Back to the war

I just started my second civil war 're-enactment', Civil War Bride. My first one was a Dear Jane.
First block. It goes slowly, though. I am not supposed to sew yet, but I have kept my fingers from the needle/needles now since the beginning of February. I can't do it anymore! So I do a few stitches now and then, with long breakes. Slowly, slowly. Maybe this one will be babysteps to happiness, also:)

Permission to leave!

I hereby give winter permission to leave! We have had permanent snow on the ground since November. That is a long winter, even for us Norwegians.
However, new sounds are cropping up. The drip from the roofs, the birds chirping. It's like it suddenly jumps in, all that sound. One day it is quiet, the next day there are sounds.... We went walking by the beach on Sunday. It is wonderful to see the snow melting away. It makes for new patterns.
The ice on the fjord is breaking up. The seagulls are sunning themselves on the rocks.

The fjord looks like a puzzle yet to be finished. But this time, don't finish the ice puzzle, please. Just break up and leave us with open sea! Should only take a month or so.... Sigh.

Hideaway!

How lucky am I? :) I received this gorgeous bunch of fabrics from my dear friend in Colorado. What a great gift to get while I am waiting for my physio's go-ahead to craft again. Something to dream over while waiting. What to do with it... hmh... Oh, I got plans!
The fabric is called Hideaway, from Moda, and it has all these wonderful forestscenes, flowers, birds and cucko clocks. The colours are so bright and cheery, it just made me smile the minute I saw it. You got to love fabric that does that!

Maybe it is the name of it, but I started thinking about this old little house I sometimes go by when visiting my aunt and uncle in the deep forests. I don't know what it says about me, being obsessed (slightly) by a run down little house.

I have no idea about the story behind it, but it fascinates me. I passed it earlier this winter, looking sad and lonely with the untouched snow in the front yard.

Last summer, it had a totally different vibe, but still haunting. Unfortunately there is a fence around the house, and I don't feel comfortable going closer, but I really, really want to....

Looking at this picture, though... makes me wonder if we will ever have summer again.... This has been a long, cold and snowy winter. I hereby give winter permission to leave!

I've been bad...

I have not touched a knitting needle, nor the sewing machine, in over three weeks, but today I could not help myself. But I only sewed on the two borders! So maybe my physio won't be mad at me?
Isn't he magnificent, though? I have left to sew around every piece of fabric, which will also be the quilting. I got him in Colorado in August, with all the beautiful batiks. I thought it was appropriate, since I am born in the year of the tiger:) Sorry that the picture is a little askew.

While I am waiting....

Not sure why I torture myself with this, but here is my stack of quilts, waiting for me to do good and work on my right arm:
I also received this in the mail! My starter pack of fabric for Civil War Bride! I have been looking for fabric for it, but I could just not find anything that grabbed me. So I decided to take a chance and order the starter pack from Threadbar, where I also ordered the pattern.

Aren't they just lovely? I am gonna need some more greens, but that is left for another day. I need to stretch things out, those little quiltrelated things I can still do, while waiting, waiting, waiting...

Four good things, one BIG bad

First big thing: The lump was not malignant!!! Took over two months from me finding the darn lump until I knew for sure. It wasn't until after I got the testresult I realised how much it had been weighing on me. It's done, for now.
Second big thing: A finish! I got this quilted and the applique sewn on last weekend.

The flowers are put on AFTER the quilting and the binding put on. It is supposed to be a little ragged-ended. I thought it brought a little flair to the quilt. (Yet another quilt with the batik left-overs from the Dear Jane)

Third big thing: Another quilt done! A sunset quilt, just with triangles.

And the rest of the yellows to purple fabrics used for the backside. I named it Fractured Rays. Both quilts are gifts, to be given away tomorrow.
Fourth big thing: Two pillows! I really like red and whites. Also gifts.

One BAD thing: I started my physio this week, for my right arm. I have had the problem for two decades, overusing the little muscles. The solution has been exercising, which I have done.... except for the last two years. I just crafted, and ignored the signals. It went ok, until I started working again. The added strain on the small muscles by using the computer during the day sent my right arm into a whole world of pain. So, the starting of physio is a good thing, but it is overshadowed by the fact that he BANNED ME FROM CRAFT! for the time being. For an undisclosed amount of time!! I don't know what to do with myself.... all my lovely crafts and ideas lying there waiting to be started!

Whimper.....

Solution so far: Sit on my hands. Will it work? Time will show. One thing is for certain: reading about quilting is no fun at all when I can't quilt!!!

Sigh.

Nature's art

Sometimes I don't know how the pictures turn out until I get them up on the screen. This one was just amazing! I was fascinated by how the waves from the lake had ended up making a wall of ice in front of the little tree, making a sort of a protective wall for it.
Then I saw the picture on screen, and saw that I had gotten the fractured ice on the lake in the picture, too! I just love the blue colours, though. Even the snow is bluish. There are colours in a white winter, too.