Crazy Christmas - FREE PATTERN

I can't tell you how excited I am about Christmas this year! I promise I'll share more soon but it's been busy and hectic and all for the very right reasons.

Yesterday I was teaching an ongoing Crazy Class .. Antoinette's theme is Christmas and she had a rectangular space she needed to fill. Yeh, dumb .. I didn't take pictures but I promise to next time I see her.

Well we looked at her quilt for awhile and then decided she needed a sleigh. So I sat down and drew one.

She was tickled, I loved the 5 minutes it took to draw and we both thought you might enjoy it too.

Antoinette plans to applique the body of the sleigh and the presents, the runners and decoration will be embroidered with 6-strand floss and the bows on the packages might be silk ribbon embroidery.  But you could do anything you want. If I had the time I was thinking simple redwork .. how about you? If you stitch it, I'd love to see it. Please email me a picture, link to your blog or post it in our Flickr group.

So this will print out at ... I don't know ... whatever size.  But you are welcome to enlarge or reduce it to fit your needs.

~ here's a very quick tip to enlarge or reduce any design ~

Measure the design you have.  Then determine the size you want.  Use the length or height ... it doesn't matter. Then take what you WANT and divide by what you HAVE. So if this sleigh currently measures 10" long and you want it to be 6" you'd divide 6 by 10 and get .60 which converts to 60%. Yep, that's the number you plug into your copy machine.  It works the same for enlarging .. you want it bigger, let's say 12". Well then 12 divided by 10 is 1.2 which converts to 120%. Voila!

So I was here and now I'm gone .. more soon. xox Jovita Pin It Now!

Crazy Spring (Give-Away)

Spring has most definitely sprung here .. gorgeous weather, sunny days, blue skies and warm nights. Yesterday we switched our winter duvet for the summer one .. and slept sooo much better for it.

Today was our monthly "Crazy" class ... instead of a typical crazy quilt we do a variety of things using various fibers and techniques.

This is today's result and I couldn't be happier ...



The nest measures just 1-1/2" (3.8cm) wide and uses 6-threads of Weeks Dye Works floss in two colors plus a few strands of 2mm silk ribbon.  The moss is worked with 2 and 3 threads in french knots of 2-3 wraps.  The leaves and flowers are both 4mm ribbon.  It's tiny and I love it!  I will smile every time I look at this little piece.

I also made this sweet egg last week using felted wool and embroidery. I tried to take a pic of it in the window of the shop but alas it's just too sunny ... sorry



But see that pennant line hanging above ... would you like to win one??  It's not complicated really ... a length of rick rack and a stack of diamonds cut from 30s repro fabric then pressed in half and hung over the line.  Voilá - it's cute, simple and hey - you can always use the fabric to make one of these pin cushions after Easter!


It's easy to enter ... just leave a comment before the end of the weekend.  I'll do a drawing on Monday and get it in the post to the winner so you can add it to your Easter decorations!

I know many of my friends are not enjoying the surprises that Mother Nature has had in store the last couple of days so I hope this cheers you up a bit ... here's a shot of my courtyard garden (the chicken wire is *supposed* to keep Whisper from trampling things)

Anyone have a theory why that one daffodil not only shot up 6" above the rest but refuses to face the sun in spite of 3 days of gorgeous sun ... Pin It Now!

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!

Christmas Cheer & Challenge Revealed

This last Tuesday was our annual challenge reveal in Mülheim . . .  what a wonderful day.  The picture above was a peak through Gila’s studio window as we gathered around a merry table to chat, stitch and share.

We all took home a little pile of fun and festive things.  Here’s a peak at what stood

before me on the table.  Everyone brings little “goodies” - a few of “us” hadn’t but will make up for it in a new year.

This year many of us did bring yummies to share and we feasted on a gorgeous and very festive beet salad with apples and walnuts, smoked trout, a cheese board and variety of bread plus broccolli salad and pumpkin pie from the Goldschmidt kitchen and of course cake - to celebrate Gila’s December birthday.

Gila also unwrapped her birthday blocks - this year we each gave each other one block following a set of guidelines, I’ll tell you more about those later in January.  Our challenge next year is to do actually do something with the blocks . . .

The culmination of the day was to “reveal” our challenges for this year - our theme was “CRAZY.”

Unfortunately, I had a bit of a “where is it” problem.  With all my to’ing and fro’ing, I couldn’t the piece I wanted to use.  It was a Christmas-themed crazy in Reds, Greens and Golds.  I had made tons of progress and wanted to finish it off in an unusual way . . . but lo and behold - I could not find it anywhere.

Searching through my studio I was berating myself out loud and at one point mumbled “this is just plain crazy, there’s no way I have time for *another* project.”  Well, that thought led to another and the phrase “Just Plain Crazy” stuck in my head big time.  So . . . yes, I started another project.  Of course this is as far as I got.  Of course, there was quite a chuckle as I pulled piece by piece out of my basket.

Click here to see all of our Challenge entries from 2008 
plus a few from previous years as well.

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A Crazy Weekend

Last weekend we had a blast once again in Koblenz.  It was a small gathering but we definitely went crazy.  

So I thought I’d share my crazy quilt with you.   I swore I’d never make a crazy.  I think what turned me off were how dark they can often be and having seen so many contemporary crazies that were so full your eye couldn’t take it all in - ever.   What changed my mind?  One of my student/friends in Koblenz showed a crazy she did.  There was no turning back after that.  I’ve always embroidered since I was a kid so  . . . never say never.   

I started with a plan. I wanted mine to be simpler, lighter and symbolic.  It was important that this quilt turned out to be bright, fresh and cheerful.  This was to be no mourning quilt as many crazies were, but rather a celebration!  The spring green and magenta should make sure that it never becomes somber.  The rose and ivory will keep it sot.  Later I added teal and sapphire in the hopes it will add a sense of sophistication.   Of course I can’t help adding a bit of periwinkle too . . . my plan keeps morphing but I’m still happy with the result.  I’ve nearly finished four blocks.  I’m alphabetizing them as I go.  Each block gets a monogram.  Blocks B and D still need some work, A is pretty much done and C is nearly there too.

When I started it, I chose to write a journal alongside it . . . I was surprised to open it in class and find that I had started the quilt in 2003.  August to be exact.  

My first entry reads as follows:

Block “A”  The antique lace was

purchased from a rummage sale and the buttons are a few from my growing collection.  

I would like to experiment more with raised Brazilian embroidery - the cast-on rose.  The row of daisies are in honor of a friend’s yellow lab (aptly named Daisy) that we’re dog-sitting the weekend that I started this quilt.  The peacock is my own rendition  and I want to include more to represent our business.  I plan to include more beads, but will keep them simple so they don’t overpower or make the quilt too heavy.

Just a few of the stitches I showed this weekend included:

1. • Chain Stitch and Lazy Daisy stitch 
2. • Cast-on Rose
3. • Poinsettia or Edelweiß flower (next to letter D)
4. •Woven Heart (the one shown here is only half finished.     It’s a basic darning stitch, but is quite nice to use for simple shapes.

Note for those who are truly shocked . . . The pink looks really vicious here but it’s not nearly so neon.  In real life it’s much more of a raspberry-ish magenta.

I think my favorite motif all weekend was this one of beads and knots.  It was just something fanciful that I added to as I went along.

The nice thing is that I’m very relaxed about finishing this quilt.    It does not have to happen tomorrow or even next year.  I only work on it when the mood takes me there.  And I don't stress about it in the meantime. this could take me the rest of my life.

I envision this being a quilt I work on for many years to come, journalling and adding things that are appropriate to my life at that time.   Essentially this will be my journal quilt.

A journal of my crazy life!

Here’s to your history of quilting,     Jovita

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