Wyoming Breezes

Colorado's Quilting Council is hosting the 20th Anniversary Capitol Quilt Show in the Colorado State Capitol Building in Denver, CO from June 2 - August 19, 2009. The show is free and open Monday - Friday from 7:30 AM - 5 PM. On display are 250 quilts made by Colorado state residents. Many of the quilts are on display in the balcony area on both sides of the capitol building so they can be seen from three floors. Free programs are given to those who attend. Numbers on the quilts correspond to those in the program which provides a brief description and background of the quilt and/or quilter. Viewers are encouraged to vote on three favorite quilts. One of my favorites was Falling Leaves owned by Helen Klute, Estes Park, CO. She said, "This quilt was given to me and my husband to commemorate our 60th anniversary. What a wonderful gift! Quilt pieced by Marge Bowen and quilted by Tomorrow's Heirlooms." Another favorite of mine was Stace's Pine Shadow by Ann J. Sander...

While in Colorado, I accompanied my sister to a wedding. I knew the bride and her mother, so I didn't feel too much like a wedding crasher. The ceremony was held in a church, and the reception was held at a local park where the wind was howling. Tablecloths snapped and whipped so hard that it was difficult to carry on a conversation, so the caterers removed them. It was a challenge to prevent cups from toppling and to keep food or plates from taking flight. Despite the weather, the wedding was beautiful and the reception memorable. The following day, a tornado hit the Southlands Mall , three miles from my sister's house.

Over thirty years ago, I met Kathy and Tom. She was a single, first-year teacher, and he was a single, engineer at the power plant being built nearby. The construction of the power plant caused the school's population to soar and created jobs in the small town. Many single teachers and single workers flocked to fill the available positions. (I was a "veteran" teacher with an impressive four years experience.) The energy that the new hires brought to the school was contagious, and we soon formed a group that we called Out to Lunch or OTL . Every one in the group had a cup with the group's logo on one side and their nickname on the other side. We had regular meetings at a small bar, the Landmark (its name is part of the "L" on the cup. We took trips into the mountains, attended mountain dances, gathered around camp fires with a couple of guitars and sang. We hiked, picnicked, skied, and partied. We had a blast. Tom and Kathy ultimately married and moved arou...

If you have priced Sugar and Cream cotton yarn lately, you know that its price has soared. In this area, a 2 ounce ball of Sugar and Cream now costs $1.79 on sale and up to $2.59 regularly. I like to make dishcloths with Sugar and Cream, but I really hate to spend so much for the yarn, especially when I bought it for $ .99 just two years ago. While shopping at Hobby Lobby last week, I found a bag in the clearance aisle that contained three large (14 ounce) skeins of Sugar and Cream and a pattern booklet for $8.63. (It was originally priced $23.99) Quite a bargain, don't you think? I will be able to make over 40 dishcloths from these three skeins.

I was thrilled to find this Longaberger basket (1998, Glad Tidings ) complete with liner and protector at a Denver thrift shop for $9.99. The basket set is conservatively worth $50-60. Some real treasures really can be found at thrift shops. This basket, however, has found a home in my sewing room, holding extension cords, measuring tapes, and some templates.

My niece, my sister, and I went to a matinee of the play, Girls Only . We had a great time laughing and celebrating being women. We were fortunate that the authors of the show ( Barbara Gehring and Linda Klein ) were on stage that afternoon. Two of the most memorable scenes in the play were "Craft Corner" and a "panty hose ballet." If this show comes to your area, I recommend that you see it with some of your girl friends. I guarantee that you will look at panty hose, "product," and the contents of your purse differently after attending the play. I had a great time with my sister, Marilyn and my niece, Brenda on our Girls Only outing.

My sewing machine and I made a road trip to Colorado last week. While at my sister's house, I worked on the Bear Paw quilt, saw old friends, ate too much, spent too much money, saw my doctor, went to a quilt show, and did a tiny bit of knitting. I turned this into this which then became this. . . The top, backing, and binding are now at the longarm quilter and should be finished by the middle of July.

My least favorite part of a trip is coming home and dealing with the laundry, the unpacking, and the mess. This is only a part of the items that I had stashed in my car. I have lots of photos and adventures to share.

Yesterday was busy and left me tired, but it was very fulfilling. The Pulmonary Hypertension Support Group that I lead covers the whole state, but distance prevents many of the patients in the southeastern corner from attending the meetings held in the center of the state. Several months ago, I began planning yesterday's meeting, and if the attendance at the meeting is any indication of the need, then I am glad that I did. Many of the nine Cheyenne PH patients hadn't met previously, so in that respect, the meeting was a success. In addition to that, the program provided them with the latest information on Pulmonary Hypertension and its treatments. Everyone left with an full stomach, a packet of goodies, some new friends, and some helpful information. I consider that a successful day.

A friend recently gave me The Quilt by T. Davis Bunn as a belated birthday gift, and yesterday afternoon while I waited for new maps to download on my Garmin, I read it. It is a quick read and a delightful story. It has a powerful message: to glorify God in all that we do and to give thanks for everything in our lives. At one point a reference is made to George Matheson . I did not recognize the name until I did some research. The Quilt cited Matheson's "Thanks for the Thorn" to illustrate our need to praise and thank God. My God, I have never thanked thee for my thorn. I have thanked thee a thousand times for my roses, But never once for my thorn. Teach me the glory of my cross, Teach me the value of my thorn. Show me that I have climbed to thee by the path of my pain. Show me that my tears have made my rainbows. ~ George Matheson ~ Today, I pray that you see the rainbows in your tears.

A small bit of yarn (too small to be of use) remains from a wool, thrift-shop sweater. The sweater's yarn was used to make two helmet liners, one neck gator, and six hats. All were made for the troops.

Prayer from Ministry to the Armed Forces Heavenly Father, we cannot adequately express our gratitude to our military men and women whose selfless service and sacrifice continue to provide safety and security to our Nation. We can, however, ask for Your divine protection as they face adversity in places of conflict. Lord God, protect these men and women from all harm and danger. Guard their families from worry, fear, and anxiety in times of separation. Eternal God, as veterans return to their homes, many bear physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds and scars. We ask You for special care and healing for these, Your servants. Gracious Lord, grant wisdom, strength, and courage to our chaplains as they serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard. For our Veteran's Administration Hospital chaplain, we ask You to grant patience and determination as they seek to care for the sick and injured. O God, throughout our nation's history, we have relied on Your divine protectio...

My sister gave me a kit for a Bear Paw quilt several years ago after I purchased a new sewing machine. This week Marilyn (my sister) found the kit stuffed in a drawer and encouraged me to begin working on it. We both cut and prepared the fabric for half-square triangles (HSTs). Years ago, I purchased a roll of Thangles , so we used them to make the HSTs more accurate. Thangles are paper marked with sewing and cutting lines (shown in the lower left in the photo). I made a lot of progress on the HSTs, but I still have a lot more to sew, press, and trim.

My sister and her husband spent Tuesday through Friday at my house, and we had a lot of fun - visiting, eating out, gambling, and quilting. A local long-arm quilter had Marilyn's Crown Royal quilt ready, so Marilyn spent the evenings tacking the binding while watching the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers play in the NBA playoffs. The photo, taken before the binding was completely tacked down, gives you some idea of how stunning this quilt really is. She used 156 Crown Royal bags (the bags make up one of the arrows in the Hunter's Star pattern) that a friend of her husband had collected. The man commissioned Marilyn to make the King-sized quilt. The black blocks in the corner are also Crown Royal bags, but they are velvet. Update: I've had several people ask questions about the quilt, so I asked my sister to provide specific information about how she made it. Here is what she said, "The CR block is 8 inches finished. The square that has the CR name is 4 i...

When my family gathers, it is common to gather multiple decks of cards, clear off a table, and challenge others to play Nerts . We had up to six people playing at one time this weekend, but other gatherings have been known to have eight - twelve players. It can get pretty wild and intense, but it is always a lot of fun. Warning : your cards may be bent during the game, but the fun they provide is priceless.

Saturday and Sunday part of my family gathered to attend the commencement of my great-niece who was graduating from high school. We ate, we visited, and we rejoiced. Stephanie receiving her diploma. My sister and her husband were pretty proud of their only grand-daughter's accomplishment.

It is hard to believe that I am managing to stay on schedule for the Block of the Month Sampler. This month's blocks (lower right) are Swing in the Center and Churn Dash . Even with all of my mistakes, I am beginning to like the way quilt top is taking shape. Links for the other blocks can be found in these posts: February March April

Many homes in this area have crab apple trees, and they are putting on a nice show this year. Soon the lilacs will be blooming, too, and will bring sniffles and tears for those with allergies. Their fragrance will envelope the town, especially at night, creating sweet dreams. Sadly, both floral displays are short-lived, and their petals will fly like confetti on the wind.

These two Bereavement Gowns (micro preemie and preemie size) & bonnets are for the All Crafts for Charity project for the month of May. I used this pattern . Layettes will be prepared from the items donated and then presented to the Oasis of Hope - Babyland Shelby County Medical Center. You can read about the Center and the Oasis of Hope program here . I also made a preemie blanket for the project.