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

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  

Dear Jane BOM's....

Brenda Papadakis has designed some great blocks for the 2010 Block of the Month series and you can find them as free downloads on the Dear Jane website!  Here are the January and February blocks I've just completed.  You can either choose the pieced versions, as I've done here, or you can do the beautiful appliqué blocks that Brenda has  also graciously made available!  Check them out! 

I've challenged our little Dear Jane group here in Denmark to sew these great BOM's along with me!  I'll post their lovely blocks as they become available!! 

 

Well, we still have a bit of snow, but not as much as when this picture was taken in February!  Here, I'm sporting my cozy woolen knee-highs, knitted up in yummy lavender sock yarn!
They are SO warm that I want to wear them all of the time!

Thanks for stopping by!  

*Mary Ann*

UFO's and Farmer's Wives!!

Yay, another UFO completed!  This vest is done up in Alafoss Létt  Lopi yarn, a gift from a dear friend in Iceland!  The cold and snowy weather we've been having here in Denmark, has encouraged me to dig into my knitting bag for some warmth!!  (Believe me, there's a lot of WIP's in there!!)  Anyways, this yarn knits up really quickly and I thoroughly recommend it for it's coziness!

I just love my new vest!  

Thanks so much, Anna Margrét!

On the quilting front, I've been hand-piecing some blocks from the Farmer's Wife quilt-book, which I recently purchased online.  These 6-inch blocks seem gigantic in comparison to the smaller Jane Stickle cuties, but I'm getting used to piecing them!  My goal is to create this quilt using just scraps, both from my Dear Jane project and also from  generous quilting friends who always remember me when it comes to their unwanted fabric left-overs!  I am truly grateful for the donations! 

No scrap is too small for the 

"Scrap-lady"!!

Well, almost!! ;o)

Basting My Dear Jane Quilt!

Here I am, engrossed in the task of basting my Jane Stickle top! It was quite a peaceful and relaxing job, I must admit! I sat there, getting to know every single block again...kind of like reuniting with old friends!! Since I've been working on this for over five years, I found myself thinking a lot about events of the past while basting. Each block also brought back warm memories of choosing fabrics, learning new techniques and just enjoying the whole process of creating them.

I did run into a little problem while layering with the Hobbs Wool batting. Actually, it wasn't the batting that was the problem, but rather my inexperience in working with wool! I opened the bag, spread it out over the backing and wondered just how this crumpled, wrinkled mass of sheep fur was going to be part of my quilt!!! I put out an online call for help on the Dear Jane list, and with the advice of lots of great quilters, I was able to proceed! I misted the batting with room-temperature water and allowed it to relax for a couple of days. This was the best thing I could do! To my amazement, it settled right down, laying nice, flat and ruly! Now, it's become a wonderful, lofty filling for my quilt!

I just have to give a little plug here for Roxanne's Basting Needles!! I'm a huge fan...they're so great! They just glide through those three layers like a hot knife through butter! They're also nice and long, so you can get a good grip on them! I like to use cotton thread that I find in flea markets to baste with. Usually, I choose a contrasting colour that's not too hard on the eyes! Since this is probably going to take five more years to hand-quilt, I don't think I could handle anything too bright and distracting!!!

Kiki, as usual, is my trusty quilt inspector! She's been kind enough to give me the paws up for past projects!! Kiki has always been a great support throughout my DJ journey! Here she is, offering to do a bit of basting for Mom! I think she'd be good at it, because with claws like hers, who needs needles?!!