February 2019

After the quiet January month February brought some quilty cheer again with two highlights I’d love to share with you:

First of all there was a super day to Dorry’s beautiful country quilt shop, Quilt-It and Dotty (click) in Overloon, Brabant. I drove over there with Betty (click) and Ans for Betty’s Vriendinnetjes Ketting (Girlfriends Chain) workshop and show & tell.

Early morning we packed Betty's quilts for the show&tell in her car and left for the 2 hour drive to Overloon

I had not seen Dorry’s shop since she expanded it yet and (no surprise there, she has excellent taste) it is beautiful. Light, very spacious, cosy, country style, so much to see, so much inspiration, come in and have a look:

Betty’s workshop and show&tell were a delight, it is such a fun pattern to make and her quilts are beautiful, very special use of color, she spends part of the year in France and I can so see the sun in her quilts:-

The Vriendinnetjes Ketting (Girlfriends Chain) quilt:

The workshop:

We were being really well looked after by Dorry – I have called her the “hostess with the mostest” before (click) –  I felt like a kid in a candy store and a spoiled one at that.

After lunch it was time for Betty’s Show & Tell:

Dorry joined in by showing a few of her quilts:

Including the antique quilt that was the inspiration for one of Betty’s quilts:

Dorry and I share a ballet past, she spent more years than I pursuing this passion, I had to quit early after I ruined my ankles already at age 12, dancing on pointe way too young and way too much (I loved it so).
The talk came to this shared passion, in particular the way we still walk because of that ballet turnout, basically like ducks 😊  and we could not resist a pose.

The day went way too quickly, I was sorry we had to leave but I left with wonderful memories of a lovely day.

Then there was an afternoon at Karen’s (click) and (click) , another great hostess (these ladies are so talented, excellent quilters, hostesses and running their own businesses, hats off to them).

Among other things (and there are always many!) Karen is working on a striking compass quilt, I love the colors she is using and the look of the whole thing.

A lady of many talents she also re-upholstered this chair and foot stool, she even managed to have the pattern continue from one to the other. Can you imagine sitting here doing your hand quilting on a stormy night (we get some heavy storms now and then in our part of the country and they are noisy!), with a doggy at your feet?

Quilts, knitting, sewing, upholstery, cooking, running a B&B, quilt retreats and doing workshops a.o. in making boxes, like I said, a lady of many talents,  she surprised me with this lovely gift, made by her:

We both love anything to do with deer and this box is just perrrrrfect!

I started using it straight away, it is perfect for my current project, the Rosa Biddlecombe quilt , pattern by Margaret Mew (click)

which is keeping me busy quilt wise right now, see you next month!

Phyllis