Star of the West...March Block of the Month!

I am having so much fun with these BOM's!  Big thanks again to Brenda Papadakis for providing these designs for us Janiacs!!!

Is anyone else sewing these blocks?  It would be great hearing from you...maybe we can share some pictures of our work?!

It's a beautiful sunny day and I'm going to go out and rake some leaves!  Think spring, think spring....!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

*Mary Ann*

Spring Has Sprung!

Yay!  The first signs of spring have finally "sprung" here in Denmark!  It's been a LONG winter!

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)

Goodies from Down-Under!!!

A surprise came in the mail today, all the way from Dongara, Australia!  Many, many thanks to Sue who hosted a draw in celebration of her 100th post!  I just love all of the goodies! 

I know it's been a while since I've posted...I'll have to become a bit better in that area here in 2010!

Anyways, I hope everyone has had a joyous holiday season and I wish you all a wonderful new year, full of happiness!

*Mary Ann*

Lost in the Mail.....

I've been quite anxious regarding the whereabouts of a little parcel which should have arrived here a week ago from The Netherlands! I signed up for the Christmas Ornament Swap last month along with my swap partner, Heleen from Dutch Colours. Heleen confirmed last week that the parcel I sent her arrived safe and sound, but alas, still nothing in my post box! :o(

I had been almost certain that the little parcel was lost in the rush of Christmas post, BUT, today the post-truck came and tucked a little surprise into my post box! Yes, it was the little lost parcel!!! I hurried indoors as fast as I could to unwrap it!

See how pretty it was wrapped?! I almost couldn't bear to open it up...almost!!

What a cute little bird decorating the package!

Look at the beautiful Christmas trees!! A gorgeous stuffed tree ornament with
a sweet card to match!!! I'm so very happy with my lovely swap gift!!!

Thanks so very much, Heleen, for the wonderful orament and card! It's been a pleasure swapping with you! Also, thanks to Clare and Robyn for organizing this fun event!

I'll sign off now with some pictures of the "snow-scape" around our house today! Nothing like a fresh layer of the sparkly white stuff (AND a squishie in the mail!!) to brighten one's day!!!!!!

Goodies from the Mail-Lady!!

Last week, I ordered these great Cinderberry Stitches patterns from Darlene at Bee Sew Whimsical. I was surprised to see them here so quickly! Natalie Lymer is such a talented designer...her stitcheries are just so joyful to work on!
Thanks, Darlene, for your fast and professional service!

And there was also the brand new copy of Quiltmaker magazine!!! I look forward to sitting with my cup of tea this evening and checking out all of the great patterns and ideas!



Here is a completed UFO from last year...a Scandinavian Christmas Heart, which I finally finished stitching together! I don't know why I lost interest in completing this pretty heart last season, but now it will finally be adorning my tree this year!


In the spirit of Christmas and giving, I like to have some charity blocks prepped and ready to work on during the month of December. We sometimes get so caught up in all the festivities that we lose sight of the real meaning of the season. This block is for the Danish Patchwork Association's project, Puttetæpper (roughly translated to Comfort Quilts) for children dealing with eating disorders. The project's goal is to promote self-esteem and healthy eating habits among these kids. This year is the 10th anniversary of the project.

I'm also working on a block for the raffle quilt, 65 Roses, to benefit the Australian Cystic Fybrosis Foundation. Charity has no borders for me, in fact I like to think of myself as a global citizen!!!

On that note, I'll sign off with a picture from Copenhagen's Town Square! The UN Global Climate Conference just kicked off today with a fantastic turnout from all over the world!

Let's hope we can get a deal on the table for the sake of our children's future!

Hooked on Crochet!!

I've been doing some crocheting these days....got "hooked" by the great tutorials out there in blogland!! This vest is inspired by Garniture, a wonderful blog and shop in Copenhagen. Here, you can buy lots of luscious shades of yarn, as well as retro fabric, gift items and just plain neat stuff!! Anyways, I couldn't resist creating this little vest and it's now for sale in my Etsy shop! I'm making more, as well!
I can't seem to stop!!!

If you've noticed my new crochet hook, it's from Clover. Using one of these is comparable to jumping into a Porsche after driving a Beetle! (no offense to Beetles, of course!) Why haven't I discovered these great crochet hooks a long time ago??!
The rest of the sizes are on my Santa list!!! ;o)

Last but not least, here are some of my little stars and trees from the Grandmother Tutorials from Michelle of The Royal Sisters! I was put on the trail of this cool blog by Lucy from Attic 24, another colourful and inspirational crochetist! (is that a word??!!)

In the meantime, my quilting hoop and knitting needles have started growing a bit of moss, but I'll be back to rescue them shortly!!!

Have a great Saturday evening, everyone!!!