Wyoming Breezes

July 2022 Five projects are currently in my knitting queue: the Noro scarf, a pair of scrap yarn socks, the Redcliffe City socks, and two Baby Surprise Jackets (BSJ). The scarf should be finished tomorrow, the scrap socks (one finished and the mate at the heel flap), and the first Redcliffe sock is at the heel flap.  While cleaning the sewing room, I found a BSJ that needs shoulder seams and a collar added. The jacket came off the needles in 2020 . I also need to sew buttons on this BSJ as well as a purple one that was finished in 2018 .  I don’t know why I didn’t finish these BSJ years ago!  Currently, I seem to be in a mindset to get clear out lingering/stalled knitting projects, and they are out of bins and in a queue. 

quilting kits  January 2022 It’s probably obvious to regular readers that my sewing/quilting has been nonexistent since early November. I had six QOV finished but waited until after the holidays to request a volunteer longarmer. I didn’t want to have a larger stockpile of quilts, so I picked up my knitting needles instead. As of last week, two of the six QOV are in Texas (thank you, Linda S.) being quilting, and two more are in the request queue. I feel more comfortable starting some new projects.  I pulled all the panels I have (thanks, Sue O.) and paired them with patterns/ideas and tucked them into project bags. I pulled scraps and orphans that have been around too long and found patterns. They also went into project bags. I numbered the bags 1 - 12, rolled the die, and assigned them a month.  January’s project will use four printed blocks (thank you, Connie H.). I have the fabric pulled for the pattern, so it’s ready to cut.  If I finish a project quickly, I’m gi...

It’s been over a year since this quilt ( Pinwheel Puzzle ) was finished and quilted, but sadly, it was under the pressing table in a bag and not bound. Saturday afternoon, I prepared the binding strips and label. I promised myself that I’d finish the binding this week.  The sewing room was a mess with fabric, scraps, quilt tops and patterns stacked on the cutting and pressing tables. Since I was on a roll, I also prepared backings for the six QOV folded and stacked on the cutting table. I put off that job because I knew I wouldn’t mail the quilts to longarmer until after the holidays: I didn’t want them lost in the crush of holiday mail.  With all of those tasks done, I was able to clean off the cutting and pressing tables. Hopefully, my sewing/quilting mojo will be prompted by the tidy sewing room. 

lace design visible when back lit November 2020 Once I set a goal to finish this long-time UFO, it wasn't difficult to sit down and knit at least two rows a day. I bound off the last stitch on Thanksgiving just as the sun was setting.  off the needles and in need of a good blocking  November 2020 It doesn't look like much on the hanger, but once it's blocked, I think it will be a beauty. I plan to take it to the LYS to be blocked because I don't have a area large enough to do an adequate job.  Pattern :  EZ 100th Anniversary Pi Shawl: Camping (half circle version) . free pattern on Ravelry Needles : US size 8 Yarn : Heritage 150 Sock Yarn (Cascade Yarn)  Color: 5631

Over the weekend, I went through some project boxes in my sewing room and found a stack of neutral triangles left over from this project. This stack has been moved from box to box and pile to pile for over a year, and it was time to actually DO something with them. I slipped into a rabbit hole when searching for scraps to pair with these triangles. I unearthed even more triangles in various sizes and colors, and before long, I had stacks for HSTs, ranging in size from 2.5 - 4.5 inches. I'm sure some larger triangles may also be found in the scrap bins. over 100 HSTs - some trimmed and others waiting to be trimmed January 2020 It appears I need to plan a project to use all of these HSTs - perhaps they will become star points or pinwheels or remain HSTs.

American Wildlife 60 x 72 inches Quilt of Valor #153 American Wildlife was made with a free online pattern called Bear Sees Colors  by Deborah G. Stanley.

making plans January 2019 Over the weekend, I started making a list of potential projects to work on in 2019. As I looked through the bins and baskets in the sewing room, I found parts of previous projects, panels, and orphan blocks. Hopefully, I'll be able to find a use for the assorted bits and pieces.

Fireworks 68 x 72 inches Quilt of Valor #151 January 2019 The first Quilt of Valor finish for 2019 is the UFO I received from LeAnn H. Previous posts about the UFO gift can be seen here ,  here , here , and here . LeAnn, thank you for trusting me to finish your project and for making this Quilt of Valor possible. stained glass effect I love how it looks like stained glass hanging in front of my patio door. Pattern : Fireworks #155 , designed by Camille Roskelley (Thimble Blossoms)

sixteen completed quilt blocks January 2019 The final red and blue blocks were completed Saturday afternoon. LeAnn's UFO package contained five of the lighter blocks and fabric cut for the remaining ten blocks. I added some red and blue fabrics to brighten the quilt and to make it more of a Quilt of Valor. The blocks were moved around a bit to find a good layout. Brenda, Marilyn and I decided the arrangement in the photo showcased all the blocks the best. After the blocks are sewn together, I'll add a border to complete the quilt.

One of seventy-two flying geese units January 2019 Over the weekend, I finished sewing the final blocks for the UFO project I received from LeAnn H. Each block contains twelve, flying geese units, and eight, half flying geese units. The last set of blocks was finished and pressed on Saturday evening.

Last week, I posted about a quilt UFO that I adopted from LeAnn H . LeAnn had all the background fabric cut, so I prepared blue and red scraps for the stars and created red and blue versions of the blocks. I made three blue and three red blocks and have fabric cut out for three more of each color. The blocks will finish at 16 inches.

unfinished quilt kit from LeAnn H. in CA December 2018  Last week I received a box from LeAnn H. in California. She contacted me in July and asked if I would be interested in finishing one of her quilting UFOs (unfinished project) for a Quilt of Valor. I accepted her generous offer, but told her that I was moving and things would be unsettled for a bit, so she agreed to send the package later. The UFO included five finished blocks, fabric (cut and separated for individual blocks), and the pattern. It is a treat to have everything cut and ready to sew. I will be adding some red and blue fabrics to the kit to make it brighter and more patriotic. fabric and orphan blocks from LeAnn H. in CA December 2018 The package also included some additional fabric and two large orphan blocks. I will turn the orphan blocks into doll quilts and donate them and a couple of dolls to the local Toys for Tots drive next December. LeAnn, thank you for allowing me to adopt your UFO project to...

Lone Star II 56 x 67 inches Quilt of Valor #144 I intended to finish this QOV in May but got sidetracked and finished it on June 1, 2018. The red gradient fabric was much different than any I've used before - mottled and almost batik-like. I told my niece the fabric looks like a tomato soup factory exploded.  Note: As I stated in an  earlier post , two vertical rows were added in order to meet the minimal size requirement for a Quilt of Valor.

Blackbird Village 62 x 87 inches May 2018 While the main section of this quilt was assembled at Marilyn's house when I visited  in April , the top could not be finished until the border fabric (ordered from a Colorado quilt shop) arrived in the mail. On May 29, 2018, the quilt was measured, the fabric cut, and the outer border added to the top. Once the backing is prepared, this UFO will be quilted and one step closer to being finished.

trimming HST blocks May 2018 I'm making slow progress on this month's UFO . Because I added some width to the pattern in order to meet the QOV size requirements, I made 48 red/red half-square triangles, and 40 white/cream half-square triangles. 88 trimmed and squared HSTs Whenever a pattern says to make two HSTs at a time  from a square of fabric with a measurement like 6 7/8",  I cut a 7" square instead to give myself a tiny bit of wiggle room. Invariably, if I don't add the 1/8", I end up with a HST that is too small. When squaring the blocks, the trimmings are sometimes a sliver and sometimes merely the 1/8", but the blocks are always the correct size. This small adjustment always works for me and eliminates the frustration of having to redo the HSTs.

UFO to be made in May A roll of the die revealed that number three is the project for May. The project from my UFO Challenge list under that number is the Freedom Flag quilt. Marilyn and I made quilts with this pattern in 2011: the two I made were  Quits of Valor . I liked the pattern so much that I wanted to make another one. The pattern calls for a gradient red fabric, and since 2011, I've had a heck of a time finding it. When my great-niece was married in 2015, I chanced upon the fabric in an Ogallala, NE quilt shop. The yardage has been marinating for three years and is ready to be used. Finding time to sew this month will be tricky, as May is full of my annual "ists'" appointments: optometrist, periodontist, cardiologist, dermatologist, pulmonologist. Do you schedule your annual appointments in the same month?

two Blackbird Village panels by Kathy Schmitz - Moda Fabrics These two panels with coordinating fabrics were purchased at a quilt show in Lander, WY about three/four years ago. I placed this project on my UFO Challenge list, and April was the assigned month for working on this project. I initially thought the birds were crows, but they are blackbirds, and the Moda fabric line is called Blackbird Village. My thought was originally to cut the panel blocks apart, and after doing a lot of searching for ideas, I decided to come up with my own plan. rough sketch of my "plan" for the panel The panel blocks would be framed to finish at 12 inches, so I searched for some fun 12 inch block patterns to sew from the coordinating fabrics. some quarter triangle blocks ready to sew together - the black and tan fabrics were not included in the fabric bundle I purchased with the panels quilt in progress Little by little the 12 inch blocks were made and placed on the des...

#1 on die indicates the UFOs for April orphan blocks and a "Crow" panel quilt Two very old projects were selected from the UFO challenge list with a quick roll of the die. Number one on my UFO list included some "waste" triangle orphan blocks and a "Crow" panel kit I purchased at a quilt show a couple of years ago.  It's clearly time these projects saw the light of day.

March UFO selection Marilyn asked me to roll the die for this month's UFO selection - a five. My #5 UFOs are unfinished Quilts of Valor - a word panel and some wildlife panels. The wildlife panels have been in my stash for over three years. In recent years, more veterans in this area have selected wildlife or hunting related quilts over patriotic quilts.

fabric cut and ready for a QOV Saturday, February 3, 2018 was the national Quilt of Valor Sew Day. The local QOV group scheduled a sew-in at a local church, but I decided to stay home and work. I finished American Spirit (shown in yesterday's post) and prepared a kit (shown above) for another QOV, using the same pattern. The Flannel Roses pattern requires a 16.5 inch center, so I'm adding a narrow, navy frame on the napkin to bring it up to size. fabric cut and ready for another QOV Since I was on a roll and in the mood to cut fabric, I prepared a kit. The pattern I selected for this QOV uses smaller pieces, but one of the patriotic napkins will still be in the center. February's UFO challenge goal is to use as many of the patriotic napkins as I can to make Quilts of Valor.