What's in the biscuit tin

I have had a couple of sweet e-mails asking if everything is all right with me since I haven't been keeping my blog updated lately. Thank you girls for caring, and I'm happy to say everything is absolutely fine! I have been busy sewing on my secret project, and I sooo wish I could share with everyone, but for now I have a muzzle on ;o) But just so you don't think I'm slacking off, here's a small sneak peek of what's in the biscuit tin

Wishing all my blogging friends a wonderful weekend!

Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida

Lots of not doing too much

Oh my.... it's been over a month since my last post??? Time sure does fly! And I don't really have much to show. I have been working a little on my secret project (I have talked about this before, sorry not to be able to show!), I have finished cutting up my jelly roll for Mon Ami - the lePetite project for January

I only pieced 13 of the 48 blocks so far - I want to use up the JR so there will be more blocks than there are in the original quilt. Since this is very much a project in slow work, I haven't even gotten around to thinking about the project for February... really not sure I'm going to do that one.

Know I'm probably the slowest hand quilter in the world. I still can't believe I got talked into quilting this by hand:

Remember it? It is a swap block quilt from 2007. I was good for a while and quilted about one thread a day for a few months, but once I had quilted about 2/3 of the blocks I put it in the cupboard because I had to focus on other stuff, and it was stuck there till last December when I brought it with me for Christmas holiday. I have set a goal of keeping this on the sofa till it's finished!

Progress has been made over the last few weeks. I still have five and a half setting triangles and one corner left to quilt, then I can go hunting for the perfect binding - woohoo! :o)

Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida

First little finish

Wohoo! I have a finish for 2011!! December's LePetite project, and it really is petite *lol* This is how my little Prairie Point Christmas quilt turned out:

It is ca. 8"x6" finished, and was a great opportunity to use up some very small scraps, but very fiddly to put together and quilt. It is now on it's way to a non-blogging quilting friend, and hopefully it will come to use come Christmas :o)

Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida

LePetite

I didn't get around to finishing the December LePetite in time for the deadline, but I hope to have it finished in a few days, and also have this month's project finished by the end of this month. Think I can do it? The centre of the top is finished:

It is quite a lot smaller than the original. I started out with 1.5" squares for the prairie points, and I have fewer rows. But I think it turned out pretty cute so far - just need to figure out what to do for borders.

For this month's LePetite - the "Mon Ami" Schnibble - I'm using a jelly roll of Jennifer Chiaverini's New Year's Quilt collection for Red Rooster. I have had this roll and some yardage in my stash for quite a while and I figured what better use of it than the first quilt of the year?

Four first blocks are together, and using the Easy Angle ruler they are quick to cut.

The blocks turn out a bit bigger than Carrie's pattern, as the HST are 2.5" rather than 2", but I don't want to trim them down, and I don't mind a larger quilt.

Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida

New year's resolution

With a new year comes new goals. I have observed there being a lot of UFO challenges out in blogland, and I too intend to work on my UFOs and WISPs this year. But I don't want to limit myself too much, so what I want to do is to finish a UFO/WISP before starting a new quilt.

Anyone want to join in? The only rule is that an ongoing project has to come off the UFO list before starting a new quilt. I don't want to include little projects in the "new quilt" category since doing a mini can be very inspirational, and sometimes we just have to make those little gifts etc. Projects already pledged (like the LePetit) will also fall out of the "new quilt" category since it is something signed up for last year.

Don't sound too difficult, does it? Please feel free to grab the badge for your blog, and join in :o)

Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida

Godt nytt år!

Wishing everyone a very happy, healthy and creative 2011!!!

Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida

God jul!

Wishes for a very merry Christmas to everyone! Hope it will be a season of peace, fun and relaxation!
Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida

It's snowing

Yes, it's snowing outside, and it's a definite snow-theme inside as well. Listening to cross-country skiing race on telly, quilting my Snowman quilt...

...and humming this song:

In my book this is the ultimate winter song! I absolutely LOVE it! And for those who don't understand the lyrics, here's my (slightly clumsy) translation:

I'ts snowing heavenly correction fluid
Over mis-spelled summer

Listen, the sounds of the city dissappears

Under the falling floods
We have heard no snow flakes are the same
And such wonders one can think of for a moment

I lean my head back

And get an ice kiss on my mouth

And get an ice kiss

It's snowing silent star sisters
From invisible mouths
And dizzy from the attac from soundless seconds
Today, Earth is sieged by a heavenly army
Without weapons the whole city is brought to it's knees
Everything goes slower here on Earth
When all the sky falls down

When all the sky falls down

Thanks for the useless snow
A bother and a burden

Earth is sieged by a heavenly army
Without weapons the whole city is brought to it's knees
Everything goes slower here on Earth
When

all

the sky falls down

When

all

the sky falls down

Enjoy your Sunday!

Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida

Amazing prize

Have you been following Sinta's and Sheri's "LePetite" posts? Did you see the one noting the winners for Paganini? I couldn't believe my own eyes when I saw my own name at the top of the list saying Carrie (yes, the Carrie of Miss Rosie's Quilt Co!) had a surprise from fall market for me! This morning I went to the post office and picked up a big box - I'm so excited about this and can't wait to begin playing.

On the top were these scrumptious charm packs:



Sunkissed by Sweetwater has lots of soft and flowing prints in subtle and summery colours. Central Park by Kate Spain is also very sunny and cheery - lots of botanicals and zoo inspired prints. Both of these will be available in January. A Morris Tapestry by Barbara Brackman - a reproduction line using the patterns of William Morris and John Henry Dearle was fresh in the US shops in November. Le Petit Poulet by American Jane is very bright rich country type colours and there's the cutest honeycomb print with bees. I can't find the swatch pictures on Moda's website so I'm not sure when this is out.

And digging deeper in the box I found these rolled up layer cakes - yummy!!



Dilly Dally by Me and My Sister is so bright and cheerfull - another line that will be fabulous for summer. It will be out in January. I have a bit of a soft spot for Fig Tree fabrics - somethings so comfy with Joanna & Co's muted use of colours. Buttercup is another line that falls into that category. Oasis by 3 Sisters is soft and romantic in colours. These will be found in shops in February.

Oh, I want to play! This is really childish, but there's something special about being able to play with a toy that not everyone else is able to play with yet *lol*

Thank you so much for the amazing prize, Carrie! I'm so thrilled!
Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida