Vestlandstreff at Voss

Life has been a whirlwind since I left my beautiful room with a view and travelled home from Voss. It was a great weekend. The journey up there was rather quick and half way there I realized I was totally orange. Orange jacket, orange scarf, orange purse, orange bag. In case you were wondering, I do love orange.

I could have caught an earlier train from Bergen to Voss, but I’d rather spend a couple of hours with my fabulous niece who is a student there. I was admiring the station roof as I was waiting for her, the structure and lines would look nice in a quilt.

This is what 30+kg luggage looks like. Oh man; heeeaavvvyyy.

The weather was perfect and so was the view from the train. Not too cloudy, no wind and glorious fall colours just starting to pop.

 

 

 

I stayed at Fleischer Hotel, one of the historic hotels, on the top floor facing the fjord. Being shuttled back and forth to the school where I was teaching, I never got around to getting a proper picture, so I borrowed this from their website. Fantastic, isn’t it!

And with lots of traditional details everywhere.

The ladies from Voss Quiltelag, who hosted the event, were ever so kind and fun and helpful and everything went smoothly. The classrooms were light and airy and everything was in order. Thank you ladies, for a great Vestlandstreff!

The only little hiccup was that one of my students had forgotten the pedal and chord to her machine at home, but she was able to borrow a set from a sewing machine supplier. Phhhew.

The Saturday class was “Mix and Match for Christmas” with 7 lovely and eager students. They all made wonderful Christmas projects and we had lots of fun.

The Sunday “Med hodet på skrå” class was equally fun, but somewhat smaller with only two students. Fortunately they were great, so we had lots of fun, and they too both made wonderful projects. I knew it would be a small class up front (although not that small) so I had prepared another sample and kits that we got started on.

The journey home on Sunday was mainly spent in company with some old and some new friends. It was really funny as we all pulled out our knitting projects on the train. Maybe it is possible to be all quilted out after all. My luggage was fortunately 10+kg lighter on the way back after unloading books and kits and handouts and whatnots, and I was very good buying only a teeny tiny bag of paper shapes for English paper piecing.

 
Now I have just a few little details to put together, and I’ll be ready for my next adventure - travelling to Trondheim on Friday to teach the Lag på lag class. See you all later!

Visiting Jæren Quiltelag

A week and a half ago I got to spend a dark and rainy Saturday with a lovely group of quilters from Jæren Quiltelag at Bryne. The project of the day was Mix & Match for Christmas and these ladies whipped up some wonderful projects.
As usual on any kind of quilting class there were stash and stuff everywhere and lots and lots of glorious colours. I must say getting to play with other people’s fabrics is quite enjoyable. I even got a hot lunch, a delicious Mexican soup prepared by one of the ladies. Yeah, brilliant day indeed!

Done!

For my last Sew & Tell Friday (at Amylou’s) and Fabric Friday (at Rosebud’s) this year I have the last Christmas projects from my To Do List. I’m so happy I’m done with these. Now I have only my red table cloth to hem + 2 place mats. I had some fabric left over, and thought it might be a good idea to have a couple of extras for grandson. I’m not so fond of solid coloured table cloths really, every stain is visible.

Home for Christmas is my purple version of Urban Christmas (sorry about the light and shadows in the picture, there is just one, unstained fabric on the right side). I used this and The Pink Snowman as a demo on my workshop. Have you any idea how difficult it is to get the pieces placed properly when you are in a hurry to show everybody how it’s done? Anyway, now I’ll just need a nail to hang it for holding our Christmas cards this year.

The other finishes are All is calm 29-32, the last 4 Christmas-card-quilts from this post. I did not manage to get them done by Wednesday (when I should have handed them out), so these will go in the mail, safely tucked into envelopes.
Now I’ll add this post to the show & tells, pop over and get inspired.

A Pair of Pink Projects

Two more finishes to cross off the to-do-list:

The belly quilt
Remember 35 weeks down, 5 to go post? Writing it I remembered that I did start on a pink version for daughter, and decided to finish it as a little Christmas present. Grandson is 2 ½, so it was long overdue.To those of you that were so kind to ask for a pattern, I will finish it, but there is just not enough time before the holidays. However, I understand that time will exist on the other side of the 24th of December, although it does not feel like it right now.


The Pink Snowman
is a wall hanging from the Mix & Match for Christmas pattern, and is also for daughter. Yes, she does love pink. I use most of my pink fabrics for her quilts, but I really should use it more, it’s such a pretty, clean colour, and looks fabulous together with grey. She has seen this one as I had to ask if she wanted the vinyl pocket, which she did not. I’m not used to making the same quilt twice, but working on several projects in different colour ways has actually been fun. I’m amazed how different they look even though the design is the same.


The third thing I’m happy to cross off my list, is deciding on a design for the class I will teach in March. I really need to start working on the samples soon, and having a design in mind sure does help. As my brain is buzzing with ideas and fabric combos, I still have a lot of baking and cleaning to do before my parents arrive. I would, for instance, love to see if the kitchen table is still under the pile of fabric and stuff I washed last weekend. It would also be nice for parents to have beds to sleep in, so I will be off to IKEA first thing Monday morning. I hope I can make it through the Christmas decoration department without being tempted; we’re running out of storage space…

Christmas Mix

Here are some glimpses from my Mix & Match for Christmas Workshop 3 weeks ago and some fabulous projects made at the workshop and by other quilters out there.

My samples

Now, with 22 students at the workshop, there was not much time running around taking pictures, but I managed to get some of the last bunch to leave. I did not ask their permission to post their pictures, but here are their fabulous projects, although not very well lit I'm afraid...

Santa’s Cats by Gunn, Brit and Margit
Urban Christmas by Inger Marie, Sissel, Marianne and Liv Kirsten
Santa by Marit
Christmas at the cabin by Kari and Mari

Lorene sent me this picture of her wonderful Santa’s Cats table runner
Lynda has posted a picture of her wonderful Santa’s Cats table runner here,

and cottonreel of her fabulous Urban Christmas projects here.

"Calle's cool companions"

is the ninth and last of my workshop and pattern samples; another “julepost” with the same motif as Frosty’s feathered friends.

I know, I know, I did get a bit carried away doing these Christmas projects, but I thought it might be a god idea to show how different fabrics can be used, and they were so much fun to make. As an additional bonus I have a lot of Christmas gifts ready, and it’s only October.

"Winter wonderland"

The eight workshop quilt is done. It’s another “julepost” with exactly the same houses as Urban Christmas, but I have added windows to this.

"Santa is carrying gifts"

is the last project type for my workshop and pattern. It is an advent calendar with a separate fabric covered wooden piece for hanging little presents, one for every day of advent.

You can choose where to hang the wooden piece

The Santa is the same as Blue Santa, but in a totally different colour scheme. This one is for grandson.