Wyoming Breezes

trimming and squaring HSTs for Clue 2 November 2019 Alycia's clues are based on when her hour timer goes off. Obviously I'm in a slower gear because I finished sewing the 64 HSTs in an hour, but the pressing and trimming are pushing me closer to two hours per clue. Trimming is only removing slivers or less than an 1/8 inch in some places, but squaring and trimming makes a quilt more accurate. An 1/8 inch can throw everything off. The Hour 3 clue is being released today, so I'd better hustle and finish trimming the HSTs on the right.

"Wisdom" created by Enrique Gomez de Molina UW Art Museum Laramie, WY November 2019 A couple of weeks ago, I went to the University of Wyoming Art Museum to see the (re)Evolution art exhibit. I'll admit the pieces were a bit odd, but also intriguing. This piece, created by Enrique Gomez de Molina, was made with bits and pieces from other animals. The whiskers are porcupine quills, the iridescent body was made with beetle wings. close-up of the beetle wings used on the body of Wisdom Yes, each one of those scales is an individual beetle wing - kind of creepy, but also quite pretty.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, and enjoyed listening to it as I knit on another scrappy cowl. My laptop is being finicky, so posts will be shorter than usual.

sun-bleached skull and vertebra bone

sock yarn scraps November 2019 I've been working with my sock yarn scraps nearly all year: this tub was filled with scrap yarn in January. It's been my goal to knit something useful with the remaining small balls by the end of the year, and I'm making gradual progress. So far, I've knit five of the Sockhead Cowls with a combination of yarn (new yarn for the ribbing and scraps for the body of the cowl). I think this tub of yarn will create two (possibly three) cowls. Earlier this month, I delivered five cowls to the Public Health Clinic. They were happy to accept them for their clients. Anyone who crochets or knits is bound to have a basket filled with small balls of scrap yarn. Betsy ( Simple Life of a Queen ) is using her scraps to make granny squares, afghans, mittens, and hats. Connie ( Far Side of Fifty ) crochets tiny bird nests for Wildlife Rehab. What do you plan to make with your scrap yarn?

On Saturday, I had the privilege of attending the Monet exhibit (THE TRUTH OF NATURE) at the Denver Art Museum. The Laramie senior center (Eppson Center for Seniors) organized a bus trip to the exhibit, and I'm thrilled that I was able to secure a seat. It was often difficult to get close to the masterpieces because so many people were in the exhibit hall, but I did manage to take photos of my favorites. I'll be sharing them periodically. Forgive me for not giving the names of these fabulous works of art, but I felt fortunate to just photograph the paintings before the crowd surged around. Monet is well known for his use of color, so I was surprised that one section of the exhibit included winter scenes. The detail was amazing down to the brush strokes of the frosty trees. I particularly loved the paintings that included water and clouds and could have viewed the details for hours.

Clue #1 completed November 2019 Alycia published the first clue for the Winter Quilt-a-Long last week on her blog. She also leads an online group that makes Quilts of Valor. This is the fifth QAL I've made with the group. The other mystery quilts were:       Lone Rider     The Patriot     Star Struck     Criss Cross     For the Winter QAL mystery, I am using the three fabrics shown in the photo. Alycia told the group that none of the pieces would be smaller than 6.5 inches, so the quilt is beginner friendly. Her clues are easy to follow, and for this QAL, she timed herself as she made the quilt, so each clue takes approximately an hour. Clue #1 took me longer than an hour because I was using some odd cuts of fabric, and I did not press the fabric before starting. Anyone can join in the fun. All the clues will be published here  on Alycia's blog every Wednesday until the mystery is solved.

close-up of "Escape" mural Laramie, WY August 2019 I always smile when I drive by this mural: it reminds me of the illustrations in a Dr. Seuss book. The mural wraps around the corner of the building.

In The Wind In the Wind is finished. I'm happy with the layout and how the variety of background fabrics in the pinwheels work together. This quilt will be presented to the Hospice Home in Laramie, WY after it's been quilted. 

source How I wish I could see this finished bronze sculpture in person; however seeing one of the horses in the beginning stages at the Eagle Bronze Foundry  was a real honor. I saw an article online about the finished sculpture last week on Cowboy State Daily . Now that the sculpture is finished, it will be shipped to Sicily.

Take the time today to tell veterans how much you appreciate  their service and the impact they made on your life. 

patio railing shadows at WyoColo September 2019

two "Around the Block" blocks November 2019 Last month, I attend a Sagebrush Quilters' guild meeting. The group is very active and makes a lot of quilts for community programs. Members sign up to collect donated Blocks of the Month and then make a quilt out of the donated blocks. Around the Block was the design selected for October, and the finished blocks will be collected at the November meeting. I played around with some scraps and made two blocks. The pattern is on page 33 in Judy Hopkins 501 Rotary Cut Blocks . The blocks finish at 12.5 inches unfinished.

forty-six pinwheel blocks November 2019 The pinwheel blocks are finished and squared to 7.5 inches. They're an odd size, but I wanted to keep them as large as I could. The main fabrics and colors are consistent, but the backgrounds (grey, tan, and a light lavender) are different and could present a challenge. I'm considering a dark sashing to  pull them all together, but that may change when I start auditioning fabrics. I have a couple of layout/setting ideas, but again, the sashing fabric may dictate what I actually do.

Eileen's Stars 62 x 72 inches Quilt of Valor #170 Eileen's Stars was finished over the weekend, and I love how it looks. I used all of Marty's mother's stars . Parts of the stars were hand-stitched, and after checking each of them, I can attest that Eileen's stitches were exact and are very secure. It was my pleasure to turn these donated, star blocks into a beautiful Quilt of Valor.  Marty, thank you for trusting me to work with your mother's blocks.