Mystery A12 - Dakota Inspired.... The Fabric Requirements

 its here!! 

Todays the day!! 

The Fabric Requirements are here for the Next Patriotic Mystery!!! 

Dakota Inspired!!!!

All the posts about Dakota Inspired will be in the tab at the top of the page too - for easy reference!

If you have never done a mystery before - jump in!! they are fun!! You will get a clue each week that will last 1-2 hours worth of stitching, and at the end - you will have a Patriotic quilt in the perfect size for a Quilt of Valor ( that is my donation of choice!)

Dakota Inspired

A  Quiltygirl Patriotic Mystery

Finished size:  65 inches x 81 inches

 

Fabric Requirements:

Navy Blue (Dark 2 – the darkest of your fabric choices)     1 ½ yards

Red:  ( a contrast to your Navy)  Dark 1                                 1  3/8 yards

Medium Blue ( should be lighter than the Navy and the Red  1 1/4 yard

White – a Light that Highlights the darks -                        2  1/2 yard

 

·        Please do not assume that we are done with a fabric at the end of a clue, save it, there may be multiple steps using that fabric.

·        We will cut what we need to accomplish each clue.

·        There are many ways to piece some of the parts – I will provide one, and tell you the finished sizes of the pieces – you can determine the method you would like to use.

·        Above all else – have fun ;-) 

If you would like a PDF of this file - click Here A12 Dakota Inspired PDF

Surprise

I have a story to tell you about all of this crazy weather.... but you have to promise not to laugh at me....

Promise? and no Judging..... ready?

Alright then.... here goes..

We are a stocker .. Farm to Table operation... ( my words - don't know what real ranchers call it)

I get calves after they have been weaned from Momma and raise them to go directly to the clients freezer and table, so I don't have Momma Cows, and I don't calve like the real ranchers, and I don't do babies.....

Until.... We did!!

I purchased some open ( which means not pregnant) heifers to feed out, and boy they are all just growing so well... and because we were feeding them out - not a one of us caught that one was getting fat in just one area....

Last Thursday morning we had a huge pressure shift, and I heard a rather strange mooing sound - so I looked out the window and SURPRISE!!! We had a baby calf.... in the 5 degree temps with a wind chill of negative 10.... just so you know - that's not a good time to be a wet calf....  

We have a barn - but... it was filled with hay - so Hubby and I moved a ton of hay in like 15 minutes. Well truth - he moved 3/4 of a ton , me, more like 1/4 ton , and we cleaned it out fast - and then he grabbed baby Surprise and and moved her into the barn and I grabbed hay and started rubbing her dry, while he was trying to move momma.   First time Moms sometimes are not aware of what they should be doing. 

We got Momma in the barn with baby and she was a little shocked!

But we left them together, and I ran to town to get Milk Replacer..... I just knew that if I didn't have it - we weren't going to get Baby to nurse, but if I had it! Insurance!! and then of course Momma would nurse her... that totally makes sense right? 

I called when I was in town to check on them and hubby says... I am warming towels in the oven, she is really cold .  My first thought - THE OVEN!!! and then - hey What towels are you using!!!! He laughed and told me not to worry about it.... so you all know I did!!

By the time I got back ( 2 hours) Momma was starting to like Surprise and within an hour she was nursing.

Surprise is 5 days old now and jumping and kicking and loving it in their little warm barn! We worried about the -30 degree nights but we had a little heater running in the barn, and they did just fine!!  YAY

So we are now first time Calf parents - Bwahh haha!!  

We called our sons and they all died laughing at us, and one says - so Mom - are you expanding the ranch... oh lawsy mercy - not unless they all come home!!  And the other says - Dad - why not they dryer... oh my gosh - I died - I was laughing so hard...I mean the dryer to warm towels ....

Hopefully it starts to warn up enough we can open up their door and let them get outside a bit - but right now... warmth is the key for this little one.... isn't she cute?? 

Oh and PS - we did the gestational math on how this one happened.... She was probably accidentally about 2 weeks pregnant when I bought her... maybe 3 - so most likely the vet missed it.... 

RSC Pineapple Blossoms

 In January I decided I should use this box of Batiks that I had .. I looked at them every day when I started to go upstairs - so they were really growing on me...

I pulled out my Lime Green and Purple Pineapple quilt one day, because you know...Winter had hit our area and inspiration struck!! or maybe it just hit me on the head.... and I thought - what about a Rainbow Pineapple Blossom out of my Batiks - and so I cut, and I prepped...  

And in January - I even sewed  Pink....  I just forgot to tell anyone!! ( so unlike me!!)

And now - since it is February - I started on the yellow too..... and here is where I am!

Ta da!!

See - The Lime and Purple one ( from 2011!!!!!)

and look!

From 2014 - so its kinda time for another one right???

I must like Pineapples... which is funny - cuz I am allergic to real pineapple.....

Linking up to:

RainBow Scrap Challenge

Heart Quilts for Valentines day..... and!! Finished ( or not) Friday!!

 Happy Friday!!!

It is cold here.... that is all.... ( oh well, plus we got snow - so I am happy)

In Honor of Valentines day I thought I would show you my favorite Heart Quilts that I have made so far.... since I only have two - I think I had better plan for a third one ( in 2022)  so that each kid gets one.... maybe....

The First!!

This was part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and I LOVE IT!! It did use a LOT of scraps for me!!

Each heart was made of a bunch of 3 1/2 inch scrap blocks - a lot of them !! And!! Because you know I love you - here is the little tutorial!!  Scrappy RSC Heart Tutorial

Remember... I like to sketch things out, when I am snuggled under quilts on the couch.... hinting that Hot chocolate would be good..... 

And here is my Second one  - I really like this one and this maybe it should be my remake.... maybe in Pinks and reds???

and of course!!! I wrote a little sketched Tutorial for it too!!!

Scrappy Heart Tute  and I even walk you thru what I was thinking.... BEWARE... If you read it - you may crave dark chocolate.... just sayin'

Now that I have you sidetracked - haha!! Its your time to shine!!  Show us what you have!!!

*  Link up your DIRECT post.... 

*  Visit others and leave comments... share the love

* do a link back - so more quilters can Ohh and Ahh 

* we had 36 links with 1932 visits last week  - pretty cool!

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You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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Find me at all these places:

    

Etsy           Instagram           Facebook

Linking to:

TGIF Friday at Slice of Pi

Can I get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Happy Half Square Quilt

 Barb R sent me this photo and I love it!!

She followed along on the Happy Half Square Project - and this is one of the quilts she made with them

Pretty Cool Right!!!!

and!! 

I have been trying to sew these Plaid Hourglass blocks as leader and enders....

And the pile is growing....  I think I am at about 100-150 blocks... they finish at 4 1/2 inches maybe - and.... it will be awhile till I have enough - but aren't they so fun?

Plus - it is coming.... February 17th.... Its a MYSTERY!!!  

Memory Quilts

My friends dad recently had to move out of his house in to a smaller facility. He is a Rancher, horse breeder, and all around great guy! But he cleaned out his shirts - and she just couldn't bear to get rid of them and so!!

We are making Memory Quilts for her and her sons and I love them!

He was a wearer of Plaid - so you all know I am IN LOVE!!

This is the start of the first one:

He has such a variety of colors in his shirts - I tried to pull the *warm* colors for one, the * cool* colors for another - But there is plaid... oh and Stripes1! I think I may have to add Stripes to my plaid obsession!!

How many of you watched the Super bowl?  I *watched* along with my sewing machine - what fun!

February is Yellow!!!!

 The color of the Month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge / Placemat Project is Yellow... so I dug thru the trusty ol' bin.... and took the top blocks that were on the yellow pile....

If you don't know - the boys pulled the bin of Block down for me in January - and it can not go back up... until it is lighter, or!!  They grace my sewing area again.... I have a feeling it will just have to get lighter, I think I scared them away from the sewing room.

Now - another thing-- I will have to remember to say this again in my final recap... I did not make these blocks.  I awarded a Quilt of Valor to a WWII Veteran and his wife said - I have made all these blocks... let me give them to you... and give she did... and they are all different sizes, and all different fabrics, ( sometimes not even cotton) and they just needed a project to be a part of..... so! Here they are!

All laid out... on my floor

My design wall is otherwise occupied 

(You'll have to come back monday to see why)

So I grouped them in similar colors in groups of 6

and I ironed them all up and clipped them together

And then I trimmed each group of 6 to the size of the smallest block in the pile

We are averaging 7 inches per block... ( ish)

and I stitched them together...

and when I quilted my Suitable for Framing top

( see Fridays post)

I quilted these up!!

and yes the two on the bottom aren't as Yellow as I had thought they were

so we are calling them

Butterscotch!!! Yep! That is Sorta Yellow... kinda....

A couple of you asked what I was going to do with all these placemats

its in here ;-)

Linking up to:

Rainbow Scrap Challenge  at So scrappy

Oh Scrap!  at Quilting is More fun than Housework

 

Suitable for Framing Finish.... and !! Finished ( or not) Friday!!

 Happy Friday!!!  You have made it!! Today... you will know what day it is at all times.... not like Tuesday - when I kept thinking it was Thursday, or Monday , when I didn't have a clue.... Today!!! it is Friday!!

 I got this!!

And I was able to sneak in a little quilting on my January Color Blocks Quilt - "Suitable For Framing" from DebbyBrownQuilts.com

In Debbie's example she did some really cool Spiral Quilting - but since I have a long arm.... I decided to do a Swirl Panto - called Swirls R Us.... I think it worked out nicely.

So this is done for me!! it is 64 x 80 - and ... we are now working on the February Quilt called.... Try your Luck.... hopefully Luck will work out and I will get the top done in the short month!! 

Now it is your turn to Link up your Finishes ( or not) from this week - and let us Ohh and Ahhh

• * Please link the direct link to your post - not the general one to your blog
• * Visit at least 3 others - spread the love
• * Have fun!

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You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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Book Reviews

January let me read a few books - and two I really liked, the other... ahh... well - I finished it - but... well...

I really really liked this one... It was a Historical Fiction one again... But what amazes me... We sure didn't know what was right and wrong in the olden days - but people are resilient and tough - and it is amazing the way people can survive things we think are un-survivable.

This book is inspired by a true story, about a boy whose life is transformed at Seattle's epic 1909 World's Fair, and how it effects hime through out his life. Its a history, a love story, and one designed to make you more compassionate

Here is another one that will make you examine your compassion, and your ability to judge people. In both the bad judgement ways, and the ways that you perceive things to be... it was GOOD!

"An emotionally raw and resonant story of love, loss, and the enduring power of friendship, following the lives of two young women connected by a home for “fallen girls,” and inspired by historical events."  This was the amazon description - and I concur!!

My friend works with homeless and abused mothers - and I always thought she was the most compassionate person around - reading this confirms my opinion of her!!

And of course - its a Historical Fiction book too!

and the last book - 

This was my "meh" book - the description made me think I would love it - as it had espionage, royalty and war.... and it was really hard for me to get through - I felt lost a lot ... and the whole story didn't grip me - but I love Beatriz.... so I was determined to get through it.... maybe you would love it... but... 

Enjoy!!!

Quilting.. and Valentines day Presents.... it worked!!

 Remember last week... I was hinting about Valentines Day ?? And maybe a little dark chocolate??? I am here to tell you HINTS WORK!! oh ya!!

Oh ya - he snuck out and!!

Got me some Dark Chocolate... the good stuff from Sees!!

and guess what? It is not all gone yet... but I have made a dent... sometimes chocolate is way better than dinner...

But then!! Guess what else he came home with?

This!!!

Now first of all that is not my photo... I have graciously taken the time to find this showerhead ONLINE for you!!

Okay - it is called a Powerpulse - and I love it!

After working on the computer and my longarm and throwing hay, and scooping grain, and pretending that I know how to cook - you know all the tension that sits right there in your shoulders?

Well - this is the answer!!  ( especially when you can not convince the world to stop and give you a massage) 

I rarely get excited about something like this - but I have had it just under a week, and already I am in love ... The ad says it reduces muscle tension - and I am here to say - yep!

In the center of the showerhead that circle there - you can switch the showerhead to that function and it pulses the water on your head and neck - its kinda like a scalp massage... so good for headaches!

Anyways because I really wanted to brag on my husband for getting the Valentine hint I felt you needed to know - he is not all about the chocolate... he is also about making sure someone is healthy to cook for him ... Bwahh haha!!

And these can be found at Costco - here is the Link : Powerpulse Therapeutic Showerhead

and now that I have less Muscle Tension - I get to show you clips of these recent quilts I have worked on!!! Are you ready??

This is an in process shot - These Stars were so cool and the secondary blocks set them off. She ( my Client) said - how about something more modern... and I was stumped - but I loaded the quilt anyways and just started staring at it... staring is a most important part of quilting ( right?) 

and then it came to me - Triangles, and make the stars look like shooting stars!! and I loved it... good thing she did too... 

More hearts!! This client made a Bed Runner for Valentines Day - and she said... lets add hearts... so .... I hearted it - haha!! this is a Deb Geissler Pantograph - it turned out great!!

Off to Quilt!!! 

Linking to:

Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication