Houston! We do not have a problem!

I think I solved my twister quilt problem. I looked at it for three nights while making a new bags and finishing others. Finally, puzzle is solved! I looked on internet for similar quilts and tried to understand their layouts too. Tomorrow morning I can start sewing. Thumbs up!

Probably, I might find a problem after looking at it with a fresh eye. Because I used two fabrics with big patterns. I should have used just one with big patterns and another with smaller patterns. Nevermind!

Here are my two new bags photo. I will give a workshop in November at Patch-Mania. I love my creations!

Inspiration! Full Stop!

After reading Angie's blog last week, I suddenly inspired to make a quilt. I have not made any for a long time. I have to say that from the beginning Angie was my mentor to start quilting, although I resisted for year or two not to start new hobby. Anyway, here is what she wrote on her blog and I decided it is time to start quilting just before 2012 arrives. It seened so easy :)

I did not have template to make a twister quilt and of course I googled. I found this site and I made my own template and now I have a puzzle to make. I was wake until midnight last night playing with my quilt still did not manage to put them back together :(

Now it seems like not so easy. I sewed another 5" blocks with Christmas fabrics. Oh dear! Hopefully, I will finish before 2012.

More bags

Recently made couple of bags after long time no sewing. With this red bag I am half happy. It looks nice in the photo, I guess my photography skills, ha ha ha... Actually, I did not use photoshop! Still thinking of what kind of handle to make.

This one turned out very well. I am sooooo happy with the result. Great one to have and blue flower makes an impact.

For more information about bags or my activity you can go to my blog threeoldempires.blogspot.com

Cakes and coffees

Three of us met last Thursday with coffee and cakes. Ursula brought her first grandson's photo album. Soon a tiny men will be big and will demand even bigger quilt from grandmother. She was working on a little quilt all hand quiting. Irene continued working on her houses. It was funny that she said that she likes simple things, we did not agree.

Regina came with her Easter quilt.

I made for my DD1 little summer dress and her Barbie matching dress too. I never ever in my life thought that I will make a dress for Barbie. Anyway, I made two dresses for Barbie!

Last weekend Lisbon celebrated Santo Antonio's day. Lisbon was full of smell of grilled sardines. More info here

Free motion quilting with Jenny Bowker

Last Tuesday I went to Caldas da Rainha to learn about free motion quilting. I needed someone to teach me basics and there was a one-day course organised with a Bernina dealer, Mario Felizardo. A little project can be done in one day. Look carefully, a little pattern continued from the fabric with free motion.

Of course, I had my photo opportunity with a famous quilter, Jenny Bowker. She has been quilting for 15 years. She started quilting because of her diplomat husband was posted to the Middle Eastand could not continue her work as a scientist. Now she travels all over the world teaching, giving talks and attending quilts shows. During lunch she was telling us that she would have only four days in June at home in Australia. July was her happy month, she will be at home for two weeks.

This is her Australian landscape quilt. Lots of details and lots of free motion.

This is one of her many amazing quilts. First of all it is huge, as you can see from the photo. Great details!

It was my second time going to Bernina organised courses. Last year I went to see and do some work with Doris Teixeira, an amazing Brasilian artist. 31 May was Jenny Bowker's last of four days course in Portugal. After she was traveling to Holland, Germany and some other countries to continue her European tour! My thanks to Mario and Alda, who worked hard and gave me an exciting day with my sewing machine, fabrics and great time with Jenny.

A cat and a hat

This little cat is made by Ursula. Happily hanging behind a chair.



And here is the cat in full display.



For a nice spring weather I knitted a white hat for my DD1. Once in a book shop I saw a knitting book showing how to use beads for knitted garments and here is the result.

No internet and busy, busy

Hello everyone, I am sorry that I have not been able to post for a while. First of all I did not have internet for a while. My sister was here last week for couple of days and she helped me to bake some cakes and biscuits. I was really busy baking for three nights in row for my DD1 birthday and entertaining my sister during day time. After all these hectic days I have to recover, right?

Anyway here are some photos of last last meeting. Ursula brought her big double spiral quilt. It just reminds me that I have to do mine one day.

This was Fatima's second visit and last time when she was here she made a cushion but decided to convert into a bag. She has a very good sewing skills.

During morning she looked through about little library magazines and found another cushion to make and this was the result at the end of the meeting.

Ursula started making these appliqued cushion with Paula. I might consider making them as well. But when?

Irene worked in one of her hundrends of projects. My Pfaff was happy to have a Irene's Pfaff as a company.

I made ten of these little coin purses. At the IWP coffee morning these were sold for the charity for Japan. All of these purses had a Japanese print. I loved making them all and the money went for good.

It was a nice sunny spring afternoon and we had delicious and healthy lunch, while my husband slept on the lawn with his dog.

Our dog needed dog sitting because he was bitten by a tiny little one while walking and he needed some stitches on his left ear. A vet stitched his ear several times but he is going to have split ears.