Well after several ups and downs with this months blocks for the “Star Crazy” quilt I have them finished. This morning I was half way done with one of the star blocks when I realized that I had accidentally bumped the needle position and I was not making a 1/4 inch seam but a bit larger! I had to get the seam ripper in action and that delayed finishing that block. I managed to get all finished this afternoon though! February’s assignment is done and now I can get back to work on my circle applique border on the “Going in Circles” quilt which is coming along nicely, I am working on the second side right now and about half way done with that one.
February's assignment - 2 star blocks, 2 Irish chain blocks and 36 half square triangles. I had two left over last month for some reason and I saved them for this months work they are down there on the bottom.
last months blocks and this months blocks.
two months of half square triangles. I don't remember how many we need for this quilt -- too many!
My girlfriend Regina’s daughter Sara is in the wildlife department in the Arkansas Fish and Game Program at Arkansas Tech University and I wanted to share a link of her releasing a trumpeter swan the other day with others from that department, the story is at this link along with other photos. http://focus.arkansasonline.com/photos/index.php?id=2582928 Although I have never met Sara I have heard about her for 3 years now and I feel as though I know her – way to go Sara!! I envy you being able to pick up that bird and then release it. Most of us will never come that close to a trumpeter swan much less say that we had held one!
On the weather front our snow is beginning to melt quickly all of a sudden, it is up to 40 degrees today and will be in that range though out the weekend – we just might be snow free by Monday.
Ok, who likes fruitcake and who hates it! I have heard so many people over the years say they hate it that you begin to wonder why it is a popular baked good for the holidays! I love fruitcake — BUT — only if it doesn’t have candied fruit in it. I use dried fruit. I haven’t been too pleased with the recipe I have used in the past – for some reason it seems to dry out quickly the past several years. My friend Marianne in Vermont- who was my secret pal for the Dear Jane group this past year – she was the one I sent packages to — posted a link to a recipe that I am using this year. I have the fruit soaking in the liquid overnight and will do the baking tomorrow. I have cut the recipe in half as it does make a lot. I am doing as Marianne does and making a few substitutions. I am leaving the candied cherries out of the recipe and just added a little more of the dried apricots and pineapple. I will use walnuts as that is what I have and King Arthur Flour uses some extra ingredients that you have to get from them that really do not seem necessary so those will be out and substitutions will be made.
We all agreed yesterday that we work on several projects at once – I think we all get tired of working on the same thing all the time and 3 or 4 keep us more mentally alert 
I have been continuing to quilt on the Dutch Treat quilt and it really doesn’t look any different from the last photo as it is hard to see the quilting so most likely the next time you see it, it will be done. 30 more blocks to quilt so it is moving along nicely.
The front of the sweater is coming along well too. I found a easy to knit sweater book the other day and bought it. It has several patterns in it that I feel I will be able to do!
Crispy you are a bad influence on me and after seeing your red and green quilt top by Jeana Kimball I decided I had to look the book over and the pattern that is in it. It arrived today and I have been looking at it so much – I don’t know the Little Brown Bird quilt might have to be done at the same time as I do this one!! Once again my projects for the upcoming year might get changed around a little!! and it is all your fault Crispy
sorry for the glare - this book must be out of print as there are so many high prices out there it is ridiculous! If you do a search there are copies available. I found a used-like new copy. It said it hadn't been used and really did look new and I am very pleased with the condition of the book. I didn't pay anymore than I would for any quilting book but there are copies going for over $50 to 100.00 - if you are interested in it do some searching as you can find it in the $25 range.
If you like the historic red and green applique quilts you might like this link – about 19 of them shown I think.
First of all I finally got the stencil today for my Baltimore Bliss quilt. I ordered it ages ago like November 20th I think. I hadn’t received it and the company I ordered from said it I didn’t get it by today to let them know and they would send another. I got it today! It looks great and will fill in those 16 1/2 blocks really well and the half square-triangles too.
feathered circle. I had intended to start the Baltimore Bliss quilting but I had to wait for the stencil so I started the Dutch Treat instead. That is ok, it will give me time to find a nice varigated thread to use to show off the quilting. I don't have a color I want to use on it right now.
I know this is my second post today (I really spend too much time on the computer and need to get busy quilting this evening!) I thought I would share some of Christmas decorations – I would love to see how y’all decorate too so if you have posted photos let me know so I can look. Here are a couple, I’ll do more tomorrow.
Feathered star Christmas table topper made several years ago. I put it on my new table and it looks really great there.
My 3 kings - I got these on sale from my daughter when she was selling "Southern Living At Home" items. These kings are about 14 inches tall. I love them, they look old and rustic but aren't!
Russian Nesting Dolls. I got these on a cruise to Alaska about 6 years ago? They are made in Russia and they were the prettiest ones I found at a reasonable price in Sitka, Alaska. Sitka if you don't know has a deep history of Russia culture as Russian fur traders lived there in the 1800's. These nesting dolls have wood burning on them which looks really nice. They have such a religious theme to them that they are perfect for Christmas although I leave them out out throughout the year - just in a different location.
Yes no quilting photos today. I made these pancakes yesterday morning and loved them – thought I would share. I like waffles and pancakes – not real often but about once every week or two I make some up. I keep the ones we don’t eat in a zip lock bag and then just heat them in the microwave when I want them. I quite often use the same recipe and make waffles instead. I got this recipe out of the “Taste of Home” Cookbook. It is chock full of recipes, many that I have never tried. I would like the book for the desserts too but I try to not make many desserts anymore so feel it would be a waste of money and too tempting if I had it! (now I see when I put the link in here that the dessert book is on sale for less than half price — no I am not going to order it – I will resist!)
Brown Sugar Oatmeal Pancakes
Brown Sugar Oatmeal Pancakes:
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons quick cooking oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
Mix it all up and make your pancakes this makes about 12 pancakes the size shown in the photo. I like these pancakes with butter and home made apple butter spread over the top. Mike likes them with syrup.
Everyone have fun quilting today. I plan on working on the Dutch Treat quilt and knitting. Oh by the way — I decided to unravel the shawl I was making and make a simple sweater instead. I felt I was catching on to the knit/purl routine good enough. I found a very simple pattern on line and I’m going to give it a shot and have made good progress on it already!
Finally after days and days of rain all month – I think I heard someone say we have had 25 days of rain in the month of October. The sun was shinning today and believe it or not we are to have a whole week of sunshine and in the 60′s — keep your fingers crossed. I do not know how some of you cope with rain in so much of your daily life – like the Seattle area for example and other places too I know but Seattle pops in my head for having a lot of rain. Maybe I think of Seattle because my blogging friend Crispy is there right now! I find it depressing to have rain all the time.
We took advantage of the sunny day to get out of the house. A park that we love is Petit Jean State Park about 40 miles from our house. We have been hiking the trail called “Cedar Falls” for close to 30 years. It is a 2 mile round trip trail. One mile down – one mile up – you really feel it on the way up believe me. Normally there is not very much water coming over the falls except in the spring. The water in the river was higher than we remember ever seeing it. The amount of water coming over the falls was spectacular! I do not remember ever seeing that much water coming over the falls – of course I’m sure there have been times after heavy rains that we just had not gone to the park. Here are a series of photos of the Trail. (One the link that I placed above there is a series of rotating photos advertising the park – they have one of Cedar Falls Trail which shows the normal small amount of water – the difference is amazing).
the river on the way to the falls - normally this water is fairly still, not rushing like it is now. There was water in places on the trail also - not deep but you had to walk through a bit of it here and there in places that are normally dry.
the high water under the bridge
Mike taking a photo of me taking a photo of him
Cedar Falls -- this is normally a trickle of water coming over the falls at this time of year. Sometimes in the spring it looks like this but I do believe the water in the pool was deeper than I had ever seen it.
more of the river by the bridge
the trail head over looking the canyon the falls are in
the sign at the trail head
A lot of people felt the same way we did today I think – the park was packed. In fact Mike ran into 3 people he knows from work taking advantage of the sunshine also.
This evening I have gotten started cutting my bias binding – I haven’t gotten much done but I did do a little while I was waiting for the photo’s to load on the computer. I will work on more of that tomorrow.
(Melanie I know you are excited that I am done with the quilting on “Insanity” – but remember I said I was going to enjoy it for awhile first before handing it off to you!! I never said how long that was going to be LOL)
On this trip we once again planned to stay for 4 or 5 days near the little mountain town of Ouray Colorado. It is a place we have been to 2 times before and have always enjoyed the small mountain town that is so high up in the mountains. The town is literally surrounded by mountains.
Here is a photo of the town of Ouray surrounded by the San Juan Mountains. This is not one of our photos but one that I found in the land of internet The photo Mike took didn't turn out very good but I wanted you all to see what this town looks like from the overlook that is above the town. The overlook is on the Million Dollar Highway that leads from Ouray going south to Silverton another high mountain town. Just about the whole town is in this photo!
Store fronts with mountains behind
Artsian Bakery - we stopped here one day for a very nice middle of the morning snack - cinnamon coffee cake and coffee.
more of the town
The neat sculpture of an elk in the town
jeep trail heading out of town. There are a lot of jeep trails in this area. I will go just so far on these roads as Mike has scared the living daylights out of me on these two times in the past - this time I refused to go deep into these trails as you are practically driving over boulders - once the dirt starts getting too rough that is it for me.
More of the "road" -- 3rd time I have been out here on this one and each time it looks "worse" than before !!
The river by our picnic stop
The aspen forest at our picnic stop
Our picnic - we bring a folding table with us and our canvas chairs. Lunch is sandwiches and chips and bottled water. Would have been great but instead of warming up it got colder and was a balmy 55 or so and before we had time to eat slowly it was beginning to rain and we rushed and had to get everything back in the car. I told Mike we need to bring hot coffee with us next time to warm up! By the way that Red insulated bag has seen us through many years! We bought it about 16 years ago when we flew to Vancouver Canada for a vacation. We were going to be driving around and didn't have anything to keep things cold and found this insulated bag. It got lost in the closet for a period of time and recently found it's way back to us - amazing how things can be lost and found It sure comes in handy. I normally keep a couple bottles of water frozen in the motorhome refrigerator/freezer and those with a packet of ice keeps things pretty good.
As you can see in the photos it was pretty cloudy – it was that way for just about the entire time we visited Ouray this time. Mountain showers almost every day off and on throughout the visit. It isn’t always like that we have seen sunny days before – but not this time.
Trying to play catch up is tiring! The laundry is caught up and the camper is unpacked! We even made it to the grocery store to pick up a few items. The grass still needs to be cut, but it can wait another day. I finished one block of quilting on the Dear Jane “Insanity” quilt this afternoon. I’m not sure where I finished off with the photos of the quilt but it will wait until next week when I get back from Wisconsin. I already have a list of chores to do on Monday before I leave on Tuesday.
Mike has some of his photos finished from when we visited the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. I had posted some photos from that area but his camera does a much better job so I will share them.
A view looking down at the river - we are so high above the canyon floor.
Part of the canyon where you can not see the river below
One of the overlooks at the park - on this one you can right down to the bottom!
I don't have my wildflower book in the house with me - it is in the camper. I will just say it is a type of daisy
another view of the canyon
part of the road that goes to the bottom of the canyon
I decided to put together an applique project to work on when I’m at the airports and on the plane. I am going to start the first block of the Baltimore Bliss blocks from Fat Cat Patterns. I will glue baste it all in place and clip in advance all of the curves – no scissors will be needed then. I will wear the medallion necklace to snip the threads. I have used it before and it worked out. All I will need to have with me is a couple of applique stick pins (very tiny) stuck in a piece of cloth and an extra needle or two also stuck in the cloth and my thread & applique thimble. I haven’t flown in awhile but last time that was still allowed – anyone know if you can’t do that anymore?
I will bring the “So Charming” quilt pieces with me to finish up (hopefully) at my daughter’s house – putting the rows together I feel will be too much pinning needed ect. at the airports and would need too many pins with me which they probably wouldn’t allow on the plane. Don’t know if I will have enough time to finish it of course but I will have two days that the kids are at school and daughter will be in New York. I will have those two days to myself, I don’t do much shopping anymore other than quilting fabric so a run over to Millhouse Quilts is on the schedule! Other than that though I doubt I will shop much unless my dear daughter wants to when she is home. We will need to do lunch one day!
We left the San Juan Mountains late morning on Saturday and continued our trip to Mesa Verde National Park in southwest Colorado where we will not have any internet service 
Here is a link to what we will see and where we are if you are interested in looking at it. Mesa Verde National Park. If you click on the various links you will see all that is offered at this park.
Yes something different for this post — I thought I would stray away from wildflowers, mountains and animals for a change of pace.
Have any of you heard of the “Stanley Hotel”? It is located in Estes Park outside of Rocky Mountain National Park. It is a wonderful hotel built 100 years ago. It is a place that the rich people went for their vacations back in the early 1900′s. (now anyone goes) Each time we have gone to the Estes Park area we stop at the hotel and wander through the lobby, the grounds and sometimes the basement level where there is a small museum type of room telling us all about the book that Stephen King wrote that is based in part on the Stanley Hotel - “The Shining”. Have any of you seen it? I have more than once and read the book several times as well. If you read the book or see the movie and then go see the hotel you will really get the feeling of ghosts in the air
Mike and I actually stayed one time at the Stanley Hotel – a splurge for us, we stayed 2 or 3 nights I don’t remember for sure and it was about 8 years ago or so. We wanted to experience it and as we were walking the old fashioned carpeted hallway to our room one evening I was asking Mike if he could see the ghosts of the twin girls – I know I was being silly but there you go – gotta have some fun right!
So anyhow seeing as we were here once again last weekend we decided to go up to the hotel and take some photos and wander through the grounds and lobby like all the other tourists were doing Here are photos.
the hotel viewed from the road complete with the dark cloudy stormy sky - how appropriate was that?
the hotel up close
Now I really got a laugh out of this one. When Mike can't get the whole picture he wants in one shot he takes several one after another moving the camera just a little. Then he use a program on the computer which "stitches" the photos together to get a panoramic view. When he does this occasionally something funny happens - like in this one. Evidently one or two people where moving around when he was shooting his pictures -- when he stitched the photos together the people appear as "ghosts". Or maybe they really are ghosts? LOL no I think it was just one of those weird happenings but you can never tell!
The check in area of the lobby - isn't that old wood magnificence
The grand staircase in the middle of the lobby. There is a sign posted at the end of the staircase that tells all tourist they are to go no further - paying guest only
more of the lobby and all the people that were wandering around
outside dining in the back courtyard, lots of people here in the afternoon or early evening
The movie "The Shining" written by Stephen King starring Jack Nicholson was made in the late 1970's. It is rumored that Stephen King stayed in room 217 when he went there for inspiration and he wrote a good part of the book there.
If you travel around the western states you will find a lot of these great old hotels where it use to be that just the rich and famous stayed. Now the prices aren’t too bad for a night or two for most people and you do not dress fancy or anything like that anymore. Yellowstone National Park has several great lodge/hotels that really need to be experienced and also up in Glacier National Park area in northern Montana and across the border in Canada. If you can ever spend just a night or two at one of these places you will enjoy the atmosphere tremendously.
I know I’m a quilter and I should be posting links to more quilts and patterns BUT look at the sweaters at the following link – what a great knitter she is. This lady is from Iceland and knows what cold weather is all about. Her name is Berglind Snaeland and here is her link. I just wanted to share this as I am really envious. I would love to be able to knit sweaters and socks and whatever but have never learned how (and of course in Arkansas I really do not need them that heavy!). That is going to change soon I hope. In October when things get settled down from a traveling September I want to take knitting lessons at a little shop in my area. I just hope the recession won’t hit their small store before I have a chance to do it and learn it well. We have never seemed to have a knitting store stay in business long in our area. I would love to learn how to knit a sweater – nothing too heavy of course or I would be too hot but a nice medium weight yarn would work well I think.
I know I have seen a lot of quilting blogs where there is knitting featured also but I just saw this one the other day and 
wanted to share it.
I have gotten one more block done on the “Insanity Revisited” quilt Block G-13 and have the 7th row now pinned to the 6th row and will start sewing it together later this evening and the body of the quilt will be half way finished.
On the “Insanity” quilt I only got one block done on that one and part of the block next to it. This one is J-10. It was done using reverse applique and it was a pain in the butt doing it I recall!
