Calendar Girls, + knitting

Now that the winter has arrived with snow - rain - wind and its darkness,  it's the perfect time for
 a story (a audiobook), sit in you favorite chair with a needle (knitting or sewing)
in hand and listen to a good story.

I have been listening to The House at Riverton (also known as The Shifting Fog) by Kate Morton.

A rich and engrossing story of love, passion, secrets and lies set in the gaiety, glamour and grand country houses of post-war Edwardian England.

Beautifully read by Caroline Lee.

Knitting Christmas presents!!!!

And doing some stitchery 

 few months behind - so what!!!!

I've also been quilting my Dear Jane, 

hopefully I can finish it when I get back home after Christmas.

Going to Iceland next week to celebrate Christmas with my family,

really looking forward to see them all.

Happy quilting.

Paula

Building houses

Decided to build one house for each month

so it is a Doll Quilt, well not a Quilt yet, but

soon to be, it is a top, that will be quilted by hand.

This quilt I named Pentecost, the idea came to me last Whitsunday

 and I decided to participate 

at the "Bastelkiste" exhibition in Luxembourg. (very small exhibition)

The theme was to be feast.

But I believe it was a bit too religious. 

But I will hang it in my sewing room, I like the colours.

The books I have been reading lately:

The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath's only novel, published 1963.

The Journals of Sylvia Plath.

Gathering Evidence, a memoir by Thomas Bernhard.

The Loser by Thomas Bernhard

All rather depressing

My life with Mozart by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt (very sweet book)

Then came the best one "LANDVÆTTIR" by Ófeigur Sigurðsson.

very funny story about a young man's life working in a "meat processing factory".

Sorry to say it is only in Icelandic.

Well that's all,

Happy quilting.

Paula

The winner is:

Lin

the name that wins the book.

"Reasons for Quilts"

by Edyta Sitar.

I hope she enjoys the book.

Preparing for winter, three pairs of socks, one pair already out of the house,

2 meters long scarf and

a sweater with a hood. 

You can see a bit of my "Dear Jane" in the second picture.

I'm machine quilting it.

My wish is to finish it before the end of this year and

have it at the Dear Jane Exhibition in Nantes 2013.

It is always good to have a goal - isn't it??????

Until next time

Happy quilting

Paula

In September I did blog hopping with Moda and left a comment on 

Edyta Sitar's blog, and guess what, my name was picked among 20 others.

So when I came home form ???? - this Daily Journal for 2013 

and a bundle from her newest collection of fabrics; Dancing in the Rain, 

was waiting for me. Ohhh What a joy.

I love Edyta's  books and have them all, 

actually, I have two of "Reasons for quilts"

and would like to give one away.

If you are interested just leave a comment and I will

 pick one name by random,

first week in November.

Do you know where these pictures are from?

This was taking from the plane, when I left this country.

This is a little village 

where they have snow in the mountains in July,

cooked in saucepans like this, some years back

when my mother was young

have some bleakness

not all roads paved.

some beautiful lava

and beautiful colours.

Now what is the name of this country?

Until next time

happy quilting.

Paula

Blue Flowers in the Forest

Blue Flowers in the Forest is now a quilt.

It was quilted by Elly Prins in Den Haag, 

and she did a great job - over all leaves.

Even my DH, who never comment on my quilts,

thinks it's beautiful.

This is the back of the quilt. 

I intended to use all my Kaffe's left overs for the back,

 I was not half way, when I saw this beautiful fabric from KF.

Changed my mind,  the back has now a big block in the middle,

and can be used on both sides.

Until next time

Happy quilting.

Paula

Calendar girl and knitted shawl

This is my first Calendar girl, with a little change,

July girl turned into June girl (Icelandic spelling)

with the Icelandic flag.

The national holiday in Iceland is in June.

Labels for two almost finished quilts.

First I print the pictures on prepared fabric for printing,

when it is all dried I run it through the printer with the text.

The blue one was taken out of the plane in July when I flew 

from Iceland back home.

The green one was taken in the forest in Luxembourg.

I took an online class at Crafsy.com called Mastering Lace Shawls

and knitted this silk shawl.

I just love to wear shawls.

And will soon knit one for the winter.

Until next time.

Enjoy your day.

Paula

Work in progress

This is what I have been practicing, 

Skinny Line Piecing Technique, and this block ended up

in a small quilt top which I'm quilting by hand.

I will show you the whole thing when it's all done.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend
and enjoy what ever you are working on.

Paula

Three more flowers

Still working on my Flower Garden.

It's so inspirational to go over to:

"One Flower Wednesday"

where one can see and admire the flowers
the others ladies are making.

Thank you Karen for hosting.

Three more petit flowers, made of 5/8" hexagons.

Sweet Nostalgia.

June - Let's play ball.

It's  not June yet and I have finished all twelve blocks.

I started last year with the July block in that same month. 

I kept up with a block each month until now in May 

I also did June.

But this is just half way, 

Now there is: Sashing and Quilt Assembly.

Until next time

Happy stitching.

Paula

Blue Flowers in the Forest 

That is the name for my top. It is still just a top, 

for the backing I'm going to use every single piece of K.F fabric I have left.

That will take a while. Then we will see if this one is a top or a back.

It is 93"x87".

This is Kaffe's yarn, which I really love. 

Multicolored wool and so soft.

One day this will be knitted into an afghan.

You can also see the book "Color Guys",

I like that book, so full of colors, knitted into scarfs, cushions and blankets.

Until next time

happy stitching or knitting or.....

Paula

One flower

This flower is made of 5/8" hexagons. 

I have sewn 1" Half Hexagons on both sides of my top.

I'm thinking of a border and appliqué 

some smaller flowers

like this 5/8" or 1/2" on the border.

I'll make some more flowers and see how it will look. 

I just don't want to stop making flowers.

If you like to see some more flowers, just visit 

Karen  at Journey of a Quilter. She is hosting this 

Garden Party every Wednesday.

Thank you Karen!!!!

Sweet Nostalgia

This is my block for May - How does your garden Grow?

Designed by Dorothy Baker. 

Finished eleven blocks - just one more, and I can start to put them all together.

Until next time

Happy stitching

Paula

Reiko Kato

Last week the OEQC was held in Veldhoven in The Netherlands.

I stopped by on my way to Rotterdam and saw many beautiful quilts,

but none like Reiko Kato's. 

Here are some pictures I took and want to share with you:

And of course I had to buy her book, and some other stuff.

I read an article about Reiko where they say 

she only sleeps four hours a night, from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m.

She is immensely prolific.

That is beyond belief, only four hours sleep every night,

I need my eight hours or I'm out of function.

Until next time

Happy stitching

Paula

Workshop

 Kaffe Fassett workshop last weekend in Luxembourg.

It was very interesting and lot of fun.

The photo is of the workshop's project

called "Sunlight in the forest" designed by Kaffe Fassett, 

and of course his fabrics.

It is in the book "Quilts  in Sweden".

Never a dull moment, every minute used. 

Waiting for everyone to arrive.

After the class he signed books.

You can hear him criticize my work.

Until next time,

Happy quilting

Paula

Sweet Nostalgia

Just after Easter I managed to finish April block for Sweet Nostalgia top, 

two more to go.

Instead of satin stitch the Chicks and the eggs

I used wax color crayola (heated).

I'm not good at satin stitch.

And now that I'm hooked on small stitching

I bought myself Nana's Calendar Girls.

I'm thinking red there.

Next week I will attend  Kaffe Fassett's quilt workshop here in Luxembourg,

that will be something new for me.

 I'm not really a big fan of Kaffe's quilts,

but I like his knittings. But we will see.

Until next time

Happy stitching

Paula

Happy Easter

The Icelandic Easter eggs ready for the kids.

I wish you all a happy Easter.

This beautiful little block came from Cheri in Oregon

and is my 50th block from Annelies siggie list.

I have prepared and signed 60 blocks for 

the Dear Jane siggie swap this year.

Enjoy your life.

Paula

Still on schedule - March block finished,

it is called "March Winds Doth Blow".

Only three more blocks left to do of this

"Sweet Nostalgia" stitchery from Dorothy Baker.

Just finished this knitted cardigan for the Spring evenings in Luxembourg.

But for Summer evenings in Iceland it has to be pure wool.

I bought this wool from Pickles in Norway.

It is 100% Alpaca from Bolivia

so soft and beautiful.

And here you can see I have already started. 

Hope I can finish it before I go to Iceland for a family gathering this summer.

Until next time,

Happy quilting or what ever you are doing.

Paula