Wyoming Breezes

vintage Double Wedding Ring quilt circa 1930s

scrap yarn baby hat April 2017 Knitting hasn't been a priority the last couple of weeks, but I have managed to knit a couple more scrap yarn, baby hats from Kathy's yarn. I anticipate this summer will provide more time to knit than to sew.

vintage medical display Lander Medical Clinic Lander, WY 2017 I love viewing the display of old medical equipment and supplies while I wait for my appointments at the clinic. Some items are drastically different and others only slightly. vintage medical cabinet and exam table Lander Medical Clinic Lander, WY 2017 My current primary care doctor is a young physician who listens and makes me feel like I am a member of my own healthcare team. I hope she stays in the area a long time. Is your primary care doctor "vintage" or "modern"?

trimming and squaring reclaimed batik April 2017 I don't like to trim and square blocks, but it's a necessity for more precise sewing. I bagged the fabric "squares" I salvaged from the batik wrap-around skirt  and took them to the sister's sewing retreat. Tedious tasks are more enjoyable if I can chat while working. I now have a nice stack of 4 inch squares. What tasks do you find tedious?

a stack of sixty-three simple blocks April 2017 Marilyn and I recently had another sister's sewing retreat. I prepared several sewing projects, and I raided my 2.5 inch strip bin to make these simple red, blue, and neutral blocks. source of free pattern I plan to make the Purple Daze quilt (link for free pattern is under the image), using the silent auction eagle napkins in place of the stars.

Friendship Garden vintage quilt block circa 1940s The quilt has an interesting history (see photo below) quilt history click to enlarge

painted mural Lander Public Library 2016 Oregon Trail was released in 1936 - more information about the film can be found here . One of my favorite John Wayne films was the Cowboys , released in 1972. What's your favorite movie, starring the Duke?

Sunbonnet Sue April 2017 Sunbonnet Sue is one of my favorite vintage blocks, so when I saw the small panel in the fabric bin with the scraps I rescued at the thrift shop , I didn't hesitate to bring her home with me. Sunbonnet Sue doll quilt I added backing, batting and some simple quilting. A quick search in my bias tape bin revealed just enough wide bias tape for the binding. This little quilt will be gifted to a little girl whose doll needs a blanket. My sisters and I each made a Sunbonnet Sue quilt  from blocks our Mom made. The Half Moon Lake Retreat was a special time for all of us.

Rachel B. adjusts a garment Riverton Public Library April 2017 Many talented fiber artists live in my community, and their amazing projects are on display in the Riverton Public Library through May. Cheryl O., Rachel B., Nancy S., and Cinde P. prepared the display Members brought their items for the display to the March Guild meeting. The items represented an amazing variety of crafts: basketry, weaving, spinning (wheel, drop spindle, and supported spindle), knitting, crochet, quilting, sewing, tatting, dyeing, needle-felting, wet-felting. click to enlarge click to enlarge  click to enlarge The Guild members are extremely talented and a fun group. Do you belong to a guild?

source click to enlarge Even though Winter and Spring are still having a tug-o-war, and the weather ranges from cold and snow, cold and rain, or blue sky and sunshine, my allergies know that green grass and blooming plants are just around the corner. I try to get a jump on the allergy season by starting one of my medications in early to mid-March and the other one a few weeks later. I must have started taking the medication at the right time this year because my symptoms have been tolerable. Do you suffer with seasonal allergies?

photographs taken when I was in Japan 1979 (autumn) - 1981 (spring) Nearly all of the photos in this box have been shared with you on Foreign Friday posts from October 1, 2010  to this post on April 7, 2017 - well over 300 Foreign Friday posts in all. It was a treat to see all of my photos again and to share them and my memories of my DODDS (Dept of Defense Dependent Schools) days with you. It's time to close the lid on the photo box and say farewell to Foreign Fridays.

Chris and Stephanie M. approximately 1992 This is one of my favorite photos of my great-niece and nephew. I love the composition and the colors. Remember Crayola bunnies? Dyeing Easter eggs Brenda M., Chris M., Stephanie M. This photo was shared in an earlier post , but who doesn't love dyeing Easter eggs with little ones. The egg tongs that Chris is using in the photo were easier to use than the thin wire included with the dyeing tablets.

Criss Cross Quilt of Valor 63 x 72 inches The final clue for Mystery Quilts for Military was released last week, and I assembled the blocks into a top on Friday afternoon. Criss Cross' clues were fun, and working on them reignited sewing mojo. The clues to this mystery quilt can be seen here .

tools gathered for repair April 2017 My knitting chair is a club chair recliner, and I have a bad habit of bracing my feet on the elevated foot rest, and the edge has been gradually showing more and more wear. It was at the point where I had to do something to make the chair presentable and to lengthen its life. Several months ago, I purchased some heavy designer fabric and some cotton batting. Over the weekend, I gathered the necessary tools (heavy duty staple gun, pliers, screw driver, the fabric and batting), measured the foot rest and got to work. chair with worn edge  The fabric I found for the repair was darker than the chair, but I thought it would look better than the worn edge of the original fabric. I debated on whether to remove the row of studs at the bottom (which are very uncomfortable on my heels) but I decided that the new batting would cover them. recovered foot rest  The footrest repair is not professional by any means, but it will extend the life

wrap around skirt circa 1979 Thirty-eight years ago, this wrap around skirt was purchased after I toured a batik factory  in Malaysia. The batik dyeing process intrigued me then and still does. Today, quilt shops offer a wide selection of gorgeous batiks; however, the fabric was not common in the United States until the mid-90s. I enjoyed wearing the skirt for several years and loved it so much that I tucked it in the cedar chest when it no longer fit. Recently, I found the skirt and decided to take it apart and salvage as many of the squares as possible. Perhaps this stack of batik squares will become a table topper, a pillow, or placemats. No matter how I decide to use the squares, this souvenir fabric will remind me of many wonderful adventures. batik scraps ready to be squared

Miyajiama, Japan April1980

Clue #9 28 blocks (9.5 inches) My thoughts about Clue #9 were correct: the clue used the units from clues 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 to create a "chain block." It's my guess that this week's clue will combine clues 8 and 9 into rows to finish the quilt top. The mystery seems to be nearing the end. Previous clues resulted in the following:      •  Half-square triangles from  Clue #1      •  Three-patch units from Clue #2      •  Plain Squares from  Clue #3          •  Two-patch units from  Clue #4      •  Three-patch units from Clue #5      •  Nine-patch units from  Clue #6  (units from clue 3 , clue 5 )      •  Nine-patch units from  Clue #7   (units from clue 2 and  clue 5 )      •  Churn dash blocks - Clue #8  (units from clue 1 and clue 4 )      •  Chain blocks - Clue #9 - this post

basket full of baby hats April 2017 I'm nearing the end of the scrap sock yarn that Kathy E. sent in January. I originally estimated 18 - 19 hats could be knit with the scraps, and it looks like the final tally will be close to that estimate. Kathy, the babies and I thank you for the generous donation of scrap sock yarn. Earlier posts:     Scrap Yarn for Babies     Addictive Knitting     Oh Baby!     Helical Stripes