the latest stuff.....

I'm in a block exchange again. 

My blocks are called Maple Star.

My 12 Electric Fan blocks.

I needed to make one more 6 inch block for my layout and I added some red to the corners of one of the other blocks. 

We made 12 inch star blocks and a 6 inch block that could be any block we wanted. Our exchange blocks are all red and white. I'm adding this blue fabric. There was some discussion on the "rules" for the quilts. 

Were they ONLY red and white quilts? Several people said they had already started adding another color, me included. In the end it was decided that they were our blocks now and we could do anything we wanted with them. It will be fun to see how they all turn out.

Last morning to get January's Block Lotto blocks posted. This year all the blocks will be 6 inch blocks. There is a mystery sampler too. I decided to participate. Sophie dubbed it old McDonald. The name alone made me want to do it.

I went scrappy with mine. We needed 6. 

Two of my sisters came down for Christmas. We went painting and made snowmen. They could be personalized to what ever team we chose. Jane and I did the Minnesota Vikings. Jenny didn't do a team. She took hers home to finish. She wanted leopard spots on her scarf and hat.

And I won!

These are the wonky strip blocks from December at Block Lotto. The majority of them have arrived! I'm thinking they will be laid out in horizontal rows, as I can't think of anything better right now and I like this. The fabric between the block will be a bright green. Sort of a lime color.

We are in a BLIZZARD watch. Not a storm, but blizzard. It is expected Tuesday. 

catching up on things.....

Way back in July, my cousin Max, her daughter Emma and my sister Jane came down to visit.

One of the activities was making postcards.

To keep it simple, 

they used cards (cut up cereal boxes) that already had paint on them,

left over painted paper and words from my stash.

They both did a basic bird on the cards.

I never took a picture of the completed cards....

BUT,

Max sent me this photo. They painted a canvas dark purple, then used a toilet paper tube to make the white circles.

Emma's cards were then glued to it for wall art in her room. 

I thought it was so cool!

The peaches came in, and I started painting this old globe last month.

My middle son bought several boxes and we canned about 20 quarts.

It went pretty fast once we got going.

I also did some frozen peach pie filling.

Then a coworker of his had sweet corn that was going to waste. We went out there and picked a bunch. I spent yesterday freezing it. 

The globe is still not finished, but further along. All the land is black and the sea white. I am pretty sure the student I work with will be able to see the land masses much easier. 

June's block at block lotto was this sunrise block. 

I won these but I don't have a group shot of them all together. 

They are all just blocks yet, but I think I know what I will do with them.

I need to buy some more fabric! 

Officially these are called Spokes at block lotto. They are July's block. I was totally shocked when I won these too. I think of them as fireworks. 

This is the first batch of blocks that arrived in the mail along with mine.

August's block is called windows. These will make an awesome quilt. 

I donated all my chances for these. 

All the lotto block patterns can be found [HERE]

I bought the pattern and kit for this bag from Connecting Threads. It make two bags, one purple, one blue. I needed to get zippers, D-rings and strap stuff to make them.

I had to go to Des Moines for a few days to attend the Iowa Braille Summer Institute.

Helpful classes for when you are working with the visually impaired.

On the way I stopped for what I needed 

and finished one of the bags in the hotel room.

It is 9 1/2 inches wide. I want to make another one that is just a little wider now.

That black is the zipper, it just lays on top and is sewn down that way.

I like the look and will probably do more zippers that way on bags.

The Blue Earth Valley Quilters and Woodcarvers Expo is this weekend. Been getting ready for that. I still need to finish sewing a hanging sleeve for one little quilt. I better go do that, as we are setting up tomorrow! 

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.

it was the best of times, it was the worst of times......

Camping was an ordeal this year. Jane and I got in some fun time at the picnic table doing our craft things. This was a coloring page I printed off before I left. I had the most fun with this.

Wish I had a picture of Jane's, it is the same but oh-so-different.

[coloring pages are here]

Saturday was a whole new ballgame.

RAIN & WIND came to visit.

These are NOT our tents. These were down along the lake, we were up on the hill.

The wind was howling and the rain came...down pour after down pour. Breakfast was sausage and PLAIN scrambled eggs. We couldn't be bothered with finding the salt and pepper or silver ware.

We ate it with our fingers.  

The boat wasn't out of the water, just pulled up on the shore. The waves were so big and crashing over the back of the boat. It just filled with water and sat there, half sunk. Sunday morning was a WHOLE lot calmer. We scooped it out with buckets until it started to float again. Once it was up on the trailer, the plug was pulled and the rest of the water came flying out.

Jane and I went to the painting studio again.

[creativespiritsokoboji.com]

It was Friday the 13th, so they had the witch painting. This one is mine. I didn't stray off from the original. Jane did.

This one is her's. She wanted ruby slippers and a full moon in hers. 

A full moon and Friday the 13th won't happen again until 2049.

There were also raccoon visitors.

This was a first. I scared them off the first time we heard them. I could see their eyes looking at me when I put the flashlight on the trees across the road. I secured everything but the garbage, did even think of it. I fell asleep and never heard my brother in law get up when they started messing in the garbage.

He ended up walking to the dumpster in his socks and underwear.

Yep, fun time at the lake this year.

sewing and painting.....

We were at an auction a while back. Sometimes things of less desire are bundled with other things that are desired. These towels were the undesired thing. Tractor joe didn't even know he had bought them. When we were at home, 

I looked at our tickets, one said, "towels" hmmm...

What towels?

Where are the towels? He didn't know. 

So we went back to see if they were still sitting there.

They were already in the dumpster! They were pulled out to take home for rags.

Then I thought a bit more.

What if I cut them up and sewed them back together?

Some were cut across, some were cut the length.

Poor birds lost their heads. Oh well.

I ended up with 9 blocks.

Which became a tablecloth out back. The machine quilting didn't go so well.

I tell myself it just adds to the charm of it.

I started putting together the April blocks I won at Block Lotto.

This is for tractor joe's brother. It seems rather bright for a guy, but we decided to stick with the plan and give it to him. 

A couple weeks ago, Karen and I got together to make wall art.

We were cutting out of magazines and and old dictionary for the flower petals.

She had a bathroom rug to coordinate with.

Mine still aren't hung up. 

my sister was here....

Jane was here last weekend. She brought along a cigar box she wanted to use as a treasure chest.

First some paint was added. Her favorite color is purple.

Based on a piece of paper, she wanted the paint added to recreate the look of the paper.

"light, medium, then dark" she said.

I didn't really notice this on the paper at first, but when you looked at it, that is what it was layered like. I learned from her that day....even though she thinks I am the one who knows everything.

HA! Not true.

We used stencils and stamps for embellishments.

She wanted mossy growth on it or.....Green paint applied with a sponge.

Paper was used on the lid and the inside.

It also needed to have an aged or old world look. So the whole thing was sealed up with mod podge and a few drops of brown paint mixed together. That seemed to do the trick.

She was SO happy with how it turned out! It is for a display at work to encourage people to sign up for some race/walk thing. I was too busy following her directions for paint and cutting paper that I never did quite understand what she talking about. 

In the middle of sewing the newest BLOCK LOTTO blocks. They are so spring like in color!

For the first time in a long time there is no mention of snow in the forecasts!!!

Maybe this is it, spring is here.

making valentine cards.....

Yesterday I punch out a bunch of hearts from magazine pages. 

I thought I would put them on painted playing cards. I went looking for them and couldn't find them. I don't remember tossing them, but it is possible.

Maybe they will show up some day.

Plan B.

I got out my Sizzix and punched tags from empty cereal, stuffing, cake mix boxes.

I had a stack, I cut until the stack was gone. I ended up with 30.

I wanted at least 21 for the first graders at school.

Time for paint. I used a sponge and started adding paint.

Dab dab dab. 

As one color ran out I poured a new color until all of them were covered in paint.

Time for the Mod Podge. 

Each tag got three hearts, 

the words DREAM BIG (I printed them),

and a strip of the black and white paper (from the shopping bag of a gift shop)

And, done.

With the front anyway.

Looking at this, I forgot one of my steps....stamping the swirl with ink.

I want to add names. But these kids are part of a trend to give your child a common everyday name,

AND spell it differently.

Beside having to spell out their last names, they will be spelling out their first names for the rest of their lives to make sure it is correct.

OH well.

Found this the other day. Needs fixing. 

Dang. 

Big sale at the quilt shop today. I think I am going over there for some shopping!

bags and the mystery quilt......

Last weekend I painted on canvas. I put a white wash over this yet. It needed to be a little softer I thought. Then I cut it up into three sections......

This was the first finished bag. I have one more that needs handles yet. 

And one more piece of canvas that can be sewn into a bag.

Also last weekend I started the Bonnie Hunter Mystery.

click here for INTRO PAGE and links to steps so far

My colors are different. Using red instead of blue. Using yellow instead of orange.

The backgrounds are all whites to creams.

Step Two...the green is blue and the yellow is orange in mine.

I have no idea if these colors will end up working. Time will tell.

I'm in the middle of these chevrons. Hope I get them done today.