Christmas is Coming....!!!!

....and I'm getting very motivated with regards to creating a bit of holiday cheer around our house!!! I've been making a lot of sweet things from my new book, Tilda's Julehus, by Norwegian designer, Tone Finnanger. It's full of wonderful ideas which I've been very busy with!! This is a plate of yummy apples!! They're just cloth, but still are very delicious-looking!!!! I've made three dozen of these, by the way!!! :o)

I've also made 36 of May Britt's pincushions which I thought I'd let double as ornaments for the tree...I added a string to hang them with!!! I may also thread some of them together with the apples and create a nice little garland! I've used a lot of mother-of-pearl buttons from my collection...I think they add a nice touch. These little pin-cushions/ornaments are actually quite addictive to make! You can get into quite a rhythm winding the string around the buttons!! I had some DMC pearl cotton which I used for this.

And this is one of the little angels...also from Ms. Finnanger's book. I chose to make her hair a bit on the wild side!!! I still need to attach her wings! I'm currently working on three more of these little ladies for Christmas gifts. Very fun to do!!! She measures about 19 inches from head to toe and is supported on a little wooden stand. I am considering making the large version of this angel to welcome guests in our entry hall. I'm just in love with these little gals!!!

Cinderberry Stitches Needle Case

I just finished a little needle-case as a gift for a friend. It's made from a free pattern I found on Cinderberry Stitches . Natalie Lymer is a fantastic Australian designer whose patterns are heart-warming! Check them out! It was great fun to stitch and should hold lots of goodies!!! I glued some rhinestones onto the stitchery as accents and the dragonfly is a little magnetic pin...just for fun!!


What every quilter needs - needles, thread & CHOCOLATE!!! This variety is the famous, yummy Danish marcipan, covered in luscious dark chocolate! I fused a couple layers of pink felt together to make a nice, thick cushion for pins. There's also a couple of straps so the holder can be carried like a little bag. I think I just might have to make one of these for myself!!!!

Mormor's Little Pumpkin!!

I recently received pictures of our little grandson from Hallowe'en that I thought I would share! Axel was able to choose his own pumpkin this year! What a difference 12 months can make!! Last year, he wasn't quite walking yet and now he's running through fields of pumpkins!!

Squishy, squishy!!! Now that's quite a big pumpkin for a little fella to empty all by himself!!! I'm hoping Axel got a little help from Mommy and Daddy to complete this task! Maybe there was some yummy roasted pumpkins seeds, too??!!

Axel's favorite movie character is none other than Mr. Shrek, so that's who he was for Hallowe'en!

Love those green eye-brows, Axel!!!! Hugs & Kisses from Mormor & Morfar!

Miniature Baby Jane...

I was quilting a bit today on my miniature Baby Jane. The little quilt consists of 25 2.5 inch blocks that I re-sized with the Dear Jane pc program. This project has been in the works for quite a while now, but I'm fine with taking my time finishing it. I've been using it as a practice piece for when the time comes to assemble the larger version of this quilt! It's been great for learning how to sash the blocks and set the corners in so that everything fits properly! It's given me the courage to tackle my BIG JANE! Which, I should say, is getting very near completion. I finished my 30th triangle for the borders today, so that leaves just 22 more! Oh, I still have the four corner blocks to make, as well. They'll be a bit of a challenge, so I thought I'd leave them for last!

I can't wait to actually sleep under this quilt one day!!! My helper, Kiki, thinks that would be great, too! She's been the official quilt inspector since I started this project 3 years ago!!! She does her job quite thoroughly, don't you think???!!!

Mountains...

I've been thinking a lot about mountains today. I sometimes get this incredible urge to climb to the top of a peak, listening only to the wind and experiencing the wonderful hugeness of it all. Living in Denmark, it's not that likely it'll be happening anytime soon, but that's when my photos and memories of Canada keep me fulfilled.

This a view over Peyto Lake, in Banff National Park, from our summer holidays this year. I would have made it to the top in my younger days, but this sufficed quite nicely!!

Well, so much for day-dreaming!! I'm going to retreat into my sewing room and see what I can create! There's a pin cushion pattern that I've been meaning to do a little experimenting with!!! Have a nice day!

Threads and Buttons....

I was doing a bit of fun stuff this weekend... playing with some Japanese flower patterns! It was quite contagious...I made several different varieties!! These are quite simple. You just start with a little circle of fabric, whatever size is up to oneself, but I used 1 1/2 inch diameter for mine. Fold it in half and then in half again, hand-baste the unfinished edge and pull the thread tight.

















Do this eight times and VOILA! You have a sweet little flower! Add a yoyo and a button for the centre and it's complete! Many thanks to Rosane for getting me started on these!!!



I also finished this little wall-hanging. It's an embroidery from Bronwyn Haye's book, Miss Millie's Flower Patch. I just love her designs...they're so cute! Now I just need to find two buttons to go onto the straps...I can't believe there wasn't something suitable in my rather large collection of buttons!!! I'm quite proud to say that over the years, I've scrounged through many a flea-market to acquire my fabulous buttons! There's nothing quite like the feeling of rummaging through a cardboard box and discovering an old, worn metal tin full of some dear grandma's treasured buttons. It's really wonderful to be able to bring them back to life!!!

I'll sign off with a picture of a rather dramatic sunset taken from our back yard. In our hectic world, the beauty of simple things can sometimes be taken for granted. Pictures like this one can very quickly remind me of my love and appreciation of nature.

Have a great week!

Canada Vacation!

On July 18th, we left for a three-week vacation in Canada. We had a wonderful time visiting family and friends and even had the opportunity to do a little bit of camping, as well! This photo is from Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park. Breath-taking.

We had our grandson, Axel, with us for most of our holiday, which was just fantastic! We don't get to see him that much, living on different continents, but the time we had together was so special. He is such a wonderful little fellow!

The photo of my husband, Kim, and Axel is from Mt. Revelstoke National Park. We were on a little day hike with Axel in the back-pack! He absolutely loved it!!! .

We timed it right, as the wild flowers were just starting to bloom. At such high elevations, they unfortunately only last for a week or two.

This little antique frame and doily were waiting in the mail-box upon our return home. They're from my friend, Debby, and I immediately thought of putting this picture in it. It's my Mom and her sister (my Mom on the right) on the day of my Aunt's wedding, probably circa 1945. I think the era fits the frame perfectly! Thanks so much, Debby! I just love them! :o)

I'm keeping busy these days with hand-piecing my Dear Jane triangles. I have 28 made so far, so only 24 to go, plus the four corners! Then I can start to hand-quilt! Yay!!

I'll be posting more pictures later...just wanted to check in and update my Blog!!! People have been asking for "new material"!!!

Until then, greetings from wonderful, wet and windy Denmark!

Cheers! Mary Ann

Long Time, No Post..!!!

Well, here I am again...it's been forever since I posted a comment or two! I guess I've just been busy with life's daily events!!! A few milestones have also come and gone since I last wrote. I finished the 169th and final centre block on my Baby Jane quilt! I'm quite pleased, that after almost three years, I can finally say they're sewn! Of course, there are still the border triangles to complete, but I do have 20 of 52 done, so I'm anticipating that they'll go together quickly...I'm just SO motivated!!! Woo hoo!!!


















Speaking of milestones, on June 20th, I turned 50! It was relatively painless...not as bad as I had imagined! My husband and I had a wonderful day together...he even made me a lovely birthday cake, decorated with traditional Danish flags! I also received flowers, cards and best wishes from friends and family, including a special card made by my little grandson who is 16 months old! Thank you, Axel! All in all, it was a nice day, full of sunshine! Of course, there was also breakfast on the terrace, with strawberries and champagne.....I felt quite spoiled, I must admit!


Here is a picture of the wonderful little hand-sewn quilt, made by my friend, Rosane, for my miniature wrought-iron bed! It's just adorable! Thanks so much, Rosane!


Another good friend, Else, gave me the dearest little miniature "Madame Blå" coffee can (on the kitchen table) and matching cannisters(hanging on the wall)! Thanks again, girls! I'm so lucky to have such thoughtful friends! Thanks for helping to make my birthday so special! :o)


I've also been spending a lot of time trying to figure out how to use my new iPod! I am just loving listening to audio books while hand-stitching my Jane Stickle triangles! It's so enjoyable! I'm really looking forward to taking my iPod along on our trip to Canada this summer. I still have lots to learn regarding its operation, but I'm sure I'll soon figure it out! I can also save pictures and video on it...the possibilities are endless!! What a great technological age we live in!!!

Until next time, Happy Quilting and the best of summer to you all!!!