Happy Memorial Day Weekend

Yesterday I presented my brother with the Quilt of Valor and he and his daughter were very pleased. It's been a very nice Memorial Day weekend. I've attended two events honoring veterans and feel humbled by their sacrifices.

 

 

I've decided to put prairie points on the border of the quilt I'm making for my my sister's granddaughter.   

 

 
I've spotted two of my blocks used in quilts by the BMQG.  My Bingo block can be seen here in the last picture.  Made me happy to spot it.  http://bostonmqg.blogspot.com/2013/05/gathering-to-make-quilts-for-boston.html
And one of the Boxed In blocks is in the third picture from the end in this post
http://bostonmqg.blogspot.com/2013/05/quilts-for-boston-sew-in-at-quilters-way.html  I noticed someone else made that block also.  Most of the blocks are non-traditional and nothing like the kind of quilting I do, so I'm pleased that my blocks are fitting in somewhere. 
 
They mention in their post that they received over  660 blocks from quilters all over the world. 

These four 6" blocks were the latest for the Ben Franklin QAL, so I'm up to date on that project.

 

Did someone say Christmas?  Quilt Along?  No?  I thought for sure I heard whisperings along those lines.

 

God Bless You and a special prayer for all of our veterans, dead or alive.

You are not forgotten!

 

AEP, MEP, EJP, JO, TO, JP, AL, EL,  JL, AO



There's Nothing Like a Finished Quilt

 

This is a big finish for me.  The QOV is done.  I am going to add a hanging sleeve to the back in case my brother wants to use it, but other than that, this project moves across the finish line.  I feel very good about that.

 

I added a friendship star to the backing.  It's very appropriate. 

 

 

When I was at MQE last spring the person at the Quilt of Valor booth gave me one of the labels they use when they present a quilt.  I doctored the picture so my brother's name isn't visible.

 

 

Some of the backing fabric.  My very poor hand quilting is visible but that's ok. 

 

This means I can move to another UFO and push it across the finish line.  I selected the Festive Mystery Quilt because all I need to do is quilt it and bind it and it's done.  I've already run into problems with that simple intention, so I'll begin today with some unsewing.  That's the quilting life. 

 

I want to give a shout out to SewCalGal for a recent review she did on a Craftsy class with Cindy Needham.  http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/2013/02/craftsy-class-design-it-quilt-it-with.html  Based on her post and review I decided to take the course, mostly because one of the segments was about a table-top method of basting the quilt sandwich.  This part of quilting for me has always been the big dread.  Last night I watched the intro and the basting segments and feel that I have already learned so much.  Cindy is terrific, and has a nice way of conveying what she knows.  FYI, when I clicked on the Craftsy link through SewCalGal's post, the course was discounted 25%, but when I opened Craftsy from my browser the course was the regular $40.  I don't know how long that discount is in effect.  

 

Wishing you a finish soon.

 

God Bless You.

 



Philadelphia Pavement and Real Progress

This is the eighth block in the Benjamin Franklin QAL.  http://erikhomemade.typepad.com/  I love how this block turned out and think I got the balance just right in the colors and prints. 

What really pleases me is that I have reached the point of sewing the binding on the Quilt of Valor I'm making for my brother.  That's what I'll be doing for the next few days. 

Moxie loves this quilt.  When I was quilting it she would get on the fabric that was in the hoop and try to nest there or else crawl under it for a nap.  I had to put it away in a plastic container to keep her off of it.  Too funny.

 

God Bless You.

Super Giveaway Wins And Not Much Else

Henry Glass Fabrics http://henryglassfabrics.blogspot.com/  recently had a blog hop of their designers and  I was lucky on two counts.  One of their designers is Little Quilts and from them I received this beautiful fabric and patterns group from their new collection, Little Darlings.

One of the patterns has embroidered blocks so I look forward to working on them.  One of the first quilt books I bought and still refer to often is "Little Quilts All Through The House."  It was written by the same three quilters who designed this collection and have a quilt shop in Georgia.  http://www.littlequilts.com 

From the Henry Glass site, I won this flannel fabric bundle of baby prints.  It's just too cute and soft.

Thank you, Henry Glass & Co., Inc.  It was nice to meet your designers. 

I'm not sure about you, but I do develop a loyalty to companies from whom I've won something.  If they can bother, then I can bother. 

I've worked on the FMQ Challenge for August and I don't seem to be able to duplicate the exercise.  We are supposed to be imitating a jester's cap and it's a really cute design, but I just don't seem able to get it. 

I was going to show what I've done so far but it's pretty bad.  I'll just do some more practising and see if I can't get it up to a decent level.

I've been hand-quilting my brother's QOV and now have three blocks done.  Right now my plan is to hand-quilt the five main blocks and machine stitch the rest, but that could change.  I like the way the outlines look when hand-quilted, so I may just continue.  Yep, really losing my marbles.

By the way, last week I asked for resources for quilt histories, and Barbara Brackman's name was mentioned by Sharon and Cathi.  I am reading Barbara's book, "Quilts From The Civil War" and am enthralled.  It's not a political treatise, but a chronicle of the war as it affected women, quiltmaking and the quilts themselves, textiles and such.  I think Barbara Brackman has done  a service to American history by writing this book.  Maybe I'm too serious about this, but I'm seeing the war from a different point of view.

God Bless You.