UFO's be Gone!!!

Thanks to this blog I can tell how long this UFO has been kicking around! September 2008 I started doubling these string blocks, (see my tutorial in the sidebar), that I got from Kate.

So after my wonderful quilt trip in Germany I just had to get it pieced together and donated to Project Linus.

This top will be joining some other tops that have been kindly donated (again) by Kate. Thanks Kate for these 3 cool tops which are much appreciated and are now in the hands of Vicky for Project Linus...

1)
2)
3)

Also thanks again to Birgit who donated this panel to Vicky for Project Linus.

You Can Say 'Du' to Me...

I have managed to get my hearts to 'top' stage.

After my inspirational trip to Quiltville in Germany :-), I have been on a bit of a UFO mission. Hence the state of my sewing table:

Slowly, slowly it's looking a bit like Spring around here...

The temperatures don't feel like it though...

...and the mornings are still quite frosty.

While in Germany, I had the good fortune to attend the Black Forest Quilter's Guild meeting which hosted another Trunk Show with Bonnie.

There was also a raffle which is not normally open to non-members, but as I had brought along two prizes for the raffle, I was allowed to buy a ticket. A winning ticket it appeared! I chose this charm pack:
Great colours and perfect for a scrappy quilter! (Thanks BFQG)

I also had the opportunity to briefly look in on the BFQG 'Virginia Bound' course with Bonnie the next day...

Wonderfully messy and creative tables...

Bonnie & Birgit...

It was wonderful seeing everyone's colour choices. All so different...

On to shopping!

Birgit's shop is a treasure trove!

oohh, aaahhh...

Gorgeous plains and marbles...

Such yummy spots *drool*:

While visiting other special German friends on their farm... my friend pulled out a quilt I had made absolutely yonks ago (at least 12 years!!!) using a panel. (shame on me!!)

These friends also have a farm shop.

At this time of year they sell these coloured boiled eggs...

They also sell their own regular eggs, their own meat...

Their own home-made beverages...

and all sorts of other farm produced products.

So that should conclude my German photos :-) I certainly enjoyed my trip.

I hope it's not too long until I pay another visit.

Shiny & Red

On my last full day in Germany, Birgit kindly took me to the new 'Meilenwerk' in Boeblingen. There you can see wonderful 'old-timers'. Obviously these classic cars come in all sorts of colours, but the red ones were my favourite!!

Just in case you hadn't noticed it's a PORSCHE tractor!!!

On the wall is a saying that roughly translates to : 'Every old-timer was once in its time the absolutely newest development of human invention'. How true!

This little car was so cute!

The tables in the coffee shop were very innovative ('the newest development of human invention?' ;-D)


And the table out of a propellor was pretty cool too (with the yummy red leather sofa)


Now this is a classic!! Love it!:


Don't forget, old-timers needed to fill up too :-)

A Tourist in Town

On one of my days off from quilting with Bonnie, I wandered around the town where I used to live when I lived in Germany...

It had changed quite a bit :-) All over town were owls and ravens painted in bright colours...

It was apparently for some celebraton a few years back, but the birds have stood the test of time...

They were everywhere and they looked very cheerful on such a grey day.

My friend who collected me in town accused me of being a tourist...

...well I am there now!

Did Someone Say Chocolate!

I still have so many photos to blog from my fantastic trip to Germany - here are the chocolate ones! Birgit collected me from the airport and then after driving past my dinner (a rotisserie chicken stand that we didn't stop at as I didn't realise that was my dinner lol) we went straight to the Ritter Sport chocolate factory in Waldenbuch.

The factory shop and museum is housed in a beautiful building...

We had a little look around, a little taste and a little shop :-)

I should have taken a pic inside the shop, it is very colourful and very full!
This was a poster outside...

On the way back to Birgit's we stopped at a bakery for Brezeln. (Big soft freshly baked pretzels - delicious with butter!)

I saw these in the bakery and would have loved to have brought them home for the boys...

Later during a workshop Birgit and I introduced Bonnie to the delights of 'Mon Cherie' (cherries in liqueur covered in dark chocolate) and 'Mozart Kugeln' (marzipan and pistachio in chocolate).

I look a bit like a hamster in this photo (this tends to happen if someone takes a photo of you with your mouth and cheeks full of chocolate!)