Finally, finally done with my Dear Jane!

Yes!! Feast your eyes. I am done. Done, done, done. Did I mention I am done? :) I can now use the title 'Goddess':) It is a strange feeling. Elation, mixed with sadness. And a little feeling of: where do I go now?

One thing is for sure. I am NOT making another one! Though I must say, working on it have made my knowledge about quilting leap forward with big skips and jumps.

So here are the progress dates. My first block was started on August 10, 2008. The flimsy was done by April 2010. I basted it during Christmas 2011, and then let it rest for a little..... until this July, 2013. I swear, I was sure it had only been sitting for under a year.... But this summer was spent quilting it. Which went much faster than I thought it would!

So last weekend I brought it with me to Sweden, had one full day of beautiful fall sunshine, ran down to the beach (without the doggies) and had ten minutes before the sun went down behind the woods.

It looks good, though? I now use it on my bed, and every night it is like revisiting an old friend. I keep finding blocks I had forgotten, and remembering how they were made. 

I remember in the beginning, how I scoured the net to find out how others had made theirs, and in the end I just sat down and figured out a way by myself. And that was fun!:)

So now... I am not quite sure where the road goes from here. I am thorn between finding some other big and difficult quilt to sink my teeth into. Or try something completely different. Maybe not quilts at all? We shall see.

Goddess out! :)

Close, close and closer.... but....

Look what I did this weekend! Yup, the binding is on my Dear Jane. And yes, I should not have cut the excess before I sewed it on. I ended up doing a zigzag seam first to make it easier.

At this time, I am done with hand sewing it down on three sides. Just one side left. This last part of the DJ has gone so much faster than I thought. I was sure I would still be quilting in October. Now it is almost done.... And it feels sad! It's been so much a part of my last four years. The reason I kept my sanity while being unemployed for too long. It kept my mind working, finding out how to solve the different blocks. And I progressed so much in my quilt-knowledge.

And only I know how many episodes of different series I have watched while working on this:)

I almost feel like I did when I was finally done with my schooling - over enjoyed that all this work finally has lead to a result and sad that a part of my life is over. 

There is no way I will start another four year long quilt project! But I do feel a pull towards a 4 000 pieces jigsaw....

A new life, a new name and a new quilt!

My grandnephew were christened yesterday:) His parents decided on a church christening, which is a very beautiful ceremony. His three godmothers (yes, three:)) all wore their folkdresses, while the baby wore the christening dress his father had worn on his big day (made by me:)). At the end of the ceremony, all the godfathers and godmothers, his parents and the minister placed their hands on him to bless him. 'Nary a dry eye in the house:) And he was quite quiet the whole time, just looking around him with his big blue eyes. I think the beard of the minister were very interesting.... 

So now he has a name, Simon (or the Norwegian equivalent of). 

 His grandaunt had to make a quilt for him, to start him on his new life:) It turned out pretty good, I think.

 It has ricracs, so that he can use his little fingers to pluck at.

 And prairie points, also to pluck at:)

There should be some activities for him to experience as he soon starts to crawl and explore:)

Until Easter

There is a Christmas song here in Scandinavia that tells us Christmas lasts until Easter. And this year it has! My last Christmas gifts (almost) were given away last week. She wanted a black quilt. I found this pattern in a magazine, and just did a little color switch.


I split between three 'color ways'. The grey with black in one corner, pure black in the middle, and then black patterned in the other corner. Hard to see the details, but it turned out pretty good, if I should say it myself:)





Yeah, still snow here. Still very cold, too. In the middle of March. Sigh


I tested out another block before I found the other, but found this to be a little too much work. But it made a nice pillow to go with the quilt.

Looking at the pillow like this, I am amazed at how straight the pattern is. I always struggle with small pieces, but this seemed to have just fallen in place. You can sometimes be amazed at what you can actually produce:)

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My Japanese garden

Here is it finally. My Japanese garden. Japanese because all the fabric is Japanese, and garden because these flowers are normally called my grandmothers garden.


1946 hexagons, all hand sewed together into 247 flowers.


I ended up machine quilting it. It was a big and heavy quilt to drag through my sewing machine, but it was all done for love, and with a lot of love:)

My aunt and uncle have been my reserve parents, giving me all the positive backing and feedback I did not get at home, for various reasons. They were also, and still are, the most fun and adventurous people I know. Being the only one in my family who even wanted to travel, and live, outside our little village, I always felt I was strange and weird. Except with aunt and uncle, who always travelled and had exotic stories to tell.

I hope to be as energetic, lively and adventurous as they are when I turn 70. So this quilt is to celebrate 50 years of marriage, and turning 70 years old in a very young way. Congrats, baron and baroness:)


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One block, seriously!

I just finished the flimsy from my Hideaway fabric - the stack I got for my birthday from a very good friend:) It amazes me how one block can look so different, just by using different fabrics!

It's just a star block - but made with 30 different fabrics.
None of the photos does justice to the colours. During winter you can't get good light, morning or night. Now I just need to find fabric for a border, and some backing.

Flimsies!!

I like that word - flimsies:)

I have finished the Charleston flimsy!
And the Zenquility flimsy.

Now for the quilting....

Gone fishin'

I haven't really fallen off the end of the world, though I have been there a couple of times:) Life has just been ... different.... I have had a few job interviews lately, the first ones in a year. It is amazing how much time and how much energy! those things take! But I have been slowly working on stuff.

Lately I have given Fisherman Fred his fishing poles:) Embroidered in satin stitches
Some got one fish,

and a few lucky ones got two!

This one kept the second one in the bucket.
And I have started a quilt for a dear friend of mine back in the US. It's called Charleston, and it will look good!

Not quite done

It occurred to me that I haven't really shown anything I have been working on this summer! I have decided to start decreasing my overabundant stash! I am no good at using left overs, never have been. But now the whole thing is threatening to overflow, and I can't really add to it before I have used some of it. So I am challenging myself by making baby quilts from my stash.
So here is my pinkish japanese fabric quilt.

Sunbonnet Sue

Fisherman Fred - the fishing rods will be stitched on later.

Dolls.

A version of one of the DJ blocks.

There will be more, and there will be pictures of these in their doneness:) It is a challenge for me to start with an empty page, but I am starting to enjoy the process. Yet another step on the path of learning to quilt. Good thing we are never quite done with the learning process:)

Holding pots?

I have been busy with life and its fresh hells - but there is always time for creation, one way or the other. So while I do the troublesome task of measuring and making sure every block of my DJ has the right size before I sew them together, I also found time to make my mom some pot holders. Are they called that? In Norwegian they are called 'grytekluter'.I made two pair, and she liked them both. Can't ask for more than that:) I haven't quite figured out how to take good quilt pictures with my new camera. The colours are warmer than this, not bluish at all. My houseguest (who will return to his own home tomorrow... snufs) kept me company by hogging the ironing board. He kept away from the hot iron, smart kitty:)

Different things in spring

Been a while since I updated this blog, I suddenly realised. I have spent most of the time trying out reversed applique. Interesting technique, but time consuming. My brother has an old MG he has been working on for a long time. He loves that car, and I thought I would make him a quilted logo. So I tried it in reversed applique. Small thing that took a looong time to make. Maybe he will lend me the car this summer? Well, one can dream:)

I have also knitted. Into socks at the moment, long ones. For some reason, it seems to be in this year. However, most of my friends like it a little different. So one of them wants this colourful version.While the other one wants old Norwegian patterns, in different colours than normal. Just started these ones.
This week will be spent machine quilting The Pride quilt for my nephew. Soon done:)

Hedda's garden

This is kind of a mystery quilt showing:) These are some of the elements of Hedda's Garden. It is kind of exciting, as I am not really sure how all this will look when I put them together. I have to make all the different parts before I can see how the actual block will look like. Still need a little more blue in here somewhere, I think.... It is going to be a cheerful quilt, though:)

Too much of everything

I have spent the day finishing the top of the Pride-quilt for my nephew. I should have spent the time sending out applications for a job.... oh well. Not quite a wasted time, I hope

Finishing it, I do see that it is a mishmash of blocks. The only thing that 'keeps it together' is the colours. Can there be too much of everything? Ach, well, I think it looks kind of interesting. And I am happy about the way the Chevy logo (right low corner) falls into the whole mess of it.

When not sewing and send out applications, (guilt, guilt, guilt) I also knit. Three guesses what this will be:) It is a commision from a dear friend, her decisions. She better wear it! Will keep you updated. In the meantime, spring is coming closer. Water is dripping from the roofs, the days are longer and the birds are singing their hearts out! The snow, however, stays.... The amount that has been pouring down on us these last few weeks will take weeks to melt. Maybe we will be able to celebrate May 17th (our constitutional day) with no snow?
My car is not a very big car, but this is how one of the public parking places looked this morning. You know how long it is going to take for it to melt?!?!? Sigh....

The crowning glory

Still working on the Pride quilt for my cute nephew:) Ok, so he is still cute even if he is an adult. I guess I will always see his five-year old cuteness whenever I look at him.
I finished appliquing the American eagle block. It turned out quite nice, I think. He loves his '62 Chevy, and I promised I would 'sew' him a model. So I guess the closest I get on a quilt like the Pride quilt is to add the logo in one way or the other. I tried out two versions, and will probably find room for both of them. Turned out pretty good, if I may say so myself:)

Pride of my heart

Another milestone in the family. My nephew, the first born, turned 25 a few days ago. I promised him a quilt, but hadn't even found the right pattern by the time the birthday came around. He is a big fan of America - the 1950's and 60's. His pride and joy is a 1962 Chevy imported from California. So I looked and I searched, and finally found the perfect quilt pattern. 'America - the pride of my heart' by Veda Wilhite. And I think it is perfect - as my aunt children are the pride of my heart, too:)
Just got started, but here are some of the blocks, all in red, white and blue. I have to figure out a way to get the car in there somewhere, though....

Done in time!

I spent most of yesterday sewing binding on a table cloth and a table runner. I know it is necessary, but oh goodness! how boring!! But now they are both done! And since none of the recepients reads my blog, I can show them off:)

This one is from a Norwegian designer called MarianneZ. She designed several red and white designs for this Christmas, and I think this is the third or fourth of hers I have done this Christmas. This is called 'Queen of Hearts' and can be used all year around, if you ask me. This is for my mom. Hope she likes it.

This I have shown you before, but now it is done! It turned out ok, I think. This one is for my sister-in-law. She has this huuuuuge dining table... it should fill some of it....:)

Last BJ's this year!

I made these Baby Janes a week ago, but haven't had the time to take the pictures and download them. However, here they are.

L4 - St. George's Cross

J6 - Granny Weaver

J 2 - Picture Perfect (not quite!)

C 4 - Tic Tac Toe. Again, the pink! I hope it will make sense one day.