Reflections on 2010 and new years promises.

January was cold so I spend a lot of time in my sewingroom. But I tried a little bit skiing. As usual one of the new year promises is to exercise more in the year to come.

February . I still did great on my weekly focus projects. I am going to have the same focus in 2011, because this made me actually finish a lot of WISP's. And of course join the OPAM 2011. This years OPAM really pushed me to have at least one finish each month. And when I now count all finishes in 2010 I am so happy Kris and Peg will host OPAM 2011. I had 51 finishes this year...YOHOOOOO :)

March was a very special month. I got to meet Yoko Saito and spend some time together with her at the Norwegian Quilt associations annual meeting. I am a big fan of her books and patterns so this was soooooo fun. Wonder if I will meet a famous quilter in 2011. So far I have met Yoko Saito, Lynett Andersson and Leanne Beasley.

April. My quilt guild went on a quilt trip to Kathrines Quiltestue and Lappemakeriet.

May is weekend with good friends at the cabin. A lot of chatting, sewing, good food and redwine, and sharing quality quilting time with good friends. I look forward to several cabin trips with my friends in 2011.

June. Hanne and I decided to deal with our Butterfly garden BOM. And I know we are going to have challenges in 2011 to. It is great having friends that pushes you to sew on projects you the most of all wants to forget.

July and quilt trip to Lappeliza with Hanne and Bente + quality time at Bente's cabin. I hope summer 2011 will give a lot of warm summerdays so we can sit outside on the porch sewing.

August. The Butterfly garden quilt finished. Hanne and I gave eachother a challenge finishing this quilt, but we both sewed and sewed and sewed. So the finish came faster than we had expected. And I know that several other bloggers followed us in this challenge and finished their quilts too. Perhaps we can inspire others in 2011 too.

September. The quilt inspector Frida Cat loves sitting in my sewingroom while I am sewing. And this Autumn Houses quilt that I thought I should hang up on my wall this fall, is still not finished. Perhaps in time for autumn 2011 ??

October. A Dear Jane workshop with Hanne. Hope I can join more workshops in 2011 because it is always so fun and inspiring.

November. That was the month I joined the mug rug wave. It is so fun making mug rugs and I promise I will make more of these in 2011. I have also been asked to give a workshop in making mug rugs. And I have a lot of ideas for quilters special mug rugs.
December was a hectic month making Christmas presents. For Christmas 2011 I promise to start early making presents, because I want to relax and enjoy the advent time, not having the stress I had this year.

And of course.....

I have to show Rusken again. My favorite Christmas gift this year. I love him so much :)
But DD and DS.... please no surprises like this next year. For Christmas 2011 I have things that do not climb high and low on my wish list LOL

With this I wish all my blogging friends
a creative new year.
I look forward visiting your blogs in 2011.

Saying for today:

New Year’s Reflections

Looking back on the months gone by,
As a new year starts and an old one ends,
We contemplate what brought us joy,
And we think of our loved ones and our friends.

Recalling all the happy times,
Remembering how they enriched our lives,
We reflect upon who really counts,
As the fresh and bright new year arrives.

And when I ponder those who do,
I immediately think of you.

Thanks for being one of the reasons
I'll have a Happy New Year!

By Joanna Fuchs

A busy day in the sewing room

Today Rusken, Frida Cat and I have had a busy day in the sewingroom.

I have to be very careful about Rusken being so curious. The rotary cutter is put on top of the shelf after each time I have used it, and I have to stop sewing when he is nearby the needle. His paws are so fast chasing everything.

And he have found his special place in the sewing room.
On top of my little ironing board.
Look at this guy saying: "This is MY fabrics..........

.....and I protect them with my....................zzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ"

Frida Cat still have her special place. Looks like Rusken and Frida Cat has a understanding between them who owns the special places. And the both accept eachother being in the house. And they are both likes to stay with me in the sewingroom.

And I have finished the top of the Christmas hearts.
Quilting will be done next year.

The baking cover is also finished today.

Now I will relax with some more stitching on my Life is beautiful blocks. One done, 31 left.

Saying for today:

Even if you have just destroyed
a Ming Vase, purr.
Usually all will be forgiven.
~Lenny Rubenstein

Focus on projects

It is time to make a little list on which projects I want to have focus on these last days in 2010 and in the beginning of 2011. I was pretty clever one year ago when I started having my focus for the week projects. Perhaps this should be my new year promise this year; to have weekly focus projects.
My focus projects right now will be:
- Christmas heart table cloth (all stitcheries + the middle star done)
- Baking cover (stitchery done)
- Sew binding on two selvage mug rugs
- A new table runner (applique, quilting and binding left to do)
- Place mats (got this kit for Christmas from my friend Bjørg, and I love it, need to do it now:)
- Tablerunner Rustic Christmas hearts (Christmas gift this too, all stitchery done)


And of course I had to trace some blocks for a new big project. I want to sew Life is Beautiful. Have had this on my want to do list for a long time, and now when Hanne also have started I just had to trace some blocks. LIB blocks to the left, hearts for the Rustic Christmas table runner to the right)

And then there is a lot of wonderful projects in these two books I got for Christmas :)

A close up of the Christmas gift from Bjørg, place mat kit.

And today this book I ordered from Lyn came in the mailbox.

Looks like I am going to spend a lot of time in my sewing room in 2011 too :)

Rusken learns to know the sewingroom

Today we have enjoyed some time in the sewingroom working on the Christmas heart table cloth. It is soooooooo fun looking at everything in this room, and I love spools of thread on the floor. And all the leftover cuttings from the fabrics. Think I am going to have a lot of fun in this room. Frida Cat have also joined us here, but she thinks I am too noisy at the moment. Purr purr from Rusken.

Saying for today:

I had been told that the
training procedure
with cats was difficult.
It's not.
Mine had me trained in two days.
~Bill Dana

Do you want to meet Rusken

Christmas Eve the house was set up side down.
My two children was playing Santa Claus
and gave me a very special christmasgift.

Meet our new family member

Rusken

His name is Nordlændingens Hercules, but we are going to call him Rusken. Frida cat thinks he is a very funny guy and he thinks she is a very fury black thing. It was so scary when he came out of his box and he found his place under the couch.

Finally when we got him out from there, he stayed the rest of the evening/night in our bathroom so he could relax and settle down. And he loves his basket with a nice warm blanket.

Now it seems that Frida cat and Rusken is going to accept eachother. We just have to give them some time. And Rusken is very happy when someone wants to play with him. He loves hairbands.

So now you have met our new family member, and I guess you will see more of him on my blog.
And so far not so much sewing on me this Christmas. I guess you understand why.

Update: I already got a lot of questions what kind of cat Rusken is. He is an Abyssinian cat. You can read more about this breed here. I have had two abyssinian cats long time ago, and they are very very special cats. So I look forward to learn to know Rusken.

And perhaps you know understand the meaning of my blogname Abyquilt. It is a combination of ABY (abyssinian) and QUILT :)

Saying for today:

There are few things in life
more heartwarming
than to be welcomed by a cat.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all my blogging friends.

Quilter's Night Before..

by Brenda Groelz, Kathy Rockbugs, Marilyn Root, Cindy Swafford

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,
The only one sleeping was Quilter's dear spouse.
The Log Cabin stockings were almost completed,
"Just a few stitches left," our sweet quilter repeated,

"Then I can hang them and head to off to finish
the pillows I'm making, fulfilling Mom's wish
For something 'quilty' to put on her couch",
as she pricked her poor finger, our quilter yelled, "Ouch!"

When from out in the kitchen there arose such a crashing,
she sprang from her work, and she dropped all her sashing.
Away to the doorway she flew like a plane,
wondering just what was happening and who she could blame.

When what to her wondering eyes should appear,
but Old Mrs Claus and her bag of quilt-gear....
With her elves bearing gifts, through the kitchen she came,
she directed and pointed and called them by name.

"Now Elna, now Pfaff, now Bernina and Viking,
the Hoffman and Mumm should be just to her liking.
To the sewing room - there, it's just back of the hall,
now dash away, dash away, dash away all!"

"My Dear," said The Claus (as she liked to be called),
"There really is no need to worry at all.
Your projects will all be completed this night,
I'm terribly sorry we gave you a fright.

Sit down. Have some tea. It's relaxing, you'll see.
My friends and I've come a long way to help Thee.
"She thought she was dreaming, our Dear Quilter did,
In fact she quite feared that she'd near flipped her lid!

But the flash of the needles and twist of the thread
soon gave her to know she had nothing to dread.
They spoke no more words, but went straight to their sewing.
How the work went so quickly she had no way of knowing.

The stitches, how tiny! The corners, how straight!
This Claus-woman's talent was awfully great.
They finished the pillows, then started a quilt.
Before they all knew it, the whole thing was built!..

Now old Mrs. Claus, she knew quilters real well,
and she knew they'd need help on this night most of all
So she said to our quilter, "Just move over, dear,
I've brought my own needle. We'll get done, never fear.

I told dear old Santa about what quilters do.
How they plan all these projects but have other work too.
So he taught me his magic for doing things fast.
There, that pillow's done. Now this is the last."

They tidied their thread snips, and picked up the scraps
and chased our dear quilters six cats from their laps.
They left behind gingerbread (just to be nice)
and the whole house smelled sweetly of Christmas and spice.

As they scurried away with their thimbles still gleaming
dear Mrs. Claus paused, her cap ribbons streaming.
"Merry Christmas, my dear, now just have a ball!
Relax and enjoy. Happy Quilting to all!"

22nd december

Today is the big

christmascleaningdecorationbakingwrappingpresents shoppinglastpresentslistentochristmasmusicday.....

Christmas tree will be up tomorrow,
that's the tradition here in Norway.

I have one last christmasgift to sew.

But in between this I will take time to relax

Saying for today:

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world,
and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.

~Norman Vincent Peale

4th sunday in Advent

Vi tenner fire lys i kveld
og lar dem brenne ned,
For lengsel, glede, håp og fred,
men mest allikevel for fred på denne lille jord,
hvor menneskene bor

(the english version is in my saying for today)

And the last adventgifts on the table. It is a bit sad, because looking at these gifts hanging on my wall have brought joy and smile these weeks thinking about my friends. It is a nice tradition we have started. But I know that when the gifts are opened and the excitement about opening the next gift has gone, my friends are still there for me :)

This is what I got in the adventpackages to day. From Hanne a wonderful christmas tin. I love it!!!! From Nancy a cute scissor pal to hang on my favorite scissor. Love it!!! And from Bente a cute click purse with a lottery ticket. Love it!!!!

Thank you girls for sharing this tradition with me.

Does anyone recognize themselves in this photo???? Only five days to Christmas Eve and I have so much to do. Almost all presents are finished, but I still have some sewing to do on two small gifts.

Baking................will try to get something done today. Luckily my DD made gingerbread cookies yesterday and I've got another Christmas cookie from a friend too, but I still have some baking to do.

Yesterday I had the BIG cleaning up day in my sewingroom. And now it is sooooooooooooo organized and tidy there. Not a thread on the floor, no fabrics floating all over. Will try to keep it this way for some days now.

Now..........cleaning up the rest of the house. I look forward to the Christmas days when I can relax with a little stitchery of my own choice.

Saying for today:

We light four candles tonight
and let them all burn down
For longing, joy, hope and peace
but most of all for peace on this little earth
where people live.

3rd Sunday in Advent

Så tenner vi tre lys i kveld,

for lengsel, håp og glede

De står og skinner for seg selv

og oss som er tilstede

Så tenner vi tre lys i kveld

for lengsel, håp og glede

(the english translation is in todays saying)

Yesterday I had the girls from my quilt group Trådsnellene (the spools) visiting for a Christmas table. My kitchen is small, but we all had a lovely time with good food.

And of course everyone had brought with them some sewing to do. Chatting and sewing is a must on our meetings. Thank you girls for a lovely evening together.

Today I have done a lot of Christmas preparations (cleaning up and throwing away a lot of stuff) in my kitchen cupboards and in the big shelf in my livingroom. And when I had finished that, my prize was to go into my sewingroom and stay there for a while. Working on 3 new tablerunners.

I have finished a lot of projects the last weeks.

Two table runners.

A Christmas table runner. I actually have made two of this pattern, but one is already given away to my DD.

And three toilet purses.

I am catching a bad cold right now. Sneezing, headace and a sore throat. Hope it will go away real soon. Do not have time for this right now.

Saying for today:

We light three candles tonight
For longing, hope and joy.
They stands there shining by themselves
and we who present are
We light three candles tonight
for longing, hope and joy