Shining stars

It has been some time since I last made stars, and I have enjoyed the process very much :-)

I have changed a couple of the fabrics in the kit, to use some of my own favourites, so do not get stressed if you have bought the kit from Quiltegården and can not find all the same fabrics.

I am looking forward to put this quilt on the wall in my hall :-)

I am working on the top stitchery and I am lacking 4 more stars.

Happiness lies in the joy of achievement
and the thrill of creative effort.
Franklin D Roosevelt 1882

Hanne

Jumps and leaps

All these days coming and going, little did I know they were life itself - Stig Johansson

Goals and dreams, dreams and hopes - sometimes days just pass, without making much of an impact - filled with all kinds of everyday activity.

The knitting is out of here and care quilts are on a long term hold.
Through the winter I will give full focus to my own work, so to say - BOMs, kits, Wisps and other ideas :-)
I will probably not NOT sign up for any BOMs with kits in 2012, but I have some to take from here, and I have signed up for participating in a year long Stich-A-Long online.
I am looking forward to participate in this SAL, sewing from my own fabric collection :-)

The bad foot has taken a huge toll on the rest of my body this year, as I have been on 2 crutches until now, and I am have been very tired.
The surgeon did not have his best day at work back in May, and the surgical repair did not turn out to well.
The aching and damaged joint is gone (which is good), but I got some new challenges instead, the toe not touching the floor when I stand without shoes. It does affect my balance.
It did not look to bad in the beginning, when the cast was just off and the toe was quite swollen, but new challenges has surfaced since then.

I am very hesitant to try to fix the foot more, being afraid it will be even less functional after that.......

I Need and Want to be able to do the things that are important to me - like sewing, travelling and meeting fellow quilters. I can do that now, but with further foot repair, I would not know the outcome, by the looks of it.
Maybe I will get even more problems walking? Lose the rest of my right foot balance ? Be on 2 crutches for the rest of my life?

I can not take more long waiting lists either + several more weeks in a cast for an unknown outcome, unless it is a matter of "life and death"!
I hate it when my life is on hold for months on end and out of my control!

Luckily one does not need to much balance to work the sewing machine.
I can get used to the strangest things, given some time.......
Done venting - thanks for listening :-)
I Need to get over this stupid foot and move on - pun intended ;-)

What I have been up to lately in the sewing corner:

The Jelly roll half done blocks has turned into this top :-)

I will add borders shortly - just have to wash the fabrics first.

On Saturday and Sunday, May Britt and I had a sew together over MSN, finally opening this lovely kit we bought in March, from Quiltefryd.

A lot of triangles

and cutting to size

We both changed the sashing and border triangles to light fabrics, as we both found the original to dark for our taste right now.
Thanks for the company May Britt - it was fun!
Distance is no obstacle as long as there are computers and MSN :-)

This has been my grab-and-go stitchery lately. This is an old design by Bronwyn Hayes. I found it on eBay a while back. I plan to frame it - first with fabrics and then with a wooden frame. The wooden frame (Ikea) needs some painting first.

My new grab-and-go project is the stitcheries for this quilt.
The focus stitchery is nearly done - see first photo - I just need a few stitches with fill in. I can start the stars very soon.
I love my sewing machine - it has been a patient friend, waiting for me through the summer.
Now we can work as much as we want together again :-)

Siw at Quiltegården has made this wonderful kit! Siw always make the most beautiful kits. If you want one too, just give her a call :-)

Good friends are like stars.... You don't always see them, but you know they are always there

Hanne

Sometimes

Sometimes things happen for a reason, and sometimes things happen for no reason at all.
Sometimes it is time to sit down, think and regroup, and this has been one of those weeks.

The big question has been - What is important to me ?
Having come delivered as a heap of 2.sorting body parts, I sometimes so meet myself in the (swing)door, wanting to do so much more than what I can, and what is good for me!

Well - knitting is NOT good for me, as I can not be happy with doing just a couple of needles a day, so knitting is so out of here!
A good friend got my knitting yarn, books and needles this week - and we are now both happy about that :-)

Top on my priority to do list is sewing, by machine and by hand, piecing and stitchery!
My sewing, my friends and my family - Yes - that's what is important to me :-)

I had the pleasure of attending a good and fun inspiration lecture given by Helle Løvenskiold this week, and I have had some ideas spinning in my head since then. Thanks Helle :-)

First, I Need to get some older work out of here, or rather out of my WISP (work in slow progress) box - as the quilt in progress on top of this post.
It was started in April 2009, and how it turned out did not really fit my taste back then. I see I have already then thought about putting some light fabric into the work, before it got put away and forgotten.
I loved the Jelly Roll the fabrics comes from, even if it was a bit out of my favourite colour palette. (Hemming House by Moda)
It is really growing on me as I work, but I am so particular about how my blocks meets, so the seam ripper has come to good use ;-)
I am so looking forward to come to the quilting stage of this one - I have a plan :-)

Back to the sewing machine :-)

Hanne