MQX Quilt

Okay - I might have told you - but this year I bit the bullet and decided to enter a quilt at MQX (http://www.MQXshow.com) in New Hampshire. I have to tell you I am not the most intricate of piecers - I really like to go fast and have fun. So I was sure my quilt would be one of the simpler ones.... Fine with me - I had a blast making and quilting it.... but now for the best part.

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I got my quilt back today and there is the neatest evaluation form. I am REALLY impressed. They really judge your quilt on a lot of categories - not just the pieceing and the quilt, but the quilting and the overall effect... I was impressed!
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So for all of you who keep thinking - I should do this, oh maybe not... today is the day to stop waffling and just DO IT - plan a quilt for next year. I bet you will learn something you hadn't even though of... I did!!!

Okay - now I really gotta go make dinner. Apparently the children need to be fed... to bad fabric scraps don't count HA HA ( I really really love my kids ... its just fun to pick on them, cuz when they get taller than me I will probably have to be realllll nice!)

Sallie Day

Sallie M sent me two awsome quilts to take to Fort Carson. The one with Hearts I quilted. I used the Double Hearts and Loops panto from Deb Geissler. It looked really neat. When I took it to Mrs W today to bind it - she thought it was an awesome quilt. ( I agreed)

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The next quilt is the one on the right. It is a string quilt and is way cool. She quilted it and it looks wonderful! And she bound it - which you really gotta love! Oh - and sent pillowcases.....

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Yesterday my kids had off of school - so they went with me to school. They decided it was much more fun! So today no one wanted to get up.... Huh - tough life!

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Have a Great one!!

Binding Queen

I am the Binding queen.... la la la la Laaaa la la...

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I have bound 3 more quilts and am working on the 4th today... then there is one more in my pile. ( until I take another off my Long arm - but thats just depressing to think that far ahead!) And yes, I have double machined them - but it really looks so nice, and is much easier than doing hand sewing for me.

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Here are some more pics of the quilts going to Fort Carson....

Now this cheddar and black quilt came from Pat as well - and I wish I could scarf it up. I really like the pattern as well as the colors. I hung it up on my quilt curtain for a day just so I could stare and dream. I think it is just striking!! And the quilting she did on these!! WOW!!

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Then there is the lightening one. The boys thought this design was soooo cool. They think that we should make one like this... but they didn't decided who would get it yet!!

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I have 3 other people who are binding quilts as well.... our delivery date is next Friday and we are going to have them ALL done, washed and bagged up!!

Okay off to bind some more - I am actually enjoying it today - the boys are playing legos, I have Linda Taylors Longarm DVD's in, and I am just sewing away.....

Have a great and Quilty Day.... I'll be back with some more quilts to show - they are on my piano bench awaiting there photos......

Here Chicky Chicky

A little over a year ago I met the sweetest lady in one of the quilt classes I took. She was somewhat new to quilting and had decided to tackle a Stack n Whack quilt. She was much braver than I! It was a three day class and we had a blast together. She had no stash, no scraps, Oh HORROR - NO FABRICS.... So I quickly helped her remedy that.

I went SHOPPING vicariously thru her, and brought in some scraps and... she was addicted!!!

I think she sees everything in quilts now... New house - you need a quilt, New Baby - you need a quilt, new attititude - you need a quilt.... I tell you I LOVE her!!!

So her daughters friend is having a baby, and the friend loves chickens. So does she go pick out chicky fabrics - nope - she is an overachiever!! Look at this adorable quilt! It is all pieced and it was awesome!. We chose eggs to quilt in the border, and chicken coop fencing in the borders.

Kind of wish I was having more kids - maybe she'd make me a cowboy quilt???

Cluck Cluck - its time to go make dinner......

More Quilts of Valor to show

I Just love these two quilts from Pat. I think the rosebud one will be an awesome quilt for a woman. The chaplain tells me there are about 1 in 10 injured that are women. I hope that typed out right - I know what my brain is trying to say. It has butterflies quilted all over it. It is a beautiful pattern.
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Pat tells me that she made all of these quilts and some are from classes that she takes. I bet the teachers LOVE her!

This next one really caught my husbands eye. I think it might be called a Buzz Saw pattern or maybe a delectable mountains. What ever it is called you sure can see the amount of work that went into it. It was a lot!!
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I have really enjoyed seeing these quilts!
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I picked up one of the 5th grade quilts yesterday after Zac's Grandma bound it for us and as I was walking thru the halls a lot of the kids had to come up and see it finished. They are getting so excited. I have been taking the quilts one by one in as they are finished for them to see. They have a program at the end of April where they get to show off all there hard work - so they are really excited.
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Well - I am off to cut some more bindings. I got all the labels made yesterday and 1/2 of them applied. So I guess I better do that too. - Have a great evening!

WOW

is the only way I can descibe them. I told you that my UPS driver brought me some quilts made by Pat D. I have had such fun taking them out and taking pictures of them. I just love looking at quilts and I have my own quilt show in my house!!

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This is 2 of the seven quilts she sent me for our Quilt of Valor delivery. I think she does wonderful work! My boys and hubby gave each one the seal of approval. I will have to post some more in other posts - I don't know that I have that much to blog about... I get blog freeze when I log in!

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I had to have a little procedure done so was flat (okay am leaning now) on my back for a couple of days - and my folks came over. I have one of the quilts hanging up to just stare at and it even got the seal of approval from mom and dad!

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While down I have watched two awesome DVD's - I watched Dawn Ramirez's Pajama Quilter, http://www.pajamaquilter.com/ and Mindy Caspersons Longarmed and fabulous. http://www.atqsales.com/

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I decided that watching them would make the best use of my time. And now I want to go try some of the techniques. I always wondered what the

DVD's would be like - and I have to tell you I wasn't disappointed.

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It was good of you to visit again(grin). Hope everyone has a quilty week - I am looking forward to a productive one... where I am not on my couch!

A Beautiful Quilt

I bet with all of these QOV's you probably didn't know that I quilt for Customers too... its actually our bread and butter - literally... you try feeding these boys!! Anyways I asked my customer Dianne if I could share her quilt on my blog. I truly think I want to be her when I grow up! The quilts that she has sent me are the most fabulous colors and designs.

This one came and all my boys thought she had made it for me - as it was defineatly my colors and styles. But alas - she thought her niece needed it - go figure!! It is a wonderful quilt and stitched so well! It was a dream to quilt.

Today was a field trip to the Denver Aquarium for the 3rd graders - so I was a chaperone. I had my son and 3 other children. It was a blast. I told them they had to learn at least 3 interesting facts during our tour - and they did well. Madison told me that Jelly Fish have been around for at least 600 million years. Alex told me that tiger sharks can grow to 11 feet long and weigh 350 pounds... which is at least twice my size ( what a charmer huh LOL) he meant Height ( I am 5'10"), Brooke saw that Colorado Cutthroat trout were the only native trout to Colorado, and Kordell told me that there are only 400 tigers like they have there in the whole world.... I can't remember the type of tiger! I made them remember all this stuff and here I failed....

Oh and I touched a Sting Ray - that had his stinger removed. They are slimy!!

Have a quilty day! Enjoy!!

Two more Quilts of Valor

Whoo Hoo - this is so much fun... I get to see the piles of finished quilts piling up for delivery. I am putting them in there pillowcases/bags as they are finished being bound and washed... this is really exciting. My poor family - they so have to put up with me (all of the time) and I have taken over a corner of the room. I am so visual, that I need visual reminders and piles with notes on them... so I have a tendency to take over. Good thing our front room is rather large!!

The top one is one that the High School CFS class made. 4 of the girls were in a competition with FCCLA and used Quilts of Valor as there subject. They won a gold medal - so were excited!

The next quilt was made By Marilyn at Vacaville Binky Patrol. She is such a sweet heart! She heard about our project, went out and got some patriotic fabrics and Voila - she sent us a quilt top!! She used some really cool military prints - my guys went nuts over it!

Today I am washing and creating labels - I am hoping that by keeping up with this that come May 1st I won't be panicked!!

Hope you all have a quilty day!

Alycia

Stars of Valor Group 4

Has now been quilted! I used the Spin Panto - I think by Jodi Beamish. All the groups got to pick there own quilting designs, and they did so well! I love how they have turned out! The quilts are looking well. I took a bunch of them into the teachers and she passed them around to get bound. We have parents even volunteering to bind quilts. I am impressed.... I also now know where to go beg when I need something bound.... *grin*

My trusty doorbell (my dog) let me know when the UPS man came today, and it was a huge box and oh boy oh boy I can't wait till my quilthangers come home ( my kids) to take pictures. Pat D sent me 7 completed Quilts of Valor!! I am so excited!

I talked to the chaplain yesterday to update him on our numbers and when I told him I thought we would have at least 40 quilts, you could have heard a pin drop - he was very impressed!! And excited!

Hope you all have a quilty day.... stay tuned for more pictures!!

Group 5 American Valor

Is now done too!

I so work better under deadlines I think! They must push me to finish rather than say - oh I can do it tomorrow.... there are not many tomorrows left to get these done, Unless I want to suck it up and bind them all.... but I have volunteers to bind... gotta quilt faster *grin*

This is group 5's quilt. They named it American Valor. I just love the names they came up with - very suiting! It is quited using Deb;s Swirls Panto.

And the other good news - we finally have sun! We had snow last week and it drifted making chores rather difficult... but now it is sunny and the mud has gone away!

Have a quilty Day!!

Group 3 Waving Stars

This is the Waving Stars Quilt. It was made by Group 3 and was quilted with Swirls by Jodi Beamish.

Can you tell I have been attached to my quilting machine last week? I have a few more to post - but thought I would post them seperately. That way I don't feel like I have nothing to post

Our weather has been yuccky! We had snow on Wednesday and Thursday and there were drifts everywhere. Reminded me of real winter. Now it is just plain windy....

Off to prepare another backing! Have a quilty day!

Group 2 Star Spangled Banner Quilt of Valor

This is Group Two's quilt - called the Star Spangled Banners quilt. It appropriately has a backing that has stars all over it. I still have to make the labels for it - but that is my Sunday job.... a lot of labels, and then on to the binding process.

Catching Up

My littlest boy is now 7 - I think I must have done the math wrong... I can't believe he is soooo old.

So we rounded up the troups and headed out to Chuck E Cheese to celebrate. The kids all had a great time. They played lots of games and ate lots of pizza and I got a milk shake on the way home - so it was all worth it!

Other than that I have been quilting away - I just haven't taken any pictures yet, but I am going to! I quilted the cutest chicken quilt! Once she sees it I will have to post a pic - it's adorable.

Have a Quilty Day!

Happy April Fools Day

So far no jokes have been played on me... of course the kids are still at school at this point!

On the Quilt of Valor front - I have been quilting up a storm. Of course I am really excited about the amount of quilts that we are making and recieving to deliver.

First up: 5th grade kids quilt Group #1 AMERICAN VALOR:

This one was made by Group #1. They chose to use a flag type backing, and Debs Swirls Panto by Deb Geissler. I really like this panto as well.

So now it is off to the teachers to bind. I am so glad they like this part... I dropped off 3 quilt to bind yesterday and the *Smiled* I just love that!!

NEXT: is called Star of Bravery.

It was made with 4 patches in the center and lots of Logs around it. When we were practicing sewing we made lots of 4 patches and I just couldn't see them go to waste... so voila - this quilt was created. It was also quilted with Debs Swirls and is going to be bound! Because it was a group effort we put a picture of the whole class on our label. That ought to make a soldier smile.

And the very last quilt quilted and ready to blog about is Paulas BQ... of course I quilted it in Red and forgot to take a picture... so the original can be found here: http://alyciaquilts.blogspot.com/2008/03/paula-quilters-qovs.html

Well - thank you for reading this far - I think I might have gotten a little windy... just like the weather we have been having..

Have a great one!!

Alycia