Happy New Year Bonne Annee Gutes Neues Jahr

.....from me, a little late but still in January  !

We had a wonderful holiday with the whole family together, and now the house is empty again.  I am looking forward to a good 2014 and wish you all health, happiness and lots of stitching time.

Here are a few of the things I was spoiled with over the holidays -

Marlene worked her magic on this older top.  It was one of my goals for 2013 to finish most of the tops I have pieced.  There is only one left at this stage, so I am pleased.  I put the binding on this morning so I will have some simple sewing in front of the tv later !

The quilting pattern was very similar to the applique fronds.

This is a large quilt so you can only see a small portion of it.  It was a pattern in Primitive Quilts magazine which I enjoyed making, the finished product looks like the pattern in an old coverlet.

Trying out a thicker batting in this one, it is really heavy !  Also has the binding machined on, so I have a couple of evenings of handsewing.

Now for a real treasure !  My son gave this to me at Christmas.  It is a wonderful puzzle box made by an old gentleman he met.  He traded chores around the house - cleaning gutters, shoveling snow, heavy work that involved climbing, etc. which had become too much for the gentleman.

Here it is partially opened - all I need to do is twist the top slightly with one hand.

 Fully open - both of them thought this would be a wonderful sewing box for me - and they are right !  Just the right size for fine needles and boutis thread.  I may even line the bottom of the drawers.

From Nicole - a wonderful gift ! First this beautiful fabric covered box ......

Then the treasure of a wonderful sampler in my favorite variegated reds on overdyed linen.  This one will be framed soon and join the other two she has made for me which are hanging in my living room.

Wonderful isn't it ?  OH - the delicious chocolates are no longer in the box !!  Of course you know why - we couldn't resist !!

And just for fun - a couple of flowers from the garden this morning.  We have a beautiful day today after a week of dreary humid weather, today is cooler, drier and sunny.  Happy Sunday !

Merry Christmas Frohe Weihnachten Joyeux Noel

Wishing all a peaceful Christmas ........ an alle eine besinnliche Weihnacht ....... joyeux Noel a toutes
from our house

2nd Advent - Christmas Mystery

Here are a few photos of the 11th Annual Christmas Mystery at Country quilts in Clearwater.  I have attended 10 of these 11, and was present at the very first one.  I look forward to this each year, and now have plenty of Christmas quilts !  This year the mystery was run over 3 days for the first time, since so many ladies now want to participate.

 Roni did the packaging for the kit, and as usual it was beautiful   I enjoy this part a lot, the packaging makes it even more fun !

Deanna made cake pops as name markers, such a cute idea.

This time I brought my Featherweight to make the quilt with, it is small and easy to use.  There is Janet in the background making progress on her quilt.

Some ladies working hard, some taking a break.

At lunchtime, the reveal by the teachers - our kit was made up in the chocolate/burgundy colorway, and the teachers made several versions in different fabrics to show how the pattern behaves in different styles.

Love this one - I think it was Lily Ashbury fabric.

Here is the center - Lynette Anderson fabrics for Lecien.

Look at this in bright Christmas prints.

My pile of blocks.  Now I have the top together except for the last border.

 

Happy 2nd Advent !

1st Sunday of Advent

We have a beautiful sunny day here in Clearwater for the first of Advent.  I have not started to decorate for Christmas yet, but will put a few things out during the next week, then add more.  Our whole neighborhood is already full of Christmas lights, but I like to enjoy each season as it comes and to me, this is still Thanksgiving weekend !

 I started this quilt in the summer, and enjoyed the fresh and bright fabrics, a big change from my usual more traditional look.  It is a large twin size quilt, and just came back from the quilter (Marlene at Lucky Sew and Sew).  The quilting design matches the fabric pattern well, a large modern daisy.

 This quilt is one of the Christmas mysteries from Country Quilts, this one is from 2 years ago.  I loved the blue batiks in this, and Marlene quilted it with a snowflake.

The green is actually bright lime green, the binding is the same color.  In the sunlight by the pool the colors are a little distorted.  I put the binding on both of these this afternoon, so now I have some good movie watching handwork to do !

 Last but not least - there is some progress on the small petasson.  Should be finished soon !  I am alternating working on this with stitching on my large one, which I adore.

 I am working hard to finish older projects because I want to be free to enjoy new projects in the new year, and I especially want to make more boutis next year.

I have allowed myself one indulgence starting in March - an applique reproduction of an 1850s quilt.  It is an unusual folk art design belonging to the Quilted Crow girls of Australia.

PQs BO2M 2013

For the last 2 years, we have been offering a project every two months as a stitchalong for our Guild, the PQs.  Last year it was in the form of a mystery quilt, and you can see mine here.  This year we decided to do a group of small projects - this time sewing accessories.  In November it will be time for the last project for 2013, and I thought you might like to see them together.

The knot bag is November's project, and is a free tutorial from Dame Valiste.

Here is everything together - zippered pouch, sewing machine mat, pincushion, notebook covers and sewing machine cover.

Next year we are back to making a quilt and I was working on that yesterday.  The aim is always to provide a framework for each person to add their own ideas and variations, so the plan allows for a lot of size variation. 

Otherwise I have almost finished stuffing a small petasson, and our 365 day hearts are progressing nicely !

2nd National Boutis Salon - France Boutis

Next year France Boutis will be hosting their 2nd National Salon.  I went to the inaugural one in 2012 and it was fabulous, a must for boutis lovers, so go if you can.  The list of exhibitors has not yet been released, so I will post that when it comes out.   Mr Cabanel is well-known for his collection of courtespointes and boutis, which he has amassed over many years.  Parts of his collection have been featured in a number of books and referenced in many others.  I will be there for all three days (more about that later) so come by and say hello if you visit.

Early Fall on the Wine Route ....

We spent a week at our house and as usual, I was captivated by the colors and flowers of fall.  This is the palace in Bad Bergzabern.

Of course a new fall wreath had to find it's place on my front door !

We followed one of the walking plans, which started in the Kurpark Bad Bergzabern and led through the woods and vineyards to Doerrenbach.  We need to do this more often, the ups and downs of the paths were tough on us, in Florida we have no hills at all !   Along the way, we saw this covering the entry to a spring.  Our house was built in 1898 also by a J. Mayer, we wondered if this might be his father, since they were stonemasons.

Ripe grapes this time of year, the harvest had begun in some areas.  The vines were marked with the type of grapes.

Vines almost as far as the eye can see.

 The last few sunflowers ...

And the first apples.

Doerrenbach is so pretty and well worth the walk. 

The houses are decorated more on the beams, which is less usual for the wine route.  We noted that many of the houses were destroyed in 1945, and rebuilt in 1949 or early 50s.  Some  houses have the date of the original building - mostly in the 1600s - the date of destruction, and the date of rebuilding recorded on the cross beams at the front of the houses.

The fortified church, it is really beautiful.

And even has a sundial, usually I see them like this in France, but of course Doerrenbach is very close to the border.

Day out in Alsace

I was fascinated by these hinges on a church door - wouldn't they make a great applique block ?  They also look like a rose tree or lyre design.

And no visit would be complete without a view of our village church.

On the last day, I changed the wreath to one for winter.

 

This post was of course just a quick visit report.  I will be getting back to sewing notes soon, but have not done anything much recently.  Mostly I am making progress on the stuffing of the petasson.  If I can get more done this week, I will show it again in its current state of finish.