Wyoming Breezes

Faucet near the cabin's front steps July 2016 It wasn't until the last day at the cabin that Maria spotted the bird's nest in the hose holder. The nest was in a high traffic area: we walked by this area multiple times as we exited and entered the cabin, the ATV and Jeep were frequently parked adjacent to the nest, and the bucket under the faucet is where Emma (Dwight's dog) stopped for quick drinks. Yet, the little bird was not seen until the last day of our visit. closeup of the bird on the nest July 2016 The choice of nesting spots was good - "hidden" in plain sight.  I snapped the photos before we headed down the mountain. This little bird can relax until the next visitors come to the mountain cabin.

We were sitting on the cabin deck one evening, when I spotted this rather odd sculpture, and asked Maria what it was. She laughed and explained that's what happens when a can of foam insulation freezes. The can is visible on the right side of the photo. Note how the cap was broken from the impact of the foam escaping.  This "sculpture" was an oddity, but it resembles a piece of modern art.

Cabin Fever 67 x 83 Since the blocks for this quilt were made while staying in a cabin in the Big Horn Mountains, I decided to name it Cabin Fever . Previous posts about this quilt can be found here , here , and here . Cabin Fever was made from a kit I found in the Clearance Room at Sheep Camp Quilts at 50% off several years ago. I paid $33.50 for the complete kit (fabric for the top, the binding, AND the backing). The shop owner was practically giving the kit away at the clearance price: the backing fabric alone would cost over $50 if the yardage was $10 a yard, which many fabrics were at that time. My points are not perfect, and some pieces don't align perfectly; however, the quilt captures the memories of a Sisters' Sew-in perfectly. The quilt pattern is free online - Magic Pinwheels by Karen Snyder.

Hitchhiker scarf knit with Noro yarn July 2016 The Colorful Hitchhiker was finished at the mountain cabin a couple of weeks ago, and I'm thrilled with the result. The Noro yarn striped so beautifully. Colorful and lacy Noro Hitchhiker scarf July 2016 Knitting notes can be found here .

 twelve pinwheel blocks After the sixteen-patch blocks (see Tuesday's post) were finished, I worked on the individual blocks for the pinwheel quilt for the next two days. Once the small blocks were completed and squared, I sewed four of them together and created twelve larger units. I gave the large units a good press and packed them in the bin so I could work on the quilt top at home. Project number two was completed.

Marilyn and Dwight Dutch oven cooking Dwight planned all the meals for our week on the mountain and did most of the cooking and grilling. On our first morning at the cabin, he prepared a sausage, potato, egg and cheese dish in a Dutch oven. It was yummy. Other dishes included grilled pork chops, grilled chicken, pan-fried fish (caught by the guys), biscuits and gravy, grilled potatoes with ham, grilled brats, French dip sandwiches (prepared by Maria and Marilyn), teriyaki steak and rice (prepared by Maria), and of course, S'mores. Lunches consisted of sandwiches and leftovers from previous meals. The cabin had a unique appliance - a Sunbeam microwave, oven, broiler, and toaster combo that was the size of a regular small microwave. It worked perfectly and didn't take up much room in the kitchen. We ate well and plainly didn't want for tasty meals. Thanks for being our chef, Dwight

Sixteen-patch blocks The first two days at the mountain cabin, I worked on the sixteen-patch blocks. By the time I reached the bottom of the bin, I had completed 79 sixteen-patch blocks with only a lonely four-patch left for seed. Project number one was completed.

packed and ready to head to the mountains Last week, Marilyn and I had another Sisters' Sew-in, but this time it was at a cabin in the Big Horn Mountains, southeast of TenSleep, WY. I took three projects for the week - the four-patch squares , the pinwheel kit blocks , and the Noro hitchhiker scarf . Marilyn sewing in our Cabin Sweat Shop July 2016 near TenSleep, WY When we arrived at the cabin, Marilyn and I scoped out a place to sew. We moved the sofa and set up our sewing tables. my sewing station - complete with a homemade chocolate chip cookie. Marilyn made the chocolate chip cookies as well as a family favorite - raisin drop cookies that our Mom made all the time.  These photos were taken on a chilly mountain morning. Rather than use the fireplace, we wore jackets to sew. Marilyn working on her quilt blocks. The stack of blocks in the upper right are finished. Her project was more tedious than mine, but her finished blocks were beautiful...