Tuesday 31 January 2012

Tuesday Treasures

Here I am again to share more of my treasured boxes.


I specially love the small tin sewing box. It's meant to use when you go on holidays or on a trip.

If you'd like to see more treasures or to share some of yours, link up with Melody and join the fun!



Sunday 29 January 2012

Blogger's Bom - January block and My new table runner


My January  Blogger's BOM  block .



My Newest table runner!!!
It's ready and in it's proper place...my coffee table.






I love it !!!

Saturday 28 January 2012

My first Bargello is finished!!!


Today I finished the third part of Katie's Bargello Quilt Along.
My Bargello table runner is ready. I love it.





I must thank Katie at Katie's Quilting Corner for I couldn't have done it without her clear instructions and great photos. It made everything so much easier.




Friday 27 January 2012

Road to Tenesse Mini-Quilt

 
I used a Moda Bake Shop tutorial to create a mini Road to Tenessee Quilt.
The blocks are 5" finished and it's a good pattern to use scraps.


The top is finished, just needs quilting and biding



Wednesday 25 January 2012

In tougher times we know the true friends

A couple of weeks ago I commented with a blogger friend that I was going through difficult times and I couldn't buy fabric for my quilting. She immediately and most generously volunteered herself to send me some of her fabrics. And today I received  the most wonderful present


   Sue Belleli is an Australian quilter that I've only "met" through  Quilt Blocks Swap Australia, a swap group she founded. She is a wonderful person with a great heart. Even though she never met me, and probably never will, Australia and Portugal are so far away, she didn't hesitated and came to the rescue.
I received a real rainbow of wonderful fabrics. I will treasure them as if they were gold for they represent one of the most important things in life: FRIENDSHIP. I can never thank you enough for your king gesture. You always be in my heart, Sue. Thank you very much!!!



ROSE STAR BLOCK PARTY


Last Friday I entered FNSI and began a rose star, It's English paper piecing and I finished my first one today



Tuesday 24 January 2012

Tuesday Treasures

Today I decided to  join the lovely Melody, at The house on the side of the Hill, for more Tueday Treasures. I'm going to share with you my greatest treasure - MY FAMILY!!!

 
     My daughter Catarina when she was about one year old and my son José only six months old.
     They were so cute!!

They both loved to swim in the pool, this photo was taken on the Summer vacation ( a couple of years ago). We had great fun the three of us, I too love to swim.




Here we are in Paris, in a Bateaux Mouche. This photo was taken two years ago on our 20th aniversary. We went to Disneyland Paris and chose this day to visit the city.
I hope you enjoy meeting my family.They are my most valuable treasure.




Sunday 22 January 2012

Look how much he has grown

Our dog Blackie will be 7 months old next Wednesday. He has been with us for only 5 months and we can't live without him anymore.
He has grown a bit since my last post about him and he loves to sit in the sun.



Sometimes he even takes a little nap

  He just loves his red coat



A Sunday's work

Today was a lovely Winter morning, cold but sunny and not a cloud in the blue sky. I got to make all my chores before lunch and in the afternoon I sneaked into my sewing space. The sun shined through the windows and it was warm and cozy with lots if light.

I sewed away until got dark, when I'm sewing my mind flews away from all those bad thoughts about the facts of life. It's like I enter another dimension.
O.K. enough of small talk. Let me show you what I did...



I finished something that is going to be a gift for a dear friend, so I can't show you much or I'd spoil the surprise. I still have to do the quilting and  the biding. I think I might hand quilt it.

 I began this block from Annie Downs book Some Kind of Wonderful. I'm not doing the sew along but I intend to make many blocks and other projects. I love that book.



Saturday 21 January 2012

My First 2012 FNSI

I had planned to finish my Bargello table runner but Katie had some technical issue with her blog and the part 3 of the Bargello Quilt along had to be delayed. No worries, there is always my faithful EPP ( English paper piecing) to turn to.
After sewing millions ( well hundreds ) of hexies I decided to try something new.



Firstly I made a star using diamonds

Then....another star
I finished my FNSI with a beautiful but challenging block ( which I didn't finish, but I will)

The pieces are tiny and hard to baste bur the final result will be awesome ( I think)


 I'll post a photo as soon as I get it done.



Friday 20 January 2012

A Great Day

I'm so happy I could dance. Some of you know that I've been in economic difficulties and buying fabric was almost out of the question but today I received the most wonderful news. Fat Quarter Shop is now sponsoring my blog. Isn't that great. I love Fat quarter shop and now I can keep on with my quilting.
THANK YOU Fat Quarter Shop!!!





Wednesday 18 January 2012

November QBSA blocks from Lyndell

Today the mail man brought me a package with two beautiful blocks.
Lyndell was kind enough to buy retro fabrics specially for me. Not only did she make two beautiful blocks but she also sent me the leftover fabric.
She must have guessed I'm on a very, very strict fabric diet ( due to money shortage).


THANKS LYNDELL!!!



Tuesday 17 January 2012

Pincushion Parade

I just love pincushions. I have a small collection of them and it's growing day after day. So, I decided to join Beth at Love, laugh, quilt and show you some of my pincushions.
Sorry about the poor quality of the photos ( it's the photographer's fault.... ME!!!).





Sunday 15 January 2012

Bargello Quilt-Along Part II

I'm so HAPPY. I spent all week waiting for Friday to see what Katie had posted about the Bargello Quilt-Along.
I followed her great instructions very carefully and cut my tubes and unpicked the strips


I assembled all the strips to make sure the design was right

The strips are overlapping but the design is perfectly visible.

 To be pretty sure, I tried the design on the floor

Then I began sewing the strips very carefully trying not to make a mistake and...Wow!!!
     

     I made my first Bargello, I can't believe how easy it was. Thanks Katie for all your help and clear instructions.
Now I have to wait until Friday again to finish my wonderful table runner. In these difficult times I'm going trough, quilting is my therapy. Today it was almost like someone above was helping me, the seams nested perfectly, I didn't make any mistake and the corners matched so well. Maybe it's a sign that things might get better. I really hope it is.