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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Red Challenge

Boy I am just slipping in under the wire on this one! A little ways thru I kind of lost my desire to finish it. I kind of lost my desire to do much of any piecing as I was quilting a gorgeous huge 124 x 124 inch log cabin - and it was fun.....

Anyways here is my Red Monochromatic Challenge quilt for May.  I just ( and I mean JUST) put the borders on.... we came home from practice, I did chores, fed the kids, and told them it was time to go to their rooms to read!! And I put borders on. This quilt measures 55 x 75 - cuz you know I have to make it a Quilt of Valor size,
And I had some crazy Judy ideas for the borders, but then I realized today is the 31st.... and I went for easy!! And because I am a little competitive with myself I wanted it done!

Or at least into a top!

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2011/05/31/june-monochromatic-color/

Go here to see other Red Challenges!

Monday, May 30, 2011

My design floor

Has been confiscated by a little goombah!!!
Yesterday Little Bit decided to join me at our Quilt of Valor sew day. I honestly thought he would not get much done, but he finished all but one block of this quilt yesterday. So he came home, finished the block, sewed the row onto the quilt.

And this morning told me we needed to chose borders for his quilt, so mine should be picked up until I could get back to it !  Of all the nerve *grin*

To see whats on other's design walls go to:


Sunday, May 29, 2011

Stash Report Sunday

So far - today has been an awesome day! We had a little Quilt of Valor sew time, and got QOV's bound, tops finished, and backings made - and a LOT of chit chat!!!  So while I used up some fabric today - I don't quite think it zeroed out what I bought this last week. We went to Grand Junction and there is the cutest fabric shop there - and they just have this cool stuff... and it Jumped into my arms!!

This fabric is part of the Under our Wings program from Quilts of Valor - they got all these fabric companies to produce Red White and Blue fabrics - and I loved these!!!

And then for the girly side in me - some bright stuff  - that I told Wrangler Man I had a plan for.... I just don't have than plan in my mind yet! But I have the fabric!!

So my stash report:

Fabrics Added this Week:   4.77 yards
QOV Fabrics added this week:   5.75 yards
Fabrics added YTD:              174.92 yds   ( gulp)

Fabric Used this Week:     4.805
Fabrics Used YTD:           265.224 Yrds

Total Fabrics BUSTED:    90.30 yards

Which tells me I need to start sewing faster! I kind of had a lull this last week due to our trip, hiking, fishing and chasing boys... but I got re-inspired today with all the QOV sew-ists!

While we were on our trip tho - I took some books! I got "Bride's House" by Sandra Dallas - oh lawsy that was a great book. I am ready to head to Georgetown to see the house!!!

And this one: A rivers Edge by Marie Bostwick. I love her books!

Check out the other stash reports - and find one that makes my purchases look small please - and let me know about it - so I can go - hey Wrangler Man look how much this quilter bought - shouldn't I shop a little more.... and then he will say that I am not to obsessed yet *cough cough*

http://www.patchworktimes.com/

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Memorial Day Saturday

What a better way to remember our Veterans than to present a few Quilts of Valor.
A wonderful soldier who served in WWI, Korea, and two tours of Vietnam.
Thank you for your service sir - and Welcome home!

Friday, May 27, 2011

From Sherrill in TX

I tell ya - I LOVE Texas!!! Sherrill over at http://quiltinginmysleep.blogspot.com/ made a few quilts for Quilts of Valor.... These are just perfect!!! I love them!!

This string quilt just sings to me!! I want to make one just like this!!





Now - did you think that a *few* quilts would be 5? I can not believe how prolific some people are!! Thanks so much Sherrill!

**All of these quilts were not made by Sherrill alone - they were made by her quilting group Quilting for Christ!  Sorry for the mistake - but they are still awesome!!!**

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Colorado National Monument

We had a chance to get to the Monument - and I hope you enjoy the pictures. This was one of the most beautiful canyons I have ever seen! Altho, some of the edges I looked over made my legs very jiggly!!!




The park is 100 years old as of Tuesday the 24th, and was signed into the National Parks by President Taft. John Otto was the man who discovered the area and was the first park caretaker.

We got to listen to a geologist talk about erosion and the effects of weather on the canyon. Two of the boys got to do a lot of tasks, and do a workbook, and take a LOT of hikes and they became
Junior Rangers
DO. NOT. CROSS. THEM

They have badges and will arrest you On the spot!!!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Quilts from Linda in Texas

Linda A in Fulshear TX writes:  " I have to tell you that when I read your post about the military women who were moved to tears by the "girlie" quilts, I had to make you som girlie quilts."

And Linda - Thank you!!! These are heading to the womans combat unit this week!



Linda - these quilts are just beautiful! I so appreciate the support you give our troops!! You rock!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Starting again

I kind of feel out of my routine, and that I need to start back again! We had a lot of kid events going on these last couple of days, and I had places to be, and we had trainings to go to and - well lets just say, when I got home at night I was ready to sleep.... but now... I think we might be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel that is school, and ready to enter the slide that is summer!! Yay Summer!!

So ... the oldest kiddo qualified to go to the State Swim meet on the western slope, and we thought we should go too... and are we glad we did. It is just gorgeous over there and I fell in love. With the town, the wilderness, and the gelato place.... seriously Home made Peach gelato from Peaches grown about 20 miles away from them.... I went there twice ( in 2 days!)

While the big boys were warming up we toured the town. The college has an art department with a Bronze smelter, so there is art all over the main street.

A buffalo .

This is the pool that the state meet was in. Over to the left, not pictured is another part of the pool that was set up for warm up lanes. This facility was amazing!

We left the eastern slopes and went over the mountian, of course I was driving, so we had to stop at a few rest stops - this one had so much snow you could only get in thru one entrance.

Seriously we left in 50 deg, went through rain, ice, snow, and ended up at 70 deg. So strange!

And now that we are back - I have wound up some bobbins, got 8 loads of laundry done, groceries are purchased for the week, bills are in a pile - and I am off to see if my  machine still likes me!!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Red Quilt

My Red Challenge Quilt needs a name - but for now - it is the "Red Quilt". I thought I would show you how I made those blocks, and you can laugh at me. I had this vision about how I could make them with out making it strippy or sewing it like a log cabin.... and it kind of worked.

So - grab a cup of tea ( or A Dr. Pepper) and look at all my pretty pictures.

First I cut 12 1/2 inch squares of red a white fabrics. I stacked them in stacks of 4, alternating a Red, White, Red, White ( or fabrics that kind of read that way)

Here's proof that it was 4 fabrics stacked together *grin*

Then I chose a random number - 3 inches, and cut it off two edges, and moved the edges out.

next I cut 3 inches off the top of the rectangle, and moved them off - just a little bit thought.

For the second round of cuts - I chose 1 1/2 as my magic number, and sliced 1 1/2 inches off of the edges. Again - just slid them away from the center - just a little!

Then I took 1 1/2 inches of the top and bottom as well, and was left with a nice square for the center.

Next I needed to rotate the fabrics, so for the inner round I took the top layer off and shifted it to the bottom layer.

For the second round, I moved the top two layers to the bottom.

Then I sat down and started sewing, until the first child showed up to breakfast.


I sewed and pressed until the first round was sewn on. And then I realized the disadvantage of this method, there would be fabrics hanging over and needing to be trimmed....because when you sew using a 1/4 inch seam.... there is shrinkage. Umm I mean the math doesn't add up perfectly - cuz of the seam allowances.

And then we started on the second round.

And because I am kind of lazy, I didn't trim the little extra peices out, and I just lined up the fabrics as best I could and sewed!


And ..... tada.........


Here are 4 finished blocks - that need to be trimmed up.... and so I did. The original peice of fabric was 12 1/2 inches square. When I squared them up at the end - they squared up to 10 1/2 inches.  

For each stack of 4 fabrics I changed up the measurements so the blocks look a little different.

I cut 12 lights and 12 darks - and will end up with 24 blocks. In me head that setting will be 4 x 6 and will come out to approximately 40 x 60. To get it to Quilt of Valor size I need to make some pretty cool borders.... any suggestions?

Monday, May 16, 2011

Design Wall - Red Monochromatic Challenge start

Finally!!! I started chopping up some red fabrics for May's Red Monochromatic Color challenge from Judy! It made me happy to cut fabric!!!

This is all Ihave so far - but I will keep working on it, I want it to be at least Quilt of Valor sized, since it is kind of Patriotic looking.

Is anyone else working on the Red Challenge?  

To see what others are up to on their design walls go to:
http://www.patchworktimes.com/

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Sundays Stash Report

This week has gone by ultra quick! I am shocked that it is Sunday all ready!!

I went and browsed at a quilt shop and left a list.... we will see if I have any stash to add for next week......I left LOTS of hints *grin*

So the report:
Fabric In this Week:         0 yards
Fabric In YTD:              164.4 yrds

Fabric Out This Week:          0 yds
fabric Out Year to Date :   260.42 yds

Total Stash Busted:     96.02 yards gone

Tomorrow I am talking at a Quilt Guild in Golden, so I have been going through a lot of my pictures to get things ready, and I saw some of my bambinos so many years ago. How did they get to be so big so quick?

Look at this cutie patootie - this is up in Wyoming on the back of the tractor.
This little dude just turned 10 ( HOW????)

And here we are bulldogging the roping dummy... he was (is) so adorable.
All the cowboys just loved him!!

And this cute little boy to the left is almost as tall as I am, and the little cutie on the right - she is graduating from High school next week. Again I ask you HOW????

Oh Heavens, be still my heart. are they not adorable??? And one of these knuckleheads will get his license this summer.... maybe.... if he can bribe me with enough chocolate, and fabric ( remember the list I left??)!!!

The big guy here - he still looks exactly the same... HOW?? How come I look older???

Along with that though - I now have better and MORE fabric :-)
So it's all good right?

Saturday, May 14, 2011

A Quilt from Nebraska



This wonderful Dissappearing 9 Patch Quilt of Valor came from Linda in Nebraksa!!

I love it!! Thanks Linda!!

Friday, May 13, 2011

From Pat and Susan

Susan emailed me and said she had a top to quilt, and Pat said she had time to quilt one - so they paired up. And when the finished quilt arrived here - it had multiplyed! Pat made a Quilt of Valor too!!!

This is the Quilt that Pat made, and she quilted it so beautifully. One of the corners has a butterfly quilted in it, and she won't let me cut it off and keep it!!!

Here is the quilt that Susan made. It has a ton of fish fabric in it and is So cool!!!
Pat quilted it and bound it and now it is ready for a soldier!



Thanks ladies - you make an awesome team!!!