Houses, houses, houses

Finally I finished house number six this week. It was the black that took me so much time, and I don't like stitching black. I have been thinking about skipping the black, and considered the block finished with only the house in it, but then I was chosing the easiest way. And that just isn't me.
So here it is, house number six at night ;)

Another thing I finished this week is block four of Red Delicious. I stitched the applique with feston stitches and it took quite some time. But I love doing this!

Holland Springtime, again

Somehow last weeks Holland Springtime draw my attention. Maybe because it is really springtime in The Netherlands. Trees are full of buds and this morning when I went through the park to go to work, I noticed the buds of the oaktrees almost burst out into little leaves. The weeping willow is having a greenish layer over her branches and on our terrace there is the forsythia covered with little yellow flowers.
So, here is my Holland Springtime!

There's some progress on HOHRH too. I am still hoping to finish house nr. 6 this month, but I also want to finish block 4 of Red Delicious. I think it's not realistic to want both LOL I have to finish the applique with feston stitches.

Did I tell you lately I most value your comments ? Every single one I read makes my heart jump a little bit for joy!

Quilt retreat , Holland Spring and Love Apples

Last weekend I went to Andijk for a quilt retreat. I met six other members of a Dutch group to quilt, stitch, chat, laugh and visit quiltshops. It was so nice to meet others that have the same love for fabrics and fibers and we had a great weekend. We agreed to make a little gift for each other and this is what I did. These are from Lizzie Kate and I stitched the month of their birthday and finished it on top of a little suitcase.

Of course I took my Red Delicious blocks with me, so I can show you block three today, Love Apple.

During the week I have been paying attention to the Houses of Hawk Run Hollow. I almost finished another house, but I don't show a picture until that's done. The weekend I have been stitching on Holland Spring and in the second onion there is a bridge coming up.

Here are some pictures of the Quilt retreat. At first our group (I'm on the leftside) and the presents we received/made.

Winter Exchange and Spring arrives!

Finally it seems Spring arrives in The Netherlands! Snow disappears and today it was sunny, so I installed my chair on our balcony and stitched! I have a sort of rotation between winter and summer works, so I pulled one of my summer works out of the drawer, Cirque des Carreaux, an Ink Circle Design.

All week I have been stitching on some presents for our quilt retreat. I had to make seven presents and I am finished! Obviously I can´t show them yet. Last week I received this beautiful Winter Exchange from Edda. She stitched me two lovely items, a biscornu and a fob (or little ornament)

and she knitted the perfect shawl for me, in a bright orange/yellow. It makes me feel sunny and it's warm and cozy on my shoulders.

Edda also added a little booklet in Icelandic and English (as I don't read Icelandic, I am happy to be able to read in in English). It is about thirteen Icelandic Christmas lads, a Christmas Rhyme. Isn't that a perfect exchange?

We're back, heading for a Delicious Holland Springtime ;)

We returned from our trip to Germany safe and sound and so were the children when we got home. DH and I had a lovely time together (pictures below), DD had a great 'Sweet sixteen party' with her friends while we were gone and we found the house clean and tidy when we got home. Normal life is about to begin, tomorrow we all go back to school and work.

During holidays in Germany I had quite some stitching time. Most of the time I stitched on Call of the Raven. The shawl is getting some shape now and page 39 is almost finished.

While DH was driving the car I have been working on Red Delicious. Block two is finished now!

Today I finished the stitching in the upper onion of Holland Springtime. The sailingboat is finished now , so on to the right onion, but first I have some presents to stitch ....

Yesterday I visited a Stitching and Quilting Fair, the Handwerkbeurs in Zwolle. I bought some wonderful fabrics and two gorgeous patterns.

And when I got home there was a package from Nancy, sending me the ordered floss. Isn't it gorgeous? The ones in the middle are called Spring Colours and oh, how I long for spring!

Here the pictures of our trip to Germany.

When we arrived in Germany there was still a lot of snow, when we went back to The Netherlands three days later, it was almost gone!

On our way to the appartment, we stopped at Tecklenburg for a walk.



Burg Tecklenburg. In it is a museum and a Youth Hostel.



Dinner for two :-)

Schloss Detmold



We also visited Lemgo, a small village with some beautiful houses.



Unfortunately the market place was under construction.

Snow finally disappeared and we had some sunny days in Germany. And spring is coming, look at the Snowdrops!

Holland Springtime, a finish and a birthday

We had quite a week, last week. I have been sick almost all week, so I went home from work earlier than normal Monday. Tuesday I stayed at home and while I was sitting on the couch there was someone at the door. A police-officer came to tell me a lady hit our car, that was parked in the street. At first it seemed the car was total loss, but luckily our garage was able to repair the damage. So tomorrow we can drive to Germany for a short holiday as planned!

Wednesday I went to work again, but I have to give up in a few hours. I felt so sick I had to go home. So the rest of the week I stayed in and had some extra stitching hours.

At first I have some nice progress on Holland Springtime to show you. Like I said there is a little sailingboat now in the upper onion.

I also finished Needlemania 2. Now I have to decide how to finish it. I think it will be nice on a pillow, but I take some time to think it over.

And I did some stitching on HOHRH, on house number 6 to be precisely.

This afternoon I prepared Red Delicious block 2, so I can take it with me to Germany and do some of the appique stitching. I love how it's going to turn out!

And today it our DS's birthday. He is 18 years old now and he decided we all were going to dress properly! So he is wearing a suit all day, like an adult LOL. We enjoyed his life until now, as we do his sisters!

Winter Exchange

This week my partner in the Winter Exchange, Anita, received her package, so I can show what I stitched for her. It's a design of Lizzie Kate, Think Winter and I finished it as a wallhanger. My picture showes the ribbon as a different colour than it is in real life, so look here for a better picture :)

And of course I can show you another part of Needlemania 2. I finished part six, so on to part seven, only three to go!

I did stitch as much as normal, but I can't show the results, as they are meant as a gift. March 12th I am meeting seven ladies for a retreat. I finished two gifts, so I have to finish five more...