Quilts of Valor arriving here

I tell you - I love the quilts that I get to see, and the tops that have been sent this way for Quilts of Valor. Just a little recap - cuz I have had a few great questions. One - I do not make all of these quilts! I wish I could, but I am not that amazing ( please don't tell Wrangler Man - I have him conned into thinking I am!!)

I try with each of the Quilts of Valor posts to tell you who made them and where they came from. The quilts all go to the wounded warriors here in Colorado. It all started at Fort Carson, our army post in Colorado Springs area, but has expanded to the warriors at the Denver Va, the Cheyenne VA ( which is a part of the Colorado VA system) and their outlying center. This has been awesome. Between the quilts I get to help make, and the ones you all make and send this way we are really helping these warriors heal up from both physical and physchological wounds.

You all know you are amazing - but I want to keep telling you - each work of love is appreciated and truly heals beyond all words! 

So let me show you some more quilts that have arrived

These two rail Fence tops came from Judy in the Pueblo West Quilters. They were a little small - size the size should be 55 x 65 - so the wonderful ladies from my Quilt guild dug thru my fabrics and added some borders to get them up to size.

Then Shari from Arizona took them and worked her quilting magic on them.

This quilt was also quilted by Shari but was made by Candy W in Arizona. Shari is a great recruiter!!

Thanks for these beautiful quilts.

Wednesday - ish QA post

This week has just been a little interesting. I have spent more time and days in town than I like... and I don't have anything to show for it. I wasn't allowed to buy fabric ( mean kids) and I didn't get to buy chocolate - so was it worth it?  I don't think so !!!

• Finish my Purple Pineapple Quilt ( as in finish the top!) Done Done Done

• http://alyciaquilts.blogspot.com/2011/03/purple-pineapple-progress.html

• Finish Rail QOV from our sew day ( again as in a top!) Done Done Done
• http://alyciaquilts.blogspot.com/2011/03/sunday-stash-report.html

• Make a backing for the Purple Pineapple Quilt Done - altho I kind of procrastinated - and then I remember that I had better get it done, or that fabric had to go back into by stash!

• Spend at least 1 hour making Lime Green String Blocks for the Heartstrings Feb/Mar project. Kind of - sort of - I think I got the whole hour in - but I didn't finish as many blocks as I thought I would. Okay - NONE of them are finished. But 24 blocks are in progress
• http://alyciaquilts.blogspot.com/2011/03/design-wall-monday.html

• Dig out UFO #1 for Judy L's UFO Challenge DONE

• See what Brown fabrics I have for the Brown Monochromatic challenge. Nope - I am a little afraid... but I better get cracking or March will be over!!

• Pay my bills ( what - how did this get here, it and my taxes have nothing NOTHING to do with fun!!!!!) I really think this job sucks - but I got most of them done, and now I have to do my taxes - I mean I have to organize my stuff to take to the Tax man - because about 5 years ago they got too complicated!!

Next Weeks goals

• Look for Brown Fabrics - if I don't have any Force kids to let me go shopping!!!


• Finish String Blocks


• Start working on UFO #1


To see what others are up to go to:


http://crossroadsquilts.wordpress.com/


Have Fun!!!

Design Wall Monday

I am getting this posted just under the radar.... what a long day this has been!

Here is what I am working on - I meant to have more done so I could put some blocks on my wall, but I just ran out of time. Oh well, it will be there tomorrow - right?

These are my lime centered String blocks. I thought I had only enough lime to maybe make 10 blocks, turns out I had just enough to do 24. So that should make a good sized quilt.

This is a customer quilt - but isn't it adorable? I fell in love with the little bears. She is making it for a granddaughter. I might have to be adopted!  She wanted the quilt part meandered, but more outlining on the applique. So I outlined them and did little swirlys all over. It turned out cute.

To see what others have up on their design walls go to:

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2011/03/07/design-wall-monday-march-7-2011/

Sunday Stash Report

I hope my numbers aren't all that big because I have been sewing, and chasing children, and doing *business* with oil people..... at least thats my excuse!

Used This Week : -5.9 yards - I FINALLY cut up all those strings for my lime centered blocks!
Used YTD:            -148.7 yards
Charity Added:    : 0 yards  ( the box that I got last weekend is now in the house, on my exercise bike - and it hasn't moved. Yep - the box and the bike have not been moved!!!)

Fabric Purchased:   0 yards - but not because I didn't want to - more because that oldest kid of mine took all my cash for his Knowledge bowl competition lunch..... kids!

Fabric Added YTD:   97.25 yards

Net BUSTED Stash:   51.45 yards USED


I have however been working on my to do list -and got this top put together last night!

The free pattern for this one can be found here:

http://alyciaquilts.blogspot.com/2011/01/scrappy-rail-fence-pattern-for-jan-30th.html

To see how much stash others have used or purchased go to:
http://www.patchworktimes.com/2011/03/06/stash-report-week-10-2011/

Purple Pineapple Progress

Otherwise known as the Flying Vortex - that is waht Wrangler Man has named it. He thinks it looks like crazy flying geese going into the Vortex of light.   I always wondered where my kids got their imagination from.... this must be where!

Progress has been made - the top is complete. And I am leaving it just like this - it measures 55 x 72... so a good enough size for me!

I tested putting Green borders around it, then maybe a purple border.

But it didn't like that - it was boring.

The back is made! This is all the leftover Purple. Cuz you all KNOW I did not want to add it back to my stash.... I have a stash report to do ya know!

And just to prove that I haven't been sitting on the couch eating bon bons (altho I am thinking some See's Peppermint patties do sound good) here is the one picture that is somewhat not blurry out of the 13 thousand that I took.

My oldest had a spring concert, and we had to hurry and leave school - go to swim practice, run back to our town, get changed and show up. His hair was only a little wet . He played the thingy he is playing on in the picture, the bongos, and the drum set.

Now I must go back to my list, it was a long list and I am determined to get a few things on it done. At least that was the plan 15 minutes ago, before I mentioned Chocolate - and now I am craving brownies. My MIL bought me a Trader Joes Gluten Free Brownie mix.... I should make that now shouldn't i?

Accountability Wednesday

The virus(es) are gone. Wrangler Man came and killed them and my computer is back in business. But since I couldn't pay bills I got a little more sewing time in!!

My To Do list for last week:

Quilt the Purple MC Quilt:    Nope - I had it loaded sort of, and then unloaded it to quilt some customer quilts - oh well.



Keep on finishing the pineapple blossoms. Yes I have been working well - I need 14 more blocks.... so very close! if I could just ignore the phone LOL


CUT some strings for REAL  Yep - I got all 1 pound and 11 oz of colors cut up.


Bind UFO #10 ( maybe) Yes!!! I did it!!! ( see my UFO #10 post here:
http://alyciaquilts.blogspot.com/2011/03/ufo-10.html
 
I Had fun this week with these things, plus Saturday I got to hear Sue Nickels talk at our Colorado Quilt Council meeting. She is an amazing quilter.  Sunday was a Quilt of Valor sew day. We bound 4 quilts, and got 4 more quilt tops made. I put all the blocks on my rail fence into rows.... so now the rows need to be a top.
 
Goals for this week .
I made a list and I wrote it down on a real piece of paper. So this means business right?
 

• Finish my Purple Pineapple Quilt ( as in finish the top!)
• Finish Rail QOV from our sew day ( again as in a top!)
• Make a backing for the Purple Pineapple Quilt
• Spend at least 1 hour making Lime Green String Blocks for the Heartstrings Feb/Mar project.
• Dig out UFO #1 for Judy L's UFO Challenge
• See what Brown fabrics I have for the Brown Monochromatic challenge.
• Pay my bills ( what - how did this get here, it and my taxes have nothing NOTHING to do with fun!!!!!)

To see what others are up to - or to be daring enough to put your list out there: go to
http://crossroadsquilts.wordpress.com/2011/03/02/quilters-accountability-report-march-2-2011/

UFO #10

UFO #10 is Finished

This is my UFO Number 10 and I can not tell you how old it is, but I think it has to be 5 years old at least, because I can remember that I  bought it in Golden CO when I went to the Rocky Mounrtain Quilt museum for my birthday .....and I had to drive my Truck. Which means that this was before I got my Grandpa's car, and I got his car about 4 years ago. See how my brain works? ( there are some that say it doesn't!)

When I showed it to my family they weren't sure it was mine, becasue the colors were not something I like ( snort) so they put it next to a flannel quilt that I had made for me.... hmm I think we should change our decorating scheme!

Oh look! Its a cute horse with a rider! So - this morning when I went to turn my laptop on it told me I had a virus - so I am waiting on Wrangler man to save me. In the meantime I took my camera to my desktop and downloaded the pics I needed for today - but LOOK what I found in my camera!

And look at this cutie - So you know - that's a sorting stick - it is un-electrified because I feel that young children should not be electrified early in life - okay Just kiddin' .. we also use it to train horses - kind of like a third arm so its jut a soft plastic stick - but fun!!

Oh the memories - this was our fishing trip last year I think - now two of those kids are looking me in the eye.... and (hold on a minute I need to sipe my tears) and and and one of them is *gulp* learning to *gulp* drive.......

February Monochromatic Challenge

Can you handle two posts from me in one day? Seeing that it is the end of the month we are supposed to show our February Challenge Quilts. The color Judy drew was Violet - which I took to mean purple..... so here ya go - here is my offering for February.

Ta da!!! Its lots of purple - with a little lavender in between.... Hope you like it.

Design Wall Monday

I love having a big front room - there is enough space to lay out a few quilts and totally dominate the room!!! I keep reminding my family that it *is all about me*... so far its working!!

So this first one is a string quilt. I did not make the blocks. They came from Pene B in OR. She made these as part of our Heartstrings group, and this will be a Quilt of Valor.

This is my other quilt on the floor. Good thing my family likes me! They just walk around these like they don't even exist. I appreciate that. And they don't ever step on the blocks!

To see what others are working on head over to

http://www.patchworktimes.com/

Stash Report and Quilt of Valor Report

I hope its okay to do one post on two different things - but I tell ya, I hope you will forgive me ;-)

First off - my Stash Report. It looks good today - but a box made it into the back of my trunk yesterday at CQC ( colorado quilt council mtg) Since it is still in my trunk it won't count for this week.... but it was kind of heavy .

So
Used This Week:                                9.72 yards - all backings for Quilts of Valor
Used Year to date:                         142.803 Yards
Added This Week:                             0 yards
Added Year to Date:                       2.75 yards ( personally)
Added Year to Date:                     94.50 yards ( Quilts of Valor)

Net USED Year to Date:               -45.55 yards

And just to pat my back a little bit - I was in a quilt shop yesterday and saw about 17 million fabrics i like - and bought NONE of them. Can you believe it?

****************************************************************************************************
And NOW For the Quilt of Valor Report!!!

For the Month of January ( cuz I forgot then) 21 Quilts of Valor were awarded
For the Month of February                               10 Quilts of Valor were awarded!

If you want to check out  more of what this little Quilt of Valor project is - you can find it inthe No Soldier Forgotten Tab
****************************************************************************************************

Check out what others have purchased or used at
http://www.patchworktimes.com/2011/02/27/stash-report-week-9-2011/