Good shops give inspiration and good help!

 I've been quilting for nearly 35 years and I've seen shops come and go, seen how internet shopping has grown. I hope we can find a balance between shopping local and on the net because we need our shops. Shops where we can get help when our project stands still, inspiration to a new project when our ideas are out, and a place where we can touch and have a look at new fabric.

Some of my favourite shops are good at making new projects of the new fabric very quickly, some make new variations of old patterns  and some make small gatherings  for quilters where they show models, fabrics and all other new quilting must have stuff. They use Facebook and Instagram to keep us all updated and get the feeling I must buy……..

I’ve had a really big collection of fabrics and everything, but after I became an early age pensioner, I had a big clean up. I’ve reduced my fabric “collection” and stash “collection” and try to buy what I need instead of what I think I will use some day in the future. I have much better time to sew and quilt so I can still buy new fabric to new projects. I can call the shop I saw had a nice fabric on Facebook or I can have a trip to town and touch and see.

This table runner I made after a Facebook picture from one of my favourite shops KathrinesQuiltestue in Oslo. The shop and staff are good at everything .

Project in progress

A quilter is never out of work. I think we have the opposite problem, - too many projects at the same time. There are always new projects everywhere we go either in our local group, in our shops or on the web. Too much tempting all the time and we buy new patterns, kits and fabrics.

I’m happy to be a part of the quilt world, but I try not to have too many projects going on at the same time. After I got early retired last year, I’ve finished a lot of my UFOs, and sorted out my patterns and fabrics. Now I just have one big project and make smaller projects in between. I also have a bag with hand sewing to bring with me to the guild, and various waiting activities with my grandchild.

My big project now is “Farm Sweet Farm”, a Riley Blake design with fabrics by Lori Holt. It’s a sew along on the web that started January 2019 and finished in April. Lori Holt gave new instructions every week how to sew every block. The only thing you need to buy is “Farm Sweet Farm Sew Simple Shapes”.  You can of course by fabric kits and a lot of other things for this project, but it’s not necessary. I bought a fabric kit for this last summer, but didn’t start before this June. The instructions are still there and I’ve made week one, two and three and starting on week four now. Here is a picture of some of what I’ve made.

 

She has also a lot of other Sew Alongs on her blog. Have a look at Lori Holt’s blog. Good and easy instructions that gives nice results!

Back on track

After a long period with a lot of changes I’ve decides to go back to blogging again. It’s a strange time for everyone with the Covid virus, but I’m thankful there is a lot of things to enjoy at the same time. We can’t let the fear and anxiety take over everything.

Here in Norway we had a full lock down in March until June and I got paralysed the first period. I just sat watching the news and thought the whole world had gone mad. Then I decided that I couldn’t watch the news more than once a day and I started quilting again. I got colour and fabric into my thoughts again and I finished a lot of UFOs and Work in progress.

I want to show you one of my most colourful quilts this winter. I found the pattern in a magazine Love of Quilting from 2014. The pattern is named Trifecta and designed by Tanya Finken.

The colours go from light pink to dark purple and even some orange. I loved sewing it.  A real fabric- vitamin injection!