Busy fingers

Enjoying ny time teaching in Trondheim!

Bodil is a wonderful student :-)

She is creative, positive and eager to learn new skills, as was the other students in the classes too.

I'll be back with more photos on Monday.

Your travelling quilter,

Hanne

Auditioning for hand quilting

I have told you about my one to one swap with my friend Val in Canada, haven’t I ?
We make 2 blocks, sends one and keep one, so we both end up with a mix of self done and received blocks.

These were the first colour scheme we swapped, autumn colors, which was definitively more up her colour alley than mine.
I don’t like orange / rust very much anymore, so I have been thinking long and hard about what to do with these blocks – in fact, I have been thinking for years, sort of, or maybe not thinking that hard…….  ;-)
Anyway – these blocks have resided in my DJ BOB, box of blocks, for a very long time, but last week I found a lovely fabric to set them with.
It is a good trick of the trade to give overwhelming colours a little extra space. It calms them down visually.
The small red dots on the setting fabric also calm down the more busy orange / rust.

I thought I had to go border shopping, but I see I don’t have to. I have just bought this lovely Judie Rothermel fabric, and when auditioning it for a possible brown(ish) border, I find it is absolutely perfect!

I  have also decided on the mauve quilting thread.
We call mauve vintage pink around here, and I think it will also contribute to calming down the more busy colours.

Yes, I have decided on using an over all design for hand quilting :-)

Looking forward to many hours of hand quilting in the early mornings or in evenings when my family watch TV in the room I call sewing room and they call living room – hehehe
I am not a fast hand quilter, but I enjoy the process, and that is what matters!

Hanne

Just like chocolate :-)

I never liked doing hexagons since the prep work is so slow with my stiff fingers.
I tried to overcome that when I signed up for this BOM from Lappemakeriet, but already doing the first flower I thought American piecing must be more productive for me than English Paper Piecing.

Prepping the hexagons for American piecing is fairly fast and the hand sewing process is very nice :-)
It is just like chocolate – I want to do more!!
These 5 flowers are the first packet of the BOM. Can you believe I am actually before schedule ?? hehehe

Lappemakeriet is very good with sending the packets at the same time every month, so I can wait for the next packet next week.

I know for sure I will do the star BOM from last year the same way – American hand piecing!

Hanne

In between

In between all the busy secret work I made this Dear Jane block for a friend I met in Shipshewana, IL, in April 2008.

I think it shows itself well beside the lovely little gift block in wood I got as a gift from Rebecca Haarer in Shipshewana.

If you are ever in that corner of the woods, please visit Rebecca’s lovely antique shop. It is absolutely to die for !!

I am so much looking forward to visit Shipshewana and Rebecca’s shop again.
I don’t know exactly when it will be – I am hoping for next spring!
Hanne

2 finishes :-)

This winter I have been very busy with secret projects. I must admit that blogging wise that is no success......
Secret project # 2 is now ready to go in the mail, finally !!
I am not at liberty to show it to you yet, but by the end of May I can.

The other project is an embroidery kit I bought in 2002 as a tryout for different stitches before I started my National Costume, Kystdrakten.

The finished embroidery got “filed” and now it is done!

If you like this kind of embroidery, the kit is from Rowandean.

Now to enjoy myself with Dear Jane blocks, kaleidoscope blocks and more :-)

Enjoying the small steps of life

My Canadian miniature bear claims that the furball gets to much attention around here, and that it (he ? she ?) also looks good next to red - hehehe

I am addicted to DJ blocks - I can not stop making them!
Not at great speed, but slowly and nicely, always having my Dear Jane book close.

I am swapping DJ blocks with my friend Val in Canada. She is aiming for a full quilt, and I, I don't know yet, but I am enjoying the process, seeing every block as a full project :-)
I see that I have made 2 different versions of K7 - Rose of Sharing, unintentionally.
I have thought about making one in more than one colour applique for a long long time. It looks better than the drawing in the book!

Have I told you that I have bought fabric for plain squares to go with my autumn coloured DJ blocks ??

Sunday thoughts

This week has been so busy – both in the sewing corner and in life in general.

What goes on in the sewing corner I can not show you before the end of May. Such a long time……..

Yesterday I had to rebel and do something completely different.
You have already seen how my beloved grand-cat helped me arrange the blocks :-)

I still lack 8 blocks to have a full quilt, and as before, this quilt will go to children with long term diseases.

My goal for February is 94 blocks – blocks for 4 quilts – and so far I have 64 blocks :-)

The sewing corner quilt has a deadline in 6 days – I can do it, I can do it, I can do it (on pure will) !
Hanne

Qualified helper

I just had to share this little moment with you :-)
I could not see my camera, so I used the mobile phone, to catch the moment.

I am sure our beloved grand-cat and furball knows she looks good next to red, as she started to pose next to these blocks, and suddenly stretching out touching (and re-arranging) the blocks.

Note to self: Glue my camera to my hip. Precious moments can be gone before you know it !

Finally Some Finishes !

I have made this cushion for the local hobby shop, to display the lovely photo-to-fabric transfers that are available now.
I got the materials in December and now it is finally done!
I like it very much :-)

An old Tilda kit is also finally done!

The kit is from 2003, bought after Christmas, half price.

I should quit buying kits, as I usually end up changing half of the content - this kit no exception.
I have changed the wing fabric and the apron fabric.

I am happy I have a hot glue gun - sewing on the twigs and pearls on the head piece was no fun and not looking to good, so I ended up gluing them instead.

I will keep one of these angels myself, and can count the first 2 gifts for Christmas 2009 done :-)

The angels are 11" tall.

To much snow!

Yesterday and the day before it snowed and snowed and snowed.....
Our veranda is covered with approx. 3' of snow, and public transportation is going on half speed.

It was nice with a sunny cold winter day today though. (-12 C)
I saw a couple of semi-trailer vs. car accidents today - luckily no big damages by the look of it.
I had to go for a quick trip to Ikea, to buy a couple of frames for my stitcheries.

The beloved grand-cat is not a happy camper - no place to enjoy the great outdoors. Even the outdoor mice are gone for now.

More snow is predicted for tomorrow......

Busy week

This has been a very busy week, both away from home and at home.

I am very behind on reading blogs – hopefully I’ll catch up before long.

This is 24 purple string blocks!

Now I have 48 blocks done – 24 green and 24 purple.

To reach the goal of 98 by the end of this month, I have to make 48 more.

I can do it :-)

Do you think I am out of purple scraps by now ?
Nope my friend – scraps breed by cell dividing – no doubt!

Noah and his animals

Never did I think I could keep up with a BOM as it was published – but I could :-)

If you like this stitchery, it is still available here, on Lynette Anderson’s site.

Thanks Lynette ! These blocks are so cute and it has been a pleasure working on them.

I will frame my blocks with different red fabrics, and I am looking forward to see how Lynette finish her quilt.

Tuesday stitches

I have found that doing some 4 string blocks in the morning really get my engine running :-)

The photo from yesterday was less true to colour than this one.

I hoped to make this cushion between Christmas and New Year, but a nasty cold got the best of me then and a good part of January. It will be a long shape and I am aiming at finishing it tomorrow. Lovely spring like colours! These photo to fabric transfer you can buy now are also looking so good!

I am playing catch up with projects, papers and such after the long and draining cold, and it does pay off. Cluttered desk, cluttered mind. Less to remember, more time to play – soon – !

Hanne

January tally – February focus

I think January turned out good when it comes to finishes.
Not  that I  have very high finish numbers, but I managed to finish more than I started – which is ever so good in my book :-)

I did 4 more purple blocks this morning, so with 9 of 24 blocks done you get a feeling of how this quilt will look.
I am thinking about what colour to use for the sashing. First I thought about black, but now I lean to beige. I don’t have enough purple to do sashing, but I have enough to make corner stones though.
Maybe dark blue is an option too…..
What do you think ? Your opinion is very welcome :-)

On my February focus list, in addition to the 96 strip blocks and a secret project (or two), are these 3 projects:

• 
  My very aged traditional stitchery that is coming along nicely with back stitches instead of stem stitches :-)
• The Tilda angel kit with 3 angels – I made the 2 remaining dresses this afternoon.
  
  
• The chicken stitchery – ready for framing. I just have to decide on fabric to have around the stitchery before mounting it in a frame.

 

Hanne

A taste of purple

I just had to try a couple of purple strips after putting the rest of the green fabrics away :-)

For any long time reader of my blog, you might remember that I tried to finish all my purple scraps a couple of years back, but I still have some, if not many.
I am sure I can make 24 blocks anyway :-)

Hanne

Enough green string blocks for now!

These blocks are wonderful for warming up for other quilting tasks :-)

Now I have 24 of these green blocks - a fourth of the 96 blocks I have on my goal list for February.

I have somewhat made a dent in my dated green fabrics, even if it is not the biggest dent, more like a nibble maybe ;-)

Several people have generously offered me their scraps and strips - thanks, but not thanks - I have scraps in abundance right here, and am sure I can keep it going for a long long time with what I have at hand :-)

Choosing the next color for the next batch of 24 string blocks - purple or pink ?? I think pink.......maybe :-)