Tidying up ...

I have so much 'stuff' and 'things' lying around in my room, I can't work in such a mess.
So I have to do a bit a lot of tidying, throwing out and rearrarranging to do.
We all hate that, but I just keep thinking of the result!
From this

to this

O, dear, not ready yet. Come back Monday and it'll be done!

Have a great weekend!

Dead Simple Quiltalong by Lily's Quilts

Lynne started a quiltalong a while ago
At first I thought: another quiltalong where I'll stay behind or not start at all?
But then it was locked in my mind.
It's really very simple!
Choose some colours you like and then make a quilt of e.g. simple squares.

So I went to design seeds and had a look at some beautiful pictures, like these:

But then something like that was also possible with my own holiday snaps. You know, the ones that make you feel REALLY GOOD.
I chose a few and went to another site where you can upload your own pictures and get a colour palette:

The problem is I love them all, but I know I have to do something with this!
Which do you like best? Can you explain or is it just gut feeling?
Tell me, please.

Spring in October?

My asterisk quilt is coming along nicely, though I have to say it's rather boring sewing. But then, I hope the result will be satisfying. Just a few more asterisks to be made and then I can start piecing it together; I'm sure that won't take that long.
After another bout of migraine (I'd hate calling it 'attacks') I can work freely again for three whole weeks: Yeah!

Last Sunday we had the most beautiful weather and after three days in bed I yearned to be outside. So we went for a walk in the woods and when we came back in our street (where first there are a few meadows) we saw a (bovine) calf being born!
It was wonderful (stressing the wonder!)

Mum's not eating grass but the placenta. And it seems it's just non-farmers think calves are born in spring ...

Have a great week quilting or whatever your plans!

Less than 75 days to Christmas

100 Days till Christmas is always around my birthday so I'll always keep that day in mind.
Not that I'm an overdone Christmas fan; to me it's about the message of Hope in Darker Days.
So it could be Christmas any time of the year for me.

Some people have started preparing, planning or making things for Christmas.
Like me.
I've joined the Modern Christmas Fabric Charm Swap!

And sent my fabric to Emily yesterday.
Now I'm just wondering what to make with my 2x 28 different charms ...

Hop on over to Lynn's blog to find out about her giveaway: Aurifil gallore!

What else is happening here?
Plenty of ideas like I'd like to make this quilt, made by Amanda Jean. I'd send it to Kopenhagen where my Danish Friend lives. We haven't hear from each other for a long time, but that does't matter. Whenever we see each other we just pick up where we left.

At the moment I'm working on an Asterisk quilt made of mainly vintage sheets and chenille tape. It turned out I didn't have to order that online, but I could buy it in my local quilt shop!
In soooo many colours: really tempting.
I (only) bought 6 colours.

My orange and pink taped blocks are done, now only the green, blue, red and yellow to be done.
It's a bit boring, but on the other hand really fast.

I'd like my quilt to measure 85"x85"  which are 17 x 17 rows of 5" asterisk blocks (all finished).
Here are a few

I'll let you know how I get on.

What's happening over at your (sewing) space?

Explaining the name + a charity do

This week Dawn from as sweet as cinnamon asked many bloggers the same question: why's your blog called .... (whatever it's called)? There's a prize to win which is a bonus.

Maybe you would like to know why it's called ... what it's called.

Well, "Anything goes" is my motto in life.
It's not true, not really ANYthing is OK, but most is.
I try to be flexible in real life and it doesn't always work, but I try.
As for spending my time: I like so many things (sewing most of all) that I didn't know whether my blog would be about one thing or more. If so, about what? I just didn't know and I still don't.
It's about things I (want to) make/sew, people I meet, problems I encounter, music I like, books I ('d like to) read. Nothing in particular, so: anything goes.

But who is Betty van Os?
The Mister always called his girlfriends Betty, he said.
So he called me Betty, too.
I didn't mind because I knew I was/am THE ONE.
It was more some sort of a joke! If of any woman we couldn't think of her name, she became Betty.
So Betty was a very common name in our household. The children used it too.

Van Os is a construction: I chose it because it's the first letter of my family name and the first of my maiden name: O+S. My maiden name will remain a secret forever (I hate that name; it's only convenient in genealogy because you don't often find it).
I only added "Van" because I have that construction in my family name too in another variety.
My name is Marjolein den Oudsten, which is totally unpronuncable for those who speak English.
So, Betty van Os it became.
Now you know!


Now about last Saturday; I haven't even had time to tell you!
I went to a charity do in Amersfoort where you could sew quilts to be given to children in hospital.
It's called De Regenboogboom: the Rainbow Tree. And the quilts are called: Dream Quilts (droomdekentjes)

I worked on a quilt form 10 till half past 2 and I hadn't finished; no of course not!

I'll finish it at home. A lot of ladies came with big heaps of quilts: they'd been making these at home, by themselves or in a bee.

I'll also finish antoher quilt: it's made by a lady who supports the charity and has made lots of quilts for them. She has cancer which can no longer be treated, so 's not able to finish it.

It's a beautifully made quilt that only needs the border , basting and quilting.

I called her that evening when I came home: she asked me whether I would really give the quilt to the charity. All of a sudden she has to trust somebody she doesn't know.

It'll be allright: her quilt goes toe a child in hospital too, and the charity decides who it'll get.

At the end of the afternoon 286 quilts were accumulated: Great work ladies!

I'm so thrilled!!

Do you know why?

Because I stepped out of my comfort zone to do this:

And I love it!

It was quite a big step to take; but I took it and this is the result:

O and yes, there's a front to this quilt too

It's for my friend who's been in and out of theatre the past two years (no red carpets there).

When you turn the top a little over you can see even more otters

It's called Utterly Otterly, which is not perfect English but I think it sounds great!

I now have the feeling I can freemotion quilt.

It's a start!

And there'll be more to come ...

What I saw and did on my holiday (aka part 2)

Sorry to keep you so long waiting for the next pictures, but I've been ill for quite a few days.
But that's all behind me now, so here's PART DEUX
The holiday 'cottage' of week 1, when we stepped back in time in The Dales.
Nearly everybody uses coal ... That was new to us.

Shepard's Cottage

the coal 'monger'

A day to Thirsk where the real James Herriot lived and worked

Me sitting in the car that was used for the television series (don't you think I look a bit like Jo Brand?).
I don't have to pretend being as happy as a child ...
This series was one of the first acquaintance with the English language; so sitting here goes really deep!!

Then on to the Lakedistrict.
We had booked a yurt and were very excited about that!
Maybe a bit of glamping?
I had one photo of the yurt but now I cannot find it: I must have mentally blocked it out.
Perhaps this was a (huge) attributing factor:

I have never seen 'curtains' of rain like this, continuously falling down on people who would still set out for walks. I admired that a lot; or is it just foolish?

But it turned out the yurt was not our thing: you could contract a bladder inflamation just by looking at the toilet block (yes one). Two toilets for men and two for the ladies and a tap on site for water.
300 yards the other way were the showers, drafty too, but big and warm (we're spoiled by Danish campsites probably). After one night of hardly any sleep by both of us, we decided we were supposed to be having fun and relax on holiday ... So we booked an appartment in the city of York where the weatherforecast was much much better!

Guy Fawkes was born in York,
did you know that?

Harlow Carr in Harrowgate,
so much still in bloom.
 The Musician

Castle Howard, a must!

Yes a quiltmuseum in York in a beautiful building: the old Guild Hall. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photographs. Or more fortunate for you after this long list of pictures ...?

We had a lovely week in York, exploring and shopping ... I bought a few half metres of William Morris fabric. You cannot get that in the Netherlands and I LOVE IT. Even the Mister said: "Have a ball!" So I did! 

I haven't got I clue what to do with it yet, but it'll come to me and then I'll show you.

We also went to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the weather was great and I was drugged (migraine).

Of an exibition by Jaume Plensa I want to show you this:

Thank you all if you're still here ...

I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

I'll be back soon, because there's someting else I must show you, but it's not finished yet.

Have a great week!