new book with...inspiration....

Today I bought this book; Material obsession by Kathy Doughty and Sarah Fielke and I like it very much. I share their ideas about traditional patterns and blocks with bright fabrics in a modern setting. The quilts are simple to sew, but the colours are just my thing. I love their view about patchwork and quilting and the use of colour. There are pictures of their shop in Sydney, I am sorry that it is not just around the corner.....

And yes: I finished a quilt.... the quilt is shown here. Last week it was my little son's second birthday and that was a good deadline to finish this so it could be his quilt present! I decided to make him a quilt every year.....for the upcoming 10 years? I think the next has to be with cars and trains. I am thinking of a design using the bircks of Duplo as inspiration. (bricks with little buttons to give the image of the little dots on the plastic bricks).
The design for this quilt is coming from the book Cut-loose quilts from Jan Mullen. It is an Australian night!

Time.....?

Time is something strange, just like electricity: Use it when you have it, because you can not store it and use it later. So, enjoy every minute you have, whatever you are doing and do not waste time.... So, on tuesday I finished the top of my mystery quilt.....and you have to wait for a picture till next week...it still is a secret! I love this quilt, I think it is really me.
And when you are busy new ideas are coming...a nice bag...a playhouse....but there is a lot to finish. It is time to get really organised...and that means: cleaning up at the end of the day, so you can start easy the next time!
Somewhere I read that happy people have less difficulties with making choices. So be happy: you have a quicker start with a new quiltproject, because it does not take hours to choose your fabrics. And a lot of practice will also help....start many new projects to develop these skills.

busy, but with results....

The last week was extremely busy. Two shows to go with the shop....All those enthousiastic quilters give you a lot of inspiration. I wanted to go home and start sewing instead of selling fabrics...But the result is a nice, little dog...The pattern is from the Quilting Arts special with Holiday Gifts...He is so cute. I bought him Dutch beads and a orange ribbon. His eyes are buttons!
This patchwork bear is also a result of hard work. I made a pattern for all the mothers and granny's in the world. Of course you can make one for yourself with your favorite fabrics. He likes it to sit in a sewing room to guard your fabrics and other stuff.

The results of the yearly challenge are wonderful. Everyone made a pincushion. There were lovely designs. Sometimes the designs were pretty, but difficult to use.
This little flower is the winner!


On the picture: Muriel at our booth in Arnhem last weekend. It was nog so busy, but like real quilters we had something to do: bear in progress (his body is on the quilt in the back)

Now I am going to finish my mystery quilt. Next month I can show it.....

And I already started with the new one. Sorry, it is a big secret.

quilting is hot....

I have been so busy with preparing the shop for the start of the season that there was no time to quilt, to write or whatever.... Also after the start last saturday a lot of people came in to buy a lot of fabrics...and there are these new quilters: starting at the end of the month with their first course. I warned them, they got addicted....but it is very nice to see their enthousiasm, the surprise when they look at samplers...are we gonna make a whole quilt, not a bag or something small? I am very happy to share my passion with new quilters...there is a whole new world for them, with a new vocabulaire like: sandwich, log cabin, paperpiecing, patchwork and quilting (what is the difference....) and fat quarters! I think it is hot at the moment, just like knitting, it is allowed to sew.
And when I start a new course I always remember the moment I bought my first real patchwork fabrics and how difiicult it was to make a choice, but also exciting and sometimes I think: after all these years, I still love it to work with fabrics and I have so much ideas, how is it all possible and how would it be to quilt also the next 40 years....?