The Black Hills, SD & some New Projects

Just got back from a trip to Black Hills, SD to visit Toralf's brother and sister in law. Falls leaves were really pretty. I hadn't expected that. Third picture is from the Little Big Horn National Monument.

The trip was a good excuse to cut out a couple new paper pieced projects. I have been wanting to do this for some time. This is what I started.

 

This is the jewel shape with 1"and 2"hexagons. Jewels could also be put together with 2"diamonds. It is a different look and kind of fun. I have a jelly roll of batik for the stars. I'm using a group of tie dyes for the hexagons.

 

This one is ties. Yes I'm finally using them! Design will be tumbling blocks. I need to rethink what I am doing a little bit. I thought I could use the lining on the ends of the ties for the solid top but I don't like the quality fabric so need to find more solid ties and or use the wider solid parts. I have been glue basting the diamonds as I cut them and this stabilizes the slippery fabric. It is working well.

 

Catchup

It has been a busy summer! The end of June I took the train from Whitefish, Montana to Lacrosse, Wisconsin. It was a grand adventure. Biggest drawback was travel time on each end to get to and from train depots, tricky with train delays. I avoided an 18 hour delay by one day.

Spent 2 weeks with good friends from way back.



 

And as always enjoyed the Mississippi.

 





 

Home just a few days and then we headed to California for Oliver's second surgery. He was a trooper and everything came out fine. The palate is now closed so that should facilitate his eating and learning to talk. If all goes well it will be the last surgery until he is 9 or 10 when they will graft a bone in the cleft.

 

 

Hard to believe our little guy turns one tomorrow! He has had quite a year. Right now he is on the verge of walking and eating independently and loves cell phones. Here he is helping Dad and Grandpa in the garage.

 

 

And I would be remiss if I didn't wish all my friends in Mexico Feliz Día de Independencia (Happy Independence Day).

 







For the Birds!

We spent the first couple weeks of July camping at Bryce and Capitol Reef National Parks.This trip really was for the birds. They loved our bikes.





We were amazed by the bluebirds hovering around our campsite at Bryce. They didn't seem shy around people at all.

 These two little guys (robins) spent a day with us at Capitol Reef. The parents hovered close by and even came to the bike to feed them.

No trip to Utah would be complete without a few ravens. The sky is so hazy because there was a fire about 50 miles from here. There were fire restrictions at Bryce. No campfires this trip.

 

We did see other animals. Love this guy trotting down the path. Guess he doesn't know his signs!

Toralf and I joked about this picture taken right after a storm at Capitol Reef --

"The Money Shot"

 -oOo-

Toralf y yo acampamos en los parques nacionales de Bryce y Capitol Reef en Utah el inicio de julio. Fue un viaje de muchas pajaros. En Bryce éste "bluebird" nos visitó . El le gustaba mi bici. No parecía tímido. En Capitol Reef eran "baby robins" que nos visitaban. Los padres quedaban muy cerca y los alimitaban a los bebes a la bicicleta.

Una viaje a Utah no está completa a menos que vemos ravens. El cielo está lleno de humo porque hubiera un fuego 50 miles de allá. No podemos tener fuegos en nuestro campamiento.

Vemos otras animales tambien como éste venado. El aparentamente no puede entender la señal.

Toralf y yo bromeamos sobre éste foto -- el foto de moneda. Lo tocó despues de un tormenta y el cielo fue muy hermoso.



Los Tenagos

Los Tenagos

Missoula Quilt Show 2012 was a wonderful success. This is my ribbon winner - third place in the class/exchange division. It is based on a class I taught for the Mexico City Quilt Guild. Everyone donated their class blocks for a raffle quilt that I won. It is a remembrance of Mexico that I really treasure, for the reminder of all my friends in Mexico (even those who hate jaguars!) and a special day we spent together. This ribbon is for all of you!

-oOo-

Missoula Quilt Show 2012 fue un gran éxito. Este colcha ganó el tercer premio en la división

de clases y intercambios. Se basa una clase enseñé en México. Todas las estudiantes donaban su cuadritos de la clase para una rifa y la gané. Es un recuerdo de México que aprecio mucho, un recuerdo de amigas muy especiales incluso esas quien odia jaguares.

Ese cinta es para todas de ustedes!

Oliver

I'd be remiss in my Grandma duties if I didn't post a picture now and again. Wouldn't I? He's thinking about sleeping though the night or at least Mom and Dad are dreaming of the day. He does sleep in his big crib now and he has started solid foods. Who can account for taste -- he likes baby food peas!

Catch-up

My latest Hexagon Project

Jo and I are exchanging center flowers and then adding our own next ring. My second ring is all Moda marbles with a few shadow play when the color was right. I am using 3/4" diamonds and triangles as connecting paths. These are all tiny prints with flowers in them and I have 11 different fabrics that I am adding in sets of 3. Toralf calls this my Mitsubishi quilt!

My Mexican Bathroom

This is the catch-up part.

I finally finished the Cactus basket wall quilt for my Mexican bathroom. It is 4 - 16" blocks that I rotated. The striped fabric is cut from a set of Mexican napkins, a non-traditional heavy woven fabric. Because of that and the diamonds, I English paper pieced the whole thing. It is an optical illusion. The diamonds are 2 different sizes and of the 3 cactus flowers in each basket only one is really square. Picture below shows the paper (card stock) and more accurate colors. I printed the paper pieces on EQ which was handy. I had to trim the foundations for the striped squares to by about 1/8" to make them fit. I was pleased with the accuracy and flatness of the piece and it was a pretty cuss free project this way :)

Picture below is my shower curtain inspired by the classic blue/white Mexican Talavera tile designs that were everywhere in Mexico. Now I just have a second wall hanging and a wool proddy rug to finish and my bathroom will be complete. Shower curtain has a tiny gold flippy between the body and the center and you can see my bright gold walls peeping through in the background. The shower curtain is lined like a curtain to give it a finished look and not quilted. It hangs with a plastic liner.

Happy Mother's Day

We went for a long (2 hour) bike ride up the Rattlesnake this morning -- a gorgeous sunny day with temps in the low 70's, very comfortable for biking. I printed out the picture on a t-shirt transfer and added the bicycle. I should have added 2 bicycles, one for me and one for Toralf.  It was nice to be out and enjoy the sun. There is still quite a bit of snow on the mountain tops. I made the picture into a little mini quilt for my journal of mini quilts -- a quick fun momento.

Happy Mother's Day. Mother's Day takes on new meaning for me as I recognize and celebrate my daughter-in-law celebrating her very first Mother's Day and remember my mother who is gone.

-o0o-

Montamos en bicicletas por dos horas cerca de los montañas éste manaña -- un día espléndido con mucho sol y temperaturas cerca de 21C -- muy comodo en bicicletas. Imprimo el foto en papel especial imprimir fotos en tela y añado la bici. Debo añadir dos, uno para me y la otra para Toralf. Fue muy agradable afuera en el sol. Todavia hay mucha nieve encima de las montañas. Coso la foto en una colcha chiquitita para me diario de colchitas -- un recuerdo divertido.

Feliz Día de las Madres. Este dia tiene sentido nuevo para me. Es la primer Día de las Madres para mi nuera y tambien recuerdo mi madre.