Glacier Weekend: Two Medicine

We had planned to take a quick trip up to Glacier last weekend and hike the Highline trail up to the Granite Park Chalet and then continue up to the fire tower on Swiftcurrent Mountain. Well, that hike will have to wait for another day, since the Highline trail is closed for another few weeks until a few snow hazards are gone. We still decided to head north, although our hiking plan of course changed. Grizz decided to take last Friday afternoon off of work so we could get an early start toward Glacier NP. We knew campsites at Two Medicine go quickly, but that is where we wanted to stay!

We were one of the last people to find a spot! I'm so glad that Grizz took off work when he did!

Once we claimed our spot, we headed over to the gift/snack store to explore (we've never been to Two Medicine before!). We knew bad weather was heading our way (the weather service said high winds and hail!), so this sight was not a surprise. It sure was fun to watch the storm roll in!

There was lots of lightening, thunder and rain, but thankfully no hail!

 Once it cleared up - maybe fifteen to thirty minutes later, we headed back outside to explore some more. Isn't that a pretty rainbow?!

We both stuck our feet in the lake. It was chilly, but not as bad as I thought it would be.

I loved this cloud/fog formation after the storm. Isn't it gorgeous?!

After walking around a bit, we headed back to the vehicle. Even before we knew there was a risk for hail, we decided to just sleep in the back of our Xterra. We wanted a quick get-away in the morning, and nothing is quicker than waking up, climbing into the front seat and heading out (we left the campground at around 5:30 am!).

PS: Don't you like our sheet selection? Grizz took it off my uncut pile in the sewing room, haha! I guess having a vintage sheet stash is helpful during camping season!

Glacier Weekend

Camping at Two Medicine

Two Bear Sightings

Grinnell Glacier Trail

Trail Closed

Many Glacier Hotel

Giant Vintage Star Completion

 Fabric: Vintage sheets from garage sales and thrift stores
Pattern: Giant Vintage Star from Jeni at In Color Order

 I chose three different sheets, and deviated from the pattern only by cutting off the corners - it is now an irregular octagon, perfect to use as a round tablecloth or even just out on a picnic!

 I quilted up and down every seam and through every diagonal, so I had to draw in some of the diagonals with a disappearing ink marker before quilting.

I even like how the back turned out! I used yellow thread on the top and bottom and a white sheet on the back. The binding is also a solid sheet from a thrift store. I didn't even have to wash this quilt to soften the fabric, haha! (Don't worry, I washed the sheets before cutting them up...)

I love how this turned out, and it gives me an itch to sew more with my vintage sheets!

Other Posts:
Top is Done
Quilting


Linking up to a few places...

("At the End of the Hallway" at from the blue chair)

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Estate Sale (Plus a Great Gift!)

Two Saturdays ago, we did this... thus, there was no time to hit up the Saturday garage sales (climbing the mountain was more fun anyway!). However, Craigslist had a listing for an estate sale that was going on Saturday AND Sunday! You know where I was heading after church :)

Much to my surprise, everything was 50% off... maybe that's a common occurance at estate sales, but this was my first true estate sale - walking around someone's home where EVERYTHING has a price tag on it... 

In the basement, I found a box of fabric next to an older sewing machine that was already sold. The box was listed as $3, though. It was taped, so I couldn't see everything in it, but for $1.50, I couldn't say no! I also picked up two scarves, one hanky, one matching fitted sheet/pillowcase and an embroidered table runner. The box ended up having quite a few things that I passed along to our church rummage sale, but I did save some vintage sheet scraps, half of an embroidered table runner and yardage of some purple wool, a soft floral and that southwestern stripe. (I'm so glad I chose to handwash everything instead of throwing some into the wash... the stripe and the wool bled A LOT!)

I also snatched up a double candlestick up in the kitchen. I loved etched glassware so I couldn't pass up on something like this for only $2. I have a similar candlestick in the Fostoria Chintz pattern, but I didn't recognize the shape or the etched pattern. Therefore, I offer up a big thank you to the internet for helping me find this pattern :)

It is called Prelude and it was first made by the New Martinsville Glass Company, which was bought by Viking Glass in the 1940s. Prelude continued to be produced by Viking. In all, it was produced from the 1930s until the 1950s. I've seen sets of two of these candlesticks listed on the internet for as much as $80! Obviously, with only a lone candlestick, my price value decreases dramatically, but I do think I got a steal by buying it for only two bucks! It looks great sitting next to my Chintz candlestick on my bedside table. Someday, I hope to have a wide range of etched candlesticks and then display them somewhere more prominently... someday :)

This was not a sale find, but it did come in the mail the same weekend... My mother-in-law is too sweet! She sent me this kit and the instructions to make a tool keeper to help me keep my sewing tools contained when I'm out sewing on the kitchen table. It will also be great for when I take my sewing things next door to sew with Neighbor. Thank you again!! I can't wait to have time to sew it up :)

Hanging Hoop Hopper

Prior to last Saturday, I was keeping all my yarn and projects in a large tub that also held other random crafty things. I didn't like that. So, I changed it.

Hanging Hoop Hopper

Inspiration: Always A Project: Hoopla

However, as usual, I didn't really follow her tutorial, but her project was definitely the inspiration!

I found the hoop at a thrift store. The fabric is vintage sheets and the hanger is just some blanket binding that I got in one of my craigslist buys :) This was the first time I cut into my vintage sheet stash!

You would have laughed if you had seen me; I was running back and forth from my cutting area in the "dining room" and my sewing room. I'm sure Grizz thought I had lost my head, but I was having so much fun! No pattern to follow; experimentation; lots of mistakes hid by creativity!

I'm sure if I would have just followed the tutorial word for word, it would look better, but it is so much fun just to learn from trial and error sometimes. And in the end, I have my yarn storage :) that's all I cared about with this project... I'm definitely not a perfectionist when it comes to making things for myself!

 Some day I might redo the strap - I just cut it and pinned it. Next time, I'll cut it longer and then sew it in place.

 And, when I no longer live in an apartment, this will hang on a true hook... not just one of those 3M removable things. (Sigh)

All of the yarn fits! 

On Sunday, I went thrifting again. More hoops for more hoppers! Maybe after a few more practice ones, I'll put up a true tutorial. We'll see :)

Finally, a Pincushion.

Let me start with saying that I have a horrible habit of not keeping track of my pins while sewing. Mom can attest to this, as the habit started way back when I first started learning to sew for 4-H. She had a red tomato and a magnetic thing and a small black case... I would use these if they were next to me when I needed them; however, if I was in the middle of sewing and I didn't have a pincushion near the machine, the pins would end up on the table or the floor.

Well, out here in Big Sky country, my pins' home is the little case the pins came in when I bought them. Within our little apartment, I'm usually pinning in the living room or on the ironing board - neither of which are close enough to the sewing machine on the kitchen table for me to keep track of my pin case when I'm in a rush to be creative (and yes, when I'm being creative, I'm ALWAYS in a rush to see the final draft!)

Well, Grizz is getting a little annoyed with my habit of having pins on the floor EVERYWHERE. I just keep walking without thinking about it (it's all I've known), but he is a little worried about pinning his bare feet (scaredy-cat)

So, I finally buckled down to sewing a pincushion, and the plan is to always keep this next to the machine. The pin case will travel with me to where ever I am pinning a project that day.

 I used inspiration from here; and the heirloom tomato tutorial here; and wondered if I should do something more like here; but I decided just to wing it!

 I took this little "Cherry Blossom" pink depression glass dish that I've had sitting around since college. Someday I'll explain my affinity to antique stores and thus explain why I was in one during college. But for now, just know I like depression glass, and I had this on hand :)

I filled the cushion with a bit of rice to weigh it down (and as it turns out, to also help it form into the dish), a bit of dried lavender petals (leftover from our wedding), and some polyester crafting stuffing (Martha says cotton would be better). I used a thicker thread to wrap around it 4 times (I probably should have at least used embroidery floss) and added the button (yay craigslist!). The fabric is scraps of a vintage sheet from a thrift store (imagine that!).

I really like my new creation... and I have a feeling Grizz will like it too - no more worrying about stepping on pins! (HOPEFULLY!)