I love holidays!

..because not having to go to work leaves energy for other things:)
Another small quilt/wallhanging quilted and bound: "April flowers bring May flowers" (The idea was a mini mini quilt for spring but..handwork takes forever especially if you enlarge the original pattern so you end up with a substantial piece of cloth LOL)

 I used needleturn applique for the umbrella's the Ami Simms way. You draw the shape on the background fabric (right side) and on the (right side again) desired shape. Pin and use a ladderstitch to sew it on. Just keep track of your lines and it'll turn out great. Also a winner to applique cirkels. I cannot make a full tutorial for Ami wrote a (small) book about it!

 I handquilted "clouds" and lines as rain..

 Glued the umbrella handles. Yes, glued them. It'll fray in time but I'm okay with that.

The pattern for a mini quilt is for free! http://camilleroskelley.typepad.com/MINI%20Raincheck%20PDF.pdf which is a miniquilt without the borders.

Happy and sad..

First some good sewingmachine news that happened yesterday! The Husqvarna technician was indeed on holiday, but there was a very nice lady that did the regular servicing and she immediately took a look, adjusted some, gave good advice and I'm back on track! I can sew again and will bring my machine in again for definitive adjustment when the husq man is back.
And solved too: My walkingfoot came without bars and when I asked if they were sold seperatly, I got a left ánd a right one for free! Yeey for my machine-dealer: Rijkers in Veghel!!

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and now the devastating,sad part. I got the message that a collegue, her husband and her two little girls were on flight MH17. I didn't know her personal, talked to her on the phone once (she worked at a different location), but still, it brings it all a bit closer to home.
Today was a day of national mourning as the first remains were brought back for identification. It was an impressing homecoming at the airport.

Baking DD and I visited the graveyard an put flowers on my parents grave and on the graves of other familymembers.
It was an emotional day..............

Oh shit!

No apologies to anyone who might think that saying "shit" is swearing. I'm feeling the F word but settled for S.....
In the midst of sewing a t shirt/top for Baking DD and planning a sewing day with Quilting DD, my machine broke down..
For some unknown reason the needle isn't in the middle anymore. ????? This means I cannot use the twinneedle (necessary for sewing knits!).
My sewing frenzy came to an abrupt end. I can call the dealer no sooner than tomorrow and keeping my fingers crossed that the Husqvarna technician is NOT on holiday.

and yes, instead of sewing, I cleaned the house.

 

 

fuck....

MH17

 

 

 

 

 

Shame on the separatist rebels and shame on you mr Putin.

How jalapeños can dust off a blog.....

The too spicey jalapeños from Dianne triggered a up and down email contact between the two of us and it made me realise that I missed blogging. I blog to make notes to myself about how, why and when I make things, but the interaction with other's IS the icing on the cake!

(It has been so long ago that I logged in to my blog that I actually had to look up my password and struggled a bit before I "got" Blogger again omg...Could be the fact that I'm months older since the last post too. Well over 50 means that every week counts when it concerns sanity and memory)

Ah well, what HAVE I been doing all this time. Nothing much, but I did finish a wallhanging a couple of days ago!
This is the original I found on Pinterest, made by a French Team "L'art Quilt de Seignosse"

 This is mine...shamelessy copied without the appliqued birds.

 I like mine better hahaha..

I also decided to tackle my smudgy,worn, once cream coloured seats in the sitting area of my room. They have washable covers, but after 14 years there were holes and stains that were there to stay.
Again I put my trust in Pinterest for a how to. But making slipcovers is NOT as easy as people tell you. ( "my curvy seat from granddad all new in just an afternoon.." Hell no!) It took me some time and effort to sew new covers and to get rid of all the tiny threads that went everywhere but..tadáááá

Light grey, clean and no holes!

Last project is dressmaking :(. Quilting DD talks me into sewing clothing every once in a while. Now she wants to make a maxidress she saw in a magazine with a twisted detail up front. I understood not a thing reading the how to, the online extra's didn't do it either. So i decided to just DO it and I cut up an old sheet.

Now DD and I can pick a date, buy fabric and get sewing. The sheet dress will go to Baking DD ("for the carnaval mum, when I dress up as a greek goddess" LOL) I will reinforce the seams first since I sewed it with very big stitches. I don't want it to tear completely apart when she wears it going out. That would make a goddes of the wrong sort :)

And last but not least for Dianne: these will give a better bathroom experience than jalapeños