Four hours left...

My sewing corner has been a quiet place recently. I gave up my goal to finish Angel Story... partly because of this cough, which still won't let me sleep properly...

But a New Year will come and more time to sew... I hope...

Extremely Happy NEW Year to YOU ALL!!!
And new ADVENTURES with your sewings...

Christmas Card to YOU

Photocollage from my previous week: Season greetings from friends, Christmas card made by me, Brandon's Star from my Dear Jane, Leo the Lion, four candles at our window this morning, rose stitchery (design from book 'Shabby Stitches' by Tracey North) and Angel Stitchery from the Wish Quilt.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white

with Warm Quilting and Stitching Hugs - Satu

Be charmed by Noah's Ark

I have still this - should I say - irksome flu. Yesterday I had to visit doctor and he gave me some medicine and more sick-leave. In the evening I lost my voice, so I'm not able to sing "Christmas Songs" today. Hopefully it will come back - soon... But my fingers are in action...

Although my life is not passing the way I planned, I must recognize that our postman has kept me happy these last days ... He has delivered us lot of greeting cards and also a thick letter from Australia and one parcel from America.

I got the letter from Lyn, who posted me the patterns of Noah and Friends quilt (so refreshing!) It's one of the Kookaburra Cottage's design. Thank You Lyn for your speedy and kind service;))) I can't wait over holidays to start it... Oh, I already picked up some fabrics for Leo the Lion -block....

From Fat Quarter Shop I found those lovely fabrics. They are from In the Wild - collection by Hoffman.

Should I get worried about my Angel Story quilt. Am I able to finish it before the end of this year??? HAVE YOU NOTICED, there is so much other things keeping you busy... You must concentrate, Satu.... now...


Block A and Block B are finished, but where are the rest???


It seems that someone is going to sew on Christmas...

But first I have to get my health (and voice) back... See You Again;)

Already - Third Advent

It's already time to light three candles... Christmas is sooo close...
And I must give up some doings for... because in the end of this week I got nasty flu... and I have spent last two days mostly looking world from my bed:( But it's a good place for planning and dreaming... For that I got some help from Anni's newest book: "The World as it Should Be"

Soon it is also time to post christmas cards... and I haven't done any... yet. I usually delight my friends with home-made cards... What will happen this year? How could I find time to make them... THE panic...! Most of them must be in post office on Monday...

Maybe it's after all my lucky day...I searched and found some old creations ;))) But somehow I'm feeling that I'm not quite pleased with them...





With this third stitchery of the Wish Quilt I Wish You Happy Holidays packed with Secrets and Dreams.

These Bronwyn's stitcheries are sooo lovely and very addictive... when I finish one, I must start the next one ... even this flu couldn't stop me...

Second Advent - at work

I was at work (= at the garden) this weekend. We are growing mainly cut roses, but we have also different kind of season products. At this time of the year we are packing and sending christmas flowers to our customers...BUsy, Busy!!! So I spent my weekend with amaryllis... not with roses...

Now I don't want to see any amaryllis... never again... My legs and hands are so tired... the pots of the amaryllis are quite heavy to carry... and when you do it eight hours in a day... you know it must feel somewhere... So nothing remarkable in my quilting world at this weekend...:((

Only some stitching in the evening...

I started to stitch this Bronwyn Hayes's Christmas quilt called The Wish Quilt, when I got all three Australian Homespun (vol.9.7-9.9) magazines some weeks ago. From those volumes you'll find all the patterns of this absolutely magnificent quilt.

Maybe I'll finish it for the next Christmas... or the next... or the next... ;))) just kidding...

Have you already visited at Gail's blog? She offers a free pattern - Christmas stitchery. Cute little bird... sitting in the tree...

And Esther is teasing all Red Delicious fans with a little sneak peek at the next block. Looks really interesting... and red;)))

This is the quotation from that Australian Homespun magazine:
"Dreams come true, if we only wish hard enough.
You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it." - J.M.Burrie

Hmm... Have to think about that...

"Santa's" Little Helpers Exhausted - both

After two quite hectic sewing day it seems that also my wellserved Bernina is as exhausted as my Bunny... It works (=walks) like a snail! Especially the long seams are quite tough to sew...

And today I was going to sew my Angel's Story blocks together... GRRR... I'm not happy, now!

Besides this there will be a weekend, when we will celebrate our country's Independence on Saturday. So no help is available until next week...

Maybe I'll visit my Mother tomorrow and borrow her Husky... Mother will always rescue me... I'm SO HAPPY that she is my true Sweet ANGEL... always! And luckily the seam of the patchworks are rarely toooo looooooong;)))))

Love birds

This block is first one from mysterious RED DELICIOUS BOM by Esther
It's waiting for blanket stitches and few other embroiderings. Red is not really my favorite colour, but it's December and I found just suitable Kathy Schmitz's fabrics from my stash for this quilt. I'm happy - again - that there is so many kind ladys offering their patterns for free. I'm looking forward the next one...

Cross-stitching is one of my great passions.
Unfortunately I'm bit of slow at stitching, so there is several unfinished works in my basket. But it doesn't matter... Valerie Pfeiffer's birdies are one of my favorites. They will decorate potholders someday... with some lovely fabrics...

Last week I received third delivering from Quilt Fabric Delights

There is patterns and fabrics for pincushion and needle case, both designs by Melly&me. An enormous temptation to start something new... maybe I keep this fun for the next year...

In this month there is no BOWs available in Sylvia's Bridal Sampler. But I have copied few patterns from previous months... so I don't have to keep pause...

These are my latest blocks, from left to the right:

1. Kansas Troubles (L-8 ), 2. Amethyst (A-5), 3. Dogtooth violet (M-8)

Here comes Extra Happiness..:)))

I took two day offs... (must work at weekend)... BUT before that I'm going to enjoy a life filled with crafts and other joys of life...

SEE YOU... again!!!!

First Advent

I WISH you ALL a warm and safe First Advent!

I'll be back soon... to show you something what I have done lately... and purchased ...;) I have to avoid computer, because there is so high pile of unfinished works next to my sewing machine...

Last week we (finally) got 'some' snow here in the southern coast of Finland... It started to snow on Sunday morning and it finished on Thursday. The centre of our city was full of snow! But it disappeared soon... it has rained two days now...

More blocks...

Finally I found a bit of time to show you all my Angel's Story ANGELS... before I start to sew them together. Sorry, of poor quality of the photos... some of the block are too large for my scanner!
BLOCK A: Penelope, Millicent, Libby and Hettie

BLOCK B: Sophie, Tilly and Dimity.

BLOCK C: Harriet, Angela and Sarah. As Sarah says in the book: 'Oh, there is always something new to start, and, oh, that's such a pretty fabric...! I simply can't LIVE without it!' And I really agree with her... you might have noticed that I'm little lazy to finish my sewings;)))

BLOCK D: Fran, Becky, Zoe & Prudence and Charlotte.

I visited at Stina's blog and found an interesting mystery BOM, Red Delicious. As you see I'm again planning to start something new...... I have so perfect fabrics for it...

But now I must hurry... Indiana Jones is waiting for me....

It was again a great pleasure to see you ;)))

Blocks...

Yesterday I was in Tampere at the handicrafts fair called Suomen Kädentaidot. It's the biggest fair of the handicrafts here in Finland. It is arranged every year in November. And there is hundreds of exhibitors, representing all kind of handworks. It's a good place to find very rare Christmas presents. And there really was plenty of lovely handicrafts and so much to see...

Before I left there I decided not to buy ANY fabrics, but as you see what happened to my decision... I couldn't resist... Especially new Tilda -fabrics are SO jummy...



Saturday was very inspiring day...




I was back home from Tampere late in the evening... but I felt so creative (although my legs were hurting = too much walking) that I embroidered those cute penquins, which is the next block (number 9) from Lynette's BOM Noah's Ark. And I think I'm going to use some of those fabrics in this quilt...

The penquins block is one of my favorite block.

They are so lovely little creatures, they make me happy always whereever I see them.



More inspiration I got from Elin. She finished her GORGEOUS Sylvia's Bridal Sampler - quilt. For now I have only read the first book of Jennifer Chiaverini's quilts stories (the Quilter's Apprentice), but I have followed (and dreamed) some talented quilters who have sewn their own SBS, for example Anne Ida is one of them.


With a help of Elin I found pages where you can get a one block pattern in week (BOW). So I joined in and sewed my first block (Night&Noon) last weekend. I have now sewn two other blocks: Sylvia's Shooting Star and Yankee Puzzle. A good start...

The book of Sylvia's Bridal Sampler with patterns will publish next spring.


I have also appliqued a little bit my first block from the I believe in Angels -quilt.
And of course the journey with my Dear Jane has continued in this week after one week break...

One triangle from the bottom row is now waiting for me on my ironing-board...



So until next time, HAPPY SEWING.......

PS. Olen saanut haasteen ja lupaan ottaa sen vastaan heti, kun keksin ne viisi kummallisuuttani, jotka uskallan julkisesti paljastaa ;))) Kiitos haasteesta, Maritta!


PPS. Here is amazing giveaway. It would be every stitcher's dream to get such a present, atleast mine...

Briefly...

In the middle of sewing and doing houseworks, I have to show you what I received last Wednesday from Australia.

Yes, it's parcel from my Angel;))) (Exactly there were two parcels.)

It was exciting to open them... I felt like a child on Christmas Eve opening her presents... my eyes were sparkling, hands were trembling ...

And it was open!!!!

Lovely bag, cute tiny scissors keeper, tablerunner made from fabrics with australian wildflowers and parrots (suites well on my Advent table) and the pattern of the bag designed by Janelle Wind... oh... and there was also... jam jam... piece of chocolate... nam nam...


Thank you my sweet dear Angel, Judy.... I love them all VERY MUCH!!!!


But now back to the kitchen and sewing corner... I have doing some new project and if you have noticed the badget from my sidebar I have joined to the Angel's Story club (at the last moment, deadline is end of this year).

Flying Angels... lazy days...

Ooh...! My dear Bernina is covered by spider webs...;))

Why? IT was Halloween weekend but, I have my doubts about that...

Anyway it's nearly two weeks when I last used it... oh, time is flying and I haven't kept my goals:(((

Top of the doggie quilt, still unfinished... cute pincushion is still unfinished and so on...my UFO pile is higher and higher... christmas is coming... No, I'm not stressed... YET!

On Sunday I wiped the webs off and sewed few seam, but only few.


Here is the result... No doggies, but bear and ladybugs, again. I decided to try Helen's tutorial Quilt as you go -method. I don't know whether I'll succeed? But after sewing stripes to the first block I realised I must be more accurate with seam allowances... Anyway I won't sew those blocks together yet. I'm planning to make the heart applique block between each stitchery block. Now I'm ready to embroider my third block - Tea Party.


The last block from Angel's Story is without last blanket stitches... I'll introduce all my Angels to you soon...

...before another Angels from Bunny Hill Designs will occupy my sewing room... or maybe they already have done it...

I had to try how it looks the Angel flying above winter landscape. Perhaps a good idea for the christmas card...

Because it's already November, I can finally show you picture of these goodies which I posted to my Dear Stitcher pal. Her name is Judy. She lives in Australia and is quite busy with her two boys. Hopefully she have enough time for herself too. I'm honoured to be her 'Angel'.

Helen wrote, if we are lucky she'll run all this fun again in next year... Jippii and REally Big Hugs....

Summertime is ending

Early next morning we will here in Finland say goodbye to summer 2008! Must remember to turn clocks a one hour toward last summer...

It was quite rainy summer. Now I'm starting to wait when first snowflakes are falling. I think somewhere in northern parts of Finland there is already snow... Weather forecast is promising also here in south Finland some snow on next week. Let's see what happens!

Now there is a strong wind outside and very dark. It would be nice to light a candle or two...

Relaxing Stitching Days to you all;)))

PS: I would like to hear your opinion which fabric to choose for triangles of my Dear Jane, HERE.. Thanks!!!

A Little Bit This and a Little Bit That

Becky the Bookworm from my Angel's Story quilt is finished - finally! I have only one block without stitchery, then I'll start to cut squares. Have to sharpen my Fiskars...

I began this quilt in summer 2006, stitched five blocks, then somehow I forgot it... By chance I visited at Stina's blog in this summer and saw that she is sewing it with the other 'Angels'. That gave me so much inspiration that I started it again. I made desicion to finish it at the end of this year, because I'm going to give it as a birthday gift in next January. I'm not quite pleased with my fabric choises. During these couple of years I have found other fabulous and 'more suitable' fabrics, so I have planned to make another one, which I will keep myself.

Today was quite rainy, no good weather for outdoor activities. So I did some home decorations; sew those curtains and a new table-cloth. Those owls looks funny... When I saw that fabric I knew I have to buy it, owl patterns are captivating.

I also stitched a little bit more butterflies to my Butterflygarden and a few ladybugs to one block of the Nice People and Nice Things.

Already so many creatures.... and more is coming....


These are my goals for the next week...

The second Pincushion of the Month kit arrived on last Thursday. And I'm thrilled! It looks like a jewel! Hopefully I'll manage to make it correctly.

And it's time to finish atleast a top of this doggie quilt... 'only a month' and it supposed to be given as a birthday present... to... a charming little man, who took his first four steps by himself without outsiders help today;)))



It's late and it's time to say goodnight, sleep tight little ones, but before that...

I must show you this huge cup. My DH arrived last Thursday from Cincinnati. He was there in WUSV World Championship event (German shepherds all over the world meet and compete) as the leader of the Finnish team. And look what they received... bronze medal and really heavy cup! And I RECEIVED that ruler with inches...

PS. My Stitchers' pal received my parcel last Friday, I'm happily relieved.

Nice People (=Very Busy Postman?) and Nice Things

It has been quite quiet week after such hectic Stitchers' Angel weeks.

My first stitchery in NPNT is ready. You will find a little story about it here.

I finished that cute block from Lynette's Noah's Ark; Birds and Tortoises. The shields of tortoises are little messy, because I stitched them with two strands. Maybe I should have used only one... Next time I will be wiser;)

Yes, I have a BIG plan to make other Noah's Ark quilt. I heard that one of my nieces is going to have a baby in March. I think these Noah's Ark stitcheries in pastel colours are just perfect for babyquilt. I found that fabric (in photo below) with creatures from Fabric Shack and postman delivered it today. JIPPII!!

If you look the same photo really, really close, you'll see that postman has been very busy indeed. I got today also Lynette's A Kitten tale -patterns...:)))) OH, I have now all kind of NICE THINGS except time.....

So Satu, maybe it's time to change place...


Anyway it's always pleasant to share my time also with you all NICE PEOPLE there!!! See you again;)))

PS. Kävin viikonloppuna katsomassa Heli Laaksosen näytelmää, josta mm. jäi mieleen lausahdus:
"Varma huano on ain paremp ko epävarma hyvä..."

Updating Stitchers' Angel Swap

Today I posted parcel to my own Stitcher pal with some candies in it. Hopefully it will arrive in A... in good condition and in TIME.

Sometimes packages are disappearing in a mysterious way... I have been waiting my first block of I Believe In Angels BOM for three weeks now (from USA), the second block arrived today in one week. So I'm waiting... Maybe I'll get a parcel from my Dear Angel too;))) How exciting...