Laptop problems

Long time, no see!

My new laptop turnes out to be just junk. It had to go back for repair after just a couple of weeks. Now it is going back again. It does not work properly. I want a new one!

I got really frusterated over this kind of equipment that is not working proparly. I just had to take a break. Hope to be back on track and back i blog land in a couple of weeks.

Enjoy summer time.

Hugs from Nancy

Fabric request only in Norwegian

ETTERLYSER STOFF Har du muligens dette stoffet? Jeg holder på med et prosjekt og kom til å skjære feil :-( Det er et lindegrønnt japansk stoff som er ca 2 år gammelt. Jeg trenger egentlig bare en stripe på 2 inch, men dersom du har 30 cm å selge meg så blir jeg overlykkelig. God helg fra Nancy

Hallo

It is great to be back on track!

My absent from my blog have many reasons. I don't really need to go in to it all, but pneumonia, fractured rib and wedding might explain a bit. Yes, DS1 married his girlfriend mid February. Not on Valentines Day, but the day before. They married on their 10th anniversary as sweetharts.

My quilting muse got a bit lost i all the happenings, but now I'm back on track (I think). I have in the past months finished a few projects.

This quilt is a belated birthday gift for DS1 and his girl. They spent 3 weeks in April 2010 traveling Japan. I finished the quilt before I knew they planned to marry in February.




My oldest SIL had her 70th birthday in December. I made this quilt for her.



Most of all I have enjoyed the company of Gizmo and Zappa through my health issues.

Have a nice week end.

Hugs from Nancy

Focus this week

I am working on same projects as last week.

Lappemor was my guardian Angel past week and came up with the brown fabric I needed to complete the tabel runner in my previous week post. Hmmm, same fabrics and design would look great as a curtain for my kitchen window…….. Now I have fabric enough to make it :-)

My BOM pattern project is a lot of work. Not the actual making of the quilt, but the double checking of pattern and text before publishing. I am trying to make this in to a 10 part project including a good fabric & cutting plan for the shops that wants to sell my BOM. The thing is that I have been working on this project for so long that the fabrics are not ”new” any more. What kind of experience do you BOM designers and BOM buyers have? Do you like the pattern and make your own fabric choices or is it those exact fabrics that make the project? I would love some advice from YOU!

The Olympic Games are on and as a true winter sport nation the inhabitants in our house follow it all on TV. It’s a kind of good/ bad situation. DH took a fall on ice a couple of weeks ago. The result was two fractured ribs in his back. He had just recovered from the staircase fall in June with three rib fractures. OK not same side but still... He spends nights and days in”the good chair” in front of TV. I really don’t know if it’s all due to back pain and problem to lay down and get up of bed, or the convenience of being able to watch the Winter Olympics. I know he is hurting. I have suffered from rib fractures my self so I know the drill: You better not laugh, sneeze or do quick moves.

Ï had great hopes for this challenge about weekly focus. Now I have to admit I am such a sucker at it! I have to admit that I kind of ”took a step aside” on Sunday, again.

A pattern for a wool fleece dress caught my attention at my local store. I bought the pattern and wool fleece to go with it. Saturday I cut out the peaces for the dress and got some leftovers. I know I have a heart for scrap quilts, but now I wonder if it is the leftover bug that triggers me. Anyway, I had this nice wool fleece leftovers and they had to be put to good use. I collect Teddy Bears but have yet to make one my self, until Sunday. I browsed Google and found a pattern for a Teddy Bear and off I went. I enjoyed making my first Teddy Bear so much that I have to do it again. Sunday was Valentines Day as well as Mothers Day here in Norway. DH surprised me with lovely chocolates. My cute Teddy Bear has not been named yet, but he looks right on in my collectors’ corner.

Valentino is just the right name!!

Hugs from Nancy

OPAM update

No sewing this week, as you probably know from latest posts. My fingers are itching to get going again next week. However, I did finish the scissor keeper last week as planned. Now it looks like this.

This is a class project I worked on and finished first days of January. It is a “Beauty Bag” with one front pocket and several pockets inside to fit all those beauty products that come in big bottles. It also fits your extra make up bag, medicines and a few other things that grown up girls needs. I give classes in March at my local Quilt shop, Meretes Ateliér.

Have a nice week end. Enjoy photos of Gizmo and Zappa’s best moments.

I have always been curious how cats can sleep in such awkward positions.

Hugs from Nancy

No sewing

This week is not my best. I can not sew. Need to relax my right arm and shoulder. I watch movies, DVD's with gardening plans, study quiltbooks and magazines. Still it's not as much fun as working my sewingmachine. Handpiecing, stitching, knitting or crochet ist not allowed. I really should not type or write either. I hope to be ready to get back on track next week. This is boring!


Hugs from Nancy

Show and tell

Our monthly quiltmeeting is held 2nd wednesday every month. So, last wednesdag I went to meet my fellow quilters. I forgot the meeting in september. This meeting had Log Cabin as a focus. As your can see, a lot of different log cabin technics. Every meeting have a show and tell section too:-)

Fun to see all the different ways to use Log Cabin. Small strips, wide strips, off center, crazy log cabin, different colour variations and combinations.

One of our local quiltshops had brought some fabrics and sewingrelated stuff for sale. The shop have a good selection of Japanese fabrics. They also do long arm Quilting.

This is a BOM they sell kits for.

I have some work going on in my sewingroom. Yesterday I was sewing a lot. I finished a makeup purse from a kit. Also stitched nametag and roses for my Stitchers Angel. I’m also working on a pattern for a tabelrunner with stitchery blocks. As the evening light got poor and I realized I had to turn the lamps on, I diskovered a big Boo Boo. Today I have to undo to complete rows!Not fun at all. I might put it on my list for tomorrow instead.

Hugs from Nancy

Sneak peek

This weekend I have really worked hard doing echoquilting on two projects for Quiltemagasinet (a Norwegian Quilting Magazine). I'm very pleased with the result and hope the readers of the magazine also will be when the projects are published.

While doing quiltwork my mind kind of wandered off and I got a great idea for a new project. I wanted to start right away, but got grip of my self and finished quilting before I started drawing.

Drawings are ready and tomorrow morning I'll start right after a visit to to my doctor. No no no, I am not sick (apart from the diagnoses I've already received). Just have to renew some prescription medication.

Hugs from Nancy

Update on projects

Time to update my list of finished projects in September. The update list is on my sidebar.

This Pillow is from my jeans cutting earlier this summer. Front part was compleated in July, but for unknown reason the back part have been missing. I put it together last week.



Makeing projects for my Stitchers Angel is so much fun. This is a book cover I made for xxxxx. Hi hi. I'm not going to tell who she is. Hi hi. She might read this post ;-)




Cleaning out my attic some months ago I found some cross stitch work I made many many years ago. This one had a misshap in the cleaning prossess. I do plan to make it work in a project. I will get back to that project in October.





Back to my sewingmachine! I have work to complete before Ocotober 1. Sneek peek will be postet during the week end.

See you.

Hugs from Nancy

Class - My sewingbag

10 days ago I went to Tysvær to give classes in making My sewingbag. 9 ladies participated, but only 7 present when this photo was taken on sunday. Great group.



Tysvær Husflidlag had a great location for classes. Absolutly perfect.

Here are some of the bags.




I dropped by my mom on the way forth and back. Stayed a cople of days. Mom had signed up for classes here in Grimstad last weekend, so she came along when I returned to Grimstad. We went for a walk in the woods picking mushrooms and had some days for sewing.

In this photo mom is getting ready for her handbag class with designer André Wallenborg.


Yes, painting her toe nails!

Hugs from Nancy

Sneek peek

As promised a sneek peek on my latest work. Blue Java is my latest pattern. Not all finished yet (as you can se, the buttons are not sewn yet.)


Last night DH and I had a three course dinner at home. Normaly DH cook weekends, but due to poor mobility I had to cook this weekend. I'm so spoiled that I have not cooked weekends in 15+ years! I did not make the intire three course. DS2 brought dessert from our local gourmet resturant where he works. Panna cotta with berries in season. Delicious! DH is allways giving Gizmo treats. He loved Panna cotta as you see :-)


Today I have been walking the woods picking more mushrooms. You know, this is the season :-)

Hugs from Nancy

Fast forward week

Past week have been full of surprices. My SIL and kids came to stay for a few days. I enjoyed it very much because they live far up north and I don't get to see the kids often. They are 12, 10 and 2. The 2 year old is such a sweetepie. She helped me rearrange my embroderyfloss and loved playing in my sewingroom. Her favorite was a glass of big buttons and a box of stuffed hearts. I made gymbags with name and photos on for the big kids. I forgot to take photos, but hope to get one later.

This week I get to play nurse. DH took a fall in the garden steps, playing with Gizmo. Result: three rib fractures. He does not move too fast around the house ;-). Poor thing. No golf upcomming weekend that's for sure.

My plan for this week is sew sew sew!

Stay tuned to have a peek later this week.

Hugs from Nancy

WOW

I just say WOW!! I'm so happy that so many have visited, left comments and want to be in the drawing for giveaway. Three of you will be lucky winners!!

I will not respond on entery in prewious post or confirm that you are in the drawing. If you see the message you left listed, you are in :-)

Some of you are having giveaway too. How fun!!
Pop over to Barbs creations, another Barb at Bejeweled Quilts and Khris to enter.

Today the wether have not been the best. Shattered showers but now in the evening the sun is shining through. Hopefully tomorrow will be fit for a new day of recyceling jeans work.

I'll tell your a little secret!! Today is my 51 birthday :-) :-) Nothing to make a fuss about. I have enjoyd the day by relaxing and creating artwork for a new tablecloth.

Life is god!

Hugs from Nancy

Blogaversary and Giveaway

Yes, to day is the day. May Britt got med started two years ago. I am having a wonderfull time writing and showing photos from my spot on earth. It's hard to belive that my blog to this day have had more than 55000 visits. Most of all I'm having a tonn of fun visiting bloggers all over the world. I have made some wonderfull new friends, been part of swaps, won giveaways and received gifts and greatings that I never could dream about.

I love giveaways! More than receiving I love to give away. All you have to do for this giveaway is to leave a message to this post before July 25th, midnight my time. It would be fun if you stated your town and country in the post.

So, what can you win? I'm not sure yet :-) I promise it will be nice prizes. One main prize and two extras. Winners will be announced July 26th.

Please tell your friends to visit.

Take care and have a nice day.

Hugs from Nancy

Recyceling old jeans

Some of my sewingrelated work need to be done outdoor. Recyceling old jeans is a messy and dusty work. Lucky I have the perfect spot in the shadow for this. I even bring my sewingmachine outside when I need to.

About a week ago we did a big "spring cleaning" of the attic. You would not belive what we have managed to put into the attic over the years. Mostly junk that should have gone to the dumpster right away. Well I found some stuff that I could not throw away. Toys from our kids, blankets, rugs and 5 bags of old jeans. Yes, 5 big bags! As I looked inside I found DS2 old Turtle jeans from he was about 6 years old. Now he is 22. Anyway, I could not get myself to throw all those jeans away. This is jeans from the first bag.

Last year I made pillows and cover for outdoor use. It turned out nice, so I have desided to make cover for my sunbed, some tablecloths and more pillows. I cut squares in different sizes from the best parts of the legs, normaly the back side.

My mom have made rugs using old jeans. I want to try it too. I use the June Tailor Shape Cutter ruler to make 1 inch wide strips. It worked really fast and well. Later I'll sew strips together.

My plan was to bring the sewingmachine outdoor today, but I don't think it is such a good idea.
The rain is pooring down and I hear thunder rolling close by. I have other projects for indoor. I'll tell you more about that another time.

By the way, my 2 year blogaversary is comming up. I'll post a give away.

Hugs from Nancy

Hot summer days

Summer is my favorit time of the year. The wether has been really nice lately. No rain at all so the garden have needed extra wather. The other day I went for a walk in my garden with my camera. So many beautifull flowers. The colors are just beatifull. Gives me great inspiration.


I love Peonys. This red one have lost its glory allready. It's the first one to bloom in the spring.





This soft pink one is in full bloom. I have several variations of pink Peonys. I bought a selection of 6 this sping, but I don't think there will bee any flowers this year.

Roses are another garden favorite. Sorry, but I don't remember names on the different kinds. This one have petals like velvet.

This is rose hip.

This is a pale yellow rose with a devine fregrence.

Tall bush roses.

But hey, who have gone for a nap in the shadow? Yes, right, Gizmo too likes to relax on the veranda.

Take care.

Hugs from Nancy

Busy week

This week have been a busy but fun week. On Tuesday I had the TSV-ladies for lunch at my house. The sun was shining and temperature was nice. We had a long and lovely lunch with chatting, laughter, sewing and eating. I'm not in the picture because I had work to do, photographing :-)

This is my local TSV-group. We get togheter once a month during daytime to make quilts for TSV. TSV is "Tepper som varmer" (Quilts for kids with canser or long term diseases). A charity I support.



On Wednesday I went to Kristiandsand to the hospital. No, no, no. I'm not sick! I went to the childrens ward to deliver quilts from TSV. One of the few times my hospitalvisits are of pleasent character. Thursday I made the same round to the hospitale in Arendal.

I also managed to squeeze in a visit to DS1 and some quiltshops on Thursday and Friday. Stops in quiltshops and quiltsupplier made my bankaccount gasping for air!! That's what happens when you buy bolts of supplies.

This weekend I need to do some photographing of a quilt that I'll give to another charity, Pink Ribbon (Rosa sløyfeaksjonen) in October. The quilt is to be sold for a donation to the Norwegian Pink Ribbon.

Since DH and I will be off for recration next weekend I have some appointments to keep on Monday. The hairdresser is ok and I'm looking forward to that appointment. I also have an appointment for waxing of those parts of my body that surely need it. I'll tell you, I have put this off for too long. Need I say more....

The rest of the week I'll be dedicated to making patterns for sale. It takes a lot of work to get to the finished product. I am a kind of newbie and are doing all parts myself.

Take care.

Hugs from Nancy

A little report

Just a little report to tell you I'm working on new patterns. In between I need something that not demanding for my brain or lims. That is where the log cabin blocks come in handy. I have made some more blocks for the quilt I started early May. I layed all the blocks out and look what happende! That cat! Making a mess of all my neetly layed out blocks! Clearly Gizmo want some attention!

Before Gizmo stepped into the picture I figured that I need 23 more blocks to make a suitable size lapquilt. I'll make those blocks in my next "clear my brain" brake from models and patternmaking.

I'm long due my bedtime. Not very smart since I have invited guests for lunsj tomorrow.

More about that later.

Hugs from Nancy

NQT in Gotenborg

Thursday May 21th Sissel picked me and my mom up to go to NQT in Gotenborg, Sweden by car. Sissel is an excelent driver :-) We had some exciting, exchausting and wonderfull days in Gotenborg. Several blogs have posted photos from exhibitions and other events. May Britt have a nice collection of photos on her blog. Look at posts from May 22nd to 27th. Since I'm so late with my blogging I don't bother to post any photos from shops and exhibitions.

A photo from the Quilt dinner on Saturday evening. Here is my mom chatting with new and old quiltingbuddies.

Hugs from Nancy