Monday, January 7, 2013

Many firsts.......

FIRST, allow me to wish each and every single one of you a happy and prosperous New Year! (Yes, I ate my black eyed peas!)  It is so hard to believe how quickly time flies!  It surely didn't when I was a child, but, that is probably a good thing?

You may ask where I have been?  Why has it taken me so long to post an update to my blog?  Well, you see, Bonnie Hunter over at http://www.quiltville.com/ promised a rapid fire finish for her mystery quilt Easy Street http://quiltville.blogspot.com/p/easy-street-mystery.html She WASN'T kidding!

So, I have locked myself away, night and day, busily completing this...........
I couldn't be happier with the color scheme I chose!

OK, so, Easy Street wasn't so "easy" for me in the end due to all of the matching of seams.  I am still pretty new to quilting, and if the "Quilt Police" are viewing this, it may be a good time to turn your heads.  You see, I am guilty of...........chopping a few geese beaks off!  I would NEVER show those photos!  They are too gruesome and graphic!

 So, how about one of the whole quilt?

This quilt top will be donated to Quilts of Valor via Alycia at http://www.alyciaquilts.blogspot.com/

This was the first:
-Mystery Quilt I have ever participated in.
-Bonnie Hunter pattern I have ever made.
-quilt top I have ever made in a time frame of a little over a month.
-time using the Easy Angle Ruler and Companion Angle Ruler.
-quilt I ever made set on point.
-quilt I ever made with 2000+ pieces.
-quilt I ever made wearing glasses.........

Did I not mention I had to be rushed to the eye doctor due to piecing overload?
JUST KIDDING!  I'M KIDDING!  I'M KIDDING!

I can't believe how much better I can see now.  Who knew a 38 year old man didn't know he couldn't see?  OK, so I am blaming my beak"less" geese on my eyes!  That's my story and I am sticking to it!  

Thanks Bonnie for an incredible first mystery quilt for me!  I look forward to making many more of your patterns and using your scrap users system.  I would also like to thank the many, many quilt bloggers who have shown such kindness to me during this process.  I hope to keep this blog going as I create other works of art.  I have LOVED seeing everyone's progress on their Easy Street mystery quilt, and you can too, right here: http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2013/01/mystery-monday-link-up-jan-7th.html

My final thoughts?
It was Ms. Peacock, in the dining room, with the dagger!

Thanks for all of your encouragement!
Kevin the Quilter

67 comments:

  1. Don't worry about your geese, Kevin. I have been quilting for 19 years and some of my geese beaks are still disfigured. But I'm certainly not a perfectionist and that doesn't bother me. Besides, there are NO quilt police. Whatever makes YOU happy is all that matters.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yours looks amazing. I really like the brighter gold in there. Congratulations on so many firsts AND for donating to QOV. As an army wife, I've seen the appreciation for your hard work first hand. Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great job! I love that you are sending this beauty to Alicia. Very thoughtful of you. I love your list of firsts.
    I am from MO too, nice to meet another quilter in our lovely state! be good cw

    ReplyDelete
  4. By the way, Kevin. I think you did a fantastic job on your quilt with all the "firsts" you listed....especially the one about glasses :c)!! And I do love the colors. A Soldier will feel honored to receive it. I have donated many quilts to the QOV foundation and heard back from quite a few Soldiers. This is a great program!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nice quilt, Kevin! You should be proud! I'm sure the recipient of this beauty will be thrilled, and will never notice a few missing beaks.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your first four "firsts" are also mine. Good job, Kevin. You are now officially no longer a beginner! Colors are awesome and so great that your quilt will go to Quilts of Valor.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Stunning color combination. Love your quilt! And so glad you'll do another Bonnie quilt. Her patterns are amongst my favs.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the colors. Your entire list of firsts apply to me as well with the exception of the glasses. I don't have a blog to share photos. Congrats for getting it all together too! I'm still piecing block A.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Congratulations! Fantastic job! I love your colors and how well it came out!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow that's quite a list of accomplishments. Bravo
    I look forward to more of creative endeavors, if you are like me your'll love blogging. Your quilt is stunning

    ReplyDelete
  11. OMG...what a BEAUTIFUL quilt! You did a FANTASTIC job. (Oh...and btw...screw the "quilt police"...that's what I say! Some of my flying geese have blunted beaks, too...but you don't hear the geese complaining, do you? LOL)

    Lots of those "firsts" are firsts for me, too. I've don't several Bonnie Hunter patterns before, but never a mystery! :)

    As for the glasses??? I've been wearing glasses for almost 40 years now...and bifocal contacts for 10...and reading glasses over the bifocal contacts for 5. :(:(:( I guess maybe that's why my FG have disfigured beaks??? Yeah...I'm going with that one...LOL.

    Keep up the great work!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great Colors & Great attitude! :-) And I can definitely relate to the 38 year old needing glasses. I'm in the exact same boat - cept I'm 39. Was VERY humbling when I bought my first pair of readers - specifically for a hand applique project. But once I got over the humbling part, and appreciated how much they helped, I reach for them BEFORE I start working on a project now. :-) You might want to consider making little quilt blocks out of polymer clay and adhering them around the frames :-) You seem to have the personality to pull that off!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Well I love your choice of colours, such a nice result. And you finished it really quickly. Bravo

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great job, and the geese, well we all chop them every now and then. I must say for the first time it happend just to a few of my geese due to a brand new sewing machine that seems to grasp the concept of straight sewing!! love the colours, keep up the good works

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love the colors you chose! The yellow is really neat in the quilt and you did a wonderful job!!! Keep up the great work. Happy Quilting!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Beautiful quilt and a great way to be introduced to scrap quilting.
    Getting bitten by the "Bonnie Bug" is a wonderful way to go!!!!
    XOXOXO Subee

    ReplyDelete
  17. Compliments for your first times!!! Your colors choise is beautiful and original!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Kevin, beautiful. I had no idea we had over 2000+ pieces in this quilt. I know it is more than I have ever used in one quilt. Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Love the quilt and great color choices! Have fun on your quilty journey!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Gorgeous!!! Your color scheme is spectacular!!!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Love the colours, I'm thinking of making mine a straight set so it will look like your first photo. But it's still in pieces, hopefully I'll have something to show soon :-)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Great finish! Love your colors. Yikes! I think if I realized how many pieces we were using I would have quit.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Love how yours turned out and to donate it! That is fantastic. I am sure whoever is looking at that quilt will not even know the goose lost his beak. I am amazed that even after many years of sewing- glasses on or off - a few geese lose their beaks. An amazing finish!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Love your colours. It turned out very nice indeed. I found out I needed glasses when I had to move myself farther from the quilt frame to see where I had to stitch (I hand quilt.) My arms didn't get any longer so I had to do something.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Love your patriotic fabric choices and the recipient will enjoy and cherish it even with blunted geese.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Beautiful quilt, Kevin - the colors are spectacular. A soldier will appreciate all you did for him/her. And don't worry about the Quilt police - we tied them up and dropped them into a well years ago. We all start somewhere and I love the beginners best!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Great job! Another Bonnie addict has been born too. Hehehehe

    ReplyDelete
  28. Yay Kevin!!!!
    I can't agree with you more--your color scheme is amazingly wonderful in this setting!
    I've enjoyed following your progress of this quilt; and I surely hope to see more from you.
    And 38 is a great age, right?? :D. I'm not far behind you; 37 here.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Wonderful work Kevin! Love your quilt. Your color scheme is super. I will continue to follow your blog. Look forward to seeing more of your fantastic creations!!!
    Cookie

    ReplyDelete
  30. You are a real talent. I love the colors you used. And the quilt will be going to a very worthy cause. That was very nice of you.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Kevin, You did a great job on the colors, the piecing and the actually getting it finished already. I am right there with you on your list of firsts, with the exception of the glasses. I already wear glasses for anything close up, and actually bumped up the strength of my readers as I was traveling down Easy Street.
    Thanks for sharing.
    ~June in AZ

    btw: in your comment on one of my blog posts, you suggested using some pieces that I cut in the wrong color in my border and I think that is what I will be doing. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Really wonderful quilt, Kevin! Congrats on this major accomplishment!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Can I just say, GORGEOUS!! I love your colors, and would never have guessed that you are new to quilting! Congratulations!!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Oh, I sure like how your blue shines, and the yellow adds a star-like shimmer to the whole quilt. Look at you all those firsts, and you still stepped up to the challenge of color change...I think you have a blue ribbon, Mr. Kevin!!
    :-}pokey

    ReplyDelete
  35. Wow, your Quilt looks fantastic, too.
    Thank you for nice words on my blog.

    Liebe Grüße Grit

    ReplyDelete
  36. It looks great Kevin - great effort - I've printed out the steps - still to try it!

    ReplyDelete
  37. It's so nice to see the cousin of my quilt. Now I definitely need to get those blocks done! Thanks for posting a picture.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Congratulations Kevin! You did a marvelous job - especially with that long list of firsts!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Wow!! That's not an easy quilt at all for a newish quilter to take on. My hat's off to you. :D It's gorgeous, too, by the way!

    ReplyDelete
  40. wow wow wow! I love this - the colours you chose are perfect. A Quilt of Valor? How gorgeous you are - good karma will come to you all the rest of your days. I have a few beakless geese and twisted seams too, sssshhhhh!

    ReplyDelete
  41. Kevin, You did an awesome job for a "newbie." Keep up the great work. Looking forward to seeing your progress.
    Beth in MN

    ReplyDelete
  42. It looks great! Mine is still not completed, it's been a busy time, hopefully within the next month.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Kevin....love your quilt. You did a great job! Claudia on the road

    ReplyDelete
  44. Hi Kevin

    Congratulations on completing your fab quilt top. You made confident colour choices and it looks great. Don't worry about the damaged geese beaks, none of us is perfect, even those of us who have been quilting for almost as long as you have been alive lol! Please keep blogging. You have a nice, light humourous touch. I'm adding you to my reading list and I look forward to seeing more of your work.

    Cheers
    Helen in New Zealand

    ReplyDelete
  45. This quilt is stunningly beautiful! Well done, Kevin!

    ReplyDelete
  46. I just love your colours. Mine are similar but different placement. I think my yellow will be more dominant. Mine is still in pieces. Well done on all your firsts.

    ReplyDelete
  47. LOVE your color choices!!! Great job. I am enjoying your blog, please keep it up! Diana in illinois

    ReplyDelete
  48. Your quilt is stunning and I LOVE your blog. So glad you took the dive into the blogasphere!

    ReplyDelete
  49. Those colors are so beautiful together, well chosen! And yes... that was a rapid finish. I am still working on it, even with more sewing time because of the holidays!

    ReplyDelete
  50. Wow - all that work and you're going to donate it? I think that's fantastic. No one will notice a few geese points not quite as sharp. I think we all have a few of those. I know I do.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Kevin, you are hilarious! Love your sense of humor and your Easy Street. Thanks for commenting on my blog, too.

    ReplyDelete
  52. WOW. Love your colors and you did a fabulous job on this quilt. But even more, love your enthusiasm and sense of humor. Keep on quilting.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Awesome job and kudos on all your FIRSTS!!!!!!! Don't worry about the errant geese - they will get better with age!!!! And new glasses!

    ReplyDelete
  54. Great job! You do awesome with all those "firsts!" I love your colorway especially!

    ReplyDelete
  55. Your quilt is awesome Kevin and wow.....what a fantastic list of firsts!! You'll put the rest of use to shame pretty soon! I had to laugh about the glasses......I remember having to finally get them....and what a difference it made.

    ReplyDelete
  56. I love your finished quilt. You did a fantastic job. It's wonderful that you are going to donate it. I sure it will brighten someone's day.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Your colour choices are awesome...I love your version of the mystery!

    ReplyDelete
  58. It wasn't the "beaks" on my geese I had a bit of a problem with - it was their "feet" - especially where the turquoise/aqua ones had to meet each other and form a nice line (well mine are turquoise! :-)

    Your colours are lovely - I think I'd like to try Easy Street again one day in another colourway... So many quilts - so little time.

    ReplyDelete
  59. Wow lots of firsts! Love your easy street quilt. Great colours.

    ReplyDelete
  60. Love the colors. I found this quilt to be the most confusing ever to put together. Sections turned just so, losing sight of the blocks themselves when laid out. But worth every minute.

    ReplyDelete
  61. Kevin! I had no idea you had a quilting talent! I will henceforth be on the lookout for all things quilting and Boston terrier for you! We have an amazing quilting shop in Holdrege called "Quilter's Delight." It's apparently very famous in the niche world of quilters. Let me know if there's anything you're ever searching for that I can look for there! Lots of love!!! xoxoxo michelle

    ReplyDelete
  62. I Want to use this medium to appreciate an online ghost hacker, after being ripped off my money he helped me find my cheating lover and helped me hacked his WHATSAPP, GMAIL, kik and all his social media platforms and i got to know that he has being cheating on me and in less than 24 hours he helped me out with everything, hacking setting is trust worthy, contact him via: hackingsetting50@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete