Critter sightings! (an animal heavy post)

Sasquatch was spotted hanging around our yard this weekend. Sightings for this handsome fella don't usually occur in the Rockies.

Pattern by Elizabeth Hartman

If you live near the Rockies, not to worry. He is now on his way to Oregon, where he belongs.

My thanks to my friend Jen Pate, for her beautiful quilting, and to my Mom, for the binding.

 I was in the sewing room for just a bit and got "Sophie" assembled. Since I couldn't square anything up with the rotary cutter, it turned out a tad wonky, but that makes it have more of that endearing "made by a child" doll quilt look (or so I am telling myself).
I'd like to hand quilt it, but it may be a while before I am up to that.

 









Friday I stopped in at a LQS on my way home from the doctor's office and I bought a FQ of this gorgeous Di Ford fabric. I don't recall seeing her fabrics locally before. Maybe I just haven't known where to look. But this is so pretty, I want to go back and buy more!
That is it for quilty content. Just haven't felt up to much.
So on to the critters.
You may recall once before, when I shared the meaning of babysitting on the family farm. It is that season once again--when the llama sits and the baby lambs climb upon it. The first shot is when the lambs realize the llama is available, and they come running. Then it is a scramble to be king of the hill (or llama).

Eventually the llama tires of the activity and stands up. The babies tumble off and the game is over.

Now, a little bird watching around the farm. All of these photos were taken out the windows of our home. Fuzzy photos=dirty windows. :)







Haven't caught any photos of Sandhill Cranes this year, but I will. Once, a few years ago, there was a White Egret across the road, but it flew away before I could get more than a blurry photo. I keep hoping I will see one again. They are so pretty!

Two updates: The winner of the Carol Hopkins book is Robin. I believe I still have your address on file, Robin, so I will send the book via media mail the next time I am in town. (You haven't moved recently, have you?) :)
And last of all, I have been released from the confines of the sling (WooHoo!!), but am still restricted as to activities. Hey, it is progress!

Until next time, 
Janet O.

I love a simple 9-patch

When I was left with a pile of strips after cutting for a project, I just had to whip up a few 9-patch blocks. I have plenty of strips to make a bunch more, but these are what I stitched up during the news. In this photo I was auditioning a fabric for setting squares. I had first thought I would use a black print, but decided I wanted a sweeter look.

 

Did I forget to mention that the strips were under 1" wide and these blocks will finish at 3/4"?

I have made many 9-patch blocks this size before, but it has been a while and it took me a couple of attempts to remember the techniques.

During the Olympics I spent a lot of time doing the stitching on this.

I'm not sure I want to border it the way the pattern shows, but I haven't yet come up with something that clicks for me. Currently it has a place on my design wall, reminding me that Spring is coming.

Wendy (theconstantquilter blog) invited us to join her in making a mini a month. Since I am inclined to do that anyway, I figured it would be fun to join in. My feathered star swap quilt ended up being my January finish, though I had intended this to be finished in January. 

Instead, it is my February finish--almost. It looks all wonky because I haven't stitched the binding down on the back yet. The pins holding the folded binding down are distorting the quilt. Hopefully it will be completed very soon.
I have started my March mini, but it is a swap quilt that I won't show until the swap is completed.

It is time to get the sashing on Sasquatch. The last time I posted this quilt I said I still had something else I might do with the trees. 
















The photo on the left shows the trees as they were then. See how the trunks are all uniform in height? On the right I have shortened some of the trunks (I have just folded them under on the bottom while I decide if I like it or not). It adds one more factor of individuality to the trees, but I can't decide if it makes it look disjointed. Can a forest look disjointed? I know you have an opinion, so let me have it. :)

Until next time, 
Janet O.

We are finally getting winter, and this was the scene one morning just before the sun came up over the mountains earlier this week. 

In the forest with Sasquatch

The trees are all completed. I really messed around with them. The pattern has them all in one fabric, and all the same size. My Sasquatch is playing in a forest of multi-colored trees of different heights. Final placement is still in question.

There are some trees all in one fabric, but no two trees are the same. Now I need to sash them, assemble the top, and decide if I want to make it larger with some borders.
There are actually a couple of places where the raindrops are upside down, but those raindrops will just keep defying gravity. I am not changing them! It would not be a simple fix, and I think no one will notice, without me telling them, like I just did. Can you see them? :)

The snowman mini is all hand quilted, and the border was ditch stitched by machine. I may try to bind it on Monday. I am thinking about doing a post about how I bind minis. I've had questions about it a few times. I don't know all the answers. I just know what works for me.

Thanks again, Karen, for letting me work with some of your blocks. Such a delight!

I completed one more block for Settler's Puzzle, but I will wait for a little more progress there before sharing it again.
That is the extent of my quilting this past week, other than the swap quilt I still can't share.
And while it has been frosty outside, like this...

Hoarfrost on an icicle hanging on my deck railing.

...inside it has been full of blooming orchids, like this! This is the window above my kitchen sink.

I have been rather obsessed with these beauties the past year or two, but I have never had 10 blooming all at the same time before (the ledge wasn't big enough for the 10th one, so it is sitting below, but you can see the flowers)--and I wouldn't have that now if I could resist bringing a new one home every few weeks! I don't "buy hyacinths to feed [my] soul". I buy orchids. They make me happy!

Besides quilting, what is making you smile today?
Until next time,
Janet O.
 

Back to Normal...

...normal life, and almost normal computer.
Had a glorious time at retreat, sponsored by Village Dry Goods in Brigham City, UT! I came home with no new UFOs! There were mini classes offered during the three day period, and I was one of only a very few that took none of them! Just kept my focus on the projects I brought, and making progress.

I took a different large UFO to work on each of the three days, and then I had a couple of minis and bonus triangles to use as leader/enders and to fill in the gaps when I got tired of my "big" project.

Day One: I worked on my Scrappy Trips blocks. This is a Bonnie Hunter free pattern, and I started it in January 2013, when it was really making the rounds in social media. A LQS held a free sew day to come and learn how to make it (which you can read about here). I already knew how, but thought it would be fun to participate, so I did.

(I didn't purposely lay it out in the shape of Utah, but thought it was interesting that it ended up that way.)
There were 12 blocks already made when I went to retreat. I made 6 more blocks, and got a start on two more--and I have all the strips cut for more, so I can just sew, sew, sew!



Can't decide how many blocks I will end up making for this quilt. I think I would like 40, but I may not be patient enough to wait another 5 years to see that happen!





When my enthusiasm for Scrappy Trips waned, I pulled out my little paper pieced blocks for the Kim Diehl mini. They really don't take long to make, but I didn't spend much time with them, so I only made 4. They will finish at 2".

Day Two: My "big quilt" focus for this day was the "Legendary" quilt of Sasquatch, by Elizabeth Hartman. I completed the Sasquatch block and the first tree in a class at  a LQS in November. So my goal for retreat was to get all of the flippy corners sewn on the tree sections. Mission accomplished! They went from this..............................................................................to this!






















Day Three:  My main project for this day was a quilt called Settler's Puzzle. It is a Pam Buda design, and I started this at the retreat in 2014, when Pam was the invited teacher.

I only had 2 complete blocks when I arrived, and I went home with 6 finished. The pattern calls for 12, so I am halfway there. Though all of the parts were already cut out, I had to spend a lot of time on this one, getting all of the individual components made. Once that was done, the blocks went together very quickly!




I have the next 3 laid out on design boards--sans the red/gold HSTs. Those are cut, and shouldn't take too long!



This was held at The Academy Conference Center in Brigham City, UT--the same place where I took Bonnie Hunter's classes last summer. Such a lovely venue. This is looking from one end of the room to the other.

Each quilter got a full table to herself, but they pushed 4 tables together so we could visit as we worked.

It is hard to tell from the photo above, but at the end of the room there is a big, wide staircase that takes you down into the luncheon area.

As we descended the stairs for lunch, we joked that we felt we should be wearing ball gowns, tiaras, and glass slippers.

Each day there was some kind of program at lunch. The first two days were trunk shows.
The third day was an author/potter. His wife is a quilter, so some of his pottery caters to us. I picked up this lovely, magnetic pin bowl. I love functional things that are pretty, too!












My retreat buddy (Kim), and I became good friends with our table mates, and look forward to next year, hoping we will meet up again.

Standing L to R: Liz B., myself
Sitting L to R: Kim W., Annette B. (Liz's MIL)
I shared this experience with such wonderful women--kind, thoughtful, funny, sometimes silly, and always willing to go out of their way for you.I'm sure that sounds like most quilters you know.
When I returned home I looked at the blocks I had left up on my design wall during my absence, and I suddenly knew what I wanted to do with them.

All of these blocks came from Karen (karen-logcabinquilter.blogspot.com). They are from two different projects for which she had lost interest. The 5 center blocks were from one project, and the outer stars are from another large bunch of stars that I seem to be parceling out to various projects. I have border fabrics hanging to the side. You can't see it in the photo very well, but each of the fabrics in the sashing, setting triangles, and borders are small prints. I didn't want solids, but I also didn't want to compete with the blocks. I want them to shine. 
Thank you, Karen, for the privilege of working with your lovely blocks!
Enough of my ramblings!
Until next time, 
Janet O.

All God's Critters Got a Place In The Choir (really long, boring post)

Including Sasquatch!

It has been a very full and emotional two weeks (MIL's passing and funeral, and then my 60th birthday and Thanksgiving on the same day).  
When all of the busyness subsided, I attended the class for the "Legendary" quilt by Elizabeth Hartman. I had signed up for it just before things got crazy.
Jenny was our teacher. She was very sweet and fun--she is also the daughter of a former classmate. (When did everyone else get so young??)  Here she is posing with her quilt.

We were the second class Jenny had taught for this quilt and we determined we were the remedial group. She said in the first class everyone got Sasquatch and one tree made--and they all came without their fabrics cut. 

In our class of three, two of us came with fabrics cut, and yet we each only completed the Sasquatch block. The other gal had to cut her fabrics, and leave for a doctor's appointment in the middle of class, so she had an excuse for not finishing more.





Look how fun--one of the gals was making hers a "Yeti" quilt. He was a tone-on-tone white, and her background was black. Very clever. She was making the trees blue.





Had a chance to sew tonight and finished up one tree.
I am just so proud (and relieved) that so far all of the raindrops are going in the right direction! I have never made a quilt this large with a directional background fabric prior to this one.
I am pondering whether or not to make a random 2 or 3 trees just one strip shorter than the others.  What do you think? Would it look strange? I've just never seen such a uniform forest before.
This may have to go on the back burner now, until after the holidays. I have Christmas things to do. :)


While we are on the subject of trees, I am getting closer to an actual little quilt from Kevin's mini tree pattern. I am working on the sixth block, and I can't decide if that will be it, or if I will shoot for nine.

Regardless of the number of blocks, I think this red from Primitive Gatherings will be my sashing.

DH and I finally had a quick birthday getaway. We went to IKEA for the first time, took in the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium in Salt Lake (I highly recommend it if you are in the area), visited a quilt shop, a favorite restaurant,  a favorite ice cream shop, and we took in the lights at Temple Square.
So I want to show you a few favorite critters.

The bearcats, which are neither bears or cats. Long thick tails on these creatures.



An exotic pheasant variety--the feathers all had a sheen, like the shiny part of peacock feathers. Beautiful bird.












The penguins were so fun to watch. Though slow and waddly on land, when they jumped in the water, they could swoop back and forth across the pond, and leap up into an arc before gracefully, and rapidly diving back in and swooping across the pond again.


 

There was also a petting pool where you could feel the spongy surface of the rays as they would glide past you. I think I did it four times. :)







I was treated well for my birthday. My daughter has started making barn quilts and I was thrilled to receive this from her.

And a few of my blog friends sent special surprises.

 Heartfelt thanks to Mary, Kris, Julie, and Doniene. Also thanks to Barb for the very fun eCard, and to Annie (no blog), whose calligraphy makes any card extra special. I hope I haven't forgotten anyone. The past couple of weeks have been a blur!

I had wanted to make something for my belated birthday drawing, but there wasn't time. I included a little ornament, but that was all I could muster. Take a peek at the goodies.

Did you notice that there is an item for each decade I have lived? But I will probably ruin that by throwing in some of my handcrafted soap when I package it up. If you are interested,  leave a comment.  You may also want to mention if you are interested in any of the following.

I was the recipient of a car trunk full of unwanted fabric from my quilt retreat buddy recently. I have shared much of it here and there. I had hung on to some myself, including a couple of small bags that I thought I might use somehow. Now I am facing reality and letting them go.

#1-- An unfinished project made with Moda's Aster Manor line. No pattern included, but an experienced quilter could figure it out, if they wanted to make more of this same block. There is a a little yardage, part of a jelly roll, and lots of charm squares.

#2--No sewn parts to this bag. It is all from the Rites of Spring line by Moda. There are a couple of  pieces of yardage, a few strips, lots of 2 1/2" squares, and charm squares. If you like purple and green together, this is a nice group of fabrics.

#3-- This last bag is full of homespun wovens. mostly squares and small pieces of yardage, but the pile in front is random scraps. If you are interested in this, I would appreciate it if you would be  willing to split the shipping costs with me. It will probably fill a large priority mail box, and with all the above items being shipped, too, it is adding up.

 

So here are the options. If you are interested in any, please specify. I will draw names before my next post, and I don't think the next one will take quite as long as this one did.

Sorry for the length of this, but there is one last photo I want to share. Two days before Thanksgiving, as I was driving away from my Mom's house, I got to the corner and saw this.
 
There were a dozen wild turkeys trotting across the street--in the crosswalk! I figured this was the great escape before they became the honored guest at Thanksgiving. So crazy to see this in the city limits. We have wild turkeys where I live, outside the city, but this is the first I have seen of them in town. I sent it to a news channel and this was the weatherman using it to introduce his forecast for Thanksgiving.
My thanks to everyone for their condolences and prayers over my MIL's passing. I cannot respond to all of the comments this time around, but I want you to know your words were appreciated. 
If you have read this whole thing, you probably need a nap!
Until next time,
Janet O.

 Drawings Now Closed