Patches Pictures
Category: Patches’ Pieces
Patches Pictures
Scraps and Threads Celebrates Another Successful Quilt Show
Held in conjunction with Rendezvous, Scraps and Threads Quilt Guild annual quilt show was well attended. This year the quilt show’s theme was Montana Silhouettes. The fair barn was decorated with silhouettes mostly representing Montana’s wildlife and included live wildlife (a fat mouse) scuttling in the facilities’ bathrooms. With over 100 quilted items on display, there was a variety of techniques and a lot of talent on display. Mel Casey and Shawnna Casazza tied for best theme quilts. Delora Gauger won the People’s Choice award and 1st place in the large quilts category. Delora’s extraordinary star quilt required 8 years to complete.
In the adjacent fair barn was a craft show with a mixture of crafts, art work, antiques, plants, clothing and baked goods. Coffee and seating encouraged shoppers to linger and visit. Based on the empty tables and various shopping bags, much retail therapy occurred. -Patches
Patches Pictures
Recently, the coyote(s) has been on the road almost every day. Presumably hunting the turkeys. The deer are gathering in groups. -Patches
Patches Pictures
The geese have returned to the pond before they begin their journey south. The turkeys, hens and toms, are roaming the road. There are still plenty of grasshoppers for the turkeys to eat. We have had a cow elk and skunk walking the road. A surprise was the bobcat. The coyotes are hunting as a pair. The black bear and 2 cubs wandered are covering ground but doing a great job at evading the camera. Deer are common but bucks are not. The crow are on the move. -Patches
ViviLnk 
Patches Pieces
Eventually, all critters travel the driveway. Sometimes the game cam even catches them. A daytime appearance of the coyote on the driveway is unusual. He is traveling the driveway most nights. All sorts of deer use the pond and driveway. I am not sure why it always seems to surprise me that skunks climb stairs. The game cam caught one on the bridge step. For the last several days a blue heron has been hunting frogs in the pond. So far no bear sightings on the game cam. But as the apples ripen, I expect we will see them around.
Patches Pictures
Fiberfest
There are volumes written on what I don’t know about wool fiber and the process of turning fleece into yarn. Present was fiber from sheep, angora rabbits, and alpacas. Being a crafter that neither knits, crochets, or felts, I was dazzled by all the pretty yarns. There was an array of unprocessed wool fleece to completed wool garments with many examples of batts and yarn in between. Several booths featured someone spinning yarn as well as spinning wheels for sale. Outside the buildings was a petting zoo. In the youth building was a quilt show sponsored by the mini-makers.
dyed batts 
Tracy Marvel of Woolin Rouge, purveyor and designer of wool quilt kits.
Montana State University (MSU) representatives were available to evaluate wool quality. They used an instrument imported from Australia. Accordingly, management recommendations are made based on the desired market.
The enthusiasm of the fiber crafters was very evident. They find using the spinning wheel very relaxing. I enjoyed visiting with them. I am not a convert, YET. -Patches
Patches Pictures
Trego's Mountain Ear 