Quilt of Valor #52 - Storm at Sunset

I find that I actually have the top fabrics for the next two Quilts of Valor, White Out (right) and Clearing Storm at Sunset (left). Both are in my head, with how I should proceed with each! There are also some bowl cozy's on the table.

Quilt top fabric for two different quilts

The top section of the top of the quilt

 

Quilt of Valor #51 - White Out

These were as close to the colors I wanted
for this that I could find.

 

Bowl Cozies

I went to the kitchen to fix some ice cream, as a celebration of getting jobs done, and found I have no bowl cozies. Whether I ran out, sending them all out to others, or someone felt their need was greater and took mine home, I need a cozy or two to make eating cold and hot foods easier. So, here I go again! I should be able to make these while still making the Quilt of Valor(s).

I made 2 for me, and I made some extras, to send to say Thanks for helping me to make the Quilt of Valor gifting happen, to help these veterans be seen and remembered for their service. They all say 'Don't Microwave', because while they are made with Wrap & Zap, I can't be certain that they fabrics are all 100% cotton, some were purchased from remnant tables, or that the thread is the same. Even if everything is 100% cotton, just getting a little grease or fat on the cozy can cause a fire in the microwave. It's just safer not to use them in a microwave.

Cutting the fabric, ready to iron

Marking the angles for the tucks

Sewing the wrap & zap to the fabric

 

Quilt of Valor #50 - God's Promise to the World Gold

Buying fabric at Michaels, not roomy!

Finished Quilt - After the Darkest Storm

Finished Quilt-After the Darkest Storm

Close-up of the rainbow space

Sort of the inspiration of a rainbow

 

Quilt of Valor 49 - 3rd Covered Bridge - Bridge In Winter

I am a real fan of covered bridges, but my bridges are all based on my imaginative memory of the bridge in Brown County State Park. I've turned it into a series. Disappointingly, I forgot to get a good photo of this one, before I put it in the mail.

I forgot to get a 'finished' photo!!!

Top - it's not finished, but gives the idea

Bottom - still some decorating to do.

A Hat Band and a Phone Pocket for the Parks

 Before I got started on my latest quilts, I needed a new park walking hat, and a distinctive band. I also needed a 'pocket' for my phone and wallet, so that I don't have to take my purse into the parks, and still have everything I need with me.

Sewing Room Clean-up!

I went up to my sewing room and took a look around. Last year, while I was racing through my quilting and other sewing projects, I just loaded up bags with the scraps (2 bags, 2 sizes of scraps! One for sewing projects/quilts and the other too small for anything but stuffing other projects/pillows) In no time, it was a mess, and I just kept adding to it. 

So, I dedicated some time, and not only separated all the scraps again (I guess I was not as cognizant during the creating and sewing of what was going into which bag, and I may have decided this week that smaller pieces can be used to build bigger pieces...) I also went back into  my earlier scrap boxes, which I had separated by size of the scraps (bigger and little) into colors instead. Not a fun job, but it's done. Now to decide on the next project I will start on...

 

Quilt of Valor - Another Sky Scape Number 48

So, here's the coming storm! I've made this one in two pieces, and will quilt them and put them together after, as it's just so bulky doing it separately.

Top half of the quilt, it's easier this way

Bottom half of the quilt

The quilt put together - Storms Bring Life

Lightning, bad lighting for it!

Looking down on the lightning

Quit of Valor, mostly a 'skyscape'!

 I don't have or can't purchase locally, the fabrics I want for my next Quilt of Valor, and unfortunately had to go online to purchase. Once I saw how long it takes for them to cut a piece of fabric (3+ days) and then to ship (longer than what it takes for a completed quilt to be shipped and delivered) I decided I would not be purchasing online again, it appears to be a racket!

Some of the fabrics for the next QOV

Quilt of Valor number 46, A Seascape Art Quilt

The top pieces laid together

And so on to the next Quilt of Valor, a gift to a combat veteran begins. A seascape, maybe 'From Sea to Shining Sea' who knows!

The Fabrics, though the red changed

 

The bottom begun

Quilt of Valor - What's on the binding?

 As you know, each of the bindings on the Quilts of Valor (and other quilts I make) have text in the binding. As my machine gets older, some of the text isn't as easy to read, it makes up letters as it goes in some places. But what's in the text?

- Quilt Name

- Receiver's name (when I have it, I don't always have it, unfortunately)

- The what and the why - Quilt of Valor and Thanks for your service

- Quilt Care - Never pull strings, put in a bag to wash (even a pillow case, to protect those seams) lay flat to dry

- The fact that it's homemade, and has flaws, making it even more unique 

and more...

Quilt of Valor - Purple Mountains Majesty

This is the next quilt of Valor - number 45, I think, in a series of 55. I should be finished in about a year. Each one takes, you will remember, about 100 hours to make. Lots and lots of work involved.

 

Part of the sky and mountain tops

More Mountains

Purple Mountains Majesty

The Bridge in Summer - A Quilt of Valor

The next Quilt of Valor - beginning!

 This quilt will be very like the last one completed, The Bridge in Autumn, but in summer greens.

Half of the top, needs some changes

Half of the top.

Bottom half of the top.

Two halves laid together.

Pinning the sandwich.

Beginning the Next Quilt - The Bridge Series

 Couple of weeks ago, the puppies got into my sewing supplies and ate the batting for the quilt I was building, among other disasters. Took me a little while to replace it, and get motivated to finish it and get it out of the house. So, I started pulling together the next fabrics, for the next quilt.

Fabrics Gathered

Cutting Begun!

Building and Building

Pieces laid together

Pinning the sandwich

Finished!

A Quilt Bag or Cover - For a Quilt That Doesn't Have the Owners Name On It

 I try to put the owners name on each of the quilts I make, as well as the sewing machines letter program works. Sometimes it flows well, others times it just makes strange foreign looking characters, Klingon, if you will, For Southwestern Nights, I didn't have the name of the recipient, and so after thinking about it for awhile, came up with the plan to personalize and mail along the bag, so that the owner wouldn't feel slighted. Personalization, people's names with the Thank You for Serving text, I think, is important!