Playing in the snow

The kids came in yesterday and it's been great fun showing Ryan how to throw snowballs at his Papa!!

last Sow-A-Long blocks!!

I hope you had a fabulous Christmas with your families and/or friends. Maybe you even had a chance to get some sewing done this week. I hope you did.  I've completed several projects, which has been great.  My daughter and the 2 darling grandkids are arriving this afternoon so my sewing machine is getting put away.

I know you've been anxiously awaiting the final three blocks of our Sow-a-Long that I've been promising.

1.  CACTUS POT (can never have too many baskets!)

Background:  Cut (1) 2" square
                   cut (2) 2 x 3-1/2" rectangles
                   Cut (2) 3" squares-making (4) hsts, 2" unf, 1-1/2" fin, with
Medium:       Cut (2) 3" squares -  "

Background:  Cut (1) 4" square, cut ONCE on the diagonal (one extra triangle)

Dark:           Cut (1) 4" square, making (1) hst, 3-1/2" unf, 3" fin (one extra)
Medium:       Cut (1) 4" square,    "

Dark:           Cut (1) 2-1/2" square, cut ONCE on the diagonal

2.  SAWTOOTH STAR VARIATION  (COURTESY OF LORI!)

Background:  cut (4) 1-1/2" squares
Medium:       Cut (5) 1-1/2" squares,
assemble a 9 patch, 3-1/2" unfin, 3" fin

Background:  cut (4) 2" squares for corners

Background:  Make 4 flying geese, 2 x 3-1/2" unfin, 1-1/2" x 3" fin.
Dark:              "

thank you, Lori!!

3.  RAIL FENCE VARIATION (thank you Claire!)

Cut 2 strips one dark and one light / bright, 14" x 1.25". Sew together lengthwise and cut into

 (4)- 3.5" units

-cut (4)- 2" squares of a medium 

-cut (1_- 3.5" square of a second medium

-assemble acording to picture.

Thank you very much to all of my followers and those of you who have been doing my Sow-A-Long for the past year.  It's been a great adventure; I've enjoyed it tremendously. One of the best parts has been the new blogging friends I've made through this project. What a gift!!

  One of my 2013 projects is going to be to put these blocks together. PLEASE be sure to send me pictures of your progress setting these blocks. I will post them on my blog.

New project for next year? Of course.  Just haven't figured it out yet. It will be a short-term project, though, so will be easier to keep up.

Love to you all,

Randy

Happy Holiday

I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful Christmas holiday today with family and/or friends!  We are still in Sunriver where it is snowing AGAIN!

Rachel arrives tomorrow with the darling kids, after their short trip to Portland to see the other grandparents.

So today is a quiet day for Mark and I. I'm working on trying to finish up another project I started this year. I will post the picture later.

Oh and the last 3 blocks for our Sow-A-Long will be posted before the kids arrive tomorrow!

Have a glorious day.

Love to you all,
Randy

Another 2012 project

I was sewing this top from a Quiltmania magazine - it is supposed to be a picnic blanket! I am just waiting on some more sashing fabric to finish it off. I love it especially because I received blocks from DarLynn, Pat and Debbie. Do you see my barn quilt?? Isn't that great?? Very Wisconsin-ish

Just Takes Forever- done at last

I put the last quadrant (Lori's strategy) together on my Just Takes Forever quilt. It really did take forever and was a huge challenge but worth it! Now just to add the borders and drop it at the quilter's!!
What a great feeling to finish something I was working on for all of 2012!!
Anybody else finish something recently??

More Cotton Club blocks

These are last month's blocks for this BOM! I've been doing them through Pat's shop Life's A Stitch! They are beautiful!

Cotton Club

I have been working on the block of the month called Cotton Club.  I love the fabrics. This is month 9 and I'm happy to report that I'm up to date on my blocks! Aren't they fun??

Finally stopped snowing

I never tire of the amazing look of the snow!! This is the view at the end of our driveway, looking down the street.

Lori is sweeping

We had quite a bit of snow last night and Lori had to sweep her car clean in order to get out of the driveway! So sad to see them leave 😥

Christmas lights

There is a lodge in Sunriver that is so pretty in the winter. They have the most wonderful Christmas lights. With the snow it's even more picturesque!!

Snowshoeing in Sunriver

Lori, Claire and I (and Max) walked 9 holes of the golf course with our snow shoes! Whew!! What a workout!! It was great fun!!

Part III

It's great to be getting this done!
Here is Part III of JTF!
Note that I replaced some of the blocks with my own creations! This one has a huge Hawaiian appliqué I found.

Part II JTF

I'm excited to be making progress:
Here is Part II!

Just Takes Forever, Part I

Lori is quite the inspiration! She got her JTF quilt completely together this week. I hoped to finish mine as well and, with Lori's guidance, I am putting it together in sections. Here is the first part!!
All I can say is "WHEW!"
These blocks really took forever!!

Love to you all
Randy

More blocks to share

Helen in the UK sent me a link to her blog to see what she did with the sow-a-long blocks that she's already put together!!

Don't you think it's fabulous??

HelenQuilts

Love to you all,
Randy

Out for a walk

Lori, Claire and I took a short walk with Max, just to get some fresh air before it really starts to snow!
Tomorrow I'm taking the girls snowshoeing!!
Love to you all
Randy

THREE SOW-A-LONG blocks, at last!

I know I've been unreliable about posting my blocks in a timely fashion.  I'm just not the best blogger. I'm sorry. You know why, of course...Nana time!!

Anyway, here are the three I promised.  I will post the last three in the next day or so.

1.  BASKET (can never have too many baskets!)

Background:  cut (1) 4" square
Dark:           cut (1) 4" square, making (1) hst, 3-1/2" unf, 3" fin (one extra)

Dark:          Cut (1) 1-1/2" square, cut ONCE on the diagonal
Background: cut (1) 3-1/2" square, cut ONCE on the diagonal (one extra tri)
Background: cut (2) 2 x 3-1/2" rectangles

Background: Cut (3) 2-1/2" squares
Medium:      Cut (3) 2-1/2" squares, making 5 hsts, 2" unf, 1-1/2" fin (one extra)

2.  BASKET (see what I mean??)

Background:  Cut (1) 4" square, 
Dark #1:      cut (1) 4" square, making (1) hst, 3-1/2" unf, 3" fin (1 extra)

Dark #1:     Cut (1) 3" square
Background:cut (1) 3" square, make (2) hsts, 2" unf, 1-1/2" fin.

Various backgrounds and darks:
make (6) hsts, 2" unf, 1-1/2" fin.

Background: Cut (2) 2 x 3-1/2" rectangle

I'm especially in love with this block since I used some of the scraps my dear friend Will gave me when I saw her in Paris two weeks ago.

3.  JACK IN THE PULPIT

CORNERS:
Make (4) hsts, 2" unf, 1-1/2" fin.
Background:  Cut (4) 2-1/2" square, cut ONCE on the diagonal.

Center:  Cut (1) 2" square
Black:    Cut (2) 2" square, cut ONCE on the diagonal.
You are making a Square in a Square, 2-3/4" unf, 2-1/4" fin.

Black:  Cut (4) 1-1/2" squares
Medium:  cut (4) 1-1/2" x 2-3/4" rectangles
This center unit will measure 4-3/4" unf, 4-1/4" fin.

There are three more coming in the next day or two.

Hope you're enjoying the final blocks for our sow-a-long!

Love to you all,
Randy

Retreating in snowy Sunriver

My family usually spends some of the winter holidays in Sunriver.  Last year, Claire and Lori and I got together for some serious sewing before the family arrived so we thought we'd do it again this year.

Claire and I drove the 9 hours yesterday through all kinds of weather.  We arrived to a beautiful winter wonderland here in Sunriver!!

Note the temperature warmed up from the chilly 10* it was when I went outside to snow blow the driveway so Lori could put her car in~!!

Here's the view out our living room window! Just gorgeous.

The sow-a-long blocks are almost ready to be posted...all 6 of them!! It's my first project for today! I have a couple already done and Claire thinks they're adorable!!

Hope you're all having a great pre-holiday season and not too stressed.

Love to you all,
Randy

What a treat!

I was able to have both Emma and Ryan stay with us for 2 days - such a great couple of days!

Galleries Lafayette

One of the largest department stores in Paris is called Galleries Lafayette.  You cannot imagine the CROWDS in that store.  It's also enormous, covering two city blocks! The French go all out in their displays.  I thought this display was amazing. They look real, don't they?

That store's windows were in large part devoted to Louis Vitton purses and luggage.  They were fabulous! And all the little characters were moving, including the bear!

This is another favorite.  I couldn't imagine all the work in putting together all the little trinkets they put into this window:

This one is my all-time favorite, I think.  The doggie was wearing headphones and actually his head and rocking to the music.  It was awesome.

Here was another Louis Vitton window.  This polar bear was enormous, and moving, like all the other little figures.

 Kind of looks like animals were a central theme, doesn't it??


I'll post some more pictures tomorrow. Don't want to overload you.
:-))

Love to you all,
Randy

BACK, at last

I love traveling but I've gotta say that being home is great. I just love my own bed!

I had a wonderful trip and, as promised, I'm going to share some pictures.  Here's a picture of one of my favorite people, Will.  I brought her a little pincushion I made from the Shawnee glass I got in Wisconsin this fall.  She was very excited!

This is one of my favorite spots in all of Paris: The D'Orsay Museum.

The D'Orsay is a converted train station.  It's a stunning example of beautiful architecture with absolutely amazing art.  I love it there, although the crowds are pretty large, even in December!

We were waiting for a bus one evening and the color of the buildings was just amazing. I'm not sure this picture was able to capture the white glow well enough but I hope you can get the idea.  This is a pretty typical view of the Seine.

Christmas windows and other goodies will follow, as well as the blocks for December!!

Hope you are all having a great holiday season.

Love to you all,
Randy

More blocks!!

Amanda in Australia shared her blocks...

It's so much fun seeing different people's blocks in different colors. I love it!

Love to you all,
Randy

First night of Chanukah

Happy Chanukah!  Tonight is the first night.  If I was home, I'd be lighting a candle in one of our menorahs.  It's going to have to wait until we get back Monday night.



When I get back, I'll be sending you the most amazing pictures. I've been snapping Christmas windows and can't wait to post them.  I don't have the internet on my phone while away, so you will just have to wait. And I'll also reveal my whereabouts, too, since I know you are seriously wondering Where in the World is Randy???? :=)

Hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend.

Love to you all,
Randy

More blocks

Susan in Sacramento sent me her blocks to enjoy!!

Aren't these colors fabulous?

Love to you all,

randy

Reprieve!!

Guess what??

You get a week's reprieve!  I won't be posting blocks this week. 

I'm a bad blogger!  DH and I ran off for a quick trip and I didn't get the blocks done in time. So sorry.

It will give you an extra week to catch up.

Three more blocks next week; then another 3 before the end of the month.  I don't know how many that totals, to tell you the truth. I will post a picture of mine up on a wall (or on the floor since I think my wall isn't big enough).

I hope you are enjoying this quilt and sorry that it's coming to an end.

Have a great week!

Love to you all,
Randy