cats & quilts

A happy 2012!

2012-01-03T07:17:00.001-08:00

To all of my fellow bloggers...

Quiet Autumn Days

2011-11-06T10:54:00.000-08:00

Granny squares

2011-11-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

I really wanted something to do while watching television, or while sitting in the car or on the train, a project to fit in my handbag. And what is more suitable then crocheting little blocks for a granny blanket? Lots of inspiration on other blogs, and this blanket really took my attention.

Not the same pattern, but the variations are endless, of course.

My daughter is studying in another city now, so she was in need for a blanket for her student room.
And I had an excuse to make yet another crocheted blanket...
I already jointed all the blocks (no pictures yet), and all the loose ends still need weaving in, least pleasant part of the job...

A sad day

2011-09-30T03:04:00.001-07:00

Tuesday was a terrible day, we had to go to the veterinary with our oldest cat. And we had to put him to sleep...
After a long and happy life of almost 20 years.
I know this is exceptionally old for a cat, but still...
This is the last picture I took of him, resting in the shade.

And this one was taken when he was still very fit and strong. At the end, he wasn't able to jump anymore, and almost blind.

The end of summer

2011-09-27T02:58:00.000-07:00

After a terrible summer, wet and cold, we are having a week of sunshine. Finally!
Time to post my summer block.

More blocks

2011-09-05T07:25:00.001-07:00

Work in progress...

Needles 'n Pins

2011-08-25T04:13:00.000-07:00

Before leaving on holiday, I made this little strawberry pincushion. Easy to take with me everywhere!
You can find the tutorial here.

And as I was in a pincushion mood, I made this one the same afternoon. Tutorial here.
Sometimes I really need little projects like this, because I have been working for so long on my quilt already.

Cats on my quilt

2011-08-19T02:31:00.000-07:00

Guess how much time it took, before these two ended on my quilt blocks, spread out on the floor...
Less than three minutes, record broken!

Sorry for the poor quality of the pictures, I had to be quick, and there was almost no light.

Picardy

2011-08-11T08:10:00.001-07:00

Back from a too short week in France, in a region I never visited before: Picardy.
A little impression of a really nice holiday:
The cathedral in Amiens, with very detailed sculptures everywhere.

The beautiful seaside, with crazy houses from the Belle Epoque. Shown here: Mers-les-Bains.

And the Château de Rambures, with its lovely rosary.

An afternoon in the garden

2011-06-30T02:47:00.000-07:00

My idea of heaven.

But I'm afraid that this way of spending my day will be over for quite a long time. I have two new urgent projects (work-related, no crafting projects, alas). When I have a lot of boring things to do, I have the tendency to procrastinate.
So, back to the old computer and get to work!

Two more blocks

2011-06-22T03:05:00.000-07:00

Two girlie blocks!

Fruit and vegetable quilt

2011-06-18T02:51:00.000-07:00

Remember the quilt for Japan I told you about? I embroidered this turnip (or a radish?), from a vintage (free) pattern, found here.
And this is the nice reaction I got from Mom Wald on her blog.

Alice in Wonderland

2011-06-17T02:02:00.000-07:00

It has really been too long... all my resolutions down the drain...
But after more than a month of working hard, I finished a project and everything is back to normal. Wich means: time to blog!
But I have been working on my quilt, in a few stolen moments.

I guess "Alice in Wonderland" was one of my favourite children's books. I found it very mysterious, and funny, and creepy at the same time.

Little Red Riding Hood

2011-05-01T06:24:00.000-07:00

I finished block#8, with a fairy tale theme: little red riding hood. The little house was fun to embroider!

Sunday in the shade

2011-04-24T14:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to all of you!
I spent my day embroidering in the shade, because it was too hot in the sun. We're having the most summery April month in decades, I guess. Yesterday, Belgium was the warmest place in Europe!

And my daughter has her own blog now: "Mrs. Spikky Sparrow".
Crafting and drawing, the next generation.

Mother and daughter

2011-04-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

Don't know why, but they don't get along.

Blossom

2011-04-12T05:13:00.001-07:00

I made an important decision (together with our doctor): I will have one day in the week all for myself! No work at the computer, no telephones. Because I kept feeling tired and stressed at the same time... So there will be more blog posts from now on (I hope).
Little by little, I started working in the house and the garden. And my energy is slowly coming back.
Last year, we planted this Prunus subhirtella 'Autumnalis', and now we can adore its blossoms.

This is a great woodblock print by the Japanese artist Itō Shinsui, two girls walking under a blossom tree.

And of course, Van Gogh's blossoms.

And this brings me back to the disaster in Japan. I got a comment from a fellow blogger, about an "Embroidered Veggie Market Quilt for Japan". This is such a sweet idea to raise funds, so I decided to give it a try!
Here is already a little detail of what I'm embroidering.

You can find all the details about the quilt on Mom Wald's Place blog.

And while I'm busy embroidering, someone is getting very sleepy...

A far away spring

2011-03-17T04:33:00.000-07:00

It's getting cold again, after a few sunnier days.
My garden is showing signs of spring already, and the cats are eagerly waiting to get out more often (and so do I!).
And, of course, Japan has been on my mind all the time the past week.

Quilt in progress

2011-03-15T09:45:00.000-07:00

Every free minute I have, I try to work on my daughter's quilt.
With all the computer work still piling up, I get so frustrated...
Enough complaining, here are a few blocks I managed to finish in the last weeks.
Trees:

Spring:

Kitchen:

Autumn:

I will use these nine patches for a Red Riding Hood themed block.

First post in 2011

2011-02-06T12:18:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm back... Thanks to the flu and lots of work, I've been away from Blogland way too long.
I'm still recovering from that horrible flu, but I'm coughing a little less every day.
There's a lot I have to blog about, and I'm starting with a knitted cardigan, finished in December last year.

And I got this cutie pie as a Christmas present from my dear friend Danielle, from Pussman Stuffies.

I knitted him a little scarf already.

And I decided to name him Gatsby, because I received this book on the same day.

A White Christmas!

2010-12-24T08:09:00.000-08:00

A very quick post, just to wish you all a merry Christmas! This is the first time that I have a real white Christmas, and I have to admit, it really helps to give me the real postcard feeling.

Winter Wonderland

2010-12-19T14:49:00.000-08:00

A few impressions of this afternoon.

And the creepy snowman, made by my children. I hope he doesn't come to life overnight...

Winter in Paris

2010-12-09T09:56:00.000-08:00

Back from Paris, since almost a week now.
It was very, very cold and we even had a little snow on the first day of our stay. We escaped the snow blizzard Paris was having this week.
Our main goal was the Monet exhibition in the Grand Palais. It was crowded, but every painting was worth the waiting!

There was also the exhibition in Musée d'Orsay of the painter Gérôme. The detail in his paintings is really stunning, you have to see it to believe it.

Our hotel was situated in the neighbourhood of the grands boulevards and the grands magasins, like "Printemps" and "Galeries Lafayette", and near to the Opera, and a 15 minutes walk from the musea.

This close to Christmas, all the shops were lavishly decorated, I took some pictures at the Printemps.

Early Snow

2010-11-30T03:46:00.000-08:00

Snow in November, I really wasn't prepared... Tomorrow, we are leaving for three days in Paris, I hope I will see the Eiffel tower with a white bonnet on...
1. Cold Skates, 2. What all the well-dressed squirrels will be wearing this season., 3. Untitled, 4. A Chickadee in hand, 5. Warmly Dressed!, 6. Snowy trees, 7. red fox in snow, 8. Public Domain - Vintage Postcard Images, 9. Norwegian Forest Cat in Snow, 10. winter, 11. Snow Queen Anker 1948, 12. Leaving Footprints in the Snow--vintage Vogue Illustration, 13. Pink, 14. Etude 1932 Jan, 15. Weihnachten mit Ida Bohatta / Bild 12, 16. Gearing Up for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics!

The Children's Book

2010-11-28T07:58:00.000-08:00

I've just finished "The Children's Book" by A.S. Byatt and it was a wonderful read about a very interesting period. Just a few topics mentioned in the book: the Suffragette movement, the bohemian way of life of artists and their families, the Great War,...
The end of the Victorian age and the turn of the century are a very tumultuous period, a part of history that is far away and yet very close to us.
And now I want to learn more about William Morris and the Arts & Crafts movement, I want to read Peter Pan and find a good biography of mister Barrie, etc, etc...
I even made a pinboard, inspired by this book.
Patterns by Morris:

The Morris and Burne-Jones families:

Peter Pan, illustrated by the genius Arthur Rackham:

A few interesting links:
Preraphaelite Paintings
Red House
Victoria and Albert Museum
Turn of the Century, pictures and more pictures, to get in the mood of that period.

At last...

2010-11-22T09:40:00.001-08:00

...I've restarted to work on Lucy's quilt. I finished the last of a series of spring girls, here with an umbrella in the rain.
And I made a new block, with little embroidered trees, here still in progress.
I'll post the two blocks when finished and ironed. For now only a few details.

My work has been absorbing me the past three months, and I really want to try to work more concentrated, and only 5 to 6 hours a day. That will give me more time to do things I really like to do, like crafting and reading. Life's too short!
In the meanwhile, I bought myself a new pair of shoes and red stockings.

And there's nothing quite like sitting by the fireplace with this boy at my side.

Link of the week#3

2010-11-14T07:15:00.000-08:00

Yes! I've got an invitation for Pinboard (thank you!), and now I can pin all my favourite links, pictures, recipes, book titles,etc...
Only problem: I'm losing a lot (and I mean A LOT) of time since I discovered this.
If you like collecting and you love being inspired, then hurry and go have a look!

November 11th

2010-11-11T07:32:00.000-08:00

My grandmother, who was born in 1904, used to tell me stories about the two Great Wars. She was born in a small village, at about 20 miles from the Ypres salient . Every night, she could hear the bombs, the windows of her bedroom rattling.
These pictures are taken a few years after the war, when she was already engaged (or married?) to my grandfather. So strange, a romantic picture on the ruins of a war...

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Bear giveaway

2010-11-04T04:57:00.000-07:00

If you like teddybears, hurry to this link, and then keep your fingers crossed till the 6th of December!

Creepy

2010-10-30T07:58:00.000-07:00

What gives me the creeps? The usual things like spiders, being alone in the dark, ghost stories...
The first time in my life I was really, really afraid, was when seeing this scene from "Fantasia". My parents had to leave the cinema with me, because I was crying so hard... Guess I was about five years old at the time.

On my nightstand is this book, and it's a real pageturner, it gave me a few bad dreams already.
To stay a bit in the Halloween mood, I did this little knitting project: a pumpkin tea cosy.
It turned out to be quite easy, and I did it in two afternoons. Ready just in time for tonight!

The trees in our garden are giving us quite an autumn spectacle now.

How I love the change of seasons!

Link of the week #2

2010-10-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

Last weekend,my husband was sorting trough old boxes and trunks in our garage, and we found lots and lots of old magazines.
So here's just a glance in one of these magazines:
And if you can't get enough of vintage fashion and things related, go here.

Sparrow's nest

2010-10-08T10:26:00.000-07:00

A nice little knitting project (while watching a very good danish serie on TV: "The Killing"), that was made in three evenings. You can find the pattern here.

This is my first selfmade pincushion! Although I made it in the wrong season... laying eggs is more something for spring.

A walk in the woods

2010-09-30T09:28:00.001-07:00

Is it because of all the rain and damp weather the last two months, but there are mushrooms everywhere in our garden.
I really don't dare to pick and eat them, I heard on the news that there were more cases of poisoning this year then normal (here in Belgium, don't know about the rest of Europe). My grandmother knew enough about mushrooms to use them in the kitchen, and it's a shame that I don't have that knowledge...

Link of the week

2010-09-21T03:28:00.000-07:00

What a great idea, wish I had come up with this:
A Collection a Day, 2010
I did my collection of today: the content of my handbag, before I cleaned it up:

And the same content, after I sorted out everything, ready to be put in another handbag.

So sorry for the poor quality of my pictures, there has almost been no daylight the past week. I guess this was the gloomiest summer ever...

August/September update

2010-09-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

Slooowly....very slowly, I will get there and make this cross-stitched cat into a little cushion!

Green rabbit

2010-09-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist: I bought another stuffed toy from Pussman.
This time a green rabbit, made of mohair. Danielles stuffed animals always have a lot of detail and are made with a lot of love. As I have so much work till the end of September, I decided to do a one evening project, and I crocheted a pair of trousers for this cutie.

A detail of the back:

Now I want to make a little smocked dress (never did smock in my life, but one can always try...), a knitted sweater, a little embroidered blanket maybe... Maybe in October?

This little rabbit has no name yet, I decided it to be a girl (because of the dresses I want to make).
Any suggestions?

Back to business

2010-08-31T08:16:00.000-07:00

After a short break at the seaside, it's back to the old desk, I'm afraid... Normally, my batteries are loaded after the summer, but we had such dreadful, cold weather...
But what frustrates me the most, are all the fun projects that are waiting to get finished! And work has to go first now, I even had to take some of it on my holiday.
If only a day could be longer...

Holiday pictures

2010-08-15T04:48:00.000-07:00

I've been home for a week now, but didn't have time to post about our holiday. Yet again, we went to Burgundy, France.
We rented an old mill with private lake (yes indeed!)

At the back of our house, we had a wonderful view over the hills, and the local cows came to say hello at least once a day.

Besides reading and being lazy, we visited Beaune and its famous Hôtel-Dieu. This hospital was founded in 1452, and is best known for the tiled roof.

Sometimes there were up to 4 people in one hospital bed!

Admiring the tiles...

While visiting a cute village (Issy l'Eveque), we saw a gathering of oldtimers.

And we also visited the chateau of Digoine, with English landscape garden.

Blue mouse give-away

2010-08-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

Go and check this out: Susan Pilotto is giving away a very, very cute little blue mouse. Go to her blog and leave a comment. Oh, I hope I will win this give-away.

My summer reading list

2010-07-21T09:08:00.001-07:00

We are almost leaving for our holiday of 2 weeks in France.
I can't wait to sit in the garden with a good book, not having to work, nor answering the telephone,...
These books are on my list:
Wolf Hall-Hilary Mantel
Krakatoa-Simon Winchester
In Europe-Geert Mak
The Historian-Elisabeth Kostova

My daughter is reading The grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, I read it twenty years ago, and really loved it. Maybe I'll read it again, after I finished the books on my list. Steinbeck is such a wonderful writer, but his books are a bit forgotten here in Belgium.

And if I look at these books (covers created by Coralie Bickford Smith, edited by Penguin), I definitely want to reread my classics!

And what about your summer reading lists, did you make any? Please tell me!

Needlebook

2010-07-21T08:48:00.001-07:00

I made this little house in only two evenings, and it was a lot of fun. First time I've used my pinking scissors.
The little flowers were a great way to practice French knots, look here.
The pattern is published here, there are a lot of nice embroidery patterns to be discovered on this website, also free patterns.

Cottage

2010-07-15T07:29:00.000-07:00

1. Mushroom House: Red, 2. weather house, 3. Baby's House, 4. somebody lovingly made this, 5. Fairytale cottage, 6. house bank, 7. Deco 20s Red Roof Cottage--Tally Card , 8. Gamekeeper's Cottage_1, 9. vintage tins, 10. Down the red brick path, 11. nans van leeuwen, 12. Tiny house, 13. House of Four Seasons 6, 14. 20s Vintage Cottage Illustration Playing Card Back, 15. Peter and the wolf, 16. leaning hill
There's a little project I've wanted to do for a long, long time. Tonight I will give it a try.
In the meanwhile, you can enjoy this mosaic. Where do you want to live?
Cottage number 5 is a real cutie...

Cat & mouse

2010-07-07T07:42:00.000-07:00

Ooh, it has been a long time...
My laundry bag is finished, I use it for my stray socks (know the problem?).

I'm always stunned by the beauty of Mrs. Potter's watercolours, and I have quite a few projects in mind, featuring her characters.

From now on, I will post a monthly update of my cross-stitched cat. I want to use it for a pillow, when finished.

In the meanwhile, summer has arrived. I try to enjoy it as much as possible, although I have a lot of computer work at the moment.
And that means:
having tea and cake and cherries in the garden,

walking barefoot,

and admire the flowers from my garden.

Getting better

2010-06-21T06:28:00.000-07:00

This must be the worst summer in years... been ill all week, sneezing and coughing.
I only managed to do a little bit of gardening,very, very slowly, I really have no energy. And the weeds are growing in abundance...
But the weather is changing, maybe we'll finally get a summer?

A dandelion is so fluffy and cute, if you look closely.

I planted this Solomon's seal (Polygonatum) last spring, and forgot completely about it. And here it is, what a nice surprise!

Monet's house & garden

2010-06-11T07:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday night, I returned from a short holiday in Giverny, France. Main goal of our visit: the house of Monet and his oh so famous garden and the waterlily pond.

We went there early in the morning, and I managed to take this picture of the entrance of the house. Half an hour later, the place was crowded with mostly American and Japanese tourists.

At this time of year, the garden is a lust for the eye. Such a pity you can't smell the peonies...

And then of course the pond... you just have to see it for yourself.

After our three hours visit, time to get a salad and coffee afterwards at Hotel Baudy, the place where all the artists (mostly Americans) would stay in Monet's time. Just lovely!

We had a room with a view at an old mill. Our stay for three days was too short... my husband wanted to paint a lot of the scenery there, but the weather wasn't so good.
If you want to have a look at his (wonderful) paintings, go here.

Potholder

2010-06-07T03:08:00.001-07:00

Never tried this pattern before: a flower.

I didn't want to make it a long term project, so I turned the granny square into a potholder.

While crocheting the back of the potholder, I noticed the similarity with the dress I was wearing. It's all in the detail!

And here's a fine example of cat wisdom:

Blue sweater

2010-06-01T06:12:00.001-07:00

Finished project last weekend: a light blue cotton sweater. If only the weather was good enough to wear it... I'm wearing all my winter clothes again.

A very simple pattern, with a bit of detail on the shoulders.

I found some knitting and crochet inspiration in the movies.
Wish I had the pattern for this sweater... Faye Dunaway in "Bonnie and Clyde". If you know a similar pattern somewhere, please let me know?

I would love to crochet this little vest. By the way, the costumes of this movie, "Bright Star",(about poet John Keats and Fanny Brawn) were fabulous! More information found here ( about creator Sophie Digard) and here.

And finally, these lovely vests,from "The Edge of Love", based on the love life of the poet Dylan Thomas. I haven't seen the movie yet, but the costumes look quite nice.

A new camera

2010-05-21T11:11:00.001-07:00

I got a new camera for my birthday, a Nikon D3000. It's really great to discover and try new things.
First of all, I have to learn to get my pictures sharp...
Great models:
SPIPS

and her mother POOH

Today, my daughter showed me how to play with color balance. Crazy results, this will be fun!

And then back to crafting: I finished a cotton sweater for myself, still need to sew it up, the part of the job I really dislike...

Lily of the Valley

2010-05-19T09:38:00.001-07:00

The sweet smell of a very tiny flower...

Beautiful embroidery idea, found in an old Marie Claire Idées.

Sad news

2010-05-14T09:39:00.001-07:00

My son came home for the weekend and I had to tell him about our missing cat. He went looking for him and he found him fifteen minutes ago, under a rhododendron, not very far from our house. He walked straight at him, very strange... my husband and I walked past that very spot...

But Punt was always my son's cat, in a way.
It's very sad, but we comfort ourselves with the thought that he had a very good and long life. And he had been ill for quite some time.

I will miss his cute pink nose and his silly face.

Thanks a lot for all your sweet comments on my previous post. It's the first time that my children have to say goodbye to a pet.

I'm worried

2010-05-12T09:22:00.001-07:00

...about Punt, our black and white cat. He's been gone since yesterday night, and he never, never has done that before.
He's old (17 years) and has been ill for 3 years, so now we wonder: did he go away to die somewhere in our garden? Because I've been told that cats do that sometimes.
I looked for him everywhere today...
And this is his latest picture, I took it last week.
I hope I will be back with good news, but I really have a bad feeling about this.

Blossom

2010-05-03T01:50:00.001-07:00

It's amazing how the weather has changed in a week! It's rainy and cold, weather to stay indoors, near the fireplace. Luckily, I took some pictures of the first blossoms last week, they're all rained away now...

Perfect weather to get back to work, and that is what I'm going to do right now!

Fresh colours

2010-04-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

After two weeks of sunshine, and a very warm day yesterday, my garden is starting to explode. This is the time of the year, when I really don't know what to do first. All the borders need weeding, I buy a lot of new shrubs and flowers to put in the garden , my windows are very dirty, and so are the shutters, and so on, and so on...

But in the evenings there is still time enough left to do a bit of crafting.
My new granny blanket is ready to be used, I made it for my daughter's room.

I only used yarn leftovers to make it.

Sweater love

2010-04-21T01:45:00.001-07:00

Two more projects finished!
A striped sweater for Lucy (I already gave it to her with Christmas, but forgot to show it on my blog...)

And a blue, cabled sweater for me. I'm wearing it now, because it's so freezing cold!

The cross-stitched mouse is finished too, and with all the fabric, trims and ribbons prepared, I hope to get my sewing machine out and make me a cute laundry bag. Wait and see...
Strange, but on photo, my desk seems less messy than in real life.

An empty sky

2010-04-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

This is a rare sight: a sky without planes.

I can imagine how terrible it must be to get stranded in an airport, but to be quite honest: I enjoy the silence, and for the first time in my life, I see a clear blue sky without white stripes.

In the meanwhile, my son is back home after two days in hospital. He's recovering very quickly, and that makes me a happy mum.

Not as quiet as expected

2010-04-11T06:07:00.000-07:00

For the first time in months, it would be a quiet weekend without visits, parties, etc... But fate decided otherwise: my poor son was taken into hospital and had his appendix removed last night. So after this blog update, I'm off to the hospital again, and I'm taking my knitting needles and a new pattern for me and some DVD's for him.

My granny blanket isn't finished yet (all the loose ends, sigh...), but already in use.
In the meanwhile, spring is starting to show off, flowers and buds and birds.

And this is something I want to finish very badly, one day this little mouse will be used on a laundry bag I have in mind.

Back in time

2010-04-05T10:49:00.000-07:00

Look what I've rediscovered! A lot of old pictures of my family.
Before they fade away, I want to scan them all. So from time to time, I will post these old pictures on my blog.
Here's my mother with her parents, she was an only child.

And my grandmother, I love the clothes of that period! (1930s)

Redhead

2010-04-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

My daughter made a big decision last week, she became a redhead instead of a blonde!
I'm already used to it, and so is the rest of the family and her friends. But it's quite a change.
This weekend, she had an army theme party. Immediately, I had an image in my mind of the Andrew Sisters or Vera Lynn. After looking up a few pictures, this was the result of our efforts:

Only the skirt is a bit too short from an historic point of view, I guess...

And here for the real thing:

Easter duckling

2010-04-01T01:46:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to show off my new cookie tin, isn't it lovely???

Spring colours

2010-03-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

(illustration by Beatrix Potter)
Last Saturday, it was Earth Hour. We shut down all the lights, the computer, the radio,...
And we lighted some candles. That was quite a cozy hour, I even did a bit of crochet! Maybe something to do every week?

My granny blanket is almost finished, I just need to join a few more rows, and then of course all the threads...
Something I can do while watching a few episodes of Dexter.
Although it is getting colder again, I couldn't help it, I bought some spring flowers for my pots at the front door.

Spring cleaning

2010-03-21T13:28:00.000-07:00

Today I did something that needed to be done...rearrange and clean my wardrobe. I spent the whole afternoon cleaning and dusting and sorting out my clothes.
And now my back aches and I'm sneezing because of all the dust, but oh boy, it's so nice to have a whole new wardrobe to choose from!

1. Housewife Semaphore, 2. Laundry bag, 3. pretty in pink apron, 4. weekend find: vintage dresses, 5. Kids, 6. Working on this, 7. laundry day, 8. Laundry, 9. Untitled, 10. summer quilts-ready for a picnic, 11. Cinderella does laundry, 12. The Chicken and the Quilt, 13. 1932 Mode Practique, May, 14. Untitled, 15. Untitled, 16. corner of my home

Finished!

2010-03-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, I did it! My Christmas sampler is finally finished. I'm really proud of myself.
It really needed some freshening up, so I washed it in a mild dishwashing liquid (I used Ecover) and rinsed it with cold water.

So now it is ready to be framed.

This week, another two (almost) finished projects: a knitted sweater and cardigan. To be continued...

Paris

2010-03-11T00:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, my husband had to go to Paris for business, so I decided to go along with him.
It was very cold, but sunny, a perfect day to walk along the Seine and see the Eiffel tower again.

Around 1900, the view was a bit different... all the other buildings for the World Exposition have disappeared now.

And now, I'm back at my desk, trying to work a bit. In the afternoon, I'm going to work on my sampler, it's almost finished. All your nice comments on the stitching are a real boost for me!

Week#15

2010-02-28T06:29:00.000-08:00

Last week, I managed to stitch quite a lot, and that gives me the courage to carry on. As you can see, I only need to finish the left border and the left down corner.

Outside it is very stormy and wet, but I bought myself a little bit of spring with this tulips.

Giveaway (not by me)

2010-02-26T03:55:00.000-08:00

If you want to give it a try, and join in to win this bear, click here. I left a message on Pussman's blog, you never know...

Knitting sleeves

2010-02-22T07:28:00.001-08:00

Another unfinished project: a cabled sweater I started last year (winter 2008). I still need to knit the sleeves (shown here, I always knit them together on the same needles) and the collar. So I guess it will be finished next week and I will be able to wear it in the last cold weeks before spring.
Today, it started to rain, and now all the snow has melted. My garden has never looked so dull and grey before, but I heard some birds singing, oh joy!

Detail of a sleeve.

My knitting companion!

About vampires

2010-02-18T08:21:00.000-08:00

Now that I had a few days to craft and tidy my house a bit, guess what : I fell ill and had to stay in bed for a day. So I decided to read a bit, something not too difficult, because I couldn't concentrate for long.
I'm always a bit late for a hype, or I ignore it, but now I decided to give this book a try: "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer.
It was a real disappointment, with cardboard characters and almost no plot at all. I wanted to give it a chance, and I do like spooky stories, but this book didn't work for me, not at all.
I've never read "Dracula" by Bram Stoker, but now I definitely will.

Or to still my thirst for blood, I can watch these movies again:

And I have already a few other books on my bedstand that will please me!

(here, here and here)

Winter is here to stay

2010-02-14T07:34:00.000-08:00

I've been away too long...feels like ages since I've been blogging. The reason for my absence: work, work and more work. For a month, I didn't cook, shop, read, or craft. All I did was sit at my desk, and work, work, work.
And now this job is finished, and I don't know where to start blogging again.
So a mosaic it will be, just to get the hang of it again.
For a few times since January, I thought spring was arriving, but no, last week it started snowing again. And I'm growing a bit tired of the cold. So this mosaic is a sort of goodbye to winter, I hope!

1. holly bob, 2. A Chickadee in hand, 3. Santa's Toy Shop, 4. Santa Gnome Evening Lights Jenny Nystrom 1905, 5. polish matchbox label, 6. "bow to me!", 7. 2 Cup Yellow Tea Cozy, 8. Over the River, 9. Anemoi Mittens 2, 10. I'm Not Looking!, 11. Once Upon A Wintertime: Skating, 12. my sweet pillow, 13. cuckoo clock, 14. Red Hat, 15. ...April Fool..., 16. Mansion no. 2

Too cold...

2010-01-14T07:58:00.001-08:00

...to work in my room upstairs.

As everywhere else in Europe the past weeks, it has been very cold. So I decided to move my computer downstairs, where I have no internet, but my view on the garden makes up for that.

January had a very hectic start, so I try to get a bit of rest in the evenings. I'm knitting a green cardigan, a rather easy pattern, because I like to knit while watching television.

Our Christmas tree is waiting to get planted, all the decorations were put in their boxes till next year.

The snow started to melt today, time to put a bit of spring in my house.

Crafting for Christmas

2010-01-03T12:57:00.000-08:00

A week before Christmas, I decided to make a few gifts myself. This year, we had a Christmas party with friends, and we had to give something to this lovely couple. I needed projects that I could finish in a week, so I made:
a scarf for him

and a pair of socks for her.

After all the partying and eating, I had a very lazy sunday. I did a bit of ironing, a bit of reading, and I made a resolution list for 2010. I wonder what will come of it.

Sometimes it's a good idea to take the example of a cat, and sit by the fire and relax and meditate a bit.
I'm ready for the new year and the work that got piled up on my desk!

A happy 2010!

2010-01-01T13:07:00.000-08:00

For all of you out there: a lovely, creative, healthy and happy 2010!
My New Year's resolution: more blog posts...

Almost Christmas

2009-12-17T07:05:00.000-08:00

No, I will not be able to finish my Christmas sampler in time. Here you see the result after week#13 and week#14.
Due to all my "real" work, I neglected my sampler a bit... And cross-stitching isn't something you can do full speed, I'm afraid.

It takes me a few hours to stitch a little flower.

It started to snow a few days ago, so with a bit of luck we will have a white Christmas! It seems that we had our last in 1986, I can't even remember it... I'm probably getting old.

Emily

2009-12-16T06:59:00.000-08:00

And here she is, the beautiful cat Emily!

She came with a velvet ball...

...in an bag with her name embroidered on.

It didn't take long before she got company.

I want to make her a beautiful dress, and a sweater, and a scarf...

I'm back!

2009-11-23T04:28:00.000-08:00

I finished my work a few minutes ago, time to start blogging again.

I bought a new cupboard/secretary in September, and I managed to paint it in between all my work.
The result makes me quite happy.
These cute little fellows paid me a visit one evening.

You can admire the work of their creator here, and if you would like to buy one for yourself, go to this Etsy shop.
I bought a cute Emily cat, more about that later.

Working

2009-11-10T08:28:00.000-08:00

I've been busy, had to give up my October challenge of taking a picture a day...
This is what I've been doing: colouring an old book by my husband that will be re-edited in December. It's a comic book he made while still in high school.

While working, I enjoy songs like these:

I'll be back crafting and blogging in a week!

Day#25

2009-10-25T09:36:00.001-07:00

Japanese crafting books are real eye candy. I buy them here.

Day#24

2009-10-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

Something I want to do more often: drawing and painting. My days are too short.

Day#23

2009-10-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

Paris is a city I'm absolutely in love with. I'm planning to go there for a few days before the end of the year.

Day#22

2009-10-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

1. tea cozy, 2. Classic mittens, 3. pink nose, 4. Haverhill throw, 5. Homemade pillows in the sofa..., 6. I luv cappuccino + rabbit, 7. Fire, 8. Melhores Amigos [Best of Friends], 9. Granny Room
I have a bad cold right now, feeling chilly and tired... Drinking lots of tea, sitting by the fire, and making a Flickr mosaic of comfy things can be a good remedy.

Day#18

2009-10-18T01:24:00.000-07:00

The sweet face of a cat!

Day#17

2009-10-17T01:21:00.000-07:00

Quilting, a very soothing and relaxing pastime.

Day#16

2009-10-16T01:18:00.000-07:00

Knitting.
I'm working on a sweater for a Christmas present.

Day#15

2009-10-15T08:37:00.000-07:00

The days are getting cold now, what's more comforting than a cup of tea in the afternoon?

Day#14

2009-10-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

Every other day, I go for a 3,5 miles walk in our neighbourhood. I really need this shot of oxygen.

Day#13

2009-10-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

My grandmother collected china cups, I inherited them.

Day#12

2009-10-12T09:01:00.000-07:00

Going to the movies, I love it!

Day#11

2009-10-11T05:37:00.001-07:00

My favourite food? Heartwarming, simple, comfort food! No molecular gastronomy for me, thanks.
This is a pear tart with frangipane I made this weekend. Easy and delicious (I'm not a great baker, but I can handle this one).

Day#10

2009-10-10T05:18:00.000-07:00

I've been a fan of Beatrix Potter's work since I was a child. Her work keeps amazing me.
This is a cross-stitched Mrs. Tiggywinkle for a laundry bag that I want to make.

Day#9

2009-10-09T05:15:00.000-07:00

Flowers. These are pansies for my hanging baskets this winter.

Day#8

2009-10-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

Jane Austen's sense of humour, and the unforgettable characters she created

Day#7

2009-10-07T11:30:00.001-07:00

Vintage children's books (this is an illustration By Alice and Martin Provensen, 1962)

Day#6

2009-10-06T13:20:00.001-07:00

This is the sixth crocheted afghan I'm working on. I crochet everywhere I can, in the car, while watching TV,...

Day#5

2009-10-05T03:29:00.001-07:00

Reading, by far my favourite pastime (book pictured here "The Wind in the Willows")

I'm not giving up...

2009-10-04T07:03:00.000-07:00

...on my Christmas sampler! I managed to work a few hours on it last week (the 12th week, by the way). I don't know if it will be finished by Christmas, at this tempo...

Day#4

2009-10-04T07:01:00.001-07:00

The change of the seasons

Day#3

2009-10-03T09:17:00.001-07:00

Little Golden Books
And here, as seen on Flickr.

Day#2

2009-10-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

Vintage sewing supplies

What I like day#1

2009-10-01T03:55:00.000-07:00

I need a new blogging boost, so here's what I want to do in October:
post one picture a day of something I like. If you like to do the same, post a comment and leave a link on your blog.
Day#1

The art of Carl Larsson

What I wore today

2009-10-01T02:58:00.000-07:00

Fun group on Flickr: "What I wore today".
I already posted these two outfits:

Busy week

2009-09-24T09:48:00.000-07:00

No time to enjoy the sun like these lads...

A lot of work (illustrations for a magazine, a lot of visitors, paperwork...),
but in the evenings, I did a marathon of watching this DVD.

I heard there will be a Cranford Christmas Special this winter,can't hardly wait!