Upcycled Argyle

This blog doesn't get updated as often as I would like, because I can't show most projects I have recently finished yet. Very frustrating! However, I can show some sneak peeks... such as this denim project. I cut strips from discarded blue jeans in different shades of blue from my sons, my husband and myself, sewed them together to create diamonds and then added some decorative stitching. And voila:



Argyle! I was so pleased with this effect that I have started another upcycled argyle project; this time with diamonds cut from felted sweaters:



This is going to be a table runner. I will keep you posted!

Moo

Remember the cow fabric I bought in Holland in 2012? I finally used it - to re-upholster an ottoman I bought at the op shop a while ago.



We have just redecorated the boys' room - I used blackboard paint for the new but boring white wardrobe, and the cow ottoman (or Minecraft cow) goes very well with it:



The antique sewing machine I bought last year now has a good spot under the MAGnificence quilt. My antique quilts are showcased on the table.

Dutch Baby Quilt

A while ago I was asked to make a quilt with a Dutch theme for Creative Expressions, the sister magazine of Down Under Quilts. Of course I was happy to make one! It has pinwheel blocks in the colours of the Dutch flag (red, white and blue), with one orange square for the Dutch Royal House of Orange. I used some typical Dutch 'farmers handkerchiefs' that my mother-in-law and my BFF Hylkia (the Apple Tart Queen) had sent me. (If you would like to get some you can find them here)



I especially like this one, with drawings of Friesian cities and a traditional Friesian sailing ship:



I am thrilled that this quilt was chosen to be on the cover of the magazine!



UPDATE 2016: The pattern for this quilt is now for sale in my Etsy pattern store.

Presents for little nieces

With the boys still at home (it's summer holidays Down Under) and some work deadlines coming up, I haven't been able to sew much since we came back from our holidays, but I did make this balloon ball as a first birthday present for our little niece in Holland.



I used this pattern - it's a quick make and a good way to use up some scraps. Many years ago my boys got a balloon ball as a present and they still play with it. It's a great gift for littlies.



Here is the birthday girl, one year old now, with the Aussie Baby Quilt I made for her last year:



In August last year another niece was born in Holland - the daughter of DH's youngest sister (we have four nieces now! The boys are outnumbered). For her I also made an Aussie Baby Quilt, as I still had a lot of Aboriginal fabrics and I really liked the design:



This time I quilted it in a different way, with gum leaves in the squares. It looks very nice on the back:



I pieced the back together using some Australian fabrics:



The quilt can be found as a project in the Australian issue of Down Under Quilts, now on sale:



And here is the adorable recipient!

Merry Christmas

This year I purchased a quilt in the SAQA Benefit Auction for the first time; Poinsettia by Canadian artist Anna Davison. I love it and it's hanging in our living room at the moment, next to the Christmas tree.

It's the perfect image for my last posting of the year as we are getting ready for our summer holiday at the beach. I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas (or happy holidays, if you prefer) and a happy, healthy, colourful and creative New Year. Thank you for visiting my blog, I hope to see you back in 2014!

Take care,
Linda

Poinciana Seed Pod

Yesterday was a productive day: I played tennis, finished a book (Watching You by Michael Robotham - have read all his books in the last few weeks and loved them) and made this small quilt, my submission for the SAQA 2014 Anniversary Trunk Show (and all this while it's school holidays!).
I have used a Poinciana seed pod as a stamp before, to make fabric cards, and have wanted to use it in an art quilt ever since.



Here's a detail pic. I like the combination of the organic shape of the seed pod and the straight background quilting. What do you think?

Handprinted Schoolhouse Fabric and Postcard Giveaway

Ever since I made my hand-stamped Dutch Houses fabric I have been thinking about other designs to print on fabric. A while ago, it suddenly struck me that it would be fun to create a stamp of one of my favourite traditional quilt blocks; the Schoolhouse. And yesterday I finally found time to do it:



I started stamping, and really liked it:



Here is the first fat quarter of Little Red Schoolhouse fabric - now for sale in my Etsy shop:



I also made a fabric postcard (10 x 15 cm / 4 x 6 inch). Because it's almost Christmas I am giving it away to one reader of this blog. If you would like to win it, leave a comment here and let me know which quilt block you think I should make into a stamp next. I'll pick a winner on 5 January 2014, as we are going away to our caravan in Wooyung Beach this weekend for two weeks. Good luck!

Wordless Wednesday

Snakes and Ladders Quilt

Suddenly realised that I hadn't shown this quilt here yet! I made it for the kids' issue of Down Under Quilts. Of course my boys had to try it out first:



They approved of it, and it ended up on the cover, with their bears and tiger! The boys are very proud :-).



(Isn't that pink Kombi Van adorable??)

The quilt now lives in Kenya, where the boys' little cousins are having lots of fun with it. That's what we do it for, isn't it?

St Martin's Church (Martinitoren)

Lately the Wordless Wednesday photos are all there is on this blog... I'm busy making lots of stuff but can't show it here yet - so frustrating! Well, I'll just show you something someone else made. Ali made this gorgeous lino print for me - it's inspired by a 1950s photo of Groningen, the city in the Netherlands where I went to university and where I lived for 12 years.



Ali blogged about the process of turning this photo into a linocut here and about playing with the lino prints here and here.

Thanks again for this precious print Ali, I will treasure it!

Wordless Wednesday

;-)

Wordless Wednesday

Piecing and quilting

There's a lot of piecing and quilting happening here at the moment, but unfortunately I can't show the finished quilts yet! Very frustrating. I will show some sneak peeks - the block above is part of a Dutch Quilt I recently made, using some Dutch farmers handkerchiefs my mother-in-law sent me.



Chevrons are everywhere, so I thought I should try them as well. The piece above is now part of a bag!



I played with some strips and made this block a while ago. It looks good, don't you think? I've made a few more now and will sew them together soon...



I am also experimenting with quilt blocks made from upcycled denim. In the last six years I have kept all the blue jeans from my sons, my husband and myself, so I have quilte a pile of fabric now. Let's make a quilt!



And last but not least, I am finally making an art quilt again! Here is a peek of a very small part of it. I will reveal more in four months or so...

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

More felted sweaters projects

I'm still in my felted jumpers/sweaters phase and yesterday I made this 'trivet' (or table topper). Cool, hey? Here is a view from above:



Much as I like them, I don't really need more than one of these things, so I've added it to my Etsy shop - you can find it here. I also made a smaller version of the Baby Blocks (or Tumbling Blocks) trivet I showed here a week ago:



I've added that one to the shop as well - I think it would make a great mouse pad!
And here is another one - this block is known as Card Tricks. It's a small one, I think I will keep it and use it as a coaster:



I've still got a pile of felt, so I'm not done yet! Any suggestions for quilt blocks I could make with felted shapes?

Tea House Cosies

I made these Tea House Cosies for Down Under Quilts. The boys love them :-).



Issue 160 is on sale now - it's my favourite so far. I wrote an article about house quilts made by our readers that has some stunning quilts in it. I love house quilts but have never made one so far - really should do that someday! (I'm waiting until we have our own house, I suppose...)



There are also some great Christmas projects in this issue, like the cute wall hanging on the cover made by Kirsty from Bonjour Quilts. Check it out! (and if you do, I would love to hear what you think!)