colourful autumn

This is the last day of October and the trees in our garden

are in their most beautiful coloured coat.

It only lasts a few more days like this ... then the leaves

will be dropping slowly, or fast, when the wind starts playing.

The very first "beast" I made in Jude's class was never finished.

The lion was there, looking at me ... I was looking back at him

... and I was not content.

I thought I might know what to do with him in the end.

 I know now ( or: I think I do )

He is to be my "July" journal quilt as intended,

but I started to take off most of the fabric he was basted on

and added the batting I used on the other ones

then it's back to the stitching !!

                                                      



"September" is also taking shape although things can still change.

( I might add some weaving, it's only pinned down)

busy, busy day

We had a lovely felting day yesterday.

Preparing, showing the newly bought things, planning

what to make, chooseing colours ...

Man took care of the shopping ( as always ) so we had

coffee and applepie ( from the shop ) , daughter made

delicious pumpkin soup for lunch .... mmmmm ...

and hours went by like minutes !

My two felting friends worked very hard and were pleased with the results in the end.

( you can see why the camera case HAD to be pink ! )

And the eh ..... Yes finished.

( when they fit, I can knit another pair )

With all the weaving in Jude's Cloth to Cloth class, and all the results

in the different blogs of those who participated in this class, it's

obvious that one gets infected ...

this is the very old sock loom.

starting again ...

Finally I'm starting again with my monthly little quilts.

September and October will be next in line.

July and August will be left alone for a bit.

At first I made some simple sketches but that doesn't mean they will look

exactly like this when they are finished, it's merely an idea to start with.

Than I started rummaging trough my stash for the right colours.

( I think I know, but it may change a bit ) 

Then started to put one and one together ... YES ... by hand, that's easier to control.

But.......

are the socks ready, now that I'm starting stitching again ...?

NOOOO .... but only half a toe needs to be finished ... pfffft ! 

( Tomorrow will be a felting day for some friends,

maybe I will find some time to finish the socks then )

friends in October

Today I was away with a looooong-time-no-see friend.

She lives in the east of our (small) country and came with her husband

who had something to do in Rotterdam.The weather forcast was heavy rain showers

but there were also big splashes of sunshine, but ....... we didn't see any of it :

 we talked and talked ... had lunch ... talked some more ... had coffee and talked .....

We had a great day together !!! It's good to see old friends again.

October : fall, leaves colouring, pumpkins ..... and a good tome for witches !

This little lady (who stayed with me) was one of the seven I made last year

from a pattern I bought at the same fair as we went to last Friday.

All the other witches found good homes somewhere else !!!

(this time I bought the pattern of a Ladybug .....)

oooooo , yes !

With my daughter and a friend I went to the "handwerkbeurs"

in Rotterdam, a fair for all the stuff you need for quilting, knitting,felting,

embroidery,dyeing, beadwork ......  and came home with a bag of "goodies"

( in pleasurable anticipation ! )

We were celebrating yesterday, with home-made applepie ... mmmmmm

that was goooooood !

nice sunny days

These last few days we had sun in a blue sky and it was warm enough

to enjoy the outside (with a cold wind from time to time)

I think we enjoy these warm autumn days so much because we know

it's nearly over ...... and rain, cold and storm might be near.

That's why bumblebee and hoverfly were busy, busy, busy

It's not going very well with the task I set myself, to make a small

quilt for every month of this year. The first four months were OK,

but then too many other projects came by that HAD to be finished first.

Then came Jude's Patchwork Beasts class with loads of work ..........

Here are the last two months I finished May and June and July will be

one of my "beasts" cloth.

( that still leaves September and October .......and ....

I first have to finish a knitting project for a birthday present !

No, I'm not complaining, but sometimes I ask myself .... )

;-)

This picture is especially for Jude, it's my Prinsess of the Night

in bloom for the second time. She is a very old stalky lady and blooms

at least twice a year with BIG flowers with a heavy fragrance and

only ONE night !

You see the white dot in the window ? That is the August full moon !

( what a way to celebrate the full moon )

Because this lady is already quite old, I took some cuttings which easily

take root in water, so I will have new baby prinsesses soon.



visitors

A few days ago we had some visitors "in" the garden : six young swans

with their mam and dad were drifting by and taking their time to do

some grooming. As you can see the young ones were quite big already.... but they still

had those soft squeaky voices, that didn't seem to fit to the big bodies.

Do you think we have some genes that are for knitting .... ?

Today our grandson (he is 6 years old) played his soccer match

...... which they won with 21 to 2 ........

His sister (9) went to a friends birthday party so he and his mam stayed

 with us for a bit and then he asked : can you learn me how to knit ?

So I showed him how to do it : ..... and he went on and on and on, and said :

knitting is fun !

(yes, knitting is fun, I think so too)



be aware

The month October is the month of Pink Ribbon

the awareness of breast cancer, this cause lies next to my skin.

Today I made a mandala for Pink Ribbon

I can only tell you girls: don't forget to check up on yourself

.... every month

( better safe than sorry )

finished !

Today I finished my big "Beasts" cloth ... and I'm happy with it !

It turned out just as I intended it to be.

 here is a close-up

I love all the little pieces I used, that have a "history":

I still know of all the scraps where they originally came from.

It is a bonus for me when I look at it.

And this is what I learned working along Jude's guidance !

(And a big thank you for Natima, for being my first follower!

Mail me your address please and I will send you a little cloth )

;-)

knitting and ...stitching again

Yesterday I went to Rotterdam, to the café where the Stich'nBitch group comes together.

I showed my socks made with the "Scheepjes" Invicta colour yarn.

I'm só pleased the way this yarn looks, almost like "Noro Kureyon" sock yarn!

(and not that expensiv  ;-)   )

 Today we had a lovely sunny Sunday.

Altough the garden is nearly "over" now it was good to be outside...

but I was very busy stitching again !!!! ( or rather: quilting )

It's a big cloth ( 60 x 65 cm ) compared to the other "Beasts" pieces

I made for Jude's class.

I think I call it "Nine lives to live". It's about the three birmese cats we had some time ago.

It's nearly done, although time and again I see places I want to add some more stitches.

It feels good in my hands, and our daughters cats, that are staying over the weekend,

feel the same I think !

  

the start

Today I finally made the plunge into the big Blogger ocean!
I waited quite some time before I even considered doing so.........

I think the Patchwork Beasts class of Jude Hill gave me the final push.
(My English will NOT be flawless, so please be patient with me, and tell me when I'm wrong)

I hope to connect again with some of the nice people I met trough the "Beasts"

and share our love for textile art.

Stitching, quilting, drawing, painting, knitting ..... and probably the garden, will appear in this blog.