Quilt of Valor #51 - White Out

A snow-filled scene of a mountain, waterfalls, giant trees, a winter's day. A Quilt of Valor for a soldier long returned from service. I found what I think would have been the right fabric after this was finished. I am currently arguing with myself as to whether I should make another, with those fabrics, and see if it's better...

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

It feels like I'm always cutting !

The first half of the top of this quilt

The Quilting has begun!

Sandwich, pinning the second half

Need to add lace to the bottom of the waterfall, to give it the look of movement. and maybe some snow laden branches across the rocky face to the mountain, to make it clearer what it is.

 

Quit of Valor, mostly a 'skyscape'!

 A Desert Sunset landscape quilt, full of color and warmth. A quilt of valor for a soldier long returned from service.

 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

Tucson Sunset

Quilt of Valor number 46, A Seascape Art Quilt

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

The quilt top pieces laid together

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...

Next Quilt of Valor Begun

I have the pieces cut out, sitting here staring at me on my porch, or I wouldn't be starting this now. I am really getting tired of sewing, and I still have Holiday gifts to make. But, this is for a good cause, will make someone feel appreciated, and feel seen, so I will get it done.

 

Laying out the block	First block completed (though not ironed)	Blocks finished on to assembling
First of two tops only need borders	Two quilts are in halves	Quilt 20 Finished, on to the next one
Quilt 21 Finished, no more for awhile	Texted Borders

On to cutting strings and hand sewing on these Quilts Of Valor

Heart in Stars (more info in 'how to')

Hidden Patterns

Storm Chained (more info in 'How To')

 

Patriotic Snowman

Sewing Machine is Fixed

My sewing machine went completely on the fritz, would not sew at all, in fact it was pulling the fabric backward through the feed dogs! Went upstairs to an old cheap Kenmore standby, to find that the machine is no longer a standby, the presser foot wont lower and sew. So my good machine had to go to the shop, and now that it's back, I am on to finishing the binding on these 4 quilts and then getting them into the mail. Luckily for me, it was just an adjustment, probably caused by trying to clear lint from the machine, which is made to trap but in no way release the lint...

Back to Quilting Quilts of Valor

	Just like everyone else, Covid, all the hate and negative politics, including the destruction of life as we know it, life in general got to be a heavy load in late Feb/early march. I stopped sewing. I stopped a lot of things for a while. I guess I got to the point that I was thinking that just surviving life really wasn't enough, if living, if hope and joy are indeed gone, then why do any of us want to 'go on.' Sort of, 'what's the point,' I didn't answer the question, though I have moved past the conversation with myself - answerless.

Quilt Tops Moving Along

Creating some squares for a future quilt

Drawing the lines to sew around	Sewing around the lines drawn	Stack of sewn lines, I'm half-way
Finally, all the lines are sewn	Now begins the cutting of the lines	Blocks are now triangle squares
Squares still have a long way to go	Trimming every square...	Boxes are all trimmed to 3 1/2 or 4"

My 5 Little Stars Quilt of Valor

When I started this quilt, I understood Deb to have said her daughter and son-in-law had 5 children. What she probably said was that they had 4, and her only grand-daughter. So, once I decided on the layout (with log cabin quilts there are so many possibilities, I created yet another 'unstarred' block, and exchanged it for one of the 'starred blocks'. When I finish this one, it will be named 'Heart of the Matter', because in all we do, aren't family at the heart? I went with the layout 8 for that reason.

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  Begin with 5 little hunter stars

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  Create log cabin blocks

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  Each star into it's own block

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  Layout option 1

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  Layout option 2

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  Layout option 3

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  Layout option 4

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  Layout option 5 (oops!)

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  Layout option 6

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  Layout option 7

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  Layout option 8 There are more, I stopped here.

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  Heart of the Matter - finished (15th QOV)

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  Heart of the Matter - pieced back

So ends another voyage of artistry and craftsmanship.