I would first like to wish each and every one of you a BLESSED and Happy Easter! I can remember as a child coloring Easter eggs with my sister and mother, usually on Good Friday. We would then usually have an egg hunt at church on Saturday, followed by Easter services at church on Sunday and then a huge meal prepared by family. Then all of the cousins would hunt eggs for hours on end on Sunday afternoon, weather permitting. Ahhhhhhhhhhh, those were the days! Not a care in the world other than trying to find the most eggs, and win the egg hunt! I usually won..........yeah, right!
I did, however, win recently! Kelli at Seriously..I think it needs stitches. held a spectacular blog give away recently. I love reading her blog because she is so down to earth, she's a great mom, and she makes some pretty awesome things! Seriously, check her out!
Thanks for hosting such an awesome give away Kelli!
In sewing news, I was asked by one of my awesome neighbors if I would be interested in doing some sewing for her. I was curious as to what she had in mind when she said her sons were involved with Kuk Sool Won I said "Coo-Coo for Cocoa Puffs, WHAT?!?!?!?"
According to their website, "Kuk Sool Won is the most comprehensive martial arts system, emphasizing etiquette and education first!" Cool! Her boys needed some patches sewn onto their gis as they work up the belt ladder. SURE! I can do that!
I feel A LOT safer knowing these boys are protecting the neighborhood!
A simple applique stitch with invisible thread was used.
Move over Karate Kid! Kuk Sool Won Kids are in da HOUSE!
Any guesses as to what these might be turning into?
And last, but, not least! I HAVE to show you all ............................
Miss Bev, and Murna all decked out in their lacy Easter Bonnets!
These crocheted doilies are courtesy of my blogging friend Loretta at 365 Days and Other Ramblings. These gals feel SO SPECIAL now thanks to your talents Loretta! Loretta has recently remodeled her sewing studio, so go over and check out her blog and her new space!
OK, glad we got that out of the way! LOL So sorry, I have had every intention of keeping this blog up to date, but, life steps in sometimes? Please be aware, this post may be a little lengthy, but, I hope you enjoy the updates, and photos.
NOPE! No gardening for me just yet!
STILL SNOWING! We need the moisture though!
Don't hate me because I'm beautiful, or for appearing a tad too sexy in this photo, but, this is the way I roll in the garden. Fortunately, I have a 6 foot privacy fence that prevents the masses from viewing me while working in the dirt. Dog gone paparazzi! I do however have a faithful companion that is willing to assist in the garden besides the chickens........
GRACIE LU!!!!!!!!!!
Gracie Lu is my big, bumbling, bull-esque Boston Terrier. She is 5 1/2 years old, and is the equivalent to a bull in a China shop. Sort of like the lady she was named after........Gracie Lu Freebush.......remember her? If you don't, google her! LOL How could you not love that face though??????? She has been known to get into things she shouldn't, like.......
when I couldn't find her, and all of a sudden I saw something moving around in some scraps. Yep......she loves to bury herself under the covers, AND evidently my patriotic scrap box! I think I will keep her though! She and Sophia get along swimmingly and are a constant joy in my life.
Sadly, I have to report that my local quilt shop is going out of business! :-/ I really hate to see it go, because there are no quilt shops in my neck of the woods now. I wish I had the business sense, knowledge, and funds to open one of my own. The shop had a decent sale, and I took advantage of it. I added some yardage, and met some really great people the day I went. One wonderful lady by the name of Lynn was so kind and encouraging, and gave me a gift!
Scrap fabrics for my Quilt of Valor donation quilts!
There was a note attached however.........
it reads: "Kevin: There is a string attached to this bag of fabric. Please add it to your collection to make a Quilt of Valor and I'd like to see it before you whisk it away! Lynn" Well, you can count on it Lynn! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! The generosity of quilters absolutely amazes me at times!
I was also able to go shop hopping in Columbia, Missouri, and Mexico, Missouri with some of my quilting friends I have made recently. Quilt 4 U was my favorite shop in Columbia, and Homestead Hearth was my favorite shop in Mexico, not to mention my favorite shop of all that day. It was interesting to watch the way my friends shopped, and the way they looked out for me! Like many times I heard........
Did you see these bags of scraps?!?!?!?
Well, after I saw them, I bought them! Just as I bought a few other things...............like.............
ALL of this.............
these............
and, all of this. Not to mention.............
OH YES I DID!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ladies and Gentlemen.......meet,
MISS BEV!!!!!!!!!
My new (at least to me) Singer Featherweight!
Miss Bev was purchased from my new found quilting friend Bev. She has been very well serviced and maintained, and I can't thank Bev enough for offering her to me. It was love at first site, and the minute I sewed the first stitch on her, I had to have her! Miss Bev will be travelling with me now so I can sew, sew, sew on my travels! She is much lighter than Murna Marita, and that way I can save Murna for sentimental reasons. Thank you so much Bev! She shall forever be your namesake!
And here are a few photos of some things I have been working on, just so you all don't think I only collect fabric and sewing machines, and don't use them! LOL
I'm in the process of color selection for Bonnie Hunter's mystery in Quilt Maker Magazine.
It's March already? I cannot believe how quickly time flies by anymore! I KNOW it has nothing to do with my age.......or does it? Anyway, I have several projects in the works here. Not just quilting projects! I have to get some taters in the ground if ever the weather will cooperate? Trust me, I am not complaining! After last summer's drought, we need any and all types of precipitation we can get! However, I haven't been able to till the garden soil just yet. St. Patrick's Day is still 12 days away, so, hopefully there will be a day in there that I can get some things done in the garden.
Every fall I put on a nice layer of, well, there's no nice way to put it...........chicken poop on top of my garden soil. I let it compost as much as possible between October and March. I have had great success with this method, and don't plan to change it. What kind of chickens do I have?
Ameraucana Chickens
This is my niece holding one of my favorite hens, Zadie.
I have kept chickens for several years now, and have enjoyed it immensely! I wish I had the property to have a larger flock, but, right now, my flock consists of 9 Ameraucana hens. No roosters here! I wish I could have a rooster, but, right now it just isn't possible. Did you just ask if this breed is also known as the "Easter Egger?"
Yep! They sure are! My hens lay mostly green eggs, but I do get some blue variations, and one pink egg!
My neighbors love receiving fresh eggs, and by the way, if you have never had a fresh egg compared to one you buy in the store, just ask my neighbors about the difference! LOL Truly, there is no comparison in my opinion, even if you are buying organic.
I take very good care of my chickens and they take very good care of me and my gardening efforts. They are extremely entertaining as well.
I will keep everyone posted on my garden this year.
If you have any questions about chickens, I will do my best to answer them.
I have received feedback from several people asking about how I travel as a flight attendant and am still able to sew on my layovers. In the business I am in, it can get really old looking at the walls of a hotel room. For those of you who travel extensively for your jobs, I am sure you can relate? Now, some of you may be thinking.........this guy gets to travel to several different destinations daily? Why wouldn't he want to get out and explore? There are a few reasons why I choose to stay in my hotel room and sew:
1. Keep in mind I have been doing this for 12 years. I have usually been there, done that.
2. We for the most part are NOT put in a hotel with great exploring possibilities. We usually stay very close to the airport.
4. We are sometimes only in a hotel for a very short period of time, 8-12 hours sometimes.
5. EXHAUSTION! Yeah, sometimes flight attendants get tired too!
Sewing, and quilt making have become my therapy. It's nice to know I have a little machine that I can bring along with me while I lay over that will provide me solace and entertainment all at once. Yes, you CAN take a sewing machine in a carry on bag through the security checkpoint. I was somewhat surprised myself? But, check it out: Transportation Security Administration
I am pleased to introduce you to:
Murna Marita!
At 11 inches tall, and 12 inches wide Murna Marita weighs almost 20 lbs. (Notice the pageant lingo! LOL) She was built by the Singer Manufacturing company in Great Britain. This is the vintage sewing machine I learned to sew on as a child. She's petite, and every bit a lady, but, don't let her size fool you, she is a heavy duty machine! Just like the woman that owned her, my Meemaw! Yeah, that's what I called my paternal grandmother. So, it is only fitting that this machine be named after her.
I knew I had her packed away, as this was one of the acquisitions I received after my grandmother's passing many years ago. I stumbled upon her much by chance, and she truly is the reason I started sewing and making quilt tops. She hadn't been sewn on for several years, and when I first tried her out, she ran like a champ! A little oil, and cleaning, and she hummed her little Spartan tune!
Here is her travel case. My very first issued luggage from the airline. This is a Crew3 bag by Travelpro. I never ever used it until I started carrying Murna with me! The bag is soft sided and is approximately 12 inches by 14.5 inches.
Murna fits in the largest compartment, and I still have two more zippered compartments that I can carry supplies, fabric, books, magazines, or any other items I may need for sewing in my hotel room. She DOES fit under the seat in front of me for when I commute, so I NEVER have to worry about checking her at the gate. For those of you who know Bonnie Hunter's tragedy, with her beloved Singer Featherweight, I think I would die if anything like that happened to my little Spartan. I use finger nail clips for thread cutting, and I pre-cut A LOT of fabric before I go to work. I mainly string piece on Murna because I enjoy it so much, I get a lot done, and I love the patterns in Bonnie Hunter's String Fling book!
Here's a photo of some completed string blocks, and some magazines in the front zipper compartment.
Not a bad set up? The sun shining in, watching TV, and just sewing along!
She's a BRICK........HOUSE!
In other news, I did get 30 blocks completed for Alycia's QOV block drive and they are on their way to her! There is still a small amount of time to participate! The blocks go together very quickly, and will be greatly appreciated!
Patriotic Blocks
Plaid Blocks
I also received these beautiful batik fat quarters I won in a giveaway from Connie at Freemotion by the River
They are in such a nice color scheme! I can't WAIT to find something to make with them! Thanks Connie and Vicki at Quilting Lodge
Feel free to ask me any questions! I love hearing from all of you!
Until next time, thanks for all of the encouragement!!
Kevin the Quilter! Come on down!
OK, so it wasn't really like I was a contestant on the Price is Right, (although, I would LOVE to be) but, I am a winner and am jumping up and down just like I would be in contestants row! Connie at Freemotion by the River hosted a great batik giveaway along with her friend Vicki from the Quilting Lodge earlier this month. I am always amazed at Connie's works of art, and how much work she gets done! She is quite prolific! Anywho, I found out much to my surprise I won her batik giveaway! YAHOOOOO! I can't wait to see the fabrics I will be receiving! Thanks for hosting the giveaway Connie! I am delighted! On a side note, I found out Vicki and I grew up 40 miles apart! SMALL WORLD!
So, as promised, I am going to share more about another win, and the quilt I made my friends Jamie and Ted. When I first started quilting, I was on the look out for deals! Clearance fabric being the main deal I was in search of! I found a great fat quarter bundle in autumnal colors in a clearance bin at a fabric store. The first thought that came to mind was my friend Jamie. She and I have been friends for quite some time, and I know how much she loves an autumnal color scheme. Well the fabrics were perfect! Next, I had to choose a pattern which took a while to decide upon.
As I was going through some of my grandmother and great aunt's sewing items, I found an old piece of cardboard. I wasn't quite sure of what to think of the shape? But, on one side it said, "5 inch Dresden."
My old Dresden template.
What on earth was a Dresden? Hmmmmmmmmm.........so, research began, and I found out about Dresden Plate quilts. AHA! I remembered seeing quilts like that, that my grandma had made! THIS was the pattern that must be used for Jamie and Ted's quilt! After all, they are lovers of all things vintage, and they love to entertain!
I loved how the colors and patterns came together, and decided which layout I liked best with each Dresden petal. But, I was in need of some sashing, and border fabrics. Enter this wonderful woman........
Donna!
This is Donna standing in front of her beautiful civil war quilt, and she works at a great quilt shop close to where I grew up. Being new to quilting, not to mention being a man that quilts, I was a little intimidated shopping in quilt shops, so I took my mommy with me! LOL Dad was there too, but, had found a very comfortable chair to fall asleep in! As is the case most of the time, Donna thought my mom was the quilter until my mother informed her that I was. I had brought one of my Dresden blocks with me to match some colors up, and Donna was so enthusiastic, interested, and willing to help. Upon seeing the block, she asked if I was entering the quilt in the River Heritage Quilt Guild Show? The theme for the quilt show happened to be Dresden Plate! I just looked at her in my best "WHATCHYOU TALKIN' BOUT WILLIS?" face, and then laughed hysterically! A quilt show? Really? Yeah, RIGHT! I just KNEW she was kidding until I turned around after I had been looking for some sashing fabric, and saw a bunch of ladies gathered around the cutting table talking about my block. Donna requested that I come over and tell the story I have already been telling here on the blog, to the ladies gathered there. The ladies began asking questions, and they were so encouraging. It really lit a fire in me to want to enter this quilt show! I thought.......what do I have to lose? I can add this experience to the "bucket list."
I do have to tell a funny story about that first visit with Donna. As we stood at the cutting table talking, a lady in the quilt shop kept looking at me very strangely. She came over to us and said, "I apologize, I don't mean to stare, but, I have never seen a man that quilts before?" LOLOLOL Too funny!
I continued working on the quilt, and talked some things over with my long arm quilter, Ann. Ann is an award winning quilter with AMAZE-BALLS skills that I happened to find by chance. That is another blog post in itself. Ann was also very encouraging of me entering the show, and gave some invaluable advice concerning the quilt. So, it was a done deal. The quilt was destined to be named "Autumn Dresden" and would be appearing in the quilt show.
This was my first photo of "Autumn Dresden" after receiving it from quilting.
I love pieced backings.
Upper right corner of Autumn Dresden.
Ann's quilting is beyond phenomenal!
There are some really great textures on this quilt!
When the time came, I hand delivered the quilt, and low and behold, there was Donna helping out! She literally had tears in her eyes seeing me entering the quilt. The day of the show came, and my dad and one of his friends had gotten to the venue where the quilt show was held earlier than me and my mother. I saw him whispering to my mom, and I had a feeling something was up? Yep, he was letting my mom in on something he saw attached to my quilt.........
THIRD PLACE! Not so bad for a first time entry?
I was so pleased! I couldn't believe I actually placed especially after seeing the absolutely stunning quilts that were in my category! Donna's included! Yep, there I was in a category with Donna, the woman that encouraged me to enter! Aren't quilters the best!?!?!?
Donna and me at the River Heritage Quilt Guild show!
I am sorry for being so long winded, but, I do hope you enjoyed my story as much as I enjoyed living it! This was just the beginning........................do you honestly think I can settle with third place now?
I have had the past week off since I worked the week before, and it has been jam packed! Packed full of what you may ask? Well, why don't I share with you in pictures?
My mother and my nephew share a birthday! Not only do they share it, but, it is also my mother's twin brother's birthday as well! IMAGINE THAT! We also have a beautiful cousin that shares their birthday as well! February is a BIG birthday month for our family!
Here's my beautiful mother and handsome nephew on their big day together!
I was also able to share Christmas with my best friend and her husband! (I know.....a little late, but, better late than never!) I will have a post about my gift to them coming up in the future, but, for now, I will share with you their reactions to receiving their gift.
My friend Jamie and her husband Ted receiving their gift.
(By the way, it's NOT the Boston Terrier booty that I gave them! LOL)
I wonder what it could be??????
Is this what I think it is?!?!?!?
The unveiling!
Merry Christmas! (In February!)
It's so special being able to give something I designed specifically for them!
I think they liked it!
I will be posting about this particular quilt in the near future. It is the first quilt I entered in a show, and to my surprise, it won 3rd place thanks to the help of my amazing long arm quilter Ann! But, more about that in a future post!
I was able to browse a couple of antique malls and stumbled upon these beauties:
Does anyone know the name of this star and setting?
And a Rocky Road to Kansas!
I was also blessed by the kindness of some quilting friends this past week! Just take a look!
Not one, but, TWO delicious bags of scraps! YUM!
Thanks Bev!
And lots'o'patriotic scraps for some Quilts of Valor! YUM!
Thanks Ann for letting me go through some of your friends items!
(Please ignore the messiness of my sewing space!)
And, finally, a finish! This quilt top was made using Tara Rebman's pattern called "Eating in Bed" in the premiere issue of Modern Quilts Unlimited Magazine
This quilt will be donated to my new found friend Bev, and her efforts with the V.A.
This quilt was A LOT of fun to make, and actually kind of made a dent in some of my scraps! It finishes at 95"x95", and uses 16 fat quarters.
It was a fun and busy week, and I hope you enjoy all of the photos. I return to work this week, and have my annual training later this month. I hope you all have a fun filled week!
Stay tuned next week for my post about my first quilt show win and some of the wonderful people I met along the way!
