ATCs

I haven't worked on the Aussie quilt this week (I have bought backing and batting though!) because I needed to finish some postcards and ATCs. I've made 4 postcards for a swap with some of my ATWI20Q mates, but can't show them here yet because they haven't arrived at their destinations.

I can show you an ATC I made for Laura:



I received this one from her:



I liked the daisy ATC so much that I made 3 more for the Cyber Fyber International Random ATC Swap:



And I made this one from a scrap for the stellar quilt, and thought it appropriate to send it to Chloe who set us the stellar challenge:



And finally I dyed some fabric- I tried to get a pink-to-red series, but it turned out more orange-y... Still, I like these fabrics and am sure I can use them. And it was good to some dyeing again!



Tomorrow we are going away, for a long weekend camping. Next week I hope to finish the top of the Aussie quilt!

This and that

I have spent quite some time at the sewing machine this week, working on this and that. Mainly on the Aussie quilt for Hugo; I finished all the blocks (20) and am now sewing them together. This weekend I am going to buy the batting and backing. I think I will use the world map fabric for the back, like I did on Ernst's I Spy quilt.



This is Hugo's last week at school before the summer holidays, so we had to have a present for his Prep teacher. Remember the fabric that he painted? I made it into a giant card (or mini wall hanging) with Fast2Fuse:



The teacher really liked it!
And last but not least, I made some Christmas decorations using Christmas themed selvedge strips - inspired by a posting on the Selvage Blog.They are for my 'mortal' and have been sent in the last present for this year. My identity is revealed now, so I can show them here.



Now I need to make some postcards and ATCs for a few swaps. And a Brave New World quilt for Around the World in 20 Quilts, using recycled materials. Quite a challenge! (the theme, not the recycling)

Auckland, stars and a rainbow

Last Sunday I came back from Auckland. I had a very good time there - the conference was interesting, I met some very nice people, the weather was lovely (it made me realize how much I miss the long summer evenings and the twilight...) and I did some great sightseeing. For some photos of Auckland, please visit my other blog

On Saturday I took the ferry to Devonport, a beautiful, old (well, relatively old, of course ;-)) suburb on the northside and indulged in some serious shopping. There were a few good second hand bookshops, a wonderful toyshop and a great quiltshop. At the last one I bought some kiwi fabric, a book and a magazine. The lady at the counter told me there was an exhibition by a local quilt group on the other side of the road - so of course I went there!

The group is called Shore Thing and the exhibition was called Not Just Another Exhibition ... Again By Shore Thing. Featuring Kites, Dolls, Quilts, Fish, Fabric Art, Journals, Gifts, Sales Table Dye-in-Fabric (which I completely overlooked!).

It was a great exhibition - I made lots of photos and asked if I could put them on my blog. I could, so here are a few:






They had some second hand books (quilting and other)and magazines for sale and I bought quite a few. What a great way to spend a day in a new city!

On Sunday, when I came back home, it was the last day of the stellar challenge at ATWI20Q, - time to show all the quilts. I am not very happy with my stellar quilt, but there are some gorgeous quilts over there, so be sure to go and check them out!

On Monday I had an email from the 2QAQ State of the Art Quilt Show. Sadly, my Rainbow quilt was not selected. Well, it was made in less than a week by a very inexperienced wannabee art quilter... so I was not surprised (but a bit sad, I confess). However, I can now show it to you:



I still like the design of the quilt, but technically it could be better. I don't know yet if I am gong to keep it or cut it up to make postcards and ATCs. What do you think?

Aussie quilt

I'm still thinking on what project to work on next ;-), but in the meantime I have started a quilt for Hugo's 6th birthday (February 2nd) with the Australian fabrics I got for my birthday - and a few I bought myself. I think it will be a nice memory of our time in Australia for him.

On my Dutch quilters mailing list this is known as an Aussie quilt, because a patchwork shop in Belgium sells a kit for a quilt like this with aboriginal fabrics (see here, scroll down a bit for the Aussie). Of course it works well with all sorts of fabric, especially large prints that you do not want to cut up. In Dutch this pattern is also known as 'floating blocks' (there will be strips of the light fabric between the blocks when the top is finished, so they appear to be floating). I haven't managed to discover an English name for this pattern yet - please tell me if you know it!

Tomorrow I am flying to Auckland. I look forward very much to this trip and hope to bring back some Kiwi fabric!

Hmmm...

The analysis indicates that the author of Q is of the type:

ESFP - The Performers

The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.

The enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.

Want to analyze your blog as well? Go to Typealyzer!

(just as well that I have never aspired to a management position...!)

Postcards

Yesterday I received this postcard from Annica:



I traded an Australia postcard with her - you can see it here on her blog.

I also made 2 black and white selvedge postcards:



(the other one is on its way to the Netherlands already)

Apart from making some postcards I am trying to decide what I want to work on next. I have made a start on the rosy quilt, but am also thinking about a quilt for Hugo with the Australian FQs I got for my birthday (I've even started cutting some fabric). The stellar quilt for ATWI20Q is finished, but I'm not happy with it... Yet I do not feel like starting another one, especially since it has to be finished on November 30th and I will be away for 5 days next week (I'm going to the Australasian Tuberculosis Conference in Auckland and am really looking forward to that!)

I have the fabric for the 2009 Bunbury Challenge, but am not very eager to start on that one... The theme (A Piece of Paradise) nor the fabric really appeal to me (here at Margeeth's blog you can see what it looks like). Maybe I'll just skip that one.

What I really want to do is make another bird quilt - an owl this time. Maybe a bit larger than the other ones... And a self portrait quilt is high on my wishlist as well.

I just have to make a choice and spend my precious sewing time on that project!
Oh well... I'll keep you posted!

Art and Craft Display

Remember the Art and Craft Display to be held at my workplace? It was postponed for a bit, but was finally on this week - and a big success!



Beautiful quilts - I love that Christmas quilt!



This was my corner.



;-)



Seeing the magic quilt aways makes me happy!



Gorgeous felted bags



An amazing quilt made by my colleague Carmel and her family for her parents



One of my colleagues is a painter; this is my favourite among her paintings



Although this one is very beautiful as well



Carmel is an accomplished card maker as well.

We have decided to organise a display like this every 6 months - it completely changed the atmosphere in the office!

Selvedge bookcover

With the selvedge strips from my birthday FQs I made a cover for my diary for next year:



And some postcards:



I really enjoy making things from selvedge strips. Did you know there is a blog dedicated to these things? Check out the awesome projects shown there!
(can some native English speaker explain to me the difference, if any, between selvedge and selvage? Thanks!)
So if you have any selvedge/selvage strips hanging around and you're not using them... ;-)



PS After posting this I left a comment at Karen Griska's Selvage Blog, telling her about my selvedge projects (I had sent her an email twice after making the selvedge bag, but they never arrived) and she immediately dedicated a blog posting to me! Gee - I'm chuffed! :-)) Thanks Karen!

Award

Not only was I tagged, I was given an award as well! Wow, what a week. Thanks Corryna!

Here are the rules:
- Five people are allowed to receive this award: four dedicated followers of your blog and one who is new to your blog and lives in another part of the world.
- Please link back to the person who gave you this award.

Well... among my 'dedicated followers' (ahem) I award Sandra, Jantine, Sue and Lisette (who got another award last week - popular gal).
Someone who is new to my blog and lives in another part of the world is Chris in Wisconsin, USA.
Thanks ladies, I love reading your blogs!

I'll be back shortly with some finished projects! And here's today's pic; my youngest, Robbie (2), playing with the buttons while I am sewing - as I used to do with my grandmother's buttons, sigh...

Tagged!

Lindi tagged me! So I am going to be a sport and play along (although I think I have done this one once before).

The rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. List 7 things about yourself. Some random, some weird.
3. Tag 3 more players and let them know.

Here goes....

1. I was a premature baby, born after 33 weeks, and dysmature as well with only 1400 g. In 1969 this meant they weren't sure if I would survive. But as you see, I did ;-).

2. I grew up in a women-only household (my mother, grandmother and me) and now I live with 4 men (DH and our 3 sons). I guess it was meant to be.

3. I am extremely myopic (almost -10 D, which means I can see 'sharp' only about 10 cm without glasses or contact lenses). This is probably a result of being born so prematurely.

4. I hate pink, but love purple.

5. There is only 1 thing that I will NOT eat and that is peanut butter. Yak.

6. I hope to do a PhD in public health one day (when DH is professor and we can afford me being a PhD student ;-)).

7. My second name is Margreet.

Well, you really wanted to know all that, didn't you? ;-)

I'm tagging Dianne, Rens and Marloes. Hope you play along!

And to finish with a photo, here is a pic of the scarf I am knitting at the moment. Haven't knitted in years (did quite a lot of it as a teenager, after that only during my pregnancies) but suddenly felt an urge to knit! (very strange - no, I'm not pregnant!) I bought this yarn last winter and finally have started on the scarf - which I won't need for ages here, it's only November and already very hot and humid :-(.



In the photo it looks very pink but it actually is purple!

Yes they can - and they did!

This quilt was made by Denyse Schmidt and friends to raise funds for Barack Obama's campaign.
I think it's gorgeous and I am so happy that today (well, yesterday from an Australian point of view ;-)) the Americans have shown that they could!!!