A quilt for sweet Line

For the last 5 month, our little son Johan has been looked after during the day by LINE, the sweetest woman you could wish for, while mom and dad has been at work. He has been together with only one other child at the same age during these months.

Now it is time to say thanks and a sad goodbye to Line, as we have finally obtained a place for him in a good nursery. It has been a gentle way to get him used to us not always being around. And he adores her!

So, I have decided to make Line a quilt as a thank-you-so-very-much-gift!
And I have found out, in the most sneaky way, that Line loves purple, so later that night I made a raid in my purple stash and this is how it started:

Underway:

Halfway there, the sandwich ready to be safety-pinned:

The finished, quilted but NOT washed and tumble-dried result, as I ran out of time at the end measures 140 x 210 cm/55 x 83'':

Front:

Back:
Detail of the quilting:

The quilting is a special stitch in my sewing machine. Normally it is for straight line quilting, which i have used at the edges, but I also bended it a bit and made it into a circle in the centres. I used variegated thred for the quilting.

I LOVE IT! As simple as that...
Line received it today, and she loved it just as much as me - it will have a nice home to go to and to be cuddled under.

Thank you Line, for giving us and our little guy a safe start during my first months back at work. I hope I convey my heartfelt gratitude for the stability and love you gave to our most precious little one!!

Sunday stash

I was tempted by this delicious selection of fabrics at Hawthorne Threads.

I really love their webshop: So many yummy fabrics (!) and some really brilliant features, such as suggestions to coordinating fabrics and the possibility of finding coordinating fabrics by colourway based on the current fabric (look at the bottom of the page). I think this is FANTASTIC.

My Sunday stash is a combination of Modern Meadow in the berry colourway (by Joel Dewberry), several fabrics from Pat Bravo in berry and plum and a few others.

I see a berry/plum quilt in my very near future, to soften up all of the blues and greens that currently surround me. It is self-inflicted, I admit, as I have made it with my bf and son in loving mind :)

I love berry and plum - both as colours as well as the fruits. Yum!

What are your favourite colours right now??

Still here..!

I am still around and now I have my Pfaff back. Yaaayy!

This means that I have started on 2 projects: Yeeeeeessss my friends, one was not enough for me, teheee (I refuse to count the numerous UFO's that float around).
This is one of them: I am trying out curves for the very first time, and I have news for (some of) you: It is not hard at all!! Super easy in fact, and NO pinning is needed. Yep!

I am making a Drunkard's Path circle quilt, and I just use the method so nicely described by Jaybird Quilts in her video to be found here.

She also uses the GO! cutter that I sell on my brand new web-shop Kvinta Quilts - wooooohoooo (beware it is in Danish only). I finally got my act together and finalized some stuff and received most of the Kona Cotton. Oh yes, Kona is a rare thing here in Denmark too!

However, I have not used the special curves sewing foot, but just a normal one with a fabric guide on the right (for more precise seam allowances), and it was just perfect too *grins*. I really cannot believe how easy this method is - try it out!!

The recipient (that does not know she will get a quilt) loves purple so I hit my stash and found all kinds of purple for it - soooooo good for using up stash!! Yes! I think I love it already, and I have not even begun assembling the quilt yet, just been petting the fabrics ever so gently, re-arranging and pressing all the purple yumminess.
Can you tell I am exited?

I have not taken any pics of the other project, sorry.. You will get that in another post ;)

I miss her...

It is my bestest sewing and quilting machine I miss...

She was handed over to the machine repair man on September 17, and she has not come back yet...
It was just supposed to be a 10 days seperation for us, for ordinary maintenance, but Pfaff apparently has not yet been able to deliver a spare part that she needs... And it may take them up to another 2 weeks!

*SIGH*

Hope she is well... At least she is among other sewing machines...

Followers: Who are you??

Hi my dear Followers
(and others who accidently drops by)!

I am amazed that I even have Followers, considering the long interval between my blogging *blush*

Being curious by nature, I have tried to look up YOUR blogs and read a little, to see what kind of peeps that might be interested in ME. However, it was fairly difficult (due to the setup of blogger), so I thought "why not ask them directly?".

So now I thake the leap!
Would you dare to tell me (and all the others) a little about yourself? Perhaps even include a link to your own blog?
I know I would love to learn more!!

As for an update from me:

1. Just started back in a full-time job after 9 months of matermity leave *ouch*
   
2. Not much quilting getting done *yiakes*
3. My son is ABSOLUTELY wonderful and gives me so many laughs and so much joy that it is totally worth me missing out on many other things in life *I love that little guy*
   Here he is:
   
   
4. I am about to start my first EVER shop - a webshop selling just Kona Cotton Solids and the marvellous GO! fabric cutter (I bet you have heard about it).
   I will probably not be able to compete with any American shops price-wise, but there is just 2 other places here in Denmark to get a few of the Kona's and I will be the first GO! retailer here *weeeeee*
   
   Better get that darn webshop up and running, as I will receive my very first cutters in the coming week!!!
   I am in NO WAY planning to make a living out of it, it just annoyed me that I could not get those products here, so I thought "why not?". If only I get back what I put in, it will be ok for me :)
   
5. Hmmmm... anything else.... errrrr...... not really... Boooooooring, booooohhh.
   Well, that is it, I guess.

YOUR TURN ;)

Inspiration :)

Hi all!

It has been some time since blogging last, so here is a few links that I have found inspirational while surfing the great net:

http://comfortstitching.typepad.co.uk/ - Wonderful quilts and tutorials

http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com - You probably know CrazyMomQuilts, but she is soooo worth a revisit! I have linked to her latest quilt along, wich is only in it's 2nd week (and first little bit sewn)

http://bighugelabs.com/ - You can, with FREE downloadable programs make the coolest and funniest stuff with your photos (benath, see the thingy I did in 2 minutes) or find the colourway in a picture thatinspires you, just look for the color pallette generator!It also works with Flickr (look for Scout) to find out if any of your uploads have been featured on the Flickr Explore pages. Mine have!!

This cake!! I need to make me one of these someday - just too yummy!
Or.... this cake! I cannot tak it anymore - such yummyness *drooooool*

Well... I'd better go clean the appartment. Have to do it, but I just want to eat cake now.. HAH!
Have a lovely day, all of you :)

Join me in this wonderful sew along!

Please consider joining me in (a part) of this sew along!
It is particulaly brilliant, as Kelly will not only guide us through the making of one item, but several.

She also has a fine understanding of the fact that sometimes life gets in the way of sewing (yiakes!), so if you have to/want to drop out at some point or want to jump into the sew along at a later stage, it is just fine!

Oh, and on a side note, I have joined another swap: the Freedom Block Swap (or Bee), initiated by Krista and Erin.

Will I ever learn that my time is limited with all these tempting swaps and bees out there???

HST cuddle quilt -done!

Done!
Allow me to introduce my newest cuddle quilt!!

It is quite large as my tall boyfriend should be able to cuddle under it as well :).
Finished size: 75'' x 58''

Taking a decent photo of this quilt, that allows me to show you the true dusty greens, blues and yellows, has proven to be quite a task.
I have decided that this is close enough - just imagine a bit more sea green and blue!


The backing is a very soft and fairly boring piece of dusty green fabric...

As to the quilting, I did a (somewhat) straight line machine quilting in the coloured HTS.
The border is Kona's 'Asparagus' and one of the fabrics from front, just to visually break the solid border a bit.

The batting is a high loft polyester batting. Yum!!

And now on to test it on the sofa *giggle*

Siggy block invasion!!

siggy block invasion.
Originally uploaded by rachelgriffith

This is how about 5,000 (!) sigyy blocks look, all piled up next to each other. There is a total of 9,900!

I am so grateful Rachel has taken up this ginormous task of making 98 piles of 98 blocks (one to each of us, with one block from everyone else).

I cannot wait to get my stack of yumminess :D

quiltingbeeblocks.com

For about a year I have been following the QuiltingBeeBlocks photo pool on Flickr.
I have also added photos of my own VQB blocks for inspiration to other fellow quilters (that is how it works).
Now it has it's own blog at http://www.quiltingbeeblocks.com , which I think is a GREAT idea!
Also, there is a huge opening give-away - go check it out :), and then consider joining us :)

Virtual Quilting Bees really is a good way to try new blocks, fabrics, and colour combinations.

It has dragged me out of my comfort zone a couple of times and I have learned to deal with triangles, woooohooo! But always in a good way, that is! If you have not tried a VQB, I recommend that you do - it is great fun!

HST cuddle quilt

I have started this new quilt already destined to be cuddled under at our couch!
The fabrics are from an oooooold line called 'Cape Cod' by Blue Meadow Designs for RJR Fabrics back in 2007. When I saw the coulors together in a stack of FQ's on sale at the local quilt shop, I just needed to have them! However, I am a little surprised that the white HST's have had such a ..errr... fading effect on the colours, in the lack of a better explanation - hope you get me, folks :D

Inspiration comes from this quilt med by Rita from Red Pepper Quils.
Her creations are absolutely lovely, breathtaking, and inspirering and I adore her use of coloured fabrics combined with linen!!

I plan on straight line quilting, like Rita, as I really like how this simple quilting really enhances the HST's and thus gives the quilt some personality :). But first I need to get the top together - one thing at a time!! Promise you to get back with the finished quilt.

Otherwise, I enjoy watching my little boy grow and thrive: his personality is appearing stronger by the day and besides being a very happy, dear and smiling lill' one, he seems to have a bit of temper as well (now where on earth does that come from?) *whistles*.

Second top from the "bee inspired" VQB!

crazy geese quilt
Originally uploaded by a quilt is nice

This is Nettie's assembled quilt top of geese blocks :)

I think the lovely blue background really makes this quilt of many different interpretations of the flying geese block.

This bee has been very inspiring and I cannot wait to see the remaining quilt tops. This is the last moth of the bee - gonna miss those fantastic people!

Procrastination!

Origin: 1580–90; prōcrāstinātus (ptp. of prōcrāstināre to put off until tomorrow, equiv. to prō- pro-¹ + -crāstināre, deriv. of crāstinus of tomorrow; crās tomorrow + -tinus suffix forming adjs. from temporal advs.); see -ate1
(defination from www.dictionary.com)

And this is exactly what I have been doing with a quilting bee block... for months!!!
Patiently, sweet Tacha has been waiting for all of her blocks to arrive, probably because she knows that hand-sewing is not part of many modern quilters' preference...

I must admit to myself that it will certainly never be a preference of mine, anyway *giggle*.

The above photo reveals that I am halfway there, however.
And I am determined to finish it! Go go go!!!

Edit: I finished the block, that can bee seen here, on February 28 and mailed it to Tacha the following day - woooohooo!

Tiny Giveaway: We have a winner!

Dear all,

The response to my giveaway has been positively overwhelming!
Thank you so much for your sweet comments and for participating :)

To keep it short, here is the winner:
I have counted and re-counted the posts, and comment number 44 is from Pam.

CONGRATULATIONS!
I'll send you an email to get your snail mail address :)

Tiny Giveaway

Hi!

I am in the mood for a tiny giveaway of 5 fat quartes of the following fabric by Alexander Henry (Fashionista Sage line):



(the latter fabric is in 2 pattern sizes)
I find the colors to be less dark than these pictures show - the green is almost mint.

All you have to do to enter is to write a comment to this post!

If you blog about my giveaway then you get 1 more entry, just make one more comment with the link to your blog :)

I will drawn a winner on February 15.

Come join the fun! Yayyy!
I do not care where you live - I promise to send it anywhere :)

Siggy rehersal

I am still here!
Just to tell you that I am still here and actively quilting *smile*

I am eagerly awaiting my fabrics for the 'modern siggy swap' to arrive, in order to get started on the 101 signature blocks.

These are the fabrics I have chosen: Sugar Snap by Melissa Averinos
+ a solid white for the signature part of the block:



In my wish for the swap blocks to be nice, I decided to make some rehersal blocks:

I had some left-over IKEA bed linen fabric, that I had bought and cut for junior bed linen to my little boy.

The scraps became traning siggy blocks, that eventually ended up as new pillow cases. This is one of them.

Now my little boy requires my attention - blog you later!!

Kiddy progress :)

Just wanted to share a few pics of my little guy with you all.
He is such a loveable and cheerful little boy and we love him to bits!!!





xoxo, Ann

Join me in this swap!!

I have decided to join this swap, that the lovely Rachel is organizing.

Consider joining me!! It'll be great fun :D
EDIT: the sign-up for the 100 participants has already closed. WOW!!