Sunset - Quilt of Valor

 This was the next quilt I put together, for another veteran who served in Vietnam. I really like this one, myself. As night falls, the red sunset on the horizon, the darkening sky above it. Lots going on. It's a log cabin quilt block on point. Thankfully, I don't have enough to make another. I kept telling myself, just make a few more blocks, similar to these left over and you can make another quilt like this. It's not that I couldn't keep coming up with ideas, it's just that I was running out of all these colors or fabrics!

1/2 quilted, this is Sunset. Awaiting the return of my sewing machine to finish!

Until Viking returns my machine I am stuck!

Aurora Borealis Log Cabin Quilt of Valor

I've been working on this one for a little while now, and should have it all the way to binding tomorrow. Of course, it will then sit until I get my good sewing machine back from the Viking repair at Joann's, going on 6 weeks now...

Before all was said and done, the viking folks took 9 weeks to get my machine back to me after promising two weeks, then advised me to pick it up at five weeks, when they couldn't find my sewing machine, because it wasn't there! Pretty irresponsible group of folks. I wouldn't buy from them again!

When I started on Reflections on Water, and found an aqua fabric that wouldn't work there, I conceived this quilt. It's beautiful, and went out to a Vietnam Vet.

Just to be sure you understand, I purchase all my own fabrics, threads, battings, supplies and equipment to create these quilts that take approximately 100 hours to make (some are closer to 85 hours, many are more like 120 hours.) It's all me, beginning to end!

The binding is stitched on but can't be finished

I usually add fun fabrics, they are in the binding

Quilts of Valor for a Couple of Cousins

 This is the first quilt, the second will be very similar, just the colors switched from blue and red to red and blue! There are little videos (reels) on Facebook for a couple of the quilts I've been making, sort of the steps in the process, a how-to. I saw a quilt somewhere, that I liked and said, I can make that. I figured out the 'math', and started cutting out strips to make the blocks, and before you know it, it started coming together! These quilt led to three other quilts, as I always make more blocks than I need, in most cases, so that I have multiple options available. I didn't need the options here, but found myself designing more quilts in this block style, and if I do say so myself, they are beautiful!

Laying out gives me a chance to change things.

Bigger pieces than I usually use, shorter make time.

Reflected Lights on Water

They are different, just not much!

Quilt of Valor for a Stranger

 Originally, this was meant for someone else that it went out to. We met someone, who shared that he had served in Vietnam, and then 30 years in the service. Once my machine comes back from the shop (they've had it longer than a month now, with no updates!!) I will get this one finished (the binding turned and completed) and on it's way! This gentleman, who works at the local Lowe's store actually got another quilt altogether. This one went to a friend of a friend, still serving veteran. It was the closest to finished when I got my sewing machine back, so I finished and sent it to them. 

During construction, I ran out of the beige fabric that creates the arrow, and as another suggested to me, bordered it in a military fabric instead, which probably makes it more appropriate for the receiver. I tend to make quilts that are a little less 'red, white and blue' for veterans who've been away from the service for a while. There's still patriotic fabric in all of them! Just a lot of other colors and fun, life affirming, other fabrics, too.

It's in halves here, to quilt it more easily

The back, I prefer a busy back!

Stephen's Quilt and Onward

Stephen's quilt, a quilt pattern I saw somewhere and really liked. I like that hiccough, bits that spill over into the border. I'm pretty sure that I have included a 'how-to' on my facebook page. I don't have a server space to add them to this blog, but when I get around to it, I will build out the photo's in to a how-to on my how-to pages here. This didn't get delivered until the first part of June, thanks to issues with my sewing machine.

Finished! Squared Ripples

There's always info here!

Stephen's quilt was finished, up to the binding turn and sew down. My Viking machine isn't working correctly, and needs to go in to the shop to be fixed. Itwill be finished and sent as soon as I can!

Cutting out the next Quilt of Valor, they all start here

Completing it! It's in halves, to better quilt it.

 

Pillow Slip for Don

I saw this at the fabric store, and it just said, "Don needs this to put some pillows in it or for storing his quilt!" So, I picked it up and built a King/Double pillow case, and put it in the mail.

 

Phil's Quilt of Valor, Plus!

Phil's quilt is coming together, another QOV, and maybe enough squares created for another couple quilt tops waiting in the wings! 

I make as many blocks of tiny squares as I can (before they start driving me crazy) to get enough variety in the blocks of 49 small squares. Otherwise, the colored squares would just be the same block of fabrics over and over, and that's NOT what's happening here! There aren't a lot of duplicate fabrics, as I have tried to keep the number down. It's more fun with variety. You can almost hear them playing 'riddly, riddly ree' or 'I spy, with my little eye' or even playing concentration, without covering the images - 'can you find another like this one? 

This is the third I've made in this design, I love how bright and happy it is with all the color the stamp sized squares give it. I have another in the wings, but a for a family member, not a Quilt of Valor, which is what these all are.

 

Cory's Quilt of Valor (Feb 2024)

My Cousin Cory's Quilt of Valor is very like his grandfather, Don's Quilt of Valor, on purpose! They are both Irish Chain style quilts utilizing very small blocks of 100's of different fabrics. Don's has white or off-white snowballs, while Cory's has golden yellow snowballs. The snowballs are made in 5 pieces. The middle is 5" wide, the other 4 are 2" wide. 2 of them have a 2" colored square at each end, 2 have 2 2" colored squares at each end which allows for the chain effect and 'snowball' effect of each block.

Cory's Quilt before getting the binding on

Cory's Bound

The Back of Cory's

 

Quilted Vest (January 2024)

From an idea that occurred to me and changed frequently as I worked on Don's Quilt. This went out to my niece. This utilizes Irish Chain blocks and squares of very small size and this fun, futuristic silver denim fabric, and fuzzy black fabric for the interior. I like it immensely, but then, I conceived and created it...

I hope she likes it and gets good use out of it. 

 

Quilt of Valor For My Cousin Don (January 2024)

Don is a Vietnam Vet, and this went out to him in January! It's an Irish Chain pattern, with very small (stamp) sized squares. If you zoom in and look close, you will find that there are few duplicates. There are 49 small squares in the big blocks of colored squares. There are duplicates, but not all that many. I made 'literally' hundreds and hundreds of the small squares, and more than 100 of the small square blocks. I hadn't touched the sewing machine in more than a year, when I sat down to make this for him in December. 

Don is a long lost cousin, and found me or I found him, and we connected. He served in the Air Force in Vietnam. His is a very interesting story! In the 40's, when he was a small boy, he and one of his brothers were given up to an orphans home, due to divorce. Not all his brothers, just these two. After decades of searching, he found his older siblings, and recently found the rest of us. My Great Great Grandfather is his Great Grandfather. 

This is his quilt. The next quilt I made is for his Grandson, Cory, who obviously is also a lost cousin, and is currently serving. He's spent a lot of time in the middle east war zones.

 

Figment Change Purse (Dec 2023)

I've gotten behind on posting, My laptop died making it hard to get out here. I'm picking up a new one soon! This goes with the Figment Purse on the earlier post. Stopping by Epcot, we found these stuffed Figment heads that really served no purpose, and bought one. Unpicking all the stitching and removing the fluff inside, I made a small purple zippered bag, and then sewed the pieced of the figment head to the outside. Now, a unique coin and other purse.

 

Doubled, Reversible Figment Purse/Bag

Finished, the light side out

Finished, the dark side out

Showing the doubled bag

This Christmas gift is in the books! It was gifted early, because, why wait! I have included the photo path or the build or the How-I-made-this in my 'How-To' section of the web site, for those interested!
 

Bob's Vintage Quilt

My latest project, his blankets were 'lost' in the move! This includes pockets for storage, and lots of old, outgrown pants and shirts. With the heavy top fabric, the center and back are just a layer of cotton each. Still, very warm.

His old jeans and favorite shirts

Playing 'Thread Chicken', didn't make it

It was sure a heavy quilt to move around!

 

New Jammies For Me

 

It's been a little cool and overcast, and drizzly.

I prefer to work on the patio, with all that fresh air and sunshine, but the past week or so, it hasn't been so bright and clear, so I've been preparing things that I can come back to and put together when the weather is less damp and more sunny.

One of those projects is a new pair of jammies for me, in silk, they will be beautiful! And there are a project or two that I have uncovered that I didn't quite finish in the past, that I will get onto very soon and get them out of the door.

New Silk Jammies for me

Figment Big Shirt - Fixed

Bought a shirt at Walt Disney World, in Epcot - a Figment long sleeved, something like a sweatshirt, made of man-made fabrics, more like a woven. It was made as a 'short-shirt', for baring the midriff. Why anyone wearing a long-sleeved sweatshirt like shirt would want to bare their midriff, I can NOT imagine. So, while I like the art that is on the shirt, the Figment in multicolor, the shirt wasn't wearable as it was. We had to buy the very biggest size, and then change it to make it fit. The above was the first pin up of what it might become.

I slit the front, added a non stretch cotton, and then added a multicolor zipper, and took it in, to make it something that could be worn. Now, it's beautiful!