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

Monday, April 18, 2011

fleamarket goodies from the 30s or 40s

Yesterday we had fanstic sunny weather, just right to go the local fleamarket.
We found cards with vintage glass buttons from the 30s or 40s, made in the czech republic. One of the cards is so pretty I think I have to frame it ...








happy hunter

Saturday, April 02, 2011

my red mini wallhangings

Inspired from the special exhibition in NY several bloggers reacted their own way.
Pat Sloan visited NY and created a special blog with LINKs to several other websites, many pictures! Enjoy the journey through the www

Taryn asked for showing red and white quilts on our blogs, come on - did you made one? If so, show it and post on her blog.

In 2oo8 I made some Minis to give them to friends, Redwork made from the Winter Wonderland pattern / Crab-Apple Hill design. I think, I have to make at least one more: for our household







Sunday, March 27, 2011

spectacular exhibition in New York

These days the people of New York are able to visit an extraordinary quilt collection of 650 red and white quilts at the Park Avenue Armory March 25–30 !!!

Infinite Variety:
Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts

I'ld love to see them in person - but ....
I can show you some LINKs to pictures
Martha Stewart posted 37 pics on her blog
The American Folk Art Museum presents it here
Here is a Flickr album of the Museum
NY Times posted here

The museum announced a free app for the iPhone - but I couldn't find it - if you get it - please send me the info!

Taryn is running an interesting blog and influenzed by the exhibition she asked her readers to show their red and white quilts - worth a visit!

enjoy

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Bente's Leselotte

ist zu gewinnen - vielleicht hab ich ja Glück


Sunday, March 20, 2011

I have to post several times to tell you EVERYTHiNG
about my adventures with Bonnie Hunter and the Retreat I attended.

The time with Bonnie Hunter (BH) was really special, she is a darling!
Full of energy and creativity, a joy to meet with!
I was in contact with for more than 8 years we tried to remember,
as mostly it started with Dear Jane - smile
I traveled from Thursday until Monday evening.
Stuttgart is just 2 hours from my actual hometown, but I organized the trip like a real vacation, choose just a very simple hotel to keep the cost level low.
No problem I was there just to sleep ;-)

My first stop was at the home of Susanne,
she is running THE big Yahoo group for quilters in Germany and has a webshop.
But the interesting part now is:
she is an expert for Featherweights!
When my husband was in Afghanistan in 2005 I got some extra money from him each month
and I bought a FW from 1936 with an 110 V engine.


It was not really running and made a terrible noise. Of course I bought the right converter, because we do have 220 V.
My friends DH gave my baby a nice cleaning and oiled it but it still did not run nice.
Susanne showed me all the little holes to oil and the parts which needs the lubricant – AND
YEAH it’s buzzing like a bee now!
Another problem was the tension of the belt. Now I know,
I have to move the engine to get the right tension – lession learned.
DANKESCHöN Susanne !!!

Thursday afternoon I visited the quiltshop in Schönaich, who organized the first workshop “Cathedral Stars”.
Tiny, but nice shop – they sent me over to the workshop location to say hello to Bonnie.
Bonnie greeted me like an old friend and I saw the participants busy sewing on their 4 patches and pieces.

Thursday evening 2 friends from a private Yahoogroup arrived.
Since 2oo5, when I was in Shipshea I’m part of
the Caravanquilters (that’s the name of our little group).
Valerie is French, now living near Paris and is running a Longarm business. She moved several times during the last years: Brussels, Belgium and Chicago area
Carolyn is from Maine and was just traveling to Rome, where her daughter is studying. They both came to the Stuttgart region just to see Bonnie and her trunkshow! It was so much fun to meet Valerie again and Carolyn first time!
We had a lovely local meal in a little restaurant near bye and a long chatting later in our room, lots of laughers.
On Friday they made sighseeing at Mercedes and a local chocolate factory
I was lucky to have the Cathedral Star workshop
BH is a real good teacher, such an inspiration!
Everybody was lucky and busy –
a nice meal has been served as well for lunch.

This report will be continued soon
YES - pictures are coming too

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Tilda blog-candy

Denise's blog is worth a visit, not only because of her giveaway
Especially for Tilda-lovers
good luck

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

Wednesday, March 02, 2011

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

Sunday, February 27, 2011

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

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

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.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

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

Saturday, February 19, 2011

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

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

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 ....

Monday, February 14, 2011

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

Sunday, February 13, 2011

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

Saturday, February 05, 2011

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

Friday, February 04, 2011

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

Monday, January 31, 2011

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