some work

Last spring Bernina friends were invited to celebrate the newest series 800, by entering their work in a contest. The rules were simple, one could enter any textile work: a quilt, a garment, a bag ect., the number 8 used for the 800 series was to be present in the work, the colors were to be black, white with a touch of red and silver, the work had to be sewn on a Bernina sewing machine ( how do they figure that out i do not know :))! ). Only one winner, only one prize: an Aurora 440 sewing machine or a coupon of the amount of the Aurora to be placed toward the purchase of a 800 series. I was really enticed by it so i participated. The piece i made is very detailed and it was a challenge, i learned every day things about design, color and composition. I used most of the functions of my sewing machine ( an Aurora 440, i love it! ) and i got to know her much better.
I did not win the prize, but i won because i learned so much in the process. Every day was a new discovery, working in ways i never worked before and getting out of my comfort zone.

Stretch yourself today and learn new things, you'll love it!

Roberta

more pictures!

how higher will it get?

This is the beginning of the " Pile ", that's how it's called in our house. It sits very visibly in the open foyer of our home and if the door is open anyone passing by can see it. I enjoy it constantly since our home is sort of open and i pass by it very often to go in the kitchen or any other place in the house. Quilts are now coming every day and here is the new Pile: 59 quilts! We will see how high it will get.... I want you to meet the official " Unpacker ", I had to create the position since he claimed it as soon as the first quilt arrived: my husband Vincent. He loves to open packages that come our way.... so it was natural for him to do it for a thousand colors.

Here he is opening the large box that came today containing four quilts, he is aided by my darling dog Vera, our italian hound, she loves to inspect the quilts by sniffing them!

Don't they look like experts in checking out the quilts?

Yesterday we marked the record of number of quilts received in one day: 8!!! Assan came over with a smile as big as his face telling me: " Roberta you have four boxes today! " Later the mailperson stopped by giving us notices for three more packages to be picked up at the post office. Four quilts were from Switzeland, one from my Italia, one from Germany and two from Japan from my friend Tanya Watanabe. Aren't they all beautiful? You all have and are working so hard to make this project possible, every day i learn of new quilts in the making and i really do not know when it's going to stop!!! Thank you all from my heart, i knew quilters were special, but i was not ready to be so overwhelmed by all the love and generosity. Life in Abruzzo right now is really hard, 20'000 people still live in tents, many in hotels along the coast and yesterdy they had a "shake" of 5,4. I'm glad we will all be able to bring a smile to many children's faces when school starts with our quilts!

A big hug to all of you

Roberta

Quanto alta diventera'?

Ecco la " Pila " al suo umile inizio quando i primi quilts arrivavano. La foto vicina e' la Pila oggi,

ben 59 quilts ! Ogni giorno ormai ne arrivano, irei e' stata la giornata record, otto in un giorno.

Assan ormai mi da del tu e mi chiama per nome, ieri e' arrivato con un sorriso che gli occupava l'intera faccia dicendo: " Oggi ci sono quattro colli per te! E sono grandi! " Sono tutti in bella mostra nella spaziosa entrata di casa nostra e siccome casa e' tutta aperta, ogni volta che passo li ammiro felice. Nella terza foto, vi presento lo " Spacchettatore" ufficiale di Mille Colori, mio marito Vincent, aiutato dalla sua ombra, la nostra cagnetta Vera che essendo un segugio italiano, il suo contributo e' quello di annusare tutti i quilts. Non sembrano due esperti giudici di quilts? La sola differenza e' che in questo concorso vincono tutti il primo premio perche' sono gesti d'amore e di generosita'.

Chi e' gia' stato in Abruzzo personalmente, riporta che la vita di ogni giorno e' durissima, specie per chi e' in tenda e specie per le donne. Il nostro pensiero vada a loro stasera insieme ad una preghiera.

Vi abbraccio tutte

Roberta

Two years today!

It's been two years already! So many miles between us, and believe me i can get pretty emotional about it. Today my daughter Gioia and her husband Patrick celebrate their second wedding anniversary. They live at the other side of the world near LA., i cannot hop over and bring them a gift or invite them over for dinner, but i can rejoice with them that they are together and where God wants them.

Have a wonderful day Patrick and Gioia, I love you!

Sono gia' due anni

Sono gia' due anni! Tantissimi chilometri ci separano e posso proprio commuovermi al solo pensiero, oggi mia figlia Gioia e suo marito Partick celebrano il loro secondo anniversario di nozze. Vivono dall'altra parte del mondo, vicino a Los Angeles. Non posso fare un salto a fare loro gli auguri, o invitarli a cena da noi, ma posso essere felice insieme a loro perche' sono insieme dopo aver vissuto il loro amore con un oceano di mezzo e sono dove Dio li vuole.

Godetevi la giornata Patrick e Gioia, I love you.

Mamma

quilts from beautiful islands

I wish i could go and meet these quilters.... they live in the Canary Islands! My long time friend Blanche teaches quilting there and like me she is pioneering the art. This year she taught a few beginners classes and just before they were done they received the project " A thousand colours ".

Many of them had not even completed their first sampler that they set out, under Blanche guidance, to sew not one, but four quilts! Muchas gracias quiltistas de Gran Tarajal! Muchas gracias Blanche!

Quilts dalle Canarie

Come vorrei andare a conoscere queste quiltiste! Vivono alle Isole Canarie dove la mia cara Blanche insegna patchwork, e' una vera pioniera, proprio come me. Quest'anno ha insegnato alcuni corsi per principianti a Fuerteventura e le quiltiste di Gran Tarajal non avevano ancora terminato il loro primo sampler quando hanno ricevuto il progetto " Mille Colori ". Sotto la guida di Blanche hanno portato tutte le stoffe che avevano ed hanno cucito non uno, ma ben quattro quilts! Muchas gracias quiltistas de Gran Tarajal, muchas gracias Blanche!

Buona settimana a tutte,

Roberta

more visits and more quilts

Some quilters have decided to come personally and bring me their quilt. I'm very pleased when this happens and i wish all of you could do it so i can meet you and thank you in person. Gaia from Triest came last saturday and yesterday Elena and Chiara came with their daughters. It is always a great reunion when quilters get together, we never run out of things to say or share.

We looked at all the quilts that have arrived and they listened to what i had to share about Thousand Colors and the way things are developing. Italian women have not discovered how fun it is to work with bright colors and very few use them, but when they see quilts made in hot pink or turquoise or yellow, they like them and Thousand Colors is encouraging them to be more adventurous in their color choices. Yesterday two quilts came from England, two from Sweden and two from my Italia. I am thankful.

Till next time

Roberta

Altre visite e altri quilts

Alcune quilters hanno piacere di portarmi i loro quilts personalmente ed io sono felice di accoglierle a casa mia e di guardare insieme a loro tutti quelli che sono arrivati. Sabato e' venuta Gaia da Trieste e ieri mi hanno fatto visita Elena e Chiara con le loro bimbe. I loro quilts sono bellissimi e sono rimaste molto colpite da come le quiltiste estere abbiano il coraggio di lavorare con tessuti dai colori forti e vivaci, cosa che noi ancora non abbiamo scoperto. La cosa interessante pero' e' che quando li osservano, commentano che sono belli e allegri. A chi ancora non ha deciso che colori usare, usate i piu' vivaci che avete!

Ieri sono arrivati due quilts dall'Inghilterra, due dalla Svezia e due dalla mia Italia. Sono riconoscente.

A presto

Roberta

Visits

Today my friend Assan came to visit. He delivered a large package containing two quilts for a thousand colours. He visits often and his visits are always welcomed! I have received many quilts from Italy, England, Switzerland and the United States. The number of quilts promised to this date is more than 100 ( maybe 150....i lost count! ) and almost every day i receive word that a quilt or more than one are being sewn from quilters that just heard of the project and wanted to participate. I cannot stop the flow, so if you are reading this and want to joying in , there is still time, just e-mail me. Never in my hopeful imagination i would have thought of such generosity, thank you all! Quilts have been promised from Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France, Spain, England, Holland, Sweden, Japan, Australia, Canada, United States and Malaysia. I would love to add other countries!

Visite

Oggi ho ricevuto una visita dal mio nuovo amico Assan. Viene spesso a trovarmi e porta con se dei pacchi voluminosi e leggeri....sono quilts per mille colori! Ne ho ricevuti dall'Italia, Svizzera, Inghilterra e Stati Uniti. Ancora quasi ogni giorno ricevo adesioni al progetto e ad oggi sono stati promessi piu' di 100 quilts ( forse 150, ho perso il conto!!! ) e se leggi questo post e desideri partecipare, c'e' ancora tempo, mandami una mail. Mai avrei immaginato di ricevere una risposta cosi' entusiasta e ne sono molto felice. Un grazie a tutte quelle che hanno gia' mandato il loro quilt, sono tutti bellissimi e coloratissimi, proprio dei Mille Colori!

Vorrei tanto aggiungere altre nazioni a quelle che gia' partecipano che sono oltre alla mia cara Italia, Svizzera, Germania, Spagna, Francia, Olanda, Svezia, Inghilterra, Canada, Australia, Giappone, Stati Uniti e Malesia.