Good NEWS!

Well ... no news must be good news, right?  I was shocked to see that I haven't blogged since the end of September.  October flew by in a flurry here's a peak of what it looked like.

It was full of FIRE!!  Of a variety of kinds. The most important being the one someone lit under my butt!  My friend, Liz, and I started a mini swap and I whipped up hers in the first two days ... now it needs quilting so I can't show it until that's done, and she receives it in Arizona - I'll share as sooooon as I can.

The 2nd FIRE relates to this very old post.  The good news is that Gabi's replacement quilt is finished!!!  Done and dusted.  It truly deserves it's own post so I'm afraid you'll just have to wait a tad bit longer.  But I promise the waiting will be very worthwhile.

The BEST FIRES are the one that leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy!  We hosted our (fifth??) annual Harvest Fest on October 30th complete with our now (long-standing) traditional drop donuts and apple cider.  Home-made pizza and really cute leaf cookies that I forgot to take a picture of rounded off the menu.   For me the best part was that the husband count was up to FIVE ... fun was had by everyone.  You can also see more photos of the evening here.

November is nearly half over and yes, even I will begin the countdown to Christmas.  This year we are determined to enjoy the holidays to the fullest - decor, baking, visiting, gifting, hoping and celebrating.

Yesterday we painted another 1/3 of the living room so it will be ready for decorations.   Sadly there is another 1/3 and a bunch of curtains to go.  But it's a start.

So, you see, no news IS good news when it comes to me.  Things are very busy in the shop between new product arrivals and LOTS of classes.  Which of course means lots of prepping and sewing.  I have a million things to show and share and just as soon as I can I will.

Today I spent clearing more dead wood out of my office.  Anything that won't be needed, touched or wanted before Christmas is getting boxed up and put in the closet.  Biggest note to self: stop dropping everything on the sewing table so it's easier to sew!!!



By the way the Great GOT DOTS Quilt Along is going great - many ladies here in Belgium are participating and I hope to share pics of their blocks when they bring them in the shop.

Part 2 of the quilt-along will be released soon - stay tuned!


And PS ... if you've sent me an email or message but haven't heard from me, please bug me!!!  If you're waiting for more info about shipping costs for the owls - don't hesitate to bug me as well.  I've had so many appointments the last months that getting to the PO seems like an insane possibility.  Hmmm, but I *must* go to the bank to *finally* pick up my bankcard sooooo it's very likely that all of that could happen tomorrow ....

So I'll be back soon ... I haven't forgotten you and really miss your comments and thoughts ... so feel free to share any here ...

xox Jovita Pin It Now!

Whooo hoot! *updated*

Just a quickie to bring these fun guys to you.
First, how big are they?  On average about 2" / 5cm tall.

These three I made just for me ... (but if you really want, I can make kits)

These little five are looking for homes ... just drop me a line and let me know which one wants to come live with you.  (they're filled with polyester and lavender so they make perfect drawer pomanders)


This sweet trio is available in kit form for you to make yourself. Kit includes tummies and bodies and vintage porcelain button eyes - you'll need to provide needle, thread and filling of your choice.


These three are ready to hang out under the Christmas tree!
What? Yes! Already ... and yes, I know - unheard of!


If you'd like to see my flock of owls grow, keep on eye on my flickr set "Owlets."


UPDATE for KITs and OWLETs:

I am embarrassed to say that I finally made it to the Post Office to check on shipping to the US.

• All owlets and kits contain hand-dyed felted wool (not felt), 100% cotton fabric and a pair of vintage porcelain eyes. 
• All prices include shipping from Belgium and generally take about 7-10 days to arrive in the USA / Canada.

Kit = $6.50 (includes fabrics and porcelain eyes, you need to provide filling of your choice) 

Owlet = $9.50 (sewn entirely by hand and filled with polyester batting and a teaspoon of lavender buds to repel insects and give off a wondeerful scent when lovingly squeezed.

The easiest way to do payment is for me to send you a paypal request. Paypal now allows you to pay by credit card without setting up an account with them. 


Thanks for your interest in my little creatures - they're guaranteed to bring a smile to your face!

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dark and bleary

I am so sorry for not posting this week. I really have been busy and have lots to show, but after kermis and the resulting lack of sleep I came down with something. Enough that I even broke down and went to the doc - probably the first time in 10 years ... it's all in my head. No really, stuffed up nose, sometimes weepy eyes, heavy and tired. So I spent the weekend on the sofa - but not with empty hands ... I made these ... but the weather is not cooperating so good pics were hard.

Whhoooo hoot!   Can you see us in the dark?

I've also been fast and furiously busy with more blocks from my Bunny Hill Designs BOM from *last* year. Pulled fabrics and prepped pieces for at least another dozen blocks (because I'm doing two quilts at the same time). Hopefully I'll get the embroidery done on them soon so I can show off too.

Got Dots is growing as well ... and I promise an update post soon.

In the meantime it's another busy week in the shop - quilting bee today, QUiPs tomorrow, open also Thursday. Hmmm, maybe Friday ... bear with me.

xox Jovita Pin It Now!

My muse made me do it

So when I gave Axel a quick kiss on his way out the door this morning I forgot that he wouldn't be home tonight.  He's delivering something for work about 4 hours away, then heading back to Duisburg to take his aunt out for afternoon "kaffee und kuchen," then spending the night at his parents and heading home tomorrow.

Wow ... a whole day and a half to myself.  I have so much to do ... I should be working on this, that and definitely this (especially because I really need to hang it in our living room soon - see below)!

Unfortunately my day has been a little bit all over the place. Yesterday (and again this morning) the electrician was here to repair numerous things including re-wiring the corner of the kitchen where our microwave - I won't bore you with the details of this job - suffice to say I now have an ugly cable on the *outside* of the house. Regardless, this meant I needed to move everything the cupboard holds onto the kitchen table. Then when he left last night I decided that since the cupboard was empty and moved I should paint the wall behind it ... I have been toying with this idea for awhile and wanted to use the same dark green I had painted the kitchen in Schellebelle.  It was a quick job first thing this morning but hmm ... now I'm wondering if it's too dark ... ?


We've also been trying to figure out what to do with our living room.  We just moved it upstairs ... it always think of Jane Austen's period when I think of this ... but our house is nothing like that.  It's just that I really needed my office to be bigger and have a dedicated class table in the shop.  So we hired a furniture lifter to shift our vanilla sofas upstairs through the french doors.  But that created the whole problem of the dealing with the ghastly wallpaper.  When it was our bedroom I could live with it - eyes closed!  But now it's driving me crazy.  Look at this horrible texture.  So ... what would it look like if I painted it?  Or if my muse painted it?

First I tried the new color I was considering for the living room - ugh - I accidently bought oil-based. Ah-ha! When I was digging out the kitchen paint I also found a partial can of my favorite favorite blue that we had in the living room in Schellebelle. I dashed downstairs, cleaned my brush, stirred that blue and ran back up to see what would happen - I LOVE IT!  Now if only that oil base would dry so I can paint over it before Axel gets home.  It is going to make the room a little bit darker but it has those lovely windows / door.  And the sofas are light - very light - too light.  Will deal with that in another 5 years ...

In the end not a single stitch was put into anything today.  But the shop just closed so dinner, walk Whisper and then ... hmm, paint or sew?  Which one will it be?

Oh .. and I promised to tell you about the Mülheim girls' dots ... before I head to get dinner I will blog about the Under the Willow Tree - so be sure to check them out there! Pin It Now!

The best Medicine ...

... is a day with friends ... I guarantee they will chase away all the cobwebs and snarls.

And Wow - what a day I had!! Yesterday Axel and I jumped in the car for a quick (2-1/2 hour) drive to Germany. Before he went schlepping groceries for his parents, he dropped me off with a bunch of girlfriends who meet up every Tuesday.

I first met this crowd when we moved from England simultaneously into our storage-apartment in Geldern (about 45 mins from his parents) and back to the States. We knew we'd be flying over often enough that a regular place to stay would be important. It only took a little bit of research to realize this little apartment just a few minutes walk from one of Axel's best friends was cheaper than a storage unit in England. It meant I could sew and have a "normal" life when Axel was out touring and it gave me the opportunity to meet THE GIRLS.

They're all quite a hoot and keep each other in stitches. Somebody always has something new to share ... and more often than not there's 10+ things to show each week. They are a constant source of inspiration and ideas.

Gabi was working on her flower garden - isn't it gorgeous?  Every tiny little scrap of fabric is Kaffe Fasset.  The hexagons measure about 3/8" on each side.

I met Karin for the first time - a warm, friendly lady who can KNIT and I mean really knit.  Gabi knits too and was working on a gorgeous shawl, but she had already put her project away by the time I pulled out my camera.  Someday I'm going to get the two of them to teach me how to do this.  First I need to finish sock of my socks.  I have knit three, but still don't have a pair - the story of my life :)

And Angela dyes her own fabrics and makes the most outstanding quilts. She's been working on this one for a couple of years ... 9-patches made using the English Paper Piecing method.

It was a wonderful day ... packed with laughter, ideas, inspiration, friendship and best of all patchwork and creativity. I also showed the my GOT DOTS project and immediately "infected" three of them. I'll save those pics for tomorrow. I was exhausted at the end of the day mostly from trying not to mix up my German and Nederlands (which was pretty much a lost cause).

There was a semi (lorry) accident on our normal motorway so we came home via a different route.  Quite tired and too three four-legged critters that were happy to see us. Today I've come down with *another* cold, the shop is open, our village is getting ready for Kermis (the ferris wheel will be set up across the street - right in front of our bedroom window).

I want to do is stitch, stitch, stitch - I have a few more Got Dots blocks to show you, another snowflake and more.  But I need to take pictures of everything.

I hope you're happily stitching away!  xox Jovita Pin It Now!

"Not I" Said the Little Red Hen

If you're saying this, you should head right over here to enter my give-away going on Under the Willow Tree.

Thanks so much for all the comments and ideas I've received so far for my first 9-patch.  I don't think you'll mind ... but I've decided to keep the drawing open for another week.  It's my fault ... I *finally* sent out a big email to all my friends in the States to give them the heads up that I'm blogging again.  Otherwise, just those who are on Facebook knew about all the recent activity.

Plus after reading a few of your ideas I browsed through my stash and found these ... I thought it might inspire a few more ideas :)

I have all these ideas about decorating my studio in these colors and would love for it to have the feel of the little tableau you see below.  But unfortunately I don't think it will work in this house ... it was built in the 1930's and has a wildly patterned cement tile floor in brown, greyish and creamish.  The fireplace is also quite a statement ... oh, what to do ... what to do ....

Still I thought I'd share with you one of my favorite inspiration pics ...

(i've lost my source, if you recognize
this please tell me)

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Big huge, happy sigh!

My class schedule for September - December is finally, finally finished.  Many many thanks to go friends who helped with the translation.

Apologies to those of you who can't read Nederlands - but this is such an achievement I had to share it. My new goal is to start NOW on the January - June schedule and include color pics of the projects ... but first I'm off to play with my dog, do some laundry and maybe a cartwheel or two.

xox Jovita

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Announcing GOT DOTS and a Give-Away!

So we're ready to begin ... I've had so much fun getting this all ready to share with you!
First I'm going to blame Barb for getting me all worked up about dots, cherries and berries again ... I've always loved them and have so many quilts I would like to make that include these lovely polky dots.
Barb's quilts reminded me of the dot quilt that has been lingering in the back of my brain ... one I had seen with my "sista," Dana, in an exhibition at the Bellevue Arts Museum.  It has such charm.  The maker was obviously using up every little scrap she had.  Well I have scraps too.  Boxes, buckets and bins of them!  So I'm all jazzed to use up a bunch of them and I'm hoping you'll join me in the fun as we venture into the great Got Dots Quilt-Along.

How does it work?  Easy, download and print out a little explanation and a few templates here.  Then dig out your scraps, start sorting and snipping.  Before you know it you'll be ready to make a bunch of these fun dotty blocks.
What do you need?  Background fabric(s) - each block is 6" finished but to allow for applique shrinkage I cut my backgrounds into 7" squares.  Each dotty block requires twenty-one 1-1/4" scraps of fabric.  That's it.  Oh yeh, you'll need needles and thread and a bit of spray starch is recommended - see Barb and Crispy's tutorials below.
Want to join us?  Please leave a comment on the blog and/or in the Flickr group - we would love to know who is going dotty with us.
Share your blocks on Flickr too!  I've already opened up a group and added pics of my blocks and some of the original quilt.  I look forward to see these dots multiply.
Want to win some dots to get you started?  
We've got lots of ways for you to enter a give-away for some great dots to get you going ... dotty ... hehe.

1. Leave a comment here on this blog and tell us what colors you are already dreaming about.
2. Become a follower of my blog Jovita's Patchwork Atelier
3. Become a follower of our blog Under the Willow Tree.  By the way - there's a give-a-way going on there too ... i really really looking forward to reading your ideas :)
   
   
4. Add a Got Dots button and link to your blog - and be sure to tell me about it.
5. Tell us what you think of the pics we've already uploaded to the Flickr group.
   

Wow - that's a lotta ways to win - good luck!

Want to share it with your friends?  No problem - point them to my blog, print out the info for them, whatever you like.  (But please remember - my "pattern" is for private use only - in all fairness, please don't sell it.  You are welcome to share it (hand it out for FREE) in your shop, guild or amongst friends but please make sure to leave my info on the copies.)  The "patterns" will be released as part one, part two ... not sure how many yet.  But it's all free, you'll just want to stay tuned to get all the parts.

Tutorials

• Barb's method - I do mine exactly like Barb but I have a TIP ... let the spray starch soak into the dot before you put the iron to it.  Otherwise you end up with a lot of burnt starch on your iron - trust me, I've done it too many times.
  
• Crispy's method - I am very intrigued and think I might have to try this for my next project or for my own dots that I don't swap.  
  
• FYI - for the great Dot Swap I think it's better if we all stick to the same method - ie. basted over cardstock.
  

Feel free to give a shout out on your blog!  If you have a blog, please then grab a button below - yes I had fun making these too - there should be one to coordinate with the colors of everyone's blog - but if not, give me a holler and I'll custom make one - just because I can :)

Linky info ...

• Cut and paste the following HTML code into your blog or website.

<a href="http://www.jovitaspatchwork.eu/gotdots.html/"><img src="http://www.jovitaspatchwork.eu/gotdots/gotdots_YOURCOLORCHOICE.png" alt="Jovita's Patchwork Atelier - the great Got Dot quilt-along"/></a>

• Choose  your favorite Got Dots button.
• Then where you see YOURCOLORCHOICE in the HTML code - change that to the button color you would like.  Change only those words, everything else should stay the same.
  
• If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Button choices 

fresh2

berry2

choc2

figtree2

green2

melon2

redteal2

rwb2

teal2

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Going Dotty

It's been quite the busy week ...

In Belgium you can tell summer is winding down and everyone is keen to get back to quilting. A total of 12 ladies joined us for a fantastic quilting be on Tuesday - half the group used our new table in the classroom, the other half gathered in our kitchen.  It was lovely ... but after a 5-week break speaking hardly any Nederlands I was exhausted.  Darn, I forgot to take pictures.  But I *promise* I will next month.

The shop also re-opened after our summer break so I've been busy getting the class schedule figured out and translated. It's quite a job but I think it's nearly finished.  As soon as I can I'll provide a link where you can download it.

I'm also working on a really fun quilt-a-long idea involving dots - lots of dots!  More soon, but in the meantime let this inspire you.

Unfortunately the biggest down-side to me being so busy is that Whisper is acting up ... you know I only ignore her and never play with her ... Yesterday I took her to the field behind our house .. it was gorgeous, the sun was shining, the cats were playing (going to the field is an all-family outing) and Whisper was in heaven.  The nice thing is I have this video to make me smile all the times she's driving me up a tree.

Here are a few more pictures from our "outing."  And there are a few more in my Flickr gallery.

Today was our monthly Crazy Bee ... here are just two of the four "bugs" we embroidered.  There others were a ladybug and a snail but didn't photograph well so I'll show those on another day when the sun is out.

The weather has taken a cooler turn and I'm loving it ... sweaters! Plus I can wear my wool vest with felted wool rose corsage - someday I'll write up a tutorial. They're a breeze to make and are lovely gifts.

The bad thing is that I'm feeling a bit yucky, that obligatory fall cold - but Axel's gone to get chinese for dinner - yummm, they make the best Chicken Soup.

The shop is open tomorrow so no sleeping in and Axel has to work all weekend (12 days straight - thanks UEFA).  Hopefully I can hole up and stitch and just jump up when customers come in ... so I can finish a few Got Dots blocks to show you next week!

xox Jovita Pin It Now!

Frosty Flakes block #4

Am pleased to being staying on track with this project. One little hexagon flower with a bit of embroidery and bead embellishment isn't much but it goes a long way on the "I've accomplished something" list.

Check out the Flickr album for more pics of other Frosty Flakes.

I'm busy plugging away in my studio, a quick trip to Ikea last night resulted in the rest of the "design wall" storage.

Today, I've got the music cranked ... what may seem like a strange mix of language and styles ... but it's keeping me going ...

* Pink Martini
* Michel Bublé
* Paolo Conte ~italian~
* Katie Melua
* Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
* Neil Diamond
* Michel Sardou ~french~
* Reinhard Mei ~german~

So if you'll excuse me ... I'm off to get some more of this mess cleared away. Pin It Now!

Plugging Away ...

So it's still a bit of a construction / re-organization zone around here.  The furniture "lift" came Friday night to move our two sofas upstairs via outside and through the french doors (there's no way they'd go up the staircase.   But we still need to drill holes and pull the cable wire upstairs so for now we're watching TV evenings in my studio - courtesy our garden chairs.  It doesn't feel very elegant, but by the end of the day of sorting, shifting and piling up (see those tables that still need to get sorted out!!) we're quite happy to plunk down, put feet up and just watch a bit of something funny.  

The shop and classroom area are coming along nicely and I can hardly wait to re-open on Wednesday just to see everyone's reaction.  By the time we're finished with this re-fit we will have doubled our shelving space for bolts and added a comfortable classroom table for six with a view into our little courtyard where weather permitting we can gather to stitch on a regular basis.

Thankfully I'm still able to carry on with hand projects in spite of this disaster zone.  My Courtyard Quilt is coming along nicely - I ended up adding 3 more fabrics to give it a bit of a lift and have pretty much decided on the layout ... it would be nice to have it done before our open house starting on the 1st of September.  

Block three of Frosty Flakes was posted last Wednesday.  I was glad to have already prepped and appliqued the "flowers" so it was just a matter of  adding the embroidery and beads.  Voilà!  Here she is ...  Plus I've posted a pic of the first five flowers so you can see the color pallette I'm working with.  plus Dawn started a Flickr group where you can see what everyone else is doing.

Happy Sewing!!   xox  Jovita Pin It Now!

Yesterday was my Wedding Anniversary ... 13 years!

I thought I might show you a pic or two but my scanner isn't set up yet in the new studio and the only one I can find on the computer is this one of my dad and I.

It's hard to imagine that so much time has passed but then we have to admit that we have packed a ton into those 13 years. We've moved "across the pond" three times, into homes in England, the States, Germany and now Belgium for a total of five household moves. For the sake of sanity we won't count any moves involving storage units, the shop or classroom.

Axel is working very hard right now - they are right in the middle of "the season."  So we decided to wait until the weekend to go out for an Indian in Gent - I can hardly wait - my mouth is already watering.

Since we stayed in last night,  I made his new favorite dinner ... it's a variation on a recipe I found here. Only I make it with chicken using a combination of this recipe and a family favorite that my mom just called "soy sauce chicken wings." I'll post my adaptation soon.  For dessert we had his favorite cake - the same one we had for our wedding day and later for our reception - with thick Cream Cheese Frosting.

Then I got to thinking ... it's been !13! years ... and we *still* don't have a quilt on our bed. Not that he's that bothered being a European duvet kind of guy.

But still ... I've started two ... isn't it time to get one finished ... but which one first?


I think I need to make quite a few more of the Monkey Wrench blocks for it to be big enough but will be easier to quilt (maybe?).

The Amish 9-patch, on the other hand, just needs two borders ... but how will I quilt it?  (you can read more about this quilt here).

And then there's the whole question of size ... did I mention he wants to get a King Size "Long" now?  We have had a custom bed for some time now - Queen Long, the mattress is 60" x 90" / 152.5cm x 229cm (Queen is usually 80" / 203cm long).  A California King is only 84" / 214cm long.

Then again, my first quilt does fit ... so maybe I should just leave it there for a while ...

But first I need to get more put away in my office, the sewing machine(s) set up, pressing and cutting space organized ... and then, ~then~ ... I CAN SEW!  In the meantime, here's a peak of the shelves that are starting to look more like this :) Pin It Now!

One Step Closer

I am moving my office / sewing room / studio *again*

I wish I could tell you it looks like this.

But alas, I can't, and I have to tell you this lovely room belongs to Jenny B Harris and you can see more here.

I've lost count of how many times I've done this move and am only slightly encouraged knowing that every move has meant more storage (not always a good thing) and more organization (something I always welcome).

So today our old living room looks looks like this ... um, no ... I can't show you a pic of that.  The sofas are still here - pending the lug *upstairs* and boxes/piles look like they are going to slide everywhere.  Never mind the ladder, the tool box and vacuum cleaner.

The best I can show you is this.  And yes, it is only the beginning of my storage wall for fabric and projects. Your seeing about 1/2 of it - when it's finished it will measure 276cm / 9ft high x 300cm / 9-3/4 ft wide. Huge!  But I can hardly wait.

The upper portion will be covered with doors that will act as a design wall - which I would have preferred went to the floor but isn't possible due to one very helpful tail and the cheeky face that goes with it.  Plus this gives me some lower storage for things I am working on at the sewing table.  I think the one row of shelves will remain open for easy access to the Workbasket.

So another trip to IKEA is in order to buy a few more cabinets that will go to the right of this.  Then I can start filling it will my stash so it will look something like this ...

I fold all my fabrics around a 6" ruler, they fit on the shelf perfectly and I found a great tutorial here if you'd like to try it for yourself. Pin It Now!

Snowflakes

Two posts in two days is probably not the goal I want to set for myself, but I was too excited to not share with you this sweet little project I'm working on.

As many of you know, I have a million projects and I should *really* think hard about starting another. But ... first they were snowflakes and there are only nine (9!) of them.  Then I started thinking about using silk for shimmer and well I think reason left me there.

But it's true, they're quick and easy and a delight to make.  And something I might will definitely finish - by this Christmas.  There I posted it here, so you can hold me too it.

The 10-week project is posted one block per week on Wednesdays by Dawn Hays of "As Sweet As Cinnamon".  It's a lovely project and easy to take anywhere or to work on while enjoying a movie/sofa night - last night I began block one and today finished two.   Think about joining us - just click on Dawn's button to the right.
Project details:  silk dupioni (in 5 shades of blue/aqua), white and blue hand-dyed variegated threads from Weeks Dye Works, pre-cut 1/2" hexagons and seed beads in opalescent white and turquoise.  the background is a fabulous white-on-white snowflake print.  All product (except beads) are available at Jovita's Patchwork Atelier.

Greetings from a summery Belgium!  

xox Jovita

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It's been too long ...

Yes, it's been ages since you heard from me ... at first I thought it might be just the summer ... then the summer turned into autumn, there was a winter to be endured, spring came and went and another summer arrived full of activity.  It's nearly 16 months since my last flight from the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

I can honestly say I'm quite settled in Belgium.  And I'm loving it (ok ... I hate the wind & winters) but the rest is a all doable and more often than not very very enjoyable.

My Courtyard Flower Garden
Using 1-1/2" hex and a selection of
fabrics from Fasset, Mably and Jacobs.

Life here has been incredibly busy, last December we moved to a bigger house (smaller yard) which includes built-in shop space.  In February Jovita's Patchwork Atelier opened ... the new shop is even smaller than our little one in Mukilteo but it has been warmly welcomed by many.  I still carry the gorgeous ribbon from Germany and silk of course.  New additions have been the wonderful and colorful works of Philip Jacobs, Brandon Mably and of course,  Kaffe Fasset.

I am also doing a lot more hand-work which I've always enjoyed.  So English Paper Piecing, Needleturn Applique and Wool Applique keep me quite busy.  When I'm not "working" you'll find me puttering in the garden, cooking up a storm, playing with our animals or sitting with my knitting or crochet.

There's a lot to catch you up on including projects, anecdotes from life in Europe, design ideas, free patterns and tutorials.  So I hope you'll bookmark my blog and come back often to visit.

xox Jovita Pin It Now!