New table runner and progress on the "Sweetie Pie" sew along

I decided to use some of the 2,5" scraps from the fabrics I used for the "Sweetie Pie" blocks and turned them into a table runner. I used a fatquarter of the white with cherries on between the ones with happy colours. I love to do simple cross hatching on table runners using white Auriful cottong thread.

 I love how the cross hatching looks, and this also makes the quilts/table runners easy to wash and make them stay in shape so I don't need to blocking afterwards.

 I used a light gingham fabric for the binding, and love how it turned out:)

This is my scrappy table runner finished:)

My sewing room floor looks like a garden of flowers these days. Layout time for my pie blocks, trying to make them all look a little bit different than each other, so I can spread the colours/different fabrics even. 

 I've prepped two blocks and started sewing the pies to the background fabrics by hand. I love doing needleturn appliquè. Look forward to start making the center blocks in the next days, but I haven't made up my mind about using the solid fabrics or if I want to use the Sew Cherry2 fabrics. Guess I'll just make one block to see how it looks with the Sew Cherry2 fabrics before I make up my mind :)

Happy sewing,

Laila

New Year ~ New Possibilities!

Happy New Year!

We went to see the public firework at midnight downtown at New Years Eve. It was amazing!

Such a long time since I made my previous blog post! I have been sewing a little bit again, so finally have something to share. I've been making a few things for Christmas, and I can finally share them over here. I made two pairs of pot holders for a couple of future-in-laws for two of the boys. Used my favorite Art To Heart book with these cute snowmen "Easy does it for Christmas". I've also used some of the fabrics from the lines by Nancy Halvorsen. 

Since I've been working on my "Have yourself a quilty little Christmas" quilt (a sew along on Instagram), I also made a scrappy table runner using up some scraps. Love these happy colors! 

Haven't got a nice photo of the Christmas quilt yet, since it's on the floor with the borders floating around the main part of the top. Layout time... but will share a photo of it when I get it pieced together. That must happen soon, before the quilt inspectors start using it as a place to sleep :o)

I've been playing catch up on some of the blocks I started long ago. These Churn Dash blocks are so fun and happy! The pattern is from Lori Holt's "Farm Girl Vintage" book, and my plan is to make a happy table runner when the pile of blocks is large enough.

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

Bloom quilt and Plus quilt

I have been sick with a nasty cold bug for more than a week, so there's been slow progress on my quilty projects. 

Tonight I finished piecing the sashing around the Block #1 for the Bloom quilt designed by Lori Holt. 

The Sew Along for the bloom quilt started yesterday, and you can read about it over at Lori's blog Bee In My Bonnet. 

This weekend I made a small table runner. Still not sure if I will enlarge it with a few more blocks. These blocks are the Mama blocks from one of the patterns in Lori Holt's book "Great Granny Squared" and I got to use up a lots of precut squares. I really LOVE the scrappy look :o) Been wanting to make these blocks for a while, and they were so fast and fun to make :-)

 I have also finished the layout for my Low volume Plus Quilt.  

The Low volume Plus Quilt Sew Along have been so inspiring and fun, and below is a list of links to the other lovely quilts the other ladies are making. Some of them are also finished!!!

LekaQuilt

Lappetausa

Tamarack Shack

Hanne's Quilt Corner

Englating

Sølvi sin bloggverden

Jacobs Quilt

Abyquilt

Winter came back to Trondheim, and it has been snowing really bad since last night. I don't mind the snow, I actually like it since it looks more clean and lighter. I don't like to drive my car when it's this much snow though... But the roads are shoveled now, and I hope it will stop snowing now.

Happy Sewing,

Laila

Been sewing again

I had so many projects I planned to make for Christmas, but only two handmade presents where finished. One of them is a table runner I made using the Haystack blocks I have been making as a leader & ender project for a while. The pattern for this block are from the Farm Girl Vintage book by Lori Holt. I quilted it with white Aurifil thread, just some simple cross hatching. My mom got this as a Christmas present, and I'm so glad she liked it :-) 

I have seen a lot of cute pin cushions both on Instagram and Pinterest, and yesterday I made one using my Modern minis scraps. The 1,5" scrappy squares makes the cutest little pieces to use for a small project like this :o)

The past days I have been playing with some new fabrics I couldn't resist buying... The new line by Lori Holt "Calico Days". There is a free pattern for a quilt designed by Lori using these fabrics called "Bloom Quilt", and I have been busy cutting the pieces and started to make some of the blocks. Just love how it looks so far, and since I'm out of background fabric, I will continue to cut the rest of the pieces and have them ready till it arrives. 
I am using the white with print from the "Modern Minis" line, since I like it a lot! 
I didn't have the pellon Lori uses for these flowers, so I am using my favorite technique needleturn appliquè. The templates designed by Lori Holt, Sew Simple Shapes, that is needed for making this quilt is perfect for needleturn too :o) 

Lori Holt will have a Sew Along for the "Bloom Quilt" in January, so if you are curious about it and plan to join just pop over to her blog and read about it :o)

Only two more days are left before we welcome a New Year. It's been a busy year, and also a few tough times for me. I hope the new year will be a great year with lots of creativity, less health issues and lots of positive happenings. I also hope to be able to be playing with my longarm quilting machine again soon. 

Wish you all a Happy New Year!

Hugs,
Laila

My new Autumn table runner

Yesterday evening I finished the table runner I've been working on for a few days.  

I made it using the Scrappy maple leaf block pattern from Lori Holt's book Farm

Girl Vintage, and added a simple sashing between and around the blocks.

The photo might be a little blurry, since I captured it with my Samsung tab (and not the best camera on that thing...) but you get the idea ;o)

I love how it turned out, these fabrics are just gorgeous! I will play with some other blocks and thinking about a table runner for winter.... I plan to make one with mittens, that will be a perfect table runner for winter :o)

 I've also finished the two first blocks for the Farmers wife 1930s quilt.

First block is #12 Becky

Second block is #16 Bonnie

I really hope to be able to finish up this sampler quilt during the Sew Along, and I think these fabric will look great in a sampler quilt like this :o)

Happy sewing,
Laila

Another finish!

I found a fun tutorial at Lori Holt's blog a couple of weeks ago, for a block called "Scrappy Crossroads". The size of it was just perfect to match my dining room table if I pieced three of them together in a row and turned them into a table runner. The finished size of one block is 16".

I finished the table runner top a few days ago, and started quilting it on my longarm using So Fine thread. I used a light blue, and it also blend in well on the scrappy fabrics as well as the open spaces between. I first made a blue binding, but it didn't go so well with the other fabrics as I thought, so I ripped it off and made a new one. I think the green looks so much better.

There is no secret that I love "McTavishing", the pattern I quilted in the light blue/green areas. I think it looks perfect and I am so happy I decided to quilt it like this. I used a circle ruler to make the curves in the area with the scraps. Love the texture of this quilting to be honest.

Here are some detail photos of the quilting:

I hope to enjoy some more sewing in the days ahead. Have a few new projects I want to make, and a few I plan to finish. Since we've been doing a lot of work in our house during the Summer holidays I haven't got time to do much sewing, but we are almost done with the hallway now. Hubby is going back to work tomorrow, and I have one more week before the "Job training program" starts again. 

Wish you all a Happy Sunday :oD
Laila

One more Scrappy Crossroads block

Today I finished block #2 of 3 for my new table runner. I think I will quilt this one on my longarm machine, and do some simple custom quilting on it. Have to finish the last block so i can load it up. Think each block measure 16". It's called "Scrappy Crossroads" and I found it at Lori Holt's blog.

I also did some cleaning up in my sewing corner today, and now I have the space to continue play with my happy scraps :-) My scrappy strips are still hanging on the longarm frame, but I will use up some of them before I store them in bins. Cutting a lot of strips makes it so much faster to sew something!

The rest of the sewing room still needs some organizing, since I have stacks of fabrics and stuff "everywhere" ;o)

While cleaning up I digged this little UFO out, my wallhanging from Brenda Riddle's pattern I bought when I attended her class at Quiltegården a while ago. I think my head was somewhere else when I attatched two of the rows, since the two blue blocks are not supposed to stand together. Need some time with my seam ripper and make it right, and attach the outer triangles. Then it's ready to be quilted. Love Brenda's fabric line Ambleside used in this quilt, and I will make some more projects with these fabrics :o)

Wish you all a great weekend, and happy sewing :o)

Hugs,

Laila

Some more Farmgirl vintage fun

Yesterday I found a fun tutorial to make a cute pincushion at Lori Holt's blog Bee In My Bonnet. 

I have been making some Apron Springs blocks, and had a stack of bonus blocs to make this pincushion, so it was fast and fun to make. I have seen a lot of these pincushions made by others on Instagram and just love how they all turned out with lots of different fabric and color choices. I will for sure make a few more of these!

Yesterday I also pieced together some of the Haystack blocks I have been working on, and decided to make another small table runner. I used a purple air erasable pen to mark my quilting lines:

Basted it with some basting pins:

Quilted it with Aurifil 40 weight cotton thread:

Clean cut the whole piece and today I attached the binding on by machine and sew it down by hand:

TA DA! A brand new table runner for me :OD Love how it turned out!

I'm on to painting the dresser I will decorate with the table runner. I am painting it with a nice aqua, and these fabrics will look so great on it :oD

I really got my sewing mojo back thanks to making these small projects. I think I got a little bit tired of making only large quilts that I spent weeks and months to finish. I will enjoy some more of these smaller projects during the Summer Holidays, and just have fun making a few things with these happy colors. 

Happy sewing!
Laila

Farmgirl vintage fun

I purchased two of Lori Holt's books last week, and I have been making some blocks from one of them, the "Farmgirl vintage".

I have been making the 6" blocks, and even if some of the pieces are tiny I had fun making them. The book have patterns for both 6" and 12" blocks.

Here are a few of the blocks I started making first:

I bought some new fabrics and added them to the ones I bought years ago. I haven't been making much out of the repro fabrics before, but I just love the colors in Lori's projects, and they are also perfect together with a lot of the fabrics from Bonnie & Camille. I have a soft spot for the aqua fabrics, and they look so great together with the rest. 

You can read more about Lori Holt and her lovely projects on her blog Bee In My Bonnet.

If you are on Instagram you will find lots of great stuff people around the world are making too. Look up #farmgirlvintage and #beeinmybonnet and you will be amazed about the gorgeous stuff people are making!

I love the cherry blokcs, so I figured I should make a small table runner. I haven't made anything smaller in such a long time. Feels really great to make a project that I am able to finish in a few days! And I don't have so many projects around in my home, so this was a perfect project for making something for myself. 

I just did some simple crosshatching on it, and even if it's not perfect I love my new table runner!

Yesterday I picked up my brand new sewing machine at the Post office. A Bernina 710.
I used it to do the quilting on my table runner, and it was so much fun! 

I ordered the sewing machine from a Norwegian web site called symaskiner.no. And it arrived the day after I ordered it! I had contact with the owner via mail a few times to decide which machine I would purchase, and I am so thrilled about the great service! Since I was offered a great prize for this machine, I chose to buy it even if I was supposed to buy a smaller one.

So far I am so satisfied with the new Bernina 710, but I know I have lots to learn using it and customize the settings to fit my sewing style. I hate to read to learn stuff, so I am learning by doing as  I go. And making a few notes to remember. Lots of great tutorials on YouTube too :oD

Wish you all a great weekend!
Hugs,
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

I'm still here!

I've been totally neglecting my blog (again) for a while. I haven't felt like doing much sewing since I've been bothered by a nasty cold the last two weeks, and it's been stealing all my energy. I think every second person I know, have had this long lasting cold, so I guess it's a typical Fall-thing.


The other day I got to put the binding on a table runner I made before Christmas last year. Since I didn't get to finish it back then, I put it in one of my UFO-bins. It's nice to dig out a UFO that don't need much work before it's totally finished :o)
I finished sewing the binding by hand last night, and it's all wrapped up ready to be given as a present to someone in my family later today, as a wedding present :o) 
I've made several table runners like this, and I have to admit it's one of my favorite patterns. 

I'm so happy to tell you that my mom finally fell in love with patchwork, and she has made some lovely blocks from a pattern called "Britt-Lisa's blomsterkurver" made by AnnAKa.
She is almost finished with a pillow (needs quilting) and the stitcheries for a table runner. Looks great, right?

I think it's so fun that she is into patchwork, too. I think she's addicted already :o) 


It's a beautiful Autumn day today, the sun really makes the Autumn colors sparkle. I wish I was feeling better, so I could do a little photo-walk today, but I guess I have to take it easy a couple of days more. Running on low batteries, would make it a very short trip anyway. 
I will try to do a little progress on the secret quilt I'm working on instead. Hand sewing is a nice and easy thing to enjoy on a day like this :o)


Wish you all a great weekend!
Hugs ♥
Laila

A finished project!

It's been three weeks since my last post. I haven't been sewing during these three weeks at all, and it was so great to finally spend some time in my sewing room last nigt!

I got to finish the binding on the table runner I  wrote about in my previous blog post.

I simply love purple, the lavender/dusty kind of purple. I've always loved this color, and I'm thrilled there are so many lovely fabrics to get in these colors! And here in Norway, the purple have been popular for about a year, and you can buy a lot of interiour stuff and clothes in this color now. Me like :o)

I hope to be able to work on my sewing projects for a while now, I've really missed my sewing room a lot! 

You know, when "life just happends" and my neck doesn't work with me, I'll get slowed down. I guess we've all had, and will have, sort of "issues" to deal with now and then. Stuff that takes both time and a lot of energy to deal with. That's life, right?

Wish all a great weekend,

Laila

Another table runner

I haven't been sewing at all during the Easter Holidays, but I got to enjoy some time with my family, and I've been knitting a little bit.

We've had some lovely days during the Holidays, and it was so nice to spend some time outside in the sun again! Spring is really showing off, and almost all of the snow are gone now. FINALLY! 

Got time to cut some fabrics for a table runner I've had on my mind for a long time. I think it's about a year since I bought the fabrics for it! 

You know I love purple, so purple it is :o) The top is finished, so now I will start basting and quilting.

This is table runner #4 from the same AnnAKa pattern. The first one I finished in March last year, and I love this pattern.

I'm having a day off work today, and between the usual "house-stuff" I'm enjoying some time in my sewing room. I digged out a couple of UFO's the other day, and I hope to make some progress on at least one of them before this week is coming to an end.

Have a great Wednesday,

Laila

The "Secret Quilt" is called Cottage Charm :o)

Today is the day I'm allowed to show you the secret project I have been working on the last month or so!!!! 

Siw, owner of Quiltegården, asked me to make this quilt, and of course I couldn't resist saying "yes" :o) I started in the middle of December, and it was so exciting to see the quilt growing.

A lot of sewing on the machine, and appliquè by hand, it turned into this:

Then it had to take a trip to Merete, she was going to quilt it on her longarm quilting machine. She gave me a couple of sneak peeks along the way, and it looked gorgeous!

She turned it into this:

Awesome, right? She did such an amazing job, and you can see some more close up photo's over at Merete's blog :o)

The quilt is on display at Fr.Jørgensen's exhibition stand on the Gave & Interiørmessa (Spring Market) which opened early today and will be open during the weekend, so that's why we couldn't show you the quilt before ;o)

The quilt is promoting the new fabric line from RJR fabrics, and the pattern is a 6 month BOM with these fabrics. Quiltegården in Trondheim are going to have it in the shop, so give them a call, or an e-mail if you are interested :o) 

I couldn't resist using the extra pieces I had left from the first table runner I made a week ago. I turned it into a similar table runner, and I gave it to my mom yesterday. The only thing different from the first one, is the quilting. This is only my second finish this year, but hope to finish some more projects next month:o)

Happy sewing,
Laila