Rearranging blocks - veldig fint!

Very nice! she said content when she had finished rearranging last week's sewing.

Quirky, me? Never!

Oh, no she thought - I'm IT. Well, the tag is on me. The lovely Lily wants me to disclose my inner secrets ;-D So here I am trying to squeeze my brain for details. Oh well - here goes.

1. I am nothing without milk in my tea in the morning. A morning without milk is a sad morning in our household.
2. Being left handed I find it nice that it seems that Joakim is left handed too. He draws with his left hand. It does not matter which hand he uses, I know, but that some genes are being passed on, I find amazing. Hope he does not inherit the temper of his mama, though. I also love that Amanda has industrious/inventive sides. Amusing is also when we find that they share the same humour as us.
3. I read several books at a time. My quilts go through the same process. UFO's everywhere.
4. I have a tendency to think I look like the person I am talking to. I do not know why.
5. I hate when (I think) people are looking over my shoulder to see what I am reading on the train, yet I am soo curious about what other people are reading. How stupid is that?
6. I do not like to read reviews or resumés of films in advance, I like to be open minded. I feel I get more out of the film that way. I hate to know too much beforehand, so that I can make up my own mind about whether I like it or not.

The rules for this round of tagging is:
1. Link to the person that tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

I am truly sorry about being a bad sport, but my sportsmanship ends at rule number 3. Anyone reading, inclined to reveal their true selves, feel free to feel tagged! Now catch me if you can! While the kiddos are watching "Babe", I am running off to fondle some new additions to my fabric collection. We love Z and S, don't we?

Oh, my daughter beat me to the race :) See ya!

To Market to see sir Fassett

My head is slowly processing the happenings of last weekend. Images keep popping up. We went to the Norwegian Quilters Association's annual meeting, i.e. Market. It turned out to be the best ever! (My first) There were creative women everywhere. And they were running from workshop to workshop, listening to lectures, studying the exhibition and adding to their fabric collections in the basement venue of shopping extravaganza.

We had the honor of being able to attend Kaffe Fassett's lecture on Saturday. Some blurry pictures were taken before and after the slide show, but I will not post them, as I have not asked his permission to do so. I could have though, because we had our books signed, and he is the sweetest man. The audience got to ask questions, and I gathered up some courage and asked if he quilted by hand. And he answered that making works for himself he both pieces and quilts by hand. As he signed our books, I said how happy I was to hear that he did handwork, and he said what he also really loves is to hand sew the binding to the quilts. Our man from the 18th century! Although he claimed he had not entered the 21st century, he expressed gratitude to the fact that his audience is capable of handeling computers and the internet.

And so we went to see the exhibition. There were some amazingly talented women represented. In the near future I hope to be able to post some pictures of the quilts that spoke to my heart.

Then we went down to the basement - and it was filled with wonderful quilt shops.


Norwegian quilters are fortunate enough to have access to some exquisite LQS's. One of them is Lappemakeriet, run by two lovely ladies, Trine and Anne Kjersti. The first quilt - on display at their stand - shown here, is made by the wonderfully talented - in my humble opinion - Rie Norum. I was just stunned by her work. Just look at those small pieces. And I LOVE the quilting.


I am also always stunned by the talent of Trine Bakke. I do not know for sure, but I suspect that the sampler block-of-the-month-quilt is made by her. She has inspired many Norwegian quilters for many years, and I feel priviledged to be one of them. The LeMoyne star quilt is in its second year of being the shop's block-of-the-month quilt. They have different fabric packs for quilts made in different moods, two of them being "70's madness" and this one inspired by marine colors.


I will have to direct you to May Britt's blog to see more shops displaying their goods, as I only asked permission from Lappemakeriet to show their stand.

What also made a significant impression was seeing a Dear Jane quilt. Actually the first completed version I have seen in person. Being an avid blog reader, I had just seen Hanne's quilt in one of her recent posts. To see it in person was incredible. My friend and I were able to say hello and commend her on her work. Another amazing quilter present at a wonderful Market.

I går og i dag - yesterday and today

My worktable is a small sideboard meant for the kitchen. But it works just as well as a cutting table.

After some thinking I have started to make a block from the Civil War diary book. I like the size. I think I will be making the ones with titles not too directly affiliated with the war. Reading the entries really shakes me up. Sad times. But many of the blocks are too lovely to pass on.

And what to do with the narrowest scraps? Well my industrious daughter decided they made excellent hair ties. No need to say this mama loves her idea!

Jørgas syskål

My paternal grandmother died six years ago, at the age of ninety two. She taught me how to knit. I was given this wooden bowl afther she passed away. I grew up visiting her every other week end, and this bowl was a central part of her living room, sitting in her corner cupboard - where she also I might add kept the bowl of sweets, which was always filled with chocolate.


As a young girl she made the small stitch sampler that always laid on top of the bowl. The wooden piece is missing a handle, and was used to mend socks. I have seen my gran put it to good use several times. But only recently I had a closer look at it, and to my surprise there was an inscription, written in red ink. It must have been inscribed by one of Jørga's sisters - I can only guess who, but I think I know. It must have been given to her just before she got married to Akka, my father's father, in 1933. Her sister had written: Elsk din Akka og stopp hans hoser. Which would be in English: Love your Akka and mend his socks.


I love the marks the needles have made, engraving the wood.


Twelve triangles quilt so far. The pieces are really small, and one does not use up a lot of fabric. Which makes me think of the women who made quilts to make good use of their scraps. One could make a quilt out of practically nothing. Makes me feel a bit sad and I must say a little guiltridden, and also a bit false, since I go out and buy fabrics. The artform has changed, but I suppose that happens to many aspects of life.

So I guess I should just enjoy what I am doing, and maybe that way humbly remember the women who were not as fortunate as I, but must have found joy themselves in what they were doing. The result of their hands' work really shows this. I am often stunned by how women living through difficult times, could rise above it and make quilts. Even though they mainly were utility quilts, the women making them must have gotten the same buzz making shoo fly quilts and log cabin quilts and others, as modern quilters do.


J leker med lego denne morgenen, vel, nå sover han. Ho = smokk, Emil kan han si. Han hoster en del. I dag ville A til barnehagen. Vi kjøpte nye grønne sko i går. Glitresko uten rem på Hennes. Ikke særlig komfortable, tror jeg, siden de hele tiden må settes på på nytt. Og hun har lært seg det etter hvert.

Ni år - Nine years

Nine wonderful years, two amazing toddlers later.
Elsker deg, M
We are having a quiet evening. I have wished for a long time to write a little about my paternal grandmother's sewing basket, or rather sewing bowl. Maybe tomorrow.

Det ble ingen barnehage i dag. Heller ingen søm. Vi lekte - danset - etter YouTube-innfall. Enten ble valget bifalt med et megetsigende nikk, (Jackson 5 - I want you back - sporet et utbrudd: La oss gå og leke NÅ - nå må vi bare skli) eller så ble det nedstemt med hoderisting. Når hun blir takket for noe, kommer svaret kontant med smil: Baare hyggelig!

Hos E trives Joakim - det går bedre og bedre. Ikke fordi det har gått dårlig før, men de siste ukene strener han lykkelig mot døra og vil dra, når vi nevner at hvor han skal. Det er godt. Tirsdag hadde det falt så mye snø, som hadde smeltet såpass for så å fryse til is igjen. På veien opp bakken fra det siste krysset, ble vi sakket av en varevogn som måtte sette ned farten siden det kom en svær trailer i motsatt retning, ned bakken - med varselblinken på. Dermed mistet vi momentum, og ble stående stille. Jeg prøvde å gasse, men nei. Vi skled bare bakover. Til sist stod vi på tvers, bare noen meter fra begynnelsen av bakken, og kom verken hit eller dit. Han som kjørte før oss, kom seilende til fots ned for å "kolla läget". Det hadde jo samlet seg en pen mengde med biler, så tre karer kom til slutt ned og dyttet baken på bilen i rett vinkel, slik at jeg kunne rygge tilbake til en vei, for å snu. Og det gjorde vi. Vi kjørte til Rema og så hjem. Amanda var ikke i form, så vi var hjemme alle sammen, i og med at Mats også måtte ta det rolig. Ingen undervisning den dagen (han vikarierer denne våren også).

Nå går Antikrundan i bakgrunnen. Vi har en stille kveld. Jeg vil prøve å skrive om bestemor og hennes sykurv, eller nærmere bestemt syskål.

Hand versus machine

Two projects. The green and red is a part of my hand pieced sampler, and the one below is a twelve triangles block done by machine. Love to do both. The labeling of something done by hand or machine is odd, I think. Does one not use one's hands while piecing using a mechanical device?

I have found a way to systemize the cutting of the triangles, and I am eager to start, but A is at home and chores have to be performed. Later.

Jeg har opprettet konto hos Flickr. For mange bilder relatert til meg, som jeg håper jeg kan få organisert litt bedre.

Amanda har sovet lenge, og vi skal til barnehagen når hun våkner. J hos E. I dag har vi vært gift i ni år!

Windmills

Friday night. Everyone else in bed - TV show in the background, some fellows competing who can stay the longest in the sauna, with clothes on. Red cheeks all around no one giving up. 110 degrees celsius now. They give up. Good.

I have two quilts in the making at the moment that I both call windmillquilts, although someone else might call them something else - all the fascinating names for different blocks! I suppose it only shows that different people from different cultural bakcgrounds and times connote differently to patterns. I like the idea of that.

Anyway this is the quilt I got to baste with my good friend at her house last month. As usual a lovely evening. She has a co-worker from Japan, who also quilts. Maybe we all could go to Tokyo one day (preferably in January) to see the International festival of Quilts held there each year.

The quilt has been in my drawer for quite some time. I actually made the top ten years ago, at the time I met my husband. As he is a Swede, my working title for it is "Winds from the East". He swept me off my feet, you might say.

It is a quilt top made from surplus fabrics from an Ohio star quilt - which was my second quilt (maybe third - if a small wallhanging which was my first - counts)


My other "Windmill" laid out on my design floor - others have design walls, I know, I know.

The process of making this is thouroughly enjoyable. I cut my half square triangles after instructions from a book by Marsha McCloskey. The technique is accurate and fast. Leaves a lot of surplus triangles though, but they will be put to good use in good time. Just don't know how yet, but triangles are so versatile, I have no worries about finding a way to use them up. Looking forward to it as a matter of fact.



Nighty night!

Oh another thing. I have fallen completely and utterly in love with Faithy Trumbull. There will be several encounters with her in the future, as I have succumbed to ordering the magazine. Thank you Lucy - once again.

Flere ord: Opp. Ap = Postmann Pat. Eis = Små Einsteins. Neida, vi ser ikke mye på tv her i gården. Nei da. Tø/Me = tørst. Amama = Amanda

Spring cold

Sneezing and resting to get well.

I love to learn new techniques and hear of useful tips. And a newfound friend, Lily, has the most lovely weblog. I don't know how to describe her work. Just amazing. My cup of tea, would be an appropriate but unsufficient description. She posted a tutorial on hexagons. So fun to make. And they appear to be very complex in the making, but are not!

Here are some of the circles I have made so far on my ever so slowly growing quilt.


I goofed up, as the Americans say. While chatting on the train home from work with my colleague and neighbour, I misplaced the setting of the block I was working on. So that produced what felt like two new blocks, but of course it was just one extra.

Some laundry calls my name, and my children need to be fetched from Kindergarten.
Later

Flere av Joakims ord: KO = bok, KA=kanin, katt. Amanda på vei til barnehagen: Når jeg blåser blobler, ler M. Et mors hjerte er bløtt, takknemlig.

I really don't know life at all...

Trappa - garbage?

Ja, nå begynner huset å miste sine symbiotiske trekk. Trappa kappes opp til ved. Her er ikke virusbasillene ute av kroppen ennå, så jeg håper at en dag hjemme vil hjelpe på.  Barna er i sine respektive "institusjoner", som jeg kom til å si i går på jobb. Damene begynte å lure på hva slags mor jeg er, ha ha.

Kutter og tegner opp flere sirkler og halvmåner til Jane-teppet. Det blir spennende å "finne" midtstykket.
Ellers hørte jeg Kaffe Fassetts ode til radioen. Han var med på et program for noen uker siden. Tror det heter Midweek. Veldig interessant program. En journalist som intervjuer aktuelle kulturpersonligheter i stuido.

Det hamres og P4 står på for fullt der oppe. Men lydisolert er det! Joni Mitchell kom med i dragsuget, dog. Ikke verst.

En applikert dame fra Civil War Diary-boken, som så mange for tiden lager lapper fra i blogosfæren. Senere.