From rags to riches

So how does one go from this:

to this?
I had promised my friend in the States a handknitted Norwegian jacket, and shown her some old examples. When she fell for this one, although it was only rags left, I started by examining the pictures closely and made a rough pencil draft.

I then knitted a swatch with the yarn and the colours we had chosen. Since this yarn is thinner than the original, some differences would occur.

Then it was just to knit, really....

... on and on....

.. sleeves and all, until it was all done.

The jacket were delivered by hand earlier this week, to the enjoyment for her and the feeling of accomplishment for me.

I can see clearly now....

This is how I have felt like for the last year, 11 months and 4 days - clinging to a steep rockside, hiding inside my own shell, hoping that things will turn around.

And then - poof! I got a job! A real, full time, permanent job! It still feels strange, but at least my worldview is more open:) I even get to spend a few weeks in US before I start to work, celebrate my birthday, my new job and Halloween! Lucky me:) Quilting, on the other hand, will have to wait a little. Good thing it keeps, right?

Bright spot

Quite suddenly, two years of hell is coming to an end. I am still struggling with believing it has really happened, I feel slightly numb. As a tentative celebration, I went on a long fabric shopping trip on this lovely fall day. As I was getting close to home again, I passed this beautiful spectre.
A beautiful bright spot in my day:)
Even nature found it appropriate to celebrate a little today:) hehe

Tricoloured

I love the way one tree can show all the colours of fall. This one reminded me of the summer popsicles I used to looove: yellow on the bottom, orange in the middle and red on the top (covered in chocolate...).

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:)

And who are you, then?