Ready for travelling and celebrating !

There will probably be some breaks in my blogging,

as we're now leaving until mid July...

We'll first spend about 10 days in Provence (Arles),

and then w'ell be heading to our little Spanish village, as usual.

This year, however, is a little more special,

as we're happily celebrating 40 years marriage, HeeHee...

To think I'm always feeling like being 16 years old! 

Where did all those years go ???

Our kids are sometimes looking at us as if we were "alliens",

and I found 2 picture/sayings that could answer their questionnings :
(clic on picture if it's showing too small)

(1)

Isn't that funny and SO true ?

(2)

§§§§§§§§§§§§§

Of course, I 'm taking some quilt & crochet projects with me,

(including my Block a Day challenge)

and I'll try to keep you informed now & then on my progress,
as well as pay some visits to your wonderful, inspiring blogs!

In the meantime, dear friends, take care and

enjoy your sewing !

;-))

Happy Easter ! - Happy Spring !

With heartful thoughts,



Mid March Catching Up...

I'm so sorry I couldn't post earlier,
but life really caught me up,

not to mention that loooong winter we're having here.

Can you believe it's still snowing, and the T° goes down to minus 14°C ?

Quite unusual in Belgium, with spring at our doors !

OK, let's see where we are in Nadine's sewing/hooking room...

Quilting / Handpiecing

********************

11 little baskets added to the growing pile...

together with 6 diamond stars...

I must say that the more I go, the more I'm really pondering

about those "egg duck" background diamonds.

1) about the color, and 2) the blue diamonds give a hexagon shape when pieced together,

so why not cut hexies ??

I think I'm gonna keep piecing the stars and let the background aside, until I find the answer.

Another story...

When my mother passed away, 20 years ago, I fell in a deep depression which, fortunately

led me to quilting that helped me so much! 

So I promised myself that, some day, I'd make a quilt in her memory.

Two years ago, I decided to start the "Dutch Treat" quilt, as mom' was of Dutch origin,

but I realized that I was still crying a lot, while piecing the blocks.

So the box was closed, waiting for better times... yet not forgotten,

and I kept collecting indigo blue fabrics for the purpose.

Last week, I decided to try again, and found such an inner piece and sweetness, 

quietly piecing a block that I just knew the time had come.

The precious box will now be staying on my working table,

until that love project comes to a finish.

--------------------

Crochet

********* 

My summer shawl is almost finished :

two rows to go + a nice edging, and it's done.

Learning from mistakes...

Last year, when in Spain, I fell in love with this variegated yarn

As I'm always in a "blankets" mood,

the silly me bought... 20 balls of it(!) HeHee....

Yet I didn't know that crochet requires loooong colour changes,

if you want to get the right effect,
and I was quite disappointed when having some trials,
as any pattern seemed to "disappear" into the many colours.

What to do?  What to do ?

A wise hooking friend then advised me to choose the simplest pattern possible,

and then to focus on a nice plain border...

I opted for double crochet, and here is the beginning of the blankie...

It measures 55" width and I'm planning it 65" long.

Lesson learned, I then found the right variegated yarn for hooking!

(what a woman wants...)

See what I mean ?

And to finish, my colourful "Gypsie Blanket"

is slowly reaching the end, with still 5 (looong) rows to complete

(mind your eyes, it's "flashy!)

It's rather big (60" width and 65" long, up to now)

but I can't hang it ouside, due to the bad weather.

Our grand-daughter Lily (3 years old) is crazy about that blanket,

and I guess it won't stay long at home, when finished...

Hey, hey, are you still there ??

Phew! Long post, huh ?

OK, I'll stop it here with a package I got yesterday :

inside was a crosstitch project I ordered to keep my hands busy,

while in Spain (light luggage, please! says DH)

I'm planning to hang it in our kitchen.

when done, of course, HeHeeeeeee....

Thanks for your visit,

ENJOY YOUR SEWING, MY FRIENDS!

International Women's Day ...

PHENOMENAL WOMAN Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size But when I start to tell them, They think I'm telling lies. I say, It's in the reach of my arms, The span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. I walk into a room Just as cool as you please, And to a man, The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees. Then they swarm around me, A hive of honey bees. I say, It's the fire in my eyes, And the flash of my teeth, The swing in my waist, And the joy in my feet. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. Men themselves have wondered What they see in me. They try so much But they can't touch My inner mystery. When I try to show them, They say they still can't see. I say, It's in the arch of my back, The sun of my smile, The ride of my breasts, The grace of my style. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. Now you understand Just why my head's not bowed. I don't shout or jump about Or have to talk real loud. When you see me passing, It ought to make you proud. I say, It's in the click of my heels, The bend of my hair, The palm of my hand, The need for my care. 'Cause I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. Maya Angelou

Catching up...

Finally !

I have experienced some problems with my PC, lately.

Couldn't open my emails, nor send any,

and my blog was behaving badly.

Main bugs have now been chased away, yet some of them

still got to be solved.  We'll see...

Anyway, although many hours were spent (wasted) on the computer,

I managed to add a nice stack of 26 stars (Robyn's Block a Day Challenge),

plus 38 little baskets (Marian 's Wednesday Baskets Day), in total for February.

I'm quite happy with this progress

;>)

Some progress was done as well on my crochet summer shawl,



and I just can't wait finishing it for our next annual sejourn in Spain

(from 1st April to end of July)

Evenings can still be chilly there, in spring...

This coming March, I will focus on my crochet projects,

as well as on some additionnal little baskets.

The 6-pointed stars will have to rest in their box for a while...

Enjoy your sewing, my friends !

;>)

BaD (Block a Day) Challenge & some embroidery...

The BaD challenge (see my sidebar) updates

will take place each Monday, so here we go with ...

7 new stars since last week

(they're not attached together, yet)

Not quite sure, about using the same fabric around all

stars (got enough fabric), yet I'm very tempted.

I like the effect of the little stars "popping out" the background

What do you think ??

To mark these cuties on fabric, I'm using my favourite window templates

they are metallic, with an anti-slid layer on the reverse side and they really work like a breeze...

Available in all shapes & sizes, as single shapes or multi shapes kits, their price is quite reasonable, the service is perfect and I would really recommend them to anyone loving handpiecing.

(no personnal interest, I just think it's important to give credit when deserved)

***

I also managed to start some embroidery on my

"Ladies Garden Club" quilt top,

using DMC variegated floss and I'm quite happy

with the result, so far...

****

More has been done (yup, I'm on a roll, for the moment)

but that will be for next post....

;>)

Enjoy your sewing, my friends !



Little baskets and a happy boy...

Well I've been quite busy on a new special project

(Shhhhh... still a secret)

but I managed piecing these cuties, pictured this morning,
in our garden,  under the winter sun...

Then I just can't resist showing you our dear grandson,

Andrea (8 years old)

having so much fun in the snow with "Nonno" (e.g. DH)

Watching them playing really makes me think that...

My baskets are full of the pleasures of life !

;>)

Enjoy your sewing, my friends !