Continuing in the world of tiny things..

Foltvilag, as I mentioned in my previous post, had quite a few kits with them from Hungary to Birmingham.

I've previously tried to make a coin purse with a snap lock before, with a result so horrible I'm never going to show it to anyone... so of course I had to try making another one - only TINY! (As if that was going to make it easier to make... logic, anyone?)



It took me a couple of afternoons, but it came together more smoothly than I had imagined! Foltvilage had a step-by-step photo instruction and a video to help construction it - and those were really helpful! (Obviously, since I managed to complete it.)



It is so tiny, and cute - and can barely carry a few coins in it's belly!



There's a keychain on the side, so it can be quite useful (if I dare to bring it outside of the house.. what if it got lost?!?).

Lovely pattern and a very cute result - I might have to make another one!

Tiny hexie necklace

Remember the miniature hexie flower from my previous post? I managed to sneak in a little craft time the other day.. And suddenly (well, with a bit of fumbling and gule - as instructed in the pattern) the necklace was done!



The tiny french knots were added after sewing all those tiny hexies together.



I wore it to work one day, and received many compliments from my co-workers!



Foltvilag had some amazing kits and great templates for both english paper piecing (epp) and foundation paper piecing (fpp). If this shop is back for FoQ2020, I'm definetly going back for more kits!

My tiniest hexie flower (yet..)

I bought a kit from Foltvilag, a shop from Hungary, at the Festival of Quilts, and had to start working on it almost the second I came home. (Which is not quite true, but it was finished within two weeks of returning home.)



This is, by far, the smallest hexie flower I have ever made!

Things to do in Birmingham

I'm not sure if this counts as being a "very" Norwegian thing to do, but we enjoy walking. And seeing as the hotel we stayed in was "just around the corner" from the NEC (national exhibition center) where the Festival of Quilts took place, we decided to walk insted of waiting for the shuttle bus.

It was a nice, little walk of about 15 minutes, along the railway fence, where - every now and then - a branch of blackberries would poke out.



Some flowers and some berries not quite ripe yet.



But there were plenty of ripe, sweet, sun-warmed blackberries for both of us to enjoy on our walk to NEC/FoQ - and back again.



It's always fun to test new things when travelling, and this year we tested some new (to us) flavours of soda. The ginger pepsi max we'd both tried before (they recently stopped selling it in Norway), and the mango became mom's favourite last year when we were in London. But the strawberries and raspberries? Those were new ones! 



I have to say my favourite was the strawberry one (which would come as no surprice, as I'm not a big fan of raspberries...).



And look who else was outside enjoying the sunshine! A bunny! We saw a bigger one earlier that day, but this seemed to be a little one. Quietly enjoying something in the grass, and didn't mind us at all - as long as we were quiet.

A breath of fresh air

I woke up the other day to this prediction of the weather :



And I guess it could be considered curing in the church (banne i kirka) but it was so nice to be able to breathe again, not feeling all sticky and yucky all the time - and to sleep at night again...



The summer vacation(s) are over, and it's back to work again. We've managed to spend three weeks here and there this year too - starting with Belguim (Brüssels, Antwerpen), a short stop (one night) in the Netherlands, a day in Germany (Kalkar and Wunderland Kalkar - highly recommended, if you're ever in the area), and a week in Trysil. Too bad they hardly stamp your passport any more..



We've seen and experienced so many things - and there's still so much to see. Good thing there's a summer again next year!



Last weekend (this weekend) was the Festival of Quilts 2019 in Birmingham (august 1.-4.). My mom and I went Saturday and Sunday - and I think the weekend needs it's own post (or two or three). I havea few hundred pictures to go thorugh, and two bags (on the verge of exploding!) full of purchases (I probably don't remember half of what I bought...).

And now it's back to work.. School starts in two weeks, but there's a program for those kids who're under 10 at the school, and the kindergarden is in full action again. Suddenly Fall seems "right around the corner".

Where did the time go?