Deliberate absence.

Because I'm so slow in writing my blog and commenting I decided to stay away from blog land while finishing two graduation quilts. Well they are done and have found a new home.

But first.. here is the first quilt I completed (at least as I remember it) I hand sewed these big Grandmother Flower Garden blocks and hand quilted it too. It was a (few years late) birthday present to my uncle when he turned 40. and now I'm going to his 50 birthday party next month. He likes the quilt very much and sleeps under it every night.


Here is a quilt I started in April. It's a variation of Bonnie's Patches and Pinwheels. This quilt went in the mail last Friday to a friend of my DD1. There was a mix up in the information I got from her so I'm afraid the quilt was a few day late, but has hopefully arrived now.


And here is the Boxy Star from a previous post ( again Bonnie's) quilted, but it's so big I could not get a good photo of it inside and it was raining on Saturday when I finished hand sewing the binding down mere 30 min. before we went to the graduation celebration for DD2 boyfriend.


It was fun making those quilts but I was totally exhausted when they were finally out of the house. I take my hat of for those women that whip up a quilt in a day or so. And then sew down a binding in the evening watching TV. Phew, that is so not me, just the binding takes days.

And now my darlings..... I'm going blog hopping.

Sunna.

Retreat. Nupur 2009

On Friday I went to my guild retreat. It's how we end each winter.We go to this place, Nupur. It was a boarding school, mainly for children from farms around but also for older kids all over the country. There's bin no school there since early 90 something. Instead it's used as hotel in the summer. The people that look after the buildings live there and the wife serves us when we stay there during the retreat. (They don't run the hotel, and it's not open jet). I took this photo upon arrival on Friday at 12.30. It takes me 45-60 min. to drive there.

This is the dining room where we sew and dine.

This is how it looks during the sewing.

And then we clear three rows of tables for the formal dinner on Friday night. (Delicious as always) For coffee, breakfast, and soup lunch on Saturday we just sit around one of the ping pong table. They make great work stations.


We made three tops for comfort quilts for what we call heroes at home. We had sent quilts to Reykjavik (the city) to be given to children in the children hospital there. But then came the idea to give rather to individuals in our own area that we feel are needing comfort. These tops were for three girls.

This bear quilt is not like our usual quilts because one our member is related to the youngest girl and wanted to make a center for the top.


We have a bank (paper box) that we can deposit 7 1/2" log cabin block to when ever we want. Then when someone brings up a need for a quilt there is a top ready in no time. Although we sometimes call for some extra girlie or manly or... blocks, depends on the receiver. This quilt and the next are for twins.


When I took the first photo of this top I saw a block turning the wrong way so I fixed it but now when I loaded it on the blog I see another. The fourth up left. Go figure. Lol.


Then there was the informal show and tell. We just drape our finished projects from the winter around, on a platform in the corner or out in the hall and then we have to run to get a photo when someone has got the maker to hold it up for a shoot. Lol. We have talked about doing a real show and tell but some of the women are so shy it would never work. They would then stop bringing their work. I only got a photo of few of the projects.

That quilt is mostly hand appliqued by the woman on the right. Her name is Gudrun and she hand quilted it too. It's stunning.


This half made top was being held up shortly before we quit and I don't know if its a table topper wall hanging or a quilt top. The maker is holding it. Her name is Soley. It's really beautiful.


And then I got a photo of this great quilt when we were leaving. Johanna, the maker, once had a bit of a scrap that could only be made to an 1 1/2" x 2 1/4" rectangle. Every time she had some left overs she cut them to that size and then made this quilt when there was enough. She hand quilted it.

And this is the back. Johanna was very careful to not let her shoes be seen. Lol.

This was as always so much fun and sitting by these huge windows I also had good time watching the weather changes. From rain to sun to snow to sun ..... The window in my sewing room is both small and high up on the wall so I only see the lower part of hubby's work car that is parked outside. I had not realized how much I miss seeing out while sewing.

Sunna.

P.s I worked on Bonnie's Patches and Pinwheels that I've bin making, first as leeders-enders and then working full time on it for some time now. The blocks are all sewn. Will post a photo when it's a top.

DM quilt, crocheted afghan and other things.

Hubby needed to use the computer so here is the rest of my post. While I waited for my turn again I finished sewing down the binding on this Debbie Mumm sampler. It was a BOM on her site in 2007 and I finished the blocks in December that year. Then nothing happened until last November when I decided to use it as a practice piece for my machine quilting. I like the sashing idea but I found out that I'm not a sampler person, which I find a bit funny because I like seeing other people samplers. This is the only thing I've made from DM patterns.


I talked to my uncle about the sewing machine. It's not from his MIL but from his son in law Grandfather who was always fixing things for friends and family. Uncle thinks the sewing machine was never taken back by it's owner because the shuttle (not shooter like we say) is missing. He had found out it's from Germany and was made in 1919. There is more about it here
and here. I'm not finding the sites I find very useful, but then I'm not very good at searching.


This is how far out of the ground my daffodils are. Sorry about the dog .... in the front, (only noticed it just now) this is what comes to light when the snow goes away. I have jet to take the rake and clear all the happy things our dog has left in the garden this past winter. Also bones are not friendly to my lawn mover.


The crocuses are always a happy sight. The first rays of color every spring.


And here is the crocheted afghan my Granny made me when I was a teenager. I used it on my kids beds and I was surprised when I found it (on a shelf in the laundry room right in front of my eyes when I'm folding laundry, duh) how small it has become after all the washings it's bin through. I remember it shrunk a little every time, but it's at least 20 cm. smaller now than when it was new and let me assure you, it's not that I've grown taller.


That's it for now.

Happy sewing and gardening.

Sunna.

Challenge.

I've bin challenged by First-time Grandma to show the door to my home. I thought I could do better than that because I'd just found an old photo of the farm we live on. It's taken on March 4 1988 from the other side of the river. It looks pretty much the same today, apart from the two shacks on the right. They were old hen houses not in use anymore and were torn down the following summer. That winter, 1987/88, was unusually snow light.


This is the door we use for guests and us, when we are not in working clothes. This door is under the stairs that lead up to the old better entrance, it's not very big but as you step down when you enter it's usually okay. (People don't hurt their head very much. Lol.) In summer there are flowers in the old milking bucket and can.


When we took over the farm in June 1987 this was the finer entrance and the one we use now was the lesser. There was a trapdoor in the kitchen floor (on the second floor) and a dangerous stair to the first floor. My hubby's Grandparents always went out to go downstairs unless the weather was absolutely crazy, then they moved the kitchen table and a kitchen bench to get to the trapdoor.

They gave us a new and safer stairway. It made the kitchen smaller so we took down the wall to the front room. (Where you came in through this door) We use this door as a summer door and because it's so old, the wind blows right in around it, so we got the white door that we close in the autumn. (We would have to have a new door specially made because it's so small and that is just to expensive).


I would love to have you over for a visit.

Sunna.