Monday, April 28, 2014

Quilters amaze me......

Quilters, especially you all reading this, amaze me.......

I am once again humbled by your generosity to the QOV block drive I am hosting!

So many quilters have contacted me asking what they may be able to do to help out!  I have been asked about long arm quilting for these quilts............bindings for these quilts...........presentation cases for these quilts...........backings and batting for these quilts...........the list really goes on and on!  This is a really selfless community we are a part of here.  Allow me to answer a few questions I have been receiving as of late:

If you are interested in long arm quilting a quilt or quilts from this block drive, simply drop me a line via e-mail in the upper right corner of my blog with your contact information and what you are willing to do?  I am compiling a list of those I have already been contacted by.  THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

These quilts will need bindings, and if you are interested in helping out in another way, we will be binding these quilts with 2 1/4" or 2 1/2" bindings.  The quilts measure approximately 60"x72", so 270" of binding will be needed for each quilt.  The binding doesn't need to be cut on the bias.  THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

If you are interested in making a presentation case or two in your spare time, we will definitely be using them! Here is the tutorial I use when making the presentation cases: Easy Tube Pillow Case  THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

For those of you who have asked about backings, it takes 5 yards of fabric to make one backing for a quilt.  Pieced backings are absolutely perfect!  Battings must be low loft per QOV standards.  THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

Please realize, I am NOT trying to be presumptuous here.......I am simply answering several questions that have been posed to me via e-mails.  I am NOT asking anyone to send these items on top of blocks they make.  This block drive has completely opened my eyes to the openly large bigheartedness of quilters, so I am just trying to answer some questions.  THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

As of today, we are now up to................




3,161 QOV BLOCKS 

THAT'S 105 QUILTS for QUILTS OF VALOR!!!!
(Never in my wildest dreams did I ever anticipate we could ever do this!!!!!)

UNBELIEVABLE!

STUPENDOUS!

AMAZE-BALLS!

And it is ALL because of wonderful, unselfish, compassionate, and kind people like you and the following AWESOME people of the week:

Pam in West Virginia
Rosemary in Ohio
Mary Ann in Washington
Zosia in South Carolina
Pat in Wyoming
Toni Anne in New York
Karen in Minnesota
Holly in Indiana
Marva in Wyoming
Peggy in Maryland
Bev in Indiana

And the following quilter provided a block but cannot be entered into the drawings:
Nelson in Texas

HEY!  We heard from West Virginia and Wyoming!
OH YEAH!
Now if ANYONE knows a quilter in Nevada, Montana, or Hawaii, please encourage them to send at least one block our way before June 1st!


Zosia in South Carolina sent in this wonderful "Pathway of Valor!"
She says she is a relatively new quilter, but, you couldn't tell it by looking at this top!
WAY TO GO!

Mari of The Academic Quilter sent this pieced "Pathway of Valor" quilt top in.  You can't see the variations in the different colors, but, trust me, there is some very nice variations!  Beautiful job Mari!
WAY TO GO!

Mari of The Academic Quilter also sent me this mini quilt to commemorate this drive!
HOW INCREDIBLY SWEET!
Thank you so much Mari!  I will cherish it forever!
THANK YOU!!!!!!

Toni Anne in New York sent the quilting needles.
Holly in Indiana sent some beautiful scraps.
THANK YOU!
THANK YOU!
THANK YOU!

Holly in Indiana also sent in 5 beautiful presentation cases!
These are going to look great holding our Quilts of Valor!
THANK YOU!
THANK YOU!
THANK YOU!

Mari also sent the light backing and batting for her quilt top, along with some thread.
My blogging friend Teresa, of A Quilt and A Prayer, sent in the rich blue backing.
THANK YOU!
THANK YOU!
THANK YOU!

Coming up in the next few posts:
Prizes and Sponsors!
My trip to Paducah....the quilters there amazed me with their talents!!!!!!
And much, much, more!

Here are a few teaser photos from my Paducah trip for you......

Kinfolks having dinner!
Eleanor Burns........whatta hoot!
I converted my cousin into a quilter!!!!!

WHATTA GREAT TRIP IT WAS!!!!!!

OH! Before I forget.............

I am all caught up with April's RSC14 challenge color!

Thanks again for all of your encouragement!
Wait until you see the eye candy from my trip to Paducah!
Until next time....

Kevin the Quilter





13 comments:

  1. Wow Kevin!!! You are rockin' and a-rollin' on the QOV drive!!! It is so exciting to see so many quilters come together and help out :) I was hoping to help out some more before the end of the drive with binding etc., but I've got company coming and then I'll be traveling - May is already shot and it's not even here yet!!! Nice looking family you've got there - it looks like you all had a great time. Paducah was very good to you :)

    You know you're a "real" quilter when you have contributed to the delinquency of a family member or close friend by causing them to become quilters too LOL!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. So happy to see quilters are helping you out...amazed you have time to sew your RSC Challenge blocks with all of this! I am on the hunt for quilters from those last three states...they will be found! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. You are so right Kevin about quilters being the best. I am collecting quilts for the landslide families and first responders in Oso, Washington. My living room and grandsons bedroom are full. I have actually cried at some of the ones that have come in and hugged others because they are so soft. Enjoy your blog, wish I could help, sadly, my baby got sick and is at the Bernina hospital and it is a Singer so they are not sure if they can fix it or not!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Absolutely amazing!! I have not forgotten about you and I have the material to make those backs - I just have to crawl out from under this quilt I am quilting :) That project that I figured would take me two weeks has stretched into a month.... talk about being completely off in time estimates ;) I will have them to you by the end of next week though! Rock on!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kevin -- that is amazing 105 quilts and the drive still has another month. You are making such a difference in the lives of so many vets.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I will be waiting very impatiently to see your eye candy show from Paducah. Thank you for answering questions that have been floating through my brain. You read my mind. You're changing the world. Maybe you could get our government to play nicely together. Why don't you run for president? I understand there will be a vacancy in 2016.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Blessings to all involved with QOV and especially the recipients. I love your April blocks of purple! Beautifully executed. Creative Quilting Bliss...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wonderful progress on the QOV drive. I'm happy to see that so many people have participated and hope you can get the last 3 states involved too. Sorry I don't know of anyone in those states that I can call on to help. I love your beautiful April purple blocks.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I posted the 3 states over at a FB page called Quilting. Hopefully that will get some volunteers to fill out the map. I had offered to send some flannel backing awhile ago but have since found out that the dark blue is not as color fast as I would like and won't send it to you. I would hate to have anything I send ruin these amazing gifts.

    ReplyDelete
  10. You've been busy! Glad to see that the block drive is still going strong.

    ReplyDelete
  11. That's fabulous news! Good for everyone : )

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow, Kevin, I enjoyed all the QOV pictures so much. Now I see the Purple Blocks--Brilliant. Some of those fabrics are stunning. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  13. 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