Japanese Lanterns Third Month Summary - suggestions on how to get back on track?

Another month has passed since I started piecing my Japanese Lanterns quilt. During the first two months I made heaps of progress, and got most of the blocks pieced and the first rows put together. However this last month, being back at work full time and being on call both previous weekends I really haven't had the energy to do any more than my BOM blocks for Just Like a Jigsaw.

So my tally hasn't been updated since August 4th, and no more rows have been added to the rows already put together.

Any sugestions on getting my mojo and focus back?
Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida

Just Like a Jigsaw

This star block is my month two of the Just Like a Jigsaw BOM by Sue Daley. Ok, yes I know I don't have the best track record when it comes to block of the month programs, but when I spotted Lapp-Elisa is doing Just Like a Jigsaw I just couldn't help myself.

This is a collection of English Paper Piecing shapes and tips of how to put them together. The binder, thread and patterns came the first month, and every month now I get a parcel with fabric, templates and paper shapes to play with.

Not really sure what to do with this as the goal is to learn the technique and see the possibilities of the shapes, rather than end up with a quilt... there might be small projects coming from this, or perhaps a sampler quilt... For now I'm just having fun and playing with fabric and EPP :-)

Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida

Japanese Lanterns progress

I have been spending a couple of weeks at the family summer house, and enjoying time on the verandah in the evenings I have made some progress on my Japanese Lanterns quilt.

Most of the dark blocks have come together, I have quite the stack in my sewing basket.. I still have a lot light blocks to stitch

- both for the center and for the edges.I haven't really prioritized the edge blocks as I have been stitching from both sides of my starting row, hoping to distribute the fabrics as eavenly as possible.As I don't have all that much variety it's a bit of a struggle, but I think I have done pretty well so far.

I have been thinking of maybe doing a ninth row, but I have to see how much fabric I have left to play with... ans how inspired I feel once the next few rows have been put together....

Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida

Summer Hand Sewing

Summer temperatures have found their way to Oslo, and spending time with Bernie doesn't feel too tempting. The corner where my desk and sewing machine is set up is fairly dark, and it gets a bit hot and stuffy when the sun warms up the bricks of the building. I still have ambitions of finishing my Park Bench quilt within the forseeable future, but at the moment hand sewing sitting outside enjoying the nice weather is more tempting.

I bought Sue Daleys Playing with paper pack 34 at some point after the inspiration night Kathrine's Quiltestue arranged back in April 2011, and it has been sitting on the shelf since. I have opened and closed it a few times thinking to do something with it, but feeling I should finish other stuff first. Now I have decided to give it a go:

The main part of the quilt is made up of only two shapes: the diamond and the jewel, while the edge has triangles, half diamonds and half jewels as well. The blocks are coming together very smoothly, and I'm having heaps of fun with this! Once it is done my quilt will be very different than the original Sue showed at the trunk show:

Enjoy summer!
Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida