ATELIER SOED IDEE

I've made a blog for this exchange: http://xmasornie2007.blogspot.com/ We can all share our pics there!

Today I received the 2007 JCS Christmas Ornaments! There are so many pretty ornies in there. I love them all! It made me think.... I'm already in a Christmas Ornament exchange on SBEBB. But I can easily make another one (or two)! SO..... Who wants to join an Christmas Ornament exchange??? Specifics: Fabric: Your choice of linen or evenweave (NO aida) Fibers: Your choice Design: Your choice of design, ofcourse it MUST be Christmas related Finishing: Your choice, ready to be displayed. Sign-ups: taken from now until October 4th 2007. Exchange information will be sent to you on October 5th, 2007 Mailing deadline: You will need to have your exchange mailed by no later than December 1, 2007. To sign-up: E-mail me at simonedejong at planet dot nl, with your name and correct mailing address. I hope you all going to join this exchange!

Yesterday evening I went to the " Stoffenspektakel " in Zwolle, with Jacqueline and her friend Mylene. It's a large fabricmarket, where they show the fabrics of the new season and a lot of left overs from last season and the industry. Although most of the fabrics are meant for fashion purpose, there are also some cottons that can be used for patching, finishing and quilting. I found this great panel for only 4 euros! Also bought a kind of chinese fabric which I think, will be great to finish something with. A Batik in nice ocean-colors, a red-white plaid (for a christmas project?) and this big piece of "sheep-wool". I really don't know what kind of fabric this is, but I need a small piece to make a sheep and this costs only 2 euro per meter. I think I can make at least hundred sheeps of it ;) I also bought some nice fabrics in natural colors with plaids and stripes. But I split them with Jacqueline, and she took them home to cut them in half. Jacqueline bou...

Yesterday I finished part 5 of the Red Thread serie from Bent Creek. Right in time because part 6 is already on it's way... I also finished the complete border. This is what the left half looks like. (it's too big to fit in one pic ;) )

Are you bored yet? With all these pics of our garden? We had a little bit of sunshine, so I HAD to make a picture of the finished garden with sunlight! I promise this is the last one for a while ;)

On the BAPXS-group was a question to show the group your stash(room). So I took some pics of my stash: Stash (room) Enjoy watching them!

Yesterday I worked my butt off and did all the planting in the garden. DH finished off the electric wiring, so now we also have a working fountain and lights! I will make a better pic when the sun shines, because today it's very wet :( But you have to wait till summer, to see the best result, I think.

My friend Jacqueline organised a workshop for us at Atelier Bep last saturday. Bep haves the cutest shop you've ever seen in Doesburg! When I came in, I started shopping immediatly ;) It's so hard to resist all those wonderful fabrics and other cute stuff. This is where I came home with: I chose the little christmas quilt to make in the workshop. We had too much fun, so I didn't come very far... All the red fabrics are for a quilt I'm planning to make somewhere in the near future. Caroline and Helen made pictures during the workshop. So go see them in their blogs! In Helen's blog is also a picture with me on it (brown jacket, behind a sewing machine). Bep and Jacqueline, thank you so much for this great day!

At least... The gardeners are finished. Now it's our job to fill it up with plants and flowers... The weather will be good the next days, so that's nice. Dat wil zeggen.... De hovenier is klaar. Nu moeten wij aan de slag om de borders te vullen met planten en bloemen enzo... Dus als iemand nog een stekkie heeft? ;) Gelukkig wordt het goed weer het weekend, dus dan kunnen we lekker aan de slag.

Don't you just love our international stitching community???? Today I received a package from JAPAN! WOW! It's the first time ever I receive mail from Japan. Chizue made me this lovely tin for the Harvest House Exchange (SBEBB). She used a design from the Drawn Thread for it (Spot of Autumn). She also included two pieces of very pretty fabric and some Japanese Green Tea (which I drink a lot). There were even two origami-birds with it! Chizue, thank you so much for this lovely exchange!!! Hugs, Simone

As you can see, the weather was pretty good today, so the gardeners made great progress with the pavement! Zoals jullie kunnen zien, was het lekker weer vandaag, dus de tuinmannen zijn flink opgeschoten met de bestrating!

A while ago I received this sheep, printed on linen, as a present with a Dutch lifestyle magazine Seasons . In the magazine were also ideas to use the sheep in a quilt, pillow, etc. I chose to make a pillow of it. I found some wonderful pieces of linen on the fabric-market and the result is this pillow. I really like to natural look of it! Sorry, today no pics of the garden.... Because of the pooring rain, the gardeners had to stop their work :( Let's hope there's no rain tomorrow! Hugs, Simone

You Belong in Rome You're a big city soul with a small town heart Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand And gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better? What City Do You Belong In?

I heard Carin received my bread-basket for the "color-chain" exchange from the dutch Borduurhoekje-group. Carin her favourite colors are autumn-colors and I had this wonderful fabric in my stash, with autumn-leaves. It was my first attempt of a bread-basket, and I really like the way it turned out. I've stiffened it with "Fast2fuse". Wow, that stuff is great! I finally got a message from Su , that my "What's the buzz"-exchange for the SBEBB, arrived at her doorstep! I started to get worried, because it took a while to get to the UK. I've stitched this cute bee from "4 my boys" and finished it as a flatfold. Su wrote in her blog, that it was perfect for her! This week I also finished the stitching for the Halloween-exchange (borduurhoekje) and the stitchers-pocket exchange (SBEBB), so I can finish them also. Tonight I'm going to start the "Autumn"-part for the Seasonal exchange.... Tomorrow-morning the gardeners are comi...

So, the gardeners are off for their well deserved weekend. This is how our garden looks now... Too bad they parked their machine in the middle of it ;) But the neighbours were already complaining about the mess, so this is probably the best solution! Have a nice weekend!

Whoohoo!!! The fountain is placed and working!!! When their lunch-break is finished the man are going to start with the pavement...

This is how our backyard is looking this morning. You can actually see now, what it's going to look like. Where the white sand is, is going to be paved. On the big black tub in the mittle, this fountain will be placed. In the back (the sunny part) we're going to build a wooden deck. And the rest will be filled with plants and flowers.... Zo ziet vanochtend de achtertuin eruit, nadat er 12 m3 zand en 8 m3 zwarte grond in is verdwenen. Maar je kunt nu wel een beetje zien hoe het gaat worden. Waar het witte zand ligt, komt straks de bestrating. Op de grote zwarte kuip in het midden komt een waterornament . Het achterste gedeelte (waar de zon schijnt) komt een houten vlonderterras. En de rest wordt opgevuld met planten en bloemen...

This morning the mailwoman delivered me this wonderful Teatime-mailart from Charlotte! It's so pretty! I love the cute little tea-cup buttons, the silk ribbon, and the design Charlotte stitched is just perfect. In the envelope were a lot of goodies; a little piece of soap, marking pins, paper to stitch on, some fibers.... I'm feeling special, to receive this presents from a stitching-friend. Especially when you know that Charlotte has some problems with her hand. It was very hard for her to stitch this! But it was definitly worth the waiting. Charlotte forgot to include the teabags... But that envelope also came today, so it all came together after all! Charlotte thank you so much for this lovely mailart!!! Hugs, Simone

This morning the gardeners started to redo our back-yard. This pictures is the old situation. The next few days I will post pics of the progress the gardeners are making! They're here for an hour now, and the terrace is already removed. DS didn't want to go to school this morning, because he wanted to help and play in the big pile of sand before our house ;) Hugs, Simone

Tijmen wokes up very late yesterday-morning. He was tired because of his first week school after the vacation. So he was still a bit sleepy when he came to our bedroom... I expected that he would be jumping up and down or anything, but he didn't! He has not noticed the pirates at all!!! So I asked him about it and he went back to his room to check on it and he said "Wow mom, very pretty!" Still nothing outrageous.... But he was holding it firmly and it has to go with him to grandma, to show it to the family! When we came home it was dirty, because everybody drooled about it. So this morning I washed and ironed it, and now it's waiting to be finished into a pillow. Anyhow, I think DS is more the scilent type of child. Nothing like his mother ;)

Please, join me on the happy dance! Tonight I finished the piratesship for my son! My first BIG finish this year... DS is gonna be thrilled, for sure! I laid it on the end of his bed, so he'll find it first thing in the morning;) I think he's the one doing the happy dance tomorrow-morning. I allready have some great pirates-fabric to finish it, that match the design perfectly. I think I gonna make a pillow or a little wallhanging of it.... Whatever DS wants! Thanks for sharing my happy dance! Hugs, Simone

Today's SBQ is: Would you ever stitch one of your BAPs a second time? (This does not include starting over because of mistakes, bad fabric, etc., rather stitching something from the first stitch for a second time.) My answer is: NO! Even a small project I would never stitch a second time. Somehow I don't like to stitch projects that I have done before... And wy should I??? There are so many designs to choose from!

I had a bit of exchange-stress.... I have so much exchanges going on at the moment, that I had to organise it a little. DS had a birthday-party this afternoon, so I spend my time on the attic, where I have my stitching/stash-room. I had to decide what to make for which exchange and then search for patterns, fabric, floss etc. So now I have 4 new projects ready to start! Yesterday someone told me something that gave me a lot of peace, and I found myself so stupid that I didn't thought of it myself... She pointed me to the fact that not all of the exchanges had to be stitched, but also could be some other crafting! WOW, what an eyeopener! Thanks for that Karen ! After I kitted up all the exchanges, I also finished the Harvest House exchange for the SBEBB. I had it stitched already during my vacation. I'm really happy with the way it turned out. So I hope my partner likes it also. Sorry, no pictures yet! Just a little patience till all the exchanges have found their way to their n...

Wow, what a great surprise there was in the mail this morning! I received the Color-chain exchange from the Dutch Borduurhoekje-group. With this exchange you pick someone from the participants-list and than you make a present for her in her favorite color. And Saskia picked me!!! Since my favourite colors are blue and naturals, Saskia made me this wonderful little sampler with Sea-theme. And I like it a lot! The woodens fish she used as a frame is just perfect for it! I think this is going to get a place in our bathroom. Saskia also sent me some goodies. I love birdhouses, so she sent me a Birdhouse-chart and a great christmas-fabric with birdhouses! Wow, she really made my day. Now I have to pick the next person from the list and make something nice for her. Because it has to be sent within a month.... I have a lot of exchanges to come in the next months. Isn't it great to have so many stitching-friends all over the world, to whom you can send all these nice gifts? And even bette...