Looking forward to the big move into our new home in September

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Merry Christmas

dear Blog-visitors,
after some weeks of silence here
I want to wish a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year
to you and your families
I hope there might be more peace on earth

During the last three months I traveld several times between Szczecin and Düsseldorf (740 km distance, that's ~ 450 miles)
My holiday preparation was very late this year because of this circumstance
But my lovely daughter Ines (18) was very helpfull, so we got everything done just in time.
My DH Peter arrived yesterday evening by car with a bad flu :-)

Today the only I have to do is to wrap some little gifts, some new candles here and there - that's it. We change the gifts right after eating some cake or cookies at ~ 5pm
one after other will be opend, so each of us can enjoy the surprise
In the evening we are eating potatosalad and sausage - traditional in my family (and many German families) - totally stressless

To give you an impression - here is our collection of little angels playing music, produced in the former German Democratic Republic












Please excuse that my card-writing wasn't as good as I planned, some of you may miss my card, sorry for that, but you where in my thoughts!!!

hugs
Brigitte

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

first impressions

My first trip to Szczecin / Poland went much better than we hoped. Weather was nice - everbody knows how important that is for feeling well :-)
The wife of the former senior officier showed me the town and we visited the big shopping mall "Galaxy" and spent a nice time in "Cafè 22". It is located at the 22th floor of the Radisson Hotel and we had a fantastic view over the town. My first step into the Polish market scene was very interesting and I loved the mushrooms and vegetables - yummy
Two invitations later we collected some experiences from our hosts.
A visit in a Polish restaurant - a real log cabin!- was delicious.
Today we visited a house, we want to rent afer my move. We felt in love immediatly!
It is built in 1900 and in a very good shape and good located.

Pictures not before Saturday, sorry dear visitors

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

life got in the way

dear visitors,
DH move to Szczecin/Poland last week and my preparation to visit him on Thursday took much more attention (and power) than I expected.
YES, I did some beading together with my friend Sabine - but not enough for the ideas I have in my mind after the BEADING RETREAT at the first weekend of October.

That's my first try with the Swaroski "Rivoli" framed in Square-Stitch. Thank you Regine, your instructions are GREAT!



The bracelet is the result of a Right-Angle-Weave-workshop I visited by Mara.
this is a detail
Before I leave for a little more than one week I'll show my newest beaded projects.

take care
Brigitte

If possible I'll write from Poland ...

Friday, September 29, 2006

enouncement

Just a quick note, to let you know: I'm still alive ;-)
This week has been very busy with several office duties, my husbands last week here in Düsseldorf took attention. Last but not least I spend one day at Regine's home, together with Sabine and Iris and we "fighted" with very tiny beads. It was my first try to crochet a little ball, I do have experience with crochet (in the round and flat) but to start with only 5 beads and to double them in the second row with "nothing" in your hand is really hard -
BUT at the end I did it with sucsess.
Today I leave for the weekend to spend a funny time with about 35 women, all bead influenced.
Tuesday is the day, my husband travel to Poland to start his new job there.
So Monday will be busy with getting packed.
please be patient, you will see pictures at least on Tuesday with fantastic beadjewelery, I'm shure.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

tired, but lucky

We got up at 5.15 am and reached the fleamarket at 7.3o am. That's very, VERY early for me - just for the reader, which don't know me in person ;-))
But you know: the early bird ..........

this fleamarket is located under a train, which is hanging under the construction, as you see here. Special feeling, to stand on the street AND to sit in the train (we tried both - smile)

At the end we both returned very lucky. My husband got a paraffin lantern, used in the past from workers showing the traindriver to stop


tatata !!!!!!!!!!!


and I was surprised by my DH with this
pink children sewingmachine from the 60's,
I think. The wooden box's measurement is ~ 8" x 4,25"

Isn't she pretty???
2 glasses for egg-flip, special cleaning clothes, 2 old books (one with Goethe's colortheory and the other with lovely illustrated fairytales) ended in our house also

couldn't be better!
have a nice Sunday

Saturday

Yesterday my husband and I relaxed during a nice meal outside nearby, while he told about his first impressions from his Poland trip. Exciting news: he rented a flat and is going to live there from the beginning of October. He is looking forward to start his new duty and I'm curious to see our next place to live.
We eat "Reibekuchen" with salmon, that's a local potato recipe - yummy and enjoyed one more summer days in September.
At least we spent the evening outside also ....

My daughter seems to have her first date, that's going to be interesting.
BTW: she is 18 - I wish her luck!

Today I have been lazy, but not too lazy
at least I sewed 3 blocks for Clare - they are going into the postoffice

a folded spool pattern:

broken dishes:











this is a Pat Sloan FREE pattern with 3 D wings






Tomorrow we have to get up very early, because we want to drive to the longest street fleamarket in Wuppertal, right under the "Schwebebahn"



Let's see, may be there will be pics posted tomorrow
good night for now (0.21 am)

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Queen and scissorfob




Yesterday was great fun with Sabine: we played with glassbeads for ~ 800 $, she ordered in the States for 9 women. We sorted and packed the bags for them. Unfortunatly I didn't took a picture - the whole floor in her livingroom was filled with tubes, little baggies and boxes - a big colour flash.
So much fun!

After this hard work we spent the evening in the memory of Queen and Freddy Mercury - GREAT!

Today in the morning I finished one of 2 scissorfobs, which are going on tour to dear friends tomorrow.

At least: nothing new from the "water front" today. I'm waiting and waiting ...

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Tuesday duties and fun

do you really want to see the damage on the wooden floor in my kitchen?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today we (Sabine, 7 other beading ladies and I) are hoping to get a big box from Firemountains with DELICAs!!!!!!!
This are tiny seed beads, very precise done - ideal for techniques like Brickstitch, Peyote, Herringbone. They are produced in fantastic colours and several shapes: see here Delica
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the evening I’ll see the Queen Musical in Cologne with my friend Sabine (instead of my DH, who is in Poland right now)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sweet P posted this LINK and played the game also, here is my result:



You Are 20% Left Brained, 80% Right Brained



The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning.

Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others.

If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic.

Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet.



The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility.

Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way.

If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art.

Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday, September 18, 2006

good NEWS and bad news

to start with the good NEWS:



this is the old one
(with 5 drawers)



















my new (used) beadDRAWER arrived
in my (not only) sewingroom.



10 drawers instead of 5!

hope to get my beads better organized now.
To give you an idea here are the pics



This is my beloved BERNINA, I own for 19 years now. She is working very well and I do hope she don't know, that I started thinking to buy a new Bernina (440 QE with BSR). To make the machinequilting easier
Please don't let her know!


the BAD news is:my kitchen/diningroom is crowded now. The refrigerator stands in the room and 3 cupboards are emptied and removed from their original place -to find a REAL desaster behindwater standing on the wooden floor, the wall is in a bad shape The reason was also found: the thing whitch close the water outside during the wintertime wasn't working correct - so one drop after other ruined the wall and floor AND part of my kitchen cupboard also.Now I'm waiting until the right spare part is avaiable, hope to get the water stopped tomorrow or Wednesday ....

Better I'll return into my room to reorganize my beads!
thats much more fun then seeing the kitchen/diningroom Posted by Picasa

Sunday, September 17, 2006

quiet, but busy Sunday

sorry, no pictures today!
I have to be busy, cleaning and sorting my (messy) sewingroom -
because I'll get a new metallic drawer (like architects use)for my beads.
Boy that work had been nessecary. Tomorrow I'll be able to take pictures (who knows how long it looks this way - smile) That's a mysterium to me, in just a few days there is the same crowded situation like before ....
On the other hand we have to get the luggage packed for my DH. He is traveling to Poland Monday morning for one week to meet his new boss .....
AND I have to empty some kitchen shelves, because the artisan is coming tomorrow to renovate the wall (water damaged the wall andmould grew).
Unfortunatly this man hates dogs - or is anxious ? so I have to take Nelli out of the way the whole day ........
she will hate it, not to see what is going on, from where is the noise coming ....
"see" you tomorrow



Your Brain is 47% Female, 53% Male



Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female

You are both sensitive and savvy

Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed

But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve

Saturday, September 16, 2006

Hearts, part ONE

These are the three HEARTblocks I got from Monica:
 
 
 
aren't they a real good start for a new quilt? :-) Posted by Picasa

Christmas in September















Today I was surprised from Linda in Waco, NE - she sent me all the fabrics and two Magazines just to make me happy. SHE DiD !!!!!! Fantastic neutrals, Creme-on-Creme and Thimbleberries. Couldn't believe it - now I'm dancing around

and (once more) I am totally lucky to "know" quilters all over the world via WWW
Please don't think, I am lucky BECAUSE of this gift! I'm lucky to get in touch with heartwarming, communicative, creative and encouraged women all over the world.



The other postentry was also a fantastic gift: from Monica She sent me one of her first paperpiecing advantures! My first HEART block :-)
Dankeschön, Moni - dickes EXTRA bussi nach LG
I collected many, many patterns but had only done one until today.


That's the next on my agenda - AFTER finishing my Round Robin I got today.
It is Martha's from NY - I have to add the last round, started thinking - but no idea right now.

(thank's Dawn's fantastic workshop on her blog I'm able to include the LINK this way now!!! Thank you Dawn!)



Posted by Picasa

Thursday, September 14, 2006

surprise

Monica asked today, which surprise I was talking from

in one of the previous posts.

Here it is

She told me (before my trip to her) she is starting to collect HEART blocks for a Valentine quilt she wants to have one day.

In her house is one wall in the entry hall perfect to represent a quilt. She made several quilts for different seasons: Xmas, spring, summer ..... collected many stars for a quilt BTW: more than I collected :-((
but no autumn and no Valentine blocks now :-)

After my first steps in "writing" I thaught this might be a funny idea to start with a heart block, which is actually not a REAL heart

I have to confess, right now my posts are not looking like what I planned to have ........ more luck, than knowledge


Today arrived a lovely surprise from Dawn http://dquilts.blogspot.com/
in Illinois!
THANK YOU Dawn !!!
Now I am the lucky owner of the fantastic Gee's Bend stamps, a little needlemap and an intersting folded fabric,which is going to be part of something special in the future. I would like to open the folding to see a bigger part, but I'm afraid to get it refold.



here you see the always very interested Nelli,
which said: no picture without me!!!

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Erzgebirge

Sorry dear visitors,
but the computer crashed and my dear husband worked hard and spent a new motherboard and a DVD burner. Thank you Peter!

Now I’m back to normal – nearly

We spent a nice time in a special German area “Erzgebirge”, DH worked there years ago and met old friends. It is a hilly region with fantastic mushrooms (attention: the red ones are poisonous) Posted by Picasa

We tried to take pictures from different mushrooms, to print them on fabric later.



My friend Monica and I want to have a autumn-quilt in the future .......

















Don't you think,
we could add this colorful pic, too?











My husband took pictures at an old (remodeled)
trainstation and I loved this ironed clock.
Should be a nice quilting or trapunto pattern.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Nelli & weekendtrip


Unfortunatly the weather hasn't been ideal :-( So only 7 quilts made it into the garden instead of 80. It rained the whole time until the exhibition began, the sky looked still rainy - so the shopowner decided to show only quilts inside. She owns a spectacular garden. All the fabrics was 25% discount and a lot of extra offers for only 4 Euros. You will see some impressions now







BTW: I have to represent my beloved American Cocker lady "Nelli".
She is always where I am!
isn't she a BEAUTY ??









Monday, August 28, 2006

owls







My daughter Ines (18) and I had an exciting experience yesterday. We visited the Eulengarten Bispingen, the owner told us about the ~ 40 different personalities. She spoke about their food and weight and made a lot of jokes, versy special lady :-) I'll show you some of the birds;

Friday, August 25, 2006

Beadwork


Instead of getting ready to start to my weekend trip I finished this little necklace. Of course the beaded beads had been ready before (smile). I'm not really lucky with the result, because it is to short and I feel the middle (focus) bead doesn't get the attention she due. She is a special beauty, which took much more time to make than I expected.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Memory-project

"trial and error" is the system I'm playing with .....
BUT I got it. Luck or knowledge? nobody knows

This is actually my first step into the world of fabric letters. A memory quilt on the occasion of the moving from Brigitte, the leaving 5th member of our group. It says: now we are only 4. I added the selvage of the fabric

As I said, the next project will be posted next week.