Reflecting...

I am on an unexpected break, connected to an IV drip. A nasty Strep bug has sent me to hospital last thursday. Thank God, the worse is over and I was admitted right on time. Now the soaring fevers are gone, my kids think all these tubes coming out of me are cool, and I am making the best of my alone time, enjoying my private room and catching up on my naps. :)
Not the vacation I was hoping for, however a great time evaluate things and be grateful for the happy domestic chaos that is my life. 
Too bad I cannot stitch! :) However, there has been lots of quilt-y plans and things to report.
And I have a new appreciation for pin-cushions! :)   
 -- as you can imagine 'parking my needle' will never be the same...
:)

I, like all of you, I'm sure, have a file marked: Inspiration. Here I collect ideas of designs and colour-combo's that I would some day like to translate into quilts of my own. I have been revisiting this file these days, on my laptop, since I cannot do much else, and notice the trends that emerge in my 'likes' and my 'OMG's... I think it is important to notice that there are designs that are timeless and colours that keep recurring. I love trendy quilts, you know I do, and I love playing around with colour, however there are the classics, those quilts that I have to make. Many of which are simple geometric designs and very Amish in flavour, so I expect a shift for fall and winter.

The other thing I have to share are thoughts on my work schedule. The experiment of this year is working. Last year I tried: monday is for this, tuesday that, and who can forget wednesdays hexies! however, it doesn't work for me, and my time demands. I realized I need to focus on one project at the time. This is how I work best, and fastest. This is how Klosjes got done, and this is how I was able to stay focused on Camelot. There are many minor projects that flutter in and out of the main focus. This makes for a very boring blog, I know. But it makes for a happy quilter, as I feel I am moving forward in my stitching. 

Lazy stitching by the sea-side: a wedding gift for a special friend.
the other images are from their magical wedding celebration

This has also made me look at my stash differently:  Organizing according to colour and style. As you all know, I am a scrappy quilter. I rarely buy yardage, and rarely meet a fatquarter I don't like. But I have stopped trying to adopt all the little lonely fatquarters of the world. These days they only come home with me if they can strengthen the cast at home, are in a colour that I do not already have, or can add that 'je ne sais quoi' to a quilt. This has had some very interesting results. A far more effective and harder working stash, and an interesting new way of choosing fabrics for new projects. Now I use the 'basket' method'. Once I decide the flavour I want my new quilt to have, I go shopping in my stash. I load my basket with the colours I would like to use. If there are colours, textures or yardage missing, I enjoy shopping for them. But what I have noticed is that my projects have more cohesion and internal harmony, as all the colours already live happily in their basket until the end of the project in question. Then they move back to the main stash or to their designated scrap bin.


I have also come to embrace my shift towards hand-piecing. Like most of you know, these days I need to be portable, doing most of my stitching around my kids' activities. I like the pace of it, and I have become more precise in some ways and much more forgiving in others. Nothing like hand-stitching to bring you back to the basics. And for me, it is has meant a deeper savouring of our craft. My quilts have always been stitched diaries of my everyday experience. How much more now that they travel with me through the mundane and extraordinary. Teaching me that 'every stitch counts', and that 'slow and steady wins the race'. But most importantly, it has thought me to evaluate if this is a quilt I want to commit my time and energy to... The butterfly has turned into a caterpillar, and I like it! Because now, instead of me being the butterfly, my quilts are.

Camelot is at the point of getting assembled. Dear Jane is being enjoyed on the side, and 'In my Garden' needs some attentive TLC. My summer plan was to dust my charm hexies off the shelf and press for the finish, since I am not far from the final assembly there as well. So I am looking forward to being discharged in a few more days and take up needle and thread again.


Cyprus is in the midst of national mourning due to the tragedy that happened yesterday. We are in shock as a nation and grieving the loss of life and ready to face the sacrifices of restricted electricity and water in hot summer ahead. 

So, this puts everything in perspective, doesn't it?
Thinking of you,
Valentina

Oh June...

Where have you gone? :)

 There were parties, end of school celebrations, little stars strutting their stuff on stage, and plenty of  last minute quilt making.

The boys' teachers really deserve a thousand stitches each, and I was so glad my cramming payed off...
I got 2 A+ for my finals, and the boys were so proud when they presented the quilts to their teachers: Pointing out fabrics and explaining colour-selection... Oh, I was so proud of them!
:)

Also in the midst of the chaos those creative juices did not disappoint. This little IKEA LED lamp was transformed into the perfect quilter's companion, with pincushion base and everything! I am still surprised how it all came together and can't wait to make one for myself.

I started my Contemporary Jane. And the Camelot blocks have been set into their backgrounds. :) Can't wait to see them come together...

It is great to recount some of the stitching that was done in June, despite the whirlwind around here.
I am off the to beach for a few days to mark the official start to our summer holidays and for much needed rest and unplugging. And hope to be back soon, so I can finally do some web-surfing of my own and catch-up with you, dear friends.
Enjoy your week, whatever and wherever you are, and let there be stitching!
xox
Valentina

The Jacarandas of Nicosia

Nicosia boasts of many flowering trees gracing its streets and avenues, but in my humble opinion no tree does more to bring a smile on one's face as the periwinkle blue of the majestic Jacaranda. And this year they are more breathtaking than usual, maybe because of a cooler May.

  

I decided to take my camera along this afternoon on my way to pick up the kids from school, and I am so glad I did, as I really wanted to share their beauty with you, :)

 

And on the stitching front I am sad to say that I have finished piecing my Camelot blocks.

Seriously, I have been savouring each stitch- and have a strong suspicion I might just have to start another one in the future!
The piecing to the backgrounds is going well and I hope to have a few more done before I show you, :)
Hoping you are having a great week,
Valentina
:)

ps a special 'xox' for someone in South Africa

Teddy is sick, Mama...

...and he needs a quilt.
What to say to such a request. Afterall that's what Mama does.
..and teddy he deserves a quilt. what quilt can you make for someone who brings such comfort and companionship! Teddy takes the night-watch so mama can sleep. And mama needs her sleep. Besides who else understands what the last 5 years have been... he started looking like this, and after being taken all over the place,

which does have some perks...

 ...he now looks like this... 

I can relate.

Okay, this means Bunny needs a quilt too. We can't have that!

So I Gotta get to work, people!

:)

So this morning, this has become my priority. Taking a distance from decisions that have been consuming me this week... what background for Camelot?!
I had chosen the first, but then allowed doubt to creep in, and so after weeks of indecision and almost too much inspiration, it came down to these three:

After much internal debate and resorting to seek advice from dear friends, I can argue the case for all three, but at the end it came down to this: I don't have enough of 2 or 3, and would always be left wondering how it would be with the grey. I was dreaming of the grey when I was making my blocks... I needed to follow my first instinct... however the dilemma did teach me a lot. Which actually has a lot to do with 'playing'. I had such fun playing on my little quilts, and realized I have been doing too much 'serious' quilting of late... Need more play, and being at the sewing machine again was such fun:
You think?
:)

And look what I found as backing!

And Bunny-boy was so happy with his! He has been carting Bunny and Quilt all afternoon- Bunny finally got a bit of a break while boy was watching some Scooby-doo, :)

Being a nice day, I was also able to do a bit of a wash:

our lattice quilt

and snowball (really, one of our winter-quilts that likes to hang around longer than our flannel ones!)

I really enjoyed my stitching day today, as you can probably tell ---

 

Music provided by Sade: my fav's today; great use of colour in the video's if you are into that sort of thing, by the way... :)
By your side, King of Sorrow, and Babyfather--

Enjoy, what ever you need to do today... Maybe Teddy being sick was what we all needed! :)

Sending smiles your way, as always!
Valentina
:)

a week in May...

...that included cupcakes and Birthday cake: Our eldest turned 5!

 ...severe dust storms that had me catching up on my indoor gardening: what else is there to do when you are not allowed out?! :)

It was slow, due to the flaring up of my spring allergies, but who cares, really?

:)

Two more Camelots, with a very special patch received from a fellow island-girl...

Sandra, it's the beach scene in pinks and yellows, and the patch is bottom centre towards the right! :)

Thank you soooo much, dear friend!

Also great to know is that Liz and a friend set up a Flickr group for Camelot. This will be a great place to discuss fabric selection and be inspired ( and encouraged as some of the block will take you to the limits of your sanity... breathe in- breathe out... I'm ok--- besides I only have 2 more to go... and I will resist the urge to start a new one until this one is done... Breathe...)

 And today, the skies were clear again and we headed off to a family wedding...

It was beautiful, the boys were handsome and Mama was happy in her new summer dress...

:)

What else would a girl want? ...perhaps some more time to squeeze in as many visits to the Bloggers' Quilt Festival as I can? There is just so much inspiration, and I still have quite a few to cover: 631 entries this Spring!

Hoping you are all having a great weekend, 

Valentina

Bloggers' Quilt Festival Spring 2011

Thank You, Amy for once again inviting us to participate in this amazing event.
I am so excited to visit fellow bloggers from all over the world, in the course of the next week and to learn more about their quilts, their stories and their blogs. This festival of Quilts always makes me so happy to be a quilter and to be able to share our passion for quilting in this amazing way!

This spring I want to share an 'oldie but goodie' with you. I made this quilt in 2003, to mark my parents 35th wedding anniversary. My mom and dad are so proud of this quilt and only put it on their King sized bed from time to time to mark special occasions. (...or when special visitors come around and the quilt gets taken out of the cedar chest and ceremoniously displayed in conjunction with the latest pictures of their grandchildren.

:) 

I have to admit, this is still one of the best feelings in the world and it is right up there with those 10's ( A+ 's) and wonky ashtrays that were so proudly brought home as a child.

:)

 This is one of the first quilts that I ever completed. And those of you that have seen my Klosjes quilt will see a lot of similarities in design, colour and even the same border-fabric used. The centre medallion is paper pieced (I had not done this before and had no idea what I was in for!), and it was was on this quilt that I really learned to hand-Quilt.

Thank You, Mami y Papi, for always believing I could do anything I put my mind and effort to. And thank you for always encouraging and cheering me on, ( ...and giving me a stiff push, when I needed it!)

Your Daughter that misses you and loves you,
Valita

All these pictures where taken last January in Aruba, when we were visiting home for the Holidays.


And if you are interested in last year's entry, Baba's quilt, I need to confess that it is still being Quilted...
:) 

Enjoy the Festival!!!
:)