Becky's quilt obsession

Our final train trip this time was in Leadville, CO, one of the highest places to live. I didn’t have as much trouble breathing here, I think I was becoming acclimated. Our train ride included an area that had a forest fire last year, and erosion. I was amazed at the tenacity of the trees even when their roots we so exposed. I loved the wild flowers as well. The old freight station was appropriately labeled with a quilt block! Leadville has a really old Opera House that we visited, but it still needs a lot of reclamation work. There is an antique mall in a very old Hardware Store that is intriguing. It still has all the old drawers, shelves and ladders that were part of every hardware store ages ago. The only quilt store in Leadville is a vintage store. There’s no place to buy the latest fabrics there. This store – I forgot to take a picture – had old quilt tops, fabrics, embroidery, thimbles, sewing items – the list goes on and on. DH found something there and I bought a silver thi...

What a busy summer! Little people (not really very little anymore) were about and had to be taxied to various activities such as work, dentist, dance, and other fun things.   In between, we took a vacation to Colorado to ride old trains and visit quilt shops. What a wonderful combination. This was the first train trip – the Royal Gorge. We sat in the Vista Dome car and had brunch while admiring the beautiful surroundings.  The forest fires earlier this summer burned all the buildings at each end of the bridge, but looking up at it from train level, I didn’t think I would miss it at all. I loved watching all the people rafting or tubing down the rivers. I must try this. Canon City had two smaller quilt stores. This one, nearly across from the train was appropriately marked. The other one was in the old downtown, and had about every Accuquilt template you could ever want. I controlled myself, and only fat quarters and fabric pens came along at this point. Our next stop w...

Don’t worry if you see few blogs from me. It is time to separate perennial flowers, especially iris and hostas.  I’m spending most of my energy outside when the weather cooperates.  Some of the plants were put in when we first moved here in 2005 – they are complaining about the tight quarters. I’ll check back in after the plants are happy in their new homes. I have some help, so I need to take advantage of it when it is available. Happy Quilting, Becky

The photos on the left are of my stash, which I had just straightened, in January, 2008. The right pictures are of the current stash, not straightened. The shelves appear to be relatively unchanged, but that isn't true. I have nearly used up at the flannels-a goal for 2009. The blue stacks were decimated for quilts of valor through HeartStrings, and the purples are down to one stack. The unruly stack on the top right, is my backings, which used to be stored on the top of the fat quarter s helves, below. The fat quarter shelves have also changed. (The missing bin in the left picture was out on the cutting table.) The top of the shelves now contain 3 large boxes that were previously stored in the garage. The red, white, blue patriotic bin has gone the way of Quilts of Valor, including the huge stack of fabric that Rose gave me. What I didn't sew myself, was donated at a Heartstrings Sew-In. The fluff on the cutting table is bridal netting, in the process of being sewn to he...

Hi, out there, I'm still here, just not doing much quilting. Little girls need dolly dresses, and I'm moving things about, trying to make room for the quilting machine at my house. My partner wants me to buy her out or sell the machine, so I finally decided to crowd it in here. Nolting is bringing 12' table parts to trade out for my 14' when they come to MQS in May. It will be used in the hands-on classes the first two days, and DH and I will drive over in the truck and trade out the pieces when they take the tables out, and move the whole thing up here. It's a lot of work for DH, but he loves me very much and wants me to be happy. Yes, he is a keeper! I had a bit more work on my left knee today. It was holding up the rehab on my new right knee. Maybe this will make them come out even (and good!). The hardest part is being off arthritis meds for the week before surgery. I'm back on them tonight, so the worst is over!! I'm really looking forward to...

Oh, the innocent-appearing shredded carrot. The restaurant I ate at (not for long) last evening garnishes their garden salad with them. Do you see how they curl a bit on the end? If you get a piece with that curly end down in your windpipe, it gets stuck! You, of course, have to cough, and cough, and cough, but every time you try to take a breath that thing gets pulled further into your lungs. The patrons of the (nice) restaurant look at you with wide eyes, the manager and wait staff come running, your daughter tries a Heimlich but you push her away because you've taught CPR so many years and you keep thinking no Heimlich if "they" are still moving air past the obstruction. You now understand about panic! When you finally cough that now nasty carrot and other contents up in your hand, no one wants you to go to the bathroom alone to wash - and an old OR nurse can't stand "contaminated" hands! After everyone sits back down, your 3-year-old DGD crawls un...