Still kickin'!

For some time now I have been telling myself that I need to write a post, but then I did't feel like I had much to share. The bulk of the sewing I have done this year is stuff I cannot yet reveal. But when I looked back at my last post, I was not pleased to see I hadn't posted since December!?! Yikes! Well this post will be brief, because hubby and I are about to take off on another adventure, and I need to get some sleep before morning comes.

I am happy to report that the basket blocks from Grace (citymousequilter blog) have been sewn into a top. I had to change the setting triangles from what I had shown before, due to a cutting error on my part. But I like the new fabric choice.

I debated border vs. no border, and I think I have settled on no border. As is, it will hang nicely in my sewing room. Any larger, and I don't have a place to hang it. Thank you for the lovely baskets, Grace!

The next thing up on the design wall is the house blocks I started in 2021, I believe. You may notice that there are two sizes of blocks on the wall. 

I started out using a magazine pattern, and then ended up buying the AccuQuilt die. It cuts smaller blocks, but I have a plan to incorporate both sizes in the same quilt, loosely following the same layout in the pattern I used when I started out.

Lori, of Humble Quilts blog, is hosting a SAL of an entirely different 2 color quilt, making 2 blocks per month. When I return from my adventure, I plan to join the SAL, using this block instead. It will get me close to the number of blocks I need if I can stay with it through the year.

This is nothing new, but it is new that I am actually using this quilt on my bed. I made the top many years ago when Randy (Barrister's Block blog) hosted a SAL.

This is made entirely from men's thrift store shirts. I enjoy looking closely at the fabrics in each block. I should have known better and turned the baskets the other way. I always like the longest measurement of a quilt across the width of the bed. So I have two baskets on their side. Can you find them both?

We have had some snow lately, and with the moisture in the air, and then the very cold temperatures at night, we had some lovely hoarfrost one recent morning. It turns everything into an enchanting fairyland, IMHO.

That is not snow on the branches. It is all hoarfrost on the trees, but it is snow on the ground. :)

And when you get really close, you can see the crystals that have formed and are sticking out in every direction. The following photos are of the miniature lights that were still wrapped around our deck railing, until yesterday.

Everything gets a fuzzy white coating.

It is magical to me.

That had better be it for now. Sorry I don't have time to link up to the blogs I have mentioned. It is late and I still have much to do.

If all goes as planned, I will be meeting up with 6 other quilt bloggers on this grand adventure! Can't wait!!

Until next time, be creative and be kind!

Janet O.

National Parks revisited, etc.

I was thrilled to finish up the National Parks quilt for Youngest Son last week. This will go under the tree for him, since he will be spending Christmas with us. It was a little large for hubby to stretch it out all by himself, but you get the idea. I took the shot off-center because I wanted a bit of the mountain backdrop to be visible, to emphasize the nature theme. 

I did the flange binding, or it wouldn't have been under the tree until next year. And as usual, my quilter did an excellent job. Maybe enlarging the photo above will give you an idea of her quilting in the panels, but I highlighted the panel of Yellowstone Park below. This park is about 3 hours away from us. Aside from being the first National Park, it was the first National Park we went to on a family vacation, and the one we have returned to the most often.

Lori at Humble Quilts blog had a doll quilt SAL that started the last week of September--while I was in Norway. When I got home it took me a little while to get back into my routine, which included reading blogs. So I didn't learn about the SAL until she was having her linky party for the finished quilts.  I usually try to do Lori's doll quilt SALs, and since I happened to have some time that day, I decided to give it a try.

This didn't make it into the linky party, but I can share it here. A few things to tell you about this little flimsy (not a finished product yet).  In order to speed the process, I told myself that I could only use what was in my scrap baskets. I was surprised to find that tan check, but it took the place of the stripes. Also, I had enough of the green used in most of the blocks to do all of the blocks, but I wanted it to look more "make do". So I found another green to use in a couple of the blocks, and I made sure the stripes in that green did NOT end up all going in the same direction. And lest you think I have really big pieces of fabrics in my scrap basket--I cut my blocks half the size of the instructions. so this finishes at just over 13 inches, instead of the 25" the pattern indicated. That's how I roll. ;)

Also back in September, Grace (at citymouse quilter blog) offered a stack of basket blocks for the cost of postage. We quibbled a bit about them being worth more, but I ended up getting 26 hand appliqued 6" basket blocks for the $10 postage cost. I feel like a thief, but I love these blocks.

You can see that I was auditioning setting square fabric and setting triangle fabric. You can get a better look below. These are the ones I think I will use. They are each from a "Collection for a Cause" line of fabrics.

Thank you, Grace. I am so happy to own these appliqued baskets, that I would never have made if I lived to be a hundred (because I don't applique). I think they will make a lovely wall hanging. And it will be very special because you made the baskets!

Just a closing note about an experience hubby and I had Friday night. I don't know how many of you have ever heard of the Giving Machines. They have been around for a few years, but we finally got them this year in the nearby town.

It is a unique vending machine that represents needs of local and worldwide charities. They are up for a limited time during the Christmas season. You can choose from many options as to where your donation will be used, and 100% of your donation goes to the charity. We read through all the options and hubby and I each chose something different. 

I took the picture above after the crowd had thinned out a bit, and the sun was setting (which means it was getting cold--I don't know about the kid in the t-shirt and shorts).

There are 100 Giving Machine locations in North America, and 18 more in places around the world. You can find a map at this link that can give you exact locations, and more information about the program.  

If you celebrate Christmas, I hope you are able to find quiet time to ponder on the Savior, who is the Light of the World.

Until next time,

Be creative, and be kind--and Merry Christmas!

Janet O.

Just thought I would share this photo of the live nativity at our neighbor's barn--complete with a camel for the wise men.

Retreat and Other Adventures

It felt so good to attend a retreat again, and it felt great to make progress on a few projects.

First up, I completed the center blocks for our Mini Club with Lynn. Each block will finish at 4".

This will be finished off with three rounds of borders, one of which is pieced. I probably won't get back to those steps until next year. There are priorities for Christmas gifts that need my attention now.

I also finished the blocks for the Barbara Brackman "Hands All Around" BOM that I joined during 2021. It was a set of 12 patterns, and I made two blocks from each pattern, using the same fabrics for both blocks, but switching the fabric placement on the second one.

I had been saving brown and pink Civil War fabrics for years, and decided this was the time to use them. I kept up while making the first 9 sets of blocks--I only had the last 3 patterns (6 blocks) to finish at retreat. The border stripes on either side of the blocks had been acquired along the way, and I hope to incorporate one or both of them into the layout. It has been such a long time since I actually completed a BOM. This felt good--even though it isn't truly finished.

The last real progress made was on the "National Parks" quilt I have promised my youngest son. I had cut out a slew of flying geese with my AccuQuilt cutter, and spent time sewing up a bunch of them in order to make progress on this. This is one of those "make-it-up-as-you-go-along" quilts. It won't win any beauty pageants, but it will make a nice throw for my very tall youngest son who LOVES spending time in the parks.

The center strips of FG are the only ones sewn into strips. I need to get going on the others, after I figure out exactly how many I will need down each side. I think the brown in the upper right corner will form the final border around the quilt. It is the same brown bordering the center map.

Do you visit, or have you visited many National Parks? There are a lot of them in the west and we visited several on family vacations over the years. Most recently hubby and I saw Acadia in Maine last year, and the year before that we visited Glacier Bay in Alaska, but all of the other ones we have seen are in the western states. I'd like to branch out a bit.

I also worked a "little bit" on my Every Little Bit quilt by Pam Buda, but I didn't get much done, so I will share that another time when I've made visible progress.

Our retreat venue was the same as it has been for the last few years before COVID shut us down, the beautiful Academy Conference Center in Brigham City, Utah. The above photo was taken at a time when most everyone was attending one of the optional classes.

The retreat is sponsored by the shop over the mountain, Village Dry Goods.

This is owner Fran on the left, her girl Friday (Liz) on the right--and me squished in the middle. You couldn't ask for better people. And if you want to get to know them, go to the Village Dry Goods Facebook page on Tuesday mornings at 9:30 MST for Village Vibes, where these two fun ladies teach, chat, inform, and bring in guests. If you miss it live, you can catch it on their YouTube channel.

I shared my table at the retreat with two good friends from my guild, Ruth, and Andrea.

We had a grand time together. This was the first time either of them have attended the retreat, and I hope they will come back. I did miss Kim, my usual retreat buddy, but she was unable to attend this year.

That is the end of the quilty content. Just wanted to share a handful of favorite shots from our trip to Amsterdam and Norway in September. Loved seeing another part of the world. In Amsterdam we did a canal cruise (of course), and I got a kick out of the Dancing Houses. Can you see how off kilter they are?

I also thoroughly enjoyed the Van Gogh Museum, and seeing some of his amazing works in person. There were a few pieces by Claude Monet,  Paul Gauguin, and several other artists, but it was mostly Van Gogh. Can't put my finger on why, exactly, but his Almond Blossom painting has long been a favorite of mine, and I was excited to find it there.

He explored such a wide range of styles in his art, and this is just a smidgen of it. Definitely the highlight for me in Amsterdam.

In Norway, this was probably the highlight.

Kayaking in a couple of Fjords was amazing. The first time was sunny and calm and magical. This was a 5 mile trip--loved every minute of it.

Hubby accompanied me on this excursion, but two days later I went again without him. It was a completely different experience, but still made for incredible memories.

It poured on us the whole time, but we were a hardy crew, and the scenery was amazing! This journey was just over 4 miles, and other than my hands being extremely cold, I enjoyed it, too.

On other days we wandered through quaint villages, and strolled along city streets, even hiked up over 400 stairs to get to an observatory for a sunset view of Alesund. Well worth it.

Hubby always promised me we would travel after he retired, and I am holding him to it. We have our trip for next year booked, and think we may have picked out our destination for the following year.  I don't take for granted the privilege it is to get to experience these places. My parents were simple, humble people, but my father traveled the world for his work the last 10 years of his employment. Mom didn't love traveling, but accompanied him a few places--Hawaii, Israel, New Zealand. In their waning years they both told me that travel broadens your perspective, and gives you a greater appreciation for the fact that we are all God's children, and that He created a beautiful world for us. They encouraged me to travel if I got the opportunity. So I am trying to help keep hubby an honest man, honor my parents' counsel, and fulfill some dreams I've had for over half a century. Thanks for coming along for the ride.

But it is always good to be home, and our sunsets are pretty incredible, too.

I just remembered some other quilty content I forgot to include, so I may actually get another post up this month...but don't hold your breath. :)

Until next time,

Be creative and be kind.

Janet O.

Just a Smidgen of Stitchen'

I can't really claim more than that since my last post. The sum total of my sewing can be seen in this photo of the progress on the 4" blocks for Lynn's class. 

The color is off in this photo. I tried to correct it, but not sure I improved it much. Interesting story about the tree block in the center--Lynn gave us a chance to take a photo of his tree block, then told us he wasn't going to give us a pattern.  That is Lynn's block below.

Just wanted us to go home and try making it, and report back on what we decided and how it worked. I love a challenge, so even though I should have been doing a hundred other things, I went right home and dug into it.

 

I decided to construct my tree as a 9-patch block.  So I printed out the photo, drew a grid to create the 9-patches and went to work. I knew I wanted a little more green in my tree, but I also wanted to retain the original design. My first attempt involved a soft green replacing the background in the 4-patches. When that didn't click for me, the second attempt was removing the plain background blocks and replacing them with a medium green, as shown below, right.

Attempt #3 (below, left) was scaling back the medium green to just the blocks that touched the trunk, and I liked it better than numbers 1 or 2, but wasn't quite sure it was the answer.

So I added two more medium green blocks to the third row of that color of block (above, right), and decided to call it final.

Got this sewn together and started second guessing, but was done playing with it. This is the final answer, and that's final!!

The next block we had been assigned has been named by Lynn "The Martian Block". Lynn's current iteration of this pattern is being made in very bright fabrics. Here is a shot of the photo of Lynn's block next to my block laid out and ready to be stitched. You may notice a slight variation in the way I am doing it.

The above photo makes my fabrics look brighter than they actually are, but the finished block in the photo below looks darker than it really is.

The flying geese in blue and green don't have enough contrast, though I thought they did before I sewed it all together. I am going to deconstruct this block and use a lighter green for the goose body, and then hopefully get a photo in truer light. I hope that brings the block to life.

This is a rather rushed post, without much variety, but it is all that has happened in the sewing room. 

Fall is in the air, and hubby and I are headed out on another adventure--we are not sun-seekers, so we go when and where there is a nip in the air, if we have a choice. 

Village Dry Goods, the shop over the mountain, is finally able to have a retreat again, for the first time since COVID hit. I am so excited, I can hardly stand it! They used to be January events, but this one is the middle of October. After that I should have some quilting that I can share. I stay pretty focused at retreat, so I actually get something accomplished. Are you a talker or a sewer when you attend a retreat--or are you able to attain that elusive balance, and accomplish both?

Until next time, be creative and be kind!

Janet O.

p.s. Blogger's messing with my font size again. I give up. You don't need glasses--the letter size varies in the last few paragraphs.

The smoke from forest fires in states north and west of us makes for really dirty air at times, but also beautiful colors at sunset.

"What I did this Summer"

Trying to catch you up on the past 1 1/2 months, I felt like I was writing the typical report for the elementary school student returning to class each fall.

I've done very little sewing since my last post, but I'll share those few things first.

For the class I am taking from Lynn to make this quilt (those are Lynn's hands holding up his finished quilt)....

...I completed the June assignment.

These are the four blocks that radiate out diagonally from the center tree block. They will be 4" finished in the quilt top.

We were also to make 40 of the blocks used in the border. I think there are 160 of those blocks needed, so in theory, if we do 40 each of the four months we have class, we would have them all completed when we finish the class. 

I'm not sure, but I think we were assigned 12 or 16 blocks to make for this month. Class is in another 1 1/2 weeks, and I haven't made a single one of the assigned blocks, let alone the border blocks.  Looks like I am going to flunk July's homework.

What I have done this month (and very little of it, at that) is piddle around with the parts for the National Parks quilt I promised youngest son I would make for him. It has only been 2 1/2 years since I made that promise, so I thought I'd better get around to it.

What you see on my design wall are the parts I have so far. The map panel at the top is what started it all. Then I added the four poster panels (which are not trimmed yet, and will probably get bordered) of the first four National Parks he visited. They are obviously not placed in the final layout, because I have no clue.  After a FaceTime conversation with Wendy Reed a while ago where I shared my dilemma, she made a couple of suggestions I really liked. I toyed with different color combos for the flying geese she suggested, but didn't act until I received the little pattern card below with an online order.

I really liked the way the flying geese in this little design are all in earthy colors. So I gathered a bunch of fabrics in the earth tones from the National Parks panels. Today I finally used my die cutter to cut out a bunch of large flying geese from those fabrics.

I don't know how many of these I will need, or the size to which I will ultimately trim them--or even if I will like all of those colors once they are made and placed next to the panels, as that short row you can already see in the photo above. But it is a start--and it is about time!

Aside from that, my sewing room has been very quiet since you last heard from me many weeks ago. But I did have an adventure this summer I'd like to share. If you only want quilty content, go no further.

This is where I was the first week of July. My first time ever off the North American continent!

We spent July 4th in Normandy, visiting Point du Hoc, Omaha Beach, and The American Cemetery. It was a very emotional experience for me.

American Cemetery

Omaha Beach

Point du Hoc

We also visited Rouen (where Joan of Arc was executed), and Mont Saint Michel (the inspiration for the royal castle in Disney's "Tangled") while in the Normandy region for 3 days.

We spent four days in Paris, and saw many Olympic venues being prepared, and Olympic banners on buildings, and hanging from light poles. 

 You can see the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower in that earlier photo, and on the Arc de Triomphe they had the emblem for the Paralympic Games.

This is the view from atop the Arc. We never got a chance to go up the Eiffel Tower, but I think I went up anywhere from 300-500 steps almost every day to get to the top of one tall thing or another.

Cathedral of Notre Dame (left), and the Basilica of the Sacred      Heart (yes, I climbed to the windows up in the tallest dome)

We took in so many other sites in the four days we were in Paris, but we were actually there for a choral presentation by members of nine choirs from the United States (one of which includes hubby), commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day. The concert was held our last night there, in the Cathedral Madeleine.

My apologies for the travelogue, and the overabundance of selfies. It was just such an amazing experience, and I couldn't help gushing about it. And even though I couldn't eat the French pastries, I did eat more than my share of the macarons, and I had gelato with chantilly cream when I didn't trust choosing a menu item for lunch that would be gluten free. It was tough. ;)

But it was good to be back home again, even if the fires in nearby states were leaving our air very hazy. On the bright side, it makes for some colorful sunsets. 

Until next time, be creative, and be kind.

Janet O.