I love my bag.....

The buffalo was put out. There was a Titonka sign on it too, but never took a picture....

Signs advertising the food ahead in Titonka....Ragbrai would be coming through

And then the thousands & thousands of riders arrived. I don't know who this is. As I was taking a picture he entered the shot. I told him he would be on the blog. I was garbage patrol. Emptying the garbage cans as they filled. 

There are always stragglers. When it was "over" and I was walking home,

I went by Dave's shop. He had a whole little party going with this group.

I did not ask or look at what was under the skirts.

I finished this bag! I had started it Monday and there it sat till I could get back to it.

It is made from old decorator fabric samples.

The pattern has a side pocket that I left off. There is a zippered pocket on the end. 

I went simple and just added two slip in pockets on each end. 

They will be good for adding all that last minute stuff I forgot to pack!

Over all the bag is 20 inches wide, and 12 x 12 inches on the ends.

Nice and roomy.

the big push to finish is upon us.....

My blocks for this month's Block Lotto. I sat down Monday morning and sewed! I had a few done already and finished some more to get my total up to 9. These aren't the big push.

Other stuff is......

RAGBRAI is coming through Titonka next week.

It is the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa.

(as I was typing I misspelled annual, I clicked to see what the correct spelling was and one of the options was "anal"

I nearly used it, but decided not to. I am trying not to be negative about all that goes into getting ready for 10,000 bikers to cycle through a town)

Anyway....

There are the Burma Shave signs used over the years for different things. They were pulled out of storage. Karen and I looked them over. 

See her post [HERE]

We decided which words could be painted over for the new ones.

Like what food is being offered.

I painted them yesterday.

Nice blank signs again. On the bright side, the paint used is standard barn red. I hauled that out of the basement. I poured some into an ice cream bucket. What didn't get put on the signs was put on the shed to cover up peeling spots. Wow. I was really impressed by how much better the building looks! 

Then there is the buffalo on a bike. But why?

Titonka is a Sioux Indian word meaning "Big Black", 

the name given by the Indians to the buffalo.

I started him last week. He still isn't finished. He needs some spokes and a sign that says Titonka and maybe a cloud in the sky. This is a BIG HEAVY piece of plywood. 

It will be tractor joe's job to create a base for it so it will stand up. Then people can stick their heads through the opening and take a picture. 

This morning I plan on sewing for a while. 

Then I will go back to the paint and get these things done.

the north shore drive along Lake Superior....

This is the maple leaf quilt down on the shore at Split Rock Lighthouse. 

The kitty and oak leaf quilt. These were the oak leaves I won last fall at block lotto.

Both are ready to go to the quilter.

I better make sure they have some backing first.

It is hard to see the lighthouse in the pictures. This is what it looks like.

Going north from here, we ran into these giant chairs.

We were getting hungry 

(and maybe a little crabby at this point)

so we drove north hoping to find something to eat. 

(6 people, all with different ideas on what would taste good didn't help)

Split Rock was going to be the point we turned back south. But, this was the Fourth of July weekend 

and everyone else thought driving the north shore was a good idea too.

So all the eating spots along the way were packed, and we just kept heading north.

In the end this was a good idea, or we might never have run into the chairs.

Too bad I didn't think to hang quilt tops on the chairs too.

some old, some new......

(Happy Independence Day! The flag with the snowman seemed fitting for today)

I was cleaning a closet out. These blocks were hanging in there. They are part of a BOM I bought years and years ago. It is called Winter Memories by Susan H. Garman...and the year says 2000!

Oh good heavens. This is old. 

All the patterns are accounted for, the fabric for them is still in the packets. This might be fun to start working on again. But first I will finish working on these blocks.....

They are made using Missouri Star Quilts video tutorial. 

[link to video]

It seemed like a good way to use a half-priced layer cake I bought.

I trimmed and squared up my pinwheels to 12 inches. Then cut them apart using the 4 inch mark on the ruler.

All the light background blocks are done. Just 8 more dark background blocks to go. It will be 6 blocks by 6 blocks when I finish. 

These are also getting worked on SLOWLY. They are the most confusing block I have ever made.

It was started years ago. It may take another several years to get it done.  But I love the way they look altogether. I don't know how many I will make, I hope a bunch more.

I had to make myself a life size cheat-sheet for the layout of them.

Then I lay the fabric out to match.

And then I sew the block together, double checking with each seam.

Here is what I have so far. These blocks are in Judy Martins book, 

Piece 'n' Play Quilts.

I'll continue to sew some up and then set them all aside again.

I just had a thought....I have two tops that I want to get pictures of....

we are headed north, for Duluth, today.

We plan on taking a short drive up the north shore.

What if I bring the tops along and get pictures in scenic locations??

Like on one of the big rocks that are up there along the shore??

I must remember to bring them with!!