Process, Progress and Projects plus a request for HELP!

It's been a few quiet days here while I process more of what has happened. I know there's still a long way to go, but it saddens and maddens me that part of the processing includes "family" grief (um, no pun intended but rather fitting really).

When I can ... I sew ...

Last night it was the border for GOT DOTS. I pulled it out of the corner on a whim because I needed to grab something quick. Our new routine is for Axel to read aloud for a while instead of just turning the TV on. It's a nice quiet time for us together. I always have tons of dots prepped and background pieces marked so it's quite useful for this. The lower three blocks were all appliqued last night and into this morning .. I may or may not have spent most of this morning on the sofa with my thoughts and my dots but I think know it did me good. 

 

That embroidery project continues but is nearly finished.

And then there are my curtains which I'm madly in love with but still have to bind / hem. Why am I so scared of this part of the project? - I sure hope it doesn't ripple, stretch or hang funny.

There are more pics here.

You can read more about this project here ... but once they're hung I'll share all the details.

en ik heb je HELP nodig!  Ken jij dit?

  

Het postkantoor stuurde me een lege envelop. Ik weet niet van wie het is, maar wat in de envelop was is verdwenen. Ik ben zo verdrietig en bezorgd dat misschien het bevatte een quilt blok of een kaart voor saskia en arne. De "fout" gebeurde bij het sorteren van kantoor Gent. Als u dit handschrift kent of kan helpen gelieve me te laten weten of bel de Post op 022/76 35 18.   

For my english speaking friends this just says that our lovely post office sent me an empty envelope ... I am really hoping someone recognizes the handwriting ... I'd be so sad if one of your lovely blocks was lost.

 More blocks have arrived in the last few days, just look at these lovelies ...

And I forgot to take a pic of this sweet one before I started playing 

with it and added the elephant border.

 

So a few thoughts on projects that are pending ... 

• Back in January, Heidi suggested I do a tutorial for how I do all my prepping for GOT DOTS and I will .. soon .. it's on my list. 
• As is the next block for Morning Star, Morning Bright. Thank you Marion for your lovely email! The next block will be dedicated to you. 
• And Oma Lena's Flower Garden, oh boy, I have a feeling I have never blogged about this one. Long overdue! It's a quilt I designed and began years ago (ha, even before the latest English Paper Piecing craze) and it's a goody that I'm hoping to have available for purchase outside of the shop soon!  
• Plus Nesting ... yes I am still feeling it.

Spring is coming, my dog has the worst case of spring fever and it cracks me up. 

Plus I think it's rubbing off on me. 

Day by day ... ok, hour by hour. 

Back soon, xox Jovita

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Quilt Happenings - a weekend update

Wow, what a great way to spend a Saturday. My darling husband chauffeured me to a sweet little quilt shop in Brielle, Netherlands. 't Atelier Quiltgebeuren (update: this shop has since closed) had invited me to their Bloggerday to show my GOT DOTS quilt and demonstrate how I make my even little dots. Little did I know what a wonderful adventure it would be ...

L-R: Heidi, Ingeborg & her daughter.

Sweet, sweet shop! 't Atelier Quiltgebeuren

The shop is owned by mother and daughter-in-law team Willy and Janine. A lovely pair of amazing ladies ... I coulda shoulda taken more pictures but I was much to busy "babbeling" (nattering) with the their customers and a number of new-to-me friends. Janine blogs regularly so you should stop by and check out her beautiful work. She also offers a long-arm quilting service through the shop.

One of the first ladies to greet me was Heidi ... haha, Heidi ... seriously if I could convey the feeling I have every time I think about the weekend. We laughed, compared coasts, threw some punches - literally and laughed some more. It turns out Heidi is from New York ... most of you know I'm from Seattle ... the other ladies got a bit of a kick out of our (feigned) rivalry. Heidi blogs too Between Stitches ... her weekend report is here.

Also on hand was Jeanneke of Building Houses from Scraps fame. I'm sure I caught a few flies (or a couple of handfuls) when she said she's only been quilting 4-5 years! Pop over here and scroll down to the first pic - those are her quilts! Ok, I really must photograph all my finished quilts .. surely I have more than the five I manage to count when everyone asks me how many, how long, etc.

Els was lovely, snapping a funny pic of Heidi and I and writing a sweet description of us. Sadly it's in Nederlands but try google translator ... you'll probably still get the gist. AND she's got some fabulous pictures of the shop and classroom - yep, all those I didn't take.

Els' caption made me giggle "Hey Apple, what's up Seattle?"
Oh, and those quilts behind us are all from Jeanneke!

But I'm hoping to go back ... they're already talking about a visit to Kalken. I'm looking forward to another wonderful exchange of ideas and friendship.

So here's a recap of links you should definitely check out!

Heidi - Between Stitches

Els' Blog

Jeanneke

There were so many wonderful ladies ... I wish I could have met them all personally and chatted longer but there was so much to see!  >> If any of you were there and you have a blog .. be sure to let me know I'd be very happy to link you in!

Ingeborg - Quiltswaen

As for me and my babes ... we slept like logs last night to make up for the 4 hours we managed the night before. So today I have the energy of a hundred. First up - taxes. Then the tutorial for Block 1 of our new Morning Star, Morning Bright Block of the Month. 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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My Heart went THUMP

Do you work from home? Ever work yourself into a complete tizzy and then crave the company of co-workers to talk you down? I had a Friday like that last week. Frustrated with so many things on so many levels I couldn't put a single thought together. By the time Axel came home I was a lost cause, I tried to explain and then ask him for ideas ... he was lost. Poor guy, he had no idea what I was talking about. Somehow I managed to talk myself down, but it was a rough, rough day.

Saturday was great and I made loads of progress on my white picket fence ... a small object that is beginning to represent so much.

So between Saturday and Sunday I woke in the middle of the night to thumping in my head. It wasn't a headache, but boy was it thumping, echoing my heartbeat which seemed to be a tad faster than usual. I finally got up and during the course of the day drank two huge cups of coffee (after giving it up and not liking the taste for over a year)! I sat down at my desk and drew up some plans: basic weekly to-do lists and a daily checklist. Some things are simple like make dinner plans and change the bedding. Other things were huge, like remember to eat a healthy lunch, clear my desk every night and make a plan for the next day before I finish "work" each evening.



This week has gone much better ... much! It feels better. That crazy heart / head thumping episode messed up my internal clock but last night I finally got a good solid nights sleep - long may they continue.

Yes, I'm still a tad bugged about the list of things that need doing .. all around really .. in the house, the shop, the studio. The list always seems to get longer rather than shorter. But that jolt of creativity I had a couple of weeks ago is still flowing strong in spite of the frustration.

Yesterday I finished hand-piecing the first twenty-five blocks of Got Dots together .. I am so in love with this project! Every dot, every heart, block, row .. it's lovely, it's satisfying and I'll keep going until it's big enough to nap under but for now it can hang on the wall of the shop, smiling on everyone that comes in.  It will also get a border but it's simple and sweet so I'll continue on that in the meantime.  On my list for this afternoon is to double-check the instructions for the Lollipop (formerly known as Bowl) block and get them posted on the blog.

I'm going great guns on Nesting as well ... I think I might even have the top completely appliqued and together by the beginning of September. The patterns are coming along well and I just have one or two that need a bit of tweaking here and there.



And then there's this .. finally .. in the midst of my panic on Friday I made myself a needlebook and took photographs step by step so I could finally put together packets, patterns and maybe even some finished product (etsy?).



So sometimes we put our panic and self doubt to good use - long may it continue!

Now I'm off to have a healthy lunch, play with Whisper, get a jump start on dinner and throw some laundry in the washing machine. This afternoon a fabric rep is coming and I'm hoping to find some new goodies for the shop. Pin It Now!

Things are Growing!

It's been busy busy around here ... we've had a few good days of sunshine and the wind / temperatures were mild enough that I managed to do some weeding in the garden. The 265 bulbs I planted in the courtyard really made lots of progress this week ... I can hardly wait for the mini daffs to open their sunny buds.

Monday was an amazing day here. It actually got too warm in the car ... whatta feeling! I took Axel to work in the morning so I could have the car to go by the garden center. I stocked up on primroses and spring bulbs and planted up two meter-long planters for our kitchen window sills. It's a wonderful feeling to come down in the morning, open the blinds and be greeted by an explosion of color.



Whisper and I were just talking the other day about how much easier this winter was. It seemed to go by much faster ... she thinks it's because we didn't have that very deep freeze over the new year. But I think it helped that we always had blue skies when we looked out the shop and kitchen windows into the courtyard.

Evenings are spent with Dots ... lots and lots of dots. I can't tell you how much I am enjoying this project. It's contagious and addictive. The layout here is not right, for that you need to look at the sketch in the right column of my blog but for now I'm one dot away from having 17 blocks finished. And I've trialled the Bowl Block, here's a close-up.

And Angéle has finished her table runner! Isn't it scrumptious. She chose not to quilt it so just hemmed a really long (over two meters) length of fabric then used the Dots template and overlapped the first row of dots each time to get this fantastic centerpiece. Yes, I'm drooling and seriously contemplating a 3rd dots project ... yes, I know, crazy! Third you ask .. oh yes, I still need to show you pics of my bright and cheerful dots blocks.

I have lots more to show ... another mini project, the beginnings of an Amish swap with Liz, new pillowcases .. and .. and .. and ..  I have been busy ... the spring bug has hit :)  But I might be a little AWOL the next little while, you see we're going to paint our bathroom and then our kitchen.  Both are huge jobs as both involve panelled ceilings and the bathroom has tons of really ugly tile to cover up.  So when I re-surface, I promise there will be more updates.  And if I get a chance I'll drop by with a few pics here and there.

Happy Spring, Happy Sewing!  xox Jovita Pin It Now!

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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FAQ: the great GOT DOTS quilt along

Everything you want to know about the great GOT DOTS quilt along and more.

Q Where did the inspiration for this quilt along come from?
A A friend and I saw this quilt on display in the Bellevue Arts Museum.  Click on the photo for a larger view.

Q How big are the blocks.
A My blocks are 6" / 15cm finished blocks but you are welcome to adapt this to any size you desire.

Q How big is the quilt?
A It's been so long since I saw the original ... but I think it was about 72" wide.

Q How big will the quilt be?

A I am actually working on two quilts:  one will contain all three types of blocks (dots, hearts and bowls) and I am not sure yet how big it will be but first I am going to plan for a top that is 42" x 54" and then decide if I want it larger.  This means I will need a total of 63 blocks with a layout of 7 blocks across and 9 blocks down.
For the 2nd quilt I am using bright colors the dots blocks for a contemporary twist .. I'll share more about that quilt soon.

Q How much background fabric will I need?
A For 6"/ 15cm finished blocks I cut my backgrounds 7" / 18cm to allow for trimming after the blocks were appliqued.
For a quilt using 63 blocks and
          40" useable fabric width = 2-5/8 yards of fabric.
          42" useable fabric width = 2-1/8 yards of fabric.

Q How much fabric do I need for the dots, hearts and bowls?
A I am using only scraps for the appliques, so giving you a quantity is quite difficult.

• each DOT block contains 21 dots - you need a 1-1/4" circle for each dot.
• the HEART block contains 5 dots plus 8 hearts - for each you need about 2-1/4" x 2-1/2".
• the BOWL block contains 11 dots plus a 1-1/2" x 2" piece for the bowl.  

Q How many different blocks are in the GOT DOTS quilt?

A Three (3):  The dots block, the hearts block and the bowl block.

DOTS

HEARTS

LOLLIPOPS 

Q Where do I get the templates to get started?
A Check the right-hand column of my blog for links to each part of the quilt along as they are posted.

Do you have more questions, feel free to send them my way and I'll add the answers here! Pin It Now!

I {heart} DOTS

It's been busy, busy here this weekend with scraps of fabric flying in every direction!

We're just about ready to roll out Part Two of the great GOT DOTS quilt along.  So I'm testing the templates now to make sure you'll like them.  I appliqued the first four larger skinnier hearts in a couple of hours this afternoon and have the very sweet little hearts basted in place for tonight's handwork.


I *nearly* showed you a pic of my living room from this weekend.  My husband was sorting through boxes of his touring info on one sofa while I had piles and box of scraps on mine.

Oh my ... it . was . a . mess!

But this is what it looked like after all that *organization* ... I think I'm set now for scraps for this quilt and will enjoy watching it grow and grow and grow.  This basket and tray sit next to the sofa now ready for evening "entertainment"


I think I just mocked up the label for my quilt too ... but I may write it " i {heart} dots " ... not sure yet :)

Here's a quick shot of the 170 dots I cut out and basted around cardstock in the course of two evenings.   170 sounds like a lot o' dots ... but it takes 21 for each dotty block so, um, that's a whopping 8 blocks in that little Bonne Maman jam jar.

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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!

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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