If you have been reading my blog any amount of time, you probably know I am "cray cray" about a gal in Colorado that lives on a big ranch, is married to Wrangler Man, is raising 3 fine upstanding young men, is wild about horses, loves hiking, is obsessed with photography, and is a HUGE supporter of Quilts of Valor! In fact, she is the State Coordinator for Colorado Quilts of Valor!
C'mon........., you all know I am talking about my bestie bloggin' buddy ALYCIA!
Alycia and me at the International Quilt Festival in Houston circa 2013
After making quilts for all of my immediate family members and friends, I didn't want to stop making quilts. I did some research online, and found the answer to making more quilts.....Quilts of Valor! During my investigation, I ran across Alycia's blog:
For those of you who have never taken the time to visit her blog, please do! I will wait......go on........
seriously click the link above......, you need to see all of the wonderful quilts that she has made, and her extreme commitment to Quilts of Valor.
I have been able to visit with Alycia and her family on various occasions, and have ALWAYS had a wonderful time. I KNOW I have a friend in Alycia, and I really appreciate her support and friendship!
Sooooooo I thought of a way to collaborate with Alycia. I have been working on several quilts that you can find as free patterns online, and making them in a patriotic color scheme. I am doing this as part of my lecture and presentation for various speaking engagements I have. These quilts will eventually be presented as a Quilt of Valor to a deserving veteran. You KNOW I looked up Bonnie Hunter's free pattern section first! I recently completed Bonnie Hunter's free pattern: Geese on a String .
Many happy hours of sewing in hotel rooms across the country helped to make these
stringy geese!
I knew the exact layout I wanted, and I knew which fabrics I wanted to use.
Oh, the many variations in colors you get from these stringy geese!
Just think of how fun it would be to use up your red, white, blue, and gold strings!
During the process of making this quilt top, that's when it dawned on me......I have never done a QOV collaboration with Alycia. So, she and I e-mailed, texted, facebooked......is that a word??? We used any means of social media to communicate and collaborate. Long story short, I told her to use her amazeballs quilting skills to quilt it any way she wanted to! AND SHE DID!!!!!!
Want to see the quilting on it?????? It is beyond awesome!!!! I am linking up with Alycia Quilts to reveal our joint effort! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE follow the link I have provided to see the absolutely beautiful quilting Alycia did on it. Her photos are much better than anything I could show. Remember, she is a professional photographer!
Now, here is where all of you come in! Yes, YOU ALL are going to be a part of this collaboration as well! Do you want to know how???????
Which binding to use?????? I am completely stumped? I have narrowed it down to 2 choices that I love! Alycia and I would LOVE to hear which one you all think should be used????
Here are your choices.........
CHOICE #1
or, will it be......
CHOICE #2
PLEASE LEAVE YOUR CHOICE IN THE COMMENT SECTION
Which ever binding gets the most votes will be the binding used!
Thanks to Alycia for playing along with me! I truly admire you for all of the work you do with Quilts of Valor! I have said it before, and I will say it again.......you are an angel on earth for all that you do!
I have some more exciting collaborations in the works.....just wait and see!
If your guild or group is looking for someone to speak, please don't hesitate to contact me!
I would love to travel to you to share my passion with you!
Paducah is days away!
Please introduce yourself if you see me there!
Thanks for all of the encouragement!
Kevin the Quilter
Kevin the Quilter
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ReplyDeleteI don't typically like white bindings, but there's so much going on in this quilt, I think you want to keep the focus on the center so I would go with choice #2, but on the bias.
ReplyDeleteWhere will you be at Paducah? Do you have a booth? My 2 friends and I are traveling by charter bus from Buffalo, NY to visit Paducah, first time. My friends, twin sisters, are donating the long arming and batting for kid quilts for a Gold Star kids camp near Buffalo on Lake Erie in July. My guild and others have almost 75 quilts done, goal is 100. We piece, they quilt, we bind and sew the labels on. This is only the 2nd year for the Gold Star camp, first year to give every kid, ages 7 to 17, a quilt. WNY Heroes, a veteran group, is helping to sponsor this free event for the kids. You probably know Gold Star kids are ones who have lost a parent in service of this country. So they are on the other end of the veterans quilts. Chasen Dreams on Facebook shows their quilting progress. It has been a blast making them. We would love to meet you at Paducah! Keep up the awesome quilts!!
ReplyDeleteChoice #1 is my pick for bindings. "Go bold or go home!" I think I just made that up, lol. Well, Kevin, I just love this scrappy string geese quilt, and Alicia did a fantastic job on the quilting of it. You two make a great team!
ReplyDeleteA wonderful quilt just wonderfully quilted! I like #1 to pull the whole design together - the lighter one would wash it out. I will have to put your name into our guild program committe for a lovely visit - I think it would be the bomb, plus I think our 4 guys would love it too. Yes, we have 4 men in our guild and are going to be featured quilters at another local guild show (we featured them at ours).
ReplyDeleteChoice #1 looks like it belongs there to me.
ReplyDeleteYou guys are a dynamo team! Fantastic job! I vote for fabric #1 on the bias!
ReplyDeleteHave a fantastic time in Paducah!
number 1--- the white/cream in 2 seems to muddy the colors, where 1 seems like a sharper emphasis. With the geese, and the way they look like military insignias, or a row of medals, the keeping it sharp seems the way to go. Gorgeous collaboration!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely #1
ReplyDelete#1 you handsome devil! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI go for the red! I thought you were going to suggest we all make geese. I just started making string blocks this week and discovered a lot of my strings are short; this would be a good way to use them. Seeya in Paducky.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely 2.
ReplyDeleteI like #1.
ReplyDeleteNo contest...#1 as the quilt needs to end...you know dark will make it right.....no waggling....o waffling.....Alicia would agree.....and so would the horses.....
ReplyDeleteI choose #1. I just love the plaid!
ReplyDeleteYour quilt is Awesome Kevin. I started at Alycia's blog and followed the link here to your site. I am very glad I did! Now if you will excuse me, I think I will wander around your blog and look for inspiration. I hear your site is full of beautiful quilts. :D
I prefer #1. It is more interesting and pulls out the colors. The strippy geese are wonderful. Great looking quilt Kevin!
ReplyDeleteLove your quilt! And Alycia's quilting is fantastic, too!! Choice No. 1 gets my vote!
ReplyDeleteLove the quilt and the quilting. I would go with #1, it would just frame it beautifully.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a great collaboration. It is amazing the friendships that are formed over the net! You and Alycia have done a fabulous job. Love the quilt and the quilting. I would go with #1, much more patriotic.
ReplyDeleteI think the #1s have it :) I agree! Such a fabulous quilt - the two of you make quite the team! The quilt is absolutely fabulous!!
ReplyDeleteI like option 1. The colours in this are in babance with the rest of the quilt. Wow!! It looks fantastic and Alycia has quilted it beautifully. You guys make a great team. Can't wait to see any other 'team projects' you embark on.
ReplyDelete#1 definitely.
ReplyDeleteHands down, #1! Red plaid on the bias. Perfect stopping point for the edge of the quilt. The lighter fabric looks so 'out of character' with the dynamic colors you used.
ReplyDeleteChoice 1 on the bias. Exciting quilt. Can't you just hear those geese honking, "follow me"?
ReplyDelete#1 bias :) Love the quilt - Alycia did a fabulous job quilting it and her pictures are awesome!!! Can't wait to see it bound!!!
ReplyDeleteChoice 1 please. I love the brightness.
ReplyDeleteI adore Alycia's quilting. The stars and circles are fabulous!
Choice #1. You and Alycia have produced a wonderful quilt.
ReplyDelete#1 it brings all the colors together and creates a lovely frame for thee quilt.
ReplyDeleteHappy Sewing,
See you in Paducah!
Do you never rest my friend? At it again! Busy, Busy, Busy makin' those wonderful QOV quilts :) And now you're ropin' in other folks too! Hahaha!!! You go dude!!! I love Miss Bonnie's string geese in the QOV colors - so bright and cheerful, and of course Alycia did a gorgeous job choosing motifs to fit it perfectly! Those circles are AMAZING!!! I was really glad to see that #1 has been the top pick - it's definitely my choice. How could you go wrong with red plaid????? Sorry I won't get to see you in Paducah :( I had to bow out of the bus trip with my guild this year because of a family obligation. Maybe next year!
ReplyDeleteI like #1. Can't wait to see Radar next week and hope to run into you, too :)
ReplyDelete#1, red plaid!!!! If you don't get it done before May, bring it and I'll help stitch it. Still waiting on replies from the 2 other vets I contacted.
ReplyDelete#1 for me
ReplyDeletewhat a nice post about your bestie :)
ReplyDeleteI prefer #1, great work Kevin.
ReplyDeleteI like the red plaid. Both of your blogs are in my top 5 morning check -ins. Thank you. The quilt looks fabulous.
ReplyDeleteWonderful quilt! Love the gold setting! Definitely choice #1 - like the idea of bias plaid binding.
ReplyDeleteI suggest a little bit wider shot of the quilt with a narrower view of the binding candidates... you know, like binding width showing out from the edge of the quilt. This always helps me determine the best option. And I agree with trying the plaids on the bias. Could we have another vote that way?? Happy Finishing!!
ReplyDeleteLove your beautiful quilt and Alycia did an excellent job on the quilting. My choice for the binding would be #1. Best wishes.
ReplyDeleteI love choice #1 finishes the beautiful quilt perfectly. Great partnership on this project.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous work-great job to you both!! I like #1.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great quilt. Love the story almost as much as the finished project. So glad you and Alicia got to work together on a QOV. So cool! Definitely # 2
ReplyDeleteI would prefer #1
ReplyDeleteI prefer CHOICE #1. It carries the red, white and blue out to the edge. Glad you two got to finally work together on a QOV!!
ReplyDeleteI prefer #1.
ReplyDeleteIs there any question? No. 1 all the way.
ReplyDeleteChoice #1 to stay with the bold colors.
ReplyDeleteDUH.... Brighter is better! #1... Have a great time in Paducah!!
ReplyDeleteLoving choice #1!
ReplyDeleteIt's #1 for me. It's an amazing quilt!
ReplyDeleteHas to be #1....you & Alycia continue to amaze! I keep busy with QOV here in Wisconsin and always check the 2 of your blogs. Alycia rocks! (you do, too) She awarded a childhood friend who was a US Marine in Vietnam and living in Colorado a QOV I was able to get to her...but she had to drive a distance to pick it up. The block drive that you did last year...well, we know the results! We all do what we can do for QOV.
ReplyDeleteI really like choice number 1 because it ties in the reds in the quilt so nicely!
ReplyDeleteChoice number 1 really brings out the colors of the geese. That has to be your choice!
ReplyDelete#1 for sure!
ReplyDeleteHey Kevin. Fabulous finish! How exciting to be teaming up. I'm thinking number 1 ; )
ReplyDelete#1 is my choice. Great quilt!!
ReplyDeleteHi Kevin,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed meeting you at Paducah. radar is beautiful and unique and you should be so proud of him!
Keep on quilting!
Mary in New Mexico
I like #1 best. Congrats on Radar. He is amazing!
ReplyDelete