Baltimore Bliss finished!

Started way back in July 2010, on my way to Vienna. I did two block almost every month and in December 2010 all blocks were hand appliqued. Time to search for backing fabric and sandwich the quilt, which a dear friend and I did on Januari 9th,  2011.
And then the quilting began. I'm a hand quilter, so it was quite a job. And today, yes, today, I finished sewing the binding. So may I proudly present my Baltimore Bliss to you?!

Stormy weather

It's stormy weather in The Netherlands and it seems to me a storm is going all over the world these days. Looking at things that happen in Europe and elsewhere in the world makes me sad. I feel I can't do anything to make this world a better place except in my own little world.
In my own little world there is plenty of room for pretty things. One of the prety things I am working at is my bed quilt, Baltimore Bliss, And as it is January 10th I am showing an update. Every 10th of the month we show an update of our UFOs in a Dutch group,
Looking at the pattern you might see the quilting in the white block is following the pattern of the coloured block. This month I quilted the white block.

There was some knitting too. I am busy knitting a lace shawl that will be used as an example for the hand dyed lace yarn by the indie dyer on markets and fairs. Picture will be added tomorrow.

Update on Sunday 2015, januari 11th.

Old school knitting. No circular needle, because I found out my stockinett knitting is very irregular.

I started Silja Line on 2014, November 22nd. Only 20 rows before the end I found out I made a major mistake, so I started all over again. Now, Januari 11th, I am on the same point. No mistakes this time!

Quilting again ...

In one of the groups I am involved in (I find the the most precious friends in that group) we are running an UFO project. We picked an UnFinished Object and commited ourselves to work on that object until it is finished. We post an update every 10th of every month. Of course, sometimes life gets in the way, but we all try to have an update each month.

I am working on my big quilt, the one that is going to be on my bed, once... You already might know I am talking about Baltimore Bliss. There are 25 blocks and today I finished block 17. Eight to go. It might be a finish next year!

As you can see, every block is repeated in a white block.

And of course I have been knitting. My newest shawl is now like this. This picture doesn't show its colour, it's more blue instead of grey.

Quilting

Besides knittin and stitching I am quilten from time to time. Amnd one of the things that is a project for years is my king size bedquilt, Baltimore Bliss.
This week I have been quilting until my fingertips were sore. The result: two blocks done! Only nine to go ;)

The luxury of this week ...

Maybe some of you know I have a job as a schoollibrarian. That means I have multiple (and long) vacations during the year. So I had the luxury of another week to fill with whatever I liked to do.
As I have a deadline for finishing my quilt (next year LOL) I did some quilting. Suppose I quilt a block every month, then my goal is realistic. The first block is finished, the second is half way done.

As we went to Berlin, I had to catch up with my borders, Randje per Week. I managed to do so, so I am on schedule again. I added a close-up, is is becoming quite a long piece of stitched borders!

Ans, as promised last week, a picture of my new started KAL, Montego. Mine is listening to the name No Woman, No Cry. Clue one is done by now.

New project

You may have noticed there is a new hype in The Netherlands, called 'Randje per Week'. It is a facebook group and a blog, you can see the button on the right side of my blog. The idea is to stitch a border a week, like schoolgirls used to do in former days.
I joined the group and am stichting along. These are my first borders:

These borders don't take much stitching time, so I had plenty of time to do other things, like quilting my bedquilt. I have done quite some stitches these past few weeks.

I also am busy quilting the first NY quilt. DD has her birthday in two weeks and I would love to give her the finished quilt as a birthday gift. I quilt by hand, but I can't quilt for hours, I have to pay attention to my back and shoulders. Yet I hope I make it!

And there has been something new that caught my attention. I participated in a game at a group of knitters I'm in. You were asked to post a picture to the theme 'Fairytales' and I came up with Aladdin. The owner of the group is a hand dyer of all knids of wool and she dyes according to the picture I sent. This is the result. The picture of Aladdin is my contribution, the wool is hers. And, good part of the deal, I got this wool for free!

I have one little problem, I don't know how to make yarn out of this. A dear friend took me to her dear friend, who showed me how to spin a wool batt into yarn. And after that I went to the attic, looked around for my spinning wheel (my dad once made me one, but I never used it) and assembled it. All I have to do now is practice! 

My first handspun thread!

See you again in 2014!

This probably is my last blogpost of the year 2013. I am not the reflecting type, most of the time I just act and do what I am supposed to do or, creatively, what I want to do. But the year 2013 brought me some hightlights I just want to mention.

My youngest graduated and left the nest, leaving her parents and brother at home and went for a long trip to the USA. After that, she moved to another city to study. Surprisingly, after missing her the first months, I adjusted to the situation and I am happy seeing her live her own life.

In the context of DD's trip to the USA I spent a week with her in New York. The highlight of the year. It was a journey of meeting my own strength, meeting places I've never been, meeting a grown up daughter and love what kind of person she became. It was fulfilling a dream I wasn't aware I dreamt.

DS studies at Groningen University and got his B.A. degree last August. The ceremony was in October and we attended it as proud parents. Now he opts for a Master's degree.

It was also a year with continuing trouble at work, but somehow I learnt this year to draw a line and to be clear about what I do not accept. And to be able to communicate that with the people I work with.

Before I switch to stitch related things, I want to thank you all, for reading my stories and leaving a comment. I love every comment and I hope to 'see' you all in 2014!

On the edge of this year I have been making two almost identical quilttops in memory of our trip to NY, one for DD, one for me. 

And I have been sewing  these last days. I made a huswif and another framed purse. A little needlebook completes the set. 

Call of the Raven is growing steadily (pictures next time), and so does my bedquilt. 

I wish you all a happy New Year's Eve and