The Month of May: Strawberry Fields and Klosjes

I think it impossible for me not to be passionate about May.

I was an ardent Candy Candy fan growing up, the japanese anime orphan who decides her birthday will be celebrated in May, because if one should have a choice it had to be the month of flowers... Terry was my first love and heartbreak! Terry!!! (of course all this pre-teen melodrama happening in Spanish...)

Well, I also loved Heidi, another freckled orphan... :) Oh, the things that mold us...

Today, the 2nd of May is my BFF from high-school's b-day : Through thick and thin, Mari! Pabien! The things we haven't dreamt up and gone through together... I love you!

I became an aunt for the first time in a Dutch Springy May. I was so blessed to be in the delivery-room and be completely swept off my feet by this lovely Being making her grand entrance into this world... It is one of the greatest gifts my sister ever gave me and I am not sure she even realizes it. :)

And May of 2006, when my life was turned upside down and inside out by 2 phone-calls: We met the birthparents of our youngest, and in the next few days, as we were waiting for their reply, we received another call from social services and became parents 2 days later: being there as he was born, being blessed by being able to bond with him. The nurses decided that I should stay the night and stowed me away and so I could feed him, change him and bathe him. This helped me feel confident enough to take him home in less than 24 hours. 4 months later we became parents for the second time and our Fantastic Four was complete!

Oh, the month of May! 'May' this be blessed a One!

My mother in law's rose garden will soon be in bloom and she will start distilling her own rose-water... Ohh! That's a nice idea for a give-away...

:)

Ok... For of those of you that just skipped to the pictures: I have Klosjes to report! Reaching 200 was a great incentive to keep going. I am still aiming at 500 plus since I want a quilt to crawl under... My Klosjes are 2 1/4" finished size, so maybe 500 will not be enough... We'll see.

First off: I stitched all day yesterday because I really wanted to show you these:

These are the V&A commemorative fabrics. The prints are so bold and dynamic, I hope my pictures do them justice.

And here are some more Blues +

I love these Prairie Paisley ones:

Last week I joined Lori in her Strawberry Fields Quiltalong (Thank you, Kathie for pointing us in the right direction! xox)

I have to tell you these little blocks came together like a dream...

Yes, look at that V&A fabric! swoooon...

Thank you, Lori! I am learning so much and this little beauty is bringing me one mini closer to my 2010 goal of having a miniature wall!

I hope you are all enjoying your stitching this weekend.

yours truly,

Valentina

Hexagons, Minis and Klosjes

This week has had its ups and downs. Sorry I haven't been around much. I am really doing quite a bit of "Fake it till you make it" just to get through.

It turned out I had a viral infection of the thyroid... That explains the lower immune-system and why I have only been managing to do things very slooooowly...

so I stayed home from work this week and played a bit in my sewing room and messed around my Blog. Which was LOTS of fun!!! hey, when Life hands you lemons...

:)

On Wednesday I distracted myself with a different set of hexies and I had a lot of fun, arranging and re-arranging. I think my niece will love it. I am still not sure how it will all come together, but I am just enjoying the process at this point.

I also worked on my minis and got carried away...

more like 'swept off my feet', actually!

I couldn't help myself and actually made some extra mini log-cabin blocks and made a little quilt. It was so satisfying to see this little one take shape, be quilted and bound. I couldn't use my quilting-hoop on it, but managed to keep my stitches even and it was fun. I cut my binding at 1 1/4 and I was really happy with the results.

I think this will be the first of many!

:)

17 new Blue Klosjes joined the fold. I have to say that I have loved working with these blues... it put me in a very Delft Blue state of mind!

Congratulations to my hexi-sister Celine who has joined us making Klosjes! Celine, I just knew you'd love them! :) Would you go say hi?

And for those of you who haven't yet been around to visit Gisele's Klosjes, please, do not miss out!

Have a lovely weekend,

Sending you my Love,

Valentina

:)