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!!!

Morgenmad På Terassen!

I awoke this morning to the wonderful aroma of pancakes and coffee, the scrumptious scent wafting up to our second floor bedroom! My husband had gotten up early and prepared us a delicious breakfast on the terrace! Despite being just after 8 am, the sun was hot and we soon had to change into shorts and tees! I just love this time of year! Even though our spring weather can be very unpredictable, I don't mind, as long as we get a bit of sun once in a while! And yes, that IS Canadian maple syrup that you see on the table! There are some things that a gal just can't be without, even though it costs an arm and a leg to purchase it here in Denmark!!!!


While we ate, we sat and watched our tiny friends, busily flying back and forth from their little bird-house, feeding their hungry brood. I was amazed over the fact that they didn't seem to mind that we sat only a metre from their home. Their instincts regarding good-parenting are obviously stronger than their fear of humans! We keep feeding the birds in the summer months. Not a lot, but just enough so that they'll remain in our garden, keeping us entertained with their songs and antics! Do we dare lift the lid and peek into the nest?!


The shrubs and perennials are blooming in abundance and every week brings new and different varieties of flowers. It's a joy seeing this vibrant and abundant display of colour and it's certainly giving me lots of photo opportunities! These pictures are from the area visible from our Sunday morning "breakfast nook"! The clematis is one I planted about three years ago. It's been quite spindly the past while, but is now finally starting to take hold. The colour, a very pale pink with a touch of lavender, is one of my favorites when it comes to the clematis flower. They say that the clematis loves the sun, but not on its roots. So, I tried solving that problem by planting a low-growing perennial (the name slips my mind just now!) at it's base. It seems to be working!

With A Little Help From My Friends...!

It's nice to be back sewing and quilting in full-force! I had gone through a period where my desire to create had been somewhat lacking. Quite unlike myself, I might add! Several months had passed since I'd constructed one of these little Jane Stickle blocks and I was feeling a tad guilty! One of my dear friends, knowing I was in a slump, offered to sew a block for me. Well, that seemed to be the inspiration I needed! If she wanted to sew a block for me, then I would certainly want to do something nice for her in return!! Hmmm!! What about sewing HER a block??!! What are friends for, if not to give that little push that we all need once in a while??!!



Here is a picture of the "working stage" of M13, Lynette's Diamond! I began by hand-piecing the four muslin back-ground pieces together, while at the same time, setting in the centre square of green. Then, I appliquéd the four green quarter circles onto the muslin piece, trimming away the extra fabric after completing the stitching. I really enjoyed making this block, even though it's the second time around for me! I actually think that this M13 turned out nicer than my first attempt! :o) Isn't that always the way it goes???!! Thanks for your help, Lee Ann! You don't know how much I appreciate it!! ;o)

Snips of Thread!

Well, judging from the date of my last post, it's been quite a while since I've written here! Perhaps it's because I've been very busy with my quilting these days, working on several interesting projects! A few months ago, I joined a Dear Jane Signature Swap along with 160 other fellow "Janiacs" from around the world! I've since sewn and decorated the same number of "Siggie Blocks" and they've now been swapped amongst all these wonderful ladies! It was a fantastic experience, especially when I received a Special Delivery package last week with all of those beautiful blocks in return! I think that every colour of the rainbow is represented, as well as an unbelievable number of countries and states in the US.

Here is a picture of the blocks arranged upon my design wall. After starching and pressing each individual block, I then trimmed them to five inches, which took the most part of a whole day! It was great fun, though!! It was like getting to know each quilter individually, working with their wonderful little creations! I kept the scraps, as I thought they were so pretty, all lying together in a pile of colours! I'm still expecting a few more Siggies to arrive from some private swaps I've been in, but am looking very much forward to piecing this top together! Different layouts have come to mind and I may try to use some contrasting fabrics to create a rainbow effect!

Speaking of rainbow effects, this picture of a Signature Quilt made by a fellow quilter in Germany,

is a unique layout utilizing all of the different shades! I really like the way this lady made the colours work together...it's so harmonious! I have several different ideas in mind as to how I will piece my Siggie Blocks together, but this one is high on my list!

Another project I'm working on these days is a flannel quilt for my Dad. He will soon be transferred to a care facility from the hospital where he is now, so I want him to be warm and cozy. This quilt is a very easy pattern, consisting of blocks sewn first into nine-patches and then cut into four sections and sewn together again. The quilt will consist of five by three blocks of twelve inches each. Quite a simple technique which hasn't so far required too much concentration!!! Working with flannel was a new challenge for me, though. I used lots of spray starch, made sure I cut exactly on the grain of the fabric and was very thankful that my dear Pfaff machine is equipped with a wonderful, built-in walking foot system!!! I plan on adding a dark red border and backing the quilt with the same and using, perhaps, one of the greens to bind it with! I'd like to hand-quilt this project, too, but I'll have to decide that when the time comes, after seeing how my arthritic fingers are holding out! Anyways, I'm sure it will be a while before I reach that stage!!!

Babies and Springtime!

A few days ago, I visited my friend and her new-born daughter to deliver the quilt I had made. Oh, it was so nice to hold a wee one again! Babies smell SO good! I couldn't believe how tiny she was! Although being born a month premature, she's already made a substantial weight gain and is such a happy, smiling little girl! We drank tea, reminisced and afterwards took a lovely walk in a nearby botanical park . The rhododendrons were just beginning to display their fantastic colours and the chorus of birds was incredible!

Afterwards, I couldn't help but think how fast the years go by. It seems like only yesterday that my children were this age and I was pushing them in their pram. Now, all of a sudden, I'm a grandmother, with the big 5-0 looming! The grandmother role is one I'm truly happy with, but turning half a century is rather frightening to think about!!! I have heard, though, that it's not quite as painful as one would imagine! We'll soon see!

Danish Colours!!!

We recently sent our little grandson a National League soccer jersey in Denmark's colours of red and white! Fortunately, Canada's colours are the same, so he'll hopefully feel at home in Denmark as well as Canada! I can't believe how much he's grown since he was here in December! I'm thinking that I'd better go out and find him a soccer ball, too, as I know he has lots of energy to spare!! I'm almost certain that our little darling is going to be quite the soccer player!!! We love you, sweetie!!!

Spring is Finally Here!!

Well, I am happy to say that spring has finally arrived here in Denmark! The new leaves on the trees are growing larger with each passing day and the colours around our garden are just fabulous! I've always been so inspired by the perseverance of the bulbs and perennials. Year after year, they survive the harsh danish winters to make their welcome re-appearance. They bring such a wonderful feeling of hope. Here are a few of my favorites! Grape hyacinths, pansies and last but not least, miniature daffs! I planted them in a little porcelain dish and keep them out on our patio so they'll last a little longer!

These Kejserkrone (or translated to english: Emperor's Crown) appear each spring, bigger and more beautiful than they did the previous year! Earlier, I wasn't quite sure of their name, but a friend of mine just informed me that their latin name is fritillaria imperialis! (Thanks, Lee Ann!) They are so pretty...they remind me a bit of the Bird of Paradise with its little tuft on top! Unfortunately, their flowers do not last very long, so they have to be enjoyed in the short time that they're in bloom.

Here is a beautiful danish native plant, the Anemone. It grows wild in the forests of Denmark and the abundant flowers resemble a fresh dusting of snow between the stately beech trees. The delicate blooms are star-shaped and have inspired poets, artists and nature-lovers alike. These anemones were transplanted from the forest to our yard and we hope that they'll quickly spread throughout the garden! I remember my mother lovingly describing the anemone to me when I was a child. Mom was so fond of those beech forests with their carpet of white anemones, and living in Canada, I knew that she missed the danish springtime very much. This time of year, we like to take a picnic basket and spend a day in the forest. I always pick a big bouquet of anemones and think of my Mom.

Spring is really such a special time of year, not only for it's subtle, delicate hues but for the beautiful memories it awakes in me....

My Dear Jane Journey

In November of 2004, I embarked upon a remarkable journey. I had first become interested in the Jane Stickle quilt in 2002, hoping that it would some day hold a place in my future. Thanks to Brenda Papadakis, the author of Dear Jane, my dream became a reality! Having just taken up the wonderful hobby of quilting, I came across a picture and article on The Quilt. I just knew that one day I had to test my skills and try to recreate this quilt on my own. I educated myself as much as I could about The Quilt, happily discovering Brenda's book containing the drafted patterns of all 169 blocks, 52 triangles and 4 corner kites! Since that day in 2004, I have completed 149 blocks and 16 triangles! Although my first blocks started out as machine-pieced creations, learning the art of appliqué and hand-piecing convinced me that a needle, thread and thimble could easily fulfill my stitching needs. Thus, most of my blocks are now hand-sewn. I have met countless quilters from all over the world through my journey and the bonds of friendship that have been created with these ladies is just so wonderful. Although my relationship with The Quilt is sometimes put on hold due to the challenges of life, I know that my Baby Jane will always be waiting for me to lovingly place my stitches in her beautiful cloth!