Last finishes of the year :)

Time to show the last finishes of this year. Not much about stitching, but I did finish some other fabric things. Just in time for Chirstmas I finished this wall-hanging.

And I made this sweet bunch of apples, all in Christmas style!

Finally I finished block 6 of A Kittens Tale, and I think it's a cute one ;)

Now on to the year 2010 and I hope it will be a good one for you all!

I really thought it was winter LOL

Last week I really thought it was winter, but now I know it wasn't. NOW it is winter! It has been snowing now for three days. Last Thursday when we woke up, it was so quiet outside and it took a while to realize what it was. There was no traffic! No cars, not even buses were driving and we soon found out even traintraffic was chaos.

Our DS was going to visit Paris with his schoolmates and they were going by train. We walked him to the trainstation and, lucky boy, he made it to Paris! From Thursday on, school is closed due to snowfall and so my holidays started already! I'll show you some snowy pictures below. Now we are a bit worried. DS left Paris this morning and made it to Amsterdam by train. But the last message I got, he told me there was no traintraffic between Amsterdam and Groningen. We can't go there by car, there is a warning sent out not to drive if not urgent. So I'm afraid he will spend the night at the railwaystation ....

But, being stuck in the house isn't that awful LOL. I have been stitching all day today and I finished house nr. 5 of HOHRH! And I have some progress on Vibrant Vista again.

Now here are some pictures of our home and garden in the snow.

We live in a very creative neighbourhood.

Our car isn't parked here, ours is blue, not white LOL.

Winter in the Netherlands

At first I want to thank you all for your nice comments! I don't say it often, but I read them all and they keep me going! When I come home from work I like to sit down for a while and stitch. DD is sitting next to me and together we watch a movie or comedie on tv. This week I have been working on HOHRH during that hour. Windows are added to the house and some birds are appearing at the bottom.

In the evening I always spend an hour or so at the computer, answering mail, visiting groups and reading blogs. After that I go to the livingroom again and do some stitching again. I always work on something I'm in the mood for and this week I was very tired, so I took something easy. That means Vibrant Vista. No special stitches, no backstitches.

Yesterday evening I joined Becky's SAT with Holland Springtime and I managed to stitch the other tulip ornaments in the corner. I also finished the yellow border.

We noticed it already some time ago, leaves have been fallen and the days are shortening, but today its getting colder. It wasn't freezing cold, but a cold wind blew , the sun was shining and the sky was clear blue. I love this kind of weather! DH and I went for a walk in the fields and at the picture you can see a windmill, typical for the landscape around my hometown.

Looking at my last post tells me how busy I have been lately. It's not that I don't have anything to tell, but the time lacks to take pictures. Besides that, when I come home from work it is almost dark, when I leave for work it IS still dark and weekends? Well, they have been pretty clouded and dark
too :) We call this time the 'Dark days before Christmas".

Yesterday evening we celebrated 'pakjesavond' , in the Netherlands this still is the chief occasion for gift-giving and so my family and me spoiled each other with presents and funny, satirical poems. We all had a good time, with lots of laughs. DH and I only went to bed after reflecting on this evening and on past times, when our children were still believing Sinterklaas really existed. I too was spoiled with some lovely presents, such as a headset (so now I can Skype again with far-away friends) and some lovely pieces of fabric for my quilting activities (picture below)

I also have to show some updates on what I am working at. At first my HOHRH. House number five finally has a roof. I have to admit I started at the top this time, so the roof was an easy goal to achieve LOL

Second is the Chatelaine Holland Springtime. Last friday night I have been stitching on the yellow border in it. It takes quite some time and I find it a bit boring. Look at the tulip in the right upper ornament! There is one coming in every corner.

There's also some progress on Vibrant Vista. I finished the first row and now went on to the right again.

And these are the pieces of fabric I got. The main thing about this is my DD went to a quiltshop and picked them carefully for me and I think she did a great job! I almost can see her, loking around in that shop and (considering the small budget) making her choice as priceworthy as can be!

Finally a finish to show!

Finally I can show this finish, stitched as a return exchange for Marne. She made me a wonderful quilt back this year and I have been thinking what I could do for her. She almost convinced me I didn't owe her anything, but I liked the idea she had a little something stitched by me too. Two days ago she let me know it arrived and she (lucky me!) loves it. It's a Chatelaine Design, Advent Calender 2007, complimentary design for the Chatelaine Support Group.

Enlightened

It must be the title of this design, I sure am enlightened. I never stitched that fast, in less than a week I finished two pages! Okay, I have to admit one of them was empty and the other one only had a small parrakeet on it LOL

I can't wait to start Foregone. I ordered all the floss I need for it but I also had some in my stash. So now I am thinking about starting already and leave the spaces open when I don't have the right colour. On the other hand it might be wise to put some extra stitches in Vibrant Vista or one of my other WIPS. Oh, stitcher's problems ...

A finish, a surprise and a new start

Yes, finally a finish again :) But ... no pictures yet. I finished a Christmas design for a friend, as a return gift, so obviously I can't show yet. Last week I have been stitching like crazy to get it done, so she can have it by December 1st.

The surprise? That's a BIG one, referring to the surprise as well to the chart. A dear friend gave me a chart as a present. She wrote to me she was given the opportunity by Michelle (HAED) and wanted to give it to me. So I could make a choice of all these beautiful designs! Ilike the great idea to let my friend make the final choice, so I mailed her my wishlist and asked her to choose. She did an excellent job, so now I can present you my future new start Foregone. I ordered the floss already, so I expect to start her in about a week or two.

The new start for today is also a HAED. Overdressed Yet Enlightened. I think it's a cute one and it has something to do with my love for China. I mean the dress, not the Duck LOL. I am going to stitch over one on 28 ct, so it will become quite a job. Can you already recognize the stick the right parrakeet is sitting on? LOL.

Apart from stitching on the Christmas design I also have finished a page on Call of the Raven. So now I am half way!

Time flies

November already, another few weeks and it is Christmas again ;) I have the feeling I have to wink my eye and another week is gone by. We had a busy week last week. Work is asking a lot of attention and I did quite some hours overtime. Yesterday my DD's bike was stolen. My DH was at work (he is a librarian, working at the library of the Court) and DD went to visit him as the courthouse had an Open Day for the public. DD left her bike outside (of course, can you imagine her lifting her bike on her shoulder and take it inside LOL ??).

An hour later she came back and her bike was gone! In front of the Courthouse, in broad daylight and even a policecar standing in front of the building. This must have been a very courageous (or stupid??) thief! DD was in tears when she came home, poor child! As she needs a bike to go to school we lent one from the local bikestore for the next days.

Today DD and DH went to look for her lost bike again, you never know, maybe the thief got tired lifting her bike (it was locked) and left it somewhere to pick it up another day. And guess what?? They found the bike, left (still locked) in another street, not far from the Courthouse.

DD hurried home to get the keyes and they took her bike home again! No damage at all, only the cable-lock was gone. The thief managed to get that open and removed it and tried to remove some other things too, like the little red and green ribbons DD had secured on her bike so she could recognize it from a distance. DD was so happy (and so are her parents, as it also saves a lot of money LOL).

On to stitch-related items. I am doing a lovely Christmas design for a dear stitching friend and I have to pay attention to it most of my stitching time. Otherwise I fear I'm able to finish it in time.

Fridaynight I was able to join Becky's SAT and I can show some progress on Chatelaine's Holland Springtime.

But I had a little time in the evenings to stitch on Call of the Raven.

Page 25 almost done (I prefer stitching from right to left)

Close-up

I also have been busy quilting on a Christmas panel. I sandwitched it and the blocks are quilted by machine. Now I am quilting by hand around the different figures.

Holidays and Halloween Exchange

DH and I have been on a short trip to Germany, last week. We fancied a week's holiday, as we used to have at the time our children were still children, but since they grow up they are more and more getting different opinions about what is fun! And a week's holiday with your parents is definitely not fun! So we compromised and left the youngsters at home and left for three days to Germany, Teutoburgerwald. We had perfect weather, no rain, a little bit sunny now and then and we enjoyed being together, preparing on how life will be when DS and youngest DD are going to leave the nest...

Of course we went out for dinner, we took a swim in a Wellness Centre and before we knew it was time to go home again. Some pictures are shown at the end of this post.

There's no holiday without stitching, so I can show some progress on Call of the Raven. But I'll start showing what I received and sent on the Halloween Exchange from the HoE board. This little treatbag went to Tracy, together with some goodies. It's a Prairie Schooler Design, Trick or Treat.

In return I received a beautiful pinkeep, stitched by Marie. She added some lovely goodies too, I sure can use them!

Call of the Raven

And I have been quite busy finishing block 5 of A Kitten's Tale. I did the embroidery during the carride to Germany and today I was able to sew the other parts of it. I have been quite productive!

And now Germany again ...

We couldn't help ourselves, had to write a postcard to them, LOL.


After some shopping we got hungry and enjoyed a 'Deutsche Bratwurst'

Corvey, here's a famous royal library with 74.000 books


Paderborn, Hasenfenster

It's been two weeks!

Last week I didn't post, simply because of the fact I had little to say and even more little to show. I have been stitching, of course, how can I not?? My major work at the moment is a surprise for a dear friend, so I can't show any progress. But there is progress!

My two HAEDs are going steady. Call of the Raven has got a little bit more attention, I have to show a progress of at least 1000 stitches at the end of each month to a Dutch group. Vibrant Vista is growing slowly and so is my quilt project A Kitten's Tale. Block 4 is finished now. And Mare let me know she received my PIF, so I can finally show the last one, also stitched over one. It's, like the others, from The Prairie Schooler, Pins & Needles. So, time to show some pictures!

PIF: Prairie Schooler - Needles & Pins

Vibrant Vista

Call of the Raven

Lynette Anderson - A Kitten's Tale, Block 4

Sunday again

These past few weeks it looks like I've only been able to post an update at the weekend. I suppose thats reality of life. The other days are filled with work, family, family, work, stitching, watching tv while stitching and of course eat, sleep and the obligated household tasks.

So here's a weekend update again! Most of my time I have been stitching on a gift. It's quite a large project and it has to be finished by November 1st. I think I can do it, but I have to give it high priority.

Last week Carol let me know she received my PIF, so two of them arrived at their new homes now. Being hooked to stitching over one lately, I stitched Carol a cute little flosstag. The design is a Prairie Schooler, Pins & Needles.

Today I spent my time doing some applique work and patching for the Kittens Tale. I managed to finish part 3:

Together the three parts look like this:

Lovely fabrics, PIF and another house

The title almost says it all! But I wouldn't be ME when I didn't make a story out of it, so read carefully :)
When I was in France last summer I bought some thimbles in Paris for a personal swap with Joan and she sent me some beautiful handdyed fabrics in return. Actually she surprised me with that, because she sent more than she should and the fabrics are from her newly released Casi Verde Collection.

I also received a PIF from Mare. Actually we signed in (a year ago) at each other's PIF. She made me a lovely fob in blackwork and added two yellow roses to it. She sent it in a cute little box, together with some floss.

And of course I have been stitching last week. Most of the time I was busy stitching on a gift, but I also finished House nr. 4 of the HOHRH. I love the way the houses look now, I finished the first row, only eight to go!