2/4/17

No Ice is So Nice

It rained hard all night long and into the early morning hours. It's 44°F and so yesterday's ice is history. That's how our winters usually go...ice or snow one day, gone the next. It's been a weird winter for sure. Warmer weather is very exciting news because it means we can go pick up the camper today. This is the larger one I pictured a few weeks ago. We're bringing it home to its new forever home today. 

Today's outing will include lunch somewhere, and then a trip to our local mega mart to pick up some non-skid shelf liner. That stuff is great in campers. You don't want your dishes sliding all around when you go around corners. And we have a lot of crap to load back into the camper. Stacked in Mike's office for the past ten days is all the stuff from the old camper:


Before somebody feels a need to crack wise about it, I'll just say yes, those are bottles of alcoholic bevvies there in the lower part of the image. We're significantly older than 21, and so it's okay. Who says old people don't know how to have a good time? Also, we've added a coffee maker to the pile. The old camper had so little storage space, there was no room for a coffee maker. We are coffee fiends. When we've used the camper in past trips, we've been forced to use this sort of French press thing that will only make one cup at a time. It's been painful, but we've made the sacrifice up until now. It's entirely possible that the larger camper was required just so that we could pack along a coffee maker. I'll say more about the camper once we get it home. For now, let's just turn to the sewing room, shall we?

In sewing news yesterday, I managed to make a couple of challenge blocks. The first was for this month's Block Lotto, which happens to be the Dutchman's Puzzle. It's one of my favorite traditional blocks. Sharon V. helpfully pointed out to me that a proper Dutchman's Puzzle has a pinwheel in the center. I made one previously where the Flying Geese were flying in the wrong direction, losing the pinwheel. The pinwheel (or windmill) has the affect of putting the Dutch in the Dutchman's Puzzle. 


Also, I'm participating in a group on Facebook called Kathleen Tracy's Small Quilt Lovers. This is a new group to me, although I did complete this little quilt for the January challenge. 


This group does a small quilt challenge each month. In 2017, every other month will be a block for a "mystery quilt." Ordinarily, I don't participate in mysteries because I'm never happy with my fabric choices once the whole thing is put together. For this one, I could see what I was going to make, and that helped me feel more confident about the fabrics. The first block is this little house:


The top row doesn't want to lie flat, but the chimneys are straight. So, this is February's block. The next mystery quilt block will be released in April. In March, we'll go back to making a small quilt from her book.


My next goal in the sewing room will be to sew the Wheel Estate blocks into a flimsy. Here are all eight blocks:



This was my project for the 2016 Rainbow Scrap Challenge. As for the completed quilt, all I have so far is a fabric selected for the quilt back. I'll show that eventually. Also, I have some scraps of fabric left from a previous camper quilt. Otherwise, I have no idea how I'm going to set these blocks. It's another reason I'm glad the camper is coming home today so that I can measure the wall where it's going to hang and make sure I don't make the flimsy too long or too wide.

Lastly, it's time to choose a winner of the needle threader for this month's Bag Lady link-up. This month's winner is:

#1--Lynn!

Congratulations, Lynn. I've sent you an email, so check your inbox! Thanks to all who linked up. If you didn't win, just keep stitching. We'll be giving away a needle threader each and every month this year.

There probably won't be time for sewing today, but there will be lots of other stuff going on keeping us entertained.

15 comments:

Debbie said...

Yay for rain to remove and melt the ice. Our winters are much the same, but we have been having spring for the last 2 weeks. I would have complained forever with no coffee maker! So glad you got the priorities straight......all liquids are important. Know you are excited, and looking forward to a tour!

Dorothy said...

Well, read your blog and learn something new----I never knew that the pinwheel in the Flying Dutchman block represented the windmill. (it's also one of my favorite blocks) Seattle area is having down pours of rain----enjoy the new camper

Lynn - JnL4God said...

First Thank you so much for the link up party and the fact that I won. Yay! Second I too was glad to hear of the pin wheel in the center of the block. See older people can learn things too.:)
Thanks again, I've sent my address.

quiltzyx said...

Congrats to Lynn!
Glad that the temps are up enough to melt the dreaded ice so you can go get the camper. We had a bit of rain yesterday, but it's supposed to be dry for the weekend, then more rain Monday & Tuesday. We'll see.
I like the Dutchman's Puzzle block too. I never thought about the center pinwheel being a Windmill!

DeeDee said...

Congrats on picking up your new camper! I showed my husband and now we've decided one of our vacations next year we're going to rent an RV. My son (seven and a half) wants to know why we don't just take off now. Can't wait to see your camper quilt all put together. I loved watching those blocks come together last year.

claudia said...

I don't like the icy, freezy thing either, but when the rain comes and that goes away, I have nothing but slippy, slidy mud! I'm not complaining, it's just that I have to readjust every couple of days to what I do and how I do it. I have to get out there to take care of my critters...some days it's a bucket brigade (icy, the water doesn't run ) and the rest of the winter it's being veeery careful about how I step.
I'm so excited for you that you are getting your camper today!!! YAY! I saw a Toyota RV for sale close to me yesterday in Port Angeles. I just can't being myself to call about it. They are asking a little more than I have saved up and I don't like haggling with people over their prices.
I love your Wheel Estate blocks! What a great wall hanging for the new camper!!!

gpc said...

French press coffee is delicious -- we make french press (or non-electric cone drip) coffee by choice. But a coffee maker has its perks (ha!). I love house blocks. I have not made any, but I love them. I also love the campers, if I had a camper like you do, I would be all over those camper quilts. Or so I tell my lazy self. And I'm with you on the alcohol; if we haven't earned a drink once in awhile, well really, what's the point in being retired or working for a living in the first place?

QUILTING IS BLISSFUL, DI said...

Ahhh-I have a bottle of Volka too--mine is in the bathroom though--cause I use it as disinfectant--as I am allergic to everything else--but it sounds like you might have a 'wee' bit more fun with yours!!!!
Congrats on the new truck and camper--
enjoy the moments, di

Vroomans' Quilts said...

You are grown ups, so I wasn't going to say anything. Oh, I couldn't survive without my coffee. I love the Dutchman's Puzzle block and they can make you 'spin' sometimes. Look forward to a 'tour' of your new camper. Your warming trend means it will reach us (Phil was right) in about 6-8 weeks.

WoolenSails said...

We usually get the same thing, now it is just cold, way too cold.
Love those trailers, that is such a fun design.

Debbie

Vicki in MN said...

What fun Camper blocks, I don't remember seeing them before!

Dana Gaffney said...

Our news this morning had beautiful pictures of snow and ice from Portland so I'm glad to hear you're warming up a bit. My eyes went right to the booze and I was thinking of all kinds of comment, none judgemental LOL.

time4stitchn said...

Oh, my goodness! Ice then melt; I am jealous. Wisconsin weather gets snow turning to ice, and COLD. But this week it is supposed to warm to the low 40s this week. Hmmmmm.
Love your campers. At first, I really thought it was a panel; it looks so original and well made. So creative you are!

Debbie H time4stitchn@gmail.com

Kate said...

Love the Dutchman's puzzle block. Looking forward to seeing Wheel Estate come together. Those blocks are so cut and fun.

Brown Family said...

We would love to have winter. It is going to be in the upper 70's and low 80's this week! Then we get a cold front and the low will be in the upper 40's. I know you are excited about the new truck and camper. There are times I wish we would go camping, again. I have ordered the Small & Scrappy book, just waiting. I did get Charlotte on Saturday and have started working on her!