Little Angels!

 

We love you, Axel, Ari and Seyja!

Class on Japanese Orinuno Quilting...

 In my last post, I wrote about our introduction to the exciting art of Orinuno Quilting from Lisbet Borggren.  Here we all are, very much engrossed in Lisbet's instructions on how to construct our cardboard templates with a compass!  

 Tying our gathered fabric circles around the templates.  The more fingers here, the better!!

 In the middle of the circles, you place your piece of batting and fabric, cut from a square template, and fold\iron the curved edges over.  If you've done it right, all the corners should be nice and even!!   Then, you quilt around the edges.

Here's the back side of some of our first blocks!

And the front sides, too!!  So interesting how they can be so different!

And here's Lisbet's own sample of a table-cloth she constructed using circle templates combined with triangles instead of the squares we used.  Lots of different variations on this technique!  Feel free to check out my Picasa album for more pics from Lisbet's course.

If you're interested in trying this form of quilting, these two books by Sachiyo Muraki are really great.  They're written in Japanese, but the pictures and measurements are quite clear!

Enjoy your Saturday evening!!

All the best!

Mary Ann

It's Been A While.....

.....since I've posted on my blog!  I was in Canada for almost three months and have just recently returned home to Denmark.  It's  been taking a while to get back to my daily routine, but things are gradually returning to normal!  I'm missing our little grandchildren very, very much, as well as all our family and friends, but we've already begun to make plans for an up-coming trip next year!

I visited a few quilt shops while in Canada, all in BC where I'm originally from, and will post a little "Shop Hop" for you all to check out!  It's so great seeing what other quilters are up to in different parts of the world!

This pic is from Kismet Quilts in Port Alberni, British Columbia.  A great shop...I'll be posting more pics soon!!!

This past weekend, I attended a class on Orinuno Quilting, a truly fantastic form of patchwork from Japan, taught by Lisbet Borggren.  Here in Denmark, it's known as Japanese Folding Technique.

This form of reversible patchwork is very unique, in that the pattern is totally different on the back of the quilt than on the front.  It is also quilted before it is sewn together, so you have a finished project right away!  My style of quilt!!  

Lisbet provided us with a fantastic day of teaching, as well as a trunk-show consisting of several of her gorgeous creations.  Lisbet has learnt this technique from Sachiyo Muraki, a renowned Japanese quilter who has won numerous awards for her talents.

My project is an Ohio Star block with an interesting twist on the back-side!  I'll post a pic when it's all assembled!

I hope there's still a few readers/followers left here on my blog!  Three months is a long time to be away....I look forward to hearing from you all again!!!  

Hugs,

Mary Ann 

Milner Gardens

While recently staying with my niece in Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island, we enjoyed a lovely afternoon at the famous Milner Gardens.   

There are 60 acres of old-growth forests, as well as 10 acres of gardens displaying native plants and flowers from all of the temperate zones of the world.  Not only has Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip been guests here, but Prince Charles and Lady Diana also visited in 1986, during the World Exposition in Vancouver.

At the end of the day, I was filled with a wondrous tranquility.  The forest, the ocean, as well as a glimpse into the past of this regal old home were a much-needed distraction for me. 

 A visit to this gorgeous estate with it's old-world charm and beautiful grounds is definitely a must if you're ever visiting this part of Canada.  The tea and scones are also out of this world!!!

Still no hexies or klosjes completed, though!  I faithfully carry  them along with me in my back-pack, but haven't had any spare moments to stitch!  However, I AM being inspired!

All the best!

Mary Ann

Klosjes and Hexies for Grandma...

These are my Klosjes for this Saturday!  Just the spools, not yet ironed, a little frayed and worn, but resembling Klosjes, none the less!!!  Leaving rather quickly for Canada, I managed to grab a bag of stamped fabrics for the trip.  I made these sitting beside my Mom's bed, stitching while she slept.   In her waking hours, I showed her all of the pretty colours and she smiled when she saw them.

She especially liked the red and blue hexies I was working on! I put them in front of her on a pillow so she could look at them.  It was then I decided I would dedicate this project to her.  I'm going to call it "Grandma Helga's Flower Garden" in honour of my dear Mom, who loved growing all kinds of beautiful plants and flowers.

Little Seyja is growing quickly!  Here she is with brother, Ari! 

Ari and Axel both love their little sister!!!

Have a wonderful weekend, all!

Hugs,

Mary Ann

In Loving Memory of My Mom....

My dear Mom, Helga Marie, passed away peacefully in my arms, on July 12, 2010, at 8:10 am.  I was blessed with the gift of being able to spend a last week together with her. 

Mom was born on June 16th, 1924 near Aarhus, Denmark.  She immigrated to Canada together with my father and two older siblings in 1951.  She was a kind and caring mother and friend, a hard-working woman who always put others before herself.

Mom made everyone feel so welcome in her home.  There was always the aroma of coffee brewing in the kitchen, along with all of those wonderful and tempting fresh-baked goodies.  A fantastic cook and hostess, her fabulous recipes will live on forever with those of us she shared them with.

I expected to be very sad when the time came for Mom to leave us, but I know now that she's together with our Dad and sister, Carolyn.  At peace and no longer in pain, she's finally at rest.

Just 24 hours after Mom's passing, my daughter gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.  Mom knew that she was soon going to be a great-grandma again, but was just too tired to wait any longer.  So, when I gaze at my darling little grand-daughter, I know that my mother is with her in spirit, to watch over and protect her always.

Thank you for everything you've given me, dear Mom.

Mary Ann

I'll love you forever,

I'll love you for always,

As long as I'm living,

My Mother you'll be....


R. Munsch

For Mom...

It's almost 2 am and I just got off the phone with the airlines...I've booked a flight to Canada tomorrow morning to be with my dear Mom.  Her condition is deteriorating rapidly.

I made her this quilt two years ago to keep her warm and cozy.  It's hard to be parents, but I think even harder to be children and have to say good-bye to those who gave us life.

I won't be posting for a while, but will be thinking of all the wonderful friends I've made here since I first began on my blog journey.  Thanks so much.  

Mary Ann

Lynette Anderson's "My Garden" BOM.....

I was very happy to receive Lynette Anderson's

"My Garden" Block of the Month in the mail the other day!  I had so much fun stitching this sweet block!  The series of nine different designs started with July's lovely "The Barrow". 

The fabrics are Evening Mist by Moda.

 

See the cute little wooden flower button? 

There's a new one included every month to compliment the beautiful stitchery design!

Thank you, Lynette, for designing such a great project!  Thanks, also, to Patti of Creative Patches & Sewing for sending the lovely fabric and signing me up for these wonderful kits!

My day is a little brighter because of you both! :o)

Hugs,

Mary Ann

One Flower Wednesday...

Two flowers done today!  I traded the blue-patterned fabric with a friend...I thought it would be great for my hexies!

Total flowers made as of today: 8

I've been busy preparing lots of hexagons.  It's always nice to have some to take along in my purse, as I like to stitch while waiting for appointments, etc.  It's amazing how much you can get done while waiting for other folks!!  ;o)

Have a great evening!

Mary Ann

Poppies and Klosjes...

This time of year is special here in Denmark...the beautiful scarlet poppies are blooming in the fields. 

The pictures just don't do them justice.  You almost have to experience this beauty in person.

This is my second batch of Klosjes.  They're made with three different fabrics.  I liked the look of the "thread" being a different colour than the "spools"!

And here on the left is Brenda Papadakis' June Block of the Month.  I couldn't resist making a little matching Klosje-Kousin to go along with it!  If you're interested in making Brenda's free BOM's, please check out the Dear Jane website for more information.

Well, that's all for now!  Take care and enjoy your weekend!

Hope you're having lovely weather like we are here in Denmark!

All the best!

Mary Ann

One Flower Wednesday...One Day Late!

Well, my hexagons are finally taking shape!  I'm a procrastinator, I must admit!  It's taken me a while to get going on these little sweeties!!  I got myself into a rut with regards to choosing the right fabric....decison-making was never my strongest suit!  Even as a kid, I could never choose between all those luscious ice-cream flavours when my parents took us on Sunday outings!  Now,  I still find it hard to decide on the little things, like fabric for projects!!!!    Anyway, I wanted to go with blues and reds with a yellow centre, but  didn't have sufficient amounts of the yellow.  So, I chose two different fabrics in the same tones, which I hope will compliment each other.  This is the first:

I really became engrossed with these hexies!!!!  One quickly turned into two, two into three and I guess you know the rest!!!

I'm using my Civil War reproductions that I have left over from piecing my Dear Jane quilt.  I have a soft spot for these repros...they're so compatible with everything!  I'm also using them for my Klojses, which has also been keeping me busy!

I discovered these Clover templates a while ago...they're fantastic for drawing the hexi-shapes onto the fabric.  I use a  .05 Pigma pen for tracing.  I'm also hand-piecing my hexies, as the English Paper Piecing method is a bit too hard on my wrists (rheumatoid arthritis).  I've previously pieced an octagon quilt top via the EPP method, but I've  since moved on to good old "American Piecing"!!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Mary Ann

Klosje Zaterdag!!!

I've thoroughly been enjoying my Klosjes!!!  I decided to make them totally out of my scrap-basket and I'm now up to 21 of the little lovelies!

                          

I recently ordered a stamp set by Cindy Blackberg to make my Klosje-work a bit quicker!!  Cindy's blocks finish at 2 and 3/4 inches and quickly fill your fabric with easy to cut lines.

I ordered my stamp kit from Tina at Pappy's Quilt Place, as she ships internationally.  Thanks, Tina, for your friendly and quick service!

  

On second thought, I think I'm going to make two Klosje quilts!!  One from my regular scrap-basket and another with left-over Civil War reproduction fabrics from my Dear Jane quilt.

Have a nice Zaterdag evening!!

Hugs,

Mary Ann  

Leaving The Nest!

"Hey, Ma and Pa! Wait for me...I'm coming!!!"

Well, the time has come for our little birds to head out into the big world!  We've enjoyed following their development and feel great knowing that there'll soon be even more sweet songs in our garden!

And speaking of the garden, I found a little stray cat hiding out there yesterday!!  Hmmm...wonder where she came from???!!!!

I'll leave you with a few pictures of what's been growing outside!

  

  

 

Have a great evening!!!

All the best!

Mary Ann

Baby Bird Update!!!

Well, our little friends are sure growing big!!

Note the cute feathers and also that their eyes have opened!!  I'm sure it won't be long before they'll be leaving the nest!

When Life Serves You Scraps....

Make Klosjes!!!

I finally succumbed to these sweet little blocks!  I've been reading about them for quite some time now and after seeing them on so many blogs, I decided to try my hand at making a few!  Well, a few turned to many and now I think I may be addicted!  Thanks to Valentina for her great tips and advice and also to Pappy's Quilt Place for supplying a handy little stamp for making the preparation of the block pieces a real snap!  Pappy's sells stamps so that you can just cut out your pieces after inking them onto your fabric!  Ingenious!  I ordered mine today and look forward to their arrival!!!

And if my day wasn't fulfilling enough, the post-lady brought a new book to my door, Material Obsessions, which appropriately describes my relationship with fabric!!  LOL!!
Anyways, it's absolutely YUMMY and it's inspired me to great extents!!!

Tomorrow, I'm off to Malmö, Sweden, for our annual Quilt Guild tour!  We're visiting lots of great places, including Veronica's Patchwork!  Stay tuned for a report on our adventures!! 

Have a great evening!

Mary Ann

Hungry Baby Birds!!!

Hungry Baby Birds!!!
Originally uploaded by *Mormor

Aren't they CUTE??!!  I couldn't imagine having SO many mouths to feed at one time!!!  Both parents are constantly flying back and forth to feed these little ones!!  Fantastic!

Snow in May and Magnolias....??

Is it true?  Have we really received a fresh layer of the white stuff here in the month of MAY??  Although our temperatures have certainly been cold enough for snow, this is fortunately just some lovely white petals from the cherry tree in our front garden! 

Beautiful, aren't they?

The weather has just been so dramatic.  I had to run out and capture this very unusual light the other evening.  The sun had suddenly appeared from behind the clouds, reflecting the most luscious colours on the sky and nearby fields.

Well, it looks like I've started on yet another creative past-time!  Painting Magnolias!  No, not the magnolias you're probably thinking about, but these cute little stamps that I recently purchased for making cards!  They are just darling and I've discovered  that I absolutely love sitting and painting!  Blending and layering the colours involves a creative process that's very satisfying! 

Here's the after shot!

And this is little Tilda, one of the characters from the Magnolia series.  Isn't she sweet??!!  If you're interested in these stamps, the place to find them is at Patchworkhuset, located in Glostrup.  I'm going to make a few projects from these figures, so keep posted and I'll show you soon!

Have a great weekend!

Mary Ann