Roof renovation.

Hello !

Today has been a day of hard work, renovating all the roofs of the so far sewn Homespun Houses.

Yesterday I posted about the 8th. house, with its new chequered roof and after today's renovation job there are eight new houses to show.

Here they are:

 Together they make a nice Zondagssteek-hamlet, I think :>)

 Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Hopefully BBQ can be poked up on Sunday.

Cheerio!

 

 

 

House number 8.

Hello friends,

 Hope you are fine and enjoying a sunny day('s evening). After many rainy days it was

  L O V E L Y

to see the sun again :>)

  

And my sunny news of today is: 

House number 8 is ready!

I love this one; yes, because it's red, my number one favourite colour.

 I've decided roofing every following house chequered over a flowered façade. 

I also made the memoboard for Martine:

And the two 'Winnie the Pooh' duvet covers for Loni Marije rolled from the sewing-machine yesterday evening:

Aren't they cute?

Now I'm off to sew House number 9.

 Have a nice evening.

Cheerio.

House number 7.

Hello everyone,

 Tadaaaaaaaaaa, House number 7:

Another benefit from this rainy day :>)

Summer holidays?

Hello friends!

Where is the Summer?!

After two rather sunny days last week, which I used to clean my house from floor to ceiling, windows and garden included, we have to deal with loads of rain and wind again.

My stamp-size backyard looks like a parking lot after all the rain. It has bloomed for a while

 but all the beauty has gone with the wind and the cats and dogs..........

 

BBQ is no option with this weather

 

 so I made a tortilla wrap dinner yesterday, 

wrapping after dinner the present for my sister Stella's birthday:

...the benefit from bad weather...

Cheers!

 

July - Month of holidays and birthdays.

Hello everyone,

 How are you? Enjoying the Summer holidays?

 I am and I must say that in the last two weeks there has been only a little bit of sewing and quilting here in Zondagssteek House; just a few stitches...

The Homespun Houses project is sent on a Walk-In-Quilt-Closet-Holiday.

 For my granddaughter Nine I sewed a baby sleeping-bag:

Son-in-law Gerben had his birthday on the 17th.
My dear Aunt Lidy was born 86 years ago on the 22nd. 

A present for my sister Stella's birthday ( 25th.) is almost ready and wrapped:
Can't tell anything about it yet, because she might read it here.

There's a quilting friend's birthday, also the 25th.
And my son Hans is growing 27 on the 26th.

A couple of small projects are waiting on the creativity shelf: a memoboard for daughter-in-law Martine and a Winnie the Pooh duvet cover for my granddaughter Loni Marije.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!





 

House number 6

Good morning! 

 Only at eleven o'clock last night I finished House number 6. By that time I was finished as well :>).

After I had a good sleep first thing I planned to do was 'archiving' number 6 and show the picture:

I hope it is clear enough, because the batteries of my camera are finished too; no recharging possible any more, so I'll have to buy new ones.

  I'll be off until Monday, which means there will be no blogging for me.

 

 Enjoy your weekend!

Cheers!

House number 5

H@llo everybody,

 how was your day? The weather ok?

 Maybe you think I am a silly girl and maybe you're right, busy as I am race-sewing houses, but I can tell you it is great fun! 

Not dangerous at all, however I can not promise you it is not contagious.......

 This is House number 5:

 

Have a nice evening and I expect to be back by tomorrow with number 6 :>)

Cheerio! 

 

House number 4

Hello!

Jetspeed I wanted my Homespun Houses project's start to be; I think I succeeded :>), because I can proudly present House number 4:

 Enjoy your evening!

 

Third house in a row.

Hello everyone!

 How was your day? Mine was fine. The weather is Autumn-like; rather confusing after the extreme heat of last Monday and Tuesday..........But alright for a bike ride, so we toured through the countryside around Dokkum for about one and a half hour. That was good :>)

 

 

 Back home I finished House number three. This one is made of chequered fabric and I doubt whether it's good enough, because some templates were just not exactly covering the chequers. What do you think?

  

  

 I think I'll leave it this way for the time being.

 Till soon, cheers!

 

Award.

Good morning to all of you,
 

foto permanent verwijderd

 This is the award  I received from Stella.

Thank you very much, sissy my dear, I feel honoured!

I understand there are some accept-the-award rules I have to follow, which means that I should:

 1:  Send a thank you to the person that awarded me, mention her on my blog and include her link.
Did I do it right, this way, Stel?
( And all by myself! )

 2:  Tell seven random facts about myself:

 - I feel blessed living a happy life, in a lovely house I can call HOME

 - I feel so blessed being a mother and a grandmother

 - another blessing is that the (grand)children are all in good health

 - every new day is a precious gift to me, always has been so, but particularly after I was diagnosed with colorectal  cancer in July 2010.

 - I feel blessed with five sisters and two brothers and with dear friends.

  -  It is a blessing to me that I can count my blessings

  -and last but not least: I'd like to share this verse with you; it highly inspires me:

 

 Count your garden by the flowers, never by the leaves that fall

 Count your days by golden hours, don't remember clouds at all

 Count your nights by stars not shadows

Count your life by smiles not tears

 And with joy on this your birthday count your age by friends not years.

3:  Pass the award on to at least eight other blog buddies.

 

 That is not so easy for me. May I pass this award on to all my blog buddies? You have been so kind to me, sending nice words in e-mails and comments. Thank you all so much for the joy, the sharing and the friendship!

  

 It is time to make myself  a nice extra large black coffee!

 Wishing you all a lovely Sunday!

  

 

House number 2.

Good evening,

 the second house in the block is ready too! 

Before I get to lean back with a drink a picture should be shared with you, I think.

Tomorrow there won't be any time for sewing, because unexpectedly and surprisingly my son Jan, who two weeks ago got his driving license, will take me for a visit to Nunspeet, where my daughter (his sister) and her husband and their newborn daughter Nine live. Grandma and uncle can have a lovely little sniff at and cuddle with that gorgeous little darling!

 Enjoy your evening and till soon!

First house in a block.

Hello everyone,

With pride and joy I present the first result of my Homespun Houses Project:

I made a start with the project using the best leftovers of a sixty years old pillowcase.

And with that in mind, I  wondered how many heads would have been lied down on this cloth.....

feeling happy, tired, worrying, dreaming, waiting for someone or something.....

  It feels a bit like I sewed some kind of soul in my quilt with this first block.

 There is some stretching of fabric here and there, due to the fabric's age and history ;>)

 The following blocks will be made of brandnew cotton, I bought at De Boerenbonthal in Amsterdam.

As you can see I keep the fabric pieces and blocks in my block book.

Wishing you all a joyful start of July!

 Cheerio!

Ready to start the Homespun Houses Project.

Hello everybody, 

  a few last days of clearing up my UFO (Un Finished Objects)-basket, which means no more UFOs waiting in there, clears the way to start my long dreamt-of  Dutch Homespun Houses Project.

 These are the two UFOs I finished yesterday:

 

 

 The little playing ball is meant to be sent to a very dear, nearly 86 years old, aunt of mine, who's suffering from severe pains in her hands with also loss of strength and suppleness. I hope this ball can provide some relief by daily finger-excercises. It is easy to handle and very lightweight and it is all I can do for her... 

 Wish I lived closer to them; would make it easier for me to visit and assist her and my uncle more often.

 The cute little patchworked, stuffed house is..... a(nother :>)) pincushion!

  

 This is the example of the Homespun Houses pattern I want mine to look like:

 The first fabric of the twenty five is chosen and later today I'll start cutting and sewing. When ready I'll post a picture to keep you updated.

 Have a  nice and sunny last day of June!

 Cheerio :>)

Time...

Hi,

 After this wonderful day I'd like to share a rhyme with you. 

 About forty years ago, when I was in England spending my summer holidays with family living overthere, I found this, printed on linen and I fell in love with the rhyme and the cloth..... had to buy it.

 Since then I treasure it:

  

Every day's a precious gift

 of time for us to use.

Hours waiting to be filled 

 in any way we choose.

 Each morning brings a quiet hope

 that rises with the sun.

 Each evening brings the sweet content

 that comes with work well done.

 Good night, sleep well.

Sun-day.

Hello everyone!

Hope you are all as fine as I am today, on this Sun(ny)day.

It has been quiet for a while, here on this blog, but I was very busy with I don't really know what exactly. Sometimes days fly jetspeed through your fingers and although you are as busy as can be, nothing shows the hard work you did. 

 I can tell you my house is neat and tidy now, so I made a start finishing the yo-yo-job, sewing pearl or other buttons and beads on the various yo-yo shapes.

After that, pffffffffft, I'll make a jetspeed start cutting and sewing the Dutch fabrics for my Homespun Houses quilt. 

So, this post has become an example of  talking a lot - telling a little, I'm afraid. 

Nevertheless, you can be sure I am still alive, happy and healthy; enjoyed the lovely Sun-day weather of today. I went biking for about two hours through the countryside, catching sunshine and a nice tan and that is so lovely after all that raaaaaaaaaaaaa.....iiiiiiiiiiiiiin.

Enjoy this Sunday evening.
Till soon!

Cleaning and organizing: creating time and space for new projects.

Hello everybody,

since I came back from my 'fabric trip' to Amsterdam I have been busy organizing the patchwork and fabric mess  that was heaping in different rooms of my house.

Before I may start a new project I have to clean up and organize the whole lot in Zondagssteek - House, (I force myself) because I can impossibly work in a messy place. Cleaning and organizing also creates time, hours I can spend the way I like, want or have to.

The templates for the Homespun Houses quilt, the one I want to make from the 25 different Dutch folklore fabrics, are ready. Next step is to cut them out of the fabric. O, I can hardly wait.

But at the moment I am a bit busy making yo-yos in various shapes. Yo-yos...... :>/... ???? Yes.

Let me explain what I'm talking about: Mr. or Mrs. Clover, producer of needlecraft necessaries, developed the yo-yo maker. I quote: " A new quick and easy way to make nicely shaped yo-yos!".  Here are some pictures. I hope they can reveal the yo-yo secret:

A few examples are shown. I used thin cotton fabric, polyester and organza. And sewing needle and sewing or quilting thread, ofcourse!

The Clover yo-yo makers are available in quilt(web)shops. I bought mine at De Quiltkoffer.

Start yo-yo'ing, join the yo-yo club and have fun! Twenty- five more yo-yos to go before I allow myself to start with the Homespun Houses quilt.

En-yo-yo-ur evening!

Dutch fabrics.

Hello everyone,

Today I came back from a nice-as-always stay with my sister Jacqueline in Wormerveer. She is a creative genius and, like me, she loves quilting. Together we went to Amsterdam, to  De Boerenbonthal, to buy real Dutch traditional fabrics.

It is my wish since a couple of years to make a quilt in the 'Homespun Houses' pattern  from as many different as possible traditional Dutch fabrics.

Well, I think these 25 will do...

And now I have to get back to normal life and think about preparing dinner...

Have a nice evening, till soon!

Creations of all kinds.

Hello everybody!

Today I'd like to show a little variety of my last year's creations. They were Xmas-, or birth(day) presents, or just meant as gifts to others, but also to myself :>) :

Besides these socks for my friend Noor in The Hague I knitted cute pink babysocks for my granddaughter  Loni Marije, who was born on April 2nd. 2010. Got no picture of them, but cute they were!

 To pretty up my front door:

Pincushions.......... I'm an absolute pincushion addict:

 Time for tea!

Baby sleeping bag I sewed for my dear friend Yvonne's grandson Laurens:

Did not forget to take a picture of this. Cross stitched for my granddaughter:

I sewed for little darling Loni Marije, this Spring:

 Made for play-pen and bed of my granddaughter Nine, born May 21st. 2011:

And 105 bridal sweets for Niels & Desirée, who got married the 2nd. of May  this year:

                                                                

     Have a nice day!

My walk-in quilt closet.

Good morning!

The smallest bedroom / biggest cupboard in my house has gradually become Mrs. Zondagssteek's walk-in quilt closet; I think it's lovely to be there once and again, to sit down and enjoy my wealthy stock! The activity centre is downstairs, at the dining table in my livingroom.

This is my little walhalla:

Enjoy your day!