Manx log cabin

This is a doll quilt (or little wall hanging) I made, using a folded log cabin pattern. Oscar our Dachshund, was thinking about joining my doll I guess!

It is also often called: the 'Manx log cabin', originated from the Isle of Man. Fiona of this blog post here wrote a very clear tutorial and nice story of it's history, worth reading! I added a practical little step to this tutorial.

 Like a regular log cabin you start with a square and add strips of fabric in a chosen width.

 Only before stitching the next strip, you fold the sewn strip back (mostly 2/3 of the width, minus the seam allowance). So far the same tutorial like Fiona's.

 What I did to make it easier to iron the fold in the strip is: I used a template (made out of a cereal box) with the desired width.

In my case my strips were cut to 3,5 cm (very narrow, you would prefer to make wider strips). After sewing with a 0,5 cm seam allowance, 3 cm was left. 2/3 of 3 cm is 2 cm. So the width of the fold is 2 cm as is the template is.

 Here the fold is ironed down and you can take a peak under the fold.

a few blocks done

 There is no need to quilt this, which I think is a great advantage! To join the blocks you work like a quilt as you go method ( just picked a clear tutorial by Leanne and Marci with pictures) only in this case you don't have to worry about the batting.

 The things I learned is to: 1st pay attention with what thread you sew, because it shows on the back. Secondly how you start and stop your sewing line, this will also show.

And thirdly only sew the logs length without the seam allowances at the beginning and the end (like in the improvised drawing above). I'm referring to the last rows because this will make it easier to sew the blocks together. 

Sewing the background squares together I chose to do this by hand, probably the only method without sewing all through the front. 

The little quilt is finished with a little binding. I used mostly woven fabrics and linens. Also lots of Japanese woven fabric scraps. I love the feeling of all these types of fabrics, lots of texture!

I first saw an old quilt with this pattern at a friends house in Maryland (USA). Her family called it: 'a toe catcher log cabin', a funny name, I think, but very understandable if you look at all those folds!

Oscar thinking: She smells nice...may be I could try something here....

Me talking to Oscar: I know it seems tempting but you are not going to fit in there as well.....

Enjoy your week,

GroetjesAnnemieke

'Foep' (birds and cats) quilt update

 My second Foep (birds and cats) quilt update. The first Foep post was here.

I made some changes and added lace in some places.

 Lots of lace on the brown border to tone down the brown.

 And other trim as well.

 Ric rac trim in the right yellow/mustard colour and old French trim.

For the outside borders I made crazy blocks and used lots of scraps including this thrift shop embroidery.

 This border with the crazy blocks on the left still needs quilting. I made the quilt 'as you go'. This means when I'm done sewing the borders I finished it all. I hope to be able to show the end result soon!

And finally meet Oscar at this blog. He is our new dog friend who came to live with us, after his former owners couldn't take are of him anymore. He made friends with us and our little dachshund Lizzy, so all is well.

Groetjes
Annemieke

Foep quilt

Today I started a new quilt called: 'Foep en 't vogelhoedje'. It is a quilt with a story about cats and birds. The pattern is by: Supergoof and easy to order, look at her blog on the top-right corner.

In November I joined a workshop given by Ingrid van der Harst (Supergoof. The location that day was Quiltshop Vlijtig Liesje at Tienhoven (the Netherlands). I visited this shop for the first time and will certainly go again. It is a really fun shop in her beautiful garden, run by a nice lady called Hanneke Kwakkenbos.

 It is fun to make!

 It took some time until I found the right fabrics, but eventually I did....and what a mess I made....

Lizzy (our dachshund) doesn't mind, as long as we are together.

Wish you a good last week of the year!

GroetjesAnnemieke

Back with a new quilt top in green

 Sometimes a new quilt just starts with inspiration from a walk in the woods....

we walked on this estate called 'Elswout' and looked through a window in an old shed...
I post regularly on 'Instagram' under the name of 'annemiekebears', as I did with this picture. So if I'm not here on Blogger I 'll probably be on Instagram:)

A nice view from my bike taken early in the morning...

And some fabrics I had for a while now. The two left ones are older quilt fabrics and therefore in a sale, rather cheap. The right one is a very soft and worn bed sheet, I bought in England in a car booth sale.

After I cut up a lot of fabrics in squares of 10 by 10 cm I put them on point and arranged them ( on my design wall) over and over again until they formed dark and light parts.
I used this concept before when I made this quilt in blue.

 Sewing together is easiest done in diagonal rows and iron the seams one way (tricky photo because the iron was quite hot ;)

I used two liberty fabrics and two double gauze fabrics for the first time ever. The liberties are a bit thin but in between the other cottons they are all right. The double gauze fabrics are really soft, I'm happy with them.

Then I took the top outside today, the sun being very weak, but typical for the November month.

The beans are dried here in the abandoned allotments...all the gardeners had to leave because the land is sold to a developer.

I find it no problem if there is not enough fabric for one row. I just search for one that is close enough and has the same value from a distance. See the red cardinal on the last different square in the right hand corner?

A friend of mine described the quilt as 'a stress reducer because of the soothing colours'. I think she said it just right, don't you think?

My little doggy friend, Lizzy was waiting for me until the photos were taken. She is sweet isn't she?

Have a very nice weekend,

GroetjesAnnemieke

Sheep wool crocheted blanket

This big sheep wool blanket is finished.  It is made with homespun wool, by my father in law. He turned 98 this month and is still spinning wool every day. It must be a healthy occupation!!!

I washed it with Ecolan.  A nice product to make the wool soft. It still is a rather rough blanket but very good to keep us warm in the winter.

And a picture of little Lizzy having a rest with one of her favorite human friends, my daughter.

I posted  this post a day earlier without finishing it ....strange.

So have a nice weekend,

Groetjes
Annemieke

ps The quilt under the blanket is a 'civil war sampler' quilt

Old and used embroidery

Over a couple of weeks I found some embroidery in the thrift shops. I always look for embroidered table cloth or samplers. It gets harder but sometimes I'm lucky. This one is embroidered by hand. There are some stains on this one but I can use the good parts someday.

 This small tablecloth is machine embroidered but I like the chickens.

 A very soft and well used table cloth with lovely faded flowers.

 A unusual sampler in just a few colours: light and dark green, black, red and white. To see the white (on white) embroidery you really must look up close. There are lots of initials too but I don't see a date, can you see one?

 These two fabric covered boxes went home with me too. I can always use some extra storage....

See how busy it sometimes is when I look from our balcony onto the water? Nice view isn't it? Sometimes those bigger boats stop and tourists come on shore and do some bike trails here. Mostly American and Japanese tourists. We recognize them because they all ride the same bikes and wear helmets which most Dutch people here don't .

 And this is at our balcony on the other side....new plants in pot like this geranium without flowers only leaves....

 My little fountain.....fun to have a fountain on a balcony!

And Lizzy our little dachshund enjoying the sun. She always knows where to look for a sunny spot.

Have a nice and creative day,

Groetjes
Annemieke