Keeping bags for my student-girls in Trondheim

 Instead of an Advent calendar for my student-daughters I have made these keeping bags for Hanne Beate and Synnøve. This solution is a temporary one; they have a shared Advent calendar with their little sister Gunhild at home. And I have started to make new ones for them....... The bags are filled with sweets and goodies; one parcel for each day until they are coming home for Christmas.

I ordered labels from minanamnband in Sweden some weeks ago. They turned out to be very handy. Perhaps these band will be my driving force behind finishing some of my UFO's.....I bought 200 pieces so I can go through many projects, hehehehe.

Harvest time activities

On my way to my guild's sewing-together-Saturday I discovered this beautiful Autumn-theme.

I started my "Hokey Pokey"-quilt on this sewing-together-Saturday.

I bought a kit from A Quilter's Dream when I visited their stand in Long Beach this summer.

I love these Batiks and their colours.

 Synnøve celebrated her 21th birthday that very weekend. Both students came home from Trondheim for the weekend. And of course she got a birthday-cake from me; a jelly roll with a lot of whipped cream, set vanilla custard, fruits and jam. Yum-yum :-)

My middle daughter is growing up, she has started to drink coffee........

Autumn

Pictures from a walk not far away from my home.

My youngest daughter Gunhild sitting on a bench; beautiful girl and beautiful view!

Magnus confirmand last Sunday :-)

I found this picture of Magnus on Facebook. So I made him a purse or a pencil case and added some money inside it for a gift to him. He really liked it :-)

And here is the handsome Magnus outside his church. He is my cousin's son.

I got a wish on my cellphone......

 ....from my oldest daughter. She attended the medical studies in Trondheim this autumn and wanted a pencil case. And of course I hade to make this with owls on the fabric!

Wise as an owl...

Happy Birtday to Gunhild!

Sweet seventeen!

Gunhild is born on Midsummer Eve and looks like a Nordic Princess. I'm a very proud mother of course.... :-)

Freebie: Two hearts to stitch

Two hearts to stitch for you (to celebrate my husbonds 51th Birtday today and Valentine's Day tomorrow).

Happy Birtday; Roger!!!!

OUR FAMILY; a quilt poem

Our family is like a patchwork quilt

With kindness gently sewn

Each piece an original

With beauty all its own

With threads of warmth and happiness

Its lightly stitched together

To last in love throughout the years

Our family is forever.

(Author: unknown)

Old stuff; a little bragging

Homemade Advent Calendars

In Norway and Scandinavia there is a tradition of having a so-called Julekalender (the Norwegian word for an Advent Calendar) starting on the first of December, and ending on Christmas Eve.

I want to share with you two of my home made Advent Calendars. An Advent Calendar is a special calendar which is used to count or celebrate the days of Advent in anticipation of Christmas. Today, most advent calendars are made for children, but the first is my sister Anne’s Calendar. She was in her’s forties when she got this from me. Two years ago she got this filled with chocolate and other sweets gift wrapped. It is really simple sewn. The heart is made of many tiny scrappy pieces just glued to the linen by using appliqué-vlise. Stippleseams are both decorative and easy to make. A pocket is made by folding a quilted fabric on the quilted linen-top and small parcels of sweets were put in this pocket. Each parcel had a ribbon with a number at one end and these ribbons were hanging outside the pocket. This way she could see which parcel she should take each day during Advent. Free motion-quilting is used and I sew “Hjertelig” (meaning sincere/hearty) to her.

The second one I made for her twins when they were one year old. They are going to be 16 years this summer, so time passes quickly :-)

The pattern is from a very dear book of mine. 24 rings are sewn on the Calendar so wrapped gifts can be hung by them. Beginning on the first day of December, one parcel is opened each day, counting down the days remaining until Christmas Eve, from one to twenty-four where the 24th gift often is bigger or more expensive than the others.

Thank you Anne for sending me the pictures so I could brag about these Julekalenders.

Merry Christmas to all of my friends

Today is Christmas Eve and in Norway we celebrate this evening. All of our girls are home for Christmas and we are going to enjoy a good dinner, eachothers company and every minute of our holiday. I always enjoy the sight of Christmastree and the snow outside our house. I have a special reason to celebrate tonight; It's been two years since I finished my cancer treatment. My last radiation treatment took place on Christmas morning 2007...... So I sending a special wish to all "pink" ladies out there; All the best wishes for you and your families. And to all of my readers; Happy Christmas to you all!

Synnøve's back from Bali and my sister Anne visited us this weekend :-)

Synnøve. She has cut her loooooong hair short. No matter how long her hair is, she looks marvellous anyway. Good to have her save back! 

Saturday night meal.

My youngest daughter Gunhild and my dear sister. Look at my Adventstar in the window, I love this. It looks swell from outside too.

This second Advent Sunday we went for a walk through the woods in my neighbourhood. We are four siblings living in each part of the country. It is very cozy when we meet. Thanks for visiting us, Anne.

My brother is having birthday!

My brother is turning 49 years today. Big party next year in Bergen....?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, TRYGVE.

Love from

HAPPY BIRTDAY TO YOU, SYNNØVE!!!

My wonderful daughter Synnøve is 20 years today :-)

I cannot give her any presents or cake because she is in Bali............., but she will get cake and presents when she returns home before Christmas!

Hugs from me to you, Synnøve.

I've got mail both from USA and England :-o)

Wednesday was my lucky day :-)

No bills in my post box that day. Instead an Australian Homespun magazine and.......

..........these cute boxes with 2 mini honey buns per box and one Jelly Roll. I bought these from Hancock's of Paducah. I simply love these fabrics from Moda. They advertise this Jelly Roll; "Leave your worries behind. Splurge! Have fun with it. Happy sentiments abound as you take in the fun and whimsy in Sandy Gervais' newest collection for Moda. Warm and bright. Sandy's citrus colors invite you to enjoy these fabrics. Premium 44" cotton. Honey Bun includes 1.5" by 44" strips of 40 fabrics."

And some goodies from my favourite shop in Gjøvik; Sømsenteret.

The mauve, the green, the red, the striped and the one with sheeps are all new arrivals. The other ones are sales fabrics :-)

And I had to have some batting as well :-)

And am I sewing? A little bit now and then.......

This weekend we are travelling up in the mountains with Ruth and her husband. I'm looking forward to go to their cottage, it is very cozy there.

But before I can take off to the cabin, I have to say;

Happy birtday to my sister ANNE!

Have a nice weekend everyone!