first time (duh!!!), how much my quilts are influenced by the colours sprinkled throughout the island. I am serious, I never stopped to think that I carried these colours of my childhood with me.

I look forward to see how this new realization and acceptance translates into the quilts to come!
:)

------

If you are, like me, wanting to help our Australian sisters, but so overwhelmed not knowing what to do, please Visit Robyn. She has put together a very comprehensive list as to how we can lend a hand.

Back Home

Last night, we made it home after a long trip. Yes, we are back in dreary winter weather, and our vacation time in Aruba now just a collection of fond memories, wonderful pictures and reassurances that we will be back soon. The boys are heartbroken, missing their Baba (grandma) and their cousins so very much. Thankfully the traveling itself went very all: no delays and everyone and everything arrived safe and sound.

I have so many pictures to share with you, including many of quilts, which I will start uploading as soon as I can.  I hope to be getting back into the swing of things as soon as I loosen the grips of Jet-lag. I can't wait to catch up with all of you and finding out more about our Aussie quilt sisters and the many efforts undertaken to help out.

I send you my love,
a very wobbly
Valentina
:)

New Beginnings

Happy New Year!

What a thrill it was to welcome 2011 seeing Aruba lighting up the sky in fireworks. Being just as I remembered it as a child, and it was now so much more as I witnessed my kids' faces light up in disbelief and wonder... "Mama, I like the exploding fireworks e-very-where!!!"

It was an unforgettable night and a wonderful way to bring in the New Year with family, friends, food and song.

I can honestly say that the daze of jet-lag is finally lifting and I able to really start to BE with my loved ones. The boys just cannot get enough from playing with their cousins, outside in the dirt! :)

It has been raining quite a bit of late, so the island is covered in luscious greens, and any chance we get we try to sit outside and enjoy the breezes.

 This morning was especially wonderful as the sun came out from behind the clouds, and I rushed out with my camera to spend some time with the hummingbirds and the butterflies. I still cannot find the words to describe the utter joy of just being allowed to share in their goings-on.

As you can imagine, I have not been able to do much stitching as yet, although the itch to stitch is nearly making me crazy! :) ...just as the mosquitos are, actually!

So, receive my best wishes for a Creative New Year, surrounded by all the love and peace your heart can hold!

Valentina
:)