Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Which city did I recently fly through and took this photo at the airport?
Hmm? No cheating!

I am testing my capabilities of blogging from my smarter than me phone!

If Bonnie Hunter can do it....so can I!

Coming up on the blog......photos of the progress my friends and I have made with the block drive blocks!

As always,
Thanks for all of the encouragement!
Kevin the Quilter

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Summer Re-cap..............

OK........

Now, I know I am getting older......the BIG 4-0 this year.........

And, I have heard that as you get older, time goes by faster.........

I have also always heard that time flies when you are having fun........

Well, apparently, all of the above apply to me and my summer, so, let's review, shall we?

(LOTS O'PHOTOS..........be forewarned!)

JUNE
June began with the closing of the block drive and the beginning of a busy summer!

I love cooking with fresh herbs from my garden.

Playing with patriotic scraps!
Hmmm.....I wonder what this may turn into?

 Happy Father's Day to the world's greatest dad!
He is always so serious, it's hard to get him to have some fun!  NOT!

 I am not their daddy, but, I sure am a proud uncle to these two!
Curtis is getting so big, and will be going into the 6th grade.  He has expressed an interest in quilting!
It is really hard to believe my niece is driving, and is going to be a junior in high school!  She now has a job at a veterinarian clinic which will help her gain valuable experience as she would like to become a veterinarian one day.

Who knew Kevin the Quilter loves to go fishing?????

JULY
July remained very busy!

I was invited to judge the Miss Texas' Outstanding Teen Pageant in Richardson, TX during the 4th of July holiday.  It was very nice getting to know these wonderful individuals I judged with.  I was able to reconnect with my friend Michelle (second from left) whom I had previously judged with in another state.

 While in Texas, I was able to visit several quilt shops in the Dallas, Ft. Worth area.
I escaped the Quilt Asylum!

My friend Michelle's curiosity has been perked ever since she found out I quilt.
Here we are visiting Happiness is Quilting in McKinney, TX.
By the way, this was one of my favorite shops to visit while in Texas.
Michelle is getting a hands on demonstration by the very helpful staff.
Not only did Michelle buy the items needed for this little project, she has already started on it!
WAY TO GO MICHELLE!

The quilt my friend Bev and I collaborated on was quilted by Quilts of Valor, Eastern Missouri.
It was hand quilted beautifully and is the group's 1500th quilt!

Quilts of Valor, Eastern Missouri issued a Marine Panel challenge.  Here is my submission.
See anything wrong with it????? Well, I DIDN'T until I looked at this photo!
I retrieved the quilt, and it is now fixed! (Sorry no photo of it fixed!)
Yikes!  Just another part of getting older!!!!!

My friends and I have had 3 work days since the closing of the block drive.
I am happy to report 79 quilt tops have been pieced.
13 quilts are completed.
5 have been presented.
THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Please see my PREVIOUS POST about the 5 presentations if you haven't already?

My "girls" keepin' it real while working on these blocks from the drive!
I don't know what I would do without these close friends!

 July also allowed me and my friend Ann of ATTIC THREADS to take a class by my friend
Victoria Findlay Wolfe.  We were able to attend her lecture and trunk show as well.
What a beautiful story she has to tell, and we saw some AMAZING eye candy!

Here we are with her Star Splitter Quilt, and my version of her design.
How cool!


 My friend Kelly of O'SewPersonal was able to hand deliver the quilts she 
received from her shop's block drive to Quilts of Valor Eastern Missouri.

These quilts will soon be receiving their own personal hand quilting by the group!

And, to top it all off in July, "Radar", my collaborative quilt with my friend Ann, made it into the International Quilt Festival in Houston this fall!

YAHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


WHEW!

AUGUST.........keeping very busy still!


How many of you receive Quiltmaker magazine?

My version of Victoria Findlay Wolfe's Star Splitter quilt made it in the "sew to speak" section in the September/October 2014 issue!!!!!
SO COOL!!!!!!

Dad's birthday is in August, and it has become a tradition for my whole family to come to my house
and celebrate!  Dad loves the decadent chocolate cake from Cost-Co!
And, just so you all know.......dad cut this piece for himself, and my mom politely cut it in half again for him! LOL

We all went to the St. Louis Zoo this year.


And, I do believe I have found my quilt lecture ensemble!
LOL

If your quilt guild would be interested in having me do some Quilt of Valor Presentations from our very successful block drive, please drop me an e-mail!  My work schedule is somewhat chaotic, but, what isn't these days?  I am sure we could work something out sometime?

I have been very busy as you can see, and I do apologize for my lack of blogging this summer.  I promise to do better from here on out.  Hopefully, I can learn a thing or two on how to blog from my "smarter than me" phone!

As always,
Thanks for all of the encouragement!
Thanks for sticking with me through my blogging dry spell!
Kevin the Quilter