Barn Quilt Quest July 2013

Hello Blog Friends,

So sorry I've been away so long.  We were out of town on the weekend of July 19-21.  We were in La Crosse for a train show, then the races Saturday night at the fair.  It is a about a 3 1/2 hour ride from La Crosse to home, and we were tired after the busy weekend.  La Crosse is my home town, so of course I spent some time looking at the old haunts.  Unfortunately, I didn't get much sewing done this past week.  I mean to put the pedal to the metal (to borrow a phrase) and get the machine humming this coming week.  I really need to get the patriotic items finished before it is fall and time to put them away.

We were in Door County yesterday all day, and did some Barn Quilt hunting.  Here are some of the favorites we saw:

Chicken Chapel.  These people raise chickens. 

 Four Blazes Hearts.  This was a small shelter for two horses and it shows that you can put a barn quilt on any structure!

 Tumbling Maple Leaves

 Log Cabin

Black & White Star

 

We didn't have time to get them all...we got to Door County a lot, so we will save them for the next trip.

 

Until next time...

Long May She Wave

Hello Blogger Friends,

I have one more project to share with you from the same fabric collection as Stars and Bars.  It is a wall hanging using a very interesting pattern piece:

Yes, this project requires curved piecing.  I know some of you cringe at the thought of curved piecing.  For me, it wasn't difficult since I was a garment maker for many years.  I found it mostly just to be "putzy".  Although, I would not recommend this project to someone who is just beginning to sew or piece.  Curved piecing can be tricky and does require patience.  I made this project over a succession of nights, so I paced myself a bit.  There were the occasional puckers and pleats that had to be removed and the seam re-sewn.  So what did I make with this odd shaped pattern piece?  Behold...

A flag wall hanging.  I named her "Long May She Wave".  I have yet to attach the backing and binding (bias, of course). 

Stars and Bars Update:  My backing fabric has finally arrived, so I'll be finishing those two runners.  I'm hoping to have photos of the finished projects in a week or so.

Until then...

Stars and Bars II

Greetings Blogger Friends,

I've been busy these past few days, and have stayed true to my goal of spending time with the sewing machine.  I have the second table runner finished (made from leftovers from Stars and Bars).  This is a runner that I have planned for my piano bench.  The bench is long and narrow and sits in front of our front window.  I use it to display seasonal decorations.  I've named it Stars and Bars II, since it is an off-shoot of the original.

(This is kind of a strange, distorted picture..it was hard to get it all in the shot.) 

I haven't yet received the backing fabric I sent for last week, so I've been working on a new project and finishing a UFO.  More on these two items in the next couple of posts.

The weekend is quickly coming to a close, and so am I.  Until next time...

Stars and Bars Runner Top

Hello Blogger Friends,

I've reacquainted myself with my sewing machine again, and have picked up the Stars and Bars table runner I previewed several weeks ago.  I'm happy to report that I've finished the top.  However, I need some backing fabric for it and for the second runner I'm planning.  I have coordinating fabrics on order from Connecting Threads, so until it arrives, I'll start work on the second runner.

Here's a photo of the Stars and Bars Runner top:

 

This project went together easily, and I like the result.   I'll share the finished product in a week or so. I'll be back soon with that second runner.  Until then...

Laura and Caddie

Hello Blog Friends,

Before I get back to the main focus of this blog, I wanted to share with you two very special places we visited on our recent trip to northwestern Wisconsin.

One is the Laura Ingalls Wilder homesite.  This Wisconsin historical marker and wayside is just north of Pepin, Wisconsin.  It is the site where Laura was born and is the subject of her first book, Little House in the Big Woods.  The log cabin is a historical replica.

 

 

We also happened across the Caddie Woodlawn Historical Park.  Caddie was the daughter of John Woodhouse, who in 1857, moved his wife and their five children  from the relative comforts of Boston to 160 acres of rugged Dunn County wilderness.  Caroline's (Caddie was her nickname) granddaughter Carol Ryrie Brink based her 1935 Newberry Award winning book on her grandmother's life.  The cabin is the actual house where Caddie lived as a child.  It was moved to the park from it's original location on a nearby farm.

 

 

My case in point...these are the things you find along the roads less traveled.     Try it the next time you travel...get off the freeway, slow down, explore the area and discover unexpected treasures.  We find them all the time.

 

Next time an update on the Stars and Bars Runner.



 



 

Home from Vacation!

Hello Blog Friends!

I know it's been several weeks since my last post.  We have been quite busy, and the time has just flown!  We went on a weekend trip, met Denis' brother and his wife Bev at the NEW Zoo in Green Bay last weekend, went to the Elkhorn flea market last Sunday, went on a cruise of Chain of Lakes on July 4 with Mom, and went to a play at the T.A.P. in Sturgeon Bay yesterday.  Add to that 3 short (4 day) weeks at work (overtime)...I've hardly had time to catch my breath.  We are going to take it easy the next few weeks and weekends.

As I mentioned in my last post, Denis and I went on a long weekend trip June 21-24.  We traveled to the northwestern part of the state, specifically to Hudson, Wisconsin.  Hudson is on the St. Croix River (which is also the state line with Minnesota) and is less than an hour from the Twin Cities to the west.  Hudson has a dinner theater, and was presenting the play "Always, Patsy Cline".  We bought tickets for the Saturday evening show, and decided to make a long weekend getaway out of it.

Something you should know about Denis and I is that we hate the freeway.  Give us a less-traveled state or county road and we are happy.  We find the most interesting things along the roadway that most travelers miss, whizzing past at 65-70 mph.   So, when we travel, we avoid the freeway as much as possible.  Several years ago, we discovered Wisconsin's Rustic Road program, and decided to visit each and every one over the next few years.  So far, we have been on about half (there are over 110 rustic roads as of 2013).  We incorporated some rustic roads into this trip, and found some real treasures, too.  Click here to read more about Wisconsin's Rustic Roads.  We also stop for all Historical Markers.....It's what we do. 

Our itinerary for the trip:
Friday June 21.   Breakfast with Mom in Plover, then west to Eau Claire.
Saturday, June 22.  Eau Claire to Hudson.
Sunday, June 23.  Hudson to MN Interstate Park at Taylors Falls, then back across the river to Hudson.
Monday, June 24.  Hudson to Plover for dinner with Mom, then home.

We saw a lot of water on this trip...rivers and lakes. 

We stopped for a picnic lunch on Saturday at Maiden Rock along the Mississippi River.

 

 We stopped for a short time in Menomonie on our way home on Monday.  Here is a photo of Menomonie Lake.

 

Here is a beautiful shot of the St Croix River looking south at Hudson.  There was a neat little park atop a bluff overlooking the river. 

It was a very enjoyable trip.  I'll post a couple more pictures tomorrow.