june...

I was able to finish my midwest row by row from last year, and took it to the quilter. 

Carol is still here to help me. 

The May meeting for Gypsy Wife. We are doing two blocks, then the filler blocks, then two blocks and more filler blocks each month. This was the pin wheels month. I love all the different fabrics that are being used. The quilts will all be the same and but the variety will be fun when they are hung together at next years quilt show.

Carol continues to be in the way. I was looking at the ipad and she had to sit on me. Totally blocking my view.

One day I was in the recliner. Ozzy (the dog) was looking up over my head at something. 

Good grief, Carol had jumped up to sit on the cupboard behind me.

My out west row by row got this far. I need to finish three more vertical rows to get this into a top.

Going camping slowed me down.

It was a good four days weather wise. The forecast had 0% chance of rain. But out of the blue a nasty storm hit Friday night. The wind howled and it rained and rained.

We brought our stuff over there in a trailer. We sat in that and played Yahtzee. We were able to stay dry. The tents all held stayed standing and reasonably dry too.  

We did our painting at the studio too. None of us was happy with our birds. They look more like silhouette people sitting on a branch.

Carol was happy to have us home. She wanted to cuddle near me while I sipped my coffee in bed that morning. 

The kitchen was getting worked on. The walls were all fixed up, ready for me to prime and paint.

Carol continued to always be around. Her favorite place was the tray on this ladder. She wasn't bothered by me moving it around to paint.

They left my kitchen sink until the last minute. It was held up with 2x4's. 

I met my cousin Max at the Quilted Forest in Forest City. We promptly bought the kits for this years row by row. I couldn't stand it and started to sew it together.

The cupboards arrived and Carol made herself at home.

I went to toss a towel in the washing machine and there sat Carol.

Carol can found just about anywhere taking a nap. No counter tops or sink yet. They came to measure and thought they would be back on Tuesday to install.

My mom is taking me on a quilting tour. We go will leave Wednesday for Oregon. I'll be in Sisters for the outdoor quilt show next Saturday. We will visit 5 quilt shops, all have row by row patterns. I will be collecting kits at each shop.

Yesterday was clean out the garage and house of old cupboards. The majority of them ended up in my shed. They are mostly empty. 

At least for now. 

I am really trying to fight my hoarder ways. But these just enable me to tuck things away for safe keeping, one just never knows when you will need something! 

It was all Carol's fault.....

And the winner is.....Anna!

I did the drawing in a very unscientific way.

I let the cat choose!

She likes to knock over glasses and cups. So I put all the names in a glass. She came over to investigate and promptly knocked it over. She looked at the three scrunched papers that fell out, but seemed to lose interest. 

I guess she thought her job was done. But NO! So I took the three papers and tossed them. That got her attention again. She went over and batted at one, and it was Anna.

Second place goes to Glenda!

So many people liked the cows, I decided to have a runner up for a small chunk of fabric!

This is Carol. She belongs to Crispy. We are babysitting her for a few months. Crispy is done with school, has a job, and will be moving into a smaller apartment. Then Carol will go live with him again. 

We have her because his roommates were getting tired of having their glasses knocked over! 

I was sewing on a hanging sleeve yesterday. The quilts from last years block exchange will be showing at the Minnesota Quilt Show in a few weeks. The Minnesota guild had come to Blue Earth for a meeting and saw the block exchange quilts and loved them. So we agreed to make an extra block that would become the raffle quilt for this years show. Mike put it together and Jan quilted it. That is pretty exciting stuff for the Blue Earth Valley Quilters!!!

[see the quilt here!] 

The BEVQ also has a small group started up. We are doing Gypsy Wife. Each month we do a small part of it. We started with 2 blocks and then did some of the filler blocks for month two.

Here is what I have so far. I am using old and new country/farm/tractor fabric.

Then Julie Sefton talked about a medallion quilt along. I will link to her post about it, which has all the links there. 

See what I am talking about [HERE}

I read this and thought the last thing I need is another long term project.

The first round is "basket"

So I went simple....instead of a BASKET center, I found a picture of a basket on some fabric and built a barn around it.

This is my version of "basket". It is just a little thing. I have no idea if I will continue with the medallion quilt, but I do have a start!

build a barn blog hop...

My turn for barn quilt construction pictures based on directions from the book....

Build a Barn

No pattern construction

http://thefreepiecedbarnproject.blogspot.com/

The link brings you to the books blog. 

[click here] for the blog hop schedule. 

It seems like forever ago that I made this, but here I go.....

The first thing I did was go through fabric and scraps to see what would work for my barn. Found some cows that seemed suitable for peeking out a window and strips of red already sewn together.

We have mostly red barns around here. It is a good, classic color and my favorite.

Grabbed some tractor fabric to build around.

The sky would be night when I found the black and white stars and one little moon piece....well, I called it a moon.

Laid out what I had to see where this was going. I was surprised at how big it got without even trying. I had pictures in my head of a silo and fence, but there wasn't really room. 

saving that for next time!

Somewhere along the line I messed up and sewed too soon.

My barn has no overhang along the roof. This is when I was going by what I had read in the directions....which were in the computer. I read them, closed the computer, and started sewing.

Maybe if I had a book, laying there, ready to consult for the next step!

I think this is where I will tell you that there is a giveaway. You can win a copy of the book, Build a Barn No Pattern Construction! It will come autographed from the author, Julie S.

 Leave a comment and you are in the drawing! Make sure you aren't no-reply, so I can get the mailing information for Julie. I'll do the drawing on Sunday, May 22, 2016.

Having the book right next to you may save you from the same fate!

I made my black sky fabric by adding black to what I had, the stars and moon.

If I had added background before adding the roof line, I would have had overhang.

Live and learn.

It was put together in sections. 

The finished block....what I mailed to Julie. 

She gave it to [Chris Ballard] who does the most amazing quilting. 

For more pictures of the block go to the books blog....[click here]

I am looking forward to going to Des Moines this fall for the AQS quilt show. All of the SSOBB  barns made from the book will be there! I get to see them all in person! I am looking forward to that!

I do not remember how I first met Julie Sefton. Through our blogs, for sure, but when?

I honestly don't remember! I do know she has always been a source of inspiration and encouragement. I see her stuff and think, WOW, she's so good!

Saturday....

So, I got [THE BOOK] this week and spent part of the day reading. I found Julie's story of it creation quite captivating. The story is about her process and how it all worked.

I was a little disturbed by the 1960's Beautify America Campaign. A lot of barn advertising for Rock City was lost because of it. So sad. 

Then there is all the detailed directions. If I learned one thing, it is....don't hurry through the steps.

Let it happen, but don't rush. No matter how excited you might be!

I started another long term project at the end of January.

It is a temperature quilt. I got the idea HERE at live a colorful life. I am doing pretty much the same thing as far as the colors go. Blues are on the cold side. Reds are on the hot side and white is my freezing zone. I did the first 8 days of April, but they aren't in the picture. Living here I get a nice variety of temps. I'm liking it so far.

a book, a mess at home, and some blocks.......

Me and My Quilts-Exploring the Possibilites

Julie Sefton has a book! A long time ago she asked me to make a barn block from the book directions. I did. Sent it off to her to get quilted, binding, and hanging sleeve!

And I was sworn to secrecy.

Hold right hand up.

I promise not to breath a word of this adventure and what I have done.

I was officially a SSOBB. 

Here is a link to the books blog.....

thefreepiecedbarnproject.blogspot

Here you will find links for all the other SSOBB members and snippet pictures of their barns.

They are all totally awesome!

Slowly each one will be revealed. 

So, while still working on the house, I have made a decision....

Someday when the kitchen is done, I'll hang that quilt on the new wall area above the fridge. Only it won't be a fridge, it will be a closet door there. All this house stuff is taking up so much of my life right now. It is a good kind of stress, at least it will be worth it when finished.

I took a picture of the block lotto mystery blocks that I have done so far.

Old McDonald Mystery QAL

There will be 99 blocks when we are done.

So I am sewing a little bit too.

2 snow days.....

I was home for two days and went to work on the tula pink blocks. First I put rows together.

I staggered them. I thought I could match up the stagger easier than actually lining them up vertically as I put the rows together. 

It is way to big to get a decent picture of it on the floor. This will have to do for now.

It was nice sewing while it snowed outside. The day before the big storm our new living room window went in too.

We always disliked this window. The center pane was always fogged up and you couldn't really see out. The drapes were hung when we moved in. They were in pretty bad shape after 16 years or so.

Wow, is this really my house? I love these new windows!

Block Lotto blocks...

These are for the February drawing.

And these are for the Old McDonald Mystery at Block Lotto. The color cue was "ground cover" and I went with green.

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.