This is totally non-quilt related, but since the UP 200 Dog Sled Race is the biggest thing around here this weekend, I thought I’d let you see a little bit of what’s going on.

This race is 241 miles long, from Marquette to Grand Marais and back again.  The mushers leave on Friday night, and return to Marquette on Sunday morning.

Me in the background, with the dog sled mascot in front

Andrew took this shot this morning.  It was really pleasant out today, warm and sunny.  Last year was COLD and windy, with blowing snow, so this was a definite improvement!

Here’s a picture of the winner, Ryan Anderson, from Ray, MN.   This is the seventh time he’s run this race.  He came in second last year, and third the year before that.

Ryan Anderson, winner of the 2010 UP 200 Dog Sled Race

The first thing he did when he crossed the finish line was to pet every one of his dogs.  He certainly couldn’t have done it without them!

Ryan Anderson, winner of the UP 200, petting all his sled dogs after their 241-mile trip

We pretty much made a day of it, eating lunch at L’Attitude downtown, and then going down to the Welcome Center south of town to watch some more teams come in.

The video at the bottom is from You Tube.  It shows the second place winner, and has some shots of some of the dogs.  You’d think they’d be big huskies, but, surprisingly, they’re pretty small and skinny.  Hard to believe that these dogs just ran 241 miles.  They look as if they’re still raring to go!

All in all, this was a fun way to spend a pleasant winter’s day.  Tomorrow, I hope to get some fabric dyed and do some sewing!

Oh yeah, Marquette is leading the pack in the Dozen Distinctive Destinations voting!  Be sure to vote for Marquette, early and often! 

Barn Dance, finished!

Finally got around to taking some pictures yesterday.  Here’s my “Barn Dance” quilt hanging on the clothesline.  It was a bear to quilt, but it’s finished!  I have to say that I’m quite pleased with how it came out.

The next picture is of my “Rail Fence” quilt.  I like how the lights and darks zig across the surface.  It’s quite a lively quilt, with a lot of movement.  Not bad for just sitting down and sewing a pile of strips together!

I’ll get them packed up this weekend, and in the mail to the Hopes and Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS on Monday.

Rail Fence Scrap Quilt

I went up to Alley Kat’s Quilt Shop yesterday.  All the fabrics were 30% off, including white PFD (prepared for dyeing) mercerized cotton.  Such a deal!  I got five yards for less than $18, including sales tax.   Ben Franklin is having a sale this weekend, too.  I have a 40% off coupon, so I think I’ll run over there this morning, and get another quilt batting.  With all the quilting I’m doing right now, it’s nice to be able to save a few bucks on batting.

Now that I have some white fabric to play with, I may do some dyeing today.  Fabric Dyeing 101 has lots of great tips for dyeing fabric.  I especially like her directions for making batik-like fabrics with gel glue.  I’ve dyed a lot of yarn, and even tried my hand at some socks last fall, but haven’t done any fabric yet.  Since I already have the pro mx dyes, soda ash, and everything else I need, I’m ready to go!

I also took a look at Fusing Fun!  Fast Fearless Art Quilts by Laura Wasilowski yesterday afternoon.  I am hooked!  What a fun book.  I even have an idea for my first fused quilt, once I get a few fabrics dyed.  I need to pick up some fusible web while I’m out today, too.  I have some Wonder Under around here someplace, but since I don’t want to tear into my closet, I’ll just buy some more and wait for it to surface, which it will, eventually.

Haven’t done any sewing the past couple of days, and don’t know if I’ll get any done today, but hopefully I’ll get back to it tomorrow for a bit.  Right now my brain is so full of stuff that I feel like I may explode.

Thill's Fish House, at the Lower Harbor in Marquette, MI

One last thing:  Marquette, MI,  my hometown, is one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations for 2010.  Here’s what it’s all about:  “Since 2000, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Dozen Distinctive Destination program has recognized cities and towns that offer an authentic visitor experience by combining dynamic downtowns, cultural diversity, attractive architecture, cultural landscapes and a strong commitment to historic preservation, sustainability and revitalization. In each community, residents have joined together and taken action to protect their town’s character.”

Between now and February 28,  anyone over 18 can vote for their favorite, as often as they want.  Marquette is trailing behind Rockland, Maine, and we can’t let that happen!  So please click the link, register (they just want your name and email) and vote for Marquette, MI!  Vote early and vote often!