I finished sewing the rows together and it’s laying nice and flat. If you count them, you’ll notice there are now 11 rows versus the 10 I had planned. Once the rows were sewn together, the quilt top seemed like it was too short so I added another row. Now it seems just right :) I’ve started working on the backing and I will also play around with the remaining blocks……there might be enough for another lap sized quilt, you never know 
I completed the November First Saturday blocks this weekend in between pinning the rows of mountain blocks. Good to have them finished up well before Dec 6th! The Kaffe Fassett fabric in this one is rather bright.
The high today is forecast at 77 degrees! We just had a weekend of beautiful weather and the trees are reaching their peak fall colors. It’s just hard to think it’s November with such unusually warm and wonderful weather.
Here’s the alternate block from October’s First Saturday blocks.
And here’s what I did on Sunday. I realize you can’t see much difference between the two pics (especially if you don’t double click to see a large view) but the first picture is 100 of the mountain blocks laid out and the second one is of them ALL SEWN INTO ROWS :) YEA!!! This week I’ll get the rows sewn together and then I’ll work on piecing the backing. I’m itching to get to the quilting part so I can use my longarm again.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!
Here’s a picture of the First Saturday block. See the original fabric at the bottom? We saw the block completed with this fabric and didn’t like it too much. Darlene found the fabric on the right in the Fox Tail basket (get it? The Quilted Fox calls the tail ends of the bolts “Fox Tails”?). When I got home, I dug through my stash and found the swirl fabric which I think as a little more movement and is is brighter than the piece on the right.
As Darlene pointed out, when placed on the design wall with the other blocks, the swirl fabric fits in well with the rest.
Here’s October’s First Saturday block. I haven’t completed the alternate block but since it doesn’t have to be completed to get my free block this weekend, no worries
Neither Darlene nor I liked the pink dot fabric that came with the block (I’ll have to get a pic and post it later). We both ended up substituting the pink swirl fabric you see here and I like it much better. It fits in better with the other First Sat blocks accumulating on my design wall 
All of the Mountain blocks are finished, yipee!! There are approximately 190 blocks and I say approximately, as I may have miss counted a time or two as I put them in piles of 10. I will lay them out and see what size quilt feels right. Here’s a pic of all the blocks, uphill blocks on the left and down hill blocks on the right.
Here’s a picture of Rail kitty’s newest spot to be when keeping me company in the sewing room
And here is the cutest kitty thinking about taking a drive on the Vespa! She is just too cute!
Well better a late blog post than never a blog post, right? I had a good time at the Des Moines Quilt show. My friend, Darlene, & I drove from St Louis to Des Moines and it was a most delightful drive with wonderful weather. I had perhaps a better time visiting the rural part of Des Moines where Darlene grew up and spending time with Darlene’s sister, Marge than I had a the show.
A big thanks to Marge & her husband for hosting me for two nights and for the tour of the Maasdam Sorgham Mill that Marge’s family runs. Returning from the quilt show on Thursday, we stopped to see the Wheel Tower, which was created by Darlene & Marge’s father. On Friday we visited the locker to buy dried beef and ham loaf and then went to Pella and visited the bakery and meat shop. Let me tell you, Pella bologna is nothing like the Oscar Myer product called bologna! The Dutch have amazing pastries and I’m figuring out my list of items I’d like Darlene to buy for me on her next trip to Iowa!!
But back to the quilt show ;) Here’s Darlene’s two quilt entries.
Aren’t we cute with our contestant ribbons? Hey, they are worth free admission to the show! Here’s the Brooch Quilt actually hanging in the show! It’s kind of plain but I think it belonged in the show.
The show was quite nice and there were many more quilts on display than just the ones included in the competition, but it just wasn’t the same excitement as the Paducah show. We always pick the one quilt we’d like to take home with us when we attend a show and here’s my favorite.
We went to Las Vegas for a week and had a wonderful, relaxing time. While in the Mirage I noticed the floor at the main entrance and thought what a neat quilt border idea….
Stolling through the Bellagio I saw this tiled floor and thought it was wonderful too.
There are lovely large baskets of flowers in another part of the hotel with long, curling vines. I saw on Pickledish they had a contest of architecual quilt patterns. There were wonderful examples in the many different styles of hotels on the strip.
I was working on Friday night to finish up my First Sat block which is something I don’t like to do. I didn’t have time to finish the alternate block so I finished it up on Sunday.
Rail kept me company on Sunday as I also sewed on some Mountain blocks….they seem to never end. I must have enough for two quilts!! Isn’t Rail a sweet kitty?
I was sewing today and had help from both Simontacchi and Rail. I have a whole pile of up hill and down hill blocks completed so I layed some out to see how they look. They get Rail’s seal of approval but Simontacchi is with holding his opinion for now
Last night I had to get the first Sat blocks finished if I wanted to get my next block free this Saturday. So here is the second block:
And here is the alternate block:
I had already cut the pieces for these blocks and it still took me approximately 1 1/2 hours to complete them. I’m always the slowest one when ever I take a class 
