Blogger's BOM #9, 10 and 11 and progress on BD-quilt

As you know, I have been - still am - extremely busy completing Johnny's birthday quilt. Victory to me; the quilt top is done! :) Some days ago I decided on backing; flannel and today I started the sandwiching, pin basting and thread basting. The quilt takes up the entire dinning room table - a good reason to tidy up a little bit of stash, sewing equipment etc. I'm not going to tell more about it now, it has to be a secret! :)

Well, being busy with visitors (June) and thereafter the birthday quilt, I have not had time for the Blogger's BOM blocks - until some days ago... After working weeks on a big project, it feels good to rewind with a few blocks only.

I thought it was time to do Blogger's BOM block #9 first of all. Jacki over at Canton Village Quilt Works is hosting Blogger's BOM quilt-a-long.

Block #9 has Cathy from Cabbage Quilts tutorial

Since the start, I decided to make two of each block, alternate the fabrics I'm using. I'm not sure about the colors I have chosen here... perhaps a bit too bright to my liking...
Anyway... they are OK... :)

 

Block #10 is from Pam over at Pam Kitty Morning and you'll find the tutorial here.

Block #11 is from Victoria at Bumble Beans Inc. Click here for the tutorial.

Block #12 will be out August 25th and has Amy Ellis at Amy's Creative Side direction.

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It's weekend and I think I'm going to continue working on Johnny's quilt. I have started quilting it, it will be a mix of FMQ and stitch-in-the-ditch. I've started with the latter, but - sigh - it goes slow... I had a break from it yesterday; I was fed up! :( That is how it should be, isn't it, a love & hate relation to a quilt?! :)
This is all I can show.... Be patient, it will be revealed in a 3-weeks time...

Dear readers; have a wonderful and crafty weekend!
  

Table runners and placemats

Working on dear friend Johnny's birthday quilt takes up most of my time these days. I'm happy to say I have left to do 3 more blocks... then the top is done! :) I'm going to use flannel for the backing, you know, those cold Norwegian wintry nights... :) I can't show any photos, because Johnny is spying! :)) Him to blame, because he wanted it to be a secret! :)  

I finished a few projects earlier this month, but first now I've had time for taking photos.

A table runner for spring or summer...

... with matching place mats

Another table runner...

The checked center piece is cross-hatched quilted and the floral (zinnia) border is FMQ in a meandering pattern.

Meteo didn't predict very nice weather today, so I guess it's going to be another day snuggling up in front of the sewing machine! :)

Birthday quilt progress and a finish

I have been rather busy over the last days, cutting and preparing charms for the Postage Stamp Quilt Challenge and Swap 2012. Sunday evening I had enough charms for the July swap and I even have some sets for the October swap.

You may remember I posted about the birthday quilt I'm making for my friend Johnny in Norway? It has been neglected for quite some time, but now I have to give it first priority. The 'birthday child' is landing here middle/end of August, so I have not more than 5 weeks to complete it! PANIC!!! :) So far, I have 18 blocks, but I think I need more...

When I was busy cutting the charms, I had enough time to churn out more ideas for Johnny's quilt. I came up with some 'Flying Geese' blocks and started working on them yesterday morning.

Chain piecing the 'geese'

Either he has had enough of being neglected or he knows whose quilt I'm working on... :)

Part of some 'Flying Geese' blocks...

Some days ago I finished this chocolate themed table runner

Close up. Those chocolate pieces look delicious, don't they?! :)

It's early morning, I've had a mug of hot cocoa (nesquick - the easy way!), so now I'm ready for more 'Flying Geese'.

The 2012 Postage Stamp Challenge and Swap #3

The craze, the fun and the excitement is all over the world again!

Mary over at The Curious Quilter is hosting the 2012 Postage Stamp Challenge and Swap.

If you have missed the first two swaps, don't despair, you have the possibility to participate in this swap or perhaps the last one this year in October. If you are a newbie and don't have enough charms (100) for a swap, you can sign up and request a newbie gift of 50 charms.  For this swap you can read the details here and you have up to July 22nd to leave a comment here.  

Who can resist such a little treasure in the mail on a bad day?!

Allison in NH; thank you! :)  

I had so much fun participating in the April swap. I cut lots of 2 inch and 2.5 inch charms. My swap partners are in the US, Canada and Australia and a newbie gift ended up in Malaysia.

For the April swap, I had 10 swap partners for the 2 inch charms and 13 for the 2.5 inch charms. Easy mathematics? :) I received 1000 2 inch charms and 1300 2.5 inch charms! I have had a look at all the charms and if I haven't missed any, there are only 2-3 of fabric I already have in my stash. Isn't that amazing?! :)

I also had a private swap of 2.5 inch charms with Sally in Malaysia. Sally, I love the charms! Once again; thank you! :)  

After cutting charms like crazy for the previous swap, I thought I had sorted out and cut all the scraps... How wrong I was! There, on the top of the shelf was a shoe box full of something; Christmas scraps!

It took me 2-3 days to empty that box... I didn't know it was that much there! :)

Some of the charms cut for the July swap.  

This weekend I'm cutting more charms. The 2.5 inch charms are done and the 2 inch charms are all spread out on the dining table ready to be packed into parcels of 100. (Forgot to take a photo).

Country Chicken and bunnies

Hello everyone!

I can't believe more than one month has passed since I last posted! Where does the time go?! Well, I 'blame' it on our visitors from India - lol! :) We got to know they were coming only one month before they landed here, so I had a lot of preparations to do. The lower-ground-floor was a mess after repainting the bedroom furniture and a few other things. I had to tidy up and clean the entire floor, windows included and give it all a new 'make-up', which took up most of my time. We enjoyed the visit very much and we visited a few places together. To read more about the visit, click here.
It took some time after they left to get into our daily routines again, even quilting. I have worked on several projects over the last couple of weeks - all started this year. Last week I finished the 'country chicken' quilt and bunny table topper.

Being white background fabric, I had to wash both items after they were finished. I love that crinkled look/feeling of a washed quilt! :)

All the colored fabrics and the hens and roosters are swatches from a shop in Norway that had close-down sale last year. (Remember the old lady and the box?) I've added white tone-on-tone (from my stash) as well as I was lucky to buy the backing on sale ($5.98/yard)  - same fabric line; 'le petit poulet'.

Close up of one of the roosters.

I'm quite satisfied with the FMQ; loops, which I find easier to do compared to meandering. It is said 'practice does perfect'! :) Well, I'm far from an expert, but at least my skills have improved since my very first FMQ...

The backing, where I have incorporated leftover chicken... :)

I wasn't very happy with the table topper after part of the top was done. The pinwheels looked too big compared to the bunnies... I had the feeling the bunnies disappeared somehow... haha, they jumped away! :))  

After putting the thinking cap on, I decided to add a white border around it - and voila! I think it looks much better now...

One of the bunnies.

The entire table topper is FMQ in small loops.

Here too I have used the same fabric line - 'le petit poulet', - leftovers from the quilt, added white tone-on-tone from my stash and used the same red backing as on the quilt.

I have a few other projects that are almost done. I've been working on the binding over the last days too, left to do all the hand stitching.