Wishing all of my friends a happy and prosperous new year :o)

Hugs from Merete

I have something to show you :o)

No, I havent forgotten about you, and I certainly hope you havent forgotten me... Its just that December has been really really busy, so I havent been able to make much - or blog about the things I didnt make :o)  I have some days off after tomorrow and will have a loong new year's weekend :o) And then I plan to catch up on the two BOM's that I joined and doing some quilting.

But today I was in the shop, enjoying myself. And I took some pictures that I want to show you, proud as I am :o) I used my phone, so I see its not the best quality....

Welcome to my world!

A little table with this and that

Some of the fabrics

The sewing machines

And a few of the beautiful quilts on the wall

So this is where I spend my days, I bet you can understand Im happy :o) We also have a web-shop, www.quiltekroken.no. Once I have learned how to manage it in full, it will be constantly updated and filled with all the new stuff we get! There is already a lot of goodies there, so have a look :o)

Wow, how time flies.....

when you are having fun :o) I am almost two months into my new dream world ( that is my new job) and I can tell you - I love it, love it, love it !! Its busy and lots to do, but I come home smiling every night, having had yet another great day :o) But as strange as it may seem - working in a store filled with fabrics, notions and sewing machines, tons of inspiration every day, I get less time for sewing..... So, today I decided I wanted to make room for some sewing - I wanted to try a new pattern.

And Im quite pleased with it. A lucky girl will get this for x-mas - can you believe its only 2 weeks away! I will have to make a few more.

Wishing you a wonderful week!!

Silk roses

I have been making roses, beautiful roses :o) As I told you, last monday I learnt how to do it, and its actually not too hard.

I used 7 mm silk ribbon, you can use all sizes to vary the size of the rose. To make more life to the rose, the ribbon was variegated. You can choose not to use this, but I like the effect. You may see it easier on this picture. Its fun, and you can make almost any kind of flower - when you have been practising a while... :o)

Christmas is getting closer and closer, almost too fast.... Soon, very soon I have too start buying little presents for the girls for their calender - december is only a few days away :o/ We will soon have a baking workshop at my sisters house, have to start thinking of making the x-mas cards, next weekend we will make our traditional gingerbread house, and not to forget getting all the presents ready. Fortunately this is all things that I love doing :o) The clue is NOT to make a stress out of it - and usually Im good at that !! I have at least started making one present....

Now Im ready for a new, exciting week - Im having so much fun in the shop with the girls :o) Imagine a table filled with lots and lots of 'yet to come' - fabrics, getting to choose your favorites and order it for the shop - couldn't be better, a dream come through :o) Have a look at our web site, www.quiltekroken.no. Or like us on Facebook if you want :o)

Wishing you all a lovely week!!

On a rainy Sunday....

its nice to be cheered up by lots of beautiful fabrics and sewing along :o) Thats how my day has been - wonderful!!
And tomorrow will be good aswell. After an exciting day at work ( I've just changed my occupation and are the proud co-owner of a quiltshop in Bergen, Norway!!) I will attend a class learning how to make roses of silk-ribbon. We have to be prepared and make something to practise on. I want to make a makeup-purse and have made this. I will make the roses along the leaves in the middle.

And, of course, I have made some stars....... I believe I will show you my stars until you cant take anymore :o) Please bear with me !! Here we go.......

Fat Quarter Star QA

Blogger's BOM (which is also a star this month....)

And this little purse was just for fun :o)

So, my friends, a brand new week ahead of us - carpe diem and enjoy :o)

Last progress

Some days ago we got the 3rd block of the Fat Quarter Star QA. It was a lovely start block using several fabrics. Im using Soul Blossoms by Amy Butler, which is lots of colors and big prints. Too show them off and not make too busy block I will have to make my own little twist from time to time. And with this block I used only 2 prints (and the background) and Im very happy with the result.

The star table topper have been fun making, and I think I will be using the stars another time aswell. Thanks for all the advice you gave regarding the sashing. I decided to go for the brown, I thought it gave more life to the top. 

Have a great week :o)

                                        

A knitted finish :o)

Wow - its been a long time since I have finished a sweater. But today I did .......

Its a birthday present for a little charming boy,

soon to be four years :o) Hope he and his mom will be satisfied !

Its used Fabel, a wool yarn from Garnstudio.

I have also made all of the stars for the runner Im about to make. Originally I was making a wallhanging with 4 stars, but Ive changed my mind, Im making a tablerunner instead. For me its more useful.

But Im not sure what to use in the sashing, a dark beige or a dark brown.

Maybe you can help me??

Wishing you all a wonderful evening :o)

A new star is born......

Its time to show you the next star in the Fat Quarter QA :o) I have been looking at it, thinking and looking again, because Im not sure if I like it or not. Is it too much? I think I will make one more with just two fabrics, just too see if I like that more.

What do you think?

I've started a class in my LQS, making a Star Block Quilt. I havent decided how big I want to make it yet, only I will not make a big quilt this time. 

I love the smooth colours and fun print, its designed by Lynette Anderson.

Wish you all a peaceful afternoon :o)

Show your quilts, crocheted or knitted blankets

Liv, at 'Livs lyst' is having a challenge to all the creative bloggers - show us the blankets you have made, sewn/crocheted or knitted.

This is her wonderful blanket made of leftovers - I love it :o)

So head on over to her blog, Livs lyst, and show us what you have made. Just leave a link in the comment field on her post, and she will put you on the list. Already a lot of lovely blankets to see :o)

Wish you all a great evening!

Fat Quarter Star Quilt Along

The first block of the Fat Quarter Star QA, using Soul Blossom by Amy Butler.

I am a bit worried how the big prints will work in a star, but I think it will be fine :o) At least I like the first star :o)

A class with André Wallenborg and new BOM's

Last weekend I was taking a class with André Wallenborg, making a nice looking bag. For you who may wonder - who is this???, he is a norwegian designer making clothes but mostly he designs and makes his own bags. He has even made clothes and bags for the norwegian royal family, not bad!!!

It is not a very posh kind of bag, but it is the small details that is the clue :o)

This pocket is a 3 in 1 pocket, one in the back and two behind the zipper. Very smart!

There is a zippered pocket inside aswell, in two levels. One level with pockets for the mobile and cards and one big pocket.

And on the other side a pocket with folds and rubberbands on the top.

Not a single seam are visible, everything is hidden, both on the outside and inside - I love it! And so does my daughter it seems, she asked me to make one for her aswell :o) So I will try to remember all the tricks we learnt.....

Everybody who have been following me for a while knows that I love joining quilt alongs and BOM's :o) And as you can see on my sidebar I have recently joined two more. One is called Fat Quarter Stars Quilt Along at Moose on the Porch Quilts. I bought Soul Blossoms by Amy Butler some time ago, and I will be using it with white as background.

The other one is hosted by Jackie at Canton Village Quilt Works and is called Bloggers BOM, find all the info here. For this I will be using some of my Kaffe Fassett fabrics, in red/pink and blue/green and maybe some purple (just because I love it!!).

Looking at my stash I suddenly realised that I need some more in the blue/green colourway - and some background. Hmmm, so off I go to shop at Jackie's :o)

You still have a chance to join the Wanttobe quilter campaign, lots of more prizes to win every day until the end of October - just give me a word!!

Wish all my friends a wonderful evening!

How do you sew your hexies?

Im a newbie when it comes to hexies, but it so much fun! I read somewhere that there are different ways of sewing them together.

Like this, laying them flat together. If you do like this you should avoid stitches to be seen in the front. But I think its difficult sewing like this, takes longer and the front gets sometimes wrinkles and a bit loose.

Or like this, right sides together and sew along. Much more easy and faster. If I look closely I may be able to see some of the stitches on the front, but not much.

Which of the two do you prefer?

Look at this lovely stack of precut hexies. Bought from Possum Blossom, which sells precuts in different shapes. This is Etchings from Moda.

One finished top! I will have to buy some flannel for the back to make it soft and warm.

Wishing all of my friends a wonderful afternoon :o)

Finally on its proper place :o)

Finally my Star Crazy quilt has landed on its proper place! It has been a while since it was quilted, but I havent binded it.

For some reason it has been 'forgotten', but this weekend I showed it to some friends and it was a bit embarrassing that it was not finished. Well, at least thats what my dearest thought :o) He said to me - Merete, you HAVE to finish it now!! And I did agree, so on Sunday it was done. Its actually quite nice work, especially the handstiching on the back!

I have also been working on my new project, it comes together quite easy.

I havent made up my mind about the size yet. I think I will have to make  some more blocks and assemble them to see how it looks. It isnt ment to be too big. 

I use 2 jelly rolls, one white and one 'Little Apples' from Moda.

Have a wonderful week! We were waiting for the remains of the tropic storm 'Katia', and expected heavy winds and rain, but it didnt turn out so bad. We were lucky!

Small purses and a new project

This weekend the weather was really really bad, pouring down. It practically shouted out - its time for some sewing!!! I have seen some purses that I wanted to make some time ago, but never got around to do it. Well, now was the time :o)

I tried some of the borders on my sewing machine, practised my freemotionquilting. Im not very good yet, but Im getting there. A lot better than this time last year......

The purses were fun to make and went together quite fast. But I think it was a bit difficult getting the ends to look good. Maybe it will be easier when I've made a few more of them :o)

As usual Im not very patient when it comes to start a new project. I know-I know, should have finished the hexagon tablerunner first and not to mention all the quilting I should have done.... But the hexies are done by hand, so thats different - and i havent got enough batting for all the tops, and that a good excuse aswell - so I started my new quilt top :o) And here are lots of strips from 2 jelly rolls. 

I just have to show you one of the birthdaypresents I got from one of the girls. She has made it all by herself in secret in my room. She knows how to melt a mothers heart :o) Even if the card stated I had to do the binding myself.....

It was difficult to get a decent photo because of the colours, but I think you get the essence of it :o)

Are you really sure you dont want to join the Wantobe Quilters Campaign at Sew We Quilt? Lots of great prizes to win. Two months left of the campaign with giveaways every day!! Look here to see what has happened so far. To join, have a look at my sidebar, its easy peasy.

Wishing you all a great week!!

Magic loop and a magic weekend

One of the things I have never liked too much about knitting is the sleeves of a sweater and using 5 needles. So I was soooo happy this summer when I learnt the magic loop! Imagine never have to use those needles again, I can knit sleeves, mittens, socks and whatever with a circular needle - what a joy :o)) And its so easy!

My birthday was last week, and one of the things I got was this.

Its a set of knitting needles, all sizes from 3,5mm - 10mm, and cords in 4 different lengths. And I can combine them as I need. Goodbye too the mess of needles in all sizes, never knowing which ones I have and always buying new ones because Im not sure if I have that size or if its lost somewhere..... Everything I need is in this little bag - genius!!!

My birthday were celebrated at Slåtterøy lighthouse, a beautiful little island in the far west of the norwegian coast, overlooking the North Sea.

We got a guided tour in the lighthouse, which is from the 1850's. This picture is taken from the top, looking down at the house we stayed in. I am very facinated by the sea and the forces of nature, so I wished for strong winds when we were there. On sunday it was a strong breeze and this is what it does to the sea - enjoy! Imagine how it would be during one of the winterstorms!

We had a great time!

There are still 9 more weeks to join the fun at Sew We Quilt, today the prize is an Accuquilt Baby-Go. Head over and see and give me a word if you want to join.

Wishing all my friends a wonderful week!