Fun Fun Fun

I think this week I am turning into an afternoon blogger.... Seems like we are busy in the mornings.... hmmm..


Today I had to be in Denver in the morning, so I drug all the kiddos with me, and when I was done we headed to the zoo. I love the zoo - I get so inspired at the zoo. And I have no clue why. None of those animals know how to quilt, but it sure helps me get motivated to do so!!

Three of the Loves of My Life

This cat was sleeping in his food dish. My boys thought that he had something there - if they could sleep with their food, they wouldn't wake up as hungry.... or so they say - I don't know that I believe that!!!

This poor camel was shedding and looked so hot, but he wandered awful close to us.


So now maybe you are relaxed and inspired as well?  I am off to quilt!! Wish me luck!!

Design Wall

This Monday has been kind of a catch up Monday - not only did we have swim meets, Horse Judging, and fun - Sunday afternoon was our Quilt of Valor sew in.....

here is a stack of blocks that were ( was?) made. They are from the Double Slice Layer Cake Pattern. Search for it on You Tube - you won't be sorry!

And this is the pile of blocks in process... I need to separate and iron them and see what needs to be done to finish them....

And this is the pile of scraps.... we are all trained to put them in a pile for Alycia ( oh that's me!) to pull out for her string quilts, and things that are too small for strings go into a bag for Tammi to make pet beds with.

And on my *home* design wall - I have started putting the sashing between the blocks... check the top two rows...

And here is the pile of quilts of valor that we finished - bound, labeled, and ready to wash....


For other design walls and inspiration head to Judy's

Weekend Review

We had a very very busy weekend - and we LOVED it.... but glad to be home!!!


Friday found us at the State Semi Final Swim Meet.... this is the big munchkin - getting ready for one of his events......

The relay made it back to the finals - so we headed back on Saturday...this is the whole relay team swimming the medley relay!  Mine is the one diving into the water in the orange cap!

But just so you don't think that we do all swimming all the time.... here we are at a horse judging competition. The kids stand on the ground and judge 8 different classes, place them from 1st to 4th. take a break and eat lunch, then go back to judges and give reasons to them as to why they placed them as they did.  

This is Wrangler Man - he was a horse wrangler - he got to lead horses into the arena for the kids to judge.

That kiddo in the background in the peach shirt - that's middle bit... and the kid in the baseball cap - that's little bit.... intense - right?

And this is just a horse - I love him - I have no clue what his name is, but we became friends, but he decided that getting into my car was going to be a bad fit, so he wouldn't come home with me! But I think that he would fit into my crew real well!!!!

Thursday

Ever have one of those days, where you just really 'got nuthin' ?   I think this is one of those days.... I have a lot of little 'nuthins'

First - there is a fire burning up in Hewlett Gulch - it has grown to over 5,000 acres. This is not near me, but it is near my parents. So far their house is safe, but the soot stuff that blows - is coming down in pinecone sized embers and keeping my mom busy. My dad is on the fire........

Next - yesterday was stock up day.... my run to sam's club... It was not exciting, except that we got icee's.

It was my oldest son's last day of school yesterday as a junior - so I think that might make him a senior now, but I am in denial - so I refuse to agree to this.... he was just in kindergarten....   The boys/men that made it to the State Swim meet are still practicing - state is Friday. Last night the men all went to dinner at Roma's - a pizza and spaghetti place in town. It was fun to see them be so excited.

I finished all of my blocks for the Sweet Treat quilt... now I need to start on the sashings.

I have been quilting up a storm for my quilty customers.... I am so glad everyone is getting things finished - 

makes me happy to be on my quilt machine ;-)  That 5 weeks of stupid sickness made me bored... glad to be back at something!!

I know you can't see the close ups - but I quilted this one, and its kind of a cute story. These blocks were a block of them month quilt through our local quilt shop... and D finished hers... she said (out loud to the guild) I can't remember how old these are.... and people told her!!!!  ( 2005)  So she is proud they are now into a quilt!!

A QOV Show - Inspiration!!!

I am getting a late start today.... but I have a GREAT excuse - Tuesday was like the quiltiest day ever!!! I met up with some Quilty Girls and we did show and tell, and ate and drank and goofed off in the morning/afternoon, on the way home had to stop at See's Candies and get a chocolate - YUM!!


Came home, took a nap, took the boys to Horse Judging and headed to my Quilt Guild meeting!! And of course, got home kind of late, so did all the boys, so we were feeding animals in the dark. It was totally worth it!!!


On to the show - I have some Great Quilts of Valor to show today.


This one was made by a group and handed to Kathy F of Dancing Sky Quilting in Denver.... and she beautiful quilted it and now it is here ready to be bound!!

I just had to show you the back - cuz it made me laugh!!! So I found a really bright hot pink with stars fabric to use as the binding - it will be cool!!

Kathy also quilted this one - it is made by Emily M of Alabama

 The quilting is so soft and feminine - I just love it!!

This one was made by Agnes K of NJ - she is such a prolific topper - I am excited to be getting all of her tops into quilts and out to our soldiers. - also quilted by Kathy!!

This yummy scrap quilt was both quilted pieced, bound and shipped by Bonnie S from VA - 
Yummy Yummy Yummy!!! Thanks Bonnie  - you can see all the crazy things she is doing on her Blog

This next one was made by Adele D - in LA - this is her 2nd QOV of the 12 for 12 challenge.... way to go Adele!!! ( Plus a box just arrived from her......Can't wait to open it!)

So - Patti over Here   - is the ultimate scrappy quilter - or liberated quilter... I have long been admiring her quilts, and made a comment that I couldn't believe the quilt tops she made with scraps.....  she said send me an envelope of your scraps - I'll made a top for you.


Oh.My.GOSH!!!  I sent her a small little box of scraps - seriously - enough for a few blocks!! AND look what came back.


This top - its flannel - YUMMY!!! 

And this top.... you have NO IDEA how long I studied that one!!!  

And to top it off - she added the solid blue - but made a back out of the rest of the scraps!! 
I wish I could *See* things like that - i just get frustrated - Patti!!! You are amazing!!

Hope you enjoyed today's Quilts of Valor - I am off to trim a bunch of them that my dear sweet longarm friends from yesterday brought to me - so I can take pictures to inspire you more!!!

Design Wall Monday

Well - now that I have a design wall - you would think that I would be stitchin' away... but alas - I spent 2 days at the Conference Swim Meet, cheering on my son, and realizing that I take a LOT of blurry pictures....


So not much has changed on the wall since Friday, but I did choose some fabric for the sashing of the Sweet Treats Quilt a long....

I kind of like the strips - so I pulled a Striped fabric for the sashing,,.. then put it back - it was so busy that it made me dizzy... so now I chose a cream with tiny blue stars - we shall see...

And because I know that you really really really want to know how my kid did in the meet....

That is the kid - at the finish of the 500 yard Freestyle...he did awesome!! And is going to State - which is next weekend, so I am going to try to get my sewing in during the week!!

He said it was okay to put this picture on here.... we teased him because he was trying to get a specific time in his 500 - so for encouragement I bought him a bag of oreos... his favorite.  This is a BIG deal around here. I have Celiacs - so not much gluten food is EVER purchased - 


He got up on the starting blocks and looked up at us - all sitting there - and me with the Oreo bag over my head, waving it around. Got a good laugh out of him - and his teammates really started cheering him on - I think they thought that he would share.... surprise - Tee hee!!


For other design walls head over to  Judys 

A Day in the Life of a QOV: The Complete Set

Continuing on in the ways A QOV can arrive in Colorado....


As a Complete Set:  A top( 55 x 65 min, 72 x 90 max), and back ( 6 inches bigger than the top) and Binding, and a pillowcase.... This is like hitting the mother lode of unfinished QOV's - all I need to do is add batting to it.


But - before you think that is it.... there is more.


The complete set, with the batting, is then labeled - I put a 3x5 card on the set, with the piecers' name, the size of the top, backing , batting, and a place for the quilter to put their name. 


All of this is then placed in a clear bag ( NO BLACK BAGS HERE!!)
and put into my to be quilted bucket.  


Colorado is just the best state - I have some AMAZING long-arm quilter volunteers that take in a QOV when they can... they are so awesome. I know that in our QOV show posts you can see a close up of the quilting - these ladies and gentlemen add so much to our already lovely tops! And are truly wonderful for working them in to their schedule!!


They take these sets, quilt them up, and hand them back to me.... then the next step begins.  The quilt is layed out and photographed for the blog ( if I don't do this at this step then I forget!!)  


Then the quilts are trimmed and there is NO WASTE:


Batting scraps that are big enough for Quilt as you go, or rag blocks go to quilters who do that. Many of those are used for our Northern Colorado Honor Flight Vets..   Batting scraps that are too small go into a bag that is taken to a group that make pet beds for the Denkai Animal Shelter.... NO WASTE. Fabric is sliced into strips and fed into their appropriate bins for more quilts!!


The Quilts then get a fabric label put with them, and since they came with binding the binding is pinned in a bag on the quilt, and they are put into the *to be bound* bucket.  Once a month this bucket goes to a sew day with me and BAM! They are labeled and bound.


Then they come home with me, get washed, pillow-cased, a journal added and written into my Ready Journal!!


So - Did you learn anything? See anything that could be streamlined?  Made easier, better?  Hope you are enjoying seeing all who get to touch a QOV - many hands made beautiful hugs for our Veterans!!


Link to A day in the Life - the Finished Quilt

Saturday QOV Show

For this show we head off to quilter in California!!! Meredith and Friends are very prolific quilters, and have wonderful taste in fabrics... someday I am going to go shopping with them!!




This first quilt comes from Pat and Friends in Corona - they did this quilt as a Round Robin Quilt - Cool effect huh? And it was quilted by Ron Olsen in New Mexico - which means we searched for a patriotic symbol on the back!!!

There it is!!!

The DNP was made by Linda L 

This one with all the planes was made by Sandy K - Our family has had a fascination with planes for forever - someday I'll dig up my old pilot pics and you can laugh at us - but this quilt kind of made me nostalgic!!

The next two quilts were made by Trilogy Quilters

Check out that Purple Print - at first we thought it was zebra stripes - could be right?

 Check out the back of this one. I love the top - and the quilting just enhances it!

These last two were made by Meredith and Quilted by Ron!!

Thank you all so much!! These quilts will be well loved and appreciated!! 

Friday Check In

I Succumbed to the temptation.... Judy has a little sew along going on - called Sweet Treats. I didn't think that I would join in, but then.... I started dreaming about the quilt... so I did!!  You can find the pattern start Here

So here is my Sweet Treats - And you know the kind of sad part? This is all made with 2 inch scraps.... and when I was sewing them, I couldn't figure out how they were going to be 8 inches...and then I realized I didn't add all the strips together.

Must have not had enough chocolate in the process!!

I was trying to get some good pictures, but I missed! Wrangler Man went out to the backside, and as he was coming in he was herding two coyotes - it was amazing,.. and I couldn't get in front of him and get pictures fast enough. Who ever heard of herding coyotes!! 

Then - before I get to the link up - I just had to share this sunset... there are some days the colors are just so amazing!!   


Well - lets check in again... I had fun checking out the pictures from last week. I have figured out how to browse things on my cell phone, but I haven't figured out how to comment yet.... must have a lesson with the boys!!



**Apparently the link up site is having a problem*** I will keep trying tho!!!

Bonus - More Quilts of Valor

This is a bonus QOV show!! Hope you enjoy it!! I have finally opened all my boxes, and taken pics of all the QOV's back from Quilters - and *shew* I feel that I am making progress.


Quick Answer - I have been asked the sizes of QOV's - Minimum 55 x 65, Max 72 x 90  and anything in between....Gives you a lot of leeway!!!


This beauty was pieced by Mary C and Quilted by Stephanie Patterson of Windsor. I had such fun checking it out - there are so many variables to this quilt - beautiful!!

This quilt pieced by Pam D and quilted by Stephanie P also - I have to tell you - this one totally fits into my Color Loves!!!  The stars are all in different positions - another bucket list quilt....

This string quilt was made, pieces, and Quilted by Jackie M of NJ. I LOVE how she makes these because you get 2 sided quilts.... check out the picture below this one - thats the BACK!!

And a second one by Jackie - LOVE LOVE LOVE these!!!

We are learning a little history in our house, and we have learned that Nebraska and Colorado ( or at least parts of it) were a part of the Colorado Territories - so really - we are all one ( grin)


And these next 3 quilts all come from Nebraska!! This really colorful one was made by Judy D and quilted by Kristen H - Click on the picture to enlarge it - you could spend hours trying to figure this one out!!!

This one was pieced by Kathy K and quilted by Kristin H - on the Label it says that Kristin in a Ret. Col USA!!! How awesome is that!!!

The last quilt in this bonus show is pieced by Kathy and Quilted by Kristin Too!!

Hope you all enjoyed the show - Check back tomorrow for our QOV link up, and to show off what you are up to. I *shew* and finally back to my sewing machine... I might have something to show you!!