Time out...

It has been a long time since I've written a post as I took time out to do other stuff...   I was shunted out of my studio as Jopie took it over to complete his architectural studies....  I only had limited time to check emails and important things, no luxury of write blogs...   My supporting role was extremely stressful and exhausting...   He subsequently moved out and it was time for the big clean-up as for the first time since 1982, it is now Willem and me alone at home.    As Willem is retiring at the end of this year, we also decided to do a mini upgrade to our kitchen and also painted tired looking spots all over the house...!     Even the studio worktable top  has been sanded down and resealed, waiting for action!

I realized that I will always find excuses not to do things around the house as I always have urgent quilting matters to attend to.....  I had to be very firm with myself, the house first this time!   Curtains were washed and ironed, broken things turfed out and not used stuff around the kitchen, given away.    So, at last my mind is uncluttered and ready to be creative again.  

While painting Jopie's room from top to bottom, I realized that the bed in "his" room needs a new quilt as the old one is very threadbare.   As Willem is retiring, I'm planning to make a scrappy quilt from his old ties which I have kept for "one day"....   There are still a few beauties in his cupboard, they might disappear...     It will take some time though....   More about that later in the year, I feel such a bed quilt can be a fitting memory of his working years.

In the meantime, Elizabeth has two lovely Spaniels who were rather naughty puppies...   But oh so beautiful, so one could not really be angry at them for too long....   I made two scatter cushions for her some time ago and I really liked it...   So did Abigail and Rebecca, I still don't know which one was the culprit...   The corners of these cushions never looked the same after they got hold of it, maybe the teeth were itchy...   Any way, Elizabeth and I both liked the cushions and I decided to recycle it as it was such a shame to throw it away.   However I don't like to remake projects as the excitement is gone, so it took some time to finish....   Luckily I finished those before the end of last year.  I had to unpick all the hand stitching and re-embroider it, this time on cream fabric instead of the black of the first version.    Every time I visit them, I check the cushions and am happy to report that Abby and Rebecca are now two well behaved dogs...!  

Fused squares stitched with blanket and chain stitch.
Embellished with pieces of leather, clay and wooden beads.  Hand quilted.

Fused squares stitched with blanket and chain stitch.
Embellished with leather, wooden and clay beads.   Hand quilted.

Close up of second cushion.  Some of the black stitching "slipped" a bit ...

Because the covers had inners in when I took the photographs, the designs look slightly distorted...

And the little buggers who made me repeat all the work again.....

Rebecca (left) the smooth hair beauty with curly top Abby (right), the headgirl!

Enough said!    They are gorgeous, well loved and always so excited to see me!