Pillowcase Progress

After all that hard work of eating Thanksgiving dinner at my parents house, and watching my mom and dad do all the cooking, and keeping an eye on my boys who were content with legos and my dads dog, man I really , and I mean REALLY needed a break. It was tough I tell ya, to be waited on, and taken care of, but someone had to do it.

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After fighting all the crowds on Friday ( not really it was pretty calm when we hit the stores) and only taking 4 FQ's of fabrics home with me - I really needed a break. So I made pillowcases, in front of the TV, watching Gilligans Island with my kids.

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The first picture is of all my fabrics cut and ready to go. I cut 2 1/2 inch strips for the little contrast, and had them all ironed and ready to go. The second pic is of them all tubed up and ready to sew, and then the finished product!

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The girly one - that is for a girl, not a Quilt of Valor Pillowcase. But it was made out of 4 Fat Quarters. The same Fat Quarters I picked up on my shopping trip. I think that is the fastest I have EVER used new fabric!! I took two pictures - one of each side, so you can see how it turned out. It was pretty easy to make.

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Today the wind is blowing Very very hard - so if any of you midwesters or east coasters see us flying by, be sure to say hi...

A Soldier recieves his quilt

A soldier recently got to go home. He is a Double Arm Amputee, and his house has been retrofitted to make things easier for him. Yet he had not recieved his Quilt of Valor.

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As the Major and a friend of mine were working on the house they discovered that he had not recieved a Quilt of Valor and asked if I could help remedy that. Defineatly. Absolutely. Not a Problem.

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This is the quilt that went to the soldier.

Judys Carolina Crossroads I took the quilt to school. The 5th graders wrote a lot of get well, and encouragement letters. They also included a book, of course, I can NOT remember the title at the moment. It was about a boy who faced challenges and found bravery. A very nice book, and it was signed by all the children, and then the quilt headed out to the soldier.

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I wanted to post this today - although it happened a few days ago. I wanted you all to know how Thankful I am to know all you wonderful people. All of you who offer encouragement on this project, all of you who make quilts, both finished and ready to be quilted for these soldiers, all of you who offer up an email - I TRULY appreciate it. It keeps me moving on.

But most importantly - I think - No, I KNOW - the soldiers are so very touched by the caring and compassion that is recieved by a home made quilt. I KNOW they can feel the love and encouragement that is sewn into each one, and I know they can see the love in the beautiful designs.

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So before I get too sappy - THANK you on this Thanksgiving day for being who you are! And for reading this far... I know there is Turkey awaiting you.... so get to it ;-)

Have a great one!!

Its a Pillowcase party

We started a little early on the pillowcase party, but it was fun. My littlest picked out some fabrics, for him, and we made a pillowcase. Now when we were choosing the fabrics I thought that he was choosing them for himself. But after we made the pillowcase he kept asking where the quilt was. I was a little confused. Which happens quite regularly around here.

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So being the detective that I am, I asked what quilt? He said, well we always make pillowcases after the quilt is done, so where is my dog quilt that will go with this pillowcase? Ah -Ha!

I explained that there is not a Dog Quilt that matches the pillowcase, he explained that we had better go back and get more of that Dog Fabric, as a quilt must accompany the pillowcase. I sort of like his logic. Don't tell him that though, please, we already have one fabricoholic in the family. I am not sure we could survive two.

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Since we made one successfully and we didn't lose any fingers. ( I wasn't worried - were you?) We got busy and cut out 4 more, and finished one more. Yep - it was a dog one too. Do you see a theme to his thoughts? And now we are officially out of dog fabrics.

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We have had some pretty amazing Sunsets around here lately. Maybe they have been here all the time, but now that it gets darker a LOT earlier, I pay more attention to them. This was yesterdays. I sort of liked it.

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Hope you all have a good one!

Quilts from Kathy M

In Wisconsin!


Kathy - these are wonderful quilts! Thank you so much. I really like the border blocks on the Red White and Blue one. Very good idea. And the string quilt is great!!
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You can read more about Kathy at her blog
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Today I had big plans! and this morning they all got changed. My poor middle son woke up not feeling well at all. And he doesn't look so good either. So we changed our plans, and I have made him tea and have him all tucked into blankets.
I told him that he really needs to work on his timing. Tomorrow is no school. So he really should have waited until Sunday night to not feel good ... hopefully he is up and running soon.
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Hope you all have a good one. And are getting ready for Thanksgiving. I made cinnamon rolls yesterday... and yes Dad I even saved a pan for you. I had to hide it - but I did it!

From Cathy

For all of you that love string quilts... hold on to your strings! You will just love this quilt. I do! It came from Cathy E in KY. She has sent in two other quilts too!

See them here

Sometimes I just amaze myself at how technical I can be *giggle*

This is the stunner that came to me Friday. I think it is a diamond string quilt. And if it isn't, well it is now. I just named it!

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Saturday nite was the 4-H Mardi Gras party in Greeley. There were lots of booths to participate in. The one that really struck my childrens fancy was the Pillow Fight log. You had to stay on the log to continue the pillowfight. The children in this picture really love each other, and are best of friends. They are just putting on an act for me, as they would NEVER really want to hurt each other or ever have sibling aggressions...EVER... right???

Have a good one!

Stars and Bars

It has been a while since I worked on my Stars and Bars quilt. But I am sewing on it at least one day a month. During our guild QOV sew day! Last time I got all the 1/2 square triangles sewn and pressed.

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This first picture is on all my pieces cut out. I used a lot of scraps. And I got this one all cut out - and it was borrowed *giggle* but will defineatly come back finished! So I cut another one... I am getting good practice at cutting up scraps!

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This is the link to the pattern - just in case you missed it.... way back in August.

http://quiltygirl.com/QuiltPatterns/stars%20and%20bars.pdf

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So for my quilt I took the 56 3 3/8 inch white squares and drew a diagonal line across them on the wrong side. Then I grabbed one of the 56 3 3/8 inch Blue squares. I put them right sides together and sewed 1/4 inch on one side of the line. Turned the square and sewed 1/4 inch on the other side of the line. Then I cut on the line and pressed.

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This last Wednesday I layed them out like a friendship star and started sewing them all together. I used a red center. I think I got a total of like 8 done, but whos counting when you are having fun right? I think I need ( okay I know I need) 28 of these blocks. So I best get to sewing them....

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If you are making this quilt - I only post this to let you know that you are moving much faster than I am, and that you should be proud of yourself!

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Saturday is here!

I like Saturdays - usually. This Saturday so far has been great. Not only did my kiddos make Biscuits and Gravy for breakfast, Wrangler Man cleaned up.

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Then we worked on rearranging the front room. We are preparing for the Christmas Tree that my Two youngest have wanted since Halloween. They are not excited about Christmas at all.

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This Beautiful Sampler style quilt is from Marie in Florida. She did a great job. Thanks Marie... That brings our count up to 191. If you look over to the right and the sidebar - there is a list of all the quilts so far. Hope you have a minute or two.

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Now on to the cute little knuckleheads. The two on the far right are mine, the other is a good friend. The older brothers play basketball, they keep me entertained, and they eat my skittles, and they do wordsearches. But best of all - they make faces. Great little dudes to have around. Never a boring second!!

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Have a great one!

Finished QOV's

These two quilts were Quilted by Laura H in Indiana. I tried to take close ups of the quilting, she did a great job. These two are now bound and ready to go. They were two on the to be quilted list. The top one was made by a Livermore Quilter, the bottom one was made by Wendy in Co Spgs.

Thank you Laura!!

This other picture is the sun setting from my deck. I got chores all done, and thought it sure looked pretty.

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Have a great weekend!

A binding/quilting party

It started out as being billed "QOV Sew Evening" but I really think I meant party! My guild - the Pieceable Friends Quilt Guild - is a very supportive guild. They have been helping make quilts, putting together blocks for my kiddos to sew, and BINDING quilts for this project.

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On the Pool table - there were Piles of quilts to be bound. Okay - maybe not Piles - but at least like 7, I think? There was a bucket of strings and foundations for the sewing. And there were blocks of the Not So Top Secret Project just waiting to be put into a top.

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In the kitchen, there were Cookies, Brownies, Cinnamon Rolls, a Fruit Tray, and Vege Tray, Breads, and Lasagna to eat. Notice - I listed the important nourishment first!

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Bindings got done, Tops got put together, and food was eaten. There are still borders to put on the tops, and still more quilting to do - but it was a great evening. Thank you ladies for coming, and for doing all this work for our project!!

Sizes for Quilts of Valor

Hi all -
I hope you all don't think I am overdoing it. Recently I have had a lot of questions about Quilts of Valor. So I hoped this would give you up to the minute info!

Mainly being what size do they need to be?

Absolute Minimum 50 x 60 inches. Maximum 72 x 90

The main reason for this is that we want them to be cuddly and useful. If a soldier is in a wheelchair, they will not be in the chair 100% of the time. We are really aiming towards a lap sized or larger quilt. The ones the 5th grade kids work on are approximatly 54 x 64 . They don't take 14,000 years to make, yet they are large enough to keep a person snuggled up and warm.

What Colors should we use?

I know - I sound like a broken record - but Patriotic is awesome! Now please know that I always like to use patriotic, and here is the main reason. I work with between 48 and 100 kids at a time - at various venues. Each child wants to pick his/her own fabric. I am all for this.... except when 6 children want to use florescent hues, and the other 6 want warm earthy plaids - not a pretty combination. Well, maybe to some it is - but I won't name names!! So if I use 100 Red White Cream and Blue Fat Quarters - I do not have to organize children based on colors - they all blend no matter what kid works next to who.

Should we put a label on our quilts?

Abso - Positituvely!!! The more labels the better! Do you want to add a card, or a letter to the quilt - then GO ahead and do so. I do ask that you leave them unsealed. Not becuase I am nosy. Okay, I really am... but thats not the reason. The chaplain approves communications - and if they want to read the cards, I would like them to not have ripped envelopes by the time it gets to the soldier.

Here is a link to another post - as to how this got started and what our goal is.
http://alyciaquilts.blogspot.com/2008/08/our-quilt-of-valor-project-no-soldier.html

Also if you want 2 relatively easy patterns to make as a quilt of valor. Look to the right side of my blog - under Links - there is the Not So Top Secret Project and the Stars and Bars. Both in .pdf forms and easy to print out. You can also find them at http://www.quiltygirl.com

Two Quilts and a Top

The one on the right came from Lynn M in UT. I think this is really striking. At first glance I didn't see the internal frame ( can I call it that?) and then standing back I could see a 3 dimension look to it - Lynn Thank you very much - It will be loved!!

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This one on the left came from Theresa in Denver. She had to come to Greeley - so I went to Greeley and met her! And I blame her ( smile) for

my JoAnns shopping trip.... that is where we met up. Of course - I met her, then left to the Community outreach center... then my car really really really wanted to go back..

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But still - is it alright to blame her? I mean, its not like she will have to face Wrangler Man when the bill comes.. right? So I can say Theresa made me do it. And he will not really know where exactly to find her. So everything will be happy in the world!! Hmm maybe I should make some Brownies just in case. That may soften the blow *smile*

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She also gave me some tops to quilt - but I haven't taken pictures of them yet - so I may not tackle that until this weekend. And then think of all the eye candy you will see! Thanks Theresa!! Hope you enjoyed your visit!

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Oh - But I did get this top in from Susan in NJ.... Isn't it neat? I think I have just the back for it too! Thank you so much!

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Have a good one folks! Its Chili night tonite and we must make corn bread!

And his name is....

Wrangler Man...

We ( and by we, I mean the children) really like superheroes around here. Superman was a close second, but they really, really, liked Wrangler... as long as they could add Man to it - works for me.

So Ms Paula the Quilter - you are the winner in the contest. You get a $30 gift card from http://www.knotsandbolts.com/ She has great fabrics and lots of knitting stuff... which if I remember from your blog - you do. I think I remember seeing socks. Which I thought - I wonder if I could make those? So I took a knitting class - and decided that No I really can't - I will have to rely on the stores to keep my feet warm.

Paula - email me at alyciac @ quiltygirl.com and lets get all your details so you can be shopping by tomorrow evening, as you are putting your feet up from a hard day at work, with your computer on your lap - and maybe even a glass of tea by your side...

Don't know if you can see it - but there is a hot air balloon behind our corrals. He was fun to watch this morning.

Have a good one!

Quilts from Colorado

Look at these beauties that showed up at my doorstep! Kim - Thank you so much. I know you are really busy at the moment - but I sure appreciate you taking the time to make a quilt for the soldiers!! These are so lovely and quilted just perfectly!

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Last week at church they talked about the Community Outreach Center being out of food and other supplies. So we searched the house and a few grocery stores and came up with a box of food, quite a few clothing items, and maybe a toy or two. We went and dropped them off today.

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Did I mention - JoAnns is right near the Center - and I had a coupon? No? Oh - well It is, and I did.... so 2 of the children and I meandered thru JoAnns. They had fabric there.... and they had fabric that we really thought we needed...

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So tonite I played finisher, so I could start playing with the new fabrics! I finished the laundry, I finished ironing. I am working on finishing the strings I had laying all over my table. I am sure that I can get 48 blocks finished tonite so that we will have enough for another top. But as it is getting darker and the kids are getting whinier I think I might want to finish off the tequila.. No not really!! - maybe just the brownies!! That would make it all better and give me the boost to finish those strings .... right??

Okay - I am off to finish the strings... and then my cutting table will be all ready to cut something new!!

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Have a great evening - be sure to check back tomorrow if you entered our contest. They are still debating on the best name...

Organized Chaos

Today was THE day.. THE day for the 5th grade class to lay out the quilts. We needed space, time and a lot of patience. Of course the wind was blowing 400,000 miles per hour.. so no one could go outside. And there was a change in the schedule to accomodate the time to lay out the quilts, and it was Friday.. which leads to a lot of energetic children.

I have two volumes in my voice - the regular talking one, which a lot of people ( including , ok - especially - my children) can not hear - and then the voice that calls the horses in. We try not to use this one very often. It was pointed out today that my horse volume was on.. oops!!

So we all settled down and got to work, and the volume went back down ;-)

We had a great time. Each group took a corner in two of the classrooms and got their quilts layed out. They looked at them from lots of different angles, made some changes and voila - they were done. Now they are pinned and back into the buckets for sewing! I think I may have gotten the kids a little more riled up than they were before we started. I am sure the teachers had a more organized way to do things - they have experience with this - but we got it done, and there were lots of smiles, so I call that a success.

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I think they did a great job, and hope they all had fun. We are defineatly ready to sew them together and get them ready to quilt.

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Hope you all have a good one! We had snow last nite and lots of wind today. My kids really want MORE snow. We have a sledding hill and they would like it snowy enough so they can sled.

I took a class

today with Karen McTavish - Naner Naner... tee hee. Karen came to Tomorrows Heirlooms and today was the wholecloth class, and lucky me, I got to take it.

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So here is Ms. M showing us one of her quilts from Whitework Quilting - her book.

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At lunch I sat with a gal named Peg and we started talking about where we were from. I mentioned Kersey and she says - I emailed a quilter in Kersey about Quilts of Valor.... and Surprise - it was Me! She is getting her guild making QOV's and is going to quilt them to add to our numbers - Small world huh?

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I worked on a 45 x 45 in piece of fabric and I was glad. I got almost the whole thing marked before I had to leave for my oldest sons basketball game. And I was glad I made it to that as well - They WON!!

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Now I am in such a good mood - My other half is home from his trip to Seattle, My oldest son won, My class was a blast, and the little 2 boys ate all the leftovers... I am going to offer a contest.

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I need a name for my husband in my blog. - I don't really like refering to him as hubby, or other half, or hub - or anything like that. My one son suggested Spud Muffin - that didn't go over well. So the best suggestion wins a $30 gift card from Knots and Bolts

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He is the guy in the green shirt, he golfs, he ropes, he chases kids, he cooks a mean steak, and great fettucine, and he ohhs and ahhs appropriately at every quilt I show him... what else do you need to know about him?

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The contest starts now and ends Friday Night at 9 pm my time. The kids and I will choose the winner and announce it Sunday. Be sure to check back on Sunday and the winner will need to contact me with all their details so I can get Suzanne to get your gift certificate to you - to SHOP... because EVERY one can use some new fabrics right????

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Have a good one!!

I feet swirly today

And I let it out on these two Quilts of Valor. The first was made by one of the 5th grade teachers I work with.

DeAns quilt





And the second one - a String quilt made by Al L... a veteran of WWII.
Al's quilt

Al sent a story about himself with the quilt - and the boys and I read it, and we were amazed. He survived a POW camp, and is very inspirational.

So now two more Quilts of Valor are done and of the Tops list.

I played with my camera settings a little bit tonite - and of course took pictures of the kiddos - so I am going to post a few to see how well they show up on the computer. And to make you jealous that I have these little helpers every day!

Life Lessons

I know this has Nothing to do with quilting - but today is Life Lesson #1:

"Never whine too loudly - someone has it worse than you!"

Now seriously - I don't whine too badly in public - I save it all for the family when I get home! Aren't I nice? ... But today after a wonderful day of quilting, and Snain ( for those of you who don't know - this is snow that turns to rain) I went to school to pick my kiddos up. I was talking with a friend and asking if he could take me to get my pick up - apparently it starts for the mechanics. ( "They found a wire....blah blah blah...and it runs now - you can come get it")

Of course, I had to throw a little whine in there about how it stranded us, and left us alone in the nice warm church while we waited for a ride, and how it left me once with a truck load of kids.....

And then another friend comes up. His son plays Basketball with my son, so I ask if he is going to the game, and he says - oh my wife isn't feeling well so no - I am going back home.

I ask - Is she okay now? He says we hope so - her head starting hurting so bad and she couldn't see straight so we spent the day in the Emergency Room... Ugh - made me feel rather petty.... at least I didn't have to Sit in the waiting room with my truck ( that's a little humor, I know - very little) But he didn't stop there.... and I have to take my little girl to Denver tomorrow to Childrens Hospital for some more testing...

So now my little petty whining about my truck seems really really snivelly.. if that is a word! I think I will be making a dinner or cookies or something that won't kill them and take it over.

Oh - But there was wonderful wonderful news today!! Our Friend who has been battling Cancer was placed on the transplant list and is number 5 on the list.... we are so very excited and are amazed to watch God work thru this... so the next prayer is for the transplant to come QUICK!

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Okay enough rambling... tomorrow I promise pictures of quilts - because I quilted today and I made progress....