I like Mondays :-)

The furball has tried my basket on for size and I have been sewing along through the weekend!

I do have some finishes to show for it too :-)

First the little Christmas wall hanging / bell pull - a merging of 2 patters from Northern Quilts.

The Busy Little Christmas Elves quilt is all done, with its new binding.

Details from the quilting - done by Merete - it is lovely :-)
This quilt my friend Bente and I have had as a BOM, starting January this year, and we are both done :-)
Visit Gail's blog to see Bente's quilt. Scroll down a little bit.

We have also decided on a new BOM - stay tuned :-)

My family is invited to a double 50 year birthday celebration on Saturday in 2 weeks.
Here is the good start of 2 quilts, lacking border, which will be bought tomorrow.
Stripes maybe ?
The pattern is Disappearing 9-patch - a simple but nice pattern, with all the fabrics taken from my fabric collection so far :-)
I do have fabric suitable for backing, and binding too, so all I need to buy is the borders.

Conclusion on my challenge to myself:
Did I manage to finish 5 things ? Not exactly.
Do I feel I got a lot done ? Yes indeed :-)
Am I happy about the outcome ? Yes I am!

Hanne

Friday update

It is so cold and wet outdoors, and it is nice to watch DVDs and drinking hot tea while doing hand piecing.
Colin Firth is worth watching on given any day, in my book :-)

Progress on my challenge:
8 more seamen are ready for the last step of appliqué, the centre circle.

16 of 24 seamen down, 8 to go - in different stages of completion.
I plan to do the centre circle on all 24 as the last stage.

I was at the mall today, for some gift shopping, and I came across this beautiful shabby chick tray / basket.

I got a lovely mail post joy today - 2 gorgeous pieces of fabric and a beautiful shopping list. Thank you very very much - you know who you are. It really brightened my day :-)

Hanne

5 days 5 finishes ?? Challenge to self :-)

Yesterday I had the best R&R day - doing stitchery and drinking coffee :-)

I got my stitchery thread back on Tuesday - it was left behind on Lappemakeriet's Quilt Café on last Tuesday.
Isn't it cute, marked with a heart sticker with my name. Made me smile.
 
It came to mind that I NEED some finishes NOW :-)
I have not been to good with my Early Bird Christmas Crafting, and I am not so proud about that……..

It always gives me a good feeling to be done with something, so to work oh bold quilter!

My sewing machine acted up and made a mess of my binding on the Elves quilt too……. I am grumpy about that…………….
I have taken off the binding and bought a new one. It was nothing wrong with the fabric, but the feeding dogs did not work to well, even if the machine has just been in the shop for its annual service.
Well - it will sort out in the end.

I found that a challenge to myself is just what I need, and I have made a priority list of 5 projects. Here it is, in random order:

The finished stitchery from yesterday - I plan to merge two patterns from Northern Quilts, sort of, and make a gift from this.

Friendship Challenge from May Britt to Bente and yours truly.
It is due on Thursday next week, and I have a plan ready to roll.
I can not show you the result before next weekend though. 
May Britt has nudged me for a while now, but I have not told what I am making ;-)

I am also making the next challenge and it is nearly done.

The Disappearing 9-patches from last week. I need 2 tops done by Thursday so I can have some help with layering them for machine quilting. The gifts are due in 2 weeks.

I still have 5 seamen left to do - and we are getting the border fabric in 12 days - I want to sew up a storm - pun intended :-) 

It can be that I change some of the challenge objects or add more - it is my challenge and I do what I want with it :-)
Anyone want to join in ?
Deadline Monday evening at midnight your time.

Hanne

Singing a Sunday Song :-)

It is time for an update, isn't it ?

The seamen are falling in line beautifully - no more mutiny!
5 more down and 5 to go.
I still have not appliquéd more than a few - 5 or 6 - and all lacks the middle piece, but now I have decided to be done with the piecing before doing the appliqué.
Good choice, if you ask me :-)

I am still being careful with my left shoulder, so hand work suits me very well.
Today we have had a sunny day, and in addition to sitting  outdoors for a few hours, with my sewing off course,
I have also gone for a walk, swinging my arm as I walk.

My lavender plant is still looking good in the late afternoon autumn sun.
I guess it is to late to take it in to dry - or maybe not ?
I have never done that before, and I think the plant is so beautiful on my veranda.

I am working on no less than 2 gift quilts though.

 

It is going to be 2 Disappearing 9-Patch quilts, one for a dear relative, and one for her best friend, both celebrating their birthdays together in 3 weeks time.
I try to be a bit frugal - not cheap - and use what I have at hand in stead of rushing off using a lot of money.
Not that quilts are inexpensive in any way, but I do have all I need to make these 2 quilts, except for border fabrics.

I am doing just a little at a time, so I guess this project will keep me occupied for a while. The sore shoulder is not applauding to much cutting or feeding the sewing machine to intensively.

All the 9-patches are done now, and are ready to be cut to new blocks.

I think autumn is setting in in my mind too - making food from fresh produce - like meat and vegetable stew, known as lapskaus in Norwegian, and baking bread.

Home made food is good, and the smell of fresh baked bread is always lovely!

Hanne

Morning moments

Through the summer months, it is so light and nice in the mornings, mostly,  but suddenly it is time to light morning candles again.

Besides being pretty, a candle also can be source for morning meditation and serenity on happenings and upcoming happenings.
One can be prepared for the unexpected, sort of .

It is like they say on the airplanes - you are supposed to help yourself to oxygen when in need, before helping the person next to you.

Maybe it was sort of a serendipity that I forgot to bring my stitchery thread back home with me from Quilt Café at Lappemakeriet on Tuesday ??
Anyway, the seamen are benefiting - as of this morning I had 6 more done since Tuesday and 10 to go!

I am going easy on my shoulder - hand piecing is good :-)

**********

Saying for today:

God, give us the grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed,
courage to change the things which should be changed,
and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

**********

Hanne

Almost a finish :-)

  Yesterday I had the great pleasure of picking up my Busy Little Christmas Elves quilt from Merete.
The design is by Gail Pan.
If you are Norwegian, Quiltegården has the pattern,
or if you like, you can buy it from Moore Patchwork and Quilting online here.

Here it is in Merete's studio, on the frame,

 

and here you can see a close up of the custom quilting - it is great !

I had bought binding, but when I washed it, I saw that I had bought 1/3 meter instead of 1/2 meter as I thought I had.
Luckily the shop still had some more of the fabric and I will prep and add a binding before next week :-)

Hanne

I have been goooood :-))

From Friday 3rd September I have focused on these 2 projects, and it has paid off, even if I might not have done as much as I first thought, since my shoulder took a hit in the car accident.
The shoulder is on the mend, so I am giving this challenge one more week from now :-)

Anyway, it has been fun, even if I long for some red fabrics too!

 
I also have cut some blue fabrics for some upcoming gifts - stay tuned for results shortly :-)

I am dreaming about red stitcheries:

Lynette Anderson's Scandinavian Christmas BOM, all parts collected - bought here, patterns only.


And these lovely small projects from Lilly Pilly (Jo Chandler) at Lilly Pilly Designs:
I won this in her pattern release giveaway and it is for sale if you want it too!
Lovely miniature gifts for your friends for Christmas maybe ?

Hanne

Gift and other goodies in the mail :-)

 
A while back I had the pleasure of helping LeKa with some fabric she could not get hold of anymore, and look what I found in my mailbox the other day - a piece of lovely Japanese fabric and the cutest makeup purse!

Thank you  ever so much LeKa!!

 
When I left Canada in April I had to leave several things behind to be able to get my suitcase through weight control without to much overweight.
This set of patters was one of the items that I got from my friend Val and left behind.
It was originally a kit set that she had saved and not started for a long time, but I liked the pattern better than the fabrics, so the fabrics went to another quilter and I got the patters in the mail this week.
I can see this one before my inner eye in Japanese fabrics - maybe some day ……. :-)


Did I hear backbone of a jelly fish, eh ????
Oh yes - indeed - that is the fact - I am the softest one when it comes to BOMs :-)))
This one is a 4 month BOM from Northern Quilts -  sort of mystery - check it out!
It is still available as patterns only, both in Norwegian and in English (Utland)

I will not start any new projects before I am done with the 2 ongoing focus projects - promise !! :-)

Hanne

Progress

Alle fugler ( All birds) is coming along nicely :-)
Stitchery, pieced blocks and plain squares - so far.

I have Dresden plates, Seamen,  going too.

I am taking example from the furball and am trying to take it slow and easy after a car crash earlier this week.
My shoulder and neck took the hit after I was hit from behind.

I am healing well, thanks to anti inflammatory meds, acupuncture and physiotherapy - not to forget stitchery and hot tea :-)

Hanne

Focus, focus!

 
I am sure you have noticed by now that I have a very soft spot for BOMs ??? ;-)

A little obsession is good when it comes to  doing these BOMs, don't you think ?
I get them done - it is proven and true here in my sewing corner :-)

This one is from Northern Quilts - All Birds (Alle fugler) which is the opening words of a traditional Norwegian song.

Yes, it is a kit, and it is plentiful and beautifully packed, and the instructions are good !  :-)

The pieced and appliquéd  blocks are both simple and more complicated, the mix of fabrics is good, in sort of  a Norwegian / Japanese style - soft colours, both prints and homespun, a lot of Japanese fabrics.
The stitcheries are cute and all with Norwegian text.

I have already received 3 packets, but did not start this one before last night.

Now I have 5 units done, as you see.  Not to complicated so far, as 3 of the units were plain squares only.
I have received instructions for 26 units so far, including the big centre stitchery.

I want to catch up so the quilt is done by the time I get and finish the last packet.
This BOM is 10 packets and all the blocks finish 6".
The setting is 8 x 11 blocks, with a centre stitchery motif of 12" x 18".

I am not able to focus on one project only, so the seamen will still be on my focus list too.

I have a strong competitive gene, in case you wondered ( I guess not!! ), but I am very happy "competing" with myself only too :-)

So here goes: How many blocks of both focus projects can I have done by Tuesday September 14th ?

I do have some other things and obligations going on in my life too, so it will not be a 24/7 thing.

To work, oh bold quilter!

Hanne

Time is flying when you are having fun

Wednesday morning the quilt top was done, and now it is in the very able hands of my machine quilter Merete.
The quilting we decided on will look great - I am looking forward to see the quilt again when it is done!

One BOM down, more to go ;-)

Hanne