Re-Surfacing!

Happy New Year! It's hard to believe it's been over two years since I've written here! Life happens, I guess! The transition to an iPad instead of the old lap-top, has also been a deterrent to blog-writing. I find that integrating Blogger with a tablet, is not the easiest task! Hopefully, after newer updates and technology, things will become a bit more user-friendly! Time will tell!

Here are a couple of Mug Rugs that I've recently sewn for overseas swaps. Great fun!

Naestved Quilter's Exhibition!

I recently attended a fantastic Quilt Show in Næstved, Denmark!

  

I was very impressed with not only the wonderful hand-work, but also the warmth and hospitality of these lovely ladies!

 

  

         More pictures from the show can be viewed here!

 Thanks to Næstved Quilters for hosting a great show!

Friendship Coasters!!

Hi there! I just wanted to share a cute idea for some sweet Friendship Coasters that are really easy and quick to make!

I've made a a tutorial for you so you can whip some up this weekend!!! Have a blast!! I sure did!!! 

All the best!

Mary Ann

Edited to say:  I went and checked the link...it seemed to have a problem which I now hope I've remedied!!  Thanks for your interest, everyone!!!  Have a great day!!  MA

Sweet Memories...

A year has now passed since my dear Mom left this world.  Although I miss her so very much, the sweet memories are plentiful and comforting.  Thanks for everything, Mom.  
I'll love you forever and ever.

A Sneak Preview!!!

 Hello there!  This is a sneak preview of a little dress I've made for our grand-daughter, Seyja!  She will celebrate her first birthday in a few weeks, and Mormor wanted to make her something special!  Her big brother, Ari, turns three just after her birthday, so there'll be lots of partying at their house!

Well, quite a while since I've posted here on my blog!   One of my dear quilting friends has been so kind as to remind me (frequently!) about the lack of new information here, so Elna, this one's for you!!  ;o)

This is a little fabric bowl in the works from a pattern I recently purchased from Färg & Form in Malmø, Sweden.  Designed by Namie Hosogai-Åsenlund, the bowl is made from 2 x 8 tumbler blocks, sewn to a centre octagon (2).  I ironed the pieces onto Veladon (a sturdy form of interfacing), basted the seam allowances over to the wrong side and then hand-sewed the pieces together.  I will glue the outside and inside forms together (thus the clothespins!) to avoid seeing the stitches on the upper edge.  A great little bowl to serve candy in or other goodies on the patio!  A good idea may be to spray some Scotchgard or other fabric protector on before using.

Our garden has been doing wonderfully!  The flowers are blooming and the veggies are thriving!  This is such a lovely time of the year!  When a lot of folks travel south to Greece, Turkey or other warm destinations, we love staying at home, enjoying our country surroundings and the peacefulness of living close to forest, field and fjord!

Hope you're all having a wonderful summer!  

I know that we sure are!  Talk to you soon!

Inger's Double Place Mats!

Here are some lovely double place-mats made by Inger O. J. of our quilt guild!  Lots of talented quilters in our group, so I thought I would preview some of their work here on my blog for you to enjoy!

Inge's Fantastic Shoe Quilt!!

 

Inge recently finished piecing her fabulous Shoe Quilt!  It's all appliqued by hand and the embellishments she's used are just so creative!  Inge is now enjoying the hand-quilting  process of her beautiful creation!  Way to go, Inge!

 Brings me way back to the seventies, those shoes do!!!

 I'm packing my own shoes right now (or should I say snow-boots?!), as I'm leaving for Canada this weekend for two weeks of cuddling with the grand-children!

This is Ari playing in the yard...yes, it's the top of the kid's swing-set you see here!!  Not sure if my boots are high enough!!!  Apparently, this is the most snow they've received in quite a few winters!!!!

Take care!

Mary Ann

Floored!!!!

Well, it's been a while since I've posted...time sure flies!  Seems like just last week it was Christmas!  Then came New Year's Eve and our much-awaited holiday to Malta!  We spent a wonderful week enjoying the sun and exploring this beautiful island!  Rich in culture and history, Malta was an experience that we'll never forget!!  Pictures will follow, I promise!!!!  

After we got back, it was time to get some work done!!!  A while back, we removed all of the carpets in the living-room and dining rooms, all three layers of them!  Under the carpets, we discovered these wonderful old planks.  Built in 1930, our old farm-house has seen lots of changes, but the old floors were thankfully still intact and just needed a good refinishing.   So we rented a floor-sander....well, actually, two of them!!!! 

 We sanded three times with varying grades of sand-paper, finally ending up with a smooth finish.  The planks were quite warped, from over 80 years of wear and tear!  This process took the better part of a whole day!

 Next, we applied the "lud", or lye soap that they use extensively here in Scandinavia.  It is a natural product and gives the wood a nice, light nuance, instead of the rather dark shade that varathane eventually turns into.

 After the "lud", or lye soap, has dried for five hours, a layer  of white pigment protective oil is applied with a scouring brush.  This oil is derived from plants and is non-toxic.  After aproximately 15 minutes, it can be removed with a soft cloth, polishing the planks in the direction of the grain.   After 7 days, the floor should be fully dry and hardened and you're left with a gorgeous finish that repels water and dirt.  Maintenance consists of washing with a special soap, made  by the manufacturer, Faxe.

Now, on to painting the moldings and window sills!  Oh, and maybe I should sew some new curtains....!!!

Sigh......being a home-owner is a never-ending job!!!


All the best!

Mary Ann

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