Dutch Quilts, Fabrics and New Friends

Enjoying the culture and history of the 

Netherlands was just one part of my recent trip.

The other part revolved around quilts,

fabric and new friends.

Scene 1

Eight giddy quilters

eagerly walking down the streets of Amsterdam

in search of 

and the shop "Den Haan & Wagenmakers."

We were so excited about going in, it was
hard to stop and have our picture taken.

Petra Prins' Amsterdam shop is not very big, but
definitely filled with wonderful Dutch Heritage fabrics
and beautiful inspiring quilts.

It was one of those shops where you have 

to just stop and let your eyes rest in

one spot before looking some more,
otherwise everything is just a blur.

We were having so much fun!

I had told myself I would look for a kit
to bring back home.

This is the one I chose.

  but instead of the gold
border I picked out two Dutch fabrics.

I wasn't sure which one would be perfect so

it's best to get both.

This doll size quilt
would be perfect to make
with all the leftovers

I have from making Petra's mystery quilt.


Scene 2
One thing you learn when you travel 
is that people are the same no matter where you are.

 Our group had the sweet opportunity 
to meet with another quilting bee from

 Leiden, Netherlands.

  
Yvonne is a blogging friend 
and you'll want to check out her blog .

Just look at the beautiful Dear Jane she's made.

Doreen had arranged for us to all come together.
 What a thrill to come to Yvonne's home,
 share a delicious Dutch meal,
 and them meet the gals in her quilting bee.

 There was time for show and tell

 sharing some gifts,

and sharing that quilting rush you get when
quilters get excited.

Before leaving on the trip,
 I had made "sister quilts"
for Yvonne and myself.
It was so much fun to give her hers.

We had each made a block for signatures.
It was fun to get everyone to sign our friendship squares.

 This is mine.

It will be the label for a quilt I have in mind.

Getting together was definitely
one of the high point of the trip.

  "Quilting Sisters"

Scene 3
The next morning we were up early and
on the train heading to Amersfoort to attend the
quilt show 
The Australian-Dutch Connection

 You can read more about it on Judith's blog
who was one of the coordinators of the show.
It featured the quilts of Di Ford-Hall
of Australia

Cloverdale House

 

Gigglewick Mill Sampler

and Petra Prins of the Netherlands

 An's Treasure

Discovery
the Quiltmania mystery quilt, 2016

It was so exciting to see these and many many more 
gorgeous quilts in person.

We attend Petra's and Nell Kooiman's
trunk show of antique quilts.

  The lecture was in Dutch, but we learned

 

 we all speak "quilt"!

I had traveled with only a small carry on 
so my shopping had to be somewhat limited.
But I did manage to bring home a 
few more Dutch Heritage pieces

 and

 Di and Petra's new books. 
It was hard not to go crazy! 

Needless to say 
it was a fantastic trip

 from beginning to end!

Until Next Time-

Kyle 

Pink and Red

My quilting buddies met last week

and we decided to share some

Valentine projects we had made.

I shared two,

one pink and one red.

 Cupid's Arrows

2001

41" x 61"

I'm not sure where
 this sweet Valentine quilt pattern came from. 

The fabrics are at least 15 years old.

Like any scrap quilt it was fun to dig in the stash
and find long forgotten
pieces that seem to just fit into the present project.

Cupid's arrows and hearts

just say love and Valentine's Day.

****

The second quilt I showed
doesn't have a Valentine theme.
But I wanted to share it because
 I still "LOVE" this quilt,
despite the fact,
that it's already 14 years old.

 

"Looking Back"

2001

51" x 51"

This quilt was in an early
American Patchwork and Quilting
magazine

The quilt was inspired by a
crib quilt dated 1865.

It's whimsical folk style

just makes me smile.

I think it was the cheddar and
turkey red together
that first drew me to make this.
It reminds me how much I like
cheddar in quilts.

The appliqued flowers

added to the sweetness.

The bright bold colors

are such a contrast to

our present day pastels for babies.

These colors just make me think that 

someone was very excited about 

the birth of a new baby.

 I hand quilted it,

which I did mostly back then,

at the turn of the century!

I really liked the red sawtooth border on the outer edge.

It was a strip cut into at regular intervals,

the flaps folded back and underneath 

to create triangles and then 

appliqued onto the green border.

I just had to pick a bright backing too.

I love the chrome yellow and orange along with

the turkey red flowers.

Roses are red,

and violets are blue,

Share some of your

Valentine's quilts 

with us too.

Until Next Time-

It's All Been Gravy Lately

 Our Thanksgiving meal 

has always been a bit on the 

unconventional side.

Our gravy is

the secret family

Italian Spaghetti Sauce

 covering homemade raviolis 

made by a

 father/daughter team.

Prior to all of this,

it was all gravy

on the quilty side of life too.

I was just in the mood to abandon

all the current projects

and follow along with a

small mystery quilt that Lori,

at Humble Quilts, was organizing.

Why not.

 21" x 23"

I tweaked it a bit, by adding a border,

but it was great fun to sew along.

It was the perfect diversion I needed.

Next in the gravy boat

was this.

All those 3" nine patches I had adquired

in a block swap are sewn together.

 40" x  46"

 I'm adding vines in both borders.

And then, of course, it will need more applique.

 ***

No, traditional Thanksgiving meal 

is complete without real gravy

for the roasted turkey and mashed potatoes.

Who can pass on that!

Here's a couple of other finishes

that have been gravy for me.

You've seen these all before,

but now they're done!

I was just waiting for some extra hands

to help hold them up so

I could take a photo.

Quilt #1

 Home for the Holidays

64" x 64"

pattern by Primitive Gatherings

This quilt was all done on the machine, excluding the hand

embroidery for the words.

I even machine buttonholed the wool applique

using a wool thread by Aurifil.

Then I did the machine quilting.

Quilt #2

The top is done on this one.

Ewe and Me

74" 94"

pattern by Janet Stone

and offered by The Quilt Show.

This is the quilt that I used an ancient collection of

Sandy Gervais fabric by Moda

that has to be at least 15 years old.

I must have been saving it for just the right project.

I love how it turned out.

Just a little bit more gravy.

Quilt #3

Here it is.

All done.

 Roseville Album

95" x 95"

pattern by Kim McLean

2011-2014

I can't believe that this one is finally done!

What a feeling.

 Hope you're riding the gravy train too.

Until Next Time-

Easily Distracted

 Finally,

I can say I've completed a

few projects that have been on my list.

Time can slip away.

I've been meaning to stitch the binding

down on this.

It's the quilt I machine quilted myself

on a long arm.
Plus it was made entirely from
long forgotten and hidden at the bottom
of the pile fabrics.

So, in just a couple of hours

it was done.

Why do I procrastinate?

Because

I wanted to do

this instead on a beautiful fall afternoon.

I also finished my 

fall pillow before the season

 was officially over.

Why did it take me so long?

It was more fun to play

with these sillies.

(We take Halloween pictures early around here

because we have a history of blizzards 

on Halloween night.)

I also got the top done on this baby quilt.

It's the Falling Charms pattern

by Missouri Quilt Co.

Super cute and super easy.

I improvised on the borders.

I didn't have enough for all four sides.

No, problem.

 I even made a little doll quilt to match.

There are still many things on my list

but...

you know,

it's easy to get distracted.

Until Next Time-