An absolutely lovely Saturday

It has been a lovely day!

The Blue Trip took us to the shop in the little town where May Britt lives, approx. 2 hours from where I live.

The shop, Lille Stasjon (The Little Station) is very nice.
May Britt was teaching a class in the shop this Saturday but still had time to spend some time with us :-)

See her blog for a tutorial on the pincushion she was teaching today.

*****

May Britt on the left and Sigrun on the right. Sigrun is the one who invited me to join in today. Thank you very much Sigrun!




I did not go overboard with the shopping - 6 pieces of 12" full width of fabric, 4 patterns, 1 booklet and a book with stitchery and patchwork. Not to forget a very cute cat pin in wood.
The booklet and the pattern to the left was marked down very much and was good buys :-)

Look what I got from May Britt as a birthday gift !!!!
I have been wishing for a pair of scissors this size for a long long time!
And see the lovely little clip it is attached too.
Thank you May Britt :-)

Blue Trip ahead

I am invited to join in on a Blue Trip as we call it here, tomorrow :-)
Out in the blue is a Norwegian expression for "don't know where" - a mystery trip.
We are going by bus, we are quilters, and I know that when quilters are involved on a trip together there will be a quilt shop involved too.
There went my fabric diet for April with no buys I guess......... :-)
I am very much looking forward to the trip! I have not been much out going trip wise for a very very long time.

Oh yes - the Christmas card was very well received at guild.
It will be part of a project I have taken the initiative to, to get more people to participate in our guild's bi-annual show this autumn. It is also our 15. anniversary.
If we can get more people to participate, even with a fabric postcard, it will be more fun to make the show for us in the show committee, and more fun for all participants and guests.
We will have a workshop / work together day with cards as the subject in October. I have got the teacher job for that one, so ideas are spinning in my head already.

But - the Christmas colours got to me, so here is one for spring!

These flowers were a gift from my DH and my DDs for my birthday. They are very beautiful!
You guys also brightened my day with all your lovely birthday wishes - thank you :-)

Seasons confused ??

I know, it is April, not December, and I have not lost my marbles ;-)
I have just been asked to make a postcard sample for a possible late autumn workshop in my guild, to be presented to the guild board tomorrow. The postcard is 8" x 7" and appliqued by using fusible web and the darning foot.

Other than making the postcard, I have been celebrating my birthday today and it has been an absolutely lovely day!
Lunch out with friend, dinner out with family, lovely gifts, phone calls, mails and messages on the cell phone.
Life is good :-)

A quick and useful finish

I needed a pair of new potholders in my kitchen and I have been thinking about making some for a while.
These tree blocks were in my BOB (box of blocks) from another project years ago.
The fabric around them is like linen. I have the same fabric in my kitchen curtains.
On 2 internet lists I am on there are 5 before 5 Ufo challenges. Finish 5 Ufos before May 1st.
These potholders qualify as my Ufo # 3.
Can I finish 5 Ufos in time?
I guess not, but that is of no significanse to me really, as I have few Ufos now - after having loads some years back. 
I think of my projects more like WIPs - work in progress.
I have one true Ufo, and I will work towards finishing it in 2007.
It is the Snowman Collector BOM, with all the blocks done since a couple of years back.

I used to say I have more than 50, less than 100 Ufos, and it was not a lie.
Now I have less than 10 projects all in all + my box of blocks.
The less than 10 includes quilting projects, stitchery projects and cross stitch projects.
In the box of blocks goes all blocks that are remnants from other projects, test blocks, finished stitcheries without a spesific purpose etc.
Sometimes, when I need a quick finish I can find something there :-)

2 finishes

Time has really been running fast this week - and I have had a lovely weekend so far, with several activities outside the house. If you see a broad smile passing by, it might be mine :-)

I have added two finishes to my list this week - first Judy's 1 hour a day challenge, and next the care quilt, finished late Thursday night.
Now they are both washed and ready for sending to my favourite cause on Monday - children with long term diseases - through the Norwegian Quilt Association.

Remember me being overwhelmed by my own fabric collection recently?
A quick estimate tells me that each care quilt I have made so far this year uses an average of 7-8 meters of fabrics.
I have made 5 care quilts since the beginning of January.
5 times 7-8 meter equals 35-40 meters of fabrics!
That is a dent in the collection all right, even with a 20 meters buy this year.
I have emptied one box in my shelf - 8 litres / 2 gallons.
Yes, the dent is visible now, if not very big, but as you might know, an elephant has to be eaten one serving at a time. Be persistent and it will be all eaten in the end ;-)
Not that I want to use all my fabrics, but I do not have to have as much as I have now.....

I am taking a break from making care quilts until autumn. I do enjoy Judy's HAD challenges and chances are big I will join in again. 
Thank you Judy for generously charing your patterns!
I guess you all can see I am making the quilts smaller and do simple borders, but I don't think that matters as long as I am having fun :-)

What is next on my to do list?
NI blocks, applique blocks and stitchery as far as I can see, but you will never know :-)

Yes !

11 pm and I just finished the binding!
Tomorrow I will wash the quilt. Then I will take a photo of the full quilt - in daylight.
I had planned a purple binding, but I have no long strips of pale purple left. I had to use 2 different pinks for the binding to have enough of the right shade.

My plan for tomorrow is to try to finish the orange quilt from last week.

It would be wonderful if I can send these 2 care quilts in the mail on Friday.
I feel it is time to take a break from making care quilts for now and work on my own things.

I have a goal !

Today's goal is to finish the princess quilt!
Oh - pastels are So Not Me even if I see this is a cute quilt.

I can promise you one thing:
Polyester batting no more! It does not have the good feel I like so much with cotton batting.

Right now, at nearly 11 am I am done machine quilting the purple.
Now to do the white.

Top done

The top is done, the backing pieced with pink fabrics and DD2 and DH have generously helped me with the spray basting,
so now you know what I will be working on tomorrow :-)
The batting is polyester this time, even if I prefer cotton, as I found a piece in my collection.
I am on a roll with the using from collections - fabrics, thread, batting - and today I could free a 8 litre (approx. 2 gallons) box in my fabric collection - Go me :-)
I live in a small house and can not put up more shelves. I really want more room for my quilt books, and if I can keep up using more than I buy I will have more room in my fabrics and books shelves before to long.

Tomorrow is dedicated to machine quilting the princess quilt with meandering.

Princess quilt in the making

DD1, former princess material, now 19, said this quilt will be perfect for a little princess :-)
It is poor light here in the evenings, but I guess you get the impression all right.
I will add a narrow pink border and a purple binding.
I have to redo the two blocks that got cut wrong, but it will have to wait until the morning.

Sometimes my brain works too

Sometimes my brain works too - and that makes it all worth while, doesn't it? ;-)
I am still working on the 1 hour a day challenge.
I managed to cut two of these blocks wrong and to small, as I have no ruler that fits, marking wise, and I my mind went in circles.

As we say here - Need teaches nude woman to make thread!
Freezer paper and scotch tape to my rescue, and voila, the blocks cut to the right size easily :-)
I have to redo 2 blocks and that can be a challenge in itself, fabric wise. I think I have enough of one of the purple fabrics to make the purple pieces. I hope I have.....

More progress

  

Being a teenager's mom sometimes includes late Saturdays and late driving, so while waiting for the time to go pick DD up, I worked on the alternate blocks.
All 17 are now done, but not yet cut to size.
I must admit I am not sure how to approach the cutting to size so the blocks come out balanced, but come the morning I am sure I see it in a clearer light - pun intented ;-)
It is 1.35 am, and very past my bedtime.

Progress

   

I thought I had all the 18 9-patches done, but no, I still lacked some.
Now they are done and finished square in square with purples.
I think this will be a good care quilt for a little girl - and hopefully it will make a dent in my pinks as well if I make a pink backing.
I will need 17 of the next block.
I will make them white and purple.
Maybe I can catch up with them tonight ?

A late joiner

This is my first step on Judy's April 1 hour a day challenge.
I started these this weekend, before hand quilting and the cold or whatever it was got the best of me.
I will just make a small quilt, so 18 9-patches it is.
I am taking away 2 rows both from the width and the length of Judy's quilt. See her April 1st. post.
It will be a good size for another care quilt. Remember, I am on a stash user mission :-)
This quilt will be made in pastels.

The orange quilt will get more work done on it this Saturday and will still have priority. I just do not feel like the big arm movements just yet.

I am tagged

May Britt tagged me with the Thinking Blogger Award.
Thanks May Britt :-)

I have been thinking about who to tag, and I have come to the conclusion can not pick 5.
My favourite blog read is the whole Stash Quilts blog ring - see my sidebar.
Here I find my favourite blog people.
Here are skilled, creative and caring quilters - from all over the world, sharing their quilting, their habits and their smiles :-)

So - I am passing on an open tag - If you read my blog and feel like being tagged, consider yourself tagged, whoever you are :-)

Small steps and small stitches

I've been under the weather for some days and feeling the need for small arm movements.

A day without needle and thread is not a good day, so I turned to hand quilting.

I would love to have the Watermelon quilt finished before this summer and every thread done is a thread closer to completion :-)

As you see I have worn my pink Clover pencil all down and am now starting to use the blue one.

It looks like the markings wear off with handling, so I am marking only one fan at a time.

The pencil says that the chalk is water soluble, so whatever if left of the markings when I am done with the hand quilting will go off when I wash the quilt. I read somewhere that a good vacuum also will remove markings.

The cold symptoms are wearing off now, and I am happy about that, as I have several things on my to do list.

I think I will try to do some hand quilting every morning, with my cup of tea by my side, like I did when I hand quilted my Dear Jane quilt. It is a good way to start the day. The morning light is good now too.

I love the early hours of the day :-)

Bust that Stash

The April badge for the 2007 Fabric Diet says Bust that Stash, and in the meeting point of stash busting, an urge for a quick project and the spirit of making do this quilt is born and not far from finished - another care quilt.

Most of the fabrics are from the fabrics given to me for the care quilt purpose. I have added some for variety - one of the more yellow ones and a couple of the more orange ones.
I used my dark dull rust ones for backing - from the 1990s.

The quilt is now quilted, with curved seams and yellow thread, twice through all the squares.

Now I will add some small triangles here and there, in colours to add interest. If you see the colour wheel the good colours to add to this orange / orange red quilt are blue violet to violet on one side and green to yellow green on the other side.
I will applique through all layers with machine.

I am just playing and winging it as I go, so I will have to audition some choices tomorrow, in good day light.

I am contemplating doing Judy L.'s challenge anyway. Just have to finish this one first. I can do a little every day and I want to make a smaller quilt.
I am in stashbuster mood indeed!

String quilt finished

Today I could go to the post office, sending in 3 care quilts to the coordinator for care quilts for children with long term diseases here in Norway..

I finished 2 in late January and the last the other day.

I can fit 3 quilts in a box - remember, I am frugal on postage :-)

They are all washed, soft and ready for use where they come.

May the bring comfort to their new owners!

These 3 quilts are more or less done from fabrics given to me from the estates of 2 quilters. For this last one I added some pink and some purple strings + the backing, pieced from my own fabric collection.

All 3 quilts have cotton batting.

I have cut 6" squares for my next care quilt too.

I planned to join Judy's 1 hour a day challenge, but I think I will pass this month too. Her project looks very good, but unexpectedly I got something else on my schedule I have to do first.