Finished!

It's time to celebrate for me! I finished a new quilt!

I worked on it (though not continually) since August 2011 -  I talked about it earlier here, on August 9, 2011 ("Reverse Side") and March 3, 2012 ("In and Out, A Blue Underground Pattern")...

... and right now I just sit and am happy with it! 

It's funny, but this work really means something to me.

fragments and pieces

when assembled they explode

and form a new quilt

Carpet Bag

"Why," said Jane, "there's nothing in it!"
"What do you mean - nothing?" demanded Mary Poppins, drawing herself up and looking as though she had been insulted.
...
"From the carpet bag she took out seven flannel nightgowns, four cotton ones, a pair of boots, a set of dominoes, two bathing-caps and a postcard album. Last of all came a folding camp-bedstead with blankets and eiderdown complete, and this she set down between John's cot and Barbara's.
Jane and Michael sat hugging themselves and watching. It was all so surprising that they could find nothing to say. But they knew, both of them, that something strange and wonderful had happened at Number Seventeen, Cherry-Tree Lane."


(from: "Mary Poppins" by P.L.Travers, 1934)


... and this here is a "carpet bag" I made, it seems to be empty? Well, it isn't!

It's A Girl

Well, here is my Easter bunny taking a break from hiding eggs, posing for a quick photo. 

And yes: It's a girl, wearing her best dress today. And yes: She (again) had put on two different shoes, it happened in her haste today to get everything done. And yes: She is often being complimented on her extraordinary ears!

And off she goes again!

HAPPY EASTER!

Easter Bunny

Easter is coming ...

and my Easter bunny is waiting to get all dressed up!

"You never forget a beautiful thing...

... that you have made,' [Chef Bugnard] said. 'Even after you eat it, it stays with you - always.” 

-Julia Child, My Life in France

http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/3465.Julia_Child

Since I like cooking and lovely kitchen utensils I now sewed a potholder which shows the same pattern as my fragrant coasters and my hanging-bag (see my posts here from March 19 and March 26, 2012). It is also a great way to use up all my scraps in my scrap-bag!

Somehow I think I managed to design a potholder which answers all my seven wishes I have potholder-wise! :-)  

First: This potholder looks good and special I think. It is an eye-catcher because of the circular and multi-colored design. Both sides are made in patchwork-style, consist of three layers of fabric each and are hand-quilted.

Second: I can hang it up easily because it has a large nice string.

Third: It is a slip-inside-potholder, it can be used like a glove.

Fourth: This potholder is big enough to handle larger baking trays or pots (it is 27 cm or 10 1/2" in diameter).

Fifth: It is thick enough to protect the hand against the heat, because of the three layers of fabric on each side, but also because an additional inner bag is inserted.

Sixth: This potholder provides a firm grip, because the inner bag is fastened with buttons and with quilting stitches which are set according to the size of the hand of the owner: it is a made-to-measure-potholder!

Seventh: Washing is easy because I use robust fabrics only, for the inner and outer layers alike.

...and here is some good advice on cooking, coming again from Julia Child ( I love her!)

“Always start out with a larger pot than what you think you need.” 

“Everything in moderation... including moderation.” 

and:

“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude."

http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/3465.Julia_Child

Take, if you must

Take, if you must, this little bag of dreams, 

Unloose the cord, and they will wrap you round. 

William Butler Yeats

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/bag_3.html

Fragrant Coaster

Since I love the scent of herb, especially of lavender, I sometimes make round fragrant coasters. 

When a cup of hot tea or coffee is placed on a coaster which is filled with dried herb, the full aroma unfolds with the warmth. I love that!

It works well not only with lavender, but also with thyme, rosemary, sage.... 

This is how I make them:

I fill lavender into a hand-sewn form (about 13 cm, 5") like this:

I close the form with a round piece of fabric (here I use the sewing machine) and attach a self-made, flat button in the middle. A larger circular piece of fabric with a buttonhole in the middle can then be attached on top. 

I often accidentally spill my tea everywhere, so to me it seems to be very practical to be able to remove the top of the coaster for washing, leaving the rest of the coaster with the herb inside dry.

Isn't it lovely to go outside and to enjoy the first rays of warm sunshine in early spring with a cup of hot tea or coffee, and to breathe in not only the fragrance of the fresh air, but also the aroma of your favourite brand and of last summer's lavender?! :-)

Amélie

This is Amélie.

And this is where she comes from:

I made her with several pieces I found in my scrapbag.

Amélie is able to hold and keep some things in her rosy belly, whatever fits. I intend to feed her with some loose bills and coins, I think she'll make a fine "piggy bank", even though she looks more like a cow...., that's ok. She has more character than beauty, and that's better than the other way round, I like her as she is. :-)

I especially love her secret: she has a hidden compartment for very special things I'd like to keep, I know she can be trusted with this. :-)

Barn Quilts

I LOVE THOSE!

http://littlebeestudio.com/blog/wp-content/media/barn-quilt-algood.jpg

Here are more lovely pictures of barn quilts: 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tumblingrun/sets/72157618419125531/

http://pinterest.com/beelori/quilty-barns/

And here is a beautiful article about the history of barn quilts:

http://fairmontsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/506370.html?nav=5044

A Decision

Decide To Forgive

Decide to forgive

For resentment is negative

Resentment is poisonous

Resentment diminishes and devours the self.

Be the first to forgive,

To smile and to take the first step

And you will see happiness bloom

On the face of your human brother or sister.

Be always the first

Do not wait for others to forgive

For by forgiving

You become the master of fate

The fashioner of life

A doer of miracles.

To forgive is the highest,

Most beautiful form of love.

In return you will receive

Untold peace and happiness.

And here is the program for achieving a truly forgiving heart:

Sunday: Forgive yourself.

Monday: Forgive your family.

Tuesday: Forgive your friends and associates.

Wednesday: Forgive across economic lines within your own nation.

Thursday: Forgive across cultural lines within your own nation.

Friday: Forgive across political lines within your own nation.

Saturday: Forgive other nations.

Only the brave know how to forgive. A coward never forgives.

It is not in his nature.

“Decide to Forgive” was written by the late Robert Muller, former assistant secretary-general of the United Nations.

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/11107681-452/forgiveness-can-bring-love-into-the-world.html

In and Out, a Blue Underground Pattern

Here I found some lovely modern quilt patterns:

http://blueundergroundstudios.com/patterns/

The top of my latest quilt has a Blue Underground "In and Out" pattern.

Yesterday I ironed the newly finished top, spread it out on a layer of fleece and the big piece of fabric which is the back of my quilt, and basted all three layers, so that I now can start to do the quilting work.

Now, for the first time, my three separate layers of fabric here FEEL like ONE quilt, after they have been put together with these rough basting-stitches....and it feels good!!

(Maybe you notice that there is one block at the bottom which doesn't follow the general rule of arrangement... I love to do this, to include something which keeps the eye "fresh" and attentive!)

Very Sad and Very Beautiful

When I think of the lovely role quilts can play in someone's life, I find this here very sad....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg49cbQJ3xA&feature=player_embedded

and this here beautiful beyond any words! :-) Enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/10247757

The Patchwork Girl of Oz, by L. Frank Baum (1913)

This is from one of my favourite books: The Patchwork Girl of Oz, written by L. Frank Baum.

"All very true," answered the Shaggy Man, quietly; "but I know this gate,  having passed through it many times." "How?" they all eagerly inquired.

"I'll show you how," said he. He stood Ojo in the middle of the road and placed Scraps just behind him, with her padded hands on his shoulders. After the Patchwork Girl came the Woozy, who held a part of her skirt in his mouth. Then, last of all, was the Glass Cat, holding fast to the Woozy's tail with her glass jaws.

"Now," said the Shaggy Man, "you must all shut your eyes tight, and keep them shut until I tell you to open them."

"I can't," objected Scraps. "My eyes are buttons, and they won't shut."

So the Shaggy Man tied his red handkerchief over the Patchwork Girl's eyes and examined all the others to make sure they had their eyes fast shut and could see nothing.

"What's the game, anyhow--blind-man's-buff?" asked Scraps.

"Keep quiet!" commanded the Shaggy Man, sternly. "All ready? Then follow me."

He took Ojo's hand and led him forward over the road of yellow bricks, toward the gate. Holding fast to one another they all followed in a row, expecting every minute to bump against the iron bars. The Shaggy Man also had his eyes closed, but marched straight ahead, nevertheless, and after he had taken one hundred steps, by actual count, he stopped and said:

"Now you may open your eyes."

They did so, and to their astonishment found the wall and the gateway far behind them, while in front the former Blue Country of the Munchkins had given way to green fields, with pretty farm-houses scattered among them.

"That wall," explained the Shaggy Man, "is what is called an optical illusion. It is quite real while you have your eyes open, but if you are not looking at it the barrier doesn't exist at all. It's the same way with many other evils in life; they seem to exist, and yet it's all seeming and not true. You will notice that the wall--or what we thought was a wall--separates the Munchkin Country from the green country that surrounds the Emerald City, which lies exactly in the center of Oz."

They were delighted to know this, and proceeded with new courage. 

http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/L_Frank_Baum/The_Patchwork_Girl_of_Oz/Scrapes_and_the_Scarecrow_p1.html

Patchwork Paintings

I sometimes make little paintings and put them together like I would if I sewed a quilt, just one next to the other.
(as it is with all photos of my posts: for a larger version please click on the picture, if you are interested)

myPhone- bag

"It is my heart-warmed and world-embracing Christmas hope and aspiration that all of us, the high, the low, the rich, the poor, the admired, the despised, the loved, the hated, the civilized, the savage (every man and brother of us all throughout the whole earth), may eventually be gathered together in a heaven of everlasting rest and peace and bliss, except the inventor of the telephone."

 ~Mark Twain, Christmas greeting, 1890

http://www.quotegarden.com/telephones.html

Well, what would he have said about cellphones??? :-)

I put my cellphone into a small "myPhone"bag, so that it feels very agreeable to have it with me.

As always I run out of space when I embroider all my letters, so the e is so small here, but ok. It's just fine for me.

A Heart For Guests

Do Not Grow Weary

Nicht müde werden

Nicht müde werden

sondern dem Wunder

leise

wie einem Vogel

die Hand hinhalten.

        

Do not grow weary

Do not grow weary

but gently

to the wonder

as if a bird should light

hold out your hand.

- by Hilde Domin

translation: http://www.arlindo-correia.com/161005.html

sketch of bird by me

Bookdog

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. " said Groucho Marx.

So, doesn't it make sense to not only have birdbookmarks and catbookmarks, but also dogbookmarks?

So, this is my third version of a bookmark: a little dog, a bookdog.

Maybe it is fine for kids, but I think, kids of all ages might like to have such a doggie around, as "best friend" while reading.

These dogs are a bit different than my bookcats and my bookbirds. So their two sides are made with the same fabrics, but their floppy ears look different and these sometimes fly in a somewhat funny way. 

Some dogs have a waving tail, some sit in attention and have their tail at their side.

Also, because of their pair of floppy ears, every bookdog has an additional built-in stabilization: I added a thin wooden stick to their spine to prevent a dog from hanging over the edge of a book, which wouldn't look good.

But at that point it is important to remember that these bookdogs are meant to be used as bookmarks and not as toys; if these dogs are handled roughly the wooden stick might break and sharp parts might stick out of the fabric, so it's good to be careful here when very small kids are around.

These bookdogs have the same dimensions as the bookbirds and the bookcats: 21 cm/ 7 cm or about 8"/ 3". The eyes, nose and mouth are embroidered by hand, the front legs are marked with quilting stitches.

The batting of the body, the ears and the tail is of woolen fleece.

All my bookmarks are signed with a small embroidered M.

These bookdogs here are my first, more will follow and I will show them later here on this site.

If anyone is interested, I sell some of those, just send me an e-mail then: MARIASmail@t-online.de

(and for further information please go to "Give And Take" on top of this side.)

The bookdog here "lives" in a very lovely book by Elke Heidenreich: "Nero Corleone", Hanser, 1995. It is a cat tale and it's as it is with every good story for kids: what happens in this book  is so deep and lovely and breathtakingly amazing, it is a fantastic read for adults as well. The wonderful illustrations are by Quint Buchholz. 

Ahhh, and yes, this is what Groucho Marx also said:

"Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."

:-)

Groucho Marx, US comedian with Marx Brothers (1890 - 1977)

http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/713.html

For a complete view of my first collection, please click on "Bookdogs" on top of this site.

Bookcat

So, in addition to my bookbirds (see my post from January 13, 2012, and if you like, click on "bookbirds" on top of this site) ... I also make bookcats now, for using them as bookmarks in lovely books.

This book shown here is "Die schönsten Märchen" (fairytales) by Hans Christian Andersen, it is from 1984 and it has these wonderful illustrations by Dagmar Berková. 

I do love this book, and to use a bookmark while holding this beautiful book in my hands, reading one of Andersen's touching fairytales, and to put my bookmark back into the book when I have to go ... and how much I love to find the right page again when I come back, because I'm welcomed with a smile by someone who "lives" in the book I love!!! Ahh, I enjoy things like that.

These are my first bookcats, I'll make more, show them here and I sell some, too, , if anyone is interested. Just send me an e-mail then:

MARIASmail@t-online.de
(for information please click also on "Give And Take" on top of this site)

Each bookcat is a unique piece, with a top that looks different than the underside, and each of my cats wears socks, very often different ones. Don't ask me why, I just like them this way! :-)

I use different pieces of fabric and a fitting woolen fleece for the batting which provides a good feeling and the stability you need in a good bookmark.

I use thread for the whiskers, I appliqué the socks and the tail and sew the face by hand. A bookcat has the same dimensions as a bookbird (21 cm/ 7cm or about 8" / 3").

For a complete view of my first collection, please click on "Bookcats" on top of this site.