H O P E

After nearly 2 weeks on journey I'm back home.
I'll post about my adventures during the next few days, yes pictures will be shown as well.

The horrible news we all see daily from Japan are so overwhelming, I can't find words for. Tanya's blog is one of my favorites for some time now. Actually she is posting about the situation in Japan of course. On friday she posted such a touching video, I have to share with my readers! I believe in future
Go visit her blog and send her some encouraging thoughts

back on earth - from scrap HEAVEN

I left on Thusday morning and came back on Monday evening. Mentally I'm still with Bonnie :)
All I can say: it was FANTASTiC to meet with Bonnie Hunter, the Black Forest Quilters and many talented quilters. Especially to spent some time with Valerie from France and Carolyn from Maine was so special to me. They are both members of a little private Yahoogroup of Janiacs I'm part of and drove from Paris to Stuttgart!

Firstable I visited a quilter, which runs a webshop and is an expert for
Singer Featherweights (they are rare in Germany!) I own a FW from 1937, but it didn’t run smoothly. She showed me all that tiny holes needing oil and the part I have to add lubricant. After she moved the engine to get the right tension for the cord. My darling is running and sounds happy now!
Her husband will fix a problem of the electric cord and send it to me
THAN I can use it – YEAH !!! Dankeschön Susanne!!

Drove a little bit around and walked through Herrenberg, a historic village nearbye.
Around 4 PM I peaked into Bonnie’s workshop and said hello.
She is such a darling and we talked a little bit. In the evening Valerie, Carolyn and the 3 french kids arrived at the hotel. We left immediately to a little restaurant and had local food, beer and a lot of chatting.

On Friday morning the Cathedral Stars workshop took place – I missed Caroline from Brussels, who had to cancel the trip because of bronchitis and astma!!!
First time ever I used the Easy Angle and Tri Rec rulers – very clever, will never do
halfsquare triangles the oldfashioned way.
In the evening Bonnie held her trunkshow at an formerly officers club, where the
Black Forest Quilters having their meetings. It is an American/German club, very creative, supportive and active. Would love to be part of this guilt.
The Trunkshow was FANTASTiC !!!!!!

Barb posted a really sweet post about Bonnie's visit to Texas! She enclosed 2 youtube video from the trunkshow - This way you can get an impression about the scrap queen. Thank you Barb!

On Saturday I attended the Virginia Bound workshop at the guilt.
I’m using woven plaids, made in Bangladesh – first time my SewEzi table was built up
PERFECT !!!
In the evening I had dinner with Aby (the organisator) and Bonnie -
We had a lot of fun!

On Sunday the Star Stuck workshop was held at Nadel und Faden, located in an old building from ~ 1700
Just 9 participants, lovely shop – bought the perfect 2 grey fabrics for the sashing.
Needless to say I crashed into my bed every evening!
On Monday I didn’t rushed back home, instead I enjoyed the lovely landscape around Stuttgart and got to a little village with big outlet stores of many famous designers. I was lucky to find a perfect fitting chocolate brown jacket with coordinates trousers.
Had a soup in another old village (Blaubeuren)
Right now I’m prepairing our house for the visit of my daughter Ines and her friend Tom.

Monday I’ll leave to visit my friend Monica in Lueneburg, together we’ll go to a Retreat with 6 women from Hamburg.

Tomorrow I promise pictures!

happy greetings

3 days in a row I was in scrap HEAVEN

I was lucky to meet the Queen of Scraps itself: Bonnie Hunter from www.quiltville.com

Tomorrow when I'm bach home I'll post pics - so stay tuned.
good night

75 year old beauty

5 years ago, while my DH served in Afghanistan I bought a Singer Featherweight, built in 1936. I got infected with the FW bug at the Dear Jane Retreat in Shipshewana, which I attended also in 2005


Unfortunately my little darling doesn't run smoothly - so I asked a wellknown lady in the Stuttgart region to have a look at my FW. Holding my breath - and hoping that I can use this beauty SOON
I'm still busy cutting fabrics. 2 workshops are prepaired, now off to cut my Bengali woven plaids, my friend Gabi bought in Bangladesh. I'm going to use them for the Virginia Bound workshop.

working on Sunday?

not really - but
I'm busy cutting stripes and tris for the Bonnie Hunter workshop "Cathedral Stars"
First testblock will be sewn SOON
Excited

wishing everybody time

to live
to love
to be creative
to relax
whereever you are

I'm prepairing the fabrics for 3 Bonnie Hunter workshops !!! Bonnie is such a creative, generous quilter, can't wait to get to meet her.
YEAH, I'm going to meet the Scrap Queen herself next week
totally excited here
I'm going to make:
Cathedral Stars
Star Struck AND
Virginia Bound !!!!!!!!!!!!!! (is in her book Scraps & Shirttails)
have a nice weekend

Yellow Submarine

DH surprised me yesterday with a lovely little white Thomas Sabo box,
inside the funny Submarine - LOVE it!

Dankeschön!!!!!!

The Princess and the Pea * Prinzesschen auf der Erbse

The_Princess_and_the_Pea

During my last visit at my friend's house I took this picture of Nelli
"Prinzessin auf der Erbse" is a fairytale from Hans Christian Andersen

BTW: her look tells she know she don't has to lie on the batting ....

Valentine - picture

today I can show your the whole picture ;)
Mostly I followed Karin's instructions, I just didn't hang 3 stuffed hearts to the bottom and hanger
AND
I changed the "sleeve" idea into hearts
I used cardstock and thin batting inside

before the binding come on the edges I sewed a tiny folded strip (Paspel called in German) to the edges

and thats it:

its about 16,5 / 20 inches

I know that was a new start, but it is also a finish!
I did much better than in the past ... smile

wishing a lovely Valentine

Valentine - preview

My LQS offered a free workshop for Valentine
Beside my plan to work on my Baby Jane and finish UFOs this year I started a little wallhanging. It is nearly ready and will be hanging tomorrow!
here's a little preview - more tomorrow


have a nice sunday

J 3 Rick's Volleyball Net

was appliqued for some time and today I added the tri-corners


hugs

the 4th kite for the Christmas Row Jane

is done.
I made 3 kites with F 7, so I made G 6, besser known under the name "Papa's Star" in 3,5 inch and added the same frame to it
the inner star war really tricky ... - but the result is worth the struggle!

wishing a sunny weekend

C 11

C 11 is done - I love this fabric!

I also finished the 3,5 inch Papa's Star - that was difficulty,
will add the outerpieces to get a kite tonight - pic tomorrow
hugs

February gift

Today I bought a gift for me to present the compound with the members of a private Yahoogoup I'm part of.

Most of the ladies are wearing this friendship knot

love it

slowly, but constant

is my Baby growing
Last block I finished is G 8,
YES all the points are fine, just the picture isn't good

BTW:
27 days until I meet Bonnie
AND Caroline, from Belgium
AND Valerie, from France
AND Carolyn, from Maine
we 3 are members of a private, little Yahoogroup who met at the DJ Retreat in Shipshewana! isn't that exciting?

DJ class and

Last Monday the 1th DJ classes took place.
I showed the progress on my Row Jane and explained the measurement of the sashing and triangles. How to add the kites and the scalloped border. The mainfocus was on F 5 this time to explain handsewing.

While I was in the shop somebody crashed my car ............ grrr its younger than one year. Of course mine is the Ibiza ...

slow like a snail

this weekend I spent many hours in my studio, working on a Christmas Row Jane
made in 2oo5 with participants from the States, UK and me. Susan
was one of the ladies. It waited 5 years now to get finished. Due to the fact that I'm teaching a Dear Jane class locally I'll get practice with the border and scalloped edges on this UFO - NOW
I asked for input on a private Yahoo group and Barbs proposal was to add stars into the kites - because of the Christmas fabrics
I choose F 7 Star Struck for 3 corners and will do G 6 Papa's Star in the 4th corner. To get it matching I'll do it it 3,5 inches and frame it like F 7

Unfortunately I made the wrong fabric choice, it would have been much better to have a red background and a golden star ....
But I learned a lot - stay tuned

Next question:
would you do the fabric of the scalloped border
in creme/golden or in red ?????????????
HELP please

a n d BTW: there are 3 spots left in the pay it forward game ....

Pay it forward 2011

Pay it forward 2011:
I promise something handmade to the next 4 people who leave a comment here. However, to be eligible, you must repost this status, offering something handmade to 5 other people. The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it must be sent to your 5 people sometime in 2011.
One person signed in already: Caroline... - WELCOME!!

This game is supposed to be continued

I posted this also on my Facebook account - and will close here, when I got 4 more people

Excited !!!! - just 45 days from today

Caroline from Brussels and I are two of a bunch of lucky quilter who are going to have a workshop with - TADA - YES - drumroll - with
Bonnie Hunter from North Carolina
She is running a fabulous blog and has a GREAT website with many, many FREE patterns - especially for scrapquilt lovers. Watch the right side of the screen under "Free Scrap Quilt Patterns"
She is such a generous, clever and efficient person. She teach how to use scraps!

Caroline and I met via the dearjane community and visited each other more than once. In 2oo5 we where supposed to travel together to the DJ Retreat in the lovely Amish village Shipshewana, Indiana. Unfortunately she had serious health issues, so I had to travel on my own. Glad to meet her again!
Like another Janiac ( hi Rosemary! ) we started counting the days:
45 days until we meet near Stuttgart.

"Cathedral Stars" is the workshop we are doing together on Friday.

In the evening we'll see Bonnie's trunkshow

and to make it complete I was lucky to get a seat in "Star Struck" on Sunday, which is planned in violet and green mainly.

I played with EQ to plan ahead the size I like, no need for that big quilts here.
YES, I know both patterns are on her website for free, but I think it is much more fun to meet her in person!
happy dancing here

My taupe DJ 23-0-0-208

During the weekend I managed to make 2 Birthday DJ blocks for a Janaic from Finland in white-on-white/blue. The blocks for the next Birthday are prepaired in musling/red/orange.
For my baby I did M 12, pic later
- my printer just isn't cooperating, due to missing ink .....
wishing everybody a nice Monday

H 12 - Hannah's Heart - variations

Due to the fact that I'm the frontwoman of a Dear Jane group at the LQS I'm in charge to analyze the blocks more seriously than I would, if I just sew my Baby.
H 12 is an interesting block, which I sewed many times before for various charity projects (healing hugs quilts)
When I looked at this welknown block seriously I realized the difference between the original block made by Jane Stickle and the scetch Brenda Papadakis signed.
Somewhere in the worldwideweb I found the way to do it closer to Janes' version.
Unfortunatly I don't remember where - so if somebody knows the IT adress please let me know, I'ld love to give credit.


I pieced 8 triangles for the heartshapes ( see my picture from the back ) and appliqued the outer frame of the background fabric on top of it. This was a littly tricky because of the sharp points ....

The white-on-white / icy blue version is going to be an addition to some swapped blocks I have so far. A new built European Dear Jane Club is swapping Birthday blocks in colors we ask for - so my frosty blocks will get some company during 2o11.

I 1 is also finished - so it reads now
My taupe DJ 22-0-0-189

A 6 Dad's Plaids

simple, but pretty and ready

A 3 - Hunters Moon

is just reday - made during the TV evening
tricky block


- will have to prepair another one for my students later to show them how to do this block
The 2nd block will me made from my white-on-whites and frosty blues with silver
Now my signature line is reading
My taupe DJ 20-0-0-151
http://beadtex.blogspot.com

my first DJ block in 2o11

is a compensation for the simple M 10
somewhere I saw an interesting block which I signed in EQ. Today I made it from my taupe fabrics - very little contrast here ....