Quilts of Valor for Barb

Barb is one terrifically busy lady and she is so involved in Quilts of Valor. She is like the queen of getting people to help her sew. So she sent me 4 quilts to quilt right before Christmas. And I finished them last week and got them sent back to her. So here they are:

On the far left and Far right one I used the Splash Panto ( I think its Jodi beamish) as it looked kind of surfy to me. On the second from the left quilt I used Diana Phillips Flower Power basic flower quilting. And on the Blue with stars I did Flurries of Feathers, based on Jamie Wallens teachings. I think they turned out pretty good!

Now I must get back to work, I think I might have procrastinated long enough But it is so much fun to procrastinate - you never know what you can find and play with!!!

Super Heros are everywhere

My youngest son is a superhero fan - so I have been collecting fabrics for him. I finally had twenty and decided to do a Turning 20 quilt(http://www.triciacribbs.com ) - queen size for him. Well today was the day for me to get it quilted. I just did a simple meander, and wrote superhero names in it, and a batman head, and a super man symbol.

For the backing I had found these two panels ( to the right) so I pieced them with other fabrics into the back.... and it was all ready to quilt.....

And then I got to the end of the quilt top on my frame, and imagine my surprise when I still had 2 inches of the panel left on the back, and NO MORE TOP!

I cannot imagine how this happened - I calculated and plotted and planned, and apparently it didn't make a lot of difference. So I thought - well - no biggie - I will cut a 7 inch piece of fabric and stitch it as a seperate border. In my head I could do it on the long arm. But in reality, I had to make a different plan to make it work.

So I punted, I took the 7 inch piece,(left) put it right sides together and stitched a straight line thru the top, the extra piece, the batting and the backing. Then I folded it down and it just looked like it belonged! Looking at it now I don't think the straight seam is really noticeable. But I added enough to cover the panels - kept on quilting and Now...

all it needs is binding!!

Now this is progress - I am finally getting something done. I have the Oil people fixing the fence, I have the other Oil people fencing out there seperators, and I have notified anyone and everyone I can think of that I really don't want to do another Horse Rescue - so Fix it ;-) And they are!

My sons have spelling Bee practice this afternoon, but other than that we are all looking forward to goofing off tonite!

Monday Monday..

Oh I had such great hopes for what I was going to post today... I was going to tell you of all the progress I made, but alas I was deterred....

It started so well, I went to school, I took my test, I aced it ( this made me a little happy), I met with a customer of mine who has become a great friend. I delivered her quilts and she was tickled. We had a Starbucks and girl talk, we stopped into the quilt shop. Ahh life is wonderful. I got home and decided to get my stuff ready so I could work on more of Step 5 of Bonnies mystery quilt.

Oh Look - it is time to go pick up the kids, so I got them. Their Play Practice was cancelled - yay - 2 more hours to sew!! We got home, I looked out the window and BAM - there went the afternoon. The horses were stuck on the wrong side of the fence... we needed a Horse Rescue.

So we load up and drive over to the east side, only to find out that the oil companies have changed the locks on OUR gate again - and in the process, they removed ours. So I dug for the keys I was given 10 years ago just in case, and voila - one of them worked.

We get into the pasture, drive up the road, and find that the oil gate that breaks the two pastures up, was left down. And My horses - well they are wonderful but sometimes I think there brains don't work well - they trap themselves in the craziest of places.... so I looked like the pied piper. One boy was holding a bucket of grain, the other 2 are yelling "booooyssss" and the 9 horses are following the pick up to the open gate. They get to the open gate and take of running as fast as they can towards the corralls and WATER.... dufus horses.

So we put the gate back up, drive back down the road, relock the highway gate, drive back to the west side, lock all the horses up in the corrals, feed them... and oh man - I have totally lost my 2 hours!! Bummer!!

Now I have to call oil companies and remind them about gates and how they work, and come to find out one of the companies was sold, and I have a new contact person and I have never met him - my oh my!

It is now evening, I have 2 of the 3 boys tucked into bed, the third is almost there .... I am getting back to my sewing table and I WILL sew. I only have 50 of the 100 pieces needed, and I must finish this quilt before I go on. I DO NOT want UFO's ( do you see me with my hands on my hip yelling at my fabric to get into this quilt NOW???)

I don't even have a picture to share, because I need to download them, and one boy took the camera batteries for his video game. I said it was okay - but I thought I had more batteries, just like I thought I had enough milk for breakfast.... oh well - I guess the grocery store needs to see me in the morning...

Gratitudes:
1. I passed my test.
2. We rescued the horses before complete darkness.
3. Dinner was ready ( I crock potted it thinking we wouldn't be home until late)
4. Girl talk with Ms J.
5. some of the snow has melted

Alycia

And the Winner is..

My son!! We had the school spelling bee last night and out of 21 kids mine won - yay. Once he realized he was winner he kinda got a permagrin! He was way excited. I am so glad his mental telepathy was not working. I misspelled 3 of the words he got!

Today I worked with the 5th grade class again, sewing quilt tops. And I was a star - because I was the mom of the kids who won. Hows that for celebrity! It made me happy. We got 4 complete tops assembled, 1/2 of another. So I will be going back again next friday and sewing some more with them. They are really doing a great job and learning well. The computer teacher loaned us her camera, so I will have to see if she can email me some pics.

Gratitudes for today:
1. It is sunny - the snow and ice is getting slushy.
2. The kids are excited to sew.
3. We made great progress.
4. My son did well in the Spelling Bee
5. Soft couches and long phone cords - I am bonding with the couch at the moment!!

My kiddos

Well - I have been doing a lot of quilting and getting customer quilts done, but I haven't done a lot of my own sewing - hence no quilty pictures. But I have kid pictures... doesn't that just tickle you!

Over Christmas break ( of that wonderful time) we went to Focus on the family. They have a stage there where the kids can get dressed up and make a TV show - so my youngest (6) and my mom got dressed up and danced for us! Thats my mom on the left with C.

Then they had one of those things you stick your faces in. I had to bribe the boys to get in it. Good thing my dad was there to add Chocolate shakes to the bribe!

The weather here is awful cold, and I have been lucky that Hubby is around to do all the chores, if only I could convert the time that I am not doing chores into quilting time!

My goals for the rest of today.... Work on the mystery quilt from Bonnie for a little bit. Finish folding the laundry ( ugh) , and get my oldest son to the spelling bee... it is the oral round tonite - I have to admit - I want him to win!

Have a quilty day!!

Alycia

5th Grade Quilt Of Valor Project

I just realized that I haven't posted much about this years Quilt of Valor project. I don't know why? I have a great group of kids this year - a few of them are even better seamstresses that I am!! They have won major awards thru 4-H - Awesome.

We have been working away and I know I don't have many photos - I forgot my camera. So far we have been cutting, sewing, and laying out the tops. They did lots of practice with strings before they started sewing the other quilts. So we are getting more quilts that we thought - as the practice strings are in a top too...

So here is the string top. I do have a curtain behind it but the sun must have been very bright, kind of gives it a stained glass appearance.

Hope you all have a great day!

We have basketball this afternoon and the boys are cleaning the house - thats a great gratitude today!!

Where Have I Been?

Well I don't know - I've been everywhere man, I've been everywhere.... Okay that probably dates me - but I remember that in a commercial!

My kids were off of school until the 9th so I think I played!! We saw the movie Enchanted, we went to Focus on the Family to the kids area, we went to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science - and then I went to sleep!! Ha

At the museum - my kids kept asking the docents all these waaaay tough questions and then the docents would turn to me to give the answer. Finally I told one of them - I don't know why you are addressing me - I was lost at the question! They had a great time though - we went into Space, and into Botswana Africa, and to the North Pole, and we saw a Polar bear... ohmy!!

As far as my UFO's go I only have 2 left. One has 2 blocks and the borders left to do - and the other hasn;t even been started yet. So I feel like I have made some progress. I have been plugging away on the Bonnie Mystery quilt - I still have step 5 to do - but I really don't feel too far behind.

On the stashbusting side - well I stash gained..oops!! I saw the cutest airplane print and a panel. The panel is the instrument panel of a plane - and you probably didn't know this but I am a pilot and it just struck my fancy. I think I will probably make me a big stuffy pillow out of the panel and then can pretend that I am flying when the weather is bad.

Okay - Oh I know - My oldest son decided to make a pillowcase! This was exciting, hes a great planner, not so great executor - and he finished it. He made it for the soldier that his class sponsors in Iraq. He put a white edge on it so that all the kids could sign in - isn't that cool? The kids at school thought he did a good job too!!

Well - the nasty winds they said were coming are here! I can hear them, and I have some studying to do, possibly laundry ( don't want to overextend myself) so I guess I ought to stop rambling....

A person on the radio said that every day they had started thinking of 5 things they were thankful for, and it really helped them change there attitude... so I may try that every once in a while.

Grattitudes:

1. Met my Dad for lunch

2. Dropped off 5 customer quilts

3. Dinner is all ready!!

4. Hanging out with my kids.

5. Have fabric to sew on

Have a great one!

Alycia

Scarves and Grocery Sacks

So - I am reading on Beths Blog beths blog about these fleece scarves that she made and I thought - AH I want one. See I just got 8 inches cut off my hair and it is cold on my neck.... So she emailed me how she made them - and voila - I made one. My embroidery is just an A . But it is warm!!

Then I get this very Cryptic email from my mother in law " Do you think you could make me a fabric grocery sack?" See how Cryptic she is! LOL - I love direct requests - I can't go wrong this way!!!! So C and I made up something. I think it is okay - but I don't think it is perfect. Since I am not really short of fabrics I think we will try another style or two then send them to her for testing.

Today was nice until about 4pm, now the wind in howling and blowing snow all over the place. The dog refuses to budge off his warm pillow - I identify with this - and I am about ready to sew!! I just finished step 3 in bonnies Mystery - need to iron them first....

Have a great one!!

UFO #2 and #5

Well One month ago we rearranged our house and I unearthed 8 UFO's. I am so proud to report that I am making progress, and all in the same year!!! ( I have 3 left) This quilt is the cowboy quilt. I had purchased these 12 FQ"s in a pack and I am sure I had a plan in mind, but then I saw this pattern and went that way. My hubby helped pick out the borders and I think he did a good job!

So that was #2 on the list!

Then there was UFO #5. It was the BQ pattern.... I had already cut the 12 1/2 squares and had pulled the other 2 fabrics to go with it, and then it was in a pile next to my sewing table. Surprisingly that is not to hard of a quilt to make - I started cutting the other fabrics on the 23rd, and finished the blocks yesterday. I finished the top today - not too much time at all. Of course it is 12 blocks and will be the perfect size for a Quilt of Valor ( surprise LOl)

Now on a funny note - I bought a present with my son in tow - yes - it was for him, and he promised he would be surprised. So we are all done opening presents on Christmas day and he very quietly comes up to me and asks where it is.... oh my... well I told him we will have to search after everyone leaves. Well we searched and searched and no such luck. Just about 10 minutes ago i picked up my fabrics to start Mystery step #3 and there was something hard in there..... well I found the little video game!! My son is 6 - I was proud.

Have a great day - Its blowing snow and snowing hard here! Must go quilt.....

Mystery Quilt Steps are getting done

Just when I thought I was keeping up the world got in the way! I need to stop that from happening as I really like doing this mystery. But if you look on the bright side I have steps 1 and 2 done. I have clues 3 and 4 printed off. I have step 4 hidden so I can't peek - but I don't think it really matters. I am sure I have NO idea what this will look like. Its a Bonnie mystery - I am not worried. I haven't seen any quilts of hers that I don't like!

Christmas has come and it snowed. My parents were here, and then hubbys sister and her family came for dinner. Her two boys are right in the middle of my 3 - so all 5 went sledding and running and chasing each other every where. oh to have there energy so late in the day... I need to figure out how to tap it!!

Hope you all had a great day and continue to enjoy the days!

Back to cleaning and sewing ( I hope I hope I hope)