Wine + Jazz ==Two of My Favorite Things!

We love July in Keystone, Colorado!  It is time for the Keystone Wine and Jazz Festival!

The weather is perfect!  The setting is beautiful!

We reserve our condo weeks ahead

Buy our tickets to wine seminars early

and make our plans for

plays, concerts, other events in the area!

 

What a view!  The plaza is just right for walking for coffee, sitting by

the open fireplace, visiting with companions, meeting

new people, seeing old friends.

 

 

First up for the day is the music--jazz all day!

Totally free jazz music!  with great international artists!

And then there are the wine seminars and special events--there is a price for

those though--not a problem--we have been coming for years; think we only missed couple

of years--one year when the event wasn't held.

We are groovin' to the music, enjoying the international wine selections!

 

Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum

Today I'm on my way into the mountains, but the first stop will be at Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, CO.  This quaint town hosts one of the foremost museums of quilts!  Here you can see outstanding works of quilt art.  Today I'm seeing works by two well known quilters--each with a different and unique technique.

Gwen Marston's work is liberated!  Know the name?  Sure you do.  Gwen is the author of over 20 books on quilting:  Minimal Quiltmaking, Liberated Quiltmaking I and II, Ideas and Inspirations:  Abstract Quilts in Solids just to name four of her titles.

 

 

Patsy Heacox is another quilt artist that has her works displayed at the Quilt Museum.

Patsy works with Native American themes.

 

Check out Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum Face Book page for photos from this exciting exhibition

 

Ah, yes, I'm excited to view these outstanding works of art!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today IS THE Day!

Today I'm going to a special event at Aar River Gallery located at 3715 W 73rd Ave
Westminster, CO 80030.  It will be a fun event and a great shopping time!  Three special guests will be showing their crafts.

Black Water Abbey Yarns will have lovely Irish yarns;

great for lace knitting

sweater, socks, etc.

 

Susan Schmitt will feature her unique art work.

I love, love her old ladies--because, I fit right in!

 

Fancy Image Yarn will have specialty hand dyed yarns by Myra Garcia--Yummy!  I need more sock yarns, of course!!

 

come on over and visit with the gals.  They'll be there 11 AM-8 PM.  What an opportunity to visit with the artist and buy, buy, buy!

"Ooooohs and Ahhhhhs"!

There comes a time in our Bonnie Hunter Days when we can show off the latest creations--most of us have been working on these quilt tops for days, weeks, months and we just want to brag!  So here we go......................

Little Pat (because we have a tall Pat) finished this top--the tree tops are paper pieced.

This is a Bonnie Hunter pattern

Fab-U-Lous! 

This is Judy's finish--all done!  another Bonnie pattern

The movement in this quilt is awesome!

Judy not only creates a lovely quilt top but her backs are just as creative--

also, a way to use up those small bits of fabric you don't want

to have on hand anymore!

Here is another finish--same pattern as above

but it hasn't been quilted yet

Skip the Borders book has given Judy another beauty!

This quilt top was done at Laughing Ladies Quilt Shop 

Where she had a pampered day!

 

The quilt blocks are cut for you, ironed for you and lunch is served!

all you need to do is show up and sew!

This is another one of the "Pampered" day quilts

"Skip The Borders" book has the pattern

Here is a close-up of Jessica's quilting--nice!

Tall Pat is showing off her finished top from years past--she said it had been

sitting in her studio for months and she decided it was time to finish it!

It's a sampler quilt

Here we go with a Quilt of Valor pattern--it uses 8 fat quarters of fabric.  This will

be presented to our state rep who will have it quilted and given to a soldier, to thank them for

their service.

 

What Fun--A Quilt Mystery!

The Painted Quilt is hosting a Quilt Along Mystery--It looks like it will be scrappy!

Oh Yes, I'm in--Scraps and a Mystery--what could be better?!

nothing in my book!

Take a look at her website today for further instructions, photos and other information.

You can make this any size you want--

to me, how many scraps do I have?

Scraps Out The Wazoo..............................

We've all got fabric scraps!  Lots of fabric scraps--I'm no exception--I have tubs of scraps

One day I went through all the scraps and sorted strips, squares, odd bits--

even threw a whole tub away--

then I thought "Why did I do that?"

So many pieces are too large to wrap around a binder

don't you have this many scraps??

This tub is  assorted into larger lengths.

Now, what do you do with all these scraps? 

I can NOT bring myself to throwing them away-

there must be a way I can use these scraps.

Check this out......

There are many sources on how to use all those scraps!!  Many below--check out the right side of this blog to find other scrap blogs.  I just want to use up those scraps and not have scraps leftover!!

 

Crazy Mom Quilts
Pretty Little Quilts
Fave Quilts
Scrap Quilts
Pinterest
Craftsy
Quiltville

Life Cycle of HandMade Project

Right Sides Together    
 is definitely positivity right on this one!  Love It! 

Mat for That Mug?

So, you wake up!  And decide to have a cup of coffee and maybe, one of these delicious  Morning Coffee Muffins. Ahh, what a way to begin a perfect day.  What could be better though, is if you have one of  Debby's Mug Mats under your coffee mug.  

Debby Kratovil quilts. has the tutorial on her blog.

such great gift ideas for yourself and a friend.

Several years ago I found this great cup fabric and

in my search for the perfect pattern

found this table topper quilt pattern

Teacups  pattern from Debbie Mumm website.

Now, it graces our breakfast area table

come join us with a Morning muffin,

a cup of coffee on her Mug mat!

Yarn LeftOvers

I've been looking at all these little scraps of yarn that are stuffed into bags--why do I keep such small amounts?  It is time to use up all those yarn Left Overs!  I went looking for knitting patterns that use small amounts of yarn.  Here are a few that I found that would be good:

These mitts have been on my 'must' knit list for some time--

Pieces of Eight Mitts

This shawl is quite interesting and work with left over yarn bits

Dreas Shawl  by Craig

 

 

When I saw these socks, I did a double take!

Dorothy's Slip Stitch Socks by Dorothy

Love these classic hats!  Blog post from December, 2009 and you'll

see how much I love this pattern!

Classic Hat

Manic Panic Cowl by Sarah Core

and then there is this.... 

Zig-Zag Scarf by Susan Ashcroft

Simply Notable

Okay, I'm armed with these wonderful patterns to use yarn Left Overs!

 

Can We Say--Ice Cream?!!

I scream, you scream, we all scream--for Ice Cream!  At our house this summer we are on an Ice Cream adventure--all home made ice creams too!  We use a small electric ice cream freezer and way we go.......

Chocolate chip ice cream was our first batch of ice cream--yummy!  But we put in too many chips and added pecans to give it a little more texture.  We'd make this recipe again!

Ginger Peach was tried next since it is summer and peaches are in season.  Okay--this is a winner of a recipe!  Creamy, smooth texture and delicious taste!

We tried this recipe because I saw it in July issue of Southern Living--Buttermilk Plum Ice cream--we had all the ingredients on hand--buttermilk, 1/2 and 1/2--all except plums.

It was an interesting flavor.  Don't know we'd do this one again though.

Tasty!  Mexican Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream is a winner!  A little more work--need to bake the brownies, but otherwise delicious!

We are still tasting recipes--making small batches of ice cream.

I would say--this has been a fun adventure!! 

Sock It To Me.............

It comes in spurts--sock making!  Why?  I don't have the foggiest idea, but at times, knitting socks seems the most logical thing to do--in my brain!

 

Okay, here is Mally sock #1--I like the  color--

wish I could say this was Mally sock #2, but it isn't!!  Still need to finish up the second sock

I think you need two socks to make a pair!

 

Oh, yes--did finish up this PAIR, as in two-2 socks!  I really like the cables but

when I was knitting I got lazy..................

you see, there were cables for the beginning and a continuation around the sock.

But, lazy me, I just couldn't bring myself to have cables all around my foot, so

I didn't!  After all, it's my knitting, my yarn and my foot that will wear the socks--

Okay, I'm rationalizing!

But, they are finished! Done! complete.....

 

not like sock #2--the mate to Mally!

It will come--this summer--maybe................

Roaming....................................

Some days there is the roaming factor................

I just want to sit and roam through the internet

Just to see what's OUT there in the

vast world of worlds.

Do you Roam?

We can walk through pathways of shadows to find

wide open spaces--look through the mesh to see grids of clouds and green fields

Or

we can day dream under the sun as the windmill turns and turns

Yes, I roam--some days when I bring up my blog, I click the Next Blog button at the

top of the page just to see where I'll go.

Today I've been to UK, Kuwait, Australia, Japan and

then I got tired.................

it's exhausting when you roam!

and time melts away!

I'm roaming when I  should be...........................