Retreat!

Winter Comfort by Dona Olivier, 2014 Denver National Quilt Festival
It's Denver National Quilt Festival time of year again, and this year, I'm doing it up big, even though I didn't enter a quilt.


Portrait of a Peacock by Laura Cunningham, 2014 DNQF
Best Use of Sulky Thread, Hoffman Challenge




A very dear friend and quilter will be joining me for five whole days of drooling over exhibition quilts without getting any of our spit on the masterpieces, trying to keep our money in our pockets when we cruise the DNQF marketplace, watching quilting tutorials and, best of all, working on WIPs together for the first time since 2003!

Nothing like a friend who goes way back and shares the same fiber addictions!


What she doesn't know yet is I picked up a few bright sale fabrics and precuts for us to play with when we get bored with existing projects. She has a young granddaughter for whom she loves to sew, and I may get my first "grandchild" next month. (Fingers crossed, hoping for the best!)

(When your only claim to parenthood is fostering and/or adopting, having grandchildren is tricky, tricky, tricky.)


Piecemaker's 2003 Times and Seasons by Jan Zimmerman, Best Interpretation of Theme, 2014 DNQF




I don't know if I'm being realistic, but I'd sure like to finish - completely finish - at least three quilts while my friend is here. If I can't get enough sewing time during her visit (because we'll be sharing my machine), maybe I can finish up the second charity snowflake pdf booklet I've been working on since late in January...


I've wanted to host a quilting retreat with my closest friends and family ever since I discovered Colorado's ski huts. I thought it would be so fun for them to experience the San Juan mountains I love from a secluded cabin way up near the top of Cinnamon or Engineer Pass.

I always thought if I ever strike it rich, I could buy airline tickets for all my BFFs, then buy a couple of snowmobiles with warming handlebars and shuttle my guests up to our own private little paradise where there would be no phones, no sales people, no television... just sewing machines and beautiful views for a whole week!

Of course, that's not where my friend and I will be going; when not at the festival, we'll be in the comfort of my very own home sweet home with whatever wildlife decides to check out my garden. But the dream lingers on.

Can you imagine quilting with a view like this?


Or this?


Or this?


Or this?


Aaaaaaaah... makes me want to be back out in the wilderness!

Meanwhile, we learned the newest member of the extended family, for whom I created this...


... is going to be Joel Keith. Not a girl. So I made this...


The pastel quilt initially was meant to be for Joel, but I didn't know when I made it Joel would be a Joel and not a Joelle... Now, that pastel top seems just a wee bit feminine. I had plenty of blues, that being my favorite color anyway, so I whipped up another quilt top. Literally in one night. I wish the quilting could go as fast!

I plan to free-motion quilt motifs into each square, just as I had planned for the pastel quilt. So I'll still get plenty of practice, and I'm sure another girl will join the extended family eventually. The pastel quilt top will still get finished and gifted.




More from last year's Denver National Quilt Festival...


Square in a Square by Kaffe Fassett & Liza Prior Lucy


It's All About Frida by Bonnie Offerle




Feathered Star by Barbara Karst




Linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Crazy Mom Quilts.

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Wordless Wednesday

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Lost in Waaaaa...

50 miles into Day 1 of this year's Ride the Rockies, we were pedaling in... Washington?!?

We were riding around the Olympic Peninsula. I kept wondering why we didn't see any rest stops or Ride the Rockies signs. Or other cyclists, for that matter.

We finally went into a small store to buy some water to refill our bottles and some snacks to refill our jersey pockets. We asked how far to the next host community.

The cashier summoned the store manager, who promptly told us we would have to leave because we were out of place. (Wearing cycling clothing, I suppose.)

I whined again about finding the next host town, and the manager informed me we'd passed it 25 miles back. We'd turned a 25-mile day into a 75-mile day!!!

Not only that, the manager wouldn't return my little bag of crochet I'd pulled out to help settle my nerves. He said there was no way I had been carrying that in my cycling jersey. I had to have stolen it.

For the first time, I looked down at our jerseys, and they were HIDEOUS!!!!!

Emblazoned in orange, red, black, white and gray were Transformers characters! And ugly ones at that.

I looked over at The Lizard, and he wasn't The Lizard anymore. He was a Harley dude, complete with LOUD motorcycle, LONG beard and enough chains to replace any hardware on my bike. WHO TOOK MY LIZARD??????????

Boy, I really have some doozie dreams sometimes!!!

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Snowflake Monday

What garden would be complete without a lacey flower?

This is the final flowery snowflake inspired by a stack of crocheted flowers I found while looking for quilt backing. I think I made this collection of flowers in about 1995 or 1996 and probably intended to use them on greeting cards for the annual craft fair I participate in where I work each Christmas.

Chances are, I ran out of time in assembling the greeting cards, being as fourth quarter usually keeps me pretty busy at work. So these flowers got stashed and forgotten.

This doesn't mean I won't do any more flowery snowflake patterns. It just means I have to come up with fresh ideas now. Which shouldn't be so difficult, given all the flowers coming up in my garden right now!






When I began working on the pattern for the original flower, the purple and gold one, I thought it needed something more. So I made a few alterations. Not satisfied with the first work-up, I did even more on the second attempt. By the time I got done writing all three patterns, I decided I like the original best, so that's what I worked up with white for the snowflake installment of today's pattern. The Lizard likes the second version best.

You may do whatever you'd like with flowers and/or snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!


Finished Size: 2.5 to 3 inches across from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 8 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, water soluble school glue or desired stiffener, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line


Lacey Flower Snowflake Instructions

NOTE: I worked this version totally in white without binding off at the end of Round 2 for a snowflake, but the instructions below are written for a two-color flower.

With gold or flower center color, make magic ring.

Round 1: * 1 sc in ring, ch 5; repeat from * around 4 times; 1 sc in ring, ch 2, 1 tr in starting sc to form 6th ch 5 loop of Round. Don't pull magic ring too tight.

Round 2: * 1 sc over post of tr directly below (or in next ch 5 sp in repeats), ch 5; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 3: With lavender or petal color, * 1 sc in any ch 5 sp (or in next ch 5 sp in repeats), ch 7; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in starting sc.

Round 4: * 1 sc in next ch 7 sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in same sp, ch 3, 1 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 tr in same sp, ch 5, 1 tr in same sp, ch 3, 1 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in same sp, ch 3, 1 sc in same sp; repeat from * around 5 times, sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.


Second Variation Instructions

With gold or flower center color, make magic ring.

Round 1: * 1 sc in ring, ch 5; repeat from * around 4 times; 1 sc in ring, ch 1, 1 dtr in starting sc to form 6th ch 5 loop of Round. Don't pull magic ring too tight.

Round 2: * 3 sc over post of dtr directly below (or in next ch 5 sp in repeats), ch 5; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 3: With lavender or petal color, * 3 sc in any ch 5 sp (or in next ch 5 sp in repeats), ch 7; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in starting sc.

Round 4: * 1 sc in next ch 7 sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in same sp, ch 3, 1 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 tr in same sp, ch 5, 1 tr in same sp, ch 3, 1 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in same sp, ch 3, 1 sc in same sp; repeat from * around 5 times, sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.


Third Variation Instructions

With gold or flower center color, make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 4 dc in ring, pull hook out of loop (dropped loop) and insert in 2nd ch of starting ch 2, insert in dropped loop, pull dropped loop through 2nd ch of starting ch 2 (starting popcorn stitch made), * ch 3, 5 dc in ring, pull hook out of loop (dropped loop) and insert in top loop of 1st dc of this 5/dc group, insert in dropped loop, pull dropped loop through top loop of 1st dc (popcorn stitch made); repeat from * around 4 times, ch 1, 1 dc in in top of starting popcorn stitch to form 6th ch 3 sp of Round. Pull magic circle as tight as you can get it with all those stitches in the center. The object here is to make the snowflake center poufy and 3D.

Round 2: * 1 sc over post of dc directly below (or in next ch 3 sp in repeats), ch 5; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 3: With lavender or petal color, * 1 sc in any ch 5 sp (or in next ch 5 sp in repeats), ch 7; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in starting sc.

Round 4: * 1 sc in next ch 7 sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in same sp, ch 3, 1 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 tr in same sp, ch 5, 1 tr in same sp, ch 3, 1 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in same sp, ch 3, 1 sc in same sp; repeat from * around 5 times, sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.

If using glue, mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture or desired stiffener. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by!

Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

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Friday Funny

You go, Dude!!!

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A Memorable Quilt of Valor

My red, white and blue fireworks Spoonflower fabric was the perfect reason to go digging through my patriotic stash. It was so much fun to revisit fabrics that caught my eye over the years! Dig that Daisy Kingdom baseball print!!! I didn't even remember buying it, much less it existing.


After an attempt to artistically break up the fireworks with black Kona strips, I decided an assortment of 3-inch strips from the stash would bring the overall size big enough to qualify for a Quilt of Valor.

Two days later, I finished the top for my very first Quilt of Valor donation!


While piecing this (the weekend before the Boston Marathon, when patriotism in the office where I work was soaring because one of my co-workers regularly qualifies and participates in the race), The Lizard decided to get into the patriotic mood, too, and watched "Miracle" for about the 10th time. We never tire of that movie. He watched the medal round of the 1980 Olympic hockey team on TV as it happened; I had no TV but was working for a newspaper and relished in the victory while scanning the AP wire, sort of like visually listening to a (slow and delayed) police scanner for play-by-play.

I was in Salt Lake (but outside the stadium to shoot the fireworks and the mountainside Olympic rings of light put up by my uncle's then employer) during the Opening Ceremonies of the 2002 Olympics when the 1980 hockey team lit the gorgeous Rice-Eccles cauldron.






One month later, due to a February 8, 2002, personal tragedy (yes, the very same night as the Opening Ceremonies), and thanks to the most generous bosses in the world, I was ten rows up from the field as Eric Weihenmeyer, the first blind man to reach the summit of Mount Everest, carried the torch inside Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium for the Paralympics.

No hockey team, but the event, especially the Parade of Nations, still lives on in my memory as one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed. Well, that along with the center ice proposal by Boston-born (how's that for a Boston Marathon blog post tie-in???) sledge hockey star Joseph "Momo" Howard to girlfriend Carol Tribuna following Team USA's win over Estonia. Yes, my Utah family, my adopted daughter and I were there, on the glass. Team USA passed team lapel pins through the glass openings to my daughter and my then very young cousins before the game began.

Those, ladies and gentlemen, are my Olympic moments.


I've long admired the QOV posts at Alicia Quilts, but the spark to my kindling happened near the end of the 2013 Ride the Rockies in Canon City, when The Lizard and I visited a local quilt shop just in time to see volunteers binding donated Quilts of Valor prior to a group presentation. Colorado's Quilts of Valor serves many different organizations.

While perusing Alicia's blog once again to find out more about quilt requirements, I was thrilled to discover many of the same fabrics I've been stashing for many, many years have been used in previous Quilts of Valor!


Here are the basic requirements for a donation quilt.

I'm considering cutting some of the stash that didn't make it into the quilt top to piece the backing. I had planned to stitch in the ditch along the strips and get a little more creative with the fireworks, but I see in the requirements that stitch-in-the-ditch is a no-no. I may actually send this off to be quilted for the recipient, since my skills are still budding and I want the finished product to be something a service member can be proud of for life.

I still need to make a coordinating pillow case for the presentation. The finished quilt is placed inside the pillow case for the actual presentation to the recipient. I didn't know about that when I first started this project, but I think it's such a great idea!

One of the scary things about going through stash skeletons of the past is finding things you don't remember buying and wishing you hadn't...


Not only did I find ONE panel, but there was a second, too. I must have been planning to make matching quillows for my two adopted kids. Back then, working full time and single parenting, I didn't have much time for piecing, so I did buy and use panels. And my kids LOVED quillows. Each of them had a stash of quillows I'd made every year for Christmas. They often took their favorites with us on vacation. They liked their quillows better than sleeping bags.

I'm really not sure what I'm going to do with these two panels. There is enough coordinating backing fabric for both to be made into quillows, or just lap quilts with matching pillows. I cut the backing for one panel and sandwiched it, so it's ready to be quilted now. But I don't want it!

Boy, hopefully this is the last scary surprise in my stash!!!


Linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Crazy Mom Quilts.

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