A challenge to myself :-)

2nd start is the best, isn't it ?? ;-)

I am, as you know, very fond of sampler quilts and the Civil War era, and I am restarting The Civil War Love Letter Quilt today.
I made the first block last year, in June, but for some unknown reason the project just came to a halt, and the book got accidentally put away. Out of eye, out of mind, sort of.

Well - here is my challenge to myself:
Over the next 2 months I will do an average of 1 block a day, starting tomorrow, February 1st, and letting these 3 blocks (2 done today) count in as support for busy days :-)

I did my Nearly Insane quilt like that, as a challenge to myself, and I think I am very ready for another sampler quilt challenge!
I will not do the blocks in chronological order - I like to do them bingo style, like I did my DJ quilt and the NI quilt - doing whatever block calling my name as I open the book.

The working title is Civil War Love Letter goes to Japan.
I will use Japanese fabrics mixed with other fabrics.

Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory. General George S. Patton

Hanne

Sunday evening add on :-)

Another care quilt done :-)
One more quilt to finish, and I can start making new kits.

If you have much, give of your wealth. If you have little, give of your hear. Arab proverb

Hanne

A fun day were had by all

Yesterday my quilt guild had its first care quilts sew together.
We were 15 happy quilters gathered for 6 hours, and it was great fun!

Some cut fabrics, some made blocks, some made quilt tops, some ironed, some machine quilted.

We will have at least one more sew together before summer, and I am so looking forward to participate!

I am now done with machine quilting my 3 care quilt tops, and here is the first finish, binding and all :-)
1 down and 2 to go, and then I will start making more care quilts kits for myself.
I know I will make one more black and orange kit - the quilt looks good now it is done :-)

Hanne

Saturday morning

Remember the care quilt kits I have been working on lately ?
Yesterday it was time to use them, as my guild is having a sew together for care quilts today.

When I was done with the third quilt top last night, you can see they were thoroughly cat approved by the local quilt inspector.

After breakfast I have made 3 backings, and I am nearly ready to leave for a nice days with fellow quilters.

I am thinking about making another kit combo like this one shortly. I have been invited to a similar sew together in 4 weeks.
I like setting goals!
Great stash reducer too :-)

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. Winston Churchill

Hanne

Doll making

I am not a doll maker, as you know, but over the past years I have had a hard time passing Tilda kits priced down.

This kit  has been here in my collection for about 1 year, and now it is time to make the garden angel.

I think this garden angel is cute, but it is longer than I thought.
I do enjoy the spring-ish colours though.
This year I have not bought any doll kits on sale after Christmas.
I feel quite good about that :-)

The reason angels can fly is because they take themselves lightly.  ~G.K. Chesterton

Hanne

A happy choice and a happy dance :-)

The first 2 star block for Lappemakeriet's new BOM are done and I am so happy I hand pieced them my favourite way, on the line.
They were so fun to do and I am so looking forward to the next 18 blocks :-)

Sometimes very good things come in big boxes too :-)
I got this very generous gift from a friend yesterday - all her Japanese fabrics and Japanese magazines!
Thank you ever so much - I will treasure every bit of this!
Hugs for you (((( ))))

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” — Marcel Proust

Hanne

I changed my mind :-)

I could not do it - English Paper Piecing preparation is not for me!
So much folding and basting or gluing. I do not like it much and with my hands it takes forever.

As soon as the decision was made, I undid the prep work I had already done, pressed and draw sewing lines like I like them.

The midst of the star comes out so nice and crisp when doing ordinary hand sewing, and pressing the back side is fun :-)

I did try, didn't I ? :-))

Nobody really cares if you're miserable, so you might as well be happy.  ~Cynthia Nelms

Hanne

Snips of this and that

This has truly been a This & That week, with not much sewing going on.
I have spent a fair amount of time going through my fabric collection and making kits for an upcoming sewing event for care quilts.
Kits for me that is, so I do not have to drag along a lot of fabrics to get something done.
The orange and black blocks from the previous post is kit #1, this is kit # 2, both 48 blocks.

This is kit # 3, about 90 bricks for a brick quilt.
Cutting from scraps sure takes a lot of time, but when I see the finished quilt, it is so worth it!
I have also put all my batiks in a paper bag, for a friend to use for the care quilt sew together.
They look good, but the texture, brightness and shine of batiks do not really appeal to me anymore.
If they can make a kid happy I am happy :-)

You know I have a soft spot for Tilda kits, even if I do not buy them anymore :-)
This garden angel looks so spring-ish and nice - it is time to make her come to life!

So far I have just opened the kit - maybe I can give her some attention through the next week.
I know, I know - my to do list is so sidetracked - but it is my prerogative, isn't it ? ;-)

My DH is tearing the house apart!
Honestly, this is the view if I open the master bedroom closet - out in the big nothing, or down the cellar stairs…….
Check the bright orange on the walls that we found behind the brown wall plates from the 70s. Also very 70s!

A new closet has to be build in the process - everything is connected - redecorating the master bedroom includes redecorating the part of the downstairs too.

A finish:-)
A small pin cushion, but  yet a finish!
It is a Bareroots design. I did a small alteration to the text, from "I believe in you" to "Angel Hug"

The new BOM from Lappemakeriet has arrived!

I usually prefers to do my hand piecing drawing lines on the fabrics, needle and sew, but this time I have decided to do it the English Paper Piecing way, just for the experience.

A hug is like a boomerang - you get it back right away. Bil Keane

Sunday report

One can only wonder where the week went……. 
I do however have a finished quilt to show for it!
I can not show it to you yet.
The quilt inspector took her duties very serious though, supervising the project thoroughly :-)

The to do list went down the drain, except for the secret quilt.
It took much more time than I expected - doesn't it always ?
Tomorrow starts another week, with new chances and possibilities.

I am in a sort and use/fling mode these days.
I do not like black anymore and I do not like orange more either, but together they look quite good, and give me a Halloween feeling.

This is care quilt # 3 in the making. I made a kit for 48 blocks from 2,5" strips.
Sure made a dent in the orange fabrics, but not so much in  black fabrics.

48 blocks done, ready to be joined another day.

Only 1 stitchery for Life is Beautiful done this week - a small step, but yet a step in the right direction :-)
I have not yet rinsed off the Transfer-Eze.

It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward.
Chinese proverb

Hanne

Focus projects this week

Even if I was sliding all over my to do list and beyond last week, I find that a focus list is good for me :-)
Even if I do not always keep to the list, I make progress in my WISP pile.

This week's focus projects are:
1. The Christmas Heart table cloth - it is ready for quilting
2. A drawstring pouch with the Christmas tree stitchery on it.
3. A makeup purse lacking some decoration (stitchery?) and the last seams.
4. A secret project :-)

Have you noticed that all the projects you can see includes red or pink?
Eira asked on my last post which colour red I prefer when doing stitchery. I most often use # 321 - Christmas red, or #498 Red wine red. I do use others from time to time too, but I very often return to these two. # 815 + # 816 are nice too.

Determination gives you the resolve to keep going in spite of the roadblocks that lay before you. Denis Waitley

Hanne

A busy weekend in the sewing corner

As you see, I can not stick to my to do list - again :-)
This quilt has also been on my WISP list (Work In Slow Progress) and now it is done.
I am aiming at making 12 care quilts this year, all from fabric collection, and this is # 1.
I have used 2,5" strips.

I am piecing the backings too. Fast and easy :-)

Since I moved all my fabrics, tools and books into one room it has been quite stuffed………
It feels like making 10 square meters of stuff fit into a 7 square meters room - a bit like squeezing tooth paste back into the tube….
I bet you can see why I will be making the care quilts from fabric collection :-)

Fondly sorting and folding as I use really helps though :-)
I can see more care quilts with yellow in the near future. I have 2 big and 2 small boxes on the lower shelf with yellow fabrics.

Care quilt # 2 done this weekend.

I used to love mustard yellow, in case you wondered ;-)
Now they make nice backings.
2 care quilts done, 10 to go - I know I can make it!

In between, I am enjoying my Life Is Beautiful stitchery.
I am aiming at a finish by the end of this year, so I am not speeding it :-)

Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in. Bill Bradley

Hanne