Kitties

We may have a kitty or two around the place - and they are just getting old enough to be Trouble ( with a capital T)  They are so cute, and they get in my way, and sneak in the barn, and attack our ankles.....

So we decided to do a little photo shoot for you!!

This is Shoe Kitty

She will sit on your shoe no matter where you are!

Below

This is Black Kitty

Not to be confused with Black Kitty 2

This one just thinks she is adorable

She doesn't know what to do with us when we won't let her in the barn

It's the Attack of the Shoe!!!

Who Me?

I am so adorable you just can't help but love me

No, No, Your the pretty one,..... I'm the shy one

And Stalker Cat

She attacks balls, hay, twine, cows - you name it 

It is hers!!

Alright - Back to Quilting now 

I am sure you have something to sew?????

Quilts of Valor - Kid Style

I tease my kids a lot about how my Blog is all about me, and that my life should be that way to.... so today - they are making my blog all about them - It's payback they say!

They do the 4H Quilting project, and each year I *force* them to make at least one Quilt of Valor.

This year... they got smart and made their Quilt of Valor also their 4H project.  I didn't raise dummies I tell ya!! Ha ha

Here is Middle Bits:

Here is Little Bit's

And because they all know you want some proof that they used my power tools - 

Okay - really - that they forced me to share....

Here they are stitching away

And just to prove that they are tall

Here they are with my little Daddy

( he he he - sorry Dad - I had to!!!)

PS - Big bit is off the hook this year - but I'll get him at Christmas. He might not be under our roof at the moment - but I still have the power ( bwahh haa haa - evil grin)

Vintage Quilts

One of my clients has the best ability to find Vintage quilts and blocks. And lucky me, I get to quit them!!! She brought this amazing little 9 patch over. Of course I Ahhed and Ooohed quite a bit.

And then she said - No Feather or Cross Hatching on this one - do something else.

Oh Boy!

So I played in my stencil pile and Voila -

That is is all laid out over my couches. It is not super big - a perfect size for a couch!!

and look - No Feathers

No Cross Hatch

And the best part is she was just thrilled with it

And can't wait to get it bound.

I will tell you - that the older the quilts,

The more fragile to fabrics are. This was pretty thin fabric after all these years

Brick Cottage Lane 2

Myra - over at Busy Hands Quilts emailed me one day and asked if I would like to be a pattern tester for her new pattern.  And , um, yes!  I did want to test that pattern - Thank you very much!!!

She sent me the pattern and my mind automatically went to Patriotic - I am broken that way I tell you! It's either Patriotic or Plaids these days!!!  Who knew???

I am going to start my photos with my Finished Brick Cottage Lane 2 quilt - I want your eyes to pop and your brain to say - Oh My Goodness - SHE.... made that????   ( It's okay - I can take it!)

You will see my quilt is all scrappy

But head over to Busy Hand and you will see some other gorgeous planned ones

She sells this pattern and there are 4 different sizes available

I made the Lap Size one

As I wanted it QOV size

I think this is a easy to understand pattern

you know me - I work about an hour at one thing and have to go to something else

My hour time period worked well 

I had good stopping points and it was easy to start right back up the next hour

I think you could lay the quilt either way

and I like the look both ways!! 

I bet if you used southwestern colors it would seem like a desert!

And here it is again!

This is one of the quilts I mentioned I quilted for

my Heartstrings quilt a thon - but I couldn't show you

Are you proud that I could keep a secret this long???

It is quilted with stars to give texture and focus on the Quilt Pattern - and this one will be going to a Veteran real soon - I even know who!!!! Yay me!

Again - for more pattern details go to: Busy Hands Quilts  and check it out!



Linking to:
Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Ft Worth Fabric Studio
Buysy Hands
Crazy Mom Quilts

Quilts of Valor July

Good Morning Quilters!!!  ( and non quilters )

Todays show could be called the Kathy and Sue show!!  Kathy and Sue quilted each and every one of these Quilts of Valor - but!! They were pieced by a lot of different quilters. Their Group - the Red Hat Crafty quilters is pretty awesome!!

Are you ready????

Left - Pieced by Crafty Quilters

Right - Margaret

Left - pieced by Margaret

Right Candi

On the Left - Kathy pieced it

on the Right - Candi

Left - Jeanie

Right Red Hat Crafty Quilters

On the Left Red Hat Crafty Quilters

Right  Margaret!

They did an amazing job didn't they!!

I asked last week about social Media. I loved the answers. One of you even said I am a Blogger.... that means I blog - and I loved it. I love reading all my blogs. I get up in the morning, do my chores, and then grab my breakfast and read.  I'm inspired and feel refreshed - then head off to work.

Unless the calves escape.... or the pigs run wild.... as happened last week....

Thanks for the feed back! You all made my day.

PS 

Don't forget - I have patterns  and block patterns available here:

AlyciaQuilts patterns

Barn Dance Quilt Update

Back in May I joined the craze!! I found the Barn Dance QAL at Just Quiltin' and I fell down the Rabbit Hole!!   I have been using this as a Leader/Ender - so I see it taking a year ( or more - I don't like pressure you know!)

I have finished Step 1 of the QAL

Mine will be all scrappy Plaids - I know!! I can see the surprise on your face!!!

I finished 5 of these pink ones

And 6 o the blue ones

And I am now on to step 2!!

Yay me - except it said made 33 ( or something like that) of the next block

I might have choked a little bit....

Ha ha!

PS - some of you have been asking about my photos - 

There got to be so many - as I am addicted to taking my camera EVERYWHERE

So.. here is a link to that blog -

Alycia Clicks

Linking to:

Monday Making

main crush Monday

Design Wall Monday

Moving it forward

The Chimney Sweep Album Block Tutorial

The Chimney Sweep Album Block

Makes a 12 ½ inch block

Uses 2 ½ inch strips

Cutting Instructions:

Color Fabric:  Cut

2 – 2 ½ by 6 ¾ inch pieces

6 – 2 ½ by 4 ¾ inch pieces

2 – 2 ½  by 2 ½ inch pieces

Background Fabric

1 – 2 ½  by 6 ¾ inch piece

2 – 2 ½ x 2 ½ inch pieces

16 – 2 ½ x 3 inch pieces

Step 1:

Lay out your block. Because I cut mine all scrappy, I have been laying each block out individually so I can sort of match up the color scheme – remember everything is 2 ½ inch in width. The numbers on the photo are the length that you cut.

  

I pieced each row together – then pressed towards the dark .

folded in half, and finger pressed on the center

My Grandma taught me a trick a few years ago when she was teaching me to sew garments.  To make uneven seams you just do a little finger pressing.

Matching the pressed parts

I took each strip, folded it in half, and finger pressed the middle. Then when you sew each strip to each other you match the pressed part and voila!

This is what your block should look like now:

I have a 12 ½ inch ruler. It has these ¼ inch marks on it – so I place the ¼ mark right on the edge of the green and cut out my square.

I know that looking at it you all could probably figure out how to use half squares , but each time I tried that I came up short.  Just an FYI

And Ta- Da ! A finished Album Block

I also wrote this as a pdf file and it is available in my Craftsy Store ( for Free)

http://www.craftsy.com/user/949071/pattern-store

If you make a quilt, or block, or have a quilt similar - I would love to see it - leave me your link in the comments or email me. I really love all these old timey quilts!

linking to:
Oh Scrap
Quiltygirl.com
instagram

Sew Cute Tuesday
Free Motion by the River

The Chimney Sweep

Last Friday I showed you all a block that I was working on out of the scraps that came to my house and wow - you all like that block as much as I do . So I am going to tell you a story.... do you have your coffee?   Breakfast?  Well sit right back.....

My Great Aunt ( or thirtieth cousin 15 times removed) was a Quilter. And she had a house in Birmingham, Michigan, which we fear has been torn down.... but Smart her - she donated all her quilts ( except the ones I have) to the Michigan State Quilt Museum.

I have reproduced one "The Betty Quilt" Click HERE it will take you to my reproduction.

The other one I wanted to reproduce is this one:

Mary Elizabeth Beardslee Durkee
Franklin, Oakland County, Michigan
c.1860
82" x 84" 
Cotton with cotton filling 

Of course - I wanted to make it when I was a new quilter - and I had no idea how to find the pattern. And then one day there was one in a book - but everything called for 2 3/8  or 1 3/8 in strips.

If there is one thing you all have learned about me - I am not quite a perfectionist ( all the time) - and I was pretty sure I would screw up those measurements - 

One day I was reading Kevin's blog and he had a blue and pink antique Album quilt - and I thought - Oh I will buy it - and that will almost be reproducing it.

Full Disclosure - he told me me and sent me photos of some of the damaged spots. AND I LOVE IT - but it's not my Aunts.  By the way - none of these blocks are strip pieced - they are ALL squares - Hand stitched together. Those people in the olden days were NUTS!!!

When this box of strips came to me - I thought - you know - you ought to try to figure this out with 2 1/2 inch strips - I bet you have been quilting long enough that you will only screw it up 14 times - and so - I dug in with abandon and made up numbers - and I am proud to say - I like what I made.

Now!  A lot of you asked if I would write it up - and so I will. Mine made 12 1/2 inch blocks. I made 5 of them and they all turned out the same size - so either I did the math right - OR!! I kept making the same mistake - Ha ha - I guess I will never know - until you tell me!!

These are some of mine

I cut up enough to make 12 total blocks for a quilt

And  I used almost every inch of the greens I had sorted!!

Well - since this is rather long and lengthy, I will write the tutorial in another post for Saturday

and then it will be easy to print - with out all my mumbo jumbo, unless I decide to be wordy!

Linking to:
Fabric Frenzy Friday
Finished Friday at Confessions
TGI Friday at Celtic Thistles
Busy Hands
Show off Saturday

Quilts of Valor - July

Good Morning!!

It has already been a crazy week, with only more craziness to come!!

I hope you got a chance to check out Sunday's post - there were some QOV's that were quilted and even a presentation!!!  The presentation had been in the works since January - and this one - that I am about to show you... since December - can you believe it?

Both Nominators wanted these Quilts to be presented when the whole family could be there - and wow - did they do a good job! I love it when plans come together!

This was this WWII Veterans 90'th Birthday

and he had NO CLUE we were invited!!!

The gal in Yellow - she is the quilt maker - Verna

She is a friend of his, and made the top

Again - he was SO surprised!!!

It was a pretty great day

and he was so cute, He wanted to be wrapped in that quilt,

but he was so worried about getting hot - it was too cute!!

Alright - on to some other Quilts of Valor

On the far Left

Made by High Prarie Quilts in Parker, i

Middle:  High Prarie QUilts in Parker

Right: Kay in Paradise CA and quilted by her son Mark!!  Fabulous team!!!

On the left: Made by Kathy and Sue and their Red Hat Group

on the Right: Kathy and Sue and the Red Hats

Little Bit says this one reminds him of Capt. America!!

Made by Rosalie M in Greeley CO

Both of these:

 Made by Chaffee County Quilters

Aren't all these quilts great?  

I have a question for you all - how many of you use instagram?  Facebook? Or just read Blogs?

I will be honest - I peruse Instagram, but its hard for me to tell the whole story there. I LOVE reading blogs, and have a million in my reading list. I like the whole story. But I am just curious how many of you use other Social Media Outlets as well?  What is your Favorite?

Heartstrings Quilt a Long

My Heartstrings group is having a Quilt a long - the goal - to quilt as many un-quilted tops as you can - These are quilts for Quilts of Valor, Hospice, your church group - whatever you donating to - so of course - I am trying to keep up and quilt some Quilts of Valor.

I get competitive that way (sigh) but I figure its a good competition because those that need to see the love benefit!!  ( I finished 4 this week - wish me luck for next week ok?)

Here is my progress for this week:

This one is a quilt that was made especially for a Veteran from Grenada.

It was the quilters first Quilt of Valor

My Plaid scrap quilt

The pattern can be found here:

Bulls Eye Log Cabin

it's pretty fast and easy

And a close up of the quilting

This one was made by Marilyn S

and I had fun!  I tried to quilt some patriotic motifs in the whites

and the next one...

Oh wait - you can't see it?

Well it's sort of a secret one

BUT!!! I did get it quilted and as soon as I can show it to you

you know I totally will!!!

This was Friday Night

The quilt is made by Judy and was a pattern found here

It was really cute - he was camping with his whole family, and it was also his birthday.

The Honor Guard came ( they were hs buddies) and we went in with them

He was shocked to see his buddies - but kept wondering who in the heck I was!!

And then - Ta-Da!!

WE showed him the love!!!

Linking to: PatchworkTimes

Monday Making

Sew Fresh Quilts