Good bye, 2017!

It ends another year. A not so pleasant year for me. The quilting and sewing journey was full of obstacles and the personal life was complicated by all sort of situations. Things have improved only in the last days of 2017, on time to cheer us up for looking with a little hope for 2018.

That being said, I want to bring into this post an optimistic note.

This is one of my new patchwork designs. I started thinking about it this autumn and I'm still working on it, trying to find its best layout and use. I will tell you more about this block in one of my future posts.

For now, here is one of the bags for which I used this variant.

And here is a printable including it - the 2018 one page Calendar - a present for you, my faithful readers.

Right - click on the photo above, choose Save Image As and save it in your computer.
It will work both as printable and desktop wallpaper. 
If printing (on cardboard or plain paper) I suggest using the " Scale to paper size" feature.

Have a beautiful, happy, healthy and prosperous 2018, my dears!

Thank you for your support!

Forever Together quilt

It's finally done!

The quilt edges are so wavy because of the wire fence pattern.

I name it "Forever Together", inspired by the lovely couple who will own it.
The design embodies an old traditional motif, the Tree of Life, which I gave a particular layout, making it out of two mirrored stylized trees, one composing the top half of the quilt and the other - the bottom half, as you look at the picture above.
This is The Marriage Tree and brings together His Tree of Life and Her Tree of Life (the two quilt's halves).
At least that was my vision, for the sake of quilt's aesthetics.

The quilt measures 72" x 86".
I chose to try binding it using the quilt back. It was so simple, fast and fun! I am sure I will use this method again.

I have a few conclusions arising out of using this method, but they will make the subject of a  future post.
The quilt is not heavy, despite its dimensions, due to the cotton batting.

For the first time, I used for quilting Aurifil thread 50 wt. My sewing machine liked it so much that there was no need of any special tension adjustment. The thread has not broken even once.

I also liked so much using this Aurifill thread that I was close to change the quilting design on the go, by adding a denser pattern. Eventually, I said to myself to let the things as I initially thought and to preserve the thread for a future project having a quilting design that will put it in better value.

Until next post,
Have only beautiful days, my dears!

I'm linking to Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River

Urban Folk Mood 3 - Denim upcycling

I'm still working on the Urban Folk pattern, taking advantage of every opportunity to make another test.
This time I have introduced as main character a few denim pieces from my small but growing pile of used jeans which I want to upcycle in my future projects.

The stretchy denim I used here required some attention when handled but with a few small exceptions the piecing went quite well.

That's all for now.
Back to work.

Have a beautiful day!
   

Urban Folk Mood Quilt - 2 - playing with the winter colors

I'm polishing the Urban Folk Mood quilt pattern.

In this version, I wanted to give equal chances to be seen to the two patchwork units of the top and bottom bands. The way to do this was using for both units vivid and pastel colors/shades, but in their succession, I wanted to get out of the symmetry of the pieced blocks geometry.
I kept the quilting design (simulating the weaving threads) as in the first version because I want the quilt layout to stay in a manner near to my inspiration source: a traditional handcrafted rug.

This is a little quilt, for a decorative pillow or a wall quilt.
The next version will be a baby quilt and will have a few prints.

Have a beautiful week, my friends!

I'm linking to Finish it up Friday!

Granny Stocking pattern - on sale!

Christmas is so close and we all have so much to do!
If you like making sewn gifts for your loved ones, I give you a helping hand:

During 19 - 23 December I will offer my Granny Stocking pattern at a reduced price. 

You can purchase it by going to my Etsy Shop.

As you may see, Granny Stocking has an original shape - inspired by Romanian traditional footwear.
It is a last-minute project, an ideal choice when your "to do list" is still long but the time is short.

For Granny Stocking you need only a few materials:
*Fabrics: 
-2 pieces of 11" x 15" for stocking body
-about 12" x 12" for cuff and shoe
*Tear-away stabilizer for cuff embroidery
*A piece of ribbon for the loop
*Coordinating threads  

You might also sew your stockings from modern fabrics to give a chic look, or using seasonal prints and no embroidery, or just a few assorted fabric scraps. Your imagination is the limit. Whatever your choice, one thing is sure: your stockings made using my Granny Stocking pattern will immediately distinguish, warming up the hearts to all who will receive them, no matter how small would be their content!

Have only beautiful sewing days, my dears!

Urban Folk Mood quilt - work in progress

Just a short post.
A new little quilt I'm working on. The hourglass block is inspired by a hand-made Romanian traditional rug.

That moment after washing the quilt for the first time!
Bliss!

Have a beautiful day!

I'm linking to Finish it up Friday!

Back to sewing. Time is running

Finally, hot weather left us alone!
Almost two months with hot air, day and night. Not a single little cloud or a little drop of rain. In a city full of cars and concrete. Hard to breathe. Hard to think. Hard to live.

Having a better sleep in the fresh air of the last night, I woke up with fresh strengths and optimistic mood.
So, how about testing one of my patchwork designs, I said!

 

I named it Time Is Running and as (almost) always, my inspiration source was Romanian needlework.
It's about the diamond motif.
In Traditional Art the diamond symbolizes fertility, Mother Goddess, Goddess of the Earth.

But in this first test I placed the design so that at the first glance you see only a simple composition of squares and triangles. Because I wanted to keep everything simple: straight cuts, simple geometric shapes, simple stitching. And because my first impulse was to not show my point of view explicitly .

So, being a work in progress, that's all about it for now.

Have a beautiful day, my dears!

I am linking to Linky Tuesday

Another test and another present

My love for traditional stitching made me interrupt the work on the bucket bag.
I have seen some images of the traditional motifs from Basarabia and I tried a quick test to see if I could transform one of them in a patchwork block.

My source: http://semne-cusute.blogspot.ro - a wonderful Romanian Lady sharing his hard work aiming perpetuation of traditional Romanian stitching art 

...and another Easter gift is done! No waste!

Have a beautiful day, my dears!


  

Inspiration (WIP)

I like traditional art. I said it before.
I'm trying to find ways to use it in a modern way, or to mix it with other crafting techniques, but with care. I don't want to force something; I would want to match only those aspects that are compatible.

The today post needed this introduction, because I'm in the process of designing some quilt blocks inspired by Romanian traditional sewing.
This is the first one.

Inspired by an old Romanian Blouse created in an once very well known area for the crafting of peasant costumes: Breaza. It is located in the Prahova County placed in the south Romanian region named Muntenia. And it is just where our quilting group has recently met.

View Larger Map

From my first attempt it came up a block close to Courthouse Steps, from the Log Cabin family.

Although easy to sew, the block presents the difficulty of keeping the squares and the rectangles the same width. I didn't get yet this and the aligning of the little squares shows it, but that's why this block should be considered a challenging one and may tempt the ambitious, advanced and even experienced quilters to do it.
I recommend  it as a choice for a good looking scrap-quilt.
Here is how it looks only by inverting the two colors:

The next step is selecting one or more quilting patterns that would match with it. I think some all-over ones would do.
Hard job, too!

I see some cushions as quick projects and at list one quilt made with this block.
I need a name too, for it.

So, as is usually said, I'm in the middle of a Work In Progress, right?
Right!

Get back to work then
and
Have a beautiful day, my dears!

ia romaneasca si english paper piecing/ Romanian Blouse (La Blouse Roumaine) and English Paper Piecing

La sfarsitul saptamanii trecute, Silvia si Ortansa ne-au gazduit o intalnire de doua zile, acasa la ele, ca sa vedem si sa pipaim quiltul la care am lucrat impreuna, inainte de a fi trimis la Houston si ca sa mai discutam despre viitoare proiecte comune.

V-am mai spus ca fiecare a lucrat cate o portiune din el, asa ca, in afara de Geta, care l-a asamblat, noi celelalte, nu-l stiam decat din poze.
Pentru a-l saluta cum se cuvine pe Domnul Quilt, imbracat in costum English Paper Piecing, noi ne-am gatit cu niste adevarate ii romanesti, aduse cu mare iuteala si cu mult drag de Ortansa si ne-am pozat pentru posteritate.
Pentru ca fiecare a scris deja, despre intalnire sau despre quilt pe blogul ei (aici e Ela), eu m-am gandit sa profit de asta si sa va supun spiritul de observatie la o mica incercare.

Ce aveti de facut:

Vizitati-le blogurile, cititi-le postarile despre subiectul asta, uitati-va bine la poze. Uitati-va si la pozele de mai jos si incercati apoi, sa ghiciti a cui e ia.
Nu va ajut niciun pic!
Ei hai, ca niste indicii, pe ici pe colo, tot am lasat....
Oricum, ultima poza am pus-o doar asa, ca sa va sâcâi!

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Ar mai fi trebuit sa adaug o intrebare anume, dar n-o pun. Sa vedem daca e cineva care simte nevoia!

Vreti sa raspundeti si altundeva decât in gând?
Simplu: la comentarii sau pe email.

Vreti si premiu?
Mai vedem, mai socotim, ne mai gandim....
Depinde de voi!

P.S. Nici impricinatele nu vor da indicii. Sunt sigura.

O zi frumoasa sa aveti!

Edited:
I saw what horrible translation make google for this post. Where did he find here something about "cooking", I really don't know! This post in Google English is a totally mess!
ia romaneasca = Romanian Blouse in English, La Blouse Roumaine in French.

March 1 - Martzishor

Long ago an old woman called Dochia, had a step daughter. Dochia hated her.

In a grim winter day Dochia gave her a very dirty clothes asking her to wash them in the river until they will become white as snow. The young girl washed them long, but the clothes became black. Then came a young man  whose name was Martzishor  and asked her why she cries. She told him what had happened. Then Martzishor told her that he has magical powers and gave him a red flower with white. He urged her to wash again the clothes and after that return home.

When the girl arrived home, the clothes were white as snow.

Dochia could hardly trust his own eyes.

She did not believe that his step-daughter will be able to complete the task.

Suddenly she saw the red-white flower on the girl’s chest.

The old woman thought that spring has come and gone with the flock on the mountain.

Along the way, every day the weather has become more and more beautiful, so she took off, one by one, the nine coats she wear. But after the 9th coat she was caught by a cold rain. When she reached the top of the mountain, showed Martzishor who told her: “Now you see how bad it is to sit in the cold and wet?”Then he disappeared.

A bitter cold came suddenly and Dochia and the flock were turned into stone blocks.
It is said that these blocks are those found in the Ceahlau Mountains, in the northern Romanian Eastern Carpathian Mountains (Carpatii Orientali).
About the above Dochia legend, well....of course this is only one of many others...

Traditionally The Old Woman’s (or Women) Days (Zilele Babei/Babelor), (1-9 March) compose a cycle of nine days. The weather of each one of the nine days means the feelings of Dochia on her way on the mountain.

On March 9, when died Dochia, is considered the boundary between cold and warm seasons.

March 1st is The Spring “baba” and symbolize the seeding. March 2 is The Summer “baba” and symbolize the works of summer and March 3 is The Autumn “baba”, the harvest.

How will be the three days, so will be the three seasons of the year, and how will be the weather in the 9th “baba”, so will be the weather for the 40 following days.

If you want to see what will be your next year, you have to choose from advance one of The Nine “Baba”Days. If the one you choose is sunny and beautiful, you will have a very good year, but if the day is cloudy and rainy, you will have a difficult year. 

Well, who have the courage to choose a day?....

Until you will decide whether to do it or not, I will continue to prepare the little signs of the spring, "Martzishoarele".

I'm making martzishoare as bracelets. Of course,  new models. Some of them are already worn.

Have a beautiful spring!

Welcome Spring!

...And it came March 1st!
Slowly, slowly, the Spring makes its appearance.
Outdoors in the backyards or in the gardens, the snowdrops raised their little white heads.

Indoors, from their protective pots, the hyacinths and tulips cheers us with their fresh colors and their delicate fragrance.

Even if the weather was miffed I was to the Peasant Museum to see and buy mărtzishoare.

There were people from many regions of the country to expose and sell their little spring symbols. I chosen a few wooden and ceramics ones.

I liked these symbols:

Do you recognize their signification?


There are for you, all of my guests!

Have a beautiful, cheerful, inspiring spring!

Romanian heritage in a hurry

Don't worry about my today title!
It is not follow up by an ethnological lesson.I don't want to bore you.
I will only show you what I have made lately.
One of my passions is Romanian traditional art. I'm really in love with textile objects, especially.But my eyes prospect instinctively for popular patterns everywhere. 
At odd moments, I have been started to digitize a few old traditional cross stitching embroidery patterns.

 

 I did well only a few. I'm working on between other projects....

Yesterday I received at the last moment, a birthday celebration invitation for tonight.I was surprised by it so, the big problem was the gift!

Because the time was so short I look in my "Emergency Embroiderable T-shirt  Fund" and I was lucky to find one with the fitted size.

I decided to do some appliquees and I used 4 denim patches.

I embroidered on each of them a square from my little cross stitching-library.

I used my new pinking rotary cutter to crop the 4 squares.

 

and then I sewed all 4 in place.

Like this:

 

The uneven distance between them is deliberated

The folk T-shirt is done!

 

Now I can prepare myself  for a good look....

Have a beautiful day, to you all!