WILL THE SUN SHINE AGAIN?

Four years ago today we put in an offer for this house.....the process moved so quickly, the next thing we knew we were wide-eyed with wonder and apprehension as we found ourselves preparing to move half way across the country.

But here we are.....shell shocked at the 'not as advertised' winter we've been enduring. I know I've been crabbing about the constant cold/snow/ice.......but today things look brighter. The sun is just coming up over the snow capped mountain ridges, revealing incredible beauty. The sound of snapping ice covered branches giving way is somewhat unsettling as it ricochets, throughout the otherwise quiet morning.

So, we will don our layers of walking clothing and gear and head out for our morning 'forced march'. I look like the Pillsbury Dough Boy, waddling around in 5 layers of warmth! We will be appreciating our lovely mountain valley and enjoying the task of identifying all the animals by the numerous tracks left on the snow covered ground.

RETREAT QUILT ALA MINNEAPOLIS MARY

This design was posted on (what I call) Minneapolis Mary's blog. Quilters are usually a generous bunch.......Mary exceeds the best of the bunch in that department. She's a very talented quilter whose blog is a wealth of free, well designed and well written patterns.

Mary is a very active member of the HeartStrings Quilts Project. Not only does she piece and quilt her own exciting designs, but she volunteers to long arm quilt for others too. HeartStrings is an online group who joined together to make and donate String Quilts to local charitable organizations. It began Dec. 2006, as an outgrowth of Stashbusters Yahoo group.

From the beginning, HeartString members have made and donated quilts to wounded soldiers and veterans. In 2008 they became more involved in making Quilts of Valor quilts, setting a goal of 400 quilts for 2009.

Many of us have stored strips away with the idea that you'd use them someday. Here's a great opportunity to utilize these fabrics and help others at the same time. If time doesn't permit you to make a top....consider donating your fabrics to this very worthy group.

This is my version of a quilt I saw on Mary's blog and how it looked at the end of our PTA retreat. I discovered the red fabric bled, (of course after I pieced the blocks).....so the quilt came home with me pinned to the flannel.

My post yesterday described the steps I took to set the red dye......clearly, the addition of the red really impacted the quilt ...it certainly would have been much duller if I replaced them with green and gray blocks instead.

The dye is now set, the quilt is assembled, and I'm in the process of machine quilting it with simple straight lines. This piece is spoken for so it's probably the only look I'll share here.....but you all can imagine the finished quilt......

Though I'm not much of a piecer....I enjoyed this process....it was simple enough for even me to do!! Thanks Minneapolis Mary for your inspiration.

BLEEDING FABRIC DYE

This post should begin with.....Do as I say, not as I do!

I'm often asked by students whether I prewash fabrics.....here's a tip I share that assures all my washable fabrics have been tested for colorfastness. AND....more importantly, what happened when I got lazy!

Before adding any (washable) fabric into my stash, it first goes to my laundry room. There I have a basket of 2" squares of muslin and small safety pins. I attach a square to each piece of fabric and run it through the washer and dryer. Some dyes will stain the water but unless you stand there and watch you'll never know. The muslin will pick up excess dye from the washer AND any dye transfer that may happen from friction in the dryer. Normally, if there's a problem.....I just get rid of the fabric, preferring not to even deal with it.

Well.......I got lazy. I've been using Primrose Gradations hand dyed fabrics forever and never had a problem. I KNOW it's hand dyed and I should still have test it....but it's hard to break apart all those lovely bundles, so I'm now paying the price.

At our PTA retreat...when I was nearly finished with my quilt I noticed a problem with my red fabric after spilling water on my pressing surface. Darn it!! So I stitched some scraps together, wet them and let it sit on a paper towel.....oh my....trouble. Completing the quilt would have to wait until I got home and could address these offending blocks.

With the layout of the blocks was already finished...each one having been carefully positioned and pinned onto the flannel design "wall"....I needed a method of keeping track of the blocks that bled. Kate suggested I mark each block using a permanent pen and a code - row #10 - (block) # 2. Great idea....normally I put post-it notes on my rows to keep track of the order, but obviously that wouldn't work here.

With the guidance of several PTAer's I purchased Synthropol to wash out the excess dye. (Thank you Judy, Kate, & Lynne) This product needs to be used in very hot water and since we have very cold well water, which never gets hot even in the hot cycle of my machine, I opted to wash them in a bucket in my sink with water heated on my stove.

I also added a dye catcher cloth to help sop up the excess dye.

Before dumping in all the blocks, I tried just one....following the Synthropol formula instructions.
Yeah......I could see a little bit of red in the water.....so after the required stirring time, I rinsed and rinsed the block and let it dry. Ta da......the excess dye was gone and the red fabric was now stable.

Next I added the rest of my blocks.....LOOK at how much dye came out of only 17 blocks, most had only 1 red patch. Astonishing.....

Then.......I rinsed and rinsed......until I was confident that all the dye was gone. The moral of the story....always test your fabrics before using them.

Tomorrow, assuming we have power....we have another snow/ice storm going on.....I'll show you the quilt which is now pieced together.

YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!?!

We are officially SICK of this weather.....for the second time this week we've had freezing rain/snow/cold....YUCK!

I really shouldn't even be complaining as we've been out of town for the two biggest storms, but seriously, my blood had thinned and I can not tolerate winter. 'The husband' is getting very crabby due to cabin fever!

There is ice everywhere....very dangerous on these mountain roads so staying put indoors is our only option. Our electricity has already flickered out once this morning.....praying it won't happen again cause then I'll be very, very crabby too.

On the positive side.....it's beautiful....the contrast of the white snow/ice against the darkened trees makes ya pause and just ponder.....

100% WOOL JACKET

My love affair with felted wool continues......as I have fun experimenting with National Nonwoven's Woolfelt. I was interested in determining whether the 100% Woolfelt would be a suitable fabric for garments.

Here's my result..... The wool, even after washing is a bit stiffer than I'd prefer.....but that also made it a great fabric to applique. I found absolutely no distortion at all.

In a previous post I mentioned my desire to add some background texture with machine quilting, but found that it reduced the drape too much. Instead, I cut simple applique shapes of Woolfelt. Even though the fiber content ranged from 20/80 to 100% wool, they all behaved beautifully.

Unlike the bleeding problem I experienced when working with the original bamboo/rayon felt (National Nonwoven's solved that problem) this fabric was colorfast when I washed it. However, I was surprised to find a blush of red on my sewing machine throat plate and on my hands from the stitching process.

I hadn't planned on lining the simply unstructured jacket, but decided to prevent dye transfer to undergarments it was necessary and it may be a bit more comfortable to wear since wool can sometimes be a bit itchy.

All in all, I like the 100% wool, but probably wouldn't make another garment as the seams are a bit too bulky.

Back

Detail

Because I sewed each lining piece to the wool garment sections.....I needed to bind the edges of the jacket to prevent the raw edges of the lining fabric from raveling. My solution was to use Steam-a-Seam 1/4" tape and press it to the front garment edges. Then I fused 1/2 of a narrow strip of 20/80 Woolfelt along that edge.

Next, this step was repeated for the inside....here you can see the paper is still on the Steam-a-Seam strip.

Once the paper was removed, I simply folded the Woolfelt binding strip to the inside and fused.
When all the sections were complete and the garment was assembled, I top stitched the purple binding to provide extra security and visual detail.

I can't wait to work with this wool on a wall hanging since it's such a wonderfully stable fabric.

ZENTANGLES

Today I received the latest Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative Newsletter.....that Ami Simms publishes to keep us informed about AAQI's progress and other important information about the fight against Alzheimer's.

There was a reminder to check the website to view all the quilts for sale. This grass roots organization uses the proceeds of these sales to fund Alzheimer's research....I hope you'll consider helping either by purchasing one of the many, many quilts offered or donating a piece for sale.

Some time ago I pledged to raise $1,000 for the cause and have successfully surpassed this goal. However, I won't stop there....my next donation piece is already made and ready for auction soon.

Betyann Shaver of Aiken, SC created this wonderful 6" x 10" piece on linen, using embroidery floss, beads and pearls. It can be yours for $65......item $ 4669....click here to bid.

The design really stood out to me. It was based on Betyann's Zentagle drawing. Zentangle is ALL the rage here......amazingly interesting and fun to do. Some claim the process of repetitive line drawings is calming....frankly....I haven't found that to be true....but it's very satisfying. I guess I'm trying too hard to achieve a design, rather than allowing the process to create one.

Visit Zentangle to learn more. And these youtube videos will provide more insight..click here and here.

RACING IS OVER

Tx's for sticking with me as I accompanied 'the husband' on his annual trek to the Rolex 24 Hour Race at Daytona Beach. (Wet and freezing I might add....with no personal sighting of Dr. McDreamy this year).

Well.....here's an interesting and sad sight.......a banged up, burnt up Porsche......painful to see. Thankfully, no one was hurt but it illustrates the intensity of this type of auto racing.

The windshield was cracked and taped in.....obviously it was an attempt to keep the car on the track before it's motor blew up and the car caught on fire..... It was wet and wild out there at the start of the race on Saturday afternoon......lot's of action for viewers but lots of damage to the vehicles.

And speaking of consequences to actions.....hummmm this bad boy (white Honda) was parked in the Porsche Paddock this morning when we arrived......in the FIRST row. Not sure how it slipped by security but it's a definite no, no. We had just arrived.....the front end of our grey car is just visible here...... when the Porsche Club's security guy came by on his motor scooter. We watched as he slowed....recognized the offender....thinking....yikes...this isn't a Porsche.....and almost with a downward set of his mouth.....off he speed. 'The husband' said....I'll bet there will be a tow truck here in 5 mins. to remove the car.

Sure enough.......it took like 3 minutes.....and another 2 to haul it away. They are very protective of this private parking area which is reserved for Porsche Club of America Members. We benefited by this whole event because we quickly drove into the empty spot and again had a 1st row parking place. (The car owner will certainly be very unhappy and probably totally shocked when he returns and finds that his car was towed away.)

It was really, really cold and windy today......despite having a hospitality tent with a large screen TV to sit in......we finally succumbed to the conditions and departed around 1:30 PM, two hours short of the end of the race. Heck, that's what DVR's are for.....times like this.

So......this is the end of the car talk for awhile......soon I'll be home with needle in hand and time to post photos of two projects I've been working on.....hang in there......sewing chatter to begin soon.

OTHER RACE DAY SILLINESS

Sally commented on yesterday's blog......that she wasn't a bit interested in racing, but wouldn't mind being in Daytona Beach to avoid NC's weather. Well Sally, I'm actually in agreement....the car aspect is the reason for this whole circus but not my reason for coming....actually, I have no choice, I'm dragged along each year! 'The husband' knows and understands the racing thing/cars/standings/driver's reputation etc. I, on the other hand, try to find other ways to amuse myself.

For instance, a well attended chili contest was held on Saturday......we walked through the area as preparations were underway. Got a kick out of how elaborate some of the contestants made their booths, while others had only simple tarps.

Clearly, with the trophies on display, their fancy booth isn't the only good 'taste' these entrants have.

Then there's the high end, huge, and expensive motor homes that dot the various parking spaces throughout this huge facility. The outside, built-in, mammoth TV would be the envy of most home theaters.

Now here's where those with more modest means reside.....due to the rain, as we strolled some of the 'tent cities', I cringed.....many of the tents were sitting in deep puddles of water....yuck.

Of course, when one has enough 'adult beverages' running through their blood, perhaps they don't notice the rain. I give them points for creativity.

This was good for an out loud laugh.....these party goers had many 'props'.....who thinks of bringing a crash cart, decorated with Xmas lights? They told us they strap down anyone who gets out of control until they sleep it off. I wonder if that was a goal or precaution.....

What?? Upholstered couches, recliners, festive plastic palm tree, a game table, and don't ask me how they got this in....but a full size refrigerator...totally stocked we were told.

Oh my........

Well, the sun is up.......we must scurry over to the track.....8 hours of racing to go. The leads have changed overnight numerous time. It's now being reported that Patrick Dempsey is driving his #40 car and is in 7th place in their category. This is the longest their team has ever made it in the 24 hr race. The last two years he's been out by 11:00 PM.

Well.....that's my report for today.....we will be heading partway home after the race ends today.....waiting to hear from my Asheville pals about the weather/road conditions before we attempt to drive our Porsche on the mountain roads on Monday. Thankfully, our house sitter says there's been no loss of electricity so that's a big positive.

OVERLOAD OF RACING

Despite getting to the race track a tad later than we planned, we were able to park in the 2nd row of the Porsche Paddock with a great view of the track. Later the car in the first row, directly in front of us left......I practically laid on the spot to save it as we got our car moved up for an even better view. Ya....this is more than you needed to know.....

Porsche Club Members were invited into one of the garages to watch their race preparations.....here the drivers were practicing entering and exiting the cars. Even though it's a 24 hr. race, every second counts. Each team has from 3 to 4 drivers and it's important to make the driver's switch quickly.

Standing by, is Ramon Dumas....notice how tiny these drivers are? As I write this, it's now 5 hours into the race and the team he's driving for is in 1st place in the GT category. In fact, the first 3 places are held by Porsches. Thankfully, 'the husband' no longer even believes he can talk me into staying there all night.....10 hrs. is enough.....and 3+ today was in the pouring rain.

Because I know many of you may be interested in any Patrick Dempsey sightings, I'm providing the best I found today......his car.

And the back view of his car......we talked to another Porsche Club member who is friends with one of the 4 drivers.......sadly, Dr. McDreamy is known as the least competent driver on the team. But hey, with a pretty face like his.....who cares......he has other skills! And frankly, his worst driving is 10 times better than any of us could do....flying down the track at over 150 mph!

Patchwork paint job....love it!

This is a partial view of the special parking and hospitality area Porsche Club of America members can park their cars. At noon, when it was officially filled and the entrance closed....there were over 300 Porsches. The Ferris wheel is such a festive sight all lite up against the night sky.....frankly, by then I was so cold I didn't want to get my camera back out to show you....sorry! We lasted till about 7:00 PM and are now in our comfy hotel watching the race on the Speed Channel, though we can still hear the cars since we are just across the street from the track.

This goes under the category of, what were you thinking? Some fool (we think it was a corner worker..... a volunteer that mans locations around the track with fire extinguishers, caution flags, etc.) drove his car between the chain link fence and the track's guard rail in an effort to park closer to his assignment. Well....hummm, the car was wider than the space at one of the light posts...they had quite a time getting it out before the race could begin.

More hilarious observations tomorrow.....

ROLEX 24 HOURS

We are back at the annual Rolex 24 hour race in Daytona Beach, FL. Not quite as warm or sunny as we'd hoped, but considering what's going on in NC with the HUGE snow and ice storm....I'd say we dodged another bullet. (We were away during the last big storm too.) I feel sorry for our house sitter....stranded but hopefully still with power.

This is pretty much a rich man's sport.....can't even describe what goes into having a car in this race......and I'm in a hurry....we slept later than we wanted to this morning, so I'm quickly trying to get this posted. Hotel internet was not working properly last night....probably too many people trying to use it.

Vintage, priceless cars are on display everywhere....

Not the kind of comfort we expect in our cars!!

The new Porsche Panamera.......price tag over $1000,000. First sedan they've ever made.

I guess this is supposed to make you part with your money....the famous race car driver Hurly Haywood personally test drove this car.

I like to look for interesting designs as we wander around......most of what I see in the open garages where teams work on their cars is uncomprehensible to me.....but my eye was caught by this tire.

One gargage has a sewing service to repair the drivers (tight on their small tight bodies) suits.....

See, even at a race track I can find familiar things - a sewing machine and an ott light. This gal stitched some patches on Patrick Dempsy's suit (yes, I'm talking about Dr. McDreamy)...he gave her the hat she's wearing....he drives a Mazda. Tried to get a photo of his car driving the 1st race yesterday but my camera isn't fast enough. 'The husband' took a super good photo of him last year....if I can't get another one today I'll dig that out of the archives for all of us to drool over.

Gotta run......ignore any typos or spelling errors.....'the husband' is literally pulling me out of the room....we are late....