Alaska!

Our youngest son moved to Anchorage over 2 years ago.  This was our first visit to Alaska.  Don't worry, I didn't take many pictures.

On our 2nd day, we drove drove south, to Portage and Whittier.  Whittier is as far south as you can go, without getting on a ferry. 

There was a great Fudge shop in Whittier.  I loved the sign in the window (great fudge, too).  I've been trying to convince people for years that chocolate is a vegetable.  They had proof!

See, chocolate IS a veggie!

Here are a few pictures driving back from Whittier/Portage, to Anchorage.  It rained almost every day, so, it was hard to take pictures.  Waterfalls coming out of the mountains are common.  You will see several on the same mountain.

one of the many waterfalls on the mountains

 Clouds covered most of the tops of the mountains.

glacier at Portage

up close of the Portage glacier

On Friday, hubby and my son went hiking.  My daughter in law and I shopped quilt stores and the shops downtown.  I didn't take pictures of any of the quilt stores, but, the 3 I visited were great!  Across the street from one of the quilt stores (The Quilted Raven) was a yarn store.  We just had to go in, despite the fact that I can't knit or crochet.  The store was named The Wooly Mammoth.

I did take a picture of a quilt inside the Wooly Mammoth. 

Isn't he CUTE!  His ear and his tail are 3D.    You can see some of their yummy yarns below the quilt.  Many of the quilt stores also sell yarns.

On Monday, we took another day trip, and headed to Talkeetna.  I did get a few pictures, between rain showers.

between Anchorage and Talkeetna

between Anchorage and Talkeetna

My son really wanted some of their Spinach bread.  Boy was it good!

Spinach bread trailer

Across the street from the Spinach bread vendor was an Alaskan stretch limo.

Alaskan stretch limo

There was a shop in Talkeetna that also sold fabric.  Woohoo!  I bought a couple of batiks.

After Talkeetna, we headed to Denali.  The park is about 100 miles across.  We drove until we got to the ranger station area (where all the shops were).  What beautiful mountains in Denali.

On Tuesday, we headed south again, to Girdwood.  Hubby and our son took a short hike, while Krystal and I shopped and enjoyed the scenery.  This time it wasn't raining until we drove back (it rained every day we were there).  I got a few pictures on the way back to Anchorage.

the clouds cover the top of the mountain

clouds on the mountain

I did finally get a picture of our son and his wife, while we were waiting for our Salmon Quesadillas.

Connor and Krystal

Aren't they a cute couple!?! 

Krystal found a pattern and class for a snow skirt at one of the quilt shops.  Since we hadn't found her a birthday present yet, we signed her up for the class.  I can't wait till September, when the skirt is made. 

I didn't get lots in Alaska.  We'll be back, since our kids live there now.  I did get a few things from the quilt stores.

Hubby has an Alaskan Malamute.  They are the Alaskan state dog.  I found this pattern in every store, so, of course I had to get it, along with some fabrics to make it. Since it only makes a 10" mini quilt, I'm thinking of enlarging it, and making it bigger.

pattern and fabrics to use in it

My little quilt guild had a purse class today (Saturday), so, I needed fabric for the purse.  My daughter in law helped me pick this fabric out.

batiks for a purse

Of course, I needed a few 'Alaskan' fabrics, too.

Alaskan batiks

I also found some patterns.  I have the ruler for the pattern on the right.

I loved the moose table runner, and my daughter in law loved the owls.  I've not made 'stuffed' animals, so, I hope I can make them. 

Anchorage has a local artist that is great.  I was drawn to her stuff from the beginning.  I'll get some of her fabric when I go back to Alaska.  I just got a card and a bookmark. 

Here are the three quilt stores I visited in Anchorage.

I found the cutest pj's, too.  Hubby thought these suited me best.

Chocolate Moose (with a cherry on top)

We got home on Wednesday.  It's been crazy since we touched down.  We went to a funeral (close friend) on Thursday.  On Friday, another friend and I drove to Princeton, IL, and checked out the quilters garage sale at Quilter's Garden.  Then we drove to LaSalle, IL, and picked up the family reunion quilts, and dropped off another quilt to be quilted at Quilting in the Valley.  Lisa did a great job quilting both family reunion quilts. 

We then went around the corner and picked up my new (to me) Wheeler and Wilson #8 sewing machine.  I saw it when we dropped the reunion quilts off, last month, and called and got it.  I took a couple of pictures, when I first saw it.  I haven't had time to take any more pictures since I picked it up late yesterday.  I have lots to research about this machine.

Wheeler and Wilson #8

I'll have another post about the purse class tomorrow.  It was another busy day, today.  I need some rest.

4th Be Attitudes block finished

I finished the 4th Be Attitudes block at quilt guild this evening. 

4th block finished

This is the September block (I'm working backwards, from December).  Only 6 more blocks to go. 

My little quilt guild is very charity minded.  We are making quilts for the boys at 360 in Naperville.  There are 8 boys housed at a time, and we want to have at least 8 quilts ready by the December meeting.  At the beginning of the year, everyone decided that at least 8 ladies would take a month, and provide the material for their blocks.  Anyone who wanted to work on blocks that month, could take blocks, and bring the finished blocks back the next month.  I wasn't at the meeting when this started, so, I didn't get to sign up for a month.  Tonight, two different ladies had block kits ready.  One also taught a different applique tip to use in her block.  I now have 4 blocks to make before the next meeting. 

Let's Book It, July

Sharon, over at Vrooman's Quilt's, has a Let's Book It link up each month.  I'm not usually working on projects from old books or patterns, so, I've seldom entered.  I'm entering this month, with a project that I won from another blogger, last fall.  I finally started working on this project. 

Be Attitudes book

I started with the last block, and I've been working backwards on this.  So far, these are the blocks I've hand embroidered.

November and December blocks

October block

Of course, all the blocks still need buttons or beads for eyes and other embellishments.  I'll put those on last, after it is quilted.

I'm working on the September block.  This is how far I've gotten, so far.

September block

Of course, this won't be done any time soon.  I've been working on it when I need a break from machine stitching.  This may be my 'Lets Book It' project for a while.

I'm also entering this in Kathy's Slow Stitching Sunday link up.  I'll be stitching on it again this afternoon. 

Wedding Signature Quilt

My youngest son got married in May 2015.  I made a signature quilt, for people to sign at the reception.  I got the idea from Carla.  She was happy for me to 'steal' her idea.

Wedding Signature quilt top

up close of Connor & Krystal's initials

I should have finished this quilt before their first anniversary, but.....obviously, I didn't.  I didn't want to just put a jumble of the leftover fabrics together to make the backing.  I had lots of 'bonus' half square triangles leftover from all of the block corners.  I also had lots of extra blocks (just in case).  I wanted to figure out how to use them in the backing.  

I laid out the extra signature blocks.

extra signature blocks on back

 I then trimmed the half square triangles.  It took time, since I dropped my bloc loc ruler last month, and broke the corner off.  Can't use it with a broken corner.  I got a new bloc loc ruler last weekend.  Well worth the $$$$ to get a new ruler.  

After all the HST's were trimmed, I figured out how I wanted to use them in blocks.  I made 24 blocks (yes, I still have some leftover HST's).  I surrounded the center blocks.

backing, almost done

 I then stitched more of the blue fabric, used in the strips, and finished the backing.

finished backing

The quilt top was pieced on one of my hand cranks.

1959 Singer Spartan hand crank

 I pieced the backing on another hand crank.

1927 Singer 15 hand crank

I won't get to baste or quilt this until late next month.  I'll quilt it on a treadle.  

The binding will be made from this fabric that is used for the center initials on the front, and also the center squares of the 24 blocks I made for the backing.

fabric for binding

Hope you have a great weekend!



 

Two tops completed

Two years ago, I made some signature blocks for my family reunion.  I made two sets, so that I'd have a matching quilt.  The quilt will be used to raise funds to cover future family reunions.  I had everyone sign two blocks (one was for my quilt).  I got several of the blocks stitched together at the last reunion, but, I set it all aside when I got home.  Well, the next reunion is this October.  Time to pull all those blocks out, and get some quilts finished.  Hubby knows me well, so, he told me that I can't finish the quilt for the family reunion unless I also finish mine at the same time.  Well, I finally pulled out the blocks to get the tops finished.  I finished both quilts yesterday.

both quilt tops

one of the quilt tops, up close

 The last reunion was our 30th anniversary of the first family reunion.  I added some info in the top block.

sorry, hard to read since I photographed it outside.

 My father started this family reunion, at the request of my grandfather.  My father ran the reunion for many years, until his Alzheimers forced him to pass it on to other family members.  I've been at every reunion, except one.  The one was the year I got married, and, I went on my honeymoon instead (only 2 weeks apart).  

Now the big decision.   I don't free motion quilt, I can just straight line quilt.   Originally, I was going to quilt these tops, but, now I'm thinking about having them quilted.  Hmmmm......