Nighttime is the best time...

So this is what I do when I ought to be fast asleep... but can you blame me? Making a Sparkle Plenty for my oldest son. His birthday is fast approaching and he REALLY liked the star pattern so I want to make this for him. He is very tactile - he loves to touch and feel things - so I am considering to use some very soft, thick fleece as a backing. I would prefer to make it in cotton but I know he will get a kick out of having a quilt that feels soft, so I might have to compromise on my own liking for this particular quilt.

Slow start after Christmas

After a little quilting break I'm off to a slow start with the BOM block. This time it's a block designed Pat Sloan - and how can you not love it. Dramatically different but a great addition to the other blocks.

Please click here for a tutorial to block no. 4 and be sure to stop by the flickr group to see some great blocks and colors.

Christmas gifts 2011

I’m finishing up all my Christmas projects… and all of a sudden I feel slightly panicky. There is a commercial on Danish TV right now about a man who makes homemade presents and it’s clear to everyone that it’s a pretty awfull thing to to do. Oh well, too late for that now. Let’s just hope the people I give presents to appreciate the gifts for what they are…. Little love letters and sign of appreciation..

My dear friend Susan got this (pattern: Sparkle plenty)

My funky niece will get this (pattern: Mod Circles Appliqued Baby Quilt)

Her awesome big brother, my Nephew Anders, is getting this :

This is a quilt for Christa, my Goddaughter (pattern: Pendant quilt)

Here are two pillows made of the scraps from the pendant quilt is for my friend Michala(who is Christa’s mother and also Godmother to my oldest)

A few purses that will be filled with little goodies for my nieces in Sweden. Freja’s will of corse have a wonderful bundle of fabric in it (see why)and Sara’s will have some earrings in it. (Pattern: Pouches)
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And then there are key straps for everybody of course - this time with lots of polka dots. We can never have too many polka dots, right  :) (Pattern from Stephanie at Lofts Creations)

Sparkle Plenty

Today I made the last stich on the Sparkle Plenty quilt... Or should I say the first of them. I definately see more Sparkle Plenty in my future. (in fact I already started cutting another for my oldest son - I hope to have it finished for his Birthday in early January).

A few fact about this one:

• It's 180x180 cm (app. 70 x 70 inches)
• It's made from the Sparkle Plenty pattern (I enlarged the blocks slightly)
• It's made of various green scraps and the solid is Moda Snow.
• The border is Meadowsweet by Sandi Henderson
• I started this quilt in November (but worked on several other projects while doing this)

It is one of my all-time favourite quilts. The star is a classic design but overall this quilt stands out as very modern. Later today I'm going to drive by my friend Susans house to give it to her. She is a fantastic woman and deserves a fantastic quilt.

Sometimes you do stupid things...

Sometimes you do stupid things... Like staying up until 00.30 to finish a quilt. I just made the last stitches on the diamond quilt and I.LOVE.IT. Can't wait to take some better pictures tomorrow. Until then a picture of the scrappy border all rolled up nicely and a few bad flashy images of the finished quilt.

Sunday... and a finished circle quilt

I finished the circle quilt this weekend. It will be a Christmas present for my funky little niece Elisabeth.

A few facts:
Started in October 2011
From the pattern: Mod Circles Appliqued Baby Quilt from Moda Bake Shop
Quilt: Hand quilted with Pearl 8 in orange, blue and green
Fabric: Various scraps and basic dark and light grey

Wednesday WIP

Did I miss last week Wednesday WIP. Think I did… My Google Reader tells me I have close to 200 unread quilt posts and I feel totally out of the loop these days. Life is very hectic around here. Some major deadlines and an unexpected extra project at work are to blame. Oh well, the Christmas holiday will be here soon and that’s okay with me. A bit more than OK actually…. Enough whining and on to the WIP’s for this week. I am working on 3 quilts right now

I  made a background for the Star quilt, basted it and have started quilting it. No pictures - sorry - but I think this will be one of my all-time favourite quilts.

I almost finished hand quilting the circle quilt. Unfortunately  it was starting the fray a little on the edges and since I don’t have much fabric to cut of I decided to add the border now and finish up the last three circles later. Spray basting is great that way. You know the fabric will not move once it’s basted.

This week I also re-organized my sewing area and I love it. . I got a new table. It’s actually our old dining room table without the extensions and it great to have a larger area to work at. I now have my big cutting mat and my little pressing iron right next to the machine. The chair is my great-grandmother's. It was in my Mothers loft and when she moved she didn't want to to bring it, so I got to take it home.

I love my little corner… really do. It’s in the basement – right next to the stairs up to the kitchen/dining room. It means that I am still a part of what goes on in the house even when sewing. The only disadvantage is the natural daylight. There is next to none. I had an option of using another room with huge windows but it felt too secluded from the rest of the house so I’d rather have this one and then buy some decent lightning. 

I started organizing my scraps in some old CD shelves. It's perfect because I can sort the scraps in colors and it's easy to see get an overview of what I have.

And that’s about the progress I have made... Next I need to get started on a back for the diamonds quilt as it is supposed to go under the tree in just a few weeks. Speaking of which….I haven’t gotten as far as to decorate for Christmas yet except for hanging the kids Christmas stockings in the kitchen. Before I started quilting I used to do some embroidery. I made the first stocking for son #1 and it was of course ready for his first Christmas. When son #2 announced his arrival I started another stocking. It was ready when he was 6!  I think it’s a god thing I don’t have more kids as they would probably have to make their own stocking ;) 

Luckily I can see I am far from the only busy quilter around. Lee has postponed all Wednesday WIP's until January. Still, for me it's a great to get an mid-week overview so I'll do mine this week anyway  :)