Quilts of Valor - Covid-19 style

I was doing so-o well at surviving and maybe even thriving in the self - isolation ... but then, Phase 2 got busier!  Not really better, just busier. And the time seems to be going faster!

 I looked around my sewing room at the beginning of Phase 2 and actually thought, "I should just stay home awhile and get this mess cleaned up!!"  The irony hit me a split second later!!

While Phase 2 was new (and still working) we set up the appointments with our Veterans to be presented with their Quilt of Valor.  We held them outside, with limited attendance, we wore masks and were gone in 10-15 minutes.

In 2 weeks, I presented 16 quilts!  One or two presentations a day.  Three of our Veterans were from out of town.  They were nice enough to come back to Brookings to receive their quilts.  We met at the Capella; the pocket park on 101 downtown; (loud!) and a family member's house.  But have no fear - there was plenty of driving up into the hills involved.  One house was especially remote.  A friend that was along said, "If we hear banjos, we're out of here!"  But all addresses were found and Veterans given a quilt in the end.

This was our 'group block project' last year.  I got the idea out of StashLab's String Method Book.  Since we are basically making Half Square Triangles; so any Log Cabin setting works!  Our first finished quilt from that design - and they loved it!

It was fun to work directly with each Veteran. I felt I got to know them and will remember them easier.  It was more personal, less crowded and we had better photo opportunities with family members.  I took pictures with my ipad and emailed them to the Veteran each evening.

I was very careful during that time, no matter where I was.  I wore my face mask everywhere - I was determined not to be the downfall of anyone!  A friend even teased me about social distancing in my car!  Yes, I was driving (3 blocks) from one place to another, and I kept on my mask!  Wouldn't you??

Remember, I was working with a population that is at risk, yet most of them did NOT wear a mask.  I heard many times when I offered a mask to anyone needing one, "We have them, we just don't wear them."  Really???

I couldn't always talk them into wearing one.  But I kept mine on, even during photos.  One family asked if we could step back 20 feet and take off our masks so they could see who was presenting!  And at the last presentation I had a new problem.  My mask keep slipping off my ear, usually when my hands were full.  Did I sleep on my ear wrong???  Good thing it's only a 10 minute ceremony.  I fully expected the Veteran to offer some duct tape!!

I still have to complete the QOV paperwork and there are 2 or 3 more presentations to be arranged when family is all here.  But, the rush is officially over!!  I admit, our print shop owner and I are both thrilled to be done with it.  I was at the copy shop every day!

I made the certificates with a blank line to write in the date and place of the presentation. (FYI, Nobody likes their own writing!) and the signature line was for the presenter.  So those holding their own presentation, filled it in and signed the certificate too.  In total, 32 will be presented. Thank you for service.

We are the Home of The Free because of The Brave!

Thanks to a good friend who posted this on Instagram - makes me laugh while still wearing a mask!

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The days are blurring again!! Tuesday?

 

Yesterday was crunch day!  I was making masks for family in the Midwest.  I know I've complained about this before ... but just to reiterate: our small town has ONE delivery / pickup for mail:  11 AM!  So, if you want the mail to go out that day, you have to join the multitudes in line at the post office by 10:30!!  I won't even talk about the fact that mail comes in at 11.  So it doesn't go out -at the earliest - til the next day!!!  So one package made the 11:00 deadline, but I've got to go back today with the other two envelopes!!  Sigh! One price of living on the edge of the earth!

When we are not on quarantine, I cheat by going into California where the mail pickup is 4 pm ... I also go to Crescent City twice a week for water aerobics.  Hmm, I wonder if that will start up again??  Life in Limbo continues!

So I made 9 masks with over the ear elastic.  Most of the masks requested were for shopping trips.  But also have some Nieces working full time ... so a combo of styles were needed.

Meanwhile, I managed to finish an UFO.  Last year, when our block program was Sawtooth Star, I made or delegated alternate squares for a raffle drawing each month.  Yeah, I didn't get much else done last year.

I sewed the very last of my Sawtooth Stars for a lap robe for a veteran in Gold Beach ... and then this Broken Dishes alternate block set got turned back in!!  Seriously, does everyone's luck run this way???  So amid grumbling ... ok, mostly grumbling ... I made more Sawtooth Stars and at February retreat, I pieced it all together.  But, I only took scraps to retreat ... no border possibilities - and then ... someone gave me a bag of patriotic fabrics and this stripe was in it.  Just enough for the borders and the strip across the back.  AND the grey backing too!  Top completed!  I even handed it off to one of our Long Arm Quilters there at retreat!

 

My 13 yr old DGD is still playing the photo puzzle game!  And I'm loving that daily contact. But I'm sad to report that she's the only one!!   The 11 yr old played 2 days, then politely ignored me!!  The Panama Crew is way too frazzled with teaching homeschool lessons over web; teaching elementary dynamos and a 3 year old under martial law and Panama City went DRY!!  Beer supply is diminishing ... can panic be far behind??  So yes, I understand ... but my hopes were so high!!  Here's the photos Miss P and I are still exchanging:

 

 

Reveal at end of post!!

I was on a mission with the Plus/X blocks this weekend!  Twosies!!  I was excited to almost get to fill another row!  I had a pile I'd been collecting on the ironing board.  Instead of moving the piles to the bed (where on the bed I know not!!  It's piled high already! Sigh!) I picked out the ones I liked the best and made them up.  Of course, there was searching for 12 background squares; some light, some dark.  But they all cooperated and worked up fast!

 

 

 

Winners all!!  What, you want to see them together??  So did I!  Just one block short of 1/2 way done!!  BUT we'll have to wait til tomorrow - 3 tries & I'm out!!

Time to Recap 2019!!

You sure didn't get "the rest of the story" on the blog this year!!!  Sorry about that.  I've been playing Wheel of Fortune - too much - and apparently boycotting the rest of the web!

P and I watched a new series on HBO (via BBC One)  Years and Years!  OMGoodness - it was so good.  Slightly in the future with the same political and earth problems.  It was fascinating and slightly scary!!!  One line got my attention.  Paraphrasing here:  "Remember when the political news was boring??  We used to go to the kitchen and get a snack!!!  Art imitates life!!!!

I taught Hand Embroidery last spring and I loved it!  The samplers turned out modern - just as I wanted them to!  Lots of personality in them.  I thought I would teach it again this fall, bought supplies and everything!!  But By My Hand tightened up their store space and there's no longer a classroom.  Sigh!  Oh well, who knows where I would have found the time!

I feel that I was a slacker this year in the sewing room!  The last of the dog-damaged quilts from Portland were made whole again.  And that sucked up alot of the energy in the room.  I am not mentally equipped to repair badly damaged quilts!!  And the dog-lovers have been warned!  Yes, I still love them, even the 4-footed ones!

My 2019 QOV program was ambitious!  We all worked on Sawtooth Stars and I ran an alternate block raffle each month - so making 17 alternate blocks or begging someone else to do it monthly!  We made more money than we thought we would and we did end up with plenty of quilts for the year.  And although I had my doubts about an 'inbred' selection of quilts ... that didn't happen!

Sometimes you couldn't even tell the same star blocks were in them!!  2020's monthly block is a string block aka StashLab's String star.  I'm loving it and the blocks have been coming in like clockwork.  At our December Open Sew weekend I put the first QOV top together - just to be sure it was working!!  And boy-oh-boy did it!!  Gorgeous!!

So my Finished list - 2019 included:

2 repaired quilts
6 wall or baby quilts
4 QOV quilts!!
5 pillowcases for GKids
10 Fabric Post cards for exchanges
1 Queen sized!!
10 ModSquad monthly projects

Not bad for an off-year!!

Just so you don't think I've slowed down too much ... I attended 6 Quilting retreats!!  Finishing School and Bayshore in Bandon;  Brookings Guild and 3 Amigos in Gold Beach; Sisters Week at Black Butte (2nd year!) and 3 Amigos Beach Bums in Crescent City over Labor Day Weekend!!!

P and I joined and worked on Jen Kingwell's BOM thru QuiltMania.  We were keeping up pretty well until they had the reveal ... and we didn't like it!  Darn!  We're going to change it up a bit - or get used to it!!  And oh, my! we bought a boat-load of her fabrics - probably enough to make 5 of the quilts!!!  Oops!

I read 45 books this year. (if I finish the one I'm reading!)  That number is probably a little soft - I have problems writing down the computer books I've finished!  Something about getting them ready to go back to the library helps me keep track!

Favorites:

The Day the World Came to Town  Jim Defede - The Broadway musical was based on this book.  I loved the characters, the story and how good you felt that even on 9-11 there were people in this world that did good deeds for strangers, against all the hate and fear that was blossoming.

Invisible by Andrew Grant  An Army Intelligence Agent goes undercover at the courthouse to solve a murder.

Relic by Alan Dean Foster  SciFi  The last human in the universe is telling our story

The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose  - Fascinating story of the famous performance artist Marina Abramović, who staged a show in NYC.  She sits quietly at a table and audience members can participate by joining her at the table - no talking, no touching.

The Book Artist by Mark Pryor  A spy novel with so many twists and turns you can't put it down!

Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen  SciFi  Set in San Francisco where a time-traveler gets stranded and has to live invisibly to save the future.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles  Our book club read this.  If I had known that Russian literature could be this charming - I would have read more a long time ago! :-)

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens  Another Book Club - fascinating to the last page!!

The Threadbare Heart by Jennie Nash  The description says '...23 tubs of fabric' and I knew that I'd like the main character already!!

We are experiencing a West Coast Winter Storm!  And I am up way too late!  So I may add photos to this later ... or not!  Here's to 2020 where we will do more of our favorite things and pass on the joy of living to everyone we see!!

Shhhh!! It's acting like summer ... finally!

I thought I was going to get so-o-o-o much done today!  I had plans, darn it!! Well, I got caught in a "Spring Cleaning Your Studio" Blog Hop.  Does that count??

If you have hours to waste, I mean, if you are looking for ideas on studios - this is the place!!

Each blog is more enticing than the last!  You can get seriously hooked!  Thanks Cheryl for introducing yourself and your studio-links!   But when will we have time to work on our own studios????

It's T-minus 6 days to the Annual Azalea Festival here on the Southern-most Oregon coast.  Seriously, it's 7 miles to California!!  I hear it's an awesome festival - it's also the Quilt Show for us, so I haven't seen much of anything else that is going on.

But if you're looking for lovely weather (check!) Some awesome quilts (check!) and a great place to kick back alittle - come see us at Brookings Oregon over Memorial Day weekend.

Our (my) first Quilt of Valor Presentation Ceremony is Sunday, May 28, 2017 at the Kaliopsis Elementary School gym.  That's where we hold the show every year.  It will be at 2 pm.  We are presenting quilts to 17 veterans.  We're so excited and nervous!

I had a quilt to present today - the Korean War Veteran 'doesn't get out much'.  It was my first presentation and I have been driving myself crazy.  But I was so glad to 'get it under my belt.'   The presentation doesn't have to be perfect, moving or even about the quilters.  I found that if I can help the veteran to relax, and not be nervous too - it's all good!  I think, if I can just remember that, the big presentation will go well. Fingers crossed.

I'll be back tomorrow with how much I'm getting done!!!?  Promise!

Quilting Questions - what kind of quilter are you?

A very prolific quilter in Stashbusters Online posed some questions this week and it's been very interesting responding and reading other members' answers.

*When choosing a pattern, do you look at the sizes of the different pieces used to make up the components of the block ?*
    No, I usually pay attention to the size of the finished quilt.  I'll adjust unit sizes until I get to that goal.  I've been re-figuring alot of cool Pinterest kid quilts this year ... I have graph paper and am not afraid to use it!!  Makes a good "watching TV" project too!

*What is the smallest unfinished strips you will use?*

    1 1/2 is the smallest but love to work with 2" strips.

*What size unfinished 1/2 square triangles ?*
     Just made some 1" finished for the fabric PostCard - won't make that mistake again!!

*What size unfinished 1/4 square triangles ?*

      Don't use these very often - but 3"-4" finished?

*Do you like using skinny strings ?*

     Yes, but have drifted away from strings for awhile. Usually not under 1 1/4" strip

*What size unfinished squares will you use ?*
      2" regularly used. 4.5" finished 9patches are so-o cute!

*Do you make strip sets if they will make construction easier ?*
     I can and have, but don't usually.  I like a scrappier look.  "Rabid Scrappy" as DH often points out!!!

*Do you like making square in a square blocks ?*
      Sure, but not making them often.

*Do you like using the tri - rex ruler ?*
      Sure, by not often - what the heck DO I do??

*Do you like making flying geese ?*
      Yes - they are great units in 8-pted stars!

I'm adding these questions!

*What is your favorite part of quilting?*

     I'm all about the patchwork.  I love working with and being inspired by the fabrics.  Seeing how they work together.  What secondary blocks they make.

*Do you buy precuts?* 

     I might if I really like the line.  BUT I don't let them be the only fabrics in a project.  I mix all my possibilities together - different manufacturers, different decades!!!  If I only use one line - to me, it just looks like it could have been a panel!!  And whats the use of that!!

*How long have you been quilting?*

     45 years!!  I started in Minneapolis - they have cold winters!  There was a lovely bedspread and I 'couldn't afford it'!!  So, I'll just make a quilt!  Surprisingly, that didn't save me money then or at anytime since!!!

*How did you learn to quilt?*

     My grandmother quilted before I was born, so I was surrounded by quilts.  Her eyesight had given out and she was just hemming diapers for the Red Cross when I came along.  

     I basically taught myself from books, then magazines and then a few classes.  It must have been in my blood because I was hooked from the very first one! I believe the longest I've gone without quilting was 2 weeks during a cross-country move!  AND I missed it!!!

*What are your favorite quilts to work on?*
     Favorite quilts are patchwork with smallish blocks - I love seeing the repeats across the quilt.  Sashing and borders show up now and then.  But block against block - from one edge to the other!!  That's how I roll!

     One long-term favorite UFO is 4" log cabins!  1 1/2" logs - aiming for a kingsize quilt!!! 

*Do you construct to size or do you trim?*
     I usually trim back to size.  It's a pain in the neck, but I hate, hate, hate being just a smidge too small.

*What size quilt do you usually make?*
     Well, earlier in my career it was large bed quilts.  I live in a very small condo and I have filled it with quilts.  So today I like to make baby quilts. (our community has a baby shower every year) or throws.
      I'm continually surprised how much mess I can make when in "sweat shoppe" mode!!  Even with smaller quilts.

*Do you usually quilt by check?*
     I usually machine quilt my own quilts with my DSM.  Once a year or so, I pay someone else to quilt a quilt for me.  BUT I usually have very simple and supportive quilting.  It's all about the patchwork for me.
     My DH is a golfer, he says he doesn't pay someone else to putt for him!!  He finishes himself!  But I'm convinced he would pay if that was a choice!!!

*How do you machine quilt?*
      I love to quilt with a walking foot.  I have free-motion quilted, but I love angular lines for quilting and that's easy and fast with the walking foot.

*Do you hand quilt?*
     Yes, I quilted on a frame earlier.  Due to size limitations here, I pin baste on the frame and hand quilt in a hoop.  My hands are beginning to give me problems ... so I can't hand quilt a bed quilt anymore.  But I enjoy hand quilting and started a throw quilt this year. 
     I'm sorry to say that I didn't get it finished in time for the show this year - but I have high hopes to finish it for next year's show. (I blame Pinterest!!!)

So what's YOUR quilting story!!

We've had wicked, wicked wind lately.  One night it made it's way into my dreams!  And we're an 'inside' condo with other condos protecting us from all sides!

Tuesday night it was at it again - it sounded like it was coming from every direction - and as you can see - it was!!

This is our dog-walking area.  The 'tee-pee' is the roll of plastic bags to clean up after your dog with!!!  Pretty big mess!

The posted box on the left is where the roll started. There's a small birdhouse type opening where you access the bags.  How the wind pulled it out and kept it going, who knows!!!

 It was about 20 feet to the decorated bushes!  There were more bags strewn about, couldn't get it all into one picture!!  Must have been a 'teenager' wind!! Tee-hee!

The last batch of QOVs have come back from the long-arm quilters.  I just had to take this picture! Seven of our 18 QOV quilts that will be presented to Veterans during our Azalea Fest Quilt show over Memorial Day weekend.  Our guild has really stepped up this year.  It will be our first presentation - hoping it will become an annual tradition.  Quilter-Power!!

Between all this rain and dripping ...

I've been in a funk!  Ha!  I admitted it - that's hard to do.  I guess I got over all that energy to do everything at once.  What took me down? At first it was a sneezing fit, then apparently a cold I shared with a good friend - sorry, C!  And then a week of sinus infection - that's the dripping I'm complaining about.

I was a wreck, a pity puddle, a zombie.  But I still tried to follow my schedule - that didn't work at all!  So do what I say, not what I do - if you're sick - stay home!!!  Rest, drink fluids, moan and groan and wait to get better!  What a hard lesson to remember!

But with all the zombie-ness and sleeping for hours at a time - day and night ... oye vay! my To-Do List runneth over!

If you can believe it - I'm #7 (with a bullet) Lady in Waiting to become Queen of the UFOs!  Jeepers! And I even had a finish this year - it's only March for golly-sakes!  Luckily for me, my QOV double 9patch (an UFO of a few years ago) just came back from a very talented QOV longarmer!  It looks awesome and she didn't even whine about my (very) pieced back! Thank you SS for an awesome job.  She's also on Stashbusters and actually told me I was #7!!  Now that is a full service friend!

Folded view of the top - the name of the quilting design is "Dog Tags".  Very fun and appropriate!

Close up of the back.  And the black/beige plaid for the binding. A large picture of the WHOLE quilt will be posted after it's finished.  I promise!

It's not RW&B - it's all homespun plaids, very man-ly.  The back is all dark beige-ings I was clearing out of the over-flowing beige-ings stash drawers.  I was really happy with the quilt at first.  Then I got nervous about handing over a 17 pieces pieced back to a volunteer!  But all went well, and it turned out AwEsOmE! Happy again!  I even found some black/beige plaid in my stash that's pretty darn perfect for binding it!

I also need to finish a baby quilt for my great nephew and his wife.  Baby's growing right along and I think he/she will be here in May.  The ambiguity is because they live in Nebraska and I'm here in rainy Oregon!  I have two baby receiving  blankets ready to finish for them, and this I spy checkerboard quilt.  My Mom had macular degeneration and about the only quilting she could do was sew a straight line and chain stitch on her Featherweight.  I collected I Spy fabrics (I still pick up a great one even now!!!) I cut squares, paired them up, pinned them, she stitched, I but them apart, checked and refilled bobbins, paired twosies into foursies and we made 7? checkerboard tops for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren's first child.  Mom passed last summer, and I know she's egging me on to get this one done in time for C&K's baby. She never did 'hold with' being late!

I got the top out, ready to add borders and piece the back, ready to quilt on my DSM tomorrow.  AND I've got two small twin Mickey Mouse panel+borders quilts to give to the Disneyland kiddos.  A Nana's got to do what a Nana's got to do!!!

AND Mr M announced that he has grown out of his favorite pj bottoms I made.  He kindly made me a list of which ones need to be replaced.  A few years back I'd made him some very cute robot pj pants.  He grew out of them too quickly and I found the same fabric and made him some bigger ones.

It was very confusing to a preschooler that "they fit again".  But I think he's got it now.  He told his mom, "Nana can find the same fabric and make me some more."  Oh, dear, anyone have 2 yards of Angry Birds fabric to spare??

I have Star Wars (to replace the Angry Birds) and Baseballs ready to cut.

And that's just this weekend's To-Do!!  We'll see if I have any "sustainability" today!! Stay well and if you're not - stay home and recoup!

The Week of Quilts Challenge on FB

I just participated in the FB Quilt Week challenge. It was lots of fun to look back. I ignored the blog while I was doing it - so I thought I'd catch you up!! Enjoy! PS - don't worry about not being FB friends with me - I'm not very active out there! You know me better thru this blog!! Lucky you???


Day 1  Mary C challenged me to post a quilt I have made every day for a week. I'm at a Quilt Guild Retreat this weekend, and this is the only quilt picture on my computer that I have made! Recently finished - an I Spy quilt. Love the design.

I've been quilting for over 40 years and have never stopped for more than a couple of weeks. It is truly an addiction - errr - passion!! I love making small presents for friends and families.There have been baby quilts, graduation quilts, wedding quilts, quilt lessons, quilt retreats, even quilt cruises!! There are dozens (scores) of UFOs - Unfinished Objects - and more quilts planned than any one person can make in a life time!! Us quilters wouldn't have it any other way!!

I don't know if I'll find a way to post a picture tomorrow - you might just have to settle for a quilt story - I have quite a few!!

If you've received a quilt product from me or have spent "quilty" time with me, leave a comment!!! I promise photos Sunday and beyond!




22 Likes and Comments included:

DeEtte T: Quilt Retreat memory: We were shopping in Omaha during a Spring Retreat. Just browsing around and you hears a whistling noise. You decided it was coming from me & I was determined it was NOT. You win!!! I had stuck my hearing aid in my pocket and it accidentally got turned on smile emoticon I always get a grin when I think about that. Miss retreating with you Doni Boyd. Enjoy your weekend!


Jamar B:  I was just thinking about all our quilts yesterday. The problem is we will never be able to get rid of any of them because they are all made with such love. My favorite is the one you made me for my graduation with all my favorite colors. I also love the jungle animals and Eric Carle theme. The boys love their Halloween quilts especially the one with super heroes on the back.


Mary W: You, yourself are addicting (contagious?) You gave me a lesson on rotary cutting 15 years ago, and I've been quilting ever since! It's been great fun!


Bronna C: I have two baby quilts from you! Still love them 20+ years later.


Kathleen K: Hi Doni, long ago you gave me a postcard sized quilt of a kitty cat. It always makes me think of you and water aerobics and your love of quilting. Cheers!


Lindsay R: I have a few favorite memories....i loved helping as a kid "underneath the frame" when you had large quilts. I also loved it when you would constantly ask me to help you find needles in the carpet when you dropped them. My favorite quilts are our wedding quilt, my cat quilt as a kid, and the kiddo Halloween quilts!


Joni S: You introduced me to quilting by having me look at quilting magazines. I found a pattern and you graciosuly provided all the fabric, cutting board and rotary cutter. I believe this all took place on Super Bowl Sunday. I have been addicted ever since and I thank you.


Twy H: Great I Spy Quilt,


Day 2  Hi! Home from Quilt Retreat - happy to say that a good time was had by all! It was a beautiful drive home too!

This is the wedding quilt I made for my son and his lovely bride 5 years ago. A log cabin in a zig-zag pattern with 3 "love stamps" spaced in. I thought by making a huge log cabin it would get it out of my system.

I started planning the next one immediately!! What pattern is like that for you?? Share with us!




26 Likes and Comments:

Claire G:  Wonderful! What an heirloom for your son and daughter in law!

Betty W:  It is a really outstanding quilt!

Tamara R: We love our wedding quilt. You are so talented and do such beautiful work! A and J's is absolutely beautiful!

Marcie S:  That is just beautiful!

Donna S:  Beautiful! What a special gift!

Day 3 of My Quilts! Two years ago our Brooking Guild made quilts for Quilts of Valor. I made one for them, but then made 3 quilts for 3 Veterans that I know personally! I was nervous about giving them quilts. I made the labels long, so they could pass the quilt on to someone else, if they wanted. But they all LOVED them. I even got thank you notes from MEN!!! I highly recommend this charity and to also make a quilt for someone you know!




13 Likes and Comments included:

Betty W: My favorite quilts are for veterans

Saun S: Awesome

Ok - Now I have to tell this quilt story!! Nicole, my awesome Great-Niece, received a tied string quilt my mom and I made for my dad.

She felt something hard in the left side, and she's a curious gal! There was a small opening on the right side of the quilt. So she carefully threaded this object all the way across the quilt to the opening. At first she thought it might be his plastic hospital bracelet ... But it was a 120 inch tape measure!!!!

When she returned it, she mentioned where she found it. Mom aka Granny replied, "I've been looking for that!!!" LOL! Thanks Nicole for sharing that story - it's so Granny!!

23 Likes and Comments:

Nicole S: I love this story!!! I was hoping it was something magical, left there for history... But no just a great laugh!!!!! I could not believe it when I pulled that measuring tape out. 

Gretchen L:  Too funny!


Day 4 of my quilts - This is a guild challenge project. The challenge was Things that Fly! I immediately thought of air mail and then stamps. I had cancelled stamps and then started searching the internet. There were birds; ducks; Mary Poppins; Superman ...

If your guild has challenges - take them up on it! Nothing is better to get you working outside your box! And that's a good thing. Plus Challenges are usually small - and fun!!

9 Likes and Comments:

Mary C:  I love seeing these! Thanks for sharing.


Day 5 (with a little break in between!!)Presenting my Grandkids' Big Girl and Big Boy quilts! You know you have to keep things 'even' with grand kids. So don't try to give everyone a quilt when you give a quilt. Give each a quilt when they reach a certain stage! When the kids each moved into their "big bed" they got a quilt from Nana! Miss P was the first with a pink fish quilt. Mr M got the patchwork "Bear went over the Mountain" quilt and Mr D got the Eric Carle panel design. Mr D went into a youth bed before the bunk bed and I was very relieved he liked his quilt. I made it early and THEN he went "all super-hero all the time" But too late for the quilt!! Mr K is fast approaching his Big Boy Bed, but I've got it started!

After bed quilts come the Kindergarten Quilts! Everyone draws a picture for Nana to applique on the quilt! So far we have a unicorn quilt and an alligator quilt!! Mr D will have to work on his picture this year! He turns 5 in April!

These quilts are my favorite kind to make! They're not for a show, they're for love and I'm happy to announce that they have been loved to death!!  My job is done!  ... for now!  Tee-hee!

 

     






17 Likes and Comments included:

Diane E: You make great quilts. My kids loved theirs - and still have them.

Mary C: I am behind in making the Bigger quilts for my Grandkids. I get reminded every time I see a certain grandson, that his quilt is too small. Thanks for sharing your reasoning. Making 20 grandchild quilts in a year would be HARD!

Saun S: Awesome!

Tamara R: Such a great and talented Grandma! You're grandchildren have been truly blessed and so have you.

Twy H: Love seeing them, Doni.


Day 6 of My Quilts! I know I wander far and wide from just showing my quilt of the day ... those who know me well are NOT a bit surprised!! 

One Christmas oh-so-many-years-ago a good friend took charge of Lindsay to buy me a Christmas present. She bought me this awesome quilt covered 3-ring notebook! I think Lindsay was about 3rd grade when she bought this for me ... I won't say how old she is now, but she has a 3rd grader!!! (Can you believe I still have this?!?!?)

What do you put in a special notebook like this??? Well, a quilt journal of the quilts you've made and the ones you received from others!!

I really have to organize the pictures of my older quilts - I have them electronically -somewhere- And there lies the problem. The page I'm showing you is my first quilt!! Ignorance is truly bliss, because if I'd known what I was doing ... this quilt would not exist!

         

You can read all about it on the sheet! I still have the quilt and it's in great shape - I won't let anyone use it!!! We really use our quilts and I'm very afraid that this Baby Block quilt would not survive washing gracefully!

It wasn't the first one done - that was a simple royal blue and yellow Irish Chain. Long destroyed by use!! But this one is what created the quilter in me. Long before it was even done, I'd started the next quilt and the next ... I've never stopped - for 41 years!!! And I don't plan to any time soon.

Yes, I've got UFOs to finish; projects lined up for decades ahead and I don't care to hear how that isn't very practical. Thank you anyway.

I love my notebook; even if it only goes to 2000! (I started it because I was afraid I was losing my mind! - I still am!) But I also included stories about the quilt; who worked along with me and what was happening in my life. I love reading the stories over and over again!

SO - if you're a quilter, or a quilt collector, you should have one of these journals. It doesn't have to be Smithsonian worthy! It doesn't even have to be in a special notebook! But it should exist.

I know when I'm in the rest home, totally out of my mind, I'll love reading this book day after day! And I picture my kids and grandkids looking through it, remembering me.

So - your mission should you decide to accept it - is to make a scrapbook/journal like this. And I'll try to bring my memories up to 2010!! I have lists of projects finished every year; and I have photos of my quilts - somewhere!! AND I just got Photoshop elements; maybe an electronic journal that I can print and/or give digitally to those kids and grandkids!!!

Let's get busy! Well, as soon as I finish my current project! LOL!

PS - someone asked me when the next age is for quilts for the Grandkids. I was told to give a quilt to them when they turn 13. Those teen years are tough, Nana may no longer be a favorite in their lives, but at least I'll know they are wrapped in a quilty hug from me! Then HS graduation; College graduation: marriage and then for their kids of course!! When did you get quilts? What have I missed????


14 Likes and Comments included this interesting conversation:

Saun S: Wow, how many quilts do you think you've made?

Doni B: Oh my!! I haven't counted for a long time - so I did. From lists (see above). In 41 years I have made 73 quilts - twin size or larger; 190 small projects, that includes baby quilts and smaller; AND 79 Christmas stockings!!! Thanks for asking!! 

Lynne Q:  OMG!!!! Prolific!

Day 7 of my quilts! This has been fun and harder to pick quilts to share than I thought! My last quilt is just to remind you that you can use every part of the fabric you buy. You can use the front, the back and even the selvedge!




But beware - it's addictive! This is Selvedge Yard which now lives with someone else. I sold it last July at Sisters. String blocks and outside border pieced with selvedges. The lettering is "Unruly Letters" from Tonya Ricucci's book -Word Play Quilts- You can read about the process in this blog entry:

The whole quote is -Quilting: not so much a hobby [you know] more like an [infectious] obsession [and we love it sew]- the quilted words are in the brackets!

13 Likes and Comments:

Leona K: Love it

Ruth Y: My favorite quilt and reason I joined the Quilt Guild!

Twy: Now I know why we were saving selvedges for you

Georgia P:  Amazing

Ta-Da!!  So that was a full week in the life of a quilter!! You'd think that looking back at what you made would get you going again in the sewing room! Not so much!! Reminiscing takes up a lot of time.

Before I disappeared from FB' again - I wrote this:  Happy Valentine's Day!

This quilt was made for a guild "Holiday" challenge. I had been reading about the "slow movement" and used that method when working on it. I was shocked, I tell you, when I found 18 shirtings with Red in them to choose for the background!!  "Be Mine" is of my favorite wall quilts!





20 Likes and Comments:

Andrea M:  Your sister Rita C would love this!

Joni S:  Happy Valentines Day! Love this quilt.  Love all the buttons.

Leona K:  Nice

Kathleen K:  Beautiful, Doni!

Ruth Y:  Love it, Happy Valentines Day

Georgia P:  Beautiful - so talented. Happy Valentines Day.