Treasures...

How do you spend your Christmas vacation?

Stitching as a mad woman the last block of Gardener's Journal I need to relax my neck and shoulders... I look around and found a large and messy pile of Christmas fabrics in the corner of the sewing room.

After a while they were organized in a box... Cool!!!

Then I found this box. I haven't opened it for a long time... I think it's one of the moving boxes, where in to I stuffed all kind of quilting related things.

Shall I open it now?... Oh, YES!!!

Now I'm wondering,
how many treasures there was... and many, MANY UFOs too!!!!
Now you're wondering, I am hopeless...
Should I make a promise for the New Year? Focused on one thing at the time...
OK, I know me, it's no use to promise anything...

Do you know Christmas is not yet over?
Atleast not here,
because look HOW CUTE SWEET little parcel I got today


from Dolores.
Sydämelliset KIITOKSET!!!!!
I'm so touched!

Now I'm ready...

to go on with these ladies... and say...

STITCHING FRIENDS ARE THE TREASURES OF OUR LIFE!!!



HUGS to YOU ALL


We would like to thank you
for this past YEAR!!!

Satu & Fenix

Finally...

... I have waited this day...
when I can show you Secret Santa Claus projects...

But before that
I want to
thank you - Chookyblue,
that she accepted me to join in this wonderful Swap.
I surely want to be in next year too;)
Pop in her blog! There is lot of beautiful Christmas ornaments...

I got my present from Kerry

... inside it was...
a beautiful file cover with pretty stitching,
pink scissors with tag of buttons
AND yes;)
Kerry's second book
Dreaming of a white Christmas
with signature;)
I JUST LOVE THEM ALL!!!
One more time
THANK YOU, Kerry!
I really hope your wishes will come true someday!!!

I posted a present to Kris

Maybe you still remember shopping teddies,
Popcorn and Blueberry.
They have now found a new nice home at Kris.
And I'm happy for that, because I know Kris is just right person to look after them!
(although I miss them... sniff...)
Kris told on her blog about her kitchen and it's new colours. I got the idea to use red fabrics in her mug rug. I also posted piece of green and red mini-poppy fabrics by Marimekko to her... maybe she will someday sew new potholders;)

More Joy of Christmas...

These pretty things I got from Simone.
The colours, which she choosed are just so yummy... my favorites!
I love them!
And those cute hedgehogs are placed on the noteboard (a place of honour) in my kitchen. There I see them, feel happiness, remember Simone and her kindness every day.
Thank YOU, Simone!!!

One more Christmassy thing...

'Tis the Season' by Natalie Bird
is a cute little booklet, which I bought to myself for Christmas...
It will be next SAL -project hosted by Chookyblue,
starting in March 2011,
after we have finished Gardener's Journal.
Those stitcheries are SO temptive and I wanted to make one immediately.
That one I posted for Simone.
I'm already searching fabrics and threads for it.
This evening I'm going to test
Atalie's hand-dyed thread 'Noel'. I got them today from Violarium.

OH, Happy smile on my face;)
I'll stay waiting for

a NEW YEAR 2011
and
NEW ADVENTURES with FENIX
in quilting world!!!

CWD: Battle of Fredericksburg

Special Christmas Greetings to Elin!

on Christmas Day in 1862, Rebecca Lorraine Richmond wrote in her diary

Such a strange Christmas I never experienced. The reports concerning the battle of Fredericksburg grow more and more distressing. It was a terrible disaster with no redeeming feature. (quote from Civil War Diary Quilt book by R. Youngs)

This was a bit strange Christmas Day to me also - I woke up early and after breakfast spent few hours in the sewing room paperpiecing next CWD block - before Christmas dinner at my mother. I had to, because I still want to sew CWD blocks on the same date, when the notes are written.

91. Battle of Fredericksburg

I used one white prints on white fabric and two reproduction fabrics by Jo Morton.

This was also my last CWD block in this year. When I read my own notes of CWD, I realise I have sewn ONLY 19 blocks in this year. It's not many. So should I sew more in 2011???? I have now sewn 54 of 121... You find all my finished CWD blocks here.

There is quite many blocks left and this morning I made some plans for the future. I'll set unofficial goal for year 2011! Which is about 36 blocks to the end of the next year! It doesn't sound much either, but I have so MANY other project - old and I'm absolutely SURE new ones - that the goal might be too optimistic. And besides I don't know, how much time, I'll have for quilting or other hobbies in 2011... it all depends... shall I be at work or not...

Elin, you suggested one block in a week. It might be a hard schedule for me and due to the dates in a book... quite impossible to fulfill in some of the months... but shall we try? Four blocks in January? I planned that my four blocks are 87, 6 (they are both blocks with notes first of January... I'm gonna 'cheat' a little and sew atleast other one before New Year's Day...there is still one left for year 2012), 66 and 67.

So 'full' speed ahead...;)

Blocks 92, 93 and 96 with block nro 91.

PS. Tomorrow or on Monday, I'll show you my SSCS goodies - posted and received!
I'm thrilled...
THANK YOU, Kerry!!!
And Simone for your sweet presents, KIITOS!!!

With all our heart,
we wish you

VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS
AND
MORE HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Santa Claus = JOULUPUKKI is just spoiling me.
Look, how cute presents he brought me yesterday from my friend Simone!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
You are so sweet, Simone!

Here, in Finland we open our presents on Christmas Eve...
so only 3 nights...

Australian Homespun nro 90 postitetaan....

.... IRMALLE!

Myös Hannele oli arvonnassa mukana, mutta tällä kertaa Fenix valitsi - hetken mietittyään - Irman arvontalipukkeen.

Lämmin kiitos teille molemmille!!!
... ja iloista joulun odotusta...

Pieceful Friday Night Sew-in

In the beginning I planned to sew only these two project:
Butterchurn (Le Petit in November) and few star blocks from joyful Colorful Christmas fabrics
yesterday....
but you all know me... I'm such a weathervane!

First I finished Le Petit -project of December
I'm pleased that I did it on time - my first finished Le Petit;)

I sewed my Prairie Point Christmas Tree as a size of greeting card. The folded triangles are one inch squares (really petit). The whole tree is about 3 1/2"x 3 1/2". Perhaps I'll do them more in the next year... but only perhaps;)

After that I look at the fabrics and read the pattern of the next Le Petit - project; MON AMI... and there I was floating far away...
... I totally forgot my plans of Friday night sew-in...

I ordered Mon ami pattern (by Carrie Nelson) some months ago, since then it has tempted me... a LOT!

As Carrie is writing in her instructions, it was love at first sight, when I saw it.
I also wanted to use the same fabrics.
When I read the instructions further, I noticed there is 134 half-triangle squares!
Oh my!!!
But then I remembered, I have some time ago purchased the ANGLER!
Well, NOW it's the right time to learn and use it!!!
And Fenix agreed;)
although first he was all too anxious... and we had a little argue - look at his expression.

The Friday night went on...

...only two blocks made of Colorful Christmas

... and Butterchurn is still...
to be continued in the future...

Somewhere there...
- in the middle of the heat of Friday night -
I manage to nearlyfinish the case of the cellphone for my mother. Only the button is missing...

The rest of the evening I spent knitting a woollen sock, while watched the movie.

In the end it was quite pieceful night here!
Briefly...
TWO works finished;)...
oh, and three started!!! (should I shame on?)

Happy fourth ADVENT!!!!
THE C is almost here;)

Hei, tilkkuilijat Suomessa...

... minulla olisi yksi ylimääräinen,
Australian Homespun -lehti.
Ei Fenixin alla oleva yksilö;)
Se on lehden 10-vuotisjuhlanro.

Jos haluaisit sen omaksesi,
ole hyvä ja lähetä minulle s-postissa osoitteesi sunnuntai-iltaan mennessä, niin laitan sen ensi maanantaina postissa tulemaan sinulle päin;)
PS. Jos halukkaita on useampi, niin arvomme su-iltana yhden onnekkaan!

Friday Night Sew In... with Tablerunner

Last night I got some 'free space' in the sewing room...
while Fenix sat in the kitchen and watched (=dreamed of catching) our new Christmas Tree.

Even so I didn't get the tablerunner finished
- I'm going to continue with it today -
because I wanted to try those tiny wonky stars. The block is about 3"x3".
Warning: they are extremely addictive;)))

The pattern of the Vintage ribbons - tablerunner is from the Moda Bake Shop. It was released just before Christmas in 2009. And I have dreamed of sewing it since then... And the fabrics by French General for Moda are my favorite ones... you can find two of them in this runner...

This was a tale of our Friday night...
nice that you joined it;)

I Rushed Home Through the Snowstorm...

... and found a note:
YOU HAVE RECEIVED a PARCEL!
Oh, back outside and to the post office...
where I got a large letter from the
Cottage on the Hill
and inside it was...

my SSC present
and
BEAUTIFUL decoration!!!!

THANK YOU, Kerry!
(as you see we both love it - a lot)
You made our day HAPPY;)
despite all the snow!!!

It's Friday Night Sew-in tonight
SO
LET's Create something...

SBS News - shortly

95 blocks sewed, 45 ahead in 2011...

These are my last SBS blocks in this year

C-1 Contrary Husband

G-4 Chimneys and Cornerstones

In year 2010
I made 45 blocks
and
after a small calculation
It's even possible
that I have sewn all the SBS blocks
till the next Christmas;)
Oj, I wish I could find a suitable fabric for the sashings...

Snowy Tuesday Evening!
I'm not sure which one is better...
over too much
rain or snow...
Atleast when it's raining,
you are not disturbed by snow-ploughs at nights...

93. Itsenäisyyspäivä

Kuvatunnelmia tältä päivältä...

Hyvää itsenäisyyspäivän iltaa!!!