Amish Delight

I know. Another post. Today.

There is likely to be yet another.

But I absolutely had to share!

The postman came yesterday bearing gifts.

Yes, you read that right.

Not one, but two.

Actually, even more than that.

But two packages.

One from Lisa and another from Cathy.

Here's a little background.

To be 100% honest, I can't remember when I actually "met" Lisa. I know we crossed paths a few times, exchanged greetings here and there. But when did we become "friends" ... I don't know. We see each other very little, write even less. But I know she's a friend. I think about her often and feel her thinking about me. It's hard to describe. She's there. She's been there. For a long time.

The story of this little quilt started many many years ago. I whipped the top together during an Amish workshop I was giving in Germany. Then it sat in a pile of tops was hung occasionally. Often forgotten. At a quilt show in March 2008, Lisa saw the top pinned up in my booth and asked if she could quilt it for me. Um ... sure ... wow! No hurry, whenever. On and off I had forgotten it over the years. Until it arrived yesterday.

Not just quilted, but embroidered as well.

Tears, goosebumps, gratitude, love.

oh my

Can you SEE how fine that quilting is? 

Did I mention that the entire quilt measures 11-1/2" squares. 

Those tiny green squares you see above are 1/2"!

Her note said I could remove the embroidery if I didn't like it. 

Are you kidding? 

I LOVE IT. 

I saw it first. The initials. A J A S. Axel looked at it and was a bit puzzled. You see, my middle name is Adria so it all made since until he got to the S ... Goldschmidt? And then it hit and he cried too. The poor man. Sometimes I just want to scoop him up into my heart and hold him there. 

The second package was from Cathy.

A new friend.

I think I met her through my friend Maria first.

Get this.

I live in Belgium, Maria was living in Colombia, Cathy lives in Maryland.

What's the connection?

Yep, you guessed.

Facebook

and Pinterest.

Honestly.

Sometimes I hate social media.

But how can you hate it when it brings people like Cathy into your life?

The second package contained not one

but two of these wonderful little heart blocks!

Honestly Cathy!

They're so sweet.

How did you know?

That I love most things Amish?

That they belong here?

I haven't decided what to make.

But it will be special.

Because you cared.

Because you're my friend.

Cathy also sent this book. 

We're looking forward to spending some quiet times together. 

Reading it together.

Thank you!

The gifts are beautiful. They are wonderful.

But nothing compares to the gifts of your friendship.

Thank you to both of you for your love and kindness.

xox

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Overflowing

My heart is overflowing.

 More blocks have arrived and I haven't shown them to you.

This one is from an old customer from before I had my own shop and was working in a local NW chain. She lives in Arizona now. This is where it gets crazy! Kathy works in a quilt shop there, in walks a Belgian lady. They get to talking ... Kathy tells her about my shop. Said customer lives 20 minutes away but hadn't heard about me yet. So on Kathy's recommendation finds my shop when she comes home. The world just gets smaller and smaller.

But anywhoo. Isn't this block precious?

I can't tell you how much it means to me. 

And so unexpected. 

When the first one came I didn't realize what it meant.
That doesn't sound right. I understood the sentiment.
But I had no idea what was coming ...

I'm just stunned by everyone's generosity. 

Of their time, their lovely fabrics, their handwork and artwork.

Do you want to see more?

Row 1 : 1. Liliane v.I., 2. Blanche, 3. Angéle, 4. Joop

Row 2 : 5. Edith, 6. Marina, 7. Linda, 8. Marleen

Row 3 : 9. Christiane, 10. Betty, 11. Chris d.L., 12. Albine 

Row 4 : 13. Antoinette, 14. Dorothea, 15. Marlies, 16. Nonna 

Row 5 : 17. Mieke, 18. Carine, 19. Hilde, 20. Nicole

If you click on the maker's name 

you can see a larger photo of the block.

Row 1 : 1. Monique, 2. Kathy, 3. Philo, 4. Georgette 

Row 2 : 5. Shelia, 6. Eveline, 7. Marleen, 8. Bernadette 

Row 3 : 9. Linda d.R., 10. Marleen, 11. Dédé, 12. Liliane F. 

Row 4 : 13. Magdalena, 14. Bea, 15. Gillette, 16. Chris d.V. 

Row 5 : 17. Madeleine, 18. Danielle, 19. Andréa, 20. Kathleen

Most of these blocks came from ladies in Belgium,
many who belong to same guild in Gent.

~

I've been hard at work with a plan for a quilt that will be so treasured in our family. 

I hope to have the top done by the summer so I can start quilting it.

A couple of blocks are destined for pillows and / or a smaller wall hanging.

One block is missing. I goofed.

But I'm fixing it and will show it soon.

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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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I know it's normal but I've been having a hard time sleeping lately. I fall into bed exhausted in the evenings and manage to sleep soundly ... for about three or four hours. Then something wakes me and I spend the rest of the night sleeping in about 5 minute intervals. MOST nights my mind is at ease but sleep just won't come. Some nights my heart aches and / or my brain won't stop turning. 

Those nights make for very very long nights.

This exhaustion magnifies the overwhelming feelings 

... especially today ... 

by your show of kindness and love.

Your comments, email and snail mail continue to pour in. I know I haven't answered yet. But I will. 

I promise. Every single one. 

Your generosity just keeps pouring in and I don't know how we will ever be able to thank you all. (My husband made me change this to WE ...)

The message that came with this block today began "We have never met ..." ~ tears flowed

The letter from my aunt said so much so succinctly ~ I sobbed

A friend presented me with this lovely momento ~ more tears

the flowers above are from her too 

 

My neighbour came over and vacuumed, then mopped my kitchen ~ and I got to play with her baby

Some nights I turn to the iPad and check emails (which honestly isn't a good idea because they are often so stirring). Safer is to catch up on blog reading. Yep, until the other night when I was browsing along, reading a fellow shop owner's blog. I told you a little about Janine's shop when I visited in January to demo my GOT DOTS quilt.

Read this post ... all the way down to the bottom. The last part is in English and left me speechless.

I still haven't found the words to thank her enough.

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Behind the Curtain

A few of you have asked how I can write. 

 Now, at a time like this? 

Sometimes I ask myself how all my bumbling thoughts make it past my cloudy mind and shaking hands to hit the keys in just the right order. Ha, as I accidentally type "write order" instead of "right order." Yes, cloudy head full of mush.

I used to write more. A few short stories, lists, comments, thoughts and lots of letters. Random bits of my life now scattered through various hard drives and boxes of memories. Writing helps. I haven't done it in a long time but I am finding it's my way of coping ... of venting ... of sharing.

However, in the midst of all this, I have asked myself ... do I share to much? Do I rely on you to much? To read what I write, to burden you with my heart.

Not coincidentally (I don't believe in coincidence anymore - let's call it serendipity instead), I recently read this post by Corinne of So September. How small the world has become through this thing called blogging. She writes about how we can know so much about each other, and then not know how much to say in our comments or email. Can blogging and commenting (or not) make for mostly one-sided relationships? I think not ... not by your responses to my recent posts. I know you can't comment every time. But trust me, every time you do it helps me to know you each a little better.

Is it too much?
to ask ... to share ... to want ... to give

But this is, after all, my blog ... my patchwork blog ... maybe it's a patchwork of my life.

Ok, so you ask

"Where IS the PATCHWORK?"

It's here! I promise. 

Honestly, I haven't felt like much but a few projects have surfaced on their own and so I haven't been able to ignore them. As usual I have more than one project in the works.

... One is by hand, well actually it's several. Embroidered memories of Saskia and Arne for their godparents and grandparents (although I'm still struggling with the last ones).  Somehow as they acknowledge (or not) that our hopes and dreams have been dashed I don't think it has hit them that two (more) grandchildren were born. Born and snatched from us before they even got a chance to
say hello.

Saskia and Arne weren't just brother and sister. 

They were more than just our daughter and son! (sorry, feel the need to shout here). 

They were also grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins!

I can't explain why it's so hard to accept that no one has asked ...
... under "normal" circumstances they would have.

... so just for the record ...

... for here and now ... 

Saskia looked just like her daddy. She had his sweet round childish face and definitely his nose. Axel dreamed a few weeks ago that she had my eyes and hair. But sadly her eyes were closed so I will just trust him that she did.

Arne had a tear in his eye when the nurse gave him to me. His nose was mine ... and my dad's ... running the straight and narrow in his beautiful long face. They were beautiful. They were
perfect.

Just as we dreamed. 

I won't get started on their hands and feet. Oh, their feet - those poor kids. Saskia's were HUGE! Bigger than Arne's. Their footprints resemble ours. One had my toes, the other Axel's.

How is this possible? 

They were so perfect ...

So, funnily enough, my second project has to do with privacy. Curtains. For my office / atelier. I have huge north-facing windows that are directly on the street. Every passing soul walks past my front window. It's a huge window - I'd show you a pic but remember that computer problem? Well it hasn't gone away. Thank goodness I can use my laptop as a backup for blogging and emails.  But those icky ucky landlord-grade grey sheers needed to go. They provided no privacy. If I worked in my office in the evenings you could see right through. I felt like I was in a fishbowl. They also provide no warmth. Not a good thing for north facing windows in wintry Belgium. So the window treatment will eventually involve "layers." I'm patching up the first layer now. Inspired by this and this, by the lovely Victoria of The Silly BooDilly. My interpretation is turning out beautiful (if I say so myself) and I promise to share soon.

And then there's the third project. Honestly I had NO intention of starting another quilt. Sewing isn't easy right now. But I do find it helping too. My thoughts tumble through my head while I sew. Sometimes taking shape sometimes dissipating before I know what they are. But most of my writing is drafted in front of the sewing machine.

So I've made a bunch of these blocks. More than a dozen already - they're quite quick. 

Can you guess what they're for?

And in the meantime more blocks have arrived from friends here in Belgium ... as well as two lovely scented sachets from Aisling (darn no pic) must take one tomorrow!

Thank you again.

For letting me vent and share.

xox Jovita

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[im]Possibilities

Yesterday was FULL of a lot of anger ... 

Which in turn fuelled an exercise in futility ...  

And questions. 

Lots of questions 

How can it be possible to laugh and cry at the same time?
     ~ never mind that this phenomenon almost always occurs just when one's mouth is full of food

How can it be possible for one email to say so much?

How can it be possible that when everything else is going wrong ... my computer goes on the blink too?

How can it be possible that it took me 40 years to realise that, yes indeed, water is thicker than blood?
     ~ honest, it's true ... No matter how many times they tell you just the opposite.

How can it be possible for one email to say so little?

How is it possible to feel ... one day so full of hope and joy and the next so full of emptiness and despair?
     ~ is it possible to feel full of emptiness?

How can it be possible, when I have reached my darkest hour, that someone I hold dear can remind me to keep doing what I do best?
     ~ and then everything feels alright for awhile, but only just a while

... And then it all comes flooding back ...

And how, just how, can it be possible to be so completely surrounded by love and yet feel so very terribly alone.

Thankfully I know better than to go down the path of why ... there's no point.

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. ~ Jeremiah 29:11 

But there is another long, very long, list of whens?, wheres? and hows?.

And I know there are no answers.  

Not yet.  

And I begin again with when ...

But not until I've checked the mailbox ... these came today ... and give me new hope for tomorrow.

Every day is a new day. 

The sun will continue to rise and set. 

Eventually my fear of going to sleep will fade and I'll be able to embrace the mornings again. 

But for now I'll just curl up in my husband's arms and cry.

How can it be possible to cry so many tears ... surely they are not an endless supply.

They must dry up ... eventually ...

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Feeling Your Love

My goodness, it has been a week. Full of every emotion. We have laughed and cried, sobbed and grinned ... but more than anything we have been filled with love ... and astonishment as emails, cards and comments have poured in from around the world. 

From friends and loved ones, from acquaintances, correspondents and from many many people we have never met.

We have never met ... and yet you send your love and thoughts, prayers and hugs ... and we have felt and continue to feel everyone one of them and your arms around us.

We've been knocking around our house ... getting up in the mornings (the hardest part of the day for me), stumbling through the day, staring into nothingness, packing up and sorting - maternity clothes and baby things that need to be stored, returned or passed on, cleaning house and eventually falling into bed (the hardest part of the day for my husband). 

We've had each other to lean on and the days are punctuated with many many breaks to hold one another.

Today I woke up with a mission ... to turn this beautiful quilt block into a sachet filled with lavender to store with the knitting I had begun and the yarns I had bought to knit even more for Arne and Saskia.

You see, it was in a card from a friend here. And I thought a sachet would be a useful way to preserve the thought, the quilt block and my knitting. 

I was all set ... and then I checked the mailbox. 

Full again of more cards, letters ... and quilt blocks. These three came today.

Oh my ... words fail me ...

I can only say Thank You and know that it will never be enough.

Thank you to each and everyone of you who have kept us in your thoughts and prayers. 

Who have taken the time to comment on Facebook or my blog. 

Who have shared a special piece of music or a poem. 

Who have sent a card. 

Who have sat down at your machines or on your sofa to piece a little bit of love into a block for us.

Thank you.

We are feeling your love,

and our words fail ...

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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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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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