So you thought I went to a quilt show and didn't stop by the shops? Well, I did!!

Here are some of the things I got; the sashiko will make a little sampler I am going to frame. The owl fabric is for a pouch - can't resist owls :-) 

The mini hexes are for a wallhanging. After watching the artist conjuring the most wonderful quilts, I decided I had to have a go. 

I also got a couple of pieces of fabric that will be shown later (present material!). I did get some other small bits and pieces, but really didn't go overboard as the prices weren't that different from home.

Yesterday was a lovely day - warm and sunny (at last). Just right for a ride.

 My first this year! Great fun! Especially as we ended up at the only quilt shop I know of that is open on Sundays! (Yes, hubby knew :-) . )

 I needed some fabric (!) for a wedding present and then I saw this magazine ..... spent the afternoon dreaming of more projects ...

 One of the ladies who was on the bus to the Netherlands was sewing small pouches ...
intriguing I thought, no idea what they were. Well, they are to keep toothpicks in, just right for a pocket or handbag. Great for using up scraps and as stocking fillers. I think that cat will have to go in my bag :-)

Part 3 finished.

A bit behind schedule at the moment, but hope to start next and last block this weekend. I've found out my fingers aren't partial to blanket stitch appliqué at the moment, so I can only sew a little at a time. 
New projects will have to be needle-turn, I think. Or machine appliqué .... when I've practiced some more.


Hope you have a sunny and fun weekend.

Congratulations!

Gratulerer med dagen!

It's the 17th May - our national day. A national holiday celebrating our constitution. 
We celebrate with flags and flowers and children in processions in the streets. It's the day they can eat as much ice-cream, hotdogs and candy floss as their tummies can hold. It doesn't matter if it rains, blows or hails, it's the 17th May!

Floriade 2012

I couldn't very well go to the Netherlands and not see any flowers, could I?

 We stopped for a few hours at the Floriade, which is an exhibition that is put on every 10 years.

 It was beautiful - and would have been even more so if the weather gods had cooperated.

 Unfortunately it was freezing cold, windy and then ... yes, it rained! But the tulips were wonderful.
Hopefully, you don't get creepy-crawlies on the menu while dining here ....

I didn't feel much like meditating among the bushes and plants.

 But what luck, there were flowers indoors as well! 

Orchids galore

Magnificent colours

Artfully displayed

What a beauty

More from trip to OEQC, the Netherlands

Here are some more photos from my trip to the exhibition in Veldhoven, the Netherlands.

I love the colours used here.

 Some of the quilts on show were antique quilts and as I mentioned in my last post, some were made by quilters invited to show their work. So here is a mix.

 I am sorry to say I can not publish a photo of the winner of the show as we weren't allowed to take photos of the artist's work. It must have been a tough job for the judges though. 

 It wasn't always easy to get a good shot as a lot of quilts were hanging from bars at the top and they kept moving .... made me feel really dizzy at times!

 I really enjoyed the different styles and techniques. I just wanted to start sewing!

 It was a long bus ride through Denmark, Germany and to the south of the Netherlands. (We took a ferry to and fro Norway - Denmark). But no idle hands .....

In my next post I'll show you something else we saw in the Netherlands .... I bet you can't guess what :-)

Open European Quilt Championship

Just back from the Netherlands where I have been to see the Open European Quilt Championship with a group of local quilters. We went by bus .... looooong trip, but time passed pleasantly in good company.

The exhibition was lovely - about 300 works of art in all sorts of techniques and colours. The theme was "Flora".  I have taken a lot of photos and I'll show you some. Some are just of details I found fascinating, others are of whole quilts.

 This next photo is a detail of one of Reiko Kato's quilts. Around the exhibition area, several well known quilters had been invited to show their work. Reiko Kato sat at a table sewing her beautiful little houses - I fell in love with her quilts that have so many cute details.

 Bodil Gardner showed some of her fun and vibrant quilts. This one makes me smile.

I'll post some more tomorrow.