My Suebonnet Sue quilt

This morning I finished this small quilt. Hand pieced and hand quilted. I love the bright colors.

I found the pattern in this book.

Suebonnet Sue, do you know here?

This picture and the information about Suebonnet Sue was found on this blog. 


Whether you know the pattern as the Sunbonnet Sue, or the Dutch doll, Bonnie Bonnet, or as the Sun Bonnet Babies....she's been made into quilts, painted on nursery walls, appliqued onto clothing and goes back to our grandmother's or even great-grandmother's time

Many of the illustrators of the late 1800's and the early 20th century drew playful children with big hats or bonnets, but only a few are recognized as being Sue's earliest illustrators. The first is Kate (Catherine)Greenaway (1846-1901) who as a British book editor who often drew pictures of children, especially sweet girls in bonnets on her greeting cards. Many of her designs were used on the patches of fine Victorian crazy quilts or appeared in early editions ofSmithsonian magazine. These were probably Sue's very first appearance in quilts.

 

But it is another illustrator, Bertha Corbett Melcher, who is officially regarded as the "Mother of Sunbonnet Babies." Bertha illustrated children's Primer books in the early 1900's and her books depicted girls with their faces hidden by their bonnets. Her drawings caught the eye of a Primer illustrator Eulalie Osgood Grover, and the two women began a collaboration what would last for many year, through many different Primer books.


Browsing on the web you can find so many fabulous Suebonnet's, there is even a Sunbonnet Sue blog!

You can find on the blog this pattern of crocheted Suebonnet Sue hankies.

And this pattern....

These paperdolls are free to download here.

Tomorrow i'll show you the Suebonnet Sue wall hanging that I made. 

Christmas presents

I made for Christmas two small wallhangings for my French neighbours.  I used Folklore fabric from Holland. I hope they will like them.

Angels

When I saw these angels on Ann's blog , I felt in love immediately.

I want to use them as Christmas cards. So I ordered some and asked Ann to add a tag for my wishes.

Aren't they beautiful? Ann is such a creative person, she makes all kind of tags, cards and more....

And besides her creativity she is also such a sweet, sympathic person, I never met her in reality but maybe once......

Ann also sells her work, take a look at her blog...... maybe you'll find something to embellish your Christmas presents.

Dinner in a castle

Yesterday we had dinner in a castle.

This chair stands in the toilet

We had a very good dinner in a beautiful old castle!

Wet-Felting

Last two weeks were very busy...... I did not blog a lot and did not visit your blogs!  There were so many other things to do. And someone is working in my house , he is painting the bedroom. I love to have the bedroom done but I cannot concentrate when there is someone walking around me with tools and paint and so on..... it disturbs my daily routine.

Although weather is like spring, beautiful days and lovely temperature, it is November!!!! But winter is coming, last weeks there were thousands and thousand cranes flying to the south.

In winter we organize other activities for our gardenclubs.
Last week we did wet -felting, so fun.....
Here is a picture of the gardenclub of my village, we made felted beads.

With my other gardenclub we made mittens and Dominique made a bag.

Christmas gift tutorials

What do you think of this wreath made with milk cartons? Isn't it beautiful? Here is the tutorial.

If you are looking for more handmade gifts, on this blog you'll find 307!!!!! tutorials.

Me and my hat

Some weeks ago, I visited with two friends, a craft show. There was a lady who made fabulous felted hats, scarfs and shawls. I bought this hat.

Living in the French countryside 1, the language

In my small village with about 260 inhabitants, there is, of course, a catholic church.

French people are mostly catholic. Here they say: we are catho.  They use often abbreviations. 

In stead of computer= ordinateur, they say : ordi. When I phoned to make a restaurant reservation, the girl said:  I am sorry I was working on my ordi.

A rain-coat is an impermeable, they often call it : my imper. 

A disaster is in French a catastrophe, but in the every day language they say a catar.

The next example is also very common, when they use ' as usual'= comme d'habitude, they use to say comme d'habe. 

And the last one for today; breakfast=petit déjeuner= petit dèj.

So if you come to France and want to talk like the French, use one of these abbreviations!

We love French knots

Do you know the new embroidery blog: We love French knots?
Bari J the fabric designer started this blog.

She says: this blog is dedicated to modern embroidery. And when I say 'modren' what I really mean is that lately, it seems, everyone is stitching again. We are clearly inspired by the embroiderers that came before us.....our mothers , our grandmother's and great grandmother's. There would be no 'modren' if not for them. It truly is with a nod and a tip of the hat to the past that we are thrilled to pieces with embroidery these days. This blog will offer tips and advice on stitching, free patterns, video's, giveaways, resources for materials and more.

Here are some of the free patterns:

Happy stitching!

My second different lines

In the train to Holland an on my way back to France I knitted a second shawl.
The same mindless pattern, the same beautiful soft yarn in the same colors. It only need to be blocked.

This shawl is for Corinne, my foot-reflexologist. we do a kind of a swap, I knit her a shawl and she treats me without paying. Last winter we did the same, I made her a bag, I was free to choose the pattern and the colors. She said : I trust your good taste. Quite a compliment!