madhouse

spring is late this year and I will share a quilt I finished a bit earlier

here is madhouse:

• finished at 72" * 72"
• hand quilted in perle cotton no 16 on quilters dream wool batting
• logcabin variation, starting with a pentagon shape
• basted on the wall with quilters safety pins

using 2.5", 3.0" and 6.0" strips and charm pack squares from my many boxes of precut fabric, I managed to scale down and free up some storage space. Rearranging fabric is an neverending activity. I think it's also a way to find new inspiration.

The quilt is soft and warm, quite happy with the finish. I have used a bit of black color, and think it adds a lot of dept to the palette.

More hand quilting is going on behind the scenes, and hopefully there will be more quilty goodness to share in a while...

; )

friday finish

Some quilts take a long time to make, others just happens .... my "vertical" finished at 55" * 72", quilted by hand with perle cotton on quilters dream select cotton batting.

The bees are still active in the garden outside, and it seems there's been more sewing activity inside, as well. Planning to use these beautiful october days to take pictures of a few more makes. 

Wish you all a lovely weekend!

; )

scrap buster medallion

A public photoshoot on a sunny october day by the sea,  airing the newly finished "scrap buster medallion" and taking advantage of having an extra pair of hands / capable photographer helping out. The quilt finishes at 60" by 80", is hand-quilted with perle cotton no 16 on a soft and lovely hobbs cotton batting. 

This one have been 6 years in the making, including a long hibernation waiting for me to find a way to make it a bit wider. The aqua frame was added this spring, using small fussy-cut motives from the african butterfly print by alexander henry I used for the back. 

It feels a bit strange bringing your creation out in the open. It is a good way to display a bigger quilt if you don't have a big garden of your own. I always appreciate the way daylight presents the colours of the quilts. So hopefully this first will not be the last outdoor in public photoshoot adventure for me...

; )

fall

A finish in time for fall: my jo's broken dishes, measuring 50" * 60", using the lovely and thin Quilters Dream request cotton batting.

This quilt started with a gifted Accuquilt GoBaby and a 4" hourglass die back in 2010. It is both machine and hand quilted. I used a mix of quilting cottons and thrifted shirts, including a lot of Jo Morton's beautiful designs. The back (not showing) is also by the same designer - a happy purchase from Two Thimbles in Bellingham WA. One of my favourite quilt stores, with a great selection of reproduction fabrics.

We are having a beautiful fall season this year. I love this time of the year. (when it's not raining or storming that is...)

; )

god jul ...

... it is time, now...

... the 6 jolly snowmen quilt is finished

... and they are ready to be merry ...

Christmas decorations in this house includes a couple of quilts. My christmas calendar from last year is turned with the back facing forward, the perfect backdrop for the jolly 6...

18" by 27" sitting on top of 27" by 72", my christmas quilt in the narrow series

Now the house is ready for the holidays.

And this happens to be my post # 200!

It's time for me to wish you all Happy Holidays ( God Jul is the norwegian phrase).

Please enjoy time with loved ones, relax and be merry...

; )

hommage a Denyse

It's cold and dark this time of year. Time for a taste of colors. So I cooked me up some colorful cookies. An easy recipe:

one small piece of pattern per block, add solids strings from the scrap bin

Courthouse blocks, inspired by and infused with Denyse Schmidts lovely products.

No sugar, no calories, no regrets...

test pilot...

quilts are softer and warmer than snow...

My little Hommage a Denyse measures 26" by 28", uses the leftover piece of Kyoto bamboo batting and is quilted with perle 16 in my favorite baptist fan pattern.

Grey, dark, cold days...

is enough to make us all dream of new adventures....

It's a busy time of the year. Hope there's still time for you to do some sewing, or if not, to dream up some new quilting adventures!

(I'm dreaming of Denyse's latest fabric line, still not available from the stores yet)

; )

quilt festival - fall 2010

It's time for the very popular Bloggers Quilt Festival. Thank you so much Amy for hosting this event for the 4th time!

I want to share a quilt that I recently finished. It is a wall quilt, and it started out with some "blueberry fool blocks" that I received in a swap with my friend Clare. Lovely palette of blues...

I started playing with them, forming them into a medallion. Adding some solids and a star.

By then the top reminded me of a norwegian winter landscape: snow and crisp, blue shadows...

So, I added a phrase from a favorite norwegian singer, Anne Grete Preus (in my translation it will say something like: the sun sits low on the horizon, under the tall sky).

The letters are inspired by Tonya.

The quilt is long and narrow, 30" by 60", fitting for a wall hanging.

I had a lot of fun quilting by hand, creating different textures.

Sometimes its fun to start playing with some fabric and see where it takes you. Trusting yourself to create as you go... Trying not to put on a lot of pressure.

Thank you for your visit! And please, enjoy more beautiful and special quilts at the festival here.

wip

Still working on my hex love...

Building a back from stash: one big courthouse steps block. Four 1/2 yrd pieces of Kaffe Fassets shot cotton compliments the various Heather Ross prints.

A sleepy kitty...

And a bedtime story. Written with my Pigma pens. Taking advice from Cathy, and soaking away the blue guide lines...

Basting with those long, zig zag stitches that I have learned to like...

And quilting by hand - slow pace, enjoying the pretty prints...

Considering adding the second diagonal direction of quilting these hexagons...

Have fun!