Patriotic Table Runners and WIPs

Hello! 

It's Sunday again, two weeks into April already. Where did this week go?! 

Rain and thunderstorms today and Meteo has issued 'heavy rain warning' until tomorrow morning. No venture out in this weather and what is better than sew?! :)

The Norwegian National Day - May 17th - is approaching. 

I have a few patriotic quilted items in our Etsy Shop and after selling one table runner last weekend, I've been busy making two more. 
https://www.etsy.com/listing/505436334/patriotic-table-runner-quilted-norway

I had some fabric left of this fun navy blue striped ribbons and made a variation of the one above. (Soon available at RedNeedleQuilts) 

I was looking for a specific fabric the other day and instead of locating the one I was looking for, I found these

Aren't they beautiful?! Love daisies! 

I've been pondering what to make and it can't be anything else than a summer table runner! :) I pulled out a white tonal daisy fabric and a matching yellow to the turquoise (azure) fabric and made two different fabric combination blocks

DH is my biggest supporter. I often ask him for advises and this is his design

...and here is mine. I love both blocks, both would look great as table runner / topper. Hm.... I think I'll make one of each. 
Please tell me, which one is your favorite block? 

I haven't had much time for the Scrappy Batik Star blocks, but managed to squeeze in time to make two last night

...and in between, when I have some 1.5 inch squares for my insanity project....

Altogether I have 103 blocks x 36 (squares in each block) = 3708 squares!
For a quilt size measuring 72 x 90 inches, I need 6480 squares! Not more than 77 blocks (2772 squares to go)! YIKES! LOL Honestly, I'm not sure how big I'm going to make it. 
With all the blocks I already have, perhaps it's time to start sewing them together?!

HAPPY EASTER WEEK! 

Little been done....

I'm quite sure all of you have heard about the tragedy in Norway; the car bomb blast in the centre of Oslo and the shooting of teenagers at the Labour Party's annual youth camp on an island just outside Oslo. I've been glued to the TV and reading newspapers since it happened Friday 22nd afternoon. It is difficult to take in the scale of what has happened and over the weekend I have felt kind of numb, unable to do much, thinking of the horror stories from some of those who survived. 76 people died and still people missing after the blast in Oslo as well as at the island...

Rose procession at the City Hall/Oslo - said to be 200 000 people in grief and solidarity.

Photo: Scanpix/Aftenposten

It's so touching to see the carpet of flowers outside Oslo Cathedral, Norwegians and people from other countries showing their solidarity and grieving together with us. I didn't know it was going to be that hard for me to be away from Norway, but I wish I could have been there to add flowers too... With 10000 km/6200 miles apart, that's not possible. 

My heart goes out to the Norwegian people; across the miles, you all are in my thoughts! 

Photo: Eirik Helland Urke/Dagbladet

 

Marked deep into my soul of what has happened, I haven't been able to do much over the weekend. Last week I decided to get a UFO - Easter wall hanging - out from the shelf... I was worried - lol - because it was the umpteenth time I got it out, trying to figure out a solution for the border around the center panel... Since this UFO has been sleeping on the shelf for at least 2 years - or perhaps 3 years - I can't remember exactly, I refused to put it back again! :)

Here's a sneak peak from from the wall hanging's center panel.

 While trying to figure out a border, I worked on a table topper, using the same fabrics. The latter was supposed to be a table runner, but wasn't satisfied after doing the center. Therefore I added fabric to the longest sides and worked it into a table topper. I have left to choose/find backing for both.

I've finished four more mug rugs. Indeed, making mug rugs is addictive! :)

Life goes into normal again and today I started working on something I have wanted to do for a very long time..... More about that in another post! :)

 

Escaped frozen Europe / Frustration over no I-net connection

Dear friends, followers and readers!

It has been way too long since my previous post. I escaped the freezing cold Norway / Europe before the airports closed due to snow. Norwegians can't help it but smile though; it rarely happens airports in Norway are closed due to snow! I thought - or better say hoped - my flight back to Mauritius was in time, but no. We boarded the plane bound for Paris in time, but got stuck at Gardermoen airport (Oslo) for two hours, before we were able to take off - due to snow storm (5 cm snow - big smile!) in Paris! I missed the flight to Mauritius, but "fortunate" the next flight that evening was almost five hours delayed so I was re-booked to that flight. The flight went well. There has been some positive changes at Plaisance airport, and going through immigration didn't cause any problems at all. Wearing a residence permit I didn't have to line up at any of the "tourist counters", instead I went to the "resident/work permit counter" where there were no queue at all. Wonderful! :)

I left Norway in -24C - landed at Plaisance with its +28C - what a thermal shock! It felt like walking in to a sauna - phew! 
I had a wonderful stay in wintry Norway. The last days of my stay provided -12C, clear, sunny sky - a real winter wonderland! I enjoyed walking in the cold, breathe the cold, fresh air, enjoy the landscape; trees covered in white etc. BUT, I must confess it feels wonderful being back in the tropics, where I don't have to dress in layers of warm winter clothes! After seven years in Mauritius, I guess I have lost the habit (already) of wearing winter clothes - lol. :)) 
I have more photos to share with you, but it has to wait.

*********

"Thanks" to our service provider Nomad, we have been without I-net connection since Dec. 13th. According to them, they are upgrading the system for better service and faster connection. (It is allowed to hope!) Does it really take almost two weeks - or even more - to upgrade??? Are there other problems that is supposed to be a secret?! I don't know how many times we have called Nomad the last days - in vain! 

1) They don't pick up the phone.

2) ... "the connection will be established within the next hours"

3) ... "the connection will be established this afternoon"

4) Communiques; "the connection will be established within the next hours" 

5) ... "there will be a reduction on your next bill" (Hurray!!!) 

These are some of the answers we have got, either by a person who "accidentally" picked up the phone, or by several communiques. 

When it all started - Dec 12th or 13th - we were told they are upgrading and the connection will be established the next day - Tuesday 14th at 2 o'clock pm. How many days have gone by since then??? 

I think clients had been more understanding if Nomad had informed about the upgrades in advance and not told "stories" all the time! I know they informed about upgrading the modems - it has been printed on the bills - but as far as I know (perhaps I'm mistaken) there has not been any information about when the upgrades were going to take place! 

I don't know if I should say "by chance" we got to know from a poor soul at Nomad's customer service that XP is operative, but not Vista and Windows 7. 

There is something called "customer service" - and I URGE Nomad to work hard on establishing a proper customer service, which - according to me - does not work to any customers satisfaction as it is now! At Nomad's homepage it is written; 

1) "send sms to ...."

2) "send email to ...."

I don't know how many times we have sent emails or sms's, because they have not picked up the phone, but it has NEVER happened any at Nomad's so-called customer service has gotten back to us! In the end, we have had to take the phone call! Are they saving money???

I can't believe otherwise than there are many furious Nomad clients in the country these days. Some weeks ago Yashvin became a follower to my blog, and I have the pleasure to read his blog. Yashvin - thanks for following my blog - and thanks for sharing your frustration about Nomad - we relate to it! 


I can also mention Nomad's account department - another part of Nomad that doesn't work properly. We always pay bills before due date, but still; outstanding amount accumulates each month - how come??? The connection has been "chopped off" many times due to "lack of payment", which is darn annoying when we know we have paid; we know it is their fault, but still we have to make the call! We have called; "yes, we're going to look into it"...... etc. We have sent e-mails and sms's - no replies. Finally, after months, the latest bill show "no outstanding amount" - for how long...??


Per today, we have no idea - no information - how long Nomad's "upgrading" is going to take. Since XP is the only system that works right now, I have to use my "dinosaur-pc". The poor thing - the pc - is almost ten years old, but even if it is slow - at least it still works! :) 
I was going to post more photos from wintry and freezing cold Norway, but as long as Nomad is acting up I'll have to wait until I can use the laptop/Vista. 


Advice to Nomad;
Tell your clients the TRUTH - don't try different stunts by lack of information!!! 

Stash shopping in Oslo

Bet you'll say; oh no, two posts in one day! :)) Today - finally - I have some time for blogging. You know how it is; visiting friends and all that doesn't leave much me-time - so that's why I do two posts in one day. Hope you don't mind?! :)

I was not supposed to buy anything during my stay here in Norway, but already I have excess luggage! Well, I'm exeggerating, of course I was supposed to do some shopping, but NOT stash shopping, because fabrics are very expensive here!

Those of you (Norwegians) who have visited Kathrine's Quiltestue surely know it is impossible to leave that shop without buying as much as a needle - ain't I right?? :)

Visiting Oslo - it is a "must" to visit this shop! 

Lovely, isn't it?!

Some of the fabrics...

I fell in love with the fabrics used in this quilt! Can you believe it; the fabrics were begging me to buy it - lol!

Here's what I bought;

I don't have any pattern in mind for these fabrics right now, but that shouldn't be too difficult!

I bought these fabrics too; 

These fabrics are for the Crabapple Hill pattern Over the River and through the woods. I don't remember when I bought the pattern, must be at least one year ago...

I don't know what to say.... If these kind of shops had been available in Mauritius, I'm afraid my wallet had been empty all the time! :))

More from the shop...

I stayed at my friend Elisabeth's (no blog) place in Oslo for some days when I visited Kathrine's Quiltestue.  I intended to do some more shopping that day, but with all the stash I bough it was too heavy to do more shopping! :)

I had a great time at Kathrine's Quiltestue. A big thank you to Kathrine (I think it was her) who helped me choose fabrics for the stitchery mentioned above!
I had a blast! :))

Having a blast....

...in Norway!

Yes, I'm currently in a freezing cold Southern Norway.

-10C / 14F - a little bit snow. -10C isn't that bad - when there's no wind - but add wind and it feels like -30C / -22F!!! Then it feels cold! And yes - coming from +28C / 83F - I am freezing! Not inside the house of course, but I do not like to venture out these days! Living in the tropics for 7 years, I have become such a coward when it comes to real winter. :) I even feel cold during the Mauritian "winter" too! :))

You may wonder what on earth I'm doing in Norway this time of the year.... Well, it's a kind of business trip I had to do; renewal of my passport, which is not an easy procedure living in a country where there's no Norwegian Embassy. Living in Mauritius, means that I either had to renew my passport at a Norwegian embassy - in my case; Maputo - Mozambique, or the nearest one in Antananarivo - Madagascar - or any other Norwegian embassies in the world - or at a police station in Norway.

Before April this year - I think it was - fingerprints were not required in Norwegian passports, which makes the process (living abroad) a bit more complicated. The Norwegian Consulate in Mauritius does not have the "green light" to issue passports and I doubt it ever will, because there are only a few Norwegians living on the island.

I love the 12-months summer so much that I had decided not to visit Norway during winter - but here I am!

When I still lived in Norway, I loved to travel and went abroad at least once a year. After I moved to Mauritius, I have settled - sort of - I don't have that urge to travel - lol! :)

I LOVE traveling by plane! Especially the Boeing 747! I love the take off's; the feeling of power from the engines, love to have a window seat to see how the wing works during take off and landing, the speed; approx 980km/609 miles/h, touch down at 200km/125miles/h. etc.  Amazing! It has always facinated me how such a "monster" takes off. :))

(Not my photo, it is from this link).

I was lucky to get a flight to Paris - Oslo.
Since I haven't travelled to/from Mauritius since I settled there, I'm impressed (a little bit - don't have too good experiences from immigration) by the improvements through check-in and custom at Plaisance (Airport Mauritius).
The weather condition over the African continent was perfect that day, so we landed at Charles De Gaulle in Paris before scedule. I had a day-flight, which I don't like that much - quite boring. By that I mean traveling during the night makes it easier to sleep. Yes, I don't have any problems sleeping while traveling! :)
Flights from Mauritius to CDG/Paris take approx 12 hours. I had transit in Paris - to Oslo - and had to go through two security checks; passport and hand luggage check points. I'm not very happy about some of the rules; liquid not allowed! I bought two 50cl bottles of water at Plaisance, but was forced to throw the one I had left at that hand luggage check point! I didn't feel for having the small bottle of red wine I got on the plane, so I decided to bring it - but NO! Had to throw it too! Not even allowed to buy alcohol at Plaisance because I had a connectiong flight!! :(( OK - lesson learnt!!! Not that I HAD to buy alcohol, but it had been nice to bring a bottle of delicious rum (local made) to my friend. (Idiotic rules, if you ask me!)
CDG/Paris is one of the biggest airports in the world - if I'm not mistaken. I had to go from terminal E to F by shuttle bus and it took ages. Flight to Oslo was on scedule, and we landed at Gardermoen/Oslo on time - after approx 2 hours.
BRRRRRR!!!! -8C / 17.6F - SNOW!!! It was a shock! Leaving sunny Mauritius in +28C / 83F - it felt so darn cold!!!!!
I've stayed here for a couple of weeks now - soon going back to my tropical paradise.
Norwegian winter IS beautiful, no doubt about that, but I do prefer 12-months summer!
It's WINTER - and I haven't forgotten where I'm coming from! :)