Quilting for New York

It is now when I'm writing this post, hence typing the words down, I actually notice how much my fingers ache! I've been quilting and I think only quilters now this particular pain. After about five years of talking about it, we've booked a flight to New York. A dear friend of ours is living there for almost ten years now and we've finally found the time, the money and enough babysitters to go! Four years ago I started making a quilt for her. She lives in Manhattan, but has a house in the woods upstate too. She is in desperate need of a quilt, I'd say. This quilt has been waiting patiently for four years to get finished, but suddenly there's no time to waist. That's why I've been quilting like fool for the last days. The fingers of my left hand are all bleeding now and that, dear friends, is how dangerous quilting really can be! The end is near and I don't want to jinx it by showing you already. But what is a post without a pic? This little quilt I made for Lauren, who was very into matrushka's last winter (or was I?)

Autumn break

The autumn break, a week's vacation from school, has started for our children. Unfortunately our heating took a break too. We're using an electrical heater from the 1930's to keep us warm until it's fixed.

The children made lovely paintings, which we used to decorate the hallway, which actually is a very big word for a very small space. When they paint together, they get very inspired by one another, you can tell. The one on top is made by Valentijn (9), the one in the middle by Casper (11) en Lauren (6) made the one on the bottom. I'm very proud of them. The pictures are very blurry due to the total absence of good lighting.

Button bliss

When I came home this afternoon, there was a bubble wrap envelop at the doormat. I told you before how much I like these envelopes. This was a good one! A week ago I ordered some customized buttons for Vervlogen Dagen at rememberwynn's etsy shop and she send me this beautiful package. I think she made the little box herself. Thank you, Angie, it's well appreciated.

Velvet

A friend of ours is a fabric agent. He sells fabric to fashionlabels. Now and again he makes me happy by giving me his leftover samples. A few weeks ago he brought  me a box of velvet samples and left me totally smitten (with the fabric...). Today I made a  ballet bag  for Lauren. I remembered this one  and that inspired me to make mine.

I made little eyelets at the bottom, so she can also use it as a backpack. I can't deside which side I like best. Can you?

Honoured

Yesterday I got rewarded by  lightbluegrey who gave me the Versatile Blogger Award. This is a part of blogging I've never even considered. I feel very honoured, off course! But I also feel a bit akward and self-conscious, not because of the conditions -I have to tell you 7 random facts about myself, which I'm happy and willing to do-, but to give it away to other bloggers. The blogs I follow are from experienced bloggers,  (besides lightbluegrey...) and I think they have seen many awards come and go. I don't know any new bloggers, fill  in the empty chairs, if you like! So I decided in all modesty to accept the award, but leave it to that...

As for the conditions: 7 personal things about me:

1. I studied history, but I wish I had attended an academy of arts instead, in hindsight...
2. I'm a true follower of the three main rules of French cuisine; butter, butter and butter...
3. I'm happily married for almost 12,5 years (and together for 20 years) with a man who would never have been picked for me by a matchmaker...
4. I  cry every time I go to the movies...
5. I like to sing out loud (and when I say out loud, I mean with serious volume) when driving  my car. People next to me on the driving lane seem to think that's very funny...
6. I laugh too loud and talk too much...
7. I don't like my newspaper to change. Not the layout, not the lettering, and most of all, not the size!

That's all there is to know, for now!

Birthday party

It's all about birthdays lately. Yesterday we had Lauren's friends over for her birthday party. Maybe you remember the invitations for her ice-skating party. Well, we had a 'koek and zopie' (that's what a little lemonade-booth on the ice is called in dutch) and bunting made with my repper...

I made her guests medals and goodiebags with magnets...

But the most important thing of all: there was a very happy birthday girl! The party is finally over, she's turned six for real now!

 

Butterfly net

For her birthday I made my daughter a mosquito net. It's not that we get bothered so much by mosquito's in October in Holland, but she likes to make her room the cosiest place. I let a flock of butterflies land on this net, and hung a few of them in the middle with a pink pearl underneath. I love it, and so does she.

Kinderboekenweek

Hoewel ik een echt buitenkind was, was ik ook een lezer. In de zomer veranderde ik mijn kamer, zodat het bed onder het raam stond en ik eindeloos kon lezen bij het licht dat onder het gordijn door piepte. Nu heb ik zelf kinderen. Onze oudste zoon (11) verslindt boeken, net als ik dat deed. Alleen heeft hij wél zo'n handig lampje boven zijn bed. Onze jongste zoon (9) houdt helemaal niet van lezen, alleen van voorlezen en onze dochter (6) zit nog in de maan-roos-vis-fase. Tijdens de kinderboekenweek mogen ze alledrie een boek uitzoeken. Dit jaar was het eerste jaar dat er geen prentenboeken werden uitgezocht. Laat dat nu net mijn grote liefde zijn! Dus vanaf nu zoek ik de prentenboeken voor mezelf uit. Deze keer werd het 'de boomhut' van Marije en Ronald Tolman. Een echt prentenboek zonder tekst. Prachtig!

Rituelen

Morgen is ons meisje jarig. Of eigenlijk de dag erna, maar we vieren het morgen. Een dag omkleed met rituelen en traditie. Eén ervan is de verjaardagstekening. Het lukt ieder jaar weer, de ene keer wat beter geslaagd dan de andere. Deze is mooi op tijd af. Geen nachtwerk dit keer. Alhoewel er nog wel een vlinderklamboe op de finishing touch ligt te wachten....

Patroongekte

Na een enthousiast gesprek met de makers, tijdens de Textieldagen in Tilburg, heb ik Repper Pro gekocht. Dit speeltje leidt me serieus af van de dingen die ik eigenlijk moet doen. Deze collage laat nog maar een fractie zien van de patronen die ik met behulp van mijn Vervlogen Dagenlogo kan maken! In mijn hoofd droom ik al over een eigen stoffencollectie!


Ook leuk, deze afleiding. Met z'n drieën in het fotohokje, gordijntje dicht en keten maar. Het kan hier.

Hoe Michael Imre werd...

Twee jaar geleden dacht ik na wat voor kraamcadeautje ik zou maken voor een zwangere vriendin. In die tijd zag ik overal om me heen afbeeldingen van Joris/Michael die met de draak vecht. Ik kon er niet meer aan ontsnappen. Ik was er heilig van overtuigd dat het kind Michael zou heten. Mijn helderziende gaven bleken zeer beperkt, het werd Imre...En het zal wel met de tijd van het jaar te maken hebben en een onvermoede antroposofische erfenis dat ik in het begin van de herfst Michael waarneem!