Making a list, checking it twice

 

A while ago I gave myself a limit of 2 ongoing knittings at a time, and it has worked so well. 

I have found that mindset is good for my creativity and my will to finish what I start.
Did I mention I now have only 1 knitting on the needles, but have the freedom of starting one more, if I really feel like it?

It is time for my stitchery projects to get the same "treatment" 💓

Here you see 4 unfinished stitcheries:
The red Christmas project is Merry Little Christmas by Kathy Schmitz

2 small stitcheries by Anni Downs, Hatched and Patched. They go into the same project, but still 2 unfinished.
The last stitchery is from Snow Days by Crabapple Hill Designs - I am unsure if it is my 10th or 11th block of 12.

In addition to the stitcheries I have 2 other pieced patchwork projects + a hand quilting project I want to move towards the finishing line this week.  

Never a dull moment, right?
I probably have some more stitcheries here, somewhere, but I choose to focus on many small victories instead of beeing overwhelmed with whatever I may find.

I do like Mondays. It is like fresh start, every week. 

After physiotherapy and workout I will be back for stitches and coffee - a good start to a good week 💓

May your day be good, wherever you are 

Hanne

Morning coffees and stitching in the slow lane

I have so enjoyed my morning stitches this week. 

My hands have been sore and troublesome. It is winter, and winter and I are not the best of friends. 

Before Covid, we used to spend time in warmer climate a week or two during winter. I really hope that can be reality again next winter.

See what happens when I am just stitching away? Two different sizes! 

Since I did mark the cutting point on each, there is no workaround. I have already enlarged the right motif and traced it for stitching again.

. 

Applique did not happen this week as planned , but I have gone through some om my unfinished object boxes, and I truly can see a trend. 

Several of my half done projects have elements of applique. 

Stonefield will be on hold for a little while yet, while I sort out a couple of the other projects that lacks less. One of the less work intensive projects is Raspberry Tea Quilt from Sue Daley. 
I lack 4 applique blocks + joining. I can do it! I know I have done one of the four blocks, but I can not find it anywhere, so it is time to suck it up and make four.

A goal I have for 2022 is to use fabric for care quilts. I am part of a lovely group that meats twice a year for a day retreat weekend.

I like best to make quilt tops, others do machine quilting, some do cutting - we are a great team.

The other day I cut and made this care quilt top. I honestly can not see in my soft pink stash that much have been taken from it. I can easily make more without running out of soft pink.....

It was nice to work on my sewing machine again. I have some catching up to do 💗

TGIF - wishing you a good weekend! 

Hanne

Where did the week go?

The Nisse-angels turned out very cute, and it was fun to mirror image one of them. 

The right one  I got from a very generous person, when she gave up stitchery. It was pre-printed on muslin. 

After having done the embroidery, I put it on the copy machine. These designs come without paper copy. I might want to make one or more of this  design in the future. With a light source and a Pigma pen it was easy to mirror image and trace on fabric.

The design is Norwegian, by Langebraaten Design. I do not know if she is in business anymore. 

The small stitcheries are coming along too 😊

The designs are from Hatched and Patched, Anni Downs.

The heart is a size bigger than the other designs, so I shrunk it to fit the size. 

I still have more of these lovely small designs, and I still am smitten with them .

Since I have some preprinted, not yet done, and some already used, I am drawing on unbleached muslin, to match the original fabric as close as possible

Draw up a chair if you like, and bring your favourite mug -
I have fresh baked sweet buns and coffee to share.

I am sort of pondering making the upcoming week applique week.
Just for the fun of focusing and see how much I can get done.


Hanne 

Making plans

 

I've just established a box where I can put all my finished stitcheries. 

These 2 stitcheries are from Hatched and Patched, Anni Downs.
I like her style very much and have made several of her big quilts. 

I do have a plan for these small stitcheries too.  
I am treasure hunting in my bags and boxes to find all the preprinted stitcheries I have not yet stitched, and all of the Anni Downs stitchery patterns I can find in the same size.

Since we moved from a house to an apartment in 2019, I find that I still have to much fabric stashed away. 
Due to Covid-19 we have not traveled anywhere for the duration of the pandemic, and since both my husband and I are in a high risk group for developing complications if infected, we stay at home quite a lot.

It is time to put all that beautiful fabrics to good use. 
I want to feel drawn to the sewing machine again too.
As much as I love hand piecing, it does not make a dent in my fabric stash.

Thank you for your heart warming comments on my last post.

The very best wishes for the new year to you and your families!

Hugs and smiles from cold and snowy Norway,

Hanne 

Writer's block - and a big finish

I think I am lucky who have not experienced a writer's block before,
but when it struck, it struck long and hard. It has been unpleasant, for months, with a lot of thinking I want to write, I want to write, but I just can not find my writing mojo.......

Starting to write again feels like breaking in a new pair of shoes, and I am looking forward to the writing process getting in flow mood again.

I have been busy with the needle through 2016, and focusing mainly on Ufos, and have many finishes to show for it. Luckily I have never experienced a quilter's block - I hope I do not jinx myself by saying that...... I think not!

My plan is to blog sort of backwards, starting with my latest finish, the Some Kind of Wonderful quilt - My Favorite Things, a stitch-along from several years ago (2011- ), hosted by Chookyblue on Stitch-A-Long

I am so in love with all Anni Downs' designs, and this one is no exception.
This is my first big quilt all needleturn appliqued. I think I really love this quilt even more now than when I started it. Meeting Anni in Norway was special too!

Merete Ellingsen has done the machine quilting.

Wherever you go,
go with all your heart!

Hanne

Small and big finishes :-)

I so love every design from Anni Downs, Hatched and Patched,  and this little sewing caddy was so much fun to make :-)

You can find the pattern in her latest book, The Story of My Day.

2 weeks ago I went down with the worse cold of the decade, and I did not have strength to do much more than coughing for several days.
Many hours were spent under a quilt, napping and watching mindless TV.

I knew I were on the mend when I could hold my knitting for a couple of hours a day.
Knitting with variegated thread always spurs me on, as I so enjoy seeing how the patterns and colours comes to life.
My dishcloths are in great demand - that is a very good thing, so I can knit more.
I love the lace patterns the best, but this pattern called Cupid's Arrows also turned out nice.
The design is by Bittami.

My favourite aunt is 75 years old today, and this is our gift to her!
I so enjoyed making her this lap quilt and I hope she will use it a lot, both indoors and outdoors.
Merete machine quilted this quilt for me with a nice flower pattern all over.

I so enjoy making these plus blocks for plus people in my life, so after 2 quilts I am still not bored.
I have another plus quilt on my to do list in the foreseeable future :-)

- Wishing you perfect moments wherever you are -

Hanne

Focus project February

I started this quilt, Natures Journey by Anni Downs / Hatched and Patched,  about 1 year ago, with doing appliqué on the border blocks.

I did the most of the big border blocks (6 inches) and after a while something else caught my interest and the blocks were put in a box.

I love Anni Downs' designs and it really was a shame to have this beauty in a box, so I decided to give the project full focus through February.

Since I am working from my own stash - as  you know, I am not a kit person - it really took some time to find the colours that make my heart sing,
I like clear colours, light colours, but not to bright colours.

Work wise, I sort of jump from one month in a block of the month project to another and back again, depending on the finished project. I am not at all good at following someone else's suggested progress.
I am sure that is why most of my block of the month projects come to a halt within months.

After restarting the project I finished the centre appliqué block, then worked on with the checker board border.

Next in line was the appliqué square border between the centre block and the checker board border.

Placing the squares was a challenge too, but it turned out great.

It was a beautiful sunny day, and it was a dream to work with colours. The winter sun is very bright and gives good colour reading, and sunshine always boosts my energy too!

As the mid section was joined it was very inspiring to finish the last blocks for the applique border.

All the tables in my home has been used over the last weeks - and here is the finished quilt!
Merete at Sy.no has done the machine quilting.

- Wishing you a wonderful day where you are -

Hanne 

Happy busy in Quilt Corner

I am so enjoying my time in the Quilt Corner these days!

I am sorry I  have forgot to blog as I go, but I often think tomorrow, tomorrow......... I guess that is familiar to more people than me?

My Ufo / finishing challenge to myself has been like a blessing, it really has kept me focused and happy for the last month and a half and the challenge keeps on giving :-)

I am working on a few projects at a time and moving them forward, putting all the others to the side.

My daily thread in appliqué is Natures Journey by Anni Downs - above.
The light colours are inspiring to work with.

I am so happy my local shop owner also likes Anni Downs' design - I can not get enough of them!

I know starting many of the same thing, like the doilies above keeps some people focused - me not so much, if at all!

I started these 3 doilies before Christmas thinking they would make good Christmas gifts, or 1 for me and 2 for gifts.

As I guess you have figured out that did not work ........

The original pattern is from Helen Stubbings and I think it is very cute, but making 3 of the same continuously - not so much, again, so I found some other stitcheries to put in the middle of 2 of them.

Merging designers was a good thing too, and I had fun finishing these doilies at last.
The bird with the Norwegian text + the deer and heart is from the Norwegian company Northern Quilts. Wenche at Northern Quilts is now also designing fabrics for Moda - that's so cool!

Will you believe I found more of the prepped hexies in a box here, so by adding only a few, I can make purple doily no. 4 ??
It will not happen right away though ;-)

A pair of purple socks for my youngest daughter is done too :-)
She loves purple too, and was very happy to receive them.

So far, 1 new start in February and it is done from my hands, as someone else will do the machine quilting on this care quilt for children with cancer or other long term diseases.

I got this jellyroll as a gift some years back and I think it is pretty, and I hope it will make someone else happy too.
I will count this quilt top as a finish on my list.

I like Pay It Forward and I hope my passion for fabrics and quilting can brighten someone else's troubled life a little bit.

The quilters I am making care quilts with will meet again for a 2 day sew together in April. I plan to make at least 1 more quilt top from my fabric collection then.
By looking at this quilt top, I wonder if I shall sort of copy the colours - it looks good :-)

- Wishing you a wonderful day wherever you are -

Hanne

All those happy dreams!

After the lovely day with Anni Downs, I had to look through my Anni-patterns and books, and start one of my favourites – the angel table topper :-)
Of to my local shop Trådsnella to purchase a gorgeous soft pink fabric for the border and backing + DMC embroidery floss for the stitchery.

Usually I do use embroidery floss from my own boxes, but Anni’s colour choice is so nice, I thought I might as well just follow instructions this time – not my strongest side you know :-)

I think I have all of Anni’s books and I treasure them very much :-)  They are bought both here in Norway and from overseas Australia through many years.

I like the way Anni does her drawings – sort of primitive with a sophisticated touch -  her cute and wise sayings and lately also the fact that she does all her quilts herself – every stitch.
I like the diversity – even if you can see who has done the designs they are different in every book.
I have a lot of Anni’s designs on my dreaming-about-doing-list – happy dreams indeed!

I had the pleasure of showing Anni my angel quilt.It was a proud moment!
I have not seen anyone posting photos of the whole quilt from the show and tell, so I am posting a photo from this winter, when is was done.

I wish every day had more hours I could use here in Quilt Corner –
wouldn’t  that had been gorgeous ?

Hanne