Another serving of elephant

More elephant, more pedal to the metal and more progress.
One seam at a time does make a difference!

I planned to quilt this quilt in sections, but now I see I might as well join the 3 sections and do it as a whole, using the dual feed foot.
I will only add one border of squares as I want a lap quilt.

I am busy in the middle of the day today, but I am sure I will make some good progress today too, one seam at a time.

The pedal to the metal

Just to challenge myself - how much can I do on this quilt during the day ?

I feel like I am eating an elephant, but it can be done - one serving at a time :-)



1. elephant serving - 4 hours later:
Section 2 - all blocks joined


Onward Ho !

Treasures from the travel

Since Leanne had her trunk show last Sunday and through Friday, this is what I shopped.
It is special to have 2 of my 3 favourite quilt shops in one room at the retreat in Trysil - Lille Stasjon + Quiltegaarden + shopping in Elverum too, at Lille Stasjon shop.

Here you see the light green fabrics I will use for Leanne's House border and the fabrics for Ruth's quilt in Leanne's book Living the Dream.
I bought the book in Asker last Sunday together with the other Leanne pattern Flowers & Flutterbyes.

Osnaburg for stitcheries, a yo-yo maker from clover, a skein of embroidery floss, just because I like the color, a pattern from Lynette Anderson on a Christmas table runner, and red buttons for embellishment.

I have never bought almost all the fabrics for a quilt at once, like I did now. It was nice - I will do it again :-)

Now I need to put the pedal to the metal with my Snowman Collector and the last care quilt.
The quilt show in my guild is the weekend in 2 weeks and all things on display will have to be turned in that Friday.
Wish me speed!

PS. I have had questions about the Osnaburg. It is coarser cotton fabric, like a soft linen. I usually use muslin, cotton - linen blend or ordinary quilt fabric. The Osnaburg is just another option. It goes very well with traditional Norwegian Christmas decorations - so, just a matter of taste, but not my first choice  :-)

All good things

All good things comes to an end, and lucky me have had lovely days filled with applique, stitchery, laughter, new and old friends, good food, good wine, a lot of chatter, smiles, smiles and smiles.

May Britt is a wonderful host, we really enjoyed having these days together. We have decided to redo our get-together again in the future - that will be very nice!

Leanne is a dream to be with - as if you do not know - a well of knowledge and inspiration.
Thank you Leanne, for being who you are, for sharing, for your creativity and making people feel special.

You left more than one footprint in my heart! Thank you!

The lovely label will be treasured and absolutely go on the back of my Leanne's House quilt.

My plan is to keep the needle busy stitching my quilt so I am ready to start Sommerfuglhagen - Butterfly Garden - in December when it is released.

Leanne knows how to say Sommerfugl, the Norwegian word for Butterfly - directly translated to Summer bird :-) Hagen = Garden.

Also a special thanks to Siw and Bente for making this dream come through!

I have some more photos to share tomorrow.

Stitchers at work

Those on the row behind us actually got son stitching done :)

Blog friends

May Britt and Anne Ida

Some of today's participants

Today's class

Our mission for the day

Our mission for the day is to enjoy, enjoy, enjoy ! Smiles from us in Trysil

Another lovely day

A lovely day have been had by us in Elverum, at May Britt's.

I have spent time in one of my 3 favourite quilt shops, Lille Stasjon (Little Station), picking fabrics for the border of my Leanne's House.
Since I bought most of the fabrics for the quilt there too, it was not difficult to match.
3 times 12", full width, was the catch, to make into a simple divided border.

A good friend of May Britt's came for dinner, and after, we attended the local quilt guild meeting. I gave a short inspiration speech on making quilts for children with long term diseases.
I was asked today, so I had not brought any quilts, but as the guild plan a sew-together in the future I plan to attend if I can :-)

We have enjoyed some quiet hours after the meeting, with wine in glasses, some hand applique and a lot of chatting.

Tomorrow we are going back to Trysil to attend another class with Leanne and see her trunk show again.
Dinner is already prepped - lasagna day 2 + wine - perfect quilter's dinner :-)

Now it is time for bed, and tomorrow is another lovely day !

The photo is from May Britt's living room wall, by cell phone. Isn't it a gorgeous quilt ? Block size 4".

Reporting to our blogfriends

May Britt in action

May Britt

We are learning

On the road

Your very own travelling stitcher is on the road in a minute, heading for Trysil - and - Leanne, May Britt, Laila, Anne Heidi, Bente, Irene, Siw and all the other lovely quilters and stitchers, known and unknown.

I am counting my blessings - stitchery, friends, travelling again, inspiration - Life Is Good !

Take care and be good while I am gone. I will try to do some on the reporting from Trysil by cell phone.

A smile says it all

With permission from May Britt I just had to have this photo on my blog as well.

I hope Leanne enjoys her stay in Trondheim today!

We are looking forward to meet you again very soon :-)

Busy, busy, busy

Another poor quality photo - sorry - but I had to adjust some settings between my mobile phone and my blog.

This is Leanne's House block # 6.

I hope to finish the stitchery before going to Trysil on Wednesday morning, and preferably join it to the other 5 finished block before I go.

Can I do it ??

Time will tell - if I get to work right Now I guess I still have a chance :-)

You stitched a footprint in my heart

Leanne - you stitched a footprint in my heart, with your lovely appearance and abundant generousity!

I forgot my good camera at home, and could only use my mobile phone camera, but I hope these photos will give you all a glimpse of our afternoon at Leanne's trunk show in Asker, outside Oslo in Norway.
8 hours out of Leannes normal timezone in Australia, on the other side of the world.

This is a glimpse of Leanne's new quilt Butterfly Garden:

The wisest saying in the world, from Ruth's quilt, in Living the Dream book:


The Friendship Basket quilt - the class quilt for upcoming Wednesday. I have been talked into attending that class too, by May Britt.
It was not hard to convince me to spend another day in Elverum and Trysil, right, May Britt ? Jumping up and down with anticipation here :-)

This quilt is from Romancing the Roadtrip book -
hmm, hmm - another quilt on my to do list, in my colours ??
Time will tell :-)

Wednesday victory

All the piecing I can do is done for now - block #6, #7,#8 and #9 are now ready for stitchery and applique.

I am looking forward to start the stitchery on block # 6 tomorrow :-)

Now, my desk needs a pick up and put away drill.

This October Challenge I have started for myself is really good for keeping focus.

Tuesday progress

The best laid plans of mice and (wo)men sometimes are sabotaged by life itself - but - even a thread done is a thread in the right direction, right ? :-)

As you see I am working on block # 6 - and block # 9 is corrected, twice.
I planned to finish block # 6 today, but tomorrow is another day.

I have joined block # 1 with block # 2 and block " 4 with block # 5, and it was easy as pie - and looks good!
I have not yet done the handwork on the batting, but that is no sweat.

I am making progress on both this quilt and on October Challenge - life is good!

Monday progress

The cold / flu that has been bothering this house the last 2 weeks is leaving - and energy and creativity is again increasing ! Yes !!

Saturday evening I finished Leanne's House block # 3, top row right, and block #9 is now ready to get the stitchery marked.

If I was starting this quilt now I think I would have dropped the batting and used a layer of muslin behind the pieces with stitchery instead.
I am Not looking forward to join the blocks.

I am teaching stitchery this evening, but tomorrow is another day, and I think I will try to join 2 blocks, just to get the nerve out of it. I know so well how to do it, so I guess this is just an attack of stage nerves.

I think I will try to piece another block this week so I have something to grab when I sit down watching TV in the evenings.

Ouch - I can see now that block # 9 has to have a seam redone - the top half of the block should have been the bottom half. The heart in the corner will be mis-located if not.
I love it when I can spot a mistake before it is to late !! :-)

What time of day are you ?

You Are Sunrise

You enjoy living a slow, fulfilling life. You enjoy living every moment, no matter how ordinary. You are a person of reflection and meditation. You start and end every day by looking inward. Caring and giving, you enjoy making people happy. You're often cooking for friends or buying them gifts. All in all, you know how to love life for what it is - not for how it should be.

What Time Of Day Are You?

Very busy week

A week pass so fast when the days are full - or maybe it is age?
Days never passed this fast before, did they ??

During last weekend I had the pleasure to spend time in class with my guild. The topic was triangle paper, both half square triangle paper and quarter square triangle paper, and a lot of different how to-s.
We had a lovely time - learning, sewing, chatting, sharing ideas.
The little Janome Platinum 760 proved itself very good at precision sewing.

After the weekend I have been working on something I can not show you yet - remember, Secrecy Season and soon Christmas :-)


I can show you what I bought when I did comfort online shopping 2 weeks ago though. It came in the mail this week - to be fondled and enjoyed :-)

The CD with Lynette Anderson on punchneedle that came with the Homespun magazine is a true treat! Lovely lady with lovely designs and a very pleasant way to show her work. See her blog September 26.

The band aid is off my eye this week and the scar is nearly invisible already, thanks to a very very skilled surgeon! She was not a plastic surgeon but an orthopedic surgeon on ER night shift - with a amazing hand in stitching.
I am a lucky girl indeed !! :-)

Steps forward

I have had a R&R day, with a good book in bed, sleeping most of the time, and now the flu symptoms are nearly gone!

I could not let this be a day without any progress - you know me - a day without anything quilt related is a wasted day :-)

I have something else going as well, but it is less than 3 months until Christmas and Secrecy Season has started in my sewing corner.

I am not making much in for Christmas in my sewing corner this year.
DH and I have planned a quiet pre-Christmas season after a very tough year health wise.
I am enjoying every day now - even a flu day, as a flu will pass within days.
Steep hills puts life into new perspectives indeed. I do not sweat the small things that much anymore......

I am looking forward to attending a weekend class in my guild, on Triangle Paper. I have used Triangle Paper a lot, but I am looking forward to bring me new little sewing machine, spending time with very nice people and a nice teacher, doing nothing but sewing and enjoying for the whole weekend. I am sure I will learn some new tricks too.

Small steps

DH brought a cold / stomach bug home from Greece - guess who got it and guess who is a bit grumpy!!

I am making progress on my October challenge regardless, stitch by stitch, but not in the speed I would have liked.

Snowman Collector quilt got a block framed, the yellow and red/pink string quilt is ready for binding, and a Leanne's House block is ready for stitchery.

I am crossing my fingers that this bug is gone by Saturday - I have signed up for a weekend class. I want to have fun with my new little sewing machine :-)