Another Soldier gets a Home

My oldest son and I were invited today to go to a Key Ceremony for a soldier receiving a new home. He was able to get this home through Homes for our Troops. This Non profit has made 100 homes in the US for soldiers that are disabled.

Sgt Johansen is a double amputee, and this house was AWESOME! We got the grand tour, and it is so accessible for their family - it was cool, and was built as an energy saving house, meaning they should literally have no utility bills for the life of the house.

So cool - and you know - he had not recieved a Quilt of Valor in his time at Walter Reed. The Blue Star moms found this out - so guess what I brought?

This ceremony was pretty cool. The Local High School band came, the fire trucks and police had a parade with the Patriot Riders in attendance. My son was an Honorary Patriot Rider. He got to hold one of the flags!

This is the driveway that everyone will come through.

Cool dude huh? He learned that you only hold the flag with your right hand. And these Patriot Riders were SO COOL!

Here is the start of the parade coming towards the house.

This is Sgt Johansenn and his wife, 3 month old son, and his dog is in there somewhere!

The Patriot Riders.

The picture is a little fuzzy - but this is the Quilt of Valor we gave to them ( "We" meaning all you great QOV makers) This QOV was made by Beryl in UT, and it is appropriately named "Purple Mountain Majesty" especially since from their new backyard you can see Pikes Peak!

Mornings are not for Sleeping in!

It is spring break at our house, and we did not plan anything before 10 am so that we could all sleep in.... and apparently that was a bad plan! No sleeping in so far!

Yesterday,  dark and early in the morning, we heard a crash and a bang and my oldest son and I went running out the front.... not only was the trash man in the yard - the steers had busted thru their gate and were in a horse corral!  This is NOT where they belong, and having horses that like to chase cows - this wasn't a good way to start the morning.

He and I got to sort animals - in our PJ's and boots - we were cute ;-)   Oh and Did I mention - that Wrangler Man is in California? Couldn't even go wake him up and make him work! 

Of course - the gate they went through is VERY mangled, so we also got to replace that. Good thing my oldest son is getting pretty handy. I needed one of those twisty things that take bolts off - he knew exactly what it was - and better yet - where it was!

This morning it was the dogs - they started barking and whining. So I guess that just confirms that sleeping in is not for us!

Quilty wise - I have been cutting up 2 1/2 inch strips. The quilt that we are going to do at our Quilt of Valor Sew day is that fast Jelly Roll quilt. I have been told it is called the 1600 Jelly Roll Quilt, or the Fastest Jelly Roll quilt, or The Easiest Ever Jelly Roll Throw.

 Mine don't look as pretty as the ones in the store - but all the fabric is there!! That's all that matters right?

And I have started on a brown quilt - for the Monochromatic Challenge of March. I really didn't think that I would get a chance to start this, but the wind blew so bad on Tuesday that we stayed inside a lot, and yesterday the wind didn't blow - so we were outside ALL day...

So what are you all doing? Baking Cookies? Making something Chocolate? Sewing? 

I know I usually make weekly lists - but this week and next I think I will just focus on getting my Daily lists done *grin* and get the kids fed!

The Quilt that is taking forever!

It is what's on my design floor *still*. I surely thought that I would be done by now.... but the forces of nature are against me!  Or maybe I am just lazy ... or making TOO many lists - who knows - but here is what is sewn together so far.

I think this might be close to half - but it is getting there. I hope to get some time today to sew on it. I have a customer quilt to finish up first .. so wish me luck.

Oh and remember some of those lists that I made - I delegated a few tasks.

I bribed my oldest child to get the small garden plot ready. He did a pretty good job, except he didn't like the fertilizer part. Which is all organic and produced right here, on the place ( bwahh haa haa) I crack myself up.

He got it all turned and smoothed out, and we bought our seeds and will be starting those inside next week. We are still hoping for a huge wet snowstorm, or a nice soft steady 24 hour rain.

To see what others are working on go to:
Judys Design Wall post

I bought Fabric!!!

I searched and searched and just could not find the fabric that I really wanted to use on my Betty Quilt, so one day I walked into my fabric store ( okay it was Tuesday) and they had this rack of fabrics at $2.50 per yard - and you KNOW I had to go look,..... and I found the *perfect* backing for my Betty Quilt and they had just enough ( I hope) yards to make it work.

 It kind of reminds me of the wallpaper in my aunts house*grin*

My oldest son had a swim meet in north Denver, so I met up with Jessica at the quilt shop, picked up some Quilt of Valor tops, and we checked out the quilt store - and this fabric jumped in my hands and wounldn't get out. I totally blame Jess  ( tee hee) The dots are half yards, and the others are Fat Quarters and I have no plan for it. I will be honest, but I liked it, and NO ONE was there to stop me!! 

This last be of fabric was a donation to the QOV cause. Which is very nice. All the QOV fabric I picked up last week has been cut into 2 1/2 inch strips - 33 yards worth (thank you very much)

Our sew day is the 27th, so I will tote all the strips and this yardage, and we will make tops - and I think that this will work great for the borders. If anyone wants to join us - it is the 27th from 2-5 and you can email me for directions.

Now I guess I had better get to the numbers right?

Used This Week:          44.5 yards        ( Betty Quilt and Strips)

Used Year to Date:    193.203 yards

QOV fabrics added:    8 yards

Fabric Purchased:       9 yards

Added YTD    :                147.5 yards

Net Fabric ( still on the Busted side)   45.703 yards   ( USED Whoo hoo)

To see the rest of the Stash reports go tp:

http://www.patchworktimes.com/

Combat Veterans

I was invited to bring some (20) Quilts of Valor over to be presented to a Combat Veterans group. No pictures, some of them promised they would email me a pictures, but a lot of Thank You's to pass on.

So I wanted to pass on the Thank you's to you all - these are so greatly appreciated. One gentleman said he could feel the love in the warmth of the quilt. And another one was pretty sure that his quilt was the prettiest one he had ever seen.

Thank you all for helping out in getting these heros a Hug and a Thank you!

Lists

For some unknown reason - at least unknown to me - I have this unrelenting desire to be organized. So I have been making lists, and writing things on my calendar, and making lists in the car - and you know what ?

I am overwhelmed.... so I stuffed all the lists in a drawer! Whoever finds them can start working on them!! 

If I was pregnant I would call this my nesting phase, but I am not, and have no plans to be - so what is up? Maybe it is the spring weather and looking at everything without the snow on it?

But my quilting list  - I have been working on that - a little!  Of course most of yesterday was spent getting my horses their pedicures. And man did they ham it up. Romeo - my sweet Romeo, who does not think he is a horse, used me as a leaning post during his manicure. He thinks he is human, and forgets that he weighs about 1400 pounds.... But I felt loved.

First on my list for last week was to look thru my stash for brown fabrics. I knew there would be some, because the world is against my desire to go buy LOTs of new fabrics.

Considering how fast I am quilting this month - I may not be able to even start the Brown Monochromatic quilt until next March.... maybe that is what prompted my frenzied list making?

Second on my list was to finish my Lime String blocks. My goal was 4, but Ihad enough to make 24 - so I did, and now they are all layed out, ready to be stitched into a top.

And third was to begin working on my UFO #1 for Judy's UFO Challenge   and I did. These are the rows I have sewn together - lets not talk about how big the quilt will be, lets just focus on these rows that ARE sewn together - okay - thanks!

And that's it - That's all I have.......

Tonite is one son's second to the last rehearsal of his big play - that goes live on Sunday. And next week starts spring break - sort of. One kiddo has High school Swimming practice still, and the other two still have sport practices, and... and.... and..... - I think I am finally seeing the reason for lists - maybe I won't forget all that the kids are making me do???

My Goals for next week:

Finish the UFO #1 Top - my main goal is to get it into a top and make the back before the end of the month.

Seriously plan on the Brown MC challenge - If I can't get it cut out this week, I may have to restash the fabrics .

To see what others are up to go to:

http://crossroadsquilts.wordpress.com/



Purple MC Challenge Quilt

Is QUILTED - not bound, but who cares??? It is quilted!! And I think it turned out okay.

I did a feather all around the piano Key borders. I kind of did it free hand without marking before hand - just wanted to see if I could do it. And I think I did. However I would not take that chance on a quilt that I had decided to enter in a fair or something - that might have been nerve wracking. As it was, I didn't really care if the feathers matched up or not.

One of the smaller inner borders.

The outside border. I chalked it as I went and you can still see the different lines that I drew - It was kind of fun, an experiment if you will.

The back - see in the long run it all turned out just fine, But I kind of like the security of marking things before I load them, so that I get the exact middle of the quilt, and the lines all set up first.

What's on my Design Floor?

Everything!! And no one is allowed to walk through it!!!

This is the beginning of my lime center strings quilt.  I have all the blocks made now - just need to trim the rest of them up.

But then - did you know its almost the middle of the month? And I have to finish UFO #1 ( cuz Judy said so!)  So I got that out and started on it too.

I call this my Betty Quilt.

http://alyciaquilts.blogspot.com/search/label/betty%20quilt

My Great Aunt and her mother and sisters were quilters - a long time ago. She gave me a appliqued quilt prior to her passing, and I got really interested in what else they had later in life. So my mom and I did some research and found that they had donated their quilts to the Michigan State Quilt Study.

And then we found the pictures on line - and this one just popped out at me - so I decided to reproduce it.

This is the original made by Martha Durkee Blakesley and her mom - Mary Elizabeth Durkee. These were my aunts Mother and Grandmother. Based on there age the quilt had to be made before 1884 ( cuz thats when Martha died)   Anyways - this is my goal!

So I got all that written late last night before I went to bed, and then I woke up and it was quiet - so I snuck out and finished some more *stuff* - here is my design floor as of 8 am this morning!! Whoo Hoo.

Go see what else is going on in blogland at Judy's Design wall  and make sure to take a cup of tea!

Stash Report Sunday

I admit I am late doing this because I have been playing in my stash!!! But that sure doesn't help this weeks report any *grin*

Used this week:                  0 Yards
Used Year to Date:            148.7 Yards

Charity Fabrics Added:      33.25 yards 
               I finally caved and measured that box of fabrics that Lois's group donated
Purchase Fabrics:               0 yards
Total Added YTD:                130.5 yards

Net Stash BUSTED YTD:     -18.203 yards Used ( gotta add that .203 makes me look good!)


Now I do just want to say of all that fabric added - I have only purchased 2 3/4 yard. That has to count for something right? Cuz boy - have I been tempted!!!

These are all the fabrics from Lois's group. I have BIG plans for these. Our QOV group is going to make those really fast strip quilts that have been all over the internet ( and of course, when I want the link I can not find it) but they are made with a Jelly roll.... so the boys - TONIGHT - are going to start cutting some of this up into 2 1/2 strips - using my AccuQuilt GO .... cuz you all KNOW it is not smart to give 3 boys rotary cutters -

I figure that at least 6 of us will attempt these tops - so I need at least 240 strips - that ought to make a dent right????


To see how others did or what pretties they bought - cuz they didn't have my kids tagging along saying - oh mom - do you really need that?

Go to :Judy's 

More Quilts of Valor have arrived

Our Heartstrings group ( http://www.heartstringsquiltproject.com/) headed up by Mary ( http://blog.maryquilts.com/) is a wonderful group. They have helped immensely to fill the needs of the number of quilts I have needed. These 4 Quilts of Valor were all Quilted by Mary and made by members of our group.

These two were made by San's NC group. I love the little rails she used!!!  Here is her blog:
http://gypsyquilterdesigns.blogspot.com/

This string quilt was made by Vicki. I LOVE the controlled randomness ( say that 10 times fast without laughing!)

and this last one was made by Nancy's group - The Peace by Peice quilters.

Thank you all so much!