Zippy Granny Pouches

December is time for gift sewing. My list of gifts I want to sew is sooo long. So I don't know why I decided to add 3 more items to the list and then make them first. My brain works in mysterious ways.
Desember er tid for å sy gaver. Gavelisten er alt for lang, så jeg vet ikke hvorfor jeg la til tre saker og så bestemte meg for å sy de først. Hjernen min kan være litt rar.

So first off the list are 3 zip pouches for some grannies (but not the one who reads this blog). The pattern is from Perfect Zip Bags by Elizabeth Hartman. They are about 9" wide at the top.
Så først på listen kom tre tasker for noen bestemødre (ikke den som leser bloggen). De er ganske store, ca. 23 cm brede øverst.

For Granny Eli (husband's grandma) - Odds & Ends by Moda with Essex linen in Putty.
For bestemor Eli (mormor til mannen)

 

For Granny Judith (ex-step-dad's mom) - also Odds & Ends with Essex linen in Putty. A little more green in this one - Judith likes green. I think.
For bestemor Judith (mor til eks-stefar).

 

For Granny Helen (my paternal grandma) - Mama Said Sew by Moda with Essex linen in yarn dyed Black. Granny Helen wears a lot of red, so this should be perfect for her.
For bestemor Helen (min farmor)

All lined up on the kitchen floor - the ONLY place in the house that gets an iota of decent light these days.

Alle på rekke og rad på kjøkkenet - det eneste rommet i huset som får litt dagslys nå for tiden.

 

On tomorrow's agenda - sew something super secret for someone in the family who does read this blog;) Only sneaky peak will be shown before Christmas.
På morgendagens agenda - sy noe superhemmelig for et familiemedlem som leser bloggen:) Kun små hint og smakebiter vil bli vist før jul.

So how are you doing with you to-do lists?
Så hvordan går det med din syliste?

Modern Christmas Tablerunner Swap

The making of a Christmas tablerunner (and ornament)...
Å lage en juleløper (og juletrepynt)...

Drew a sketch and made one block.
Lagde en skisse og sydde en rute.

Liked it, made two more and joined with some white sashing and border.
Likte den, lagde to til og sydde de sammen med hvite border.

Looked a bit plain (what's a Christmas decoration without red) - added some ric-rac and some appliqued stars.
Syns den manglet litt (hva er en julepynt uten rødt) - tilførte kroklisse og applikerte stjerner.

Decided on the day before the deadline that it needed hand quilting.
Bestemte på dagen før sendefristen at den trengte håndquilting.

Got a sick baby and missed the deadline. Sorry!
Fikk syk baby og rakk ikke fristen - unnskyld!

Finally finished hand quilting and binding.
Ble endelig ferdig med quilting og lukkekant.

Made a cute ornament (tutorial found here).
Sydde en søt juletrepynt (tutorial finner du her).

Said ornament tried to run away in the snow! But I caugh him and now the package is on its way.
Julepynten prøvde å stikke av i snøen! Men jeg fikk tak i ham og nå er pakken på veg.

I hope my partner likes her gift!

Håper mottageren liker gaven sin!

Kenwood Major cover tutorial

Welcome fellow hustlers (and old followers)! How are you coming along with your to-do lists? I know I'm behind... And as of today we are 2/3 of the way there. Yikes!

One of the items on my list is a cover for a Kenwood Major stand mixer for my sister-in-law. I have one of these too. If we had pretty KitchenAid mixers we probably wouldn't want to cover them up. But these are more utilitarian and less pretty.

Now, my sister-in-law was quite specific about how she wanted it and it wasn't quilty! What?!? Not everyone wants their house quiltified? Nope! She wanted it plain and linen. Well, I guess I can oblige...

So here's what I came up with and below I'll share with you how I made it.

Materials
Main fabric, lining fabric and interlining (or fusible fleece) - 2 end pieces 10.5" x 14.25" and 1 body piece 17" x 37" of each.
Ribbon - 4 pieces approximately 15" each

All seam allowances are 1/4" unless otherwise noted.

1. Make template for curving top corners of end pieces. I started curving about 4" down from the top and ended the curve about 3" in from the side. Cut both top corners off all end pieces.



2. Baste the interlining fabric (or fuse the fleece) to the back side of the main fabric 1/8" from the edge. The linen I was working with was difficult, so I cut the interlining to size and basted it to the linen before cutting it.



3. Attach the ribbon pieces about 6.5" up from bottom of end pieces and secure ends so they stay away from the seams.



4. With right sides together line up the end of one long side of the body piece with one side of an end piece. Backstitch at beginning. Backstitch over ribbon ends when you get to them. When you get to the curved part make sure your needle stops in the down position and carefully curve the straight edge of the body piece along the end piece, stopping to readjust the fabric as needed.






5. At the end the body piece should be too long. Don't worry about this. Backstitch to secure end of seam.



6. Cut off excess fabric from the body piece. Press seams toward body piece.



7. Repeat step 4 with other end piece of the main fabric. The body piece should be the right length now.
8. Repeat step 4-7 with the lining fabric pieces. Press seams toward end pieces.
9. With right sides together pin main and lining pieces together along the bottom edge. Sew around the edge leaving a 4-5" opening for turning. (Optional: assemble with wrong sides facing and close up by binding the bottom edge.)






10. Turn right side out, press and topstitch along bottom edge (this will also close the opening used for turning) 1/8" and 3/8" from bottom edge.






11. Press and put to use!

There, one Christmas gift crossed of the list. So many more to go...

Thanks for stopping by!

Marit

Feathers finished!

While many I know in the US already have their Christmas decorations up, we here in Norway are a bit more laid back and won't decorate for several more weeks. Traditionally we decorate on the 23rd (yes, of December), but the American in me will probably start in about two weeks:)
Mens mange jeg kjenner i USA allerede har pyntet til jul, er jo vi her i Norge litt mer avslappet og venter en stund med det! Men amerikaneren i meg vil nok begynne så smått om et par uker:)

Until then I will enjoy my newly completed Feathers table runner.
Frem til da kan jeg nyte min nylig fullførte fjærløper.

Pattern by Anna Maria Horner. Linen blend background fabric from Scandinavian store Stoff og Stil. Feather fabric mainly Chicopee with some Flee Market Fancy and Madrona Road mixed in.
Mønster av Anna Maria Horner. Linstoff fra Stoff og Stil som bakgrunn, og stoff fra Chicopee, Flee Market Fancy og Madrona Road i fjærene.

"Organic" straight line quilting and scrappy border (again).
Quiltet med (ganske) rette linjer og nok en gang litt ymse i lukkekanten.

I think this will come back out after New Years because the colors remind me of crocus which is the first spring flower to bloom in our garden.
Tror denne vil komme frem igjen etter nyttår, for fargene minner meg litt om hagens første blomst - krokusen.

Linking up today with:

The (would-be) one hour baby gift

Our little girl's favorite blanket is a simple square piece of flannel backed with some super soft minky. I love minky - it is so soft and the weight of it gives the blanket a nice drape.
Lillejentas favoritteppe er en enkel firkant med flanell på ene siden og minky på andre siden. Jeg elsker minky - det er så mykt og vekten av det gjør at teppet legger seg fint rundt babyen.

I will soon be an aunt and decided this baby (due in 2.5 weeks) needed a flannel/minky blanket of its own.
Snart skal jeg bli tante, så jeg fant ut at denne babyen også trengte et slikt pledd.

(sorry for the lousy photo - poor weather + far north = crap lighting)

If you don't run out of thread in your bobbin or have to get out your seam ripper, it should come together in less than an hour...
Hvis du har nok tråd i underspolen og ikke trenger sprettekniven, skal dette kunne syes på under en time...

All it is, is a 40" square of flannel, pieced face to face with minky (leaving an opening for turning), turned right sides out and topstiched around the edge. Easy! Not the most fancy of baby gifts, but it doesn't get softer and more snuggly than this!
Det er bare en 40" kvadrat med flanell, sydd rette mot rette sammen med minky (la det være igjen åpning for å vrenge), så vrengt til rette sider ut og til slutt sydd langt kanten rundt. Enkelt! Ikke den mest fancy gaven, men det blir ikke mykere og mer kosete enn dette!

Happy Mail (outgoing)

I've been sponsoring the Norwegian postal system big time this week, sending out several packages to the US. Hopefully they will make the recipients happy upon arrival!
Denne uken har jeg virkelig sponset Posten ved å sende flere pakker til USA. Håper mottakerne blir glade når de kommer frem!

1) 3 blocks for Jennifer of Knotted Thread for her Hurrican Sandy Help quilts. A drop in her bucket of blocks rolling in, but nice to contribute. She may still be looking for donations of backing, batting and binding - her flickr group is here. With so many blocks being donated I decided to donate backing and batting for a quilt as well as making these 3 blocks.
3 lapper til Jennifer hos Knotted Thread som skal sy tepper til familier rammet av orkanen Sandy på østkysten av USA.

2) Not-so-Zakka-Style Potholders - these are a thank you gift for my grandparents who hosted a large party for our daughter's baptism in May. Pattern is from the Zakka Style book, but these definately have a different style:)
Grytekluter som takkegave til besteforeldrene mine som var vertskap for vår datter sin dåpsfest i mai.

3) Finally got this baby quilt and little pouch sent off to my best friend from high school who just had a baby. The pouch is for my friend (she had a hindu wedding with elephants and pink being a part of the theme/decor, so I had to give her this little pouch!).
Babyteppe og liten glidelåspung til ei god venninne som nettopp fikk en baby.

And I just received notice that I will be getting some happy mail myself soon, because I WON a layer cake of Odds and Ends over at Lily's Quilts. Weee! Happy Friday to me:)

Og jeg fikk akkurat vite at jeg får litt gladpost selv snart fordi JEG VANT en "layer cake" (42 ruter á 10"x10") av Odds and Ends stoff fra Lily's Quilts. Tjo ho! God fredag til meg:)

And Happy Friday to you too!

Og god fredag til deg og!

50 down, 50 to go

We are 50% done with the 100 Day Hustle. Yikes! I am not 50% done with my list, so something's gotta go! And I may have added to the list too...

QUILTY STUFF - 2.5/5 completed (nos. 3 and 5 must wait)

1. Vintage Holiday quilt - DONE - blogged here.

2. Table runner with AMH feather pattern - thank you gift for my grandparents for myself - blocks assembled!

3. WIP: Finish California Cherry Blossom quilt top, send to professional quilter? Removed from list
4. Windy City Days baby quilt - DONE - blogged here.

5. Jack Attack quilt - has to wait until next year...
6. Baby quilt for brother's baby due mid-December (gender a secret - boo)
7. Christmas tree skirt using some Joy charm packs in stash

GENERAL SEWING - 2/10 completed (2 items added, 1 put on hold)

1. Tote bag and key fob for Mouthy Stitches 2 swap DUE 10/20 - DONE - blogged here.

2. Something (still a mystery to me) Origami Fabric Ornament Tutorial for the Let's Get Acquainted Blog Hop - DONE - blogged here.

3. Kenwood Mixer cover DUE 11/27
4. NEW: Christmas Table Runner for swap DUE 11/30
5. Minky/flannel blanket for brother's baby (same baby as above) - fabrics are purchased and washed, does that make it a WIP?
6. NEW: Hot pads/oven mitts as thank-you gift to grandparents - WIP - just need binding

7. Hot pads/oven mitts (Christmas gift)
8. Zakka style nesting boxes (Christmas gift)
9. Cushions or tote bags for 2 nieces and 1 sister (Christmas gifts)
10. Christmas stocking for babygirl
11. Sewing machine cover (for ME) No way this is getting made this year...

CLOTHING (not high priority, but have all materials ready...) - 0/3 completed

1. Baprons for babygirl using laminated cotton
2. Christmas dress for babygirl
3. Liberty scarf (with crochet lace on ends?)

KNITTING (to get myself out of my sewing room, but not high priority) - 1/2 completed (nos. 2 and 4 must go)

1. Chunky cowl for myself (maybe crochet) - DONE - blogged here.

2. Red Christmas dress for babygirl (maybe...)
3. Green sweater for babygirl (have yarn) - Now a WIP!
4. Purple dress for babygirl (have yarn)

Hey, I just realized that on my quilty stuff and knitting lists I AM 50% done. Hurrah!


Linking up to the halfway point linky party at Kelsey Sews. How are you doing with your hustle?

Pay it Forward recipients

Recipients for the Pay it Forward giveaway/swap are:

• Elisabeth of Shark's Dinner
• Liz of Dandelion Daydreams
• Farah of Handmade by Farah Lin

Not so hard to choose, as they were the only 3 who wanted in:)

And since Melissa (who is paying it forward to me and probably doesn't want in on another round), left a comment - she will get payback! Mwa ha ha! (Yes, I feel very witty.)

Ladies, I will be getting in touch with you to get your mailing addresses.

Happy Monday!

October Roundup/WIP Wednesday

It's the last day of October - where is this year going? Autumn is always my most productive time sewing-wise. I don't know if it is the weather that makes my sewing room so inviting or if it is the thought of Christmas and handmade gifts that urges me to spend hours crafting. Probably a little of both.
Det er siste dagen i oktober - hvor ble det av dette året? Jeg er alltid mest produktiv om høsten. Mulig det er det dårlige været som gjør syrommet forlokkende eller presset av julen som nærmer seg. Kanskje litt av begge deler.

NB! If you want to participate in a Pay it Forward swap/giveaway and receive something handmade by yours truly click here.

COMPLETED PROJECTS/FULLFØRTE PROSJEKTER

Windy City Days baby quilt

My very first tutorial!

A cozy knit bandana cowl

Vintage Holiday throw quilt

Reversible tote and key fob for Mouthy Stitches swap

WIPs/I PRODUKSJON

New: Feather table runner - here are my completed blocks, mainly in Chicopee with some Flea Market Fancy and Madrona Road mixed in. I was only intending to make 4 feathers, but that was not enough, so I added 2 with only one striped side.

I am thinking this will be the layout of the runner

NOVEMBER GOALS/MÅL FOR NOVEMBER

• Make a thank-you gift for my grandparents (sooo overdue)/takkegave til besteforeldrene mine
• Sew a baby blanket and quilt for niece/nephew due mid-December/babyteppe og quilt til fremtidig tantebarn
• Table runner for Modern Christmas Tablerunner swap/juleløper til nok en byttegruppe
• Knit sweater for babygirl/strikkegenser til lillejenta
• Mixer cover tutorial for 100-Day Hustle/lag mønster til trekk til kjøkkenmaskin
• Sew 2-3 christmas gifts/sy 2-3 julegaver

Hmm, that is quite a bit...

Ja, det var visst en god del...


Linking up with:

Slow Bloggers Linky Party - hosted this month by Martha at Weekend Doings. I may not have been a slow blogger this month, but I certainly am one at times and I am a supporter of the "movement".

WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

Fresh Sewing Day and Small Blog meet at Lily's Quilts