Antiquing amazement..........

Hey all you Kevin the Quilter blog readers!!!!!!

How have you all been this week?????

Good I hope????

If you have read my blog for any amount of time, you know I love to go to antique malls and browse.

Today seemed to be the best day so far this year to hit a few antique malls in Pike County, Missouri that I hadn't been to in a while.  I need to preface this by saying, I hadn't been to either of these antique malls in almost 2 years, but, when I did go to them, I NEVER found what I found today!!!!
It was ANTIQUING AMAZEMENT I tell ya!

I first went to Kate's Attic in Louisiana...............Missouri!  Yes, Missouri has a knack for naming towns after other states and countries.  But, I digress........

"Seven Sisters" anyone?

This quilt was hand sewn and hand quilted.

It was very well made, and I loved the binding.

It was tattered in places, and was priced too high.

My photo of more of the quilt turned out extremely blurry....sorry!

Interesting pattern?  Anyone know the name?

This was very scrappy, but, that border did nothing to enhance the quilt.

Another "catch and release" as Bonnie Hunter would say!

At this point, I would like to mention how hard it is to get a really good photo of a quilt when there is very little floor space to lay it out, and hanging it on something could make other valuable glass antiques fall to their deaths!  It is, however, VERY nice to be able to stroll at my own pace, and not worry if I am taking too long.  So, pluses and minuses on antiquing alone.

I continued on to Clarksville Antique Center.  I have always loved this place!  I just hadn't had a reason to go to Clarksville in a while.  They are actually doing some nice things here, and sprucing the place up a bit!  Each time I have visited, I have seen things I like, but, this time.......it was literally quilt overload!  Many of these quilts were damaged with stains, or tattered in places.  But, all inspiring none the less.  Please enjoy the following photos!

"Seven Sisters" must have been a popular pattern in Pike County Missouri!

This was a very well hand pieced top.  Stained, and a hole in the border.

It almost went home with me, but, the asking price was just too much.

I am telling you.....quilts were EVERYWHERE today!

Octagon obsession!

Retro verging on modern!

I hope you can see the circular quilting in this one!

Great vintage fabrics!

Not enough fabric?  Then make do!  See the Pink square?  

There is a tiny border of a different fabric to make the block large enough.

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!

These cracked me up!

 Quilts over here......

Quilts over there......

(Great display here.....wish more of the quilts were visible though...)

Quilts EVERYWHERE!!!!!

This room was FULL of tattered quilts and vintage fabrics!

In it's hey day, this was a stunner I am sure.

But, you can see how faded it is, and a rather large stain in the left darker pink section.

There were applique quilts as well.....questionable hanging system for this one.

See the hangers???

This top was really cool!  It could pass for modern!

A top only, it was the most reasonable find of the day, but, again, catch and release.

Here is a close up of the block........any takers on what the block may be named?

And, if you are in the market for feed sacks, here ya go!

 Yep, there were quilts all over the place!

 Everywhere you looked!

QUILTS!!!!!!!!

I should have bought this for my sewing studio! LOL

But, this was the only item that came home with me!  A cast iron Boston Terrier bank!

What can I say?  I am addicted to quilts and Boston Terriers!

In other news............

An update on the Kevin the Quilter's Quilts of Valor Block Drive.  I have been wading through backings and bindings for our quilt tops made from the Quilts of Valor Block Drive!  These quilts are all going through Quilts of Valor, Eastern Missouri.  It has been a sheer pleasure matching the backings and bindings with the quilts.

 A very generous donation of 2 bolts of Moda fabrics for some of the Quilts of Valor.

Thanks to all of you who donated yardage for the backings!

 I have received various donations of bindings!

Thanks to you all who donated bindings as well!

I have been measuring them out for the length they need to be for one quilt, and placing them on

empty fabric bolts.  The bindings on the left are from blocks that were received that could NOT be 

squared up or were not made correctly.  This was the best use I could think of for the colorful QOVs!

Here are 10 quilts kitted up, awaiting hand quilting at Quilts of Valor, Eastern Missouri.

I do have several other long arm machine quilters working on quilts as well!

I hope you are doing something today that makes YOU happy!

Thanks for stopping by my neck of the woods today!

Thanks for all of the encouragement!

Kevin the Quilter

Starting the year off right..........

Welcome to 2015 Everyone!

As a kid, I never dreamed I would see the year 2015, but, here it is!
There aren't any spaceships travelling along highways as I had imagined, and I am fine with that!
My house is nothing like "The Jetsons" I watched when I was younger, and I am fine with that too!
I am very glad my little girls, Sophia and Gracie Lu, are not mechanical like Astro!

I have already cheated on my diet......which isn't surprising......

I was always told that whatever you do on the first day of the new year is the way you would be spending the rest of your year.  Well, if that is true, then I will be making beautiful works of art in the form of quilts!

I should be able to find something to make in these great books and patterns I received for Christmas!

I LOVE looking at quilting books, magazines, and patterns!

It is so inspiring to read them......especially on the plane!

Santa also brought me this refill of Mary Ellen's Best Press!

How many of you are fans of this product?  I LOVE IT!

I was skeptical at first as I was a spray starch kind of guy.

My friend Kathy told me to try it, and I use it ALL of the time now!

I know there is a recipe out there to make your own homemade version?

If any of you have made it, please share your thoughts?

Here is my first joint finish of 2015!

This was pieced by me, and quilted by my friend Linda for our friend Jackie.

Jackie loves snowmen and picked this pattern out several years ago while shopping with Linda.

Jackie's father passed away this past summer, so Lind and I decided it was time to make it for her.

Linking with Freemotion by the River's Linky Tuesday.
Also linking with My Quilt Infatuation Link Up.

It is actually a flannel and wool pattern.

However, I don't work with wool, and I added my own little spin here and there.

It was fun trying to find the right color backgrounds for the snowmen, and their noses.

Linda applied the rosy cheeks for the snowmen with blush!!!!

I asked her if she had ever done a quilted snowman's makeup before.......she said NO!

HILARIOUS!

We also decided to make the center snowman's eyes crossed from the embarrassment of not having 

a nose!  The pattern called for band aids!

All in all........I think this quilt turned out pretty neat, and Jackie was thrilled with it!

I was able to assemble this 36" square quilt top for an upcoming Honor Flight recipient.

My friend Dar told me one of her guilds was participating, and I wanted to help out too.

I am going to try to quilt this myself if I can.

This project is nearing completion.........

HMMMMMMMMMMM?????

I think you all are gonna love this one!

SOOOOOO EASY!

And what on earth am I going to do with all of these greens?????

HMMMMMMMMMMMM???????

There is a major work on the horizon!

I hope your 2015 is everything you hoped for and more!

Thanks for all of the encouragement!

Kevin the Quilter

Grand Illusion...........grand reveal...........

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As I suspected, Bonnie Hunter's "Grand Illusion", grand reveal was fast and furious!

We received the final clue to the mystery right on New Year's Eve at midnight!  I intentionally took vacation time this year to participate in the mystery, and extended my days off over New Year's Eve to see if Bonnie would do what she did last year.  Folks......I gave up DOUBLE TIME on New Year's Eve for this mystery reveal! LOL  I have flown/worked over New Year's Eve for the past 13 years! LOL  I don't regret taking this year off one bit!

After eating my black eyed peas and cornbread on New Years Day I went right to work on completing my version of "Grand Illusion!"  I want to be prosperous this year you know!!!!!

So, without further adieu........

Here is my grand reveal and version ala QOV style of Bonnie Hunter's "Grand Illusion Mystery!"

Linking up with Bonnie's Mystery Monday Link Up Part 6!

also

Freemotion by the River's Linky Tuesday!

This will be a very nice Quilt of Valor!

I already know who may be on the receiving end of this one???

Yes, it is missing one row, and 2 pieced borders, but,

for this to be considered a Quilt of Valor, this is as large as I could make it

while keeping the integrity of Bonnie's Design.

A close up......but, don't look too closely! LOL

Again, I am NOT a perfect quilter!

Unlike previous years.......I do have some things to work on and keep my mind occupied following the completion of this mystery!  What?  You may be asking yourself?

Another Bonnie pattern of course.......my version of "Emery's Stars" to be exact.

This baby shower is closer than I thought!

I am almost complete with my version of Bonnie's

"Geese on a String"

Photos coming as soon as he is completed!

I am also working on a long term Bonnie project.......care to take any guesses which one it is?

I also have several other things to keep myself busy!

I have over 100 Quilts of Valor from last year's block drive to finish!

Thankfully I have Quilts of Valor, Eastern Missouri to help me!

I have a few speaking engagements coming up as well I am very excited about!

If your guild or quilting group is interested in having me make some QOV presentations or

talk about my scrappy quilts, don't hesitate to contact me via the blog or e-mail on the side bar.

My friend Ann of Attic Threads & Quilts recently posted a very beautiful tribute to the

veterans that were awarded quilts at her Perky Piecer's Guild.

See that post HERE

My blogging friend TLC of TLC Quilts and Walks sent me her beautiful completed

version of last year's block drive "Pathway of Valor" quilt.

CONGRATS TLC ON YOUR RECENT COLLEGE GRADUATION!!!!!!!!

TLC also sent me these DELICIOUS Kaffe scraps!

Thank you so much TLC for your blogging friendship!

These scraps are going to work beautifully for a project I have in mind!

Lastly, I would like to share with you a few quilts I recently made.

My friend Dar of Dar's Patchwork Garden recently posted

about quilting them HERE.

And a STUNNING job she did on the quilting of them!

My neighbor, Jessica (bottom), unfortunately lost her father last May.

She knows that I make quilts, and one of our mutual friends suggested I make her

and her brother and sister some memory quilts out of their father's shirts.

I was happy to do it for them, and they all LOVE their quilts.

Thanks to Jessica's husband for taking this great photo!

I promise to share with you photos of my wonderful Christmas gifts I received next time!
Keep on a Quilting!

Thanks for all of the encouragement!

Kevin the Quilter