Warm Day In North Iowa

Just last week I reported about 54 below zero, or something absurd like that. We had also gotten 6-8″ of new snow last Sunday night.

www.countr-threads-chicken-scratch

The first picture was taken early this morning in thick fog and 28 degree temps. I went to a funeral this morning and by the time I got home the yard looked like this and it’s 37 degrees!

How can this be?

Last night I sewed the binding to Jim’s quilt and once again, 3 out of 4 corners had a seam. I pieced scrap shirt strips for the binding – I thought black was too stark and red may clash with her red couches.

When I can get outside I’ll take a great picture of Jim’s quilt. Last night I started another shirt quilt – I’m obsessed! This one is called a Rectangle Wrangle found in this book:

I’m still pressing bullseye blocks, too.

Tammy’s helping. I did have to take some time to clean, go to the funeral and throw some laundry in. I also let the goats out – they are suffering from cabin fever! Connie’s cats are also suffering from the same thing. But as Connie says, there’s always cat TV outside the window. Here’s Darling Dot!

Before I forget – do not send any more postage money if you’ve already ordered. For new orders only the price of the book will be $31.00. The rest of you who have already ordered, do not send us more money – it will all “wash”, don’t worry! If you’re clicking, all is perfect and thank you very much!

Seems I’m not the only one who dislikes overquilting – my opinion is not the majority but I’m happy to hear some of you agree with me. We’ll just have our own little club – haha!

That’s all for today – big game tomorrow!

14 thoughts on “Warm Day In North Iowa

  1. Kim LeMere

    Glad you are warming up in Iowa, my mom lives in Osage and she also ventured out today. Its 65 here in TN and a beautiful day for a walk along the Stones River. Spring will arrive, hang in there.

  2. Sharon Lowy

    Your weather sounds like what we are having. It was up to 16 at 9 am and now at 2pm it is 39. Snow is melting though we have lots to go. Rain and fog later for Illinois. Actually it is beginning to be pretty overcast already. Oh well beats-55 any old day.

    I don’t like over quilting either and my grandson really hates it! He has preferred hand quilted quilts since he was about 3 years old. Gotta love that boy!

  3. Mary

    I learned the hard way to check my binding and the corners. It’s an extra step but saved me a headache or two trying to make nice corners. Can’t wait to see the full quilt.

  4. Sue in Oregon

    Today is Groundhogs day and they predicted an early spring. Hurray!! Especially great for everyone that has had such a miserable winter. Our worst time here in the PNW is yet to come. March! We usually get torrential rain complete with flooding. Yuk! And, if we don’t get rain, we suffer from drought in the summer.

    Half of my blocks are now on the design wall. Need to get the rest of them up there.

    I see the block by Tammy is the very kind I am trying to avoid, but yours looks great! Hmmm

    So glad that snow is melting away fast.

  5. Betty Klosterman

    I also cringe to have a binding seam at corners so I lay the whole quilt on the bed and then lay out the binding and adjust so the seams doesn’t end up in a corner. If I was sewing the binding on the quilt you pictured, I’d stop and cut a 2-3″ piece out of the binding sew a straight seam and the bias seam would go in before the corner getting rid of the problem. On a scrappy quilt like that it wouldn’t matter if you just cut a piece out and sewed a straight seam not bothering with the bias seam. Nobody would ever know. The quilting police don’t count. Love that quilt as blue is a favorite.
    I think it is about 60 here but is supposed to cool down to 0 again next week.

  6. helen

    Looking at your pictures of the bullseye blocks, it looks like the area around the circle is at least 1″. How can that be if the outside square is 9″ and the first circle is 8″? Confused! Thanks

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Helen – because I cut the circle out of the 8” square and probably took some off all 4 corners while I was at it.

  7. Martha Engstler

    Love the little paw prints in your first picture but so glad it’s warming up in the Midwest because it moves east and we know it must be coming soon. I’m looking out my window now and if “red at night is sailors delight” we should have a great day tomorrow. It will be so very welcome after zero this morning.

  8. Dorothy

    WOW Dot has gotten big. I remember when she was a “pea sized” kitten. Love your bulls eye. And glad to see that Tammy is being so helpful. Hope your weather doesn’t warm up too fast and then you have flooding UGH !!

  9. Sherry Whalen

    Three out of 4 corners – good for you! That is kind of like a field goal kicker hitting the uprights – If you HAD to hit the corners with a seam (or hit the uprights) it would be almost impossible!!!

  10. Felicia Hamlin

    Crazy weather! A lot of snow melted today and the dogs were willing to go out. Poor things, I feel bad for them when the weather gets cold. Of course those cold, cold temps were horrible.

    Enjoy the warmth, I guess Monday will be messy.

  11. Ann Barlament

    I’m with the cat’s, I too have cabin fever of another kind! Came to this nursing home May 2016, for wound care. Never anticipated numerous hospitalizations and now wonder if I’ll ever leave. Certainly makes for a crabby personality, that isn’t getting better.

    But my quilts ~ that’s how I survived last week’s vortex! Had to laugh when I was telling a friend that it warmed up 80 degrees and it still wasn’t above freezing. Perhaps there is an advantage of being bedridden, I just woke for meals and medication and hibernated the rest of the time ~ ahhhh!!

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Ann Barlament – I wish I were miles closer to you so I could drop in for a visit. I also wish life were kinder for you – I don’t leave the farm for days on end in winter – glad your quilts are keeping you warmer.

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