I'm changing directions, a bit late in the game, and working toward new successes - This is the journey of 'Denise Made It'
Sunday, July 6, 2025
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.
Saturday, June 21, 2025
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. |
![]() |
| Pinning the sandwich. |
Labels:
bridge,
combat veteran,
covered bridge,
Flowers,
gift away,
gift quilt,
gifting,
grass,
green trees,
quilt,
quilt of Valor,
red bridge,
summer,
veteran
Monday, June 9, 2025
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! |
Labels:
autumn trees,
brown,
combat veteran,
covered bridge,
gift away,
gift quilt,
orange,
quilt,
quilt of Valor,
red,
red bridge,
veteran,
yellow
Monday, April 21, 2025
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!
Seascape - Peaceful Murmurings - Yet Another Quilt Of Valor
This week, I've put the last two quilts into the mail to their recipients. I think the folks who see them presented at the meeting will be surprised. They are more 'art' than the many I have sent up before. You can judge for your self on my Quilt of Valor page, and scroll down.
![]() |
| Gathering the fabrics together |
![]() |
| Sorting fabrics into groups for cutting |
Pinning the Sandwich
![]() |
| Quilting, this one has taken FOREVER!!! |
![]() |
| Finished! Can you see it?? |
Finished!
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Autumn in Indiana
Went shopping at the end of last week, for a big stack of fabric to begin my next several quilts. It might not be enough to finish them, but I have ideas for the next three. Starting the process here.
![]() |
| Building blocks of colorful leaves |
![]() |
| Blocks into strips, and strips laid out |
![]() |
| Top strip and batting attached to back |
![]() |
| And there it is with tree trunks and binding! |
![]() |
| Isn't the back pretty? |
Labels:
combat veteran,
gift,
gift away,
gifting,
quilt,
quilt art,
quilt of Valor,
veteran
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Quilt of Valor ...And Amber Waves of Grain
Here I go again! Actually, I'm about a week in, not at the beginning. With everything that's going on, (and there's a lot going on! Two family members broke arms, a month apart, both needing help, three new puppies, that car crash in December still having reverberations in that my car was not repaired well....) I'm starting on my 40th Quilt of Valor! It's tentatively named '...And Amber Waves of Grain'.
For a long time, I've felt that 40 might be my last quilt. It always felt like a distant number, but had no meaning beyond that. But I realize now that's wrong, it has to be 55. So far, that's how long Curt has been left behind in Vietnam. One quilt a year for surviving forces, that made it home.
![]() |
| Choosing fabric from my stash |
![]() |
| First into strips, then into triangles |
![]() |
| Enough triangles to start building blocks |
![]() |
| How I begin my block builds, then stack to rows |
![]() |
| The first two rows laid into blocks |
![]() |
| The 3rd row going together |
![]() |
| Using the row above to build the 4th |
![]() |
| The last two rows set up ready to sew |
![]() |
| 6 strips set and sewed, laid out into quilt top |
![]() |
| Sandwich built for the first 2 strips |
![]() |
| Sandwiching the last 2 strips |
![]() |
| Quilting, stitching backwards to build the top |
![]() |
| Top two thirds quilted, pinning on last |
![]() |
| Changed! Bottom added and pinned. |
Labels:
art,
colorful,
combat veteran,
gift away,
landscape,
meaningful,
quilt,
quilt art,
quilt landscape,
quilt of Valor,
veteran
Sunday, January 12, 2025
Landscape Quilt - I've always wanted to make one as a QOV
My next Quilt of Valor - Who says that they all need to be red, white and blue?!! Especially for veterans of long past wars. An image of the American Southwest is just as celebratory, right? I happened to see an ad, for a calendar, and I am taking my inspiration from this. I've done art quilts before, so, onward! I've even done landscape quilts before, but it's been a while, and it's time to do another one.
Update: This quilt went into the mail on March 1st, with the last quilt I created at the same time. I think I may try my hand at a couple more of these 'type' quilts. Folk Art at it's finest.
One of these may be my next attempt!
![]() |
| Strips (6), not yet assembled |
![]() |
| Same strips from a different angle |
![]() |
| The Quilt. I like it! |
Labels:
art,
combat veteran,
desert,
folk art,
gift,
landscape,
quilt,
quilt of Valor,
red rocks,
veteran,
veteran quilt
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
















































