A new experience.....

Yeah, I know...........it's been a while!

June is flying by me, and so is my vacation!

I have been designing and sewing some memory quilts for my brother-in-law's family.  Sadly, his father passed away in February.  I made sure to mention to my sister that they save all of his shirts so some memory quilts could be made.  Although this process has been humbling, it has also been very inspirational, and as soon as I am done with the two memory quilts I am currently working on, I will be sharing some patterns I have come up with.  

I have been able to visit several quilting friends so far this month, and have enjoyed sharing time with them.  My friend, and AMAZEBALLS quilter, Ann of Attic Threads invited me to attend a St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild meeting.  It was interesting, and there were some folks there I enjoyed meeting.  Please stay tuned to see if I decide to join or not?  I am undecided at this point for a few different reasons.  Perhaps you all could give me some suggestions in my comments on why it is good, or not good to join a quilt guild to help me make my decision?

I was able to share some time with my quilting friend Donna.  You can read about how I met Donna here.  She gave me the coolest sticker!  I wish I had a photo to show you!!!!! OK OK OK OK.......my camera has decided to take out on me!  HORRIBLE TIMING!  My parents 50th Wedding Anniversary is in a short 3 weeks!  YIKES!  Gonna have to get that taken care of!  I can't WAIT to show you the amazing quilting Ann has done on Golden Rings!  

I have done some damage to my bank account RETAIL THERAPY in some quilt stores lately, and I can't wait to show you those items either!  I have also been blessed by the kindness of others in the form of scraps!  My mouth is literally watering thinking of all of the possibilities that can be done with them! 

I would like to share a new experience I recently had, and I DO have the photos to show you!  My quilting friend Bev offered to show me how to use her long arm quilting machine, so I JUMPED at the opportunity!  Perhaps you remember this quilt:

This quilt top was made using Tara Rebman's pattern, "Eating In Bed" found in the premier issue of Modern Quilts Unlimited magazine.

I donated this quilt to Bev's VFW group.  The group then decided to have Bev quilt it, and have a raffle fundraiser with it!  After Bev loaded the quilt, and began quilting, she invited me over to learn a few things.  I have never used a long arm quilting machine other than playing with some at various quilt shows.  It was a very interesting experience and one that made me hunger to learn more!

Here is Kevin the Quilter actually QUILTING!  

Looking rather focused I might add! 

I didn't want to mess anything up!

Bev was so kind and encouraging!

I had an absolute blast and can't WAIT to learn more from her and Ann!

(I am cracking myself up at how stern I REALLY DO look when I am focused on something! LOL)

Truth be told, I didn't do very much quilting at all.  Obviously my quilting looked different than Bev's did, and I didn't want it to effect the overall quilting.  ANYONE, and I do mean ANYONE that doesn't think quilting is an ART FORM...........well, I have one gesture for you, compliments of my father....

 A very happy Father's Day to all you dad's, grandpas, and uncles out there including mine! 

As always,

Thanks for all of the encouragement!

Kevin the Quilter

   

 

This and that.........

It was a lot of fun to participate in my first Blogger's Quilt Festival.  Please visit  THE WINNERS!  I am so impressed by all of the work presented this Spring.  Thanks Amy's Creative Side for hosting such a fun event!  And, THANK YOU to everyone who supported me and voted for my entry!

Here is my month of May in photos!

Mother's Day with my Momma and Sister!
(Sister on left, Momma on right! LOL)

My Sister and Niece's Pop Concert!

Here is my niece's friend (left), and my niece (right) singing a duet!
They sang "Changed" by Rascal Flatts.

They did a really great job, and sis' Pop Concert is always a hit!

(Sorry for the blurry photo!)

Niece's ballet recital.  "Blue Danube"
BEAUTIFUL!

I can't believe her Freshman year of high school is over!
She also just got her driver's permit!
YIKES!

In sewing news, I received this awesome mini quilt by Victoria Findlay Wolfe:

 "Playing With William Tell"
I loved being able to swap quilts with her, and couldn't be happier with this quilt she made me!


And, of course, here is the quilt I made her:

"She's Puttin' On Her Big Girl Panties"
Thank you ALL so much for your kind words regarding her!
I'd also like to thank all of you who voted for her in the Blogger's Quilt Festival!
I'd also like to thank my niece for thinking this was a fancy pot holder!  SHEEEESH!

I completed the "Taking Names" quilt top.

I was also able to complete 3 quilt tops for Quilts of Valor of Eastern Missouri.  I always love donating to QOV, or any other patriotic service organization.  When I was introduced to Dar of:

 Dar's Patchwork Garden 

(please visit her blog)

and realized the organization was in the middle of a quilt drive, I put the gears in motion!  Dar is a lovely gal who does so much good work for Quilts of Valor of Eastern Missouri.  An interesting tid-bit about this particular group is, most of their quilts are hand quilted!  Dar shared with me their need for 100 quilts for a troop that is returning home from Afghanistan this summer.  Come to find out, the troop originates from a town very close to where I grew up.  I was able to put this and that together and came up with these:

3 patriotic pillow cases to hold QOV's

  A wonky log cabin with star borders.  

The background fabric blends right in with my concrete floors  DESIGN WALL!

A patriotic tumbler with star borders.

My quilting friend Bev donated the center of this quilt.

Remember this post?

Here is what became of Lynn's fabrics she donated to me:

A quarter log cabin design that turned out very well if I do say so myself!

I will have enough of this fabric left over to do at least one more QOV.

I was also able to show it to her in person as she had requested.

These photos were taken inside due to the thunderstorms and wet weather we have been experiencing in my neck of the woods.  We have had some pretty bad flooding along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.  On a side note, I was working during the horrific tornado in Moore, OK, and actually was flying over it as it happened.  We were diverted thankfully. More recently we had a tornado in the greater St. Louis area.  I am praying for all of the families that lost so much during these monstrous acts of nature. Hopefully, the worst is over.

Genesis 9:11
And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood;
neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.

I am so thankful to be on vacation the entire month of June!  YIPPPEEEEEEEEEE!  And, no, I am not going anywhere! LOL  This flight attendant is staying as far away from an airport or airplane as he can for the next few weeks!

As always,

Thanks for all of the encouragement!

Have a safe summer!

Kevin the Quilter