CTS finished! And - before - and after

I haven't posted for approx 2 weeks... One of the reasons for that was no Internet connection from Sunday morning to Thursday midday last week... When it finally got connected again, it took me quite some time to clear e-mails and go through other things. Isn't it amazing how we sort of get addicted to the net? I love to read blogs, something I couldn't do for five days! We also have a terrible slow connection at times, and it happens quite often i.e. photos on blogs do not load at all - very frustrating! Sorry blogger friends! This is why I haven't made any comments to any of you, but I hope to read your newest posts as soon as possible. First of all I want to share with you what I've done the last couple of weeks.

I've finished the Christmas tree skirt! :) I love the way it turned out! This is a gift for my dear friend Johnny. He knows about it - no secret! :)

The angle block, where it is written; "come let us adore him". It's not very visible on the photo, but there are four red seed beads in the angle's halo.

Detail of the corner block.

I don't have any plans making more Christmas related quilts, but one thing I've always wanted to do is a Christmas card holder. I think I'll do that nearer to Christmas - now I have to concentrate on other projects. First of all I have to finish a secret birthday swap gift, next is a 9-patch block swap and some Christmas/Winter related ornaments; cross-stitching as well as any other crafts (for the ornament swaps). Oh, and there's a tea coaster swap too....... Boy, it's going to keep me busy! :))

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BEFORE!

Ever since last year I realized I need more space for my stash, but never got around buying anything. We did have a look around though, but what we found was either not suitable or too expensive. On this photo I have just emptied the blue closet (in the background) and moved it from the opposite wall.

 

Part of the stash that was inside the closet.

I don't have a photo of the couch "before", but it was filled with stash and place for one person to sit only! :)

A couple of weeks ago we went to a furniture shop, where they sell bookshelves made of pine. The displayed shelves had a dept of 18 cm only, which wasn't deep enough to my use. They offered to make the shelves with the dept I needed - 30 cm - which was just so great! The sales woman said it'll take approx 2 weeks.... It took five days!!!

We weren't satisfied with the way the shelves were delivered; the driver said they had called in the morning, where the one who had answered said that's OK... I do wonder who they called, because we did not receive any calls from them! Then it was a problem with payment... We had already paid 50%, the rest was supposed to be paid on delivery. First the driver didn't want to accept a cheque (we didn't have the required amount in cash, because we didn't know they were coming!), but in the end - after some minutes "discussion" - the cheque was accepted! Well, that was unnecessary, but all in all I'm happy the shelves arrived that fast!

AFTER!

HURRAY!!! I can finally SEE the couch again! lol!

I transferred all the craft related books- and magazines from another shelf and the stored books in the wardrobe to the "old" shelf. These are the two new shelves. What is stored of fabrics (in the shelves) had its place on the couch! It looks so much airier and tidy now - just can't believe it! The blue closet is filled to the brim with fabrics too - on the opposite wall.

Even hubby says it looks too tidy now! Lolol!  

Birthday, CTS, New Project ect

My birthday came - and went... One year added to my age - should I feel any difference? No, I don't - as long as I'm young at heart... etc. The only difference I have noticed over the years is my body going downhill... No, perhaps I shouldn't say it like that, but - the fact is I have to realize I'm not 20 anymore! :))

I didn't have a birthday party... but I did make a cake!

I have always wanted to make 'black forest' cake, which is a chocolate cake with cherries.

I don't know how many shops I've been to, asking for cherries in sugar syrup (tins), but the only cherries I get here, is frosted (?) cherries, which is not the same! 

On my birthday itself, we went to Curepipe - the town on the plateau. Brr - it was cold up there! We went there because I wanted to have a look for flannel and I had to buy floss for the Christmas tree skirt (CTS). We decided to go to the supermarket there too, and guess what I found?! Yes, cherries in sugar syrup (tins)!!! It wasn't the dark, sour cherries that is used for the cake - but at least it was CHERRIES!!! :)

I didn't fancy decorating the cake as the photo on the recipe. To make the cake layers juicier, I used a mix of the sugar syrup and cocoa liqueur! My gosh it turned out so yummy! I think it's the tastiest cake I've ever made! 

If you'd like to try, here's the recipe. 

NNC craft group is known for its activity. :)) This year I've signed up for the birthday gift exchange, and I received such a wonderful gift from Diane (no blog). 

I'm always worried when parcels go through the custom; I've had some bad experiences where they have not treated parcels very carefully at all! :(

This is how the gifts looked like after they were opened by the custom. To my 'surprise' they did manage to re wrap the gifts, except one - perhaps it was too complicated??!!

Even the card was opened.....

...which I think is to invade ones privacy!

And here - at last - are the lovely gifts I received from Diane;

12,5 inch square ruler, marking pen, some cute charm packs, some precut cat fabrics (I collect cat fabric for a lap quilt) and a darling bell pull! What a gorgeous birthday gift!!!

A close up of the bell pull - isn't it gorgeous?! I love it!

Dear Diane, THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH!!! I love it all! :) And a thank you to Margaret (no blog) at NNC for arranging the birthday gift exchange!

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I've been working on the Christmas tree skirt over the last days. There are 8 blocks (4 of each) to be applique, and here's the third one almost done. I ran out of floss and since none of the craft shops here in town have that specific color, I have to go to the neighbor town...

 

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I think I was sort of bored during the weekend... I've started a new project!!!

I intended not too, but since I didn't have more floss for the CTS, it was too tempting.... For some months a layer cake and jelly roll have been staring at me... I've stared at them too... Perhaps they didn't want to stay in that plastic bag anymore... they wanted to be turned into a project - I guess! :)

These were the first layer cake and jelly roll I've ever bought. I think I bought it more out of curiosity, because I didn't bother that much about the color... What was more important; they were 50% off full price - how to resist?!

The collection is 'Hello Betty' by Chloe's Closet.

On Friday I gave in.....

Here it is - on the kitchen floor. It wasn't easy to place the blocks and sashing, but I'm quite content with this layout. Yesterday I managed to add one row of the blocks together.

I don't like it that much; the colors don't appeal to me.... but I still hope to finish it - not let it turn out to be a UFO!

Weekend Updates; Prize, CTS, Garden, Award...

Isn't it amazing how fast the days go by? It's already Monday, and another week starts.

I didn't manage to do as much sewing as I intended to do over the weekend. Yesterday was such a beautiful, sunny day, perfect for garden work. I did quite some weeding and I'm feeling it 'good' in my body today. My 'problem' is that I can't stop working before my body cries out; 'STOP'! It's not that I get tired, it's the darn ol' knees and lower back... A blogging friend once wrote in a post she tortures herself in the garden, and I think I do the same... I love our garden, and I love weeding too, as long as it doesn't become overwhelming. :)

Speaking about gardening... When walking home from grocery shopping some days ago, we found this beauty on the street side. Well, perhaps it doesn't look very beautiful after all, without any leaves - poor thing, but to me it is an exotic plant - and I find it beautiful. I'm not able to take a close-up of the tiny, red flower - my camera is not good enough for that. It was thrown out from a garden. I love plants; I couldn't help it - I brought it home! Now it's in a pot and I hope it starts growing after the 'shock' of being thrown out! :)) I believe this plant is called 'desert rose' - anyone knows?

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If you have followed/read my blog for some time, you know all the UFO's I finished from January to May? It was a UFO-contest, which you can read more about in this post. 

I didn't intend to win, I just decided to finish as many as possible of the UFO's I had. I finished 14 - and I WON the contest!

And here's the prize I received last week; a needle case! Isn't it gorgeous?! I just LOVE it!!

The front....

The back....

What is inside; scissor case and needle case for sewing machine needles. GORGEOUS!!!

It is made by Karin over at this blog and her daugther Nancy over at this blog.

Karin and Nancy; THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH! I LOVE IT!!! :)

(This is my first needle case ever!)

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I started writing this post this morning, thought I was going to publish it, but then I decided to wait getting some more updates.

I've been working on the four 'angel-blocks' for the Christmas tree skirt (CTS) today, and here's how it turned out;

These four blocks are almost done; I have to buy red seed beads for the halo. Next step is another four blocks; the manger. It has a lot of small pieces - as I can recall there are almost 20 pieces - it'll take some time.... :)

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Vicki over at this blog, surprised me with a very nice Award.

This is an Award about being true to oneself.

Thank you so very, very much Vicki! :)

I'm passing this lovely Award on to;

Kjersti - Kjersti's Loese Traader

Sigrun - Sigrun's Lappeteknikk

Anne-Lise - Sjoko Quilt

Joanne - Lavender Fields Etc

for being true to themselves and sharing about life.

Thanks for sharing about life!

Walking in the sunshine

Wednesday this week was such a beautiful & sunny day, so we decided to go for a walk to a Tamil temple not far from where we live. Well, when I say 'not far', it means not far to us who are used to walk, but for others perhaps 45 minutes walk IS a long walk. I think last time we visited this temple, must be approx 4 years ago.

It's built high up in the mountain, a bit of a climb to reach there.

Don't know how many steps there are...

...but it's worth the climb, isn't it?! View over part of the town.

Beautifully decorated and painted.

My Gosh it was blowing that day! The gusts were so strong, I could hardly hold the camera... I think meteo said gusts of 60/70 km/h (38/43 miles/h)

Corps de Garde - 719 meters above sea level. The temple is to the left, not visible from this side.

Beautiful sugarcane fields in bloom.

A wonderful walk - altogether a 3-hours walk.

 

New York Beauty and Christmas Tree Skirt

Ever since I discovered Michelle's blog, I've been drooling over her 'New York Beauty' quilt! It's gorgeous!!!

Curious to find out 'how did she do that', I was too tempted not to try myself! This is a quilt I definitely will put on my 'bucket' list. If you don't know what a bucket list is (I didn't know...), read this post. :)

I've decided to use batiks for this quilt. I was wondering; 'do I have enough batik for a bed cover quilt', so I dived into my stash... I knew I had bought some blues and pinks, but I had completely forgotten the rest - BLUSH!

Who said I didn't have batiks?! BLUSH - again! A plastic bag full of batiks, but... I would like some more bright colors, so I had to purchase a few yards yellows and reds, and a few more blues - just like I don't have enough blues... It's just that I LOVE blues!

Here's what I've started. (The green is not as 'yellow' as the photo shows). I'll do paper piecing on this part of the blocks.

Darn curves - something I've never done before! Look at all those pins!

Adding it to the paper pieced part.

I've done two blocks - 6 inch square. I have used the same 6 fabrics for both blocks, reversed them for the second block. Isn't it amazing how the choice of fabric placements changes a block completely? The total size of the block - when four  6 inch blocks are sewn together - is 12 inch. 

Perhaps I'll make a bed cover - haven't decided yet... These blocks are not done in a jiffy - at least not for me - the 'New York Beauty Newbie'! :)) 

Working on the Christmas Tree Skirt goes rather slow...

Here I've 'glued' the pieces for the angel and it's ready to be stitched, using blanket stitches.

Actually I stitched two angels (altogether 4) yesterday - after I took the photo.

I've cut out all the small pieces for the manger too, but I have yet to do Joseph's coat - have to find the 'right' fabric! :))

GIVEAWAY

Grethe over at Grethe's Flittige Hender has a great Giveaway.

This is what you can win:

Take a look at the left side bar at her blog to see other Giveaways!