Flower swap

Flowers made in bright colours on black backgournd.

These are the result of the swap hosted at "Stoffbytteklubben". I wonder how I'll uste these blocks.

I need to think about this......

Adrian’s Quilt
I have started on a quilt to our grandson.
I need some stitching in the car on our way to the cabin. Cant stitch on our way back home. Hands are dirty.

Anyway, I need to get it done. He is out of the hospitable and they (the parents) are planning the baptising.

Idea is to keep it in the same colours as the “Winnie the Pooh” quilt he’s already got.

Friends with Hearts
Some days ago one friend within the quilt community here in Norway, were speaking to other quilting friends on the internet. During this chat, she became aware of “one of us” had had a heart operation. The same lady also wanted to make herself a Heart quilt in red and white.
What would a quilting friend do in a situation like this? Yes you got it right.
She sent out an e-mail to each and every one of us she had the private address to, asking if we would like to participate in this “Friends of Heart action”, and pass this email out to everybody who knows her, without disclose the secret.
Of course I wanted to join. I started immediately to make my tribute to Sigrid. We didn’t sign up. We just got ahead and did it!

The mailing date was set to August 30. (One week would be enough) The thought were to fill her mailbox with hearts without spoiling the surprise up front. My hearts for her left Thursday 30 as planned.

I am picking up on Susan's advice.

Free Hit Counter

Next is to get it to the sidebar…..

.....and why did it not start at 1001, or in the colors I wanted?....

hmmmfff.....?

OK. I have tried to get it right (thansk for your advise Ati), but there is nowere I can get the right code. This is the only one I get. And it seams impossible to get hold of any help at their site.

Second of third hmmmmrrrfffff......

Coming home.
Finally, it seems like the baby is coming home.

Remember I told you all I had become a “granny”. The baby is now more than 3 months old, and at last the doctors believe he is fit to come home.
The boy was borne on Mai 30 (just one day early). Everything was perfect. He was and still is a lovely, good looking boy.
The first night he became cold, very cold. Result was to keep him in an incubator. They kept him there for weeks. The poor baby and his parent even had to go to another hospital in ambulance plane for some tests. It has been some terrible months. After some weeks DH’s DD was allowed to carry him around inside the hospital.
It was something wrong with his lungs. Hi should not cry! Hi might not survive.
Glenn found it funny that Adrian was connected to a remote control by cable. Even his remote car did not have a wire.
Good news is:
Now, the doctors finally are talking about sending mother and son home! May be this week!
(And the bad news is: )
Suddenly I realized we might be approaching the baptismal day very soon. It has always been my intentions to give all the newborn babies in the family a big quilt as a gift on the baptism day.

I have started on Adrian’s quilt…… …..hoping I’ll get it done before “The Day”.

The date is not settled yet……

Cabin
I've been asked how we do in the process of building our cabin.

We are almost there….
….. we have started to get some furniture. It is possible to stay there, but we have not received our “permission” from the local government to use it yet. But soon….

In the meantime I can show you some pictures.

This is our bedroom in the attic.

Livingroom.
Furniture is on its way.

My DH during a coffe break.

Out side is almost done.

Wood burning stove in the living room. Can you feel the heat? Mmmm……

We do so much look forward to spend time relaxing in the cabin.

And if you happen to be in the area pls come and visitt.

My DYB

Time flies, and in your head you are sure you have done it, in real life you’ve not.
This is just what happened to me.
I was sure I had shown you the results of my received blocs form the DYB-group. They are gorgeous and here they are:

No 1
Wilma, in the Nederland

No 2
Helina in Finland

No 3
Ati in Norway

No 4
Cobi in the Netherlands

No 5
Susie in United Kingdom

They are just beautiful. I do look forward to “next year” when I’ve finished university and do have the time to stitch. Then I’ll do my own and assembly the DYB-quilt.

Not too busy
I have decided to continue blogging! ;o)
Thank you all for the lovely comments regarding my question. They made me change my mind.
I’ll always find the time for my friends.

And yes, it’ll be a hectic semester, but I do work best while under pressure.

Anyway, I just got the message I am going to Birmingham for 2 weeks. (Without my computer, Help!)
I am leaving on upcoming Sunday. I need to fill my suitcase with a lot of hand-stitching. Believe I’ll bring some fabric cutting too. Wonder if there is anything Quilt-related to do in Birmingham when the expo has ended? Anybody know?

Busy!
My life is busy. The time I got “in spare” I really want to use sewing.
I just resigned my job, and said “Yes, Thank you” to another one. Meaning fulltime work and fulltime pay! And as that weren’t enough, I have signed up for a course at the University. (Help!). And my new job sends me to Brighton on the 10. September for 2 weeks.
And I do have a lot of projects started, and I need to finish some of them. Not all, there aren’t time enough. But there will be not disappointments. I keep my promises.
I also realised I just had one year anniversary blogging! Now I need to think if this is something I want to keep up doing. I can’t keep posting every week. And the comments I receive tells me not to many people visit my blog (?).

If you do visit this blog, pls leave a comment.

Do you want me to continue blogging?

Ati's DYB
Oh! My life is busy. Almost forgot to tell you my of my work on Ati's DYB. Her theme was Chinese Tea! Challenging! I made my tribute in a teapot, decorated with a "Chinese house". I stitched the word Tea in 3 languages, two in Chinese. I decorated it with stitches and beads.

She gives you a better picture then I do. You'll also get nice pictures of the other blocks in this DYB. Go and have a look.

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I am bringing this button to the surface.

Susan usually tells me to renew this post. This time I wanted to be upfront (should have done it several times since last time), but times flies and my mind is occupied with "everything else".

Package form Keepsake quilting
I picked up my parcel at the post office, and left this world into my own little quilting world. ;o)

Books, I love books. They give me a lot of pleasure. I enjoy the text and pictures. I imagine my own fabric used in the projects, and dream of new stash. It is funny how I “sew” a lot of nice quilts in my mind.

And I got the next two kits, in the series of 4, from McKenny Ryan. I love her style. These are meant to be on the kitchen wall in our new cabin. I have open the first two kit and cut out the pieces. No rush. Kitchen is not ready yet.

… … and I do have other obligations to see to first!

Baggie from Carmela

I got it. And I got confirmed my story of the content. It contained gorgeous fabric. Look at the delicious colours.
Take a closer look at the green one. It is already embellished!
There were also a beautiful selection of lace, I believe some of them are crochet by Carmela her self, and a handful of selected sequins chosen especially for me. I love them. I love the whole content. Now I just need more time to sew!

Look out! Baggie is on its way!

Yesterday I called the customs. I do not know how many times my call were transferred, but I am not far out saying at least 5 times. Grrr….
Anyway, I told my story of what I could imagine were inside the package. Crazy quilting is not a common hobby in Norway.
The last lady I talked to, the one actually holding my baggie, she understood when I said: imagine you tidying up your grandmas sewing box, and this is all the stuff you would say is rubbish, is for me is a treasure.
She could imagine, and now the baggie is on its way again, in my direction. ;o)

... … on the same time there were a note in the mail telling me there is a parcel at the post office for me to pick up… … from Keepsake Quilting... ... I have to wait until today to pick it up.

I know what’s inside and I am so excited. Almost like Christmas!

Yes, I can never get enough. And now the US dollar is soooo “cheap” it is an excuse for shopping… …

Bright Fantasy Flowers
… … …On black fabric - swap.

These are some of the flowers I’ve made and sent to my swap partners. These were fun to do. I have appliqué them in the car on our way to the cabin this summer (not on the way back home, cause my hands were always dirty).
I love them. I have even made more then needed. Gonna keep them as company for the other flowers who will enter my mailbox in the upcoming weeks.
Hoping this will turn out as a nice quilt. Not knowing how, yet … …

Baggie form Carmela
The baggie of goodies from Carmela is stopped by the customs. :o(
Today I got a letter from the Norwegian customs saying they need to see a receipt for the ordered goods. The label tells them it contains fabric and sewing supplies.
I assume it is samples, cut of pieces, odds and ends, just small treasures we crazy quilter use, like all the other baggies I have swapped during 2007. This is a gift!
I need to call them tomorrow, trying to persuade them to understand.

Sorry to say, I am not to optimistic.

I’ll keep you posted.

Baggie from Maire
Look what I got. And it only took 5 days to get to me!
And now I have found the time to open and enjoy it.

A big Thank You to Maire!
It contained a big piece of lace-fabric and a beautiful silk print,that is soooo adorable.
Look at al the yummy thread and ribbon. Maire told me it is from 'hand-dyed fibres'. Lucky me!
Have you spotted the flower beaded lace? I need to add such for my Christmas wish list :o)
And the fancy beads! Oh I look forward to use them.
Last, but not least: the stationary and postcards. Glenn just had to become owner of half the amount of pencils and stickers.

Thanks a lot!

Precious Petals postcards

I have received 3 out of 4 so far. They are just so delicious!
They are from:
Aynsley, Elizabeth and Lorri

I saw this swap at the “Surface Design Group” on the internet. I is a great Yahoo group that do a lot of experimenting on fabric. And of course I have to participate in some of them.

Mine were made by using stiff interfacing, like the one we use when making bowls. (glue on both sides) Then I added light fabric, then fusible web. Now the fun part: arranging the flowers. The flowers are pressed/dried in a book with kitchen tissue. (Old fashioned, and time consuming. I know).
To keep the flowers in right position I used organza ribbon. Ironed and stitched the ribbon to make sure the flowers stayed in place. Then I ironed the fabric on the back side and used a waterproof pen to make it look and function as a postcard.
I have not asked if they were OK when they arrived in the mailbox to the recipients. My cards were sent open, not in envelopes. I think this is half of the fun.

Precious Petals

My set of postcard left Norway some while ago. I thought I would not show them to all of you before the participants of this swap had an opportunity to receive them first.
This swap was fun to do, even though I ruined a lot of flowers and postcards before I was satisfied with the result. It is “real” flowers in these cards.

Helina’s DYB

My first thought: This one is going to be easy. I love the purple colour, and the theme she choose, would not cause to much difficulties.
My second thought: How do I solve this without ruin the block.
All of her blocks contained a butterfly or two. I just had to continue that style.
And flowers, lots of flowers, I love them as well. Therefore I added some in different styles.
I hope she like my stitching. I serially love her set of DYB’s.
I am looking forward to see her result.