Rainy Days and Mondays

  never get me down. Ah it's Monday. We're off on another city hike, Douglas Fir Trail. Lots of up, trail and stairs. Many decades I've looked at this hill and never knew that you could hike it. Awesome view from the lookout.

Douglas Fir Trail hill

Up up and up

bridge over wash out

lookout

Down worse than going up

   Paper Sky block 2 will be up for purchase and block 3 will be up for free this week.

   Questions have been asked and comments have been made regarding the cutting out the fabric because most of the pieces we cut are irregular in shape. It is hard to gauge how to lay them out to get the best use of your fabric. I recommend that you print the number of pages required for each page. Cut out the paper templates. We have drawn some of the templates with two sections into one template. If you need to cut them apart then do so. Arrange the templates accordingly on your fabric to get the best use. We have given you a suggested layout that we used but it may not be the best layout for you. Each block that we cut, we have started where the previous block left off. So, if the previous block only used a portion of the width then we started where we left off. We try to keep it so that the fabric base line is straight, not jagged. As shown in the first photo below, we didn't cut the previous block in a straight line so the next block was arranged to use up the jagged base line.

 In the above picture, we used up the small piece that was left over from previous block.

If you are using one-way fabric then you can arrange the templates to get the direction you want the fabric to go. Note: that you will require more fabric.

Fabric Shadows

    We are always told to press to the dark fabric. But, sometimes pressing to the light fabric is the best. This is when fabric shadows occur because the dark fabric is wider in the seam than the light. That is the light fabric is narrower than the dark fabric.

To correct this so the shadow doesn't show, first place the ruler just on the edge of the light fabric. Then slant the rotary cutter to the outside. If using your right hand, and the fabric is on the right, slant the rotary cutter to the right. 

Trim the seam. Now the dark fabric is shorter than the light. 

If there is only a little part of the seam that will have a shadow then just do it carefully and slowly. Practice will give you confidence and make perfect.

   Our hike today was to Pine Top. It is a loop through a wonderful forest of different trees and creeks. The one most noticeable thing was that some of the scrub bush had already turned yellow. Does this mean that is was too hot and dry or winter is coming early. Yuck. Even my crabapple tree has some yellow leaves. Ugh.

  Remember to download Block 2 of Paper Sky.

   I'm asking the pets out there. Do you have problems with your slave wanting a piece of the bed? Meowsh. Mom expects me to move after I'm all settled in for the night. I gave her at least 1/3 what more does she need. Do you see the white cover on the right side and the white pillow thing on the floor, she says those are my beds. I say she sleeps on the couch. I got here first.

Nighty night.

Paper Sky Block 2

   Block 2 is uploaded on Quiltnasium. Pattern is in two sections or you can copy it on 11"x17" paper.

Remember to join and to post your block one and two on the facebook page Quiltnasium Quilt Along by Kat. There are also video instructions on the fb page.

   Thank goodness things only happen in three's. Murphy's Law is still following me around. Have you noticed it starts small and ends big? Last week, first, there are gremlins in the fan. It stops or the light comes on on its own. Need to see the electrician. Second: the closet door that gets used about 6 times a year comes off. It either needs a new bottom catch or a new door. Third: the 50+ year old chest freezer decided it needed to be defrosted. This was discovered Friday and the new one, that is only to last 5 years, comes Tuesday. Spent 2 day cooking a freezing what I wanted to keep. And wouldn't you know it, this was discovered in the afternoon and the green bin was picked up in the morning. Garage smells lovely right now.

Hope your week is fabulous. Happy Quilting!

Long Weekends

   There is nothing like a long weekend. Many decades ago, a group of us used to load everything up and head to a semi private lake in B.C. It even got to the point where DH and I would leave on Thursday to get some down time before the rowdies arrived. Ah! Ha! Then everyone else started coming Thursday, so we would leave Wednesday. Even just one day alone was heaven. Sun and boating and liquid (water what else were you thinking) in no particular order depending on the day.

Today was just as great. First hike this summer. A hike through the west end of Fish Creek park in Calgary. Not hot yet; thank you clouds. Just the right amount of breeze. 

The hike loop view.

Beaver made candles.

Too the west, thunderclouds coming this way. Can you see the animal?

 Purple flowers. 

Canada thistle.

    Paper Sky block 2 is almost ready. Remember, when block 2 goes up, block 1 goes to the store purchase. So go to Quiltnasium and download block 1.

  

   Quilt alongs for 150 Canadian Women and Gypsy Wife details in the Fall.

   Oh mom, go away, I'm hunting! Bug, bug bug. Can't she see I'm concentrating. Every 15 minutes out she comes to see where I am. Oh meowzer, she's got the camera. Honestly, you'd thought she never saw a cat hunting. Okay, I'll let her see my eyes, but not too much. Happy? Meeew!