My finished projects for 2012

I managed to finish 26 projects in 2012. Some of them small, some larger ones. I'm satisfied with all these finishes even if I wish I could finish all the projects I've started. 

My goal for 2013 is to finish more of the projects from my UFO/WISP bins. Most of my finishes for 2012 is new projects started and finished the same year, so I've at least getting better to finish what I started :-)

I plan to finish one UFO/WISP between every new project in 2013, and I really hope I'll be able to finish some of the beautiful things I've started. I don't think I know how many unfinished projects I've got... sort of lost counting... But I don't think I'm alone feeling that way :-)
Since I managed to make only two Christmas presents this year (the two advent table runners) I will try to make some presents during the year. Yep... I've already have a couple of goals to reach in 2013.

Looking back, 2012 has been a busy year with too much non-quilty-related stuff, and my health issues have been messing up a "little" too. I hope that 2013 will be a good one, with a lot more fun happening. 

I wish you all 

A Happy New Year!!!

Hugs,
Laila

A little progress the last days

Finally got to take a photo of the "Comfort quilt" #3 that I finished a little while ago. I love this panto pattern and the owner of the quilt chose it himself, and love it too :-)

I've had a nice time during the Christmas Holidays, and I've spent time with the family and just enjoyed having the days off during the Holidays. We've been watching movies, had too much to eat and lots of candy. 

We did celebrate Christmas eve over at our place this year, and it was so nice! 
13 people around the table, I'm so happy we all where together.
We had the traditional dinner with pork ribs, sausages, potatoes, sauce and lots of vegetables. 
For dessert I made rice pudding with red sauce. Yummy! 

I managed to take a few photos before I was finished putting the food on the table too :-)

These last days I've been spending some time in my sewing room. I did dig out an old WISP, the "Pie in the sky" quilt. It's a pattern by Kim Diehl, and I just fell in love with this quilt when I got to see it on the cover of the book it's in. I've been collecting reproduction fabrics for a long time now, and finally I have enough different ones to make a gorgeous quilt like this. 
A nasty cold came to "visit" me, but I just hate to sit still and do nothing, so even if the progress in the sewing room is slow, there is progress! Yay!
Love how these blocks are turning out, and when I added some of the sashing on some, they really look great!

Lots of fabric are left to be pieced together, but I've cut more than half of it for the quilt, so I look forward to be finishing some more blocks later tonight.

I will make a blog post tomorrow and make a collage with my finishes for 2012. I hope you do so too! It's always so fun to see what everybody else managed to finish, and nice to read one blog post showing them all . 

I'm excited for tomorrow, since we're having family dinner over at our place celebrating the New Year. I'll be making turkey, my favorite dinner of them all. And rice pudding for dessert. Yummy!

Happy sewing,
Laila

A little sewing and some quilting

I've really been neglecting my blog for a while... Again... Time goes by so fast, and I haven't found the time or energy to join Blogland much lately. I've been visiting some of you, and left comments when I stopped by. 

It's been a little sewing between the everyday's have-to's. I managed to finish two Advent table runners. I love Advent, so I keep making these purple and black table runners. I have to admit this pattern is one of my favorites.  

Both are made of the same fabrics, the only difference is the silver lace. On one it's clear silver and on one it's a silver lace that looks "old" and it's a bit wider.

I also finished binding the last "Comfort quilt", so now each one of my three hearties have a quilt of their own. I haven't taken a photo of it with my camera, since my DS started use it right away. I guess he liked it :o) 
I have three finished project this month, and that makes me happy :-)

Three gorgeous tops came home with me from the last quilt guild meeting. They where made from blocks made by several of the ladies in my local quilt guild. I've finished quilting two of them, and tried to quilt them with a pattern that looks good, but still not too much so they would end up a bit soft and fluffy. They will be donated to our local hospital and given to children with long term diseases. I'm so glad the ladies in my local quilt guild joined the charity project, and they all did a great job making these blocks. I really love how the quilts turned out with so many different blocks!

It's freemotion quilting, and not easy to get perfect, but I did manage better and better  as I went down the quilts :-)

This is a close up of two of the blocks:

I hope to finish the third quilt after the Christmas Holidays.

I guess most of you are finished or almost finished with Christmas preps. I have to admit I haven't baked or made many handmade presents this year. But it doesn't bother me a bit. Instead of getting sick and grumpy of stress and complaining, I just relax and try to remember what is most important for me. For me the most important thing is to be together with my loved ones during the Christmas Holidays, and be thankful for that. I'll just buy cakes and candy, and I'll be able to send all my friends a cyber hug or Holiday greetings on the internet, since I haven't written any cards this year either. 

I hope you all will have a great Christmas, and that you'll have a peaceful one.

Have a very Merry Christmas
Hugs,
Laila

My two blocks for the Curve it up QAL and some quilting

I finally got to finish my two blocks for the Curve it up QAL, and I have to admit I love these Tula Pink fabrics! 

The first block is the Curn Dash block. 

The second block is the Sawtooth Star block.

Now I really look forward to see the next block Jenny and Helen will come up with! I really love the curved ruler, and think it's so much fun to make these blocks.

I am finally able to show you a quilt I've had in the making for a looong time! The main part of the quilt was finished almost a year ago, but finally got to add the borders and load it up on the longarm frame last weekend. 
This is a BOM designed by Gail Pan and it's called "Berries and Bluebirds". I've made this quilt for my local quilt shop, and when I'm done quilting it will be staying at Quiltegården for a while :o) You can order the pattern over there too :o)

This is a close up of one of the blocks I've been playing with.

I hope I will be able to finish up the quilt very soon, and will post some more photos when I'm done. 
Only the white backgrounds left to finish :o)

Happy sewing,
Laila

Giveaway winner!

Congratulations to Gelicaso for being the lucky winner of my giveaway. The winner was nr. 48 among the 58 comments on my blog:

Please send me your mail adress so I can get it in the mail for you :-)

Pop over to Gelicaso's blog and check it out, she makes lots of gorgeous projects :-)
A big thanks to all of you who left a comment on my blog! 

I haven't been sewing for a few days, but got to finish the sashing on my curve quilt this weekend. I did get to put on the green borders on both ends, but forgot to take a photo of the finished top while it was enough light to do so with my camera. Haven't decided how to quilt it yet. But look forward to do so. Got to finish another project first, and will post a photo of that one soon.

Happy sewing,
Laila

Winter Blooms - Blogger's Quilt Festival

For the Blogger's Quilt Festival I want to share a gorgeous quilt called "Winter Blooms". The pattern for this quilt is made by Gail Pan. I finished the quilt in February 2012, and is my favorite among all the quilts I've made ever.

This is the second "Winter Blooms" I've made. The first quilt where made in almost similar fabrics and where made for my local quilt shop Quiltegården. You can read about that one here and here.

There is no secret I just love Gail Pan's designs, and I am so glad I've got to meet up with her twice. Both time was when she where over here in Norway, and I attended her classes. 
I was thrilled when Gail decided to join facebook, and it was a lot easier to stay in touch and chat. My friendship with Gail is a friendship I really appreciate. She is a warm and gorgeous person. 
This quilt went home with her when she was here in April 2012. I was so happy to give it to her, since I know she really loved it. This is also a miltestone for me when it comes to quilting. It's the first custom quilted quilt I've made and finished, and really like how it turned out:-)

Blogger's Quilt Festival Stats

Finished quilt measures: 42" x 46"

Special techniques used: needleturn applique,bias

Quilted by me on my Innova longarm machine

Category: Favorite Applique Quilt, Favorite Scrap Quilt, Favorite Wall hanging

A couple of collages that shows some close up's:

I'm looking forward to read about the others who joined Blogger's Quilt Festival, and thanks to Amy for hosting this :-)

Wish everyone a great new and creative week,
Laila

5 Year Blog Anniversary

I just can't believe it's five years since I wrote my very first blog post! I've made a lot of new friends with the same passion for quilting here in Blogland. I've also had lots of fun and learnt so much during these five years! I've got inspired by so many talented quilters, and I hope I've got to inspire some too :o)

To celebrate my anniversary I will host a giveaway. Wanna join?
No hatches, just add a comment and I'll use the random generator to choose one person to win some stuff. Feel free to tell your friends about it :o) I will pick a winner on November 1st.
It's three patterns by Carrie Nelson, one pattern by Camille Roskelley (used it to make the Dilly Dally quilt), a set of scissor/tape measure and a toiletry purse I've made. Hope some of you will like the things I'm giving away to one lucky winner :-) 

(Just click on the photo to enlarge it)

I have been making a few more blocks using the Quick Curve Ruler (see my previous post) during this week, but when 'life happens' there's not so easy to find time to sew. 
I got a gorgeous bundle of Tula Pink fatquarters yesterday, ordered from Fatquartershop. Just had to have them! Gorgeous colors! And will be perfect for a quilt I'm planning to make, using the QCR. I will also use these fabrics for the Curve it up QAL. Hope to enjoy some time in my sewing room during the weekend, so I can make the first block. I think I will use a white solid for the background on these blocks.

I wish you all a great weekend,
Laila

No productive weekend

The other day Helen Stubbings told me she would make iron on transfers for the quilt I started. It's called "Blessed Baltimore" and the pattern is from her book "Faux Appliquè". I had traced only four of the blocks, and did the happy dance when she told me I could order the iron transfers! It means a lot less tracing, and get right to the coloring part :o) I think that's sooo great! Got my set of transfers ordered :o)

This is the block I got to add colors on today.

There has been no sewing for days, since the darn migraine have been stuck with me. I was happy that I could do some coloring this evening, so I got at least a little done :o)

I'm kind'a frozen with the panel quilt on my longarm machine... Got most of the "blocks" quilted, but suddenly I just didn't know how to move on and finish the rest of the spaces. 
This is some of the quilting I did early this week:

I think I get frozen because I'm a perfectionist, and find it very hard to accept what I can do with the little practice I get to do. I think it would be better if I just do what I can, and then get better as I move along. But when you stand with your nose just a few inches from the quilted stitches, you can see every little mistake... I think I need to just jump in and stop being so hard on my self and maybe get lot more done... 

I've decided to join the"Curve it up QAL" hosted by  Jenny at Sew Kind of Wonderful and Helen at HGMR Deco Quilting . It looks like so much fun! There will be blocks made with the Quick Curve Ruler :o) 

Hope to get a little sewing done in the next days. And maybe get to finish the panel quilt so I can move on the the next quilt waiting to get quilted (at least one of them).

Wish you all a new and creative week,
Laila

Something new...again :o)

Had my day off work today, and wanted to start on a project I've had on my mind for a long time. Back in April I attended a weekend class with Gail Pan and Helen Stubbings. Helen did teach some of us her technique to make faux appliquè. She calls it Colorquè. In her book "Faux Appliquè" is the most gorgeous quilt. It's made of nine blocks and a border using this technique. I got to trace four blocks, and I got to add colors to one of the blocks. I think it looks good so far :o)

I've started to stitch the outlines with the thread I bought from Helen when I ordered the color pencils and textile medium from her website Hugs'n Kisses. This will be a project I will be working on during the winter. I'm really looking forward to quilt this one! 

I got some nice mail today too! I ordered the Quick Curve Ruler and a pattern from Lappemor. The ruler and the pattern is made by Jenny, owner of Sew Kind of Wonderful. Jenny has two blogs I've been following for a while, and she is such a great longarm quilter too! I just love the different quilts she's made using this ruler, and I really wanted to make one of these quilts so I could play with "Miss Monster" on it. I love traditional quilts, but I also love the modern quilts, with different quilting patterns. 

I watched Jenny's videos on Youtube, and decided to try the ruler tonight. 

First attempt failed.... I was not paying attention to the size of the pieces. Second attempt was perfect, until I cut the block an inch too small... *sigh*

Lesson learned...

Third attempt did not fail, and I got half a block looking almost perfect  :o) Yep, I'm doing the happy dance :o) I've NEVER pieced a curved seam before, so I'm proud of myself (even if I used such a long time sewing those two seams...).

I'm using white cotton for background, and will use a lot of different scraps/fatquarters I've got stashed. Hope to at least make the other half of the block tomorrow. 

I'm almost finished quilting the panel quilt. I spend too much time wondering and thinking about how to quilt the different spaces. But think I've got some ideas to finish up with. Will post a photo of it in my next blog post. 

Happy sewing,

Laila

Practice...practice...practice...

 I bought a great book by Angela Walters a while ago, and have been following her blog for a long time. She is a really talented longarm quilter, and it's fun to try her designs. Very different from the designs I've been trying so far. The designs are perfect for modern quilts, but I think a lot of them are perfect for traditional quilts too.

Until now I have only been doodling with a pencil on paper, but thought it was about time to try quilting with my longarm. I bought a panel at Spoonflower designed by Angela. The panel is a perfect size for a wall hanging. The panel has painted blocks, so no need for sewing before you can start quilting :o)

I've been trying to quilt swirls with space between, and filled in with waves. I think I made my swirls too small, and they should have been closer. But at least I got to try this. Now I will quilt "the blocks" on the middle of the panel, and then there will be a larger space to fill with a pattern or two on the bottom.  

I hope to figure out what to fill those blocks with. I'm using Superior's So Fine thread, so it will blend and "hide" some of my thread play. 

BTW! It's 1year since I bought my Innova longarm machine, "Miss Monster".
You can read about it in this blogpost :o)

Happy sewing,
Laila

Autumn

I did see a gorgeous quilt in a post on facebook a few days ago, "Blooming Springtime" by Irene Blanck. I just had to get the pattern, and my local quilt shop Quiltegården had the pattern in stock :o) Can't wait to start making this!

(I did borrow the photo from Focus on quilts)

It's a beautiful season, Autumn is my favorite with all the lovely colors. The leaves are about to fall off the trees. Here is some photos I promised my blog friend Kathy, and I hope my other readers will like them too.

There hasn't been any sewing over here this week, but I hope to enjoy some sewing during the weekend. Maybe some quilting too ;o)

Wish you all a great weekend, with or without needle and thread :-)
Laila

Customer quilt is finished :o)

Yesterday I got to spend some time with "Miss Monster" and I finished quilting the beautiful quilt I've had on the frame for a while. Like I told you in the previous post, these blocks are all hand sewn. I've spent some hours quilting this, but I learned a lot while working on it. 

The feathers on the border was the hardest part, but it I did my best :o)

The quilt felt very soft, even if it's heavy quilted. I also like the wool batting that Unni, the owner, chose.

I've made three blocks for a new quilt. It's a quilt called "Pie in the sky", and the pattern is in  Kim Diehl's book "Simple graces". I made a couple of blocks using japanese fabrics a while ago, but I just feel that this quilt will look best with reproduction fabrics. I've collected different fabrics for a quilt like this for a while, so I can't wait to make more blocks.

I also made one block from the pattern "Swoon" by Camille Roskelley. This block is huge, but it will be so much fun quilting this quilt. I've seen a lot of gorgeous Swoon quilts, and some of them are stunning. If you google "Swoon quilt" you'll see what I mean :-)

Wish you all a great new week! 
Happy sewing,
Laila

Having fun!

I've been having this gorgeous quilt on my frame for a while. Since I've been having a cold the last two weeks, it did slow me down. But now I'm having a lot of fun quilting!

This quilt is made by a lady in my local quilt guild, and every single block is made by hand!!! She usually hand quilt her quilts, but asked me if I could quilt it on my longarm. I'm happy she likes it so far, and have to admit I like it too. Since I'm a newbie still, it takes lots of time, but I hope to start quilting the borders soon. 

It's wool batting, and it gives the quilt a beautiful texture when it's quilted, and I think this pattern will make it soft and not too flat. 

You can do a few things using some homemade paper templates and use a ruler with different curves. I've been looking for some circles to use for patterns like the one in the large triangles, but I was happy to find out the one I have was ok. I use a purple air soluble marking pen, marking only the ends of each "petal".   

I've been having my Wednesday off work, and got some quilting done between housework and other "have to's". Hubby is working out of town again, so I'm able to enjoy some time in my sewing room. 
Yesterday I got to get border fabrics and backing for a quilt I'm hoping to finish up and load on the longarm frame soon. Can't wait to show you :-)

I'm trying to catch up on the blogs I usually read, and I do leave comments when I do have the time to. I guess there will be more blog posts, and time to read blogs now that the Summer is over and I spend more time indoors. 

I'm off to do a few more stitches before I head to bed, see ya!

Happy sewing,
Laila

More toiletry purses/pouches and a new quilt

I've been working on a "secret" for a while, and yesterday I could hand over the quilt to it's new owner :-)

My oldest son's girlfriend turned 18 yesterday, and I'm so glad she liked it :-) She is the cutest, and I know she will appreciate it :o)

Since I said yes to attend a little market we had at work the other day, I had to speed piece a few things.I made 10 of the toiletry purses/pouches! The grey one on top was given as a birthday present for my dear SIL last weekend. Me and Hubby agreed that one was the nicest one I had made so far :o)
None of them was sold, but that's fine by me. Nice presents to have ready ;o)

I think I will keep one of the purple ones, I just love them! Some of my favorite fabrics to be honest :-)
I made one with the scraps from the "Dilly Dally" quilt, and the aqua zipper I got from Lappedilla was just perfect! 

A nasty cold has kept me company for almost a week now, and I'm pretty sick and tired of coughing and fever. My face feels like it's two sizes too small, and I can't wait till my sinuses are back to normal....
I haven't been sewing at all for almost a week, and I have so many things I want to do... Hope the new week will be a nice and productive one.

Wish you all a great new week,
Laila