Patiently Waiting??!!

This weekend, I've been busy working on a welcome-quilt for our baby grandson who is due any day now! I'd like to say that I'm waiting patiently, but that wouldn't be quite truthful! Sooooo....I've been in the sewing room, trying to keep my mind occupied! I pieced a little Zoo Quilt for the soon-to-be new arrival in some bright colours which are supposed to be good sensory stimulation for babies! Didn't have a pattern, but thought I'd start by framing some cute prints with the brights.


Well, the blocks started getting away on me and before I knew it, the top was beginning to out-grow the batting and backing! Hmmm........change of plans!!! So, I had to bid farewell to the wider blue sashing I'd planned on ending off with and will now just use a narrower strip of blue for the binding! Oh, well!! I think this will be ok in the end!I got it sandwiched, basted and am now starting the hand-quilting process. It's going quickly and should hopefully in the next few days!!!

Stay tuned for pictures of the finished quilt...and of course, the new little wee one! Have a great day!!

Mary Ann

Sweden Here We Come!!!

Well, we've just returned from a fantastic trip to Sweden and are still on Cloud Nine after a great holiday! We loaded up our two dogs, canoe and camping supplies and headed out into the great blue yonder!! We had no definite destination in mind, only that our travels would involve Sweden, a remote setting somewhere by a lake, a few good books for my husband and some prepped quilt work for myself!! The makings of a wonderful vacation!! After arriving in Småland, we paddled out to a remote island on pristine Möcklen Lake near the town of Älmhult. There, we set up camp and ended up doing some day-trips in the canoe, as well as just relaxing around camp. We were also graced with the presence of a nearby eagle's nest, where we could watch the parents feeding fresh fish to their young. Absolutely incredible!

The above picture depicts our crossing of the Øresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden. Also, our shiny new canoe!!!

Did someone ever say that quilting and the great outdoors don't mix??!!! Well, here I am, just loving to stitch in this natural environment! Listening to the wind in the trees, the song of the birds and the water lapping against the stones on the beach was wonderful. And at the same time being able to express my creativity...well, it's pure solace for the soul. Life just doesn't get too much better!!!

Here I am working on G8, the Dear Jane block called Justin's Comet. It's block number two on my second Jane Stickle quilt, which I am calling "Jane Meets Kaffe"! On this block, I'm using a pinky/red Kaffe Fassett fabric for the pattern, with Kona Snow cotton as the background. It was fun to piece! I also finished sewing several "Siggies" for the European Swap I'm involved with. I embroidered some designs on them and just have to sign them now.

I wish everyone a very happy summer and hope that your holidays are truly memorable! Happy Quilting to you all!!

A Walk in the Country Side...

Beautiful gray skies in contrast with the ripening grain, made me stop and snap this picture the other day! We've been having quite a mixed bag with regards to our weather lately here in Denmark! After two months of drought, there's finally been some rain for the thirsty fields! Not to mention thunder, lightning and some occasional gale-force winds!!

Right now, the poppies are blooming amongst the golden grain in the fields. A beautiful sight, here in the hills of Sjælland near our home. I always think of the poem, In Flanders Fields, whenever I see these gorgeous flowers. Memorized when I was a young child in school in Canada, John McCrae's poem is a tribute to all of the soldiers, Canadian and Allied, who served and died on the battle-fields of Europe.

Here's a few of my own flowers I stitched today. They're for a siggie which I'm sending to an internet quilting friend in Scotland! I usually stamp my siggies with permanent ink in different colours, but today I felt like doing something different! Hope you like it, Elly!!! I'd better go sign it and pop it in the mail!!!

Last but not least, thanks to my dear husband for the beautiful flowers on my recent birthday! You are such a sweetie!! XOXOXO

This and That!

Yesterday, I opened up the new copy of Danish Patchwork Guild's magazine and was surprised to see a picture of some of my work! I occasionally sew display items for the local patchwork shop, Slotshuset, and earlier this year, I made some little critters from Melly and Me designs. Shown in their ad, are Mrs. Perkins the giraffe and Pocket and Floss, a sweet little rabbit-couple!! They were such a pleasure to sew...I also loved using the brilliant-hued fabric of Kaffe Fassett to create with! It makes me soooo happy!!

I'm stitching on my Mom's flannel blanket these days. I'm doing it in the Yellow Brick Road pattern and using these yummy Moda flannels by Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Designs. I just need to assemble the blocks and start the quilting process. Stay tuned for pictures!!

Last but not least, if you have a minute to check out Lynette Anderson's blog, you can enter to win a very dear little stitchery pattern in redwork called a Trio of Greetings! Good luck and have a wonderful weekend!

Anybody Out There...?????

Well, it's been such a long time since I posted....I hope there's still a few faithful readers around to read my ramblings!!! Lots of things going on in my life, but I've still found time to sew a few projects....just not posting any pics of them!!!

Anyways, the garden's been just wonderful! We've had very hot and dry weather the past few months, so things are growing really well! A touch of rain would be nice for the plants, though!

Hmmm....let's see what's new!!!

I've finally been working on my Truly Scrumptious blocks!! These are so much fun to stitch!! I must confess that I love switching from project to project and these blocks are a nice break from sitting at the sewing machine! It's also been so relaxing sitting in the shade out in the backyard and indulging in a little embroidery!

I also just received two new Cinderberry Stitches patterns... Fresh Breeze and Tea Party For Madeline. I like to order from my favorite internet shop called Be Sew Whimsical. Darlene has a great selection of patterns and her customer service is fantastic!!! I totally recommend her!! Here are my two new patterns along with a beautiful new Fat Quarter for my collection!

This is my little Tulip Table-Topper I made this spring, too. It's hand-pieced with various batik fabrics from my stash. I had bought the pattern a couple of years ago and thought that now was as good a time as any to complete it!!!

Well, I'll sign off for now and see what I can come up with for my next post!! Have a great day!

More Tulips!

I was in Copenhagen yesterday and couldn't resist taking a picture of this fantastic flower market! Orange everywhere!! Of course, I couldn't resist buying a bouquet of tulips, either! Flowers and fabric...I truly believe that those are my two biggest weaknesses!! Ok, so I forgot yarn!!!

 














I bought three skeins of this lovely angora yarn in a wonderful little shop called Sommerfuglen. It's situated in the old inner-city and carries some beautiful and unique yarn brands. I'm making a little neck-warmer scarf and I'll probably use a brooch to fasten it off....I have lots of antique finds in my jewelry box that would be just perfect! The pattern is just a simple crocheted shell stitch, which should work up quickly! Our spring may be early, but the winds can still be chilly!

Here are Pocket and Floss, some sweet little rabbits designed by Melly and Me of Australia. I made them for display in our local quilt shop, Slotshuset Patchwork. They were really fun to sew and I hope to make a pair for myself!!! Maybe before Easter arrives! We'll see!






Last, but certainly not least, I'd like to wish our little grandson, Axel, a VERY HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY!! We love you, Axel! Have a wonderful day!! Love from Mormor and Morfar!! XOXOXOXOXO

A Quiet Day...

Today was a very peaceful day for me. I've been feeling a bit under the weather lately, so I sat and quietly worked on some hand-piecing projects. A couple of friends and myself are doing an online swap of Valentine's Dear Jane blocks. You may be thinking, "Hey, Valentine's Day is over, so what is she talking about?!", but we had decided not to put a deadline on mailing our blocks! I love these kind of swaps best!!! Absolutely NO pressure!!!


Today, the sun was brightly shining and warmed our living room to a wonderful, cozy temperature. So, with sleeping dogs at my feet and a hot cup of tea within close reach , I snuggled up in my chair and created these two blocks. Justin's Comet and Hannah Lou's Hearts are two of my favorite Jane Stickle blocks! My love of appliqué and hand-piecing make these blocks a joy to sit and stitch!



We agreed on using a pink and red theme of Civil War reproduction fabrics, with shirtings for the backgrounds. I look very much forward to receiving Debby and Terri's blocks...the nice thing with swaps is that you're always pleasantly surprised with everyone's choice of fabric/colours! I'd like to make a little table-topper from these blocks to use for next year's Valentine's Day!

Last week, I found a wonderful, half-price Jinny Beyer print in just the exact colour I had been searching for! I plan on using this for the bias edge of my Jane Stickle quilt. It's perhaps a little different shade than here in the picture, but it is exactly the blue-green teal I had in mind! I hope it will be a good contrast against the muslin scallops! Many thanks to everyone on the Dear Jane list who wrote and answered my inquiries about how much fabric to purchase! I appreciate your help VERY much!! ;o)

Have a wonderful day doing what you love best!

Cheers...Mary Ann

Spring is on the Way...

After an unusually warm winter with perhaps only a handful of days with frost, the first signs of spring are starting to emerge here in Denmark. Here are Vintergækker, commonly called Snowdrops in english. This early debut is a bit worrisome to me, as nature can very well still send a freak snow-storm our way and destroy all these fragile blooms! I'll keep my fingers crossed for continued warm temperatures!

This lovely yellow beauty is called Erantis in danish, or Eranthis hyemalis in latin. It's native to Europe and is always the first flower of spring!


And last but not least, a very brave little Hyacinth!!!

Jelly Rolls!!!!

Oh, aren't they yummy-looking??!!! I just received these Jelly Rolls from Three Sisters for Moda in the Shangri-La pattern after ordering them a few weeks ago. I plan on sewing Natalie Lymer's Truly Scrumptious quilt from Cinderberry Stitches....after I get some other projects under control!! I don't know if this will be possible, as my will-power is very low when it comes to Moda fabric!!!!

I am quite excited about this project and am so happy that I was able to acquire the same fabrics as Natalie used in her Truly Scrumptious quilt. It's such a happy quilt!! It consists of 9 BOMs and a 10th pattern to assemble the quilt, all of which were purchased from Darlene Carroll at Bee Sew Whimsical. Sooooo....I guess I'm ready to "roll"!!

I've finally finished my Dad's flannel snuggler and he's looking forward to it arriving! It's been a long and cold winter in Canada and it'll hopefully keep him warm and cozy until the spring weather arrives. I know that Kiki, the quilt inspector, will sorely miss it around the house, but I've actually thought of making her a little "snuggler" of her own out of the scraps!!!

Goodies from Australia!!

Today was a great day for me, as I received a little parcel all the way from Australia!!! A while back, I had entered an Australia Day competition on Catherine Bayne's blog about what I would like to see if I ever visited the wonderful "Land Down Under"!! I wrote that the fantastic natural beauty of Australia would, of course, be the main attraction of a future visit to her country, as well as visiting the numerous Quilt Shops I see during my living-room cyber travels!! Seeing Rolf Harris live would also make my day!! I've been a fan of his since I was very young!

Anyways, for participating, Catherine gifted me with one of her beautiful patterns, a tube of Vegemite and a lovely Koala card, too! Thanks so much, Catherine! Please visit Willow Valley Store and see all Catherine's lovely creations!! She's an extremely talented designer and lovely person! The vegemite was definitely a unique experience...different than anything I've ever tried before, but I did find it quite tasty!!! Salty and a bit tangy is how I would describe it! I wasn't sure what you drink with a Vegemite Sandwich, so I tried a glass of chilled white wine and that went down well!!! ;o) Again, thanks so much, Catherine! I appreciate your kindness! :o)

A BIT OF KNITTING AND QUILTING!

I've had the knitting bug the past few weeks, so I thought I'd post a few pics of some projects I've made. A pair of socks for myself and a pair for our little grandson, Axel! Nothing like home-made wool socks to keep the tootsies warm!!! I'm also working on a scarf for myself in alpaca and mohair. It's done in a lace pattern and is proving to be quite a challenge! I hope to have it done soon, though!

On the quilting front, my Dad's flannel snuggler is almost done...it's hopefully going to be a January finish for me!!! Pictures to come!!! I decided to dedicate my New Year's resolution to completing a few of my "UFO's"! Below is a picture of another project, first started in 2003, shortly after I took up quilting! It's hexagons of rose fabrics, sewn together using the English paper-piecing technique. I've now finished piecing this top and am waiting for an up-coming sale to purchase the backing fabric!!!! I'll be using Hobb's 80/20 cotton-poly batting and will hand-quilt this, as well. Stay tuned!!