I have had a mishap with the shoulder that get inflammations very easily, so I am taking it very very easy with the sewing machine until the muscles and ligaments have calmed down again.
Hand sewing with a short thread is perfect relax work :-)
3 more blocks to go - 1 appliqué, 1 English Paper Piecing and 1 for the sewing machine - foundation paper piecing
I LOVE how this BOM is coming together :-)
Hanne
I could not help myself - just had to make one more block today :-)
5 more blocks to go, and these are the more work intensive ones - 1 applique, 1 English paper piecing, 2 hand piecing and 1 machine piecing ( foundation paper piecing).
Hanne
Focus and daily stitches are the words :-)
I am done with the first of two stitcheries for the Gail Pan stitchery BOM I am doing with a couple of friends.
I have already seen Bente's January block done, and it looks gorgeous :-)
One more Svennebrevet block.
This Dear Jane tote has really been a slow one, but now it is DONE :-)
This is the front,
and this is the back side, or the other front, if you like :-)
Hanne
The secret project you have not seen a proper photo of yet is nearly done. Just lacking about 30 minutes of work and a label.
In between I have enjoyed these blocks from the BOM Svennebrevet :-)
I have joined the blocks as I go. If they don't have the proper placement, they are pinned into their right row, and I feel I am making a quilt, not only blocks :-)
I am travelling with Dear Jane and Nearly Insane quilt this weekend.
I am having a lovely time with a group of wonderful quilters from Sandnessjøen :-)
The area is very beautiful with all the mountains and the sea.
A lot of talented women are gathered here, and I am having a good time!
I have also had the pleasure of visiting the local quilt shop, Bit for bit (Piece by piece)
Now I am relaxing in my hotel, enjoying a glass of red wine, reading blogs and listening to music on TV, before a group of us is going out for a late dinner.
Life is good :-)
Wishing you a lovely weekend too!
Hanne
The first packet for this quilt, Tante Rosa (Aunt Pink/Rosie), arrived from Lappemakeriet in January 2009, and now it is done, quilting, binding and all :-)
It is 94 hexagon flowers, the sides of the hexagon measuring 1,25".
I will not dive into the math of how many hexagons and half hexagons has gone into this quilt, as quilter's math is not my force :-))
I have pieced this quilt by hand, without paper pieces as in English paper piecing.
I have used more than 200 yards of thread just hand piecing the hexagons.
I have enjoyed the journey every stitch of the way, and I am quite proud about this being my first big hand pieced quilt :-) 
Merete has done the lovely quilting.
I changed the backing sent with the quilt for this bolder colour variation, just for fun. It adds an extra touch to this soft coloured quilt. 
The furball is having a full day's work paw approving all the quilts these days :-) 
Fear not - I still have some BOMs with kits to work on…….. :-)
3 of these 4 are from Lappemakeriet.
Svennebrev. Åttebladrose and Elsker, elsker ikke.
Have I mentioned I absolutely LOVE Lappemakeriet's kits ?
The fabrics and colours are great, and there are always plenty of fabrics in the kits.
Another factor I appreciate very very much is that they always send out their kits on schedule!
You are great !
Hanne
2 weeks ago my focus projects were the hexagon quilt and a secret project.
What happened to them ?
The hexagon quilt top is done, it is back from the machine quilter, and I am now working on meters of binding - feels like miles ;-)
The secret project is nearly done.
It is not easy to hand quilt when a cat try your quilt frame on for size :-))
It is a good thing I held the quilting needle in my hand so she did not poke herself with it. This happened in a matter of seconds when I had my attention elsewhere.
I had a well deserved rest with the cat and the frame on my lap.
Last week I added 2 more projects to the focus projects.
What happened to them?
The Dear Jane Christmas top is done and looking good :-)
The plan was to finish the top, as it will be travelling with me in a few days, and a top travels lighter than a finished quilt in an already full suitcase.
The top is going to the machine quilter in a week's time.
Never underestimate a good cat inspection!
Since it has been so cold and so much snow lately, the cat has preferred to stay indoors as good as all the time, which is not normal for her, and as a result of that she is taking her quilt inspector duties very seriously.
It was not to easy to measure and pin the borders during inspection time. 
And the Dear Jane tote ?
Weeeeell…………… work needs to be done :-)
So, bottom line - 1 project out of the focus pile and I just had to add another sort of small one :-)
Hanne without a stitchery is like a fish without a bike :-))
My plans for this week is:
Keep on keeping on with the above projects!
I just have to show you my last addition to the good coffee table books collection.
I am interested in quilt history and women history.
Many of my relatives emigrated to America during the 1800s and 1900s , and some also made a new life for themselves in Minnesota.
I wonder if any of them became quilters ?
Hanne
The Dear Jane Christmas top is nearly done, and looking good,
and the 2 sides for the Dear Jane sherbet colours tote is ready for machine quilting.
The same blocks, and yet so different when you change setting and colours :-)
Goals for tomorrow is to add borders to the quilt top, and I will keep on working on my tote too.
I miss hand piecing already!
I think I have to prep a block for hand piecing tomorrow. I can not do machine work for long periods at a time!
I got my hexagon quilt back from the machine quilter today, and it looks GORGEOUS !!
Merete does beautiful machine quilting and I love the pantograph she used, named Pop Corn.
I also bought a new backing for the quilt from Merete - dark brown, with beige drawings of flowers and butterflies.
When I am done with the goals for this week in the DJ department I will add binding to my hexagon quilt :-)
Hanne
I thought I was very close to finishing this top - but - I really thought I had some more blocks, somewhere……..
Suddenly I remembered where to look and yes, I found more blocks!
I did in fact find 11 more blocks, enough to add one row to the width and one row to the length.
Some frog sewing (rip rip), some more cutting of background squares and some more sewing is needed before I can finish this top.
I do enjoy to work with Dear Jane blocks :-)
This will be a nice lap quilt once it is done.
Hanne
I don't think I have to tell you I LOVE stitcheries ? :-)
I have had a needle in my hand since I was 6 years old, and I am still enjoying it as much as ever.
Cross stitches have moved over for stitcheries, but I still get that lovely feeling of flow when I sit down with embroidery floss and needle.
I am doing this Gail Pan stitchery, Busy Little Christmas Elves, as a BOM for myself this year, just for fun.
This morning I draw all the stitcheries on fabric. and I am soon very ready to start.
I have been discussing with myself which colours to use, and I have been changing my mind a lot of times between Japanese taupe and blue, or Japanese taupe and red.
I have now landed on deep red stitcheries - DMC 498 - and taupe and red for the fabrics - and I will NOT change my mind again ;-)
This is my inspiration.
I have bought the pattern here, if you will like to join in the BOM.
It is always a pleasure to do business with Lyn :-)
If you are in Norway, you can also contact Siw at Quiltegaarden.
Hanne
First what happened to the focus projects from last week.
The hexagon top is all done and it is going to Merete today to be machine quilted.
This quilt is bigger than I thought - 70" x 90". I absolutely LOVE the look :-)
The strange feeling of separation blues is gone - now I am so ready to move on!
Miss Cat tried to claim the top as her own when I was measuring for the borders.
No such luck, oh beloved furball!
I think she might know she is very colour coordinated with the quilt, don't you think ? :-)
The hand quilting project is coming along too :-)
It is not done, as the hexagons took all my time, but I will keep on keeping on with it.
After a full week of hand work I will dedicate this week to machine work. I have a pile of Dear Jane Christmas blocks and I have thought about turning them into a top for a long time.
This is the week, and the goal is to finish the top! 
Crazy colours, still Dear Jane blocks.
These blocks will be a tote before the end of the week :-)
Time fly when you are having fun!
Hanne
The last hexagon stitch is done for now, and tomorrow I will do pressing and adding the border.
This quilt has been a faithful companion through 2009.
It is both nice and a bit strange to be done.
Hanne
Soon I am done!
Soon, as in 1-2 days, I will add the border to this quilt.
I have plans for next week, already having picked the 2 projects to work on then :-)
Hanne
Ah - a new year and a lot of new possibilities!
The best way to tackle a full to do list is to do it, one item at a time, right ? :-)
For this week I have picked 2 focus projects -
A quilt that need hand quilting and my hexagon quilt top.
I think I can finish both through the weekend. I have something nice here to keep me ever so motivated !
The new BOM from Lappemakeriet - Elsker, elsker ikke - Sjømann (Loves me, loves me not - Seaman)
I got the first packet today when I was at the quilt café at Lappemakeriet.
I am not allowed to open the kit for the first 3 flowers before the hexagon quilt top is DONE.
It better be done real quick then :-))
To work, oh bold quilter !
Hanne
I need a take along hand quilting project, so I thought it might as well be this one, so from 4 blocks done to full top done it has been fast and fun.
The backing will go in the washer today!
I plan to hand quilt this little quilt with perle cotton.
I have used 2,5" strips to make borders for each block and 2,5" for the final border, and I have used all of these 3 fabrics. Just very small scraps left.
Hanne
