Autumn Challenge...

This year I participated in a birthday swap of autumn fabrics with the Sewpals, a group of 14 on the Internet. Now I have to start making a quilt of these fabrics, I am gonna make a quilt with autumn stitcheries in it and blocks of all different sizes but divisible by 4, I'll keep you updated! Of course it is supposed to be finished by autumn next year.......

1:12

Something totally different: my other hobby is making 1:12 scale miniatures. I told you about my friend who was coming last monday and we both worked on our little sheds.
Here you can see some pictures on how far I came. The shed I made from wood and I then tried to give it an old look. For the roof I have cut more than 200 pieces of an old tube, to make it look like
slate. I am now working on the garden around the shed. I made the
hydrangea (almost 2 days work) and am now working on the hibiscus on the right side of the door. Also I am planning a layout for the bricks. I will keep you updated, have made an appointment with my friend that we are gonna work on it every 14 days on mondayevening.

I have stitched some hearts again and have just started embellishing...........
My DH will be operated again next week on Friday, so I have something to do while waiting in hospital, mostly it takes an hour or 6, so I could get them finished then.

This weekend I finished the little presents for my mother. I found some matching purple satin bias binding, but boy, what a job to get this stuff around it, but finally I managed........ I don't know what it is, I have made lots of huge quilts and also very, very small ones all by hand, but when it comes to sewing purses and things like this, I just don't know how to handle it........
I also made a matching pincushion, think my mum will like it!
Now I have to clean my sewingroom, this evening my "dollshouse" friend Saskia will come and we are going to work on a little shed with a garden around it, scale 1:12, looking forward to that!

Today I have been working on some little Christmas presents, I made a backing to some hearts I embellished earlier and stuffed them, must say I like the result, they give a nice oldfashioned Christmasfeeling!

This is what I am working on at this moment, a CQ case for my mothers glasses, she loves purple. Also I am trying to finish some UFO's and started with some little Christmas presents.
Because the weather was very nice the last weeks, I have been walking a lot (of course together with doggie Daisy) to get some condition back after my pneumonia. The temperatures were high for the time of year, this autumn is the hottest in 30 years here in Holland, but from today the weather has changed, strong winds and rain and around 10o C., normally for this time of year.

Happy Halloween!!!!

This is the second block from the Teatime swap,
I received it from Maureen in Australia. Isn't it lovely, have to find a nice project to use it in!

Have been very busy this week with organising my sewing room, have finished the top of a little quilt with scarecrows and am working on some little CQ presents for my mothers birthday. She will be 77 in 3 weeks.
Also a picture of my doggie Daisy, she was so fast asleep that she didn't even notice me taking pictures!

This week I finished a heart for Jo in New Zealand, once again with "Dutch" fabrics,
so this is Staphorst nr. 11.



I also made an Amish heart to sent out to a lovely initiative to make quilts for the families of the 5 Amish children that died in a shooting 2 weeks ago at a school near Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

The last weeks I received some lovely hearts:
the outlined flowers heart from Carol in Canada, the brown/gold heart from Jo in New Zealand and the heart with the crocheted poppy
from Carol in the USA, thank you so much ladies, they look wonderful!

I just remembered that I forgot to put a picture on my blog from my finished Paisley Bauble Bag, here it is:

Luckely I am feeling much better by now and can start blogging again.
I have sent out my CQ blocks for the teatime swap, they are on their way to Gayle in the USA and Alys in England. I received a
teatime block from Vanessa in the USA. We did also swap recipes,
here is her recipe for zucchini bread:

3 lg. eggs, beaten
2 c. sifted selfrising flour
2 c. gratted zucchini, not peeled
2 t. cinnamon, 3 t. vanilla
Combine eggs, oil, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla in bowl.
Alternate zucchini and flour with mixer, add walnuts last.
Makes 2 reg. loaves.
350 o, 30 min. or so.
Have fun baking!

Now I have only the last teatime block left....

I also finished the last block from the CQ swap that started in february (which was my introduction to Crazy Quilting), it is for Kaija Liisa in Finland. She asked for blocks in mostly purple and green with Psalm 23 theme. I embroidered "the Lord is my Shepherd" in Dutch on it.

I have been tagged!

Gerry has tagged me to tell 5 weird things about myself or my pets because""I have such whimsy in my CQ and embellishing!". Don't know if that is good or bad, my dictionary translates whimsy as a bit strange......LOL
Well,you can tell me if I am a bit strange after reading these 5 weird things about myself:

1. I collect Piglets, Winnie the Pooh's little friend, I find him so moving.
2. I love to wear hot pink, I even have matching purse and shoes.
3. I am fascinated by speed, I just love to watch motorracing (especially Valentino Rossi), A1 GP and Formula 1 and am not happy when people disturb me when looking at it.
4. I asked my DH what he found weird about me, he said that I refused to cut my hair, because he likes short hair.......LOL, yes, I am a bit stubborn!
5. My dog Daisy knows when it is 5 p.m., when the clock strikes 5 times she awakes, comes sitting next to me and wants dinner at this time. When I don't react, she starts barking!
Well, I could go on and on..........
I just had a look at all the blogs in my "Favourites" and they have all been tagged already, so I end up being "whimsy"...LOL and not tag anyone!

Sorry, no much posting this week, I am in bed with pneumonia.
Received 2 nice hearts today from Jo in NZ and Carol in Canada,
will show some pictures later this week.
Tina thanks for mailing that I am so "tealented" after seeing the blocks for the Teatime swap...LOL
Back to bed......

I have finished 2 blocks for the Teatime party now, hope to get another one done this week, it was really fun making them.

I want to share a picture with you that I received this morning...
Next year in June I am going on a walking trip to Scotland with a
group of quiltingfriends. Here you see me dreaming of the trip, have you seen my red walking socks.......LOL My friends know me well, I drink tea all day and collect Piglets and you see me often dressed in hard pink!

And the start of the blocks for the
Teatime swap.........

The start of my Paisley Bauble Bag.........

Today a picture of my 1:12 scale Amish dollshousequilt made of 1/4 inch hexagons.
I am really busy at this moment making blocks for a "Teatime" swap and with a Paisley Bauble bag. Will see if I can show you some pictures later.

May Britt and Jo, thanks for your compliments on my moonfish, glad I could make you smile..........LOL

Last week I received 2 wonderful hearts from Helina from Finland (with roses) and my "Big Sis" Beverly Ann from the USA (dragonfly).
Thanks so much for swapping ladies!