How to Play Parcheesi

One of my family's favorite games is 

Parcheesi.

 It's a simple game of getting your four men out

of the starting place, rolling the dice, and
moving them around the 

board towards Home. 

There are two strategies,
move one man at a time or
have all 4 men out at once sharing the roll of the dice.

It's the same thing with making quilts,
it's either working on one at a time
or working on multiple quilts.

My strategy is, of course, the multiple approach and
what seems to happen
 is that there are

several finishes close together.

A few weeks ago quilt #1
moved into Home.

My Antique Sampler, 1851, was finished.
Click here to read the whole story. 

****
And then before I knew it
another man had made it home.

I had made a promise to piece a quilt top
for the continuing service project my DAR group
sponsors for the VA hospital in Cheyenne, WY.

The challenge was using this fabric.

After much thought and
the help of Pinterest
here's what eventually came together.

It didn't come out exactly as planned,
but I think once it's quilted it will be fine.

****
Then look what happened!

Man #3 slipped in
and allowed me to cross off another
UFO from my 17 in 2017 list!

Here is my
 free mystery quilt from
Thimble Creek Quilt Shop, 2016.

 " Summer Sampler"
 64" x 64"

It was pieced from the stash

using lights and brights

to sew the 6 inch blocks.

It was set together
with these alternating pieced blocks.

I had it machine quilted by my
friend, Kathy H.
and we choose a super cute overall owl design

to match the label.

All I had left to do
in order to cross it off my list
was to sew down the binding and
now
 Summer Sampler is finished.

3 quilts are safely tucked in at home.
That leaves one man still heading towards the finish.
You'll have to come back next week to see if
I win the game.

Until Next Time-

Kyle

Goin' Where the Wind Blows

Running Man and I have

been on the road again.

This time traveling north 

through Wyoming where the wind likes to blow.

 And then heading on to

 and stopping in Idaho Falls

to hang out with a friend.

Running Man worked planting grape vines

and driving the tractor, 

while I relaxed and stitched.

Everyone has their own interpretation of fun!

I stitched on these stars for

the final border of "Discovery" the 

not so mystery mystery quilt designed by 

Petra Prins.

Then it was on the road again

heading to Montana
to visit another set of friends.

and a little chilly.

In fact,

we scraped ice off the car windows one morning.

It is a state with wide open spaces,

a frontier spirit,

and a place where the sky does seem

bigger and bluer. 

We took a boat ride on the Missouri River

not far from Helena.

It was on the evening of July 19, 1805 

that the hardy members of the Lewis and Clark

expedition toiled to move up stream.

At each bend of the river

the steep limestone cliffs seemed to block 

their passage, but only to open

like gently giant gates as they drew nearer.

Meriwether Lewis

called this place

"Gates of the Mountains. 

We visited the state capital 

ordered huckleberry milkshakes

at the soda fountain

tried on buffalo robes

 and enjoyed the American western art

of Charlie Russell

Toll Collector, 1913

 When The Land Belonged to God, 1914

There's a lot of driving

 out here in the West to 

get to one place and another.

 Last years Buttermilk Basin BOM

which means there are lots of  hours to stitch

and enjoy the scenery.

I loved this quote by Charlie Russell, 1919,

You can apply it to anyone who has a passion. (quiltmaking)

" No man ever lived long enough or

ever will live long enough to paint all 

the pictures I have in my mind."

Until Next Time-

Kyle

"Old Glory"

This week it was time for me to switch gears.

I had been working on an embroidery

while I had been recently traveling.

In fact, it was a pattern from Crabapple Hill Studios

that I had purchased over a year ago while

attending one of Meg Hawkey's wonderful retreats.

 Now it's done.

 "Old Glory"

A patriotic design done in brighter

more contemporary floss colors.

The part that draws the most attention 

is the use of gold bugle beads to 

look like a sparkler.  

 Too cute!

I was determined I could find something

in my stash that would work for the pillow.

I eventually found the perfect back and cording fabric.

A piece that has to be about 20 years old, but 

it worked.

(Never give up your stash!)

Summer is the time for 

 flowers, fireworks and flags.

 

This little pillow is going to be enjoying

the summer months on my back porch.

Until Next Time-

Kyle