friday finish

Half a year ago, we had a challenge at my quilt guild. We brought a fat quarter of a challenge / ugly fabric, and then swapped. This week we brought the results for show and tell.

I was lucky to get this fun halloween print with witch hats and pumpkins. It was a nice big piece, so I ended up using it for the bars in this coin table runner. The rest of fabric are scraps from my Ghastly spiderweb and a halloween themed charm pack.

The runner ended up 22" * 46".

This chinese coins / bars variation is a fun and versatile pattern, and I have been using it a lot lately. I love to add a bit of asymmetry to the layout.

Wish you all a lovely weekend!

ambitions ...

As I blogged earlier, june is my month of the Ringo Pie Bee. My theme is in the summertime ... and I have been working on a few ideas for designing my block.

One of my favorite things to do is spending a few hours reading ...

in the hammock in our tiny front garden...

smelling the flowers (lavender bush) and watching the occasional butterfly...

fluttering by ...

I might be in trouble now. Aiming high (refering to skills in paperpiecing design & execution). But there's wonderful blocks being created in the bee, and I would like to show that I'm into the task myself...

This sketch is what I'm working from: reading - barefoot - butterflies

Drawing the hammock proved difficult. The feet, too. I am quite worried about actually piecing them. Might end up with no feet and a few butterflies?

Summer is more of a concept than reality, right now. Cold with a sprinkling of rain. Good weather for sewing ...

; )

Do you ever show your plans for sewing, or do you think that is asking for trouble? My excuse is temporary insanity due to the creative wibe in the bee!

( it will take me some time to accomplish this block, since I think I'll have to make two - one for my friend who also suggested reading in a hammock ... ambitions, ambitions...)

make a boob ...

This week I have made a few "boobs" for Nina Lise aka Mrs Moen. Maybe you have heard about her breast cancer project? This is a short introduction from her Make a Boob blog:

Make a Boob is a project about breast cancer.

.

.

The project has two mail goals:

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offering people with breast cancer to participate in workshops where we decorate boobs. These workshops are set up in co-operation with the local chapter of the Cancer Association. Participants can decide to keep their work or to donate them to Make a Boob Art.
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to create awareness and involvement through
- making circles for workshops
- participating in workshops and decorating boobs
- exhibition of Make a Boob Art

She invites us all to participate. Stop by her blog for more information.

I used some colorful old ufo's, hoping they will have a future as part of a bigger picture.

Wish you all a lovely week!

madness ...

Madness in a good way - I hope...

Some friends from my guild is planning a trip to Tokyo for the 2011 Quilt show. They were lucky enough to have a workshop with Yoko Saito in Norway this spring, and now they are preparing for their next big adventure.

I would love to come along.

But, since that is not likely to happen, I though I like to help them out with their planning. A map of the Tokyo subway would be handy - don't you think?

; )

How very convenient that Elizabeth of Oh, Fransson! is sharing her wonderful creation:

Tokyo Subway Map.

25 blocks of 64 pieces equals 1 600 little (2") squares to be lined up.

That's the madness part of it. Or the perfect opportunity to work on improving my 1/4" seam allowance. I made one adjustment, using 2.5" squares, aiming for a 64" by 80" top, with a back-up plan of 32" by 80" wall quilt.

Somebody once asked me if all my corners match. The answer is a definite NO. I can assure you there's no chance they ever will. Not all of them, anyway. Is that a reason not to make this great quilt?

In my opinion, it's not.

So far, so good...

Inspired by this very quilt, I made my first block for Kerry in the Ringo Pie patchwork bee:

Kerry is the first host and her theme is collecting / hoarding. So how can I relate to that, what am I collecting? You guessed right - fabric! I managed to put a few favorites into the mix of 36 2" squares.

I am so much looking forward to play with all of the creative ladies and their choice of themes!

Back to the madness part. Is it about collecting fabric?

Or is it about starting something new? When you have lots of wip's and ufo's.

Not sure. Maybe a bit of both?

Have fun with your fabric...

; )

in good company ...

... hello kitty!

A finished quilt top from my last post. I am in good company making these fun cross blocks.

A big yawn. Seen it all. So what's new?

It's summer. Blue skies...

A bit of reading / relaxing / dreaming...

Daydreaming...

But what about the good company?

Psst... I'll tell you a secret. I am in good company, good virtual company. Can you believe it. I managed to sneak into the latest issue of Fat Quarterly.

Psst - don't tell anybody. And if you don't believe me, you better go and get yourself an issue while it's all fresh from the press. Lots of inspiration and lovely reads.

So, have fun. And maybe you'll find yourself daydreaming a bit - about quilts and fabric...

; )

no strings attached...

A second challenge quilt finished this month; my "xoxo" using selvage from favorite fabrics. The blocks are sewn on to a cloth foundation. Stephanie of Loft creations invited us to make and share string quilts, and this is my contribution.

This little quilt finishes at 24" * 39". I used Quilters Dream Cotton Select as batting. The quilting is a mix of in the ditch and parallel lines. You can vaguely see it on the back:

Lovely, warm and overcast weather today, perfect outdoor picture opportunity:

It was fun working with selvages. I'll keep on cutting them at 1.5" and saving them...

; )

a book and a quilt

I finished both this week. This is her third novel, I think. I have enjoyed all of them. Now I'm waiting for the next...

The quilt is finished too. I took some outdoor pictures. No-one to help me hold it up, so just bits and pieces...

The cherrywood fabrics are so soft to touch - lovely. "Quilt it - make do" finished at 34" * 66". I used Quilters Dream cotton Select for batting, and perle cotton no 16 for the hand quilting.

You can still see the chalk pencil marks for baptist fan on the background fabric. I'm sure it will disappear over time, or in washing.

Feels good to have sunny days. Let's hope they will stay for a while.

Happy sewing!