Merry Christmas

A merry Christmas to all of you!

Lots of pictures

The first pic is of my family. In front are my parents with all their offspring and in-laws. It was taken on the remembrance party for my late husband. Some of them are not on the pic, other commitments...

Then there is the start of the second fish, a green one this time.

I finished the first green block of the top we started in our patchwork course. The pic is how it is now (still have to press the seams and stitch the row together).

The 3 next parts of the Lizzy Kate SAL are done, 3 to go and it will be finished.

I started 2 other SAL's on another group, I just became member of it. The first is a series of Christmas socks. The first one has a Santa in it. Then there is the snowman bookmark, of which I stitched 2 parts already.

The crazy chick I stitched on a workshop in De Banier, the shop of the Chiro, a Belgium kind of scouting. I did another workshop for cherrypitcushions, but I haven't finished it yet.

The quaker halloween design is of Sanman, something different as tje usual designs.

And the cushion of Regenboogkussens where I stitched the 3 victorian kids is ready, another person happy with the thought that people care.

I won't be able tot stich much the next weeks, my daughter's collegue has become mum to Emma. The daycarecenter is run by the two of them, so In kept my holidays until now. So I will be in the middle of 14 screaming, drooling, pooping babies. And roll into my bed after an 11 hour workday!

On monday I will be having a day of as my quilting course starts at the Calico House in Antwerp. I feel my fingers itching already.

Fishes

I did talk about the quilt with fishes I have been ordered by my oldest grandson. The picture is from the book where I found the design. I chose other fabric for it, not plain fabrics but ones with motifs. Today I finished the first fish, I think it looks well. Not all corners are as I wish for, but as a novice, I think I did the best I could.

Tomorrow evening is my second bee, I'm lloking forward to it, don't know yet what I will take with me, this one or the one that we started in the patchwork course (and which still isn't finished, although I did some work on it).

This month I also will start with the quilting course, I'm looking forward to it.

My late hubby's birthday was last week, the first one after his passing, it went well that day. On saturday we had a little party on his behalf, my family was there and some good friends. I had a good time and many happy memories were told. This month is the first anniversary of his passing.

Award

I got this award from Yvonne, just have to write about 7 things I didn't write yet on this blog.
So here I go:
1) I had cats always since I left my parents home. I love ginger cats and had a couple of them. They always had the same name: Pallieter. It is a name of a character in a book of a Flemish author, Felix Timmermans. The character enjoys life as it comes in the rural landscape where he lives. My other cats had unusual names always, currently I have Wellington and Nessie. Before there were Napoleon, Tobias, Loebas, Dikkie Dik.
2) I always manage to cut my fingers using a knife or scissors. I even did it ones while just putting butter on a slice of bread. I was forbidden by DH to even touch the cook's knives in the kitchen.
3) I started Tai Chi lessons 2 weeks ago. It is very intensive, but at least I can relax a bit now. And I hope it can help a bit for my health
4) I still work for the same employer where I started when I left school.
5) I have a little pub in the back of my garden where DH could enjoy the last months of his life. There is beer and a lot of whisky. The only thing about it is: I don't drink alcohol!
6) I attended art academy for a couple of years. I wanted to learn drawing and painting. It was not a big succes as we were pushed in a certain direction, could not decide what we really wanted and the basics of drawing weren't thaught properly. I haven't touched paper and pencil since DH died, maybe in the future?
7) I have about 50 penfriends all over the world. We just talk about daily life, what we read, about the kids, what weather it is, it's so nice to find friendly post in your mailbox!

Now I have to forward this award to two other people. Here they come: Gerda and Chantal

from summer to autumn

Another picture of my three rascals, I can't get enough of those momentos, every picture taken of them is perfect (says proud gran). School has restarted, Jelle goes to school for whole days this year, he likes to eat his sandwiches at school, but is very tired in the evening. Stein has French lessons for the first time, his dyslexia is playing, but he is very persistant and will make it. Robbe is his usual self, an unworried child, I hope it will end well this schoolyear.

June is the 6th part of the Lizzy Kate SAL, I am busy stitching August at the moment, friday the next part is already coming my way.

The All our Yesterdays kids are for a Regenboogkussen, the charity I stitch for. The theme of the cushion is the sea and the beach. I love the designs, cute and nostalgic.

And I stitched my first halloween item for this year, an entrance to autumn, the weather was nice this weekend, it rained tonight and more rain is predicted.

Yesterday evening I had my first gathering with fellow stitchers, met new and interesting people. i did some stitching on the quilt top of the patchwork course (which I wanted to be ready by the end of the holidays), bought some fabric (gatherings in fabric shops are dangerous!) for the quilt Stein ordered. The fabric in the book was in mpain colours, I thought it to be to flat for a young boy, so bought some pattern fabric for the fishes, I don't know what to do yet for the water, will see what kind of fabrics I have in my stash. And of course, I did a lot of talking and watching fellow quilters work. i loved it and am looking forward to next months gathering!

Hexagons and E'burg Tattoo

I'm totally hooked on the hexagon theme now, did a lot more and even stitched some together. I've got to slow down this disease as I have other things on the go too.

Steinn ordered a quilt for his bed. He saw a nice one in a book, lucky for me very easy, only two templates to make, I will take a scan of it soon. Only plain colours used and he likes it that way. There's fishes on it.

This evening was the Royal Military Tattoo in Edinburgh on television. For the first time I had to watch it without my husband. My three grandsons kept me company though and for the occasion, Jelle wanted to wear a little kiltlike skirt. My heart was bleeding. The Tattoo was beautiful, the little motorriders we saw also on one of the Tattoos we attended while on holidays over there. Will I see this beautiful country ever again? And will I be able to visit it without too overwhelming emotions? I feel for myself it is too early to even think about visiting.

Lambico

The cushioncover for Marijn is ready, it has turned out lovely, as always with the Regenboogkussens. I'm sewing for another cushion with a sea theme, I will contribute with a All our Yesterdays design.

The Lizzy Kate Sal iw on his 6th month now, April and May are not shown yet, so with this...

I also finished another Christmascard, 2 others have to be framed yet and then I will be onn schedule for the yahoo group.

I did lots of little hexagons and finished some in flowers, boys, am I addicted! I alos made another basket, a red one for my red tinted hexies, the blue one has the blue tinted ones. Plans for a green one are on its way.

Stein and I went to our day out to the zoo. We had a lot of fun, especially in the frogs and birds department, searching for all the animals hidden between the leaves. We also spent time with Lambico, the little hippo that was born in May. This time I took my camera and I could shoot some nice pics.