I decided I wanted something red and white and simple for the beds in Sweden.  A checkerboard quilt seemed perfect, so I cut  a bunch of 2″ strips from my red and white fabrics and sewed them together.  Then I cut them in 2″ segments.

I hauled them to a retreat with me!

Then it was just a matter of sewing them together into longer and longer strips.

You know the drill.  Once the strips were long enough it was time to sew them together.

Here’s the first one when I finished it at the retreat and spread it on my bed.

In keeping with the “simple” theme, I just quilted diagonally with wavy lines.

But I didn’t go all the way in one direction, I did more of a chevron pattern.

I was really pleased with the way it turned out.

I found this cute bird print for the back.

Each quilt was 40 squares by 50 squares, or 2000 squares!  (Scary when you say it that way!)

Yes, I said “each quilt” because I made two of them!

Here’s Bob getting his.  I gave it to him before we left home so he could put it in his suitcase!

When we first got to Sweden, we had to sleep upstairs because our bedroom wasn’t remodeled yet.

But once the remodel was finished, we brought the bed—and the quilts—downstairs to their new home.

I didn’t like the way the Dala horses showed through the wallpaper.  It looked like they were in jail!  So, I added some fabric to the back of the headboard.

Now I really must do something about pillows!

It all started when our summer neighbor in Sweden, Karin, brought us a bottle of homemade rhubarb saft (pronounced “soft”).

Saft is a fruit concentrate that you add to still or sparkling water for a refreshing summer drink.  It’s so delicious, I just had to try making some myself.  And Karin was nice enough to share the recipe.

You will need:

4 – 5 pounds rhubarb

2 lemons

Boiling water

5 cups sugar

2 pinches sodium benzoate

2 pinches citric acid

Wash the rhubarb and cut into 1/2″ slices. Place half in a heatproof pan or bowl.

Wash the lemons and slice thinly.  Spread over the rhubarb in the pan.

Add the rest of the rhubarb.

Cover with boiling water.

Cover with plastic or a lid and put in a cool place (our cellar worked great) for four days.

Strain the fruit through a jelly bag or two layers of cheesecloth.  Let it run about 60 minutes.

Add the sugar and boil for 20 minutes.  Let stand for five minutes and skim.

Add preservatives.  Pour into warm bottles and seal.

Pour about 2″ in the bottom of a glass.  Add flat or sparkling water.

Perfect on a hot day!