It’s called the Montana Winter Fair and it will take place in several areas of Lewistown, MT this coming weekend. But, judging for the quilt show portion of the winter fair has already happened. This quilt was so unique and I decided it would be a fun one to use in my blog. And, as you can see, it has a top prize pinned to it! About 35 quilts were entered in the quilt competition. Quilts are displayed at … Read more
I’ve been out and about visiting a few of the quilt shops on Russell Country’s quilting trail, camera in tow! What a day-brightener to stop in and visit these beautifully decorated shops. The Quilt-Away, located in Great Falls, was recently selected by Better Homes & Gardens as one of the top 10 quilt shops in the United States. That’s pretty impressive! I visited with Toni when I was there and also bought a copy of the magazine featuring their … Read more
For those who don’t know, The Quilting Hen is an incredibly unique quilt shop located one mile north of Carter, MT. The location is…well…in the middle of a grain farm, and very easy to find. When I stopped in the other day there were several customers and the staff was scurrying. Once they took care of business we sat and talked about what makes this quilting shop unique. Certainly, the location, a mile off the highway. … Read more
As I drove home from the quilting party in Valier I thought about how many of the communities in Russell Country have quilt shops. The size of the town doesn’t seem to make a lot of difference – quilters travel for miles, even to locations in the country – to purchase fabric and connect with other quilters. Quite a network! Nine quilt shops in the tourism region organized a Russell Country Quilting Trail last year. They include Creative Needle … Read more
Shelby, MT quilter Anne Wiens has accomplished what many people only dream about. She wrote and designed a book on quilting. Titled “The Thrifty Quilter” it shows how to make nearly free quilts from leftover fabric. As Anne said, if you quilt, you have scraps. Lots of scraps. This book tells how to organize them using three simple (yes, she did say simple) pieces. She shows how to make 80 different blocks in two sizes with six … Read more
Today I pointed my wheels north on I-15 out of Great Falls and drove about 85 miles to Valier. Valier sits about 14 miles west of the interstate amid some amazing cropland. My reason for going was the Triangle Squares Quilt Guild party for quilters from many miles away. The Quilt Party was at the Valier High School and when I turned toward the school I knew right away that it was a huge turnout. Cars lined … Read more
Looking for road trip ideas? Visit one or both of Montana’s national parks, take scenic US Hwy 89 between them and you won’t be disappointed. Limited traffic, small town charm, and plenty of things to do all combine for a memorable trip. Let’s start where you exit Yellowstone National Park and work our way north to Glacier National Park. Gardiner is the first town just outside Yellowstone’s north boundary. In about 55 miles US Hwy … Read more
On my last visit to Meagher County I starting counting the reasons why people came to vacation in the area. I saw hikers, hunters, campers, retired couples out for a getaway, and people who came to soak in the thermal springs. All in all, that covered quite a variety of people. Here’s a bit of history of the area. The largest town in the county is really a small quaint town of about 1,000 people. … Read more
Choose your weekend and begin exploring the diverse landscapes of Central Montana. This weekend suggestion will have you visiting a state park, doing your choice of activities – from hiking, fishing, floating, seeking out a waterfall, adding to your bird life-list and soaking in hot springs. Let’s start! We’ll begin by leaving Great Falls and driving east on a highway of many numbers – US Hwys 87 and 89 and MT Hwys 3 & 200 … Read more
Lewistown’s Montana Winter Fair definitely qualifies for having unique events. My favorite yodeler is Wylie Gustafson of Yahoo fame and he and his band, The Wild West, were performing an evening concert to kick off the Montana Winter Fair weekend. That was enough to get me to pack my bags and drive to Lewistown. The concert was held in the Grand Hall of the Eagles on Main Street. Thank goodness I had a ticket because … Read more