Bachelor's Puzzle

Today's pattern is Bachelor's Puzzle. I like it because it's easy to piece and has a 3-D effect. I've been working on reorganizing my web pages, so if you haven't been able to get one of the patterns this evening, that's why. I think I've got them all done now, so they should all work. If one of the links doesn't work, just drop me an email so I can fix it.

This weekend I'm going to St. Charles, IL. It is a small town just outside Chicago. We've got tickets to see David Brenner on Friday night and will be meeting friends too. On Saturday we'll all be taking the train into Chicago to visit Katy. I'm hoping to see the Christmas windows at Macy's and stay in the city long enough for it to get dark and see the lights on Michigan Ave. I'm hoping the driving will be good. The northwest corner of Indiana and the southeast corner of Michigan is a real snow belt and can get quite treacherous.

The Spartan basketball team defeated IU-Fort Wayne tonight. It was only on the radio, which tees me off, after all the hub-bub about the Big 10 Network. They claimed they were going to carry all the games that the networks didn't carry. Oh well, at least we won. Saturday is the Penn State game. If Ohio State loses to U of M (this will be one of the few times I root for U of M) and we beat Penn State we go to the Rose Bowl! Go Green! Go White!
Till next time...Happy Quilting.

Finishing the Desert Sampler

I've given all the blocks for the Desert Sampler quilt. Project Page 1 gives instructions for finishing the top. Next week I'll start a new quilt, Sampler with Art Square Corners. The blocks will again be 12" so they are compatible with the Desert Sampler blocks. The setting is made using 3 strips for the sashing and Art Squares for the cornerstones. The finished sizes of the sashing is 3" x 12" and the cornerstones are 3" x 3". This makes the Quilt Layout Chart still useful for quilt planning. If you choose to make more blocks and a larger quilt, the Fabric Yardage Chart and Quilt Layout Chart are helpful.

I'm watching an old movie again. It's called "We Live Again" made in 1934 and stars Anna Sten and Frederic March. It's based on Leo Tolstoy's novel Resurrection. Frederic March is an aristocrat who falls in love with, then ruins a peasant girl. There are scenes in the girl's bedroom and there is a quilt on the bed. The movie is in black and white so it is hard to tell the colors, but it might be pastels. The pattern is a broken dishes, alternating with a plain block, all set on point. The quilt is also tied. The story is set in 1875, so the quilt is probably not historically accurate. I'm enjoying the movie more than usual because we just got a 50" HD TV. Very fun, especially for sports. The TV is in the basement which is also my sewing room, so I'm one lucky quilter.
Till next time....Happy Quilting.

Best Friend

The last free quilt pattern for this lap size quilt is called Best Friend. It's a variation of the Bear's Paw pattern. I think this is a great name for a quilt pattern because so many quilters have found their Best Friends through this activity.

It's the night before election day. I'm hoping to vote at 7am so I can get to work. The MSU Museum has the quilt exhibit To Honor and Comfort scheduled to ship either tomorrow or Wednesday. I've packed most of it, but need to be around to make sure everything gets picked up okay. So hopefully the voting lines won't be too long.

My daughter Katy lives in Chicago. She works just a few blocks from Grant Park where Obama will have his rally tomorrow evening. They are expecting 1,000,000 people! Katy thinks she'll stop by early in the evening on her way home to get a taste of the party. I'm anxious to hear what Chicago is like, especially if Obama wins.

Tom and I went to the MSU football game last Saturday. We won in the last seconds. I'd like to say it was a fun game, but we trailed most of the game, which wasn't fun. But the weather was gorgeous, and the end was fabulous. This weekend is Purdue and if we win we'll be 9-2!! Go Green! Go White!

Time for Saturday Night Lives Election Special and I do love the Sarah Palin parodies.
Till next time.... Happy Quilting.