Next Up

Now that my son's Super Star quilt top is finished, it's time to move on to the Shoo Fly blocks.

Before I left home, I used my AccuQuilt Go to cut more triangles in solids and prints.....can you imagine me trying to put the Go in my suitcase?

Do you see the flowers in my husband's hat?  Handy place to put flowers given by daughter.

We went on a serious hike yesterday, so I thought I was free to relax and sew today.....I was wrong.  Since my husband can only stay in Montana a little while, he takes his playtime seriously ;-)  So, we did an easy, fun hike to popular Ousel Falls.

I did manage to squeeze in some sewing time and chain pieced the pairs of triangles to make the HSTs for the shoo fly blocks.  I didn't bother counting them, but the chain was pretty long!

It doesn't appear that I'll have a huge block of time to finish this quilt top all in one sitting, but I'm satisfied with breaking down the tasks and accomplishing each step at a time....in between hiking and bear sightings;-)

Another day, another bear

Have an amazing day!!!

Wonderful Wednesday!

Lone Mountain

As often as I try, I still cannot capture its beauty....

....but I keep trying....here's my latest attempt;-)

Have a wonderful Wednesday!!!!

One Down

As promised, I stayed inside (away from bears) yesterday and sewed.all.day.long!

I took advantage of my husband's plan to fish all day...

....he was happy (caught/released 30+ fish)

....kids were happy relaxing around the house

....and I was happy getting reacquainted with my little machine!

I am pleased to say that I completed the Super Star quilt top!!!!!

I LOVE how it turned out, and my son is sweet enough to say he loves it too!

Unless I change my mind, I will quilt this one myself....when I get back to Florida and my bigger machine....and then I will show the entire quilt.  For now it is folded up in my suitcase.  

If I'm brave enough, I may pull it out at the retreat for show and tell;-)

So of the three WIPs that came with me to Montana, one quilt top is finished!

Have an amazing day!!!

Adventurous Beginning

Well, our trip out to Montana got off to a dramatic start....

Packing for this trip took some planning since I had to take into consideration that this time I fly out of Montana for the quilt retreat in Minnesota.  The biggest suitcase I could find One entire suitcase was devoted to fabric for finishing three quilt WIPs and two possible retreat projects (oh and my cowboy boots). Well, this all important suitcase DID NOT arrive as scheduled!!!!!  Two things came to mind...thank goodness I had the sense to pack the completed sections of the three WIPs in my carryon....and how much does 50 pounds of fabric cost to replace????!!!!!  

Actually more than those two things came to mind, but no need to go into that ;-)  Shortly after I had calmed down (somewhat), my son realized that he left his wallet on the plane...we won't go into the specifics of the conversation that ensued....

Good news is my suitcase was eventually found and delivered, and I received a phone call from the airlines while typing this post that my son's wallet was turned in! 

There is no curbside pickup of garbage and recycling here.  Instead, we drop those items off in a designated Refuse and Recycling area.  These photos have not been edited, and I'm not sure if you can read the signs.  One permanent sign says "BEWARE OF BEARS", and the temporary sign on the trash compactor says "Out of Order Use Open Container".  

Ummm.....whose brilliant idea was that....if there are bears around you don't want trash in an open container....duh...and look at the trash on the ground....even for a Refuse center this area is usually pretty clean....I mean look at those gorgeous mountains in the background...why spoil the view.....

......Anyway, I'm not really sure what "open container" we were to use, but do you see who greeted us when we wanted to dispose of our recycling?  Please note, this picture was taken with my cell phone and NOT with a zoom lens!

I took several pictures of the bear as he walked towards the cardboard recycling "bins", but when he headed our way, we decided to leave without disposing of our garbage.  You will also notice that all the pictures were taken from INSIDE the car.  My husband wouldn't allow me to get out of the car to get a closer shot....as far as I know my cell phone won't zoom in...and this was just a black bear anyway.....

Have an amazing day...I'm staying inside today and sewing!!

Unscheduled Post

I've said it before, but thank goodness for wifi.  Since I did not get a chance to blog while I was home (or at son's college orientation), I'm typing this during a layover in the Salt Lake City airport.  The subject of this post changed when I received a certain text message last night. 

 You can't go anywhere in Orlando without hearing about the Casey Anthony trial.  There is live coverage on every local station...did you know they even hold the trial on Saturdays?  The few times I happen to catch it on TV, I find myself being drawn to the drama like many others.  However, I don't watch it for long because I feel like I walked into a movie theatre halfway through and don't know what's going on.  At times like this, I rely on text alerts when "real" news happens.  Last night, I received this text alert from CNN with sad news:  

"Actor Peter Falk, who rose to fame on a rumpled raincoat and a shambling manner as the TV detective Lt. Columbo, has died at 83.  Falk died peacefully at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on Thursday evening, according to a statement released to CNN by a family friend. The cause of death was not released. In 2008, Falk's daughter said he was suffering from Alzheimer's disease."

I'm a crime drama junkie...love to read mysteries, especially who done its...DVR Law & Order Criminal Intent and Criminal Minds reruns even though I've seen every episode numerous times (come to think of it, now I'm not sure why I don't watch the Anthony trial)....but before I became smitten with Goren (and Eames) and before I discovered Derek, I was obsessed with Columbo.

I.just.love.Peter Falk!  Back in the day, I recorded Columbo reruns on VHS tapes while I was at work and thought he was perfect in The Princess Bride.  These days, Columbo keeps me company in my sewing room.  I pop him in the DVD player.  I have seen the episodes so many times, I don't need to watch every scene....I just like having it on in the background while I sew. 

#6989 Memories and #7111 I Spy a Button

 I was sad to learn that Peter Falk suffered from Alzheimer's Disease.  Now seems as good a time as any to talk about the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative.  (See....everything relates to quilting...)  If you click on the link now, you will see the fabulous headline:  "Island Batik Donates $25,000 to Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative", and just two weeks before that was another great headline:  "AAQI Awards $60,000 Research Grant".  These are my latest AAQI purchases...have you noticed I've been doing more buying than making lately?

Originally, I planned to write about my trip to Minnesota by way of Montana....notice all the important items in my suitcase....fabric and cowboy boots...Yee hah!

More about that later...got to go catch my flight...

Still WIPs

More progress was made over the weekend on the two graduation quilts.  

Saturday was a fun sewing day with the Orlando Modern Quilt Guild gals...we had a huge turnout!

On Sunday, I snuck (not sure if that is proper grammar) away from the Father's Day festivities every now and then to sew;-)

Linda with her quilt made with OMQG BOM blocks

I'll share more pictures of Sew Day later, but look at this quilt top made by Linda!  It's the first one finished with our new Block of the Month program.  I love this one made with the May blocks!  

Getting back to the graduation quilts...the stars one should be finished by now.  Here's a sneak peek.  It is almost done.  Every time I join two blocks, I seem to change my mind about the layout.....

My shoofly blocks are in various stages of progression.  These blocks have mainly been pieced as leaders and enders while sewing the stars, but I chained pieced quite a few HSTs on Saturday.  I'm glad I worked on these at Sew Day because I realized I did not cut enough blue squares and triangles.  Until I do that, I've done all the piecing I can.

Per Michele's request, here's a picture of some shoofly blocks...hope to show more soon ;-)

For now, they are still WIPs...

Have an amazing day!!!

Enjoying the Process

You would think as far behind on the two graduation quilts as I am, that I would be rushing to finish them....that is my modus operandi.
Instead, I have slowed the pace down and am enjoying the process of actually making the quilts. What a concept, right?!

{Disclaimer:  random unrelated photos because can't have a post without pictures ;-) }

Organized piles from cutting session

Don't get me wrong....part of me would love to zip quickly through these quilts and move on to the numerous other quilts screaming in my head to get out....but for today (and for as many other days as I can stand to) I am happy to thrill in the pondering over layouts and see the Shining Star quilt take shape....delight in honing my quarter-inch-seam-stitching skills when piecing the Shoofly Blocks....daydream of idyllic days spent on the beach watching the not-then-high-school-graduates-but-four-year-old-cousins build sandcastles....plan future quilts with the fabric scraps from these two graduation quilt projects....

Selvages saved 

 Although all this "enjoying the process" will delay their gifts, I hope my son (Shining Star) and niece (yet to be named Shoofly quilt) will feel and appreciate the love and time that has gone and will go into these quilts....if not now, then maybe when they are older.  If not, that's OK because I am...feeling the love that is ;-)

LOVE fabric for future project

 I realize this should not be an "Aha" moment or an unique experience for me......this should be what quilting is all about...and it is....it's just sometimes I need to remind myself to stop and smell the roses enjoy the process!!!

Adorable quilty bird gift from a wonderful quilty friend!

Quilting is also about making and spending time with quilty friends.
This week I met with quilty friends (bearing gifts no less) at an impromptu sew-in and spent a couple of fun hours sitting, chatting, binding, cutting fabric, and discussing current trends/scandals/drama in the quilt world;
tomorrow I'll enjoy more quilty friend time at OMQG's Sew Day;
and in three weeks I'll reconnect with quilty friends (sans three) made last year, meet (and dare I say...make) a few more quilty friends, and see my sister at Gruber's quilt retreat!

{I'm finishing this post at my hairdresser's...don't you just love technology!}

Hope you have the opportunity this weekend to stop and enjoy the process too!