Practice Makes A lot of Fun

Happy Friday Morning!!!


It has cooled down here by about 20 degrees and I am sure we are in for Rain - but I like a little break in the hot summer.... just hopefully not a flood!!

This is us:

We set up camp!!! So the tent on the left is the 2 man tent that I used when I worked in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.   We used it many times as a family - with smallish boys. It was crowded, but you know, you just make things work.

Now that I am the Smallest ( bwah haa haa) of the group - we don't fit!  But My Dear Lois - she emailed one day and said - I saw you all were learning to Fly Fish. I have a rod and reel that we won't use anymore, would your boys like it.  And the boys said YES!!  So we met up with Lois, and she gave them the tent on the right!!!   ( I KNOW!!)  

She also gave them the rod and reel - but that is a different post.

We decided we needed to practice and Ta - Da- we went camping!!!  Lois - It works awesome....except.... it did not stop Wrangler Mans' Snoring....I was hoping for a miracle - I know......

Watching the Sun Set

Playing with Fire

(Okay not really - this is totally contained and legal- 

with all the fires happening in our state - we did not want to add to it)

My Tiki Torch

It kept the mosquitos away

Sort of

But I thought it was pretty

Hope you have a great weekend!

Quilts of Valor 2016 - August

Good Wednesday Morning!!!

I hope you are ready for some Quilty QOV inspirations????

Well then - lets get started!!

Hey Ho!!! Look at that - a little Award Ceremony ;-)

Believe it or not - it was chilly this morning and these Combat Vets were so happy to be wrapped!!

Alright!

Our first quilt of the day

On National Sewing Day we had a Italian Themed Sew day

And used Atkinson Designs Lasagna Quilt Pattern

This one was made by Sue S and quilted by Connie H

This lovely was made by Kathy

And Quilted by Connie H

Kathy said she had a whole bucket of Blue Scraps and didn't know how many quilts she could get from them.... This is One

(Quitled by Connie)

And this is Two

(Quilted by Connie)

And!! She has more to made!! Ha ha -they really do multiply in the m iddle of the night.

The quilt on the left was pieced and quilted by Connie H

The one on the Right was pieced by Kristi in Denver and quilted by Crystal S

The quilt on the Left was made by Roberta and quitled by Connie H

The on on the Right was all Connie 

Hope you got a little inspiration today?

And just a little tease...... I have a whole new Block/Quilt pattern to introduce in September

as

a BLOCK DRIVE - Yay!!!   I Love Block Drives

and there is a little surprise along with it ;-)

Wild Animal Sanctuary

We took a little trip -
and.... well.... I took a lot of photos....

So here is one to entice you - Click on the  photo  if you want to see more :

Enjoy!!!

Design wall Chaos

Thursday after moving calves with Wrangler Man, I was sitting on the couch, half dead, and I said - "I feel the need to buy some new fabric"  . And since Wrangler Man was half dead as well, he agreed.

And then....
I woke up Friday and thought I had better organize so I know what fabric I want to buy...

And this happened:

The top is from the left over pieces from my Brick Cottage Lane Quilt, and the middle is a quilt I started in May while I was house sitting, and the bottom is blocks from the Scrap Challenge over at So Scrappy .... and then I found some of those Microwave bowls that I had started, and then.....

I might have texted a friend and admitted that I was in trouble....



The bottom line - I didn't buy fabric yet - but I still feel the need.... I just don't really need anything ......


*sigh*

Linking to:
Moving it Forward
Main Crush Monday
Design Wall Monday
Love Laugh Quilt
Freemotion

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