Quilts are everywhere

I got a notice in my box that "many" packages were waiting for me at the Post Office - oh my!! It was wonderful. First this Quilt of Valor came back all quilted from Kim B in La Junta. She quilted Three of them for us - isn't she a sweetie? And each of them is great.

Then I got a box from Sue in my Heartstrings group with 2 quilt tops and one backing ( bonus!!) in it. When I get those quilted I will be sure to post them on here - because you know we Love the ohhs and Ahhs.....

Another Box had a Quilt top/ backing/ binding and the most awesome quilted pillowcase in it from Sallie M.... I Love that quilt top - it is very unique and again - you will defineatly want to see it!!!

Okay the 4th box was boring - it was farming equipment for my husband - but he will probably be excited. The 5th box had a stunning quilt from a customer of mine - I shall ask her if I can put it up here. I bet it will inspire you.

Now to get the boys to finish there homework so we can go downstairs and start quilting.... so many to do I am sooo excited!!

Hope you all have a quilty day!

Alycia

Solid Rock Cafe

My oldest two sons were in a play called the Solid Rock Cafe - very Happy Days Themed. It was a lot of practice, and this last week was 3 solid nights of practice and the performance was Friday nite.

It was a great show. My 9 year old was just adorable. My 12 yo was very studly *grin* and they both did such a good job. I am surprised at how much taller my 9yo is than the other 9yolds - hmmm maybe this explains why I can't keep him in long enough pants!

After the play we all went out to Culvers for ice cream and got home around 10:30pm. All the boys were hyped up - but they were pretty good.

Of course it is easy to keep them humble around here. Saturday morning found them unloading hay into the hay sheds.... no glory there!

Have a great Quilty day!

Alycia

High School Quilt of Valor #1

I told you about the High School FCCLA having a sew day (I think) and today I finished quilting one of there quilts. They are going to a competition or to a presentation that they needed the quilt for at the end of next week. Apparently I work better under pressure!

I quilted feathers all over it in swirly designs. I really liked there choice of colors on the quilt top.

Sunday is my youngest childs birthday so we got to take in Treats to school today. He is allergic to all nuts, and in his class one is allergic to chocolate, one to milk, two (including C) allergic to nuts, one to wheat and one to sugar.... Poor teacher! Anyways we made Rice Crispie treats, and a sugarless cookie for one. Took in Lemonade and sugarfree lemonade... I think we made everyone happy and NO ONE sick! I know I worry a lot about my kiddo so was trying to do it right for all the others.

Spelling Bee and more

My oh my - I was feeling so caught up. And of course it was spring break so that might have had something to do with it.... but in reality - I'm not!

The Saturday before easter my oldest son competed in the state spelling bee - the words were outrageously difficult. ( see how I threw a toughie in there of my own) ? But I am extremely proud of him for getting that far and for really studying hard. Of course the highlight of the trip to Denver was to visit the Cheesecake factory... we all skipped the food and went straight for the dessert! See we are ALL smart ;-)

Sunday was Easter and we were at my moms, and then Monday came! We hit the ground running... and the next thing I know it is Thursday!

Quilts of Valor:

On the Quilt of Valor front - wow! I have been getting some more emails from ladies who are going to send me quilts! I can't wait and as soon as they are quilted I WILL defineatly put them here for you all to ohh and awe over.

I got another QOV from Kim B in the mail. She quilted a Big Quilt for us - and it is gorgeous. I have a close up of the quilting. If you want to see the big quilt in total before quilting it is here: http://alyciaquilts.blogspot.com/2007/12/ufo-2-and-5.html

Our count in growing!

Hope you all have a great day - I had better get back to quilting!

Strings Strings and more

Strings... are finally into some blocks. Tuesday the kids and I sewed 22 blocks and then I did 8 more so we could put a top together. Wed. we spent a few minutes trimming them.... and today they are layed out and ready to sew into a top.

The good news is that with a border it should be perfect Quilt of Valor size and be ready to go in May... the bad news is I still have 2 boxes FULL of RWB strings, and ran out of foundations. So I will have to cut more!

We have had wind here EVERY day - and this morning we went outside and played most of the morning in just a slight breeze. Came in for lunch and now the wind is just howling ... it keeps bringing me more and more tumbleweeds. And my sons and husband keep burning them and smushing them and as soon as there is an open spot on the fence another tumble weed appears.... just look at my goofy horse. He is standing in them randomly kicking them... he's in those teenager horse years ya know. And he has the attitude to prove it *smile*

Have a great day!

Three Quilts of Valor

recieved! And they were such a surprise! I went to my guild meeting last nite. We had a really neat lady talk about painting on quilts and she showed how she did it. It was impressive. Then for show and tell I took a couple of the quilts that the kids have made for the soldiers.

There is a lady Rosalie, and she does the block of the month for the guild. Last year was a bunch ( and I mean a bunch) of different ways to use flying geese. Well she took all the blocks she had made for demonstrations and put them into ... not 1... but 3 quilts. And she did them all in Red Whites and Blues. So last night she showed them and then gave them to me to take to Fort Carson!! I am so tickled. I keep telling my hubby about her, because she just amazes me with all she gets done, and how many people she has to take care of in the process!!

I think these quilts are awesome, and she quilted them on her Nolting and they are even bound!!

So the total keeps increasing. I can't wait to see the look on the soldiers faces when we come thru with this load of quilts!!

Have a great day! We are having a windy day - so if you see us flying by - be sure to wave!

National Quilting Day

Was Saturday - and after I fed my crew a hearty breakfast ( okay my husband cooked) they headed out doors and I headed to the sewing machine. I figured I ought to at least quilt a little but on a National holiday such as this... and this quilt is what I made.

I made 6 blue Turning Twenty blocks and 6 white Turning Twenty blocks and then I placed the white on top of the blue and stitched diagonally. We had lots of different layouts - but this is the one the boys ultimately chose. Then I put a red border around it.

Of course - this will be a Quilt of Valor for Ft Carson.

After sewing for a while we took a walk to the mailbox - to find...

Kim in La Junta had quilted this quilt of valor for me and it is perfect! She used a star meandery type quilting in light blue thread. Our count is growing. I have been trying to keep up with the count over in my side bar.

The High School had a sew day last week and I picked up Three tops from them to quilt...

Hope you all had a great National Quilting Day!

Stars and Stripes

Group 7's quilt is now done! It is called Stars and Stripes - and - you had better sit down for this - I bound it! I said I was going to bind something last nite and this was it!! Can you believe it?

Today I only got a little bit of quilting in in the morning. Finished the quilt on my frame. And then we headed out for parent teacher conferences. No one was ready to lock my children up - so that is good ;-)

Now last nite - not only did I bind a quilt. I cut out a Blue and White Turning 20 ( well 12 so its lap sized) and got all the blocks sewn. Maybe tonite I will get it put into a top and we will have another QOV ready to go to the Soldiers!!

Have a great evening....

Suzannes Quilts of Valor arrived

Poor thing - she has been snowed in, blown in and stuck with the kids having no school - but there must have been a sunny day, because..... TWO quilts of Valor arrived at my post office. Usually I get a notice to go pick them up at the PO, but my delivery lady knows I have been looking for QOV stuff... so she drove them up to the house.

And then of course waited while I HAD to open them right there!! She Ohhed and awed appropriately. I have her trained well! She is a vet as well as her husband, so this project has taken on special meaning to her as well.

So the one on the left was pieced by Suzanne and quilted by her - it is magnificent. She has suck perfect stitches. The other one was pieced by a lady in California and quilted by Suzanne. They both came with pillowcases and labels and they are ALL ready to go. I so appreciate these quilts!

See the embroidery here in the middle of one of the blocks? Very creative!

Hope you all have a great evening! The chores are done, the kids are fed, the dishes are put away... I think I might bind something. Now don't get too excited - I said might, and there might be something that gets in the way....

March 10th Stashbusting

I forgot to do my stashbusting report on Sunday - and I actually had stash busting to report.... bummer.

So for the week of March 3rd thru the 10th
I busted 6 1/2 yards for Backings for QOV's - 2 of them were wide backs...
and 1 1/2 yds for binding and a hanging sleeve for one of my quilts - that will be in a quilt show.

Total 8 yards.
Total in 1/4 yd

I went in to get photo sheets for the labels for the Quilts of Valor and this paisely FQ just jumped into my hands.... Its really pretty and I have no idea what I will use it for - but right now it is just very prettily sitting on the ironing board!

High School Sew Day

On Saturday the CFS Teacher - Mrs W - had organized a sew day for her Students. They had a great turnout and finished 4 Quilt of Valor tops which I will pick up tonite to get quilted.

I showed up around 10:30 and they were in the middle of the sewing. Every one was hunched down at a machine and away they were going.

I took a few pictures and helped Iron a little bit, but they were in such a rythm!! They used some great Red White and Blue fabrics.

These 4 quilts will up our total as well - I am getting excited to see how many quilts we will be able to take to the soldiers!

Have a great day - its supposed to be a warm one here - maybe 60 deg. so I will be happy. This morning was horse shoe day and it is not quite as warm as I would like it to stand out with the horses. My hands are still cold... which makes for interesting typing ;-)

Natures Way

I had a group of 12 boys in one class this year - so I gave them the option of choosing RWB colors or a wildlife theme. They chose the wildlife theme. They Chose to have it quilted with the "Bear in the woods Meander" created by Tom and Dana Van Wie.

Of course I always have some stash around, and I found this panel that I had purchased. I am sure at the time I had a purpose - but I can't remember what that was. It has been repurposed.... and I added the last of the light blue that I had and made a back for it. My sons think it is really cool. The boys at school won't see it for two weeks - so I'll have to see what they think then.

Then of course - the label. I remember at the presentation last year the chaplain ohhed and aweed over the labels. He thought that they were very important.

Hope you all have a very quilty day! I will be at play practice for 2 boys this afternoon, and then transport two of the 3 boys to a band concert, and then will have the other boy join us later and then will probably come home and collapse - who knew 3 kids could need to be in 14million places at once? And that I would have to choose based on time and driving distances....??

Liberty Quilt of Valor

is now finished!! Well as finished as I get them. This quilt was made by Group 6 and they named it the Liberty quilt. It was quilted with Nicole Webbs panto Blustery Day in Baguette thread. I made the binding and it is pinned to the quilt for the kids/teachers to finish up.

Blustery Day was very appropriate too - as I was quilting it the wind was howling. It blew our nice 70deg day out and now it is down to very cold! I was really ready for Spring.

I also have a few customer quilts to do (yay) so I am finishing up the cutest Snowman Turning Twenty in all flannel. The quilters who made it does such a good job, and the fabrics are just adorable. I am quilting snowflakes on it. I guess that should have given me a clue as to the weather huh?

Hope you all have a great evening. I am ready to go relax and put my feet up!

Stashbusting Report

This was a great stashbusting week for me - as I needed to make Backings - lots of Backings!! I made backings for 5 quilts this week. 2 of the backs were made for Quilts of Valor. One that I made and one that my 5th graders made. And then I made 3 backs for Quilts of Valor that I had made and Kim B in La Junta is going to quilt for me.

So a total of 16.33 yds busted this week. And I finally broke down and made a little excel sheet to kind of keep track. I am not good at keeping track of exact numbers - but thought I might give it a try.

The Snow is blowing and it looks like a cold day for us, yesterday was 70... today the high was already hit and its on its way down to 30....

Paula the Quilters QOV's

Paula ( http://thequilter.blogspot.com/) emailed me and said she had a Quilt of Valor all finished and would love for us to deliver it for her. So we made arrangements to meet and the Sweetheart Quilt Shop. We met up and Oh My Goodness is it a beautiful quilt.

But then she had more! She had made BQ quilt ( Maple Island Quilts) and it was in Reds and Blues and just striking. She Gave that to me with the backing and the Batting!! What a woman. So I will quilt that and it will go with us to Fort Carson as well. She also gave me 5 yards of a flag fabric. So she was one Stashbusting woman that day.

Although we met in a quilt shop - I did not buy one thing. I was very tempted - but since she had to go back to work I thought - maybe I will just follow Paula out and then I won't pick anything up.... it worked!

So my Quilt of Valor Count is Growing.. I am trying to keep track of it over in the sidebar - with links and everything.

And the good news - I just found out my Friend in Iraq has a target date for coming home!!