Happy New Years Eve 2010

Happy New Years Eve!

I keep asking the kids if they are going to make New Years Resolutions for this next year, and they keep laughing at me. I think they should be things like - I will make my bed every morning for the next year, and they think they should have something like - I get Chocolate cake for breakfast every morning.

Needless to say - Not many Resolutions are being written!

But we are enjoying our day. We got our much desired snow yesterday, but last night the much undesired wind has come up. 40-50 mph winds.... not much fun!

Even the dogs just run out, do their business, and hightail it back to the mudroom! Its (-15) degrees outside ( with the wind)

I have counted up the Quilts delivered this month - and the grand total for December is 143.

Thank you all for helping to make this possible!

Keep checking back for more pictures.

Hope you all have a Happy New Years Day.

Smiles

 I love to make people smile! And all you wonderful Quilt makers help make it possible!

Here are some more photos from our before Christmas delivery. The guy on the right in this picture is one of the platoon leaders. He was so excited to watch his guys get to pick out quilts - it was quite humbling to see.

 This guy - he wanted *that* one, oh no * this* one - oh my how are you supposed to choose with all these GREAT quilts. Totally a man after my own heart right??? He was tickled to recieve a hug from all of us quilters.

This soldier wanted Red White and Blue, and thought that would narrow down his choices *wrong*. He and Ms Pat had a good time looking at the choices and coming up with something perfect for him. Love the smile!!

I love getting to hear the thoughts the soldiers have about picking out their quilts, and listening to their opinions about fabric choices. Hope you enjoyed seeing these Quilt Recipients!

2011 UFO List

I am not sure that I can keep up with JudyL's ( http://www.patchworktimes.com ) UFO challenge - but I am going to try!. I am listing my UFO's at the moment and am going to try to finish these this year.

1, This quilts seems to be taking years. I have been working on it for this last year, but I won't tell you how long I have had the fabrics! Anyways - Betty Quilt is UFO #1

To be finished to me - I want it into a Top with a backing ready this year!
The Top is DONE

2. Lime Green and Black quilt.
All it needs is a back - I have 3 different ideas - so need to CHOOSE one, and Quilt it AND.... sit down - BIND it!

3. Twisty strippy QOV. I printed out the pattern, and have cut a lot of strips. I am not sure it is all I need, but I want to start working on it and get it to the Top and Backing stage.

4. Another Chunky Churndash top. We did this as a mystery quilt on this blog - courtesy of Bonnie H. at http://www.quiltville.com/

I made enough blocks for 3 tops - and then got sidetracked. So need to put this into a top and get a backing and QUILT it for a soldier.

5. A wonky Rail Fence quilt. Little bit and I started sewing on this summer of 2010, and then school started and we put it in a bucket and there it has sat. I know I have enough strips and fabric for us to finish it.....

6. QOV Flag quilt. It needs Borders and Quilting. I have auditioned some border fabrics - but can't seem to choose. So when its number is called - I guess I will MAKE a DECISION !! Right?
(DONE January 18th, 2011)

http://alyciaquilts.blogspot.com/2011/01/quilters-accountability-11911.html

Hunh - as I was cleaning on New Years day I found two more UFO's - imagine that! (note to self - stop cleaning!!)

7. These are all my bright strings that I have saved to put into a Bright String quilt. I am pretty sure there are enough strings for a lap sized quilt..

8. Lasagna Patriotic Quilt.
This is a pattern from Atkinson Designs, and about 2 months ago I felt the need to cut fabrics - so I did, and then I pulled some more to cut, and then I put them aside, next to the book shelf.... hunh.



Well this is kind of embarrasing - but (1/18) I have found two more UFOS!

9. Carolina Christmas - needs Binding

10. Pink Lemonade Top - needs a Back, quilting and binding....

DONE 2/28/11
http://alyciaquilts.blogspot.com/2011/03/ufo-10.html
If I keep this up I will have more that the 12 that we were supposed to start with!!!


So there you go - there is my UFO list at the moment. I am going to join in and HOPE that it motivates me to not start too many more things until these are done!!!  ( notice I didn't say to start nothing.... I KNOW my limits LOL)

Columbine Quilt Guild QOV's

I take pictures of all the QOV's that go thru here - and these - althought they were just given to me - are gone! They are being loved and used by our military wounded as we type!!

Hope you enjoy seeing them!  I sure appreciate that this guild chose Quilts of Valor as their charity for 2010. These quilts are wonderful !

The Quilt that had to Grow

 This Quilt was going to go on my UFO list but then I decided that it shouldn't be too hard to finish. Or at least shouldn't take too much time. I. Was. Wrong!

This pattern is called Forest Bricks from http://www.maryquilts.com/

I figured ( and that was the first problem) that I wanted it QOV size so it would only take 70 blocks.
And I would set them 7 x 10.


Today I had them in 10 block rows and set them into the top - and it measured 42 x 60..... not quite the 55 x 65 that I was going for!!! Then I figured out why - each block only finished at 6 inches, and apparently my multiplication skills are lacking.

I headed downstairs and found some more red and more bubble fabric and added a row, and it still wasn't big enough! So I added MORE!

 And then I added MORE!

Finally - I had the appropriate size! I have it set at 9 x 11 which comes out to 54 x 66, and I needed 99 blocks - not the 70 I originally started with.

Shew - Done! - Almost.... It still needs a backing and quilting - but that will come right?

The winner

I know that ALL of you have been waiting with baited breath to see how many Quilts Of Valor I had in my suburban..... and no one quite guessed. A lot of you got close. The winner was comment 19 NKA... so I have emailed nka to get there quilt of valor quilt kit.

So..... I packed 190 Quilts of Valor in that suburban.... Can you believe it? I think the most I have packed was 222, but this time I took all I had in supply.

The cool thing is that over the years we have done a great job of getting these guys covered, so some of them had already received their QOV's. Plus I have caught some of them at other treatment places they attended off post.

Total amount of QOV's given out that day: 129

but.... on the way home my cell phone buzzed - a LOT. One of the treatment groups that know me, requested 25 QOV's for this week, and then another group that I have contact with needed 15 more....

That leaves me with a grand total of 21 quilts ready to hand out..... Is that amazing or what? I was tickled.  Back to the grindstone then, right?

Oh, but wait.... on the way home I picked up 4 QOV"s that Pat had quilted for us, and 3 from a retired Army Chaplains wife..... so after those are washed that will be, ummmm 28QOV's!!

I hope you all have a Very Merry Christmas. I have more pics to share, but I will do that after Christmas. My kids think that I should be baking and wrapping presents *grin*

More given out

 First off - the Questions.. How many were given out? Well I can't tell you that yet, or those of you guessing how many QOV"s were in the suburban would know.... But believe me - I was ready to answer until my brain kicked in.

Second question: Are those photos on the presentation cases? Why Yes they are *grin* . There are a couple different reasons for that. The first is - that on one of my first deliveries a soldier would NOT take his quilt out of the case to look at it, and I panicked. I KNEW that he had recieved a bright frilly quilt, and he was embarassed.

Turned out - he got a delectable mountain quilt that he adored, he was just afraid to cry in front of us.

From then on out, since I take pictures of all the quilts for my blog, I figured I would just print them out and pin them to the presentation case.

This works well, because other groups help make the cases and the case does not always represent the quilt inside. So! it has worked well for me. Oh! and I have a photographic memory ( ha a pun) so when I look at a picture I can usually tell them who made it and from where it came. Makes the quilts even more personable to them.



*The guy in the very top photo was one of the wounded assigned to help us carry the quilts in. He say this one, and kind of put in on the bottom of the pile, hiding it, so that when his turn came he could choose it. And it worked. He made me laugh as he beelined straight for the hidden quilt!*

Merry Christmas!!

A Delivery is Made

This is it - this is the *Reason* that all these Quilts of Valor are collected over the year. This *THIS* is totally how Santa must feel at the end of his Christmas run.... a great feeling - not only of:

*We did it* but also of * wow! The smiles! The laughter! The happiness*

The story:

 Two boys and I woke up at 4am, and headed out to our delivery, We met up with our partner in crime at and headed in to the chapel to set up.

 We were set up in the snack area... the BEST place to be!

And we met some Awesome Awesome American soldiers. All of them in different places of their rehab, all of them with different situations, but all of them very happy to see us.

Middle Bit got to hand out a lot of quilts, along with our *assigned* soldier. And my Partner in Crime ( Ms. Pat) helped them chose the quilts they wanted, and helped accomodate special requests.

I will tell you about more of them as more pictures come back.

Hope you enjoyed seeing these soldiers! And please, please, please, give yourself a pat on the back for all of the happiness, hugs, and smiles that you - as valued Quilt of Valor makers - have given these soldiers this Christmas.

Thank you!!!

Loading Up

 You are right - I am going someplace..... but can you guess how many Quilts of Valor one can fit in this vehicle?

This is the side view..............

Here is the rear view..................Umm and just so you know I added a few more to the vehicle after the picture. I found a few empty spaces!








All this loading up makes me wonder how Santa gets everything into his sleigh. The elves must get packing classes....

So Give me a Guess as to How many Quilts of Valor are loaded up and ready to go - and all of you who give me the right number will be entered into a drawing.

What will you win? A really cool Quilt of Valor quilt pattern and enough cut strips to make it. ( I will have to add a picture later, becuase I am too tired, and too lazy, to go downstairs and take a picture for you .....)

You have until Thursday the 23rd at 8pm to enter.

Merry Christmas!!

What is happening?

Oh my gosh - what is going on? Why are all of these Quilts of Valor being moved onto my sewing table?

 Why are they in front of my long arm? How will I ever quilt???

And why is my quilt storage area empty? Why? What is going on?

Some Cool Quilts!

 Nancy L in Washington has been keeping very busy!! THis beautiful Quilt of Valor came from her! And I took a picture of the back. I really like the way she pieced it!

Thanks Nancy for your hard work - this will be a well loved quilt.!

 These next two quilts came from April in IA. The first is a Chunky Churndash quilt. The pattern was designed by Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville.com and she graciously let me use it as a mystery QOV on my blog.

 April also made this quilt. In my mind it is the boxes pattern called Peaches and Dreams from Judy L at Patchworktimes.com . Beautiful!!!   April - you are wonderful!!

The next three quilts come from Beryl of Utah. Beryl - these are just beautiful!!! The detail on this first quilt just blew me away!! I was in awe!

This one was Judy L ( http://www.patchworktimes.com/) summer mystery quilt.

And I am guessing that this quilt was a mystery quilt from QOVmystery yahoo groups.

Beryl - Thank you so much!


I thank you all from the bottom of my heart!!!

Columbine Quilt Guild

 I was invited to come to the Columbine Quilt Guild in Arvada to pick up some Quilts of Valor, and give a little speech. About 2 years ago, they decided to take on Quilts of Valor as one of their charity projects... and boy , have they done an awesome job.

This first picture shows the guild president, the  middle is Zoe Ann - she is the coordinator of the QOV Charity, and the far right is the gal who did the majority of the Long Arm Quilting. Sweet lady!!

They did a little show and tell of a few of the quilts.

 Then they sent me home with 26Quilts of Valor. They had finishe 3 more, but they were going to take them home to wash, and I will get those later. These 26 are completely washed, labeled, pillowcased... wow! What a sweet Surprise!!

I will be getting photos of these quilts to show them to you, but these two in the post are already on their way to wounded soldiers....

Thanks ladies and gentlemen - you ROCK!!!

A Quilt of Valor Quilt show

 here are some more awesome Quilts of Valor! Soldiers will just LOVE these too!!

This first one was made by Jessica and her *girls* in Denver. Jess sews with many sew groups and all of them help make QOV's in some way or another.




The quilt to the right is another one she and her groups made. They did a lovely job!!

This beautiful Animal Print quilt of valor came from Anna in OK. I think that I would love to justsit in her fabric stash. We all had the best time looking at this quilt and trying to identify each type of animal print! It is wonderful!!

 Next - Nancy from Wyoming ( http://wyomingbreezes.blogspot.com/ ) made this lovely pinwheel quilt.  It is really cool! The blocks give the quilt a feel of movement. I love it!!

The last Quilt of Valor for today was made by Cathy O in Pueblo. Her husband is retired military and has 2 Bronze Stars and 2 Purple hearts. Very impressive. And the quilt is perfect!!



Thank you ladies for all your help in this endeavor!! The soldiers in Colorado/Wyoming are so appreciative!!

You all have a wonderful day!