My NQF annual meeting purchases

Here are the goodies I bought :-)

Above:
The 4 piles of fabrics I bought from Lappemor. She had a sale on Japanese fabrics, fat quarters and 1/2 meter cuts.
Taste differs where she has her shop and here - I love Japanese homespuns but her local costumers do not love them as much.

When we go to the annual meeting there are always coupons in the registration bag. The 4th pile, the pastels are bought with a coupon, as is the fabric on the right with 2 spools of hand quilting thread on top. The hand quilting thread was on sale, and that little pile I bought from Quiltestua in Horten.

Lappemakeriet goodies on top right - 2 fabrics and templates for hand sewing Dresden flowers, 8” finished size.

Ribbon and measuring tape from the quilt association.

Below:
From Quiltegaarden, booklet, patterns, big grip seam ripper, appliqué glue and kit for quilt with stitcheries :-)

I come with a seam ripper as standard equipment, not as extra equipment ;-)
The more I sew the more I need my rippers  -  that is quilters math, right ? :-)

Hanne

 

NQF’s annual meeting

Since I was on Dear Jane duty, teaching through the weekend last week, I did not have as much time as usual to just buzz around.

Here are some photos from the shopping area.

Above is my friend Else Margrethe (no blog) shopping at Quiltegaarden.

The photo below is also Quiltegaarden, one of my favourite shops!

Lappemor, Anne Heidi, smiling as always :-)
She is always so sweet and it is always a pleasure to do business with her, online or in real life!
She ships ever so fast whenever I shop there online!

After the Friday night dinner Lilian Hedley from Great Britain gave a very inspiring lecture on Durham Quilting, a travel in English quilt history from 1700 and to today.

Her work is absolutely exquisite!
In the middle of the photo, my dear friend May Britt is holding a corner of a lovely wholecloth quilt.

My friend Bente - a skilled quilter and a great inspiration - is showing her beautiful red and white quilt at Show & Tell.
The block patterns are freebies of Quilteposten online.

Here is one of the secret projects I have been working on this winter :-)

The judging was a bit strange though, in my not so humble opinion.
I got points off for the scallops and for not hand quilting.

The jury is a pottery artist, a quilter that sometimes does traditional (?), but very obviously has her preference in art quilting + the wife of an artist in the area where the jury was formed. She is known for being in many juries and is highly regarded locally obviously (!) Really ????

Well - you would not like me to come and fix your electrical wiring do you ?
I am the wife of an electrician, so I must be skilled - not.

I don’t think this jury knows much about quilt tradition or traditional methods, because all the traditional quilts that got a prize got oral negative remarks at the announcement, but all the art quilts got nothing but praise.

Food for thoughts !!

I am sorry I can not show you any other quilts from the show. We are not allowed to share any photos online.
To bad, because if I did you could get inspired to do new things, or if you live in the area where the annual meeting is held another year, you might want to come and join in the fun!

PS.
I am not scared away from entering a quilt in a contest in the future, in spite of the jury not being on the top shelf.

I hope with all my heart that the Norwegian Quilt Association will take Traditional Quilt more serious in the future. This is only the second year Traditional Quilt is a category, and again, in my not so humble opinion, comparing Traditional Quilts and Art Quilt (Open Category) is like comparing bananas and potatoes.

Like we now have 2 categories in the contest we will need 2 juries - one for each category.
Anything else will be hard to take seriously and will not benefit the Norwegian quilters.

I for one could never judge art quilts - I don't know enough about the theme.
I could off course tell what pleases my eyes, but not a thing about techniques and what go into the techniques skill wise.

What I try to tell is that we need people with different skills in the juries - be it different for different categories.
I think skilled juries will add good things to the Norwegian quilt community.
Doing jury work is not only a matter of taste but also a matter of knowledge!

I will do my scallops till all the apples grows the same size, with pride, whenever I think it will give the quilt a lift!
I will continue doing like I Want when I want, and will not do anything to please a jury.
My teacher from primary school, who taught us bias binding on clothes, back in the stone ages, would love my scallops if they are well done - and they are indeed :-)

I will continue to read about and admire traditional quilts and take elements from them into my quilts.

Tradition is a never stopping movement.
Some from the old days and some from today, how I interpret the elements, will be tradition tomorrow :-)

Off my soapbox ;-)

Hanne

New branch of the quilt corner

Ever since we moved here 14 years ago, I have not had a room that I can call mine.
We live in a 3 bedroom small-ish very open bungalow.

In the early years, I tried to sit downstairs in the basement/cellar, but that did not work for me.
With cellar windows, high up on the wall and dark walls and carpet, not to forget a poppy red ceiling (!!), the room was dark and gloomy. What were we thinking in the late 70’s ???
It was also inconvenient to be far away from where the family action was - kids and all.

The kids were small and I established my sewing corner, desk and all up in the living room.
It has worked like a charm through all these years, but since DD1 is not living home anymore we found it was time for a change.

The gloomy downstairs is over the later years converted into a light and fresh TV room / guest room with a double sofa bed, where guests are always welcome and the young ones can bring their friends for company.
DH also has an office space, with all his computer stuff, divided from the TV room by a door.
He’s a man - he does not have the same cravings for daylight as I have ;-)

The lavender bluish purple is now gone for a nice light Coffee Latte colour in my new room.

I plan to buy a sofa bed for this room very soon as well, so DD1 can have a place to sleep when she wants to, and I can have my special sewing friends sleeping there as well :-)

It seems like every room in this house serves at least 2 purposes……

Having a place to retreat from the TV football matches and other sports on TV in my sewing corner, aka known as the family room, will also be nice. 

I will however keep my sewing corner as it is, with less stuff stuffed into it. The big Janome 6600 will stay there.
My sewing corner is a good place to sit, lots of daylight / morning light and like the commando central of this house.

Red wine is also served here on weekends, to enjoy with some hand work and the Friday night crime show on TV :-)

The new room, 8 square meters, will be used for storage and a chance to retreat at need.

A glimpse of the new sewing corner, with my small Janome Platinum 760 on the desk.

Hanne

 

Going (Spring) Green

I know I have told you before that I don’t like plastic bags, and when it is possible I do avoid them.

The plastic bags that come in to the house are reused - folded and put in pocket or tote for the next shopping trip.
We also dispose of our garbage in plastic bags here in Norway, so the plastic bags that are not looking good anymore are also put to use.

I must admit a good fabric tote do it for me when I am out shopping. I can fit my wallet and other things in it as well.

This spring tote was showing off at Quilte.net’s shop during NQF’s annual meeting weekend.

I will teach how to make totes in her shop in May.
I know I will make more of these!
Different colours for different seasons, gifts - the possibilities are endless and good :-)

With lining, inner pocket and all, fabric requirement is approx. 1 meter all in all.

Hanne

Catching up

I see that I actually have not blogged in 2 weeks – I don’t think that I have been away from the blog for so long in the 3 years+ I have blogged……..

These are the 3 stars you have seen started in a previous post.

6 down – 18 to go. I am waiting for the last packet during next week.

I will try to work through the events of the last 2 weeks through the day.

Hanne

Not a very good week

Last weekend I was at the Norwegian Quilt Assosiation annual meeting, having the pleasure of meeting with quilt friends from all over the country + teaching Dear Jane.
How much better can life be !?! :-)

During the weekend my voice came and went + I had a very upleasant dry cough.

Monday I had to go and see my Dr. and bronchitis was diagnosed.
You know, the kind that requires antibiotics and couch sirup of the strong kind. You know it is time for seeing your Dr. when it feels like someone is standing on your chest…….

Strong couch sirup is like a true Catch 22 – it knocks me out if I take it and I couch my brain out if I don’t – not nice!

Monday my DH was celebrating his 50th birthday too, so it was essential to keep up appearances, so to say ;-)
A good thing is that this bronchitis is not contageous!

We had family for an evening meal, which was ordered in advance, not made by me, and we served cakes and coffee after.
Since it was not all up to snuff here when I returned home after the weekend, I had to use some time and strength to clean the house before the guest arrived.

White table cloths, candles in silver holders and lovely flowers around the living room, and the party was saved :-)

I took full dose of the couch medicine on Tuesday and slept most of the day in the recliner, under a quilt. Not that it did wonders, but sleep is so good when you are sick and it made me feel better after.

Wednesday the couch was better and that was good, as we had tickets to see Les Miserables on one of the big scenes in Oslo.

What a performance – if you have the chance – Go And See It – it was well worth the price and more !!!

Antibiotics usually messes up my tummy and all, so I am happy it is a decade or more since I needed any.
I guess you are not surprised when I say I have not even turned on my sewing machine this week.
Without the meds I would probably have developed a phneumonia – and that is way worse than a bronchitis!

A few stitches of stitchery has been taken over the last 2 days, but I will save that for a later post.

No more whining - promise!

Hanne

Sunday stars

These stars are addictive :-)

Now it is time to do something else, like tidying my sewing table and file some papers.
Maybe I will start doing the background piecing in the evening.

The cold / flu virus is slowly leaving !
Nyquil and a lot of fluid are doing the trick.

Hanne

Bitten by the bug

This is month # 2 my GFG block of the month from Lappemakeriet.
I am in fact 3 weeks before schedule thanks to being bit by the hand sewing bug. I Absolutely Love sewing on the line, not English Paper Piecing.

I have found my sewing on the line rhythm, working and sort of rocking with both hands, so I don’t get any sore joints, and a callous is building on my right hand middle finger, pushing the needle with approx. 5 stitches (10 up and down) on through the fabric.

Someone mentioned Inklingo as an option last month when I showed the hexagon flowers. Inklingo is very clever, so I will use it for the light “setting flowers” later. I have not printed any on my printer yet, and some of these flower fabrics are very coarse, like very homespun.
I have had Inklingo demonstrated to me in Canada, and I do  have 1,25” hexagon Inklingo file on my computer, so it will be tested out very soon.
I have done a quick test print earlier.
If you also are curious about Inklingo, you can find some free test files on the web site.
I have learned that the fabric for the setting flowers will come in a later packet, so I will still have some time to build up my confidence :-)

Well – I am surfing the wave, and is giving my other BOM from Lappemakeriet attention too :-)
I signed up for the stars 7 months ago, and have not touched the packets before lately.
There are 3 stars in each month packet.

Now to choose which packet to open next

The packets are all so pleasantly presented, and they all have more than enough fabric, which I also enjoy very much.
There are 8 star packets all in all – I will get the last one next month, and after that I will get a packet with sashing and border + one with batting and backing + quilting thread which is optional.
I am doing the whole song and dance!
I think I am ready to do some stars with red or pink in them now :-)

Tonight DH and I, who are both down with a cold / flu virus are taking it very slow, watching DVDs and having a glass of good red wine.

I need to get rid of this flu virus faster than you can spell sewing !!

Hanne

More beautiful than words can tell !

 

I delivered my kaleidoscope quilt to Merete at Sy.no yesterday noon, and this afternoon she came by the classroom where I taught Dear Jane and delivered this beautiful piece of work to me !!

I am speechless in awe – have you ever seen such beautiful quilting ?!?

Merete has done this work free motion and it is as beautiful on the back as on the front!

From now on I know where I will send more quilts :-)
I may have to eat more soup to do so, but it is very much worth it !!

I have already made arrangement to get my next quilt quilted by Merete too, and that is before I got this one back.
She is very skilled, very creative and does outstanding work!

In addition to her website Sy.no, Merete also has a blog, where she shows more of her work.

PS.
My family is also impressed :-)

I hope to get the binding in the mail tomorrow, from Quiltegaarden.

Hanne

Busy days in the sewing corner

Time flies when one is busy in the sewing corner!

The kaleidoscope quilt top is going out for machine quilting in the morning, and I am looking forward to see how it will turn out :-)
The backing is washed and ironed too – a soft Japanese print.

Beside the Nearly Insane quilt, this is the first quilt I send out to be quilted, but it is with great confidence I send it to Merete at Sy.no for custome quilting.

The top is 52” x 75”, borders included.

Hanne

More Vitamin Q

A few glimpses from the kaleidoscope class

Litamora (to the right) in deep concentration :-)

I was so lucky, seeing Hanne-Kristine’s DJ blocks :-)
She does exquisite work in all her projects!
Delicate choices of colours, tiny stitches and all.

I know some of my friends are waiting impatiently to see what I brought home :-)

Mostly fabrics – some to finish the green and blue kaleidoscope quilt and some fabrics to start a new quilt – stay tuned on that one :-) - a few quilting templates on sale, one pattern, and 2 woven ribbons for totes.

To all I met in Trondheim this weekend – thanks for a lovely time !! :-)

Hanne

 

Vitamin Q in big doses!

A weekend surrounded by fabrics, quilts and quilters – what more can one ask for ?

I have been teaching this weekend in one of my 2 Norwegian favourite quilt shops, Quiltegården.

In case you wonder which my other favourite shop is, it is Lappemakeriet :-)

Here are some of the quilts and views around the shop :-) 

Lynette Anderson’s latest BOM, with cats and dogs.

Leanne Beasley’s Butterfly Garden BOM in Japanese fabrics.

This cute mouse quilt is from The Freckles Collection.

This lovely quilt is from Bronwyn Hayes / Red Brolly’s latest book.

Cute table topper from Hatched and Patched.

I love how the shop is decorated, with vintage things and beautiful colours :-)

Enjoy!

Hanne