BLOCK ONE of Morning Star, Morning Bright

We're going to start off basic ... it's a simple 12" Morning Star block.

Every block we make in this quilt is based on this basic Morning Star which includes Flying Geese units. For this block I'm going to suggest the Quick 45° Angle Method (a handout is below) because you'll be able to use the leftover triangles later ... think of it as being one step ahead of the game.

You'll Need:

Background:
   A  FOUR 3-1/2" squares
   B  FOUR 3-1/2" x 6-1/2" rectangles

Star:
   C  EIGHT 3-1/2" squares

Center:
   D  ONE 6-1/2" square

Use pieces B and C and the Quick 45° Angle Method hand-out below to make FOUR flying geese units.  Then you're ready to assemble your block.

I know some of you are very proficient in your quilting and others need a bit of help. I'm running out of time today but absolutely wanted to post this ... so on Monday I'll post a tutorial of the block ... with a picture of the back of my block so you can see how I press my seams.

You can see a step-by-step tutorial of this block here.

Tomorrow we're off to the Netherlands to the Quiltgebeuren to share my GOT DOTS quilt! I am so excited ... the owner asked for my permission to have a group of ladies meet up in her shop to work on my quilt together and a bunch of them are coming too. I am sure it will be a day full of chatter, show and tell and lots inspiration. I promise to take pics and will tell you all about it on Monday! Pin It Now!

NEW QUILT BLOCK of the MONTHMorning Star, Morning Bright

I haven't been sleeping well lately ... one of those crazy prego things that I'm just learning to deal with ... I crash and then am suddenly awake in the wee hours ... hence the name of a new Quilt Along!

So ... does this intrigue?

The block on the right is Block 1 from the Fat Quarter Star Quilt Along by Moose on the Porch Quilts.  The other two are just two of many many many for the Morning Star, Morning Bright Quilt Along.

This all started because right around the time I  signed up to design a block for Konda's Fat Quart Quilt Along we found out I was pregnant ... and boy, oh boy, the combination of the two. New ideas, hormones, stars, new ideas, more hormones - you get the picture right ? ... I couldn't sleep! So I got up and sketched about 20 different stars.  But she only needed one ... eleven other designers were taking care of the rest. 

But now my brain was abuzz and I couldn't stop so I thought why not? Let's do a Quilt Along here ... no major rules, a bit of unknown but fun fun fun ... are you in?

Here's what I know so far ...

• ALL the blocks will finish 12" square (many of you know that's HUGE for me but trust me .. it's going to work AND be gorgeous!)
• All the stars represented are variations of the "Morning Star" - that block you see in the middle
• It takes 54 blocks to make a twin quilt with no sashing or borders, 72 for a queen and 90 for a king.
• I will be posting at least one block or variation every single month. I promise. Sometimes there will be more! 
• It will be fun

What I don't know ...

• Exactly how much fabric we will need ... I started with a pile of reds and whites then threw in a few blacks and I'll see how far it takes me.  I'm guessing though that if you had 3 yards of one color group and 3 of another you'd get pretty darn far.
• If you want a button to go on your blog? Yes? No? ... let me know!

So ... tomorrow I'll share the cutting directions for that great big gorgeous block in the middle and you should mark your calendar for January 17th to check out Konda's Fat Quarter Star Quilt Along at Moose on the Porch Quilts because the block I designed for her works perfectly here too!

And then start throwing questions at me ... what else do you need to know?

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Oh October

You're here already ...

October is my favorite month! More life-changing events have taken place in October than any other month. Fitting, really, since my birthday is in October.

And this one is especially momentous .. I am turning 40!!! Not a big deal really, just always fun to celebrate those big even ones. Forty doesn't bug or scare me but I had hoped to celebrate in some special way. Maybe not after all .. it's a long story.

But it's going to be a busy month ... hang on and get ready for a great ride!

I managed to ring in the new month with a half hour of sewing tonight.


Konda's Star, a photo by Jovita's Patchwork Atelier on Flickr.


The pattern is Block 1 from the Fat Quarter Star Quilt Along by Moose on the Porch Quilts.

I reversed the light and dark, left the medium in the same place. Love the red background and alternating (ooops) B&W points. Not so excited about the kind of smudgy looking star in the middle.

The ooops is because I realized *just* in time that I only had 7 of the black and white floral pieces so quickly grabbed the polka dot to use for 4 of them. It's quirky but I think gives it great personality.
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The Quilt Along Starts Today

Oh my, is it really the end of September? ... I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Moose on the Porch Fat Quarter Stars Quilt Along started today!

Isn't Konda's block lovely?

Click here to jump on over and get her directions.  I hope you'll join us .. I can hardly wait to whip out my block tomorrow - they're 12" so should piece up fast. Now if only I could choose colors quickly! That's a hard one for me.  I noticed today that nearly all my quilts can be divided into two stacks. Either PURPLE / BLUE or BRIGHT MELONY colors.  Yikes, huh? Time I changed that!

Stay tuned .. we already have the schedule and my block in this quilt along is schedule to debut January 17, 2012 .. wow, that sounds far away. But I promise it will come sooner that you and I expect. 

By the way, I would love your ideas for the "door" prize I should give away ... leave me a comment and let me know what you would most like to win from me please.

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Jane in Rainbow effect ..

Jane in Rainbow effect .., a photo by Jovita's Patchwork Atelier on Flickr.

Sorry about the tease ... to appease, here's a peak at all my finished blocks .. another six are at various stages of incompletion. Pin It Now!

Don't Miss Out

Some of you might not know that I blog Under the Willow Tree with a bunch of friends around the world.

It's been quiet over the summer but I just shared some fun and new things. You'll definitely want to stop by if you're looking for just the right take-along project as kids return to school and sports schedules resume .. or for your own lunchbreaks and waits and doctor's appointments. Or even, for just those few minutes you snatch for yourself each evening. Just be sure to stop by and check it out!

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Fat Quarter Stars Quilt Along

I've been asked to be one of the designers for the Fat Quarter Stars Quilt Along hosted by Konda of Moose on the Porch Quilts.

Starting September 27th, every other TUESDAY, instructions for a new 12" block will be posted at Moose on the Porch Quilts. All of the blocks will be star blocks made from fat quarters and some background yardage. Every two weeks there will be a guest blogger at Moose on the Porch Quilts introducing himself or herself and his/her block. At the end you will have made a fun quilt 65" x 84" (or 74" x 93").

I was also a designer for Konda's Layer Cake Quilt Along. You can see the block I designed here.

I hope you join us! It's sure to be a dazzling show of wonderful star themed blocks. Pin It Now!

fueling my addiction to hexagons

more hexies, a photo by Jovita's Patchwork Atelier on Flickr.

when you have a problem, stopping is harder than you think ... Pin It Now!

GOT DOTS Lollipops Pattern

Here you have it ladies & gentlemen, the long-awaited pattern for the LOLLIPOPS Block - part 3 of the great GOT DOTS quilt along.


And just to tease you a tad more .. there is a border in the works .. here's a peak. Click on the link below or here to download the Part 3 pattern booklet and happy stitching. I am looking forward to seeing your pics added to our Flickr group!

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One Sunday, Two Janes

It was a fabulous day here .. the sun was shining, we got the grass / dust mowed and Axel took a nap (after a 5 hour drive back and forth, plus errands with his parents yesterday *and* babysitting with me for friends until 1am, he deserved it).

And while he napped, I played! 

Cut and sewed these two blocks - the math I did yesterday, but yes, today there were corrections. Both blocks are rotary cut and machine pieced, they are A-1 "Pinwheel Gone Awry" and A-2 "One Two, Buckle My Shoe" from page 17 of the Dear Jane® book by Brenda Papadakis.

I am loving how they turned out! You too? 

Well then you should surely think about joining our Contemporary Jane quilt along featured Under the Willow Tree. A bunch of girlfriends from my previous shop are all doing it together and would welcome anyone who wants to join - the more the merrier. The construction method I used for these blocks will be blogged too .. including lots of tips and hints!

We are making "our" Janes ... we're not using reproductions but sticking to fabrics that reflect us now and allowing the freedom to add, change or leave out blocks that don't fancy us. To get an idea of what we mean, check out our "Contemporary Jane" board on Pinterest. For more useful Jane links, please see this post

My Jane? I'm using primarily Kaffe fabrics, but anything that plays nice goes too! The 2nd block is made using "Peacock" by Amy Butler ... how couldn't I?? Here are just some of the fabrics I'll be adding to my quilt .. and the basket I'll be keeping this project in, of course!

Yes, HOT ... and that is what we are expecting ... 
for 3 days, weather to exceed 90F / 32C.

Axel is already dreading it and drew up the beginning of his defense plan today. I was supposed to sew black out curtains for the living room and he install our air conditioner and a ceiling fan in our bedroom. Um, nothing happened. But tomorrow I will cut the board we need to have the air conditioner ready for tomorrow night. Sorry love, the curtains are just not going to happen until we finish painting that corner and hang the rod. Love you, x

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Jump on our Jane Train!

Clockwise starting top left:
D-13, A-5, B-4, J-6

For me the Jane train has been circling for years - do it, don't, do, don't and all the pros, cons, reasons and guilts why I should or shouldn't.  But I've finally decided to jump on and thoroughly enjoy the ride.  I have to blame Maria ... she finds things that just get my blood going, then there's a sleepless night, a stack of fabric pulled from stash plus some more and what do you know?  

So .. what's the plan?
To get you involved of course!

We *know* you want to join us.  Maria and Deb are in for sure!  I think we have Karen convinced ... Jill and Cathy are talking about it and Lesley is thinking about it too!  This could be so much fun.

Maria, Deb and I are all going modern / bright / rainbow / Kaffe-inspired / not-traditional.  Not sure about the others yet but I know they'll let us know.  

My Color Palette

If you need more inspiration ... check out my Pinterest board.  

I've made six blocks to "test" my background choice - Kona cotton solid "Bayou."  These are my four faves so far ...  Sadly, it's raining so my pictures are limited ... in fact these are scans (which explains the odd shades of the bayou - my scanner is being temperamental ... but hopefully you get the idea.  The upper left corner is most accurate for the "Bayou" and the sashing will be the same.


So here it is .. the plan is to start mid-May / June and do a minimum of four blocks per month.

To give you an idea of how easy going we're going to be here's my plan: It's important to me that I make MY quilt and not one like the many many Janes, Baby Janes, etc that are out there. So here's what I'm thinking about and where I might to go with it.

Fabrics:  Kaffe, Jacobs, Mabry (I carry these in my shop in Belgium) plus some of my own faves from the stash.  What's great about some of these large-scale prints is you can get multiple blocks from the same fabric without them looking the same.

Background: Yep, it's for sure - Kona cotton solid "Bayou".

Blocks /  variations:  I will make all the blocks I like, probably leave out some that I don't and add a few of my favorites (ex: a churndash and maybe a little house)

Size: it all depends if my honey and I like where it's going .. if so I'll make it bed-size but will have to *add* a lot more blocks then because our bed is so long to accommodate all 6'8" of him.  

Border: probably not the triangles, but don't worry we'll still post about them as we go along.

Methods: machine piecing (traditional and maybe foundation paper-piecing) hand piecing and hand applique ... a couple of reasons for this. I am going to do what works best for each block and I'm not worried about "mixing techniques."

So, go do some browsing - my pinterest board and google images are good places to start ... then get your thinking cap, choose your colors and find the fabrics that get your blood pumping. And stay tuned ... we'll tease you with more right up until we start .. and even then it will never be too late ...

and p.s. if you find out that you love Pinterest as much as I do and don't want to hassle with the wait, let me know and I'll send you an invite. Pin It Now!

A Winner's Packet

Remember the U Pick block tutorial I wrote last week for the Moose on the Porch Layer Cake Quilt Along ... Konda picked two winners and I got to send something sweet to Grethe in Norway!

*** Keep reading cuz you could win one too! ***

What's in the package?

• A kit to make the pin cushion you see pictured here. It's an original design by me and coordinates with my Nesting block of the month. The kit includes the wool, rick-rack, beads, buttons and silk ribbon.
• Three skeins of hand-dyed embroidery floss also for the pin cushion.
• A vintage-inspired packet of needles
• A greeting card with five 9" pieces of top quality Jacquard ribbon attached, the card can be mailed to a friend or the ribbons used to adorn many projects.

I hope you enjoy it Grethe!

By the way, I know that some of you have sewn this block as participants in my Skills-Building block of the month (it was block 5A). I've started a Flickr group for everyone to see how many different blocks you can get from this by changing the layout or color selection. I would love for you to up-load your blocks and add them to the U-Pick Group.

But even if you haven't participated in my Skills-Building BOM, you can go download the tutorial, make a block and post it in the U-Pick Flicker Group. No fooling, on April 1st, I'll pick a random winner and you'll get a pin cushion kit too!

In the meantime, you can see all the blocks made for the Layer Cake Quilt Along here. Konda's Quilt Along is a lot of fun, you should check out all the blocks! Pin It Now!

U Pick

Moose on the Porch Quilts is hosting a fun quilt along using Layer Cakes and I got to play along as one of the designers. Too fun, right? Phew, yeh! First I had to decide which block I wanted to share, then make it in 12" (that's huge for me) plus make sure you could get all the pieces from a Layer Cake (a 10" square).

I had a blast! and came up with this ... the U Pick block.

Every one of these blocks is made using the exact same elements and the fabrics in the same position ... I just shuffled the 9 units around to get the different options.

So, if you're wondering what layout I chose to sew my units into .. here it is!

I took a pic of the back for you too so you can see the pressing instructions in action.

And a close up of the points .. this is why I recommend not pressing the half-square triangle units until you've decided which layout to use.

So be sure to go check out Moose on the Porch Quilts
and the first 9 blocks.

You'll find the link to my block instructions here.

p.s. You can also play around by sewing the (red) bar to the (cream) edge of the goose instead of next to the triangles.

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I ♥ U (aka Got Dots part 2)

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!  

Keep reading for more about Part 2 of the great GOT DOTS quilt along ... we're sure you'll love these hearts as much as I do.  xox

First I hope you are all having a wonderful day.  I just put dinner in the oven - something new that I'm hoping Axel will enjoy followed by Flowing Chocolate Cake before I head off to a quilting bee.  Yes, don't worry, he's fine with that ... in fact very fine with that.  A quiet evening at home is the best  {heart} gift I could give him tonight.

You see, I kept him awake last night and not for the fun reasons.  More because my tummy was talking to me because we had french fries from the local (literally next door) frituur last night because we had to come up with a quick fence fix because Whisper decided she should start jumping it because there's obviously more fun stuff to do "out there."  So I'm going out, he's staying in and chilling and next week we're going for dinner in Gent.

So ... it's here ... part 2 of the great GOT DOTS quilt along!  It took me a little while to get it all drawn and written up for you ... but yes, indeedy, these Hearts are for you - Happy Valentines Day!

I really enjoyed appliqueing these hearts and hope you will too.  I found it was easiest to applique every other heart (either the big ones or the little ones) and then fill in between with the other size.

Here's an idea of what your quilt could look like if you did just the Dots and the Hearts blocks ... but don't forget - the Bowls block templates will be coming in April in time for Easter.

I've also added a new page to my blog ... now you can link up to the great GOT DOTS quilt along.

You can download the templates and info here or here.  Or you can browse through it here below.

! ! ! H a P p Y   H a P p Y   H e A r T ~ D a Y ! ! !

x ~ o ~ x

Jovita

to all my European friends who are unfamiliar with this ... 
x = kiss & o = hug

p.s.  If you want to know more about the quilt featured at the top ... it's a mini(? - 18" x 22") I made a few years ago .. if you'd like the pattern let me know and I'll add it to the blog - it was a lot of fun to make!

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Drooling at the Victoria & Albert Museum {SALE}

George III reviewing the troops (detail)

Unknown maker, 1803–1805

Some of you may know that I went to London last summer to see their Quilts 1700-2010 Exhibition. I fell in love over and over again! The quilts were amazing and I'll keep comments to myself about the exhibition itself - the choices ... the organization ... the curator ... I could go on and on ... but I won't.

In front of this quilt top, I could have stood *all* day ... sadly they had placed it at a dead end so I did not want to be a hog ... there were many others who wanted to enjoy it's beauty.  Of course there was this quilt, this quilt top, another top and this bed "hanging" among many others that I could have poured over for hours.  In the words of another blogger ... Jean, The Sneaky Magpie and many others were invited to a preview - the rest of us weren't allowed to take photos" so be sure and check out their blogs too.

The Victoria & Albert Museum describes the quilt top:

"Unlined patchwork coverlet made from a wide variety of plain and printed cottons. At the centre is a circular, figurative panel that has been pieced and embroidered, showing the review of volunteer troops in Hyde Park by King George III. The image is inspired by a print by John Singleton Copley of 1799. The ground is white cotton with a repeating pieced design of segmented circles in printed cottons. Each circle has a variety of different patterns within it, including stars, squares, crosses, diamonds and flowers. The printed cottons include coral-like shapes, dots, florals, hearts and anchors. Many are block-printed cottons from the late eighteenth century, and some were originally glazed. The central panel may have been inserted after the completion of this patchwork, as it cuts through two pieced representations of the sun and the moon. It suggests that the two may once have been separate patchwork projects, although they may have been worked by the same hand as both the stitching and textiles are consistent. The border comprises 40 pieced vignettes, alternately circular and oval in shape, showing patriotic, domestic and naval scenes taken from contemporary prints and paintings. The number of patches per scene ranges from around 23 to 45. Additional embroidery has been added to the central panel and border, worked with silk threads in chain, satin and long and short stitches. There is also evidence of drawing, and some areas have been stamped with black ink, such as the small birds in the central medallion. The coverlet is unlined, and small fragments of the original paper template can be found in several areas."

Would you like to know more:

• The curator's thoughts on the King George Coverlet are an interesting read.
• Susan Briscoe's discusses the possibility that this quilt top was a group project.  
• Janet Barnsley's has posted more photos on her blog A Quilter's Journal. 

I've been obsessing about the King George top since July and am dying to make a small wallhanging of the blocks (for our living room?).  At first glance you would think there were 100s of different blocks - but it turns out there are just 16 circular blocks which are repeated throughout the top.  So I was planning on drafting them and having some fun on the side ... guess what?  I don't have to.  Marta did it for us!

Want to join us in the King George Sew Along (SAL)?  Yes, her posts are in Spanish but Google translate does an "OK" job ... and the pattern downloads are in English.  If you're as keen as I am, grab this button and join the fun!  Now, what colors ....  Oh, yes, you should check out Samsy too, she has also drafted and made a couple blocks too and I *really* like her colors.

So what prompted me to finally remember to tell you all about this quilt?  The V&A is having a SALE!  including the fabrics which were specially printed by Liberty's for the Quilts 1700-2010 Exhibition.  Pin It Now!

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!

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!

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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