Wyoming Breezes

Central Wyoming College March 28, 2015 Saturday, I took a brief walk around the CWC campus during the lunch break at the Quilt of Valor Sew-in. The trees' shadows created a spider web on the sidewalk near the Fine Arts building. The community college campus has changed dramatically since I first attended in 1969-70. Then the college consisted of three buildings (administration/library/student center, the classroom building, and a maintenance building) as well as a water tower on a large wind-swept field. All the original structures are still part of the campus; however the buildings have been remodeled and enlarged several times. CWC is a thriving institution which makes me very happy.

Melting Pot Quilt of Valor 56 x 68 inches Melting Pot used a lot of 2.5 inch scraps, so that section of my scrap bin is basically under control once more. Lots of scraps from previous Quilts of Valor were used in #61. leftover blocks used on the back I usually don't show the backings prepared for the Quilts of Valor, but Melting Pot's extra blocks were incorporated into the backing. No orphan blocks remaining from this QOV, and that makes me very happy. A note for non-quilters : quilt backs are prepared about 8 inches longer and wider than the quilt top which allows the machine quilters to load their machines and maneuver the quilt. Only three more quilts are needed to meet my goal of 64 QOV by the end of July.

sewing scraps into blocks on Friday evening Friday evening and all day Saturday, I took part in the local Quilt of Valor Sew-in. In preparation for the weekend,  I decided to use my overflowing 2 1/2 inch scraps to make four-patches and then opted to combine the four-patch blocks with some half-square triangles (HSTs) to create Jacob's Ladder blocks for Quilt of Valor #61. Prior to the sew-in, I prepared the three sections that made up each block, and Friday evening, I worked on sewing the three sections together and giving the blocks a good press. The light on my sewing machine burned out on Friday evening, so without the portable Ott light, it would have been difficult to see what I was doing. My machine is over 10 years old, so I guess it was about time for the light to burn out. Note the quilt on the floor in the upper right of the photo. The young woman who was making it had not prior sewing experience before Saturday morning. She had the sewing machine humming af...

addi Turbo Sock Rockets 16 inch length - US size 2 March 2015 Two years ago, I wrote a review on the addi Turbo Sock Rockets needles , and you may remember that my biggest complaint was the length of the needle - 24 inches was the shortest needle available. I am happy to report that addi must have listened to its sock knitting customers, because they now offer Turbo Sock Rockets in a 16 inch length. My needles were purchased from Webs a couple of months ago, but I've also seen them listed on several websites. Be prepared to wait, as they tend to be listed as "on backorder" frequently. My thoughts:  If you like metal needles, these might be what you have been seeking. The needle/cable joins are smooth (one of mine is a bit rough, but I can live with it) - much smoother than Knit Picks needles. The needles are NOT inexpensive (like Knit Picks), so if cost is an issue, I would stick with Knit Picks. I give the addi Turbo Sock Rockets (16 inch length) a "th...

Temple grounds Beppu, Japan April 1980 The same scene as last week's Foreign Friday but from a different perspective.

In the last two weeks I received three Quilts of Valor (QOV) back from the volunteer machine quilters. Attaching the label and binding and hand-tacking the binding on the back is the last stage of the quilting process, and if I have something to occupy my mind, the handwork goes by quickly. While working on the latest bindings, I listened to another audiobook - Deeper Than The Dead by Tami Hoag. Currently, two of my recent QOV are at volunteer longarm quilter in Utah, and three more are in Montana. The quilts in Utah will be delayed more than usual since the quilter had an unexpected back surgery. I always enjoy seeing how the machine quilters add their personal touch to the quilts.

Steppe Vest reclaimed wool yarn March 2015 The yarn for this vest was reclaimed several years ago from a thrift shop sweater, and I have enough yarn remaining to knit another vest. Pattern: •   Original Steppe Sweater  (vest directions at the bottom of the pattern) - this link gives specific sizes and stitch counts • Steppe Ahead Sweater (vest directions at the bottom of the pattern) - this link is for the revised pattern, written with percentages rather than specific stitch counts Size : Large (cast on 100 stitches) Yarn : Reclaimed from thrift shop sweater  (70% wool 30% acrylic), knit double stranded - the finished vest weighs 6.9 ounces Needles : Knit Picks interchangeable (size 10.5 for ribbing, size 11 for body) Steppe Vest - off the needles 6.9 ounces of yarn used Size: Large Have you ever reclaimed yarn from a previous garment?

Saturday the Fiber Guild held its meeting in Ft. Washakie, WY, and after the meeting I took a side trip to the Washakie Cemetery where I hoped to find the grave of  Sacajawea . The last time I visited the cemetery was probably in the 1960s.  Unfortunately, I did not find her grave marker, but I did find that of Chief Washakie . Chief Washakie source According to Wikipedia, Chief Washakie's prowess in battle, his efforts for peace, and his commitment to his people's welfare made him one of the most respected leaders in Native American history. In 1878 a U.S. army outpost located on the reservation was renamed Fort Washakie , which was the only U.S military outpost to be named after a Native American. Upon his death in 1900, he became the only known Native American to be given a full military funeral. Chief Washakie gravesite Washakie Cemetery Ft. Washakie, WY March 2015 I'll return to the area another day to find the  Sacajawea Cemetery  and mark...

Fabric for Quilt of Valor backs sent by Karin H. March 2015 Last year, Karin ( Lovin' Life at the End of the Dirt Road ) shared that a quilt shop on the way to her Mother's home in Texas often had yardage on sale that would be ideal for QOV backings. She asked if I would be interested in some fabric the next time she stopped. Karin contacted me a few weeks ago with the news the shop was going out of business and the fabrics were significantly reduced. She asked if I was still interested. At first, I told her that I wasn't since Marilyn had just sent me some yardage . Yet, when Karin told me the cost of the fabric, it was a deal that I couldn't resist. See the fabric that Karin brought home in this blog post . Karin and I texted and emailed for several days, and I indicated the fabrics and the amounts that I wanted. I intended to send payment via PayPal, but Karin had other ideas: she wanted to donate the fabric to me for Quilts of Valor. I struggled with that ...

Torii gates Beppu, Japan April 1980 These torii gates were on the temple grounds of the Beppu Buddha, shown in a previous post . Food to feed the temple deer could be purchased from the red box in the lower right of the photo. Torii gates were common on temple grounds as I explained in this previous post.

Rich & Pepper approx. 1982 Pepper was born about a mile from where he ultimately grew up - the offspring of my cousin Bob's dog. Pepper was the only long-haired pup in the litter. While we had several dogs on the farm over the years (Rover, Ring, Muffin, Cocoa, Penny, Red), Pepper's personality made him unique and very special; he was friendly and not the least bit aggressive although he would playfully nibble at clothing when he wanted attention. He rode in the cab of the tractor with my brother (photo above), on the seat in the truck and pickup and car, on the four-wheeler. Pepper would even attempt to talk if prompted. He had a lot of personality. One hot summer, my mother had Pepper groomed, and he looked handsome and completely different. A photo can be seen on this previous post .

Refinished Oak Buffet I have refinished several pieces of old furniture, but this oak buffet was probably my favorite one to refinish. The buffet was left by the previous owners in the basement of the house on Bighorn that Marilyn and Harold purchased in the mid-1960s. They moved the buffet to the farm where it was stored in an old trailer house until the early 1980s when I asked if I could have the piece. I spent many hours stripping the thick, dark finish off which allowed the beautiful oak grain to be revealed. Then I hand-rubbed many coats of tung oil over the surface until it gleamed. It was missing some hardware for the top drawers, so I replaced them with porcelain knobs. There should be a mirror across the back of the buffet, but it was missing, which is probably why the previous owners left it in the basement. The bottom section of the buffet houses the Noritake china that I purchased while in Japan, the long center drawer is where I store table linens, and the small t...

Previously, I posted about my comments being rejected by most blogs and bouncing back to me. The situation continued to nag at me because I missed the interaction of the bloggers replying to my comments. I knew there had to be a solution. My fingers are crossed, but I think I've found a way around the bouncing. My "fix" has worked for nearly two weeks now, so I am optimistic. Several years ago, I was advised to create two blogger profiles and to allow both to have administrative capabilities, and now I now why. I used my Yahoo email account exclusively for my blog and for posting comments. It worked for nearly seven years. Then suddenly, it was not recognized for comments, and they began bouncing back to me. If you are experiencing the same issue, here is my solution. • you must have a different email account that is active •  you must create a new blogger profile, using that email •  invite the new email/blogger account to become an author to your existin...

Tissue fragments placed on silk scarf and ready to be spritzed with vinegar water. Did you know that silk can be dyed with tissue paper? I didn't, but it can easily be done. Last week, I joined the Lander Sew Sistas at the library for the fun activity. JoAnne brought the materials, and everyone else brought spray bottles, plastic bags, paper plates, vinegar, a take home container, and a creative nature. Tissue paper shapes prepared and place on the silk scarf. JoAnne explained the different techniques that could be used and distributed the supplies to the eager group. Some ladies planned and precisely placed the snippets of tissue paper; others haphazardly arranged the bits of color on the blank 6 x 24 inch silk scarves. Jeni V. and Mary H. placing the tissue on their silk scarves I was in the haphazard group. I added more bits of color to one scarf and less to another, as I wanted to see the difference. Nancy sprays the crumpled scarf in the take home cont...

Bloody Hell Pond Beppu, Japan April 1980 The red color of this onsen (hot springs) is from a large concentration of iron. While Beppu is an area with many bath houses, this pond was only for viewing. The abundance of steam and hot springs in this area reminded me of Thermopiles, WY and Yellowstone National Park, also in WY. Previous posts about Beppu can be seen here .

Sixteen Patch Quilt of Valor 56 x 70 inches Mary recently shared a link to a fat-quarter friendly quilt , and I knew it would be perfect to use some larger scraps from previous Quilts of Valor. This 16 patch quilt was quick and easy to make and assemble. Sixteen Patch is Quilt of Valor #60. My goal is getting closer and closer.

Parker, CO area March 2015 My niece snapped this photo on Saturday and asked if the schools in Wyoming raised money by selling mattresses. I haven't seen anything like this. Have you? In my 33 years of teaching, I organized many fund-raisers: bake sales, magazine sales, concessions stands, T-shirt sales, poster sales, car washes, candle sales, chocolate sales, etc. While the groups made money, we never found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Perhaps, I should have tried mattresses. . .