Easter Weekend

I hope you all had a happy Easter. Here in Switzerland we get 4 days off, celebrating  Good Friday and Easter Monday, so I am still enjoying my long weekend.

We spent most of the weekend at our friends’ place, on the other side of Switzerland in Lommiswil near Solothurn.

We had a lot of fun, catching up, and  going for a walk (my husband also went on a solo hike which made him very happy, see his report on it here). We played a Jamaican card game called Kalooki, as well as a dice game called Qwixx, which we have both become addicted to.

I also spent my time trying to learn to knit (again) . But unfortunately I have only mastered the cast on.  My knit stitch still needs a lot of work.

But by Saturday afternoon I was frustrated that it just wasn’t working out for me.  I decided to do some hand quilting, which I haven’t had much time for this month with the Spring Sampler underway.

The entire time we were at our friends’ we were spoiled, being cooked and baked for.

My friend not only made us cinnabuns, but she also made me a belated birthday cake. It is on the cover of this cookbook we both own and is a Pistachio & Lime Cake.

Usually Kemi makes me a birthday cake every year, so far she has made two from this great cookbook (2013 Torta Colombina) and both were to die for. Kemi however altered this year’s by switching up buttercream frosting for the lime curd. The result was delicious.

The weather was only good for one walk this weekend, so we just ventured out into the village (Lommiswil).

Back home on Sunday, I managed to finish basting my Windy Days Quilt and so it is now in the hoop waiting to be hand quilted.

This morning, with the quilt off of my floor (I baste it on the floor), I took the opportunity to Spring clean my studio and do a little rearranging. I used to have two cutting tables in the middle of my studio, but the Feng Shui was way off. There is not so much we can do about that as the room doubles as my guest room, but I did my best to be mindful of optimal lighting and flow etc. I had to do away with the second cutting table, but it can be put up in a jiffy if needed.

So come in and have a look at my new and improved sewing space.

And the messiest part: my fabric scraps. My fabric desperately needs a home in my sewing studio, but that is a project for another day. It is currently stored in a nifty hidden space in the living room. But as for the project I am currently working, my Spring Sampler Quilt,  this is the only way at the moment.

But back to the more appealing points of the room.

My borrowed Bernina. I know how to piece on it but that’s it. I really want to learn more, but we are putting that as goals for next month!

Below from top left, clockwise. 1. My small collection of UFO’s. 2. I keep a journal with my ‘To Done’ list. Not organized enough yet to have a to do list! 3. Lilliput Lane ‘Rydal Cottage’ One of my favorite keepsakes. I bought this for my mother when I was in school in Bermuda but when I left Bermuda for good, it came along with me. 4. This year I wasn’t organized enough to have New Year’s Resolutions but by the end of March I had organized myself enough to set April goals.

My mother bought me this cute little mug rug sized wall hanging, which she bought at a quilt show in Boston. I have it above my cutting station. It has the perfect saying on it for me.

 

Every studio needs a nice place to sit and relax for a minute with a good book. Well that is the idea anyway.

This is my little sewing buddy. I love her to bits. I bought her in Lausanne in a hotel there.

 

And for the bookcase, I have a lot of little treasures to share with you.

From top left, clockwise: 1. A cute box from my God mother, which looks like a Bermuda cottage. 2. I love collecting cookie tins, this is one of my biggest and is the home of some orphan half-square triangles (I guess we can add them to my list of UFO’s). 3. A cute jug containing my cutting instruments. 4. The teapot contains basting bobby pins, behind you can see yet more cookie tins. You should see my collection in the cupboard.

Next up is this minature sewing machine, that my mother-in-law bought for me for Christmas. She bought it from a flea market. She always finds the cutest things for me. It came with a couple of spools of vintage thread.

Finally, my two most precious little items on my bookshelf are the two hand painted antique tea cups my sister bought in Boston . One is for her and one is for me (the pastel one) for when she comes to visit.

 

Finally my scrap jar, which I bought on the island of Rügen, a German island off of Northern Germany. I bought it from this amazing little pottery and it has this beautiful fairy on it. I really wish I had bought some other pieces.

Well thank you, if you have read and looked at all those photos. But I just wanted to share a little of what is up with me this long Easter weekend.

I hope you too were able to do something fun and creative.

Next time I hope to tell you more about my adventures in Appliqué, that I have been preparing for, as my next blocks for my Spring Sampler quilt will be completely appliquéd.

So happy Monday everyone, I wish you a good week!

Jodie