A Vacation Souvenir

Our family vacations tend to center around what my husband and kids enjoy--Civil War battlefields & other historic sites, museums, zoos & aquariums, or driving 22 hours to see family in Florida. Sometimes it feels like I’m just along for the ride. 

Of course, the best vacations have something for everyone, and our recent trip out West included a stop at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana, home to both dinosaurs and an impressive collection of quilts!

This spunky nine patch was my favorite. Made by Mollie Stine for her daughter Alice, it traveled with the family from Missouri to Montana in 1898. Details of their covered wagon journey were documented in a Bozeman newspaper (below).

double CLICK to read

Two hundred twenty-four nine patch blocks pack a punch, especially when a wide array of browns are paired with bold cheddar. The interplay of color in this quilt creates an energy that's palpable!

Source

I began piecing nine patches the minute we got home! but I'm afraid my dream of duplicating the Stine quilt is a no go. The rotary cutting and machine piecing are beyond me

Updated June 2018: No quilt yet, but I did share some blocks with my friend, Barb. Hope she enjoys them!

Fiber Therapy

Vicki Hodge from "What a Load of Scrap" celebrated her first year of blogging with a fabulous fabric giveaway--a chance to win 5 fat quarters and 50 3” squares of beautiful reproduction fabrics. I seldom enter drawings, but Vicki's prize was hard to resist. Lo and behold, I won!

Vicki, thanks for such an awesome prize! I can't stop petting, sorting, mixing, matching, and imagining all the possibilities these fabrics hold for projects yet to come.

Update: Vicki Hodge has a new blog, “From the Button Box” as well as a book, Button Box Quilts. Check them out!