Design Wall and QOV Update

More leaf blocks were added to the #2 Design Wall this past week along with the other piecing projects I mentioned on my post yesterday. Soon I'll have enough blocks to start putting them in rows. There are more blocks in back of the ones with little tags on them. The design wall was not big enough to hold them all.

My focus this week will be to organize and update the QOV Block Drive blocks that have come in recently. The postman has been extra special this past week and here's what he brought. Seeing these packages in the mail makes me happy, happy and it feels like Christmas.

First the postman left a squishy package from Jan of The Colorful Fabriholic who made bunches of QOV blocks for the Block Drive.  She sent in almost enough for a full quilt top!  Thank you so much Jan. They look so crisp and bright and will make a beautiful quilt top.  I'll be on the lookout for an appropriate backing for these fresh, modern blocks.  

A few days later, I received another big package from the group in Troy, MO. Kevin of  Kevin the Quilter was the surprise postman delivering these.  No, he did not take on another job for the holidays, he was in the area to help me with a non-quilting project. You know when you have a large, heavy box to move, it always helps to have a big, strong young man around to help.  He was kind enough to oblige.

Four HST blocks were sewed together to make a bigger block and get this design. 

Another fun arrangement of the block.

Check out Lady Liberty in this block. Isn't that cool?

THANK YOU Kevin and the Troy Ladies for the big bag of blocks.  We are going to have lots of fun assembling them into quilts when our sew days resume after the first of the year.  

AND THEN, as if that wasn't enough excitement for the week, I got another box on the weekend from Libby the Hillside Quilter with some wonderful fabrics for more QOVquilts. They were all packaged and folded so neatly, you would swear they had come directly from the fabric companies.  There are some beautiful Civil War repros here that will be used for quilts for our veterans. 

THANK YOU so much Libby for your generosity.  These fabrics will be put to good use right after we assemble the Block Drive quilts.   

The QOV Block drive is still going until the end of the year.  We have received another prize to add to the list.  For every 4 blocks you send, your name will be put in the drawing for the prizes.  Santa is most likely going to bring some gifts in his sack to add to the pot.  Wonder what he will bring next?

Here's one that came in this week.

6 Spools of Madeira Machine Embroidery Threads

Madeira Machine Embroidery Threads

Comes with an 8 page thread guide with useful tips, ideas and accessory suggestions. You can check out some of the other prizes HERE.

Hope everyone is keeping busy with projects and preparations for Christmas.  I know I am.  Now I'd better get busy if I want to get that big quilt bound anytime soon. Still do not have my house decorated either.

Linking up to Design Wall Monday.  If you have time, check out some wonderful eye candy on other design walls.

Happy Stitching this week.  

Dar

Design Wall, QOV and A Knitty Finish

My design wall has a few more leaf blocks and a couple zigzag blocks made with the leader/ender process between sewing QOV blocks and making my little knitting bag.

Batik Maple Leaf blocks

Zig Zag Scrappy blocks

Some news on the Quilts of Valor Block Drive.    Last week  The Perky Piecers in Troy, MO had a sew day.   Thanks to Kevin and Marcia for the pictures of the group.

Hard at work making QOV blocks all day!!  

My friend, Kevin the Quilter called and said he had a surprise for me and this is what he brought.  

Isn't this is AMAZING!!??  There are enough blocks here for 4 whole quilt tops and more.

*edited to correct #of quilt tops.

 THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU !!

You all outdid yourselves.  I can't wait to start assembling them into quilts for our veterans.  

I am still accepting QOV Blocks through the end of December if you want to send any.  There are still more prizes to be added to the drawing which will be the first week in January.

And among all this sewing and quilty things, I did manage to finally finish the other short sock with the Magic Loop.  Bring on the cold weather.:)

Linking up with Judy's Design Wall Monday.

Design Wall and QOV Blocks

My design wall is going to be empty after today.  Finished piecing the dark colorway of the HST QOV quilt and it's waiting for a border.  I wasn't going to put a border on this one, but the size is a bit small in the width. A small red border will make it wider and finish it off nicely, I think.

3rd QOV for HST Log Blocks

Check out more design walls at Patchwork Times.

While on the subject of QOV,  I'd like to show more blocks that have come in for the block drive. I'm accepting blocks until the end of December, so you still have plenty of time to make a few.  Later this week I'll post pictures and show some of the prizes that have been donated for the block drive. They include Glide threads, patterns, kits, $50 gift certificate and more.

From Jeanne C. - MO

From STL Modern Quilt Guild - MO

Check out the fun fabrics in the modern blocks -  newsprint in the neutrals and great textured fabrics.  Can't you just see a veteran trying to read these on his quilt while it's wrapped around him watching TV on a cold afternoon?  I imagine most veterans have not been to a fabric store, so have no idea of the types of fabrics available to us quilters these days. 

Linda A. - MO

Thank you all for participating in the QOV-Eastern Missouri Block Drive.  These are great scrap busting blocks and so easy to do. We hope to make a bunch of quilts from these blocks to thank our veterans and let them know we appreciate all they have done for us.  

You can read the original post HERE and thanks to Jan of The Colorful Fabricholic and Alycia of Alycia Quilts, for asking me participate in the block drive.  A step by step tutorial is HERE.   You can send blocks to me at the address below.  

Thank you.

QOV-Eastern MO BLOCK DRIVE 
2627 Bates Rd.
O'Fallon, MO 63368.  

DWM and QOV Update

On my design wall this morning are my QOV blocks for a second quilt from my scraps using the HST log block.  They are so easy that I just can't quit making them.  After I get this top sewed together, I will to do one more from my scraps in the dark colorway.  By that time I should have plenty of blocks from the block drive to work with.  Keep those blocks coming.  The finished quilts will make our veterans happy and keep me busy during the cold weather putting them together.

I've noticed recently that there are new followers to my blog.  WELCOME to you and I hope you come back and check to see what is going on at Dar's Patchwork Garden. We are in the midst of a block drive for Eastern Missouri Quilts of Valor and I'd love for you to join in. There will be prizes for participating with 4 or more blocks donated.   If  you want to see my original post, you can check it out HERE and thanks to Jan and Alycia, the step by step tutorial is HERE.   Any blocks for my drive can be sent to the address below.

QOV-Eastern MO BLOCK DRIVE 
2627 Bates Rd.
O'Fallon, MO 63368.  

This beautiful top came in from Mary C for our Eastern Missouri QOV  last week week.  She used her scraps and said she still has more.  Nice job, Mary.  Thanks for your generosity and taking the time to piece such a lovely quilt. Maybe a female veteran will be the lucky recipient of this beauty. 

If you want to see more design walls, just check out Judy's Patchwork Times. 

I

Design Wall and Update on QOV Block Drive

Here it is officially Autumn and our temperatures are starting to feel appropriate for the season.  We are guaranteed a perfect fall week for the next 6 days--highs in low 70's and nights in 50-60's.  I'm ready, how about you?

Finally I have something to put up on my design wall thanks to some awesome quilters and friends.

These are just a few that I received this weekend, so now the fun starts-- playing around on the design wall with layouts.

These came from a Scrap Wrap Up Party I attended this weekend at Kevin The Quilter's home. His Scrap Club ladies brought lots of QOV blocks to start the drive off in style.  Here is what came in from 15 different quilters.  They really surprised me.  Well, there are definitely some major overachievers in this group-- Brenda K made- 38 blocks and is in the lead, Lou C. is a close second with 30 blocks and third is Carol P with 20 blocks. Thanks so much to each and everyone of you for participating in this drive. All of these blocks are appreciated and will be used to make quilts for our veterans which I know they will love.  Here's what I counted so far in addition to the three mentioned earlier.  Ree C-6; Clifdel-4; Linda E-2; Katie B-4;Sandy W-2; Sue B.-6; Diana-2; Barb S-10; and three who did not put their names on their stacks-10, 6 and 3.  If any of you turned your blocks in to Kelly at O Sew Personal please let me know how many and your name and I will fill in my chart.  Thank you all - You made my day!

There will be prizes awarded at the end of the drive for the most blocks donated (top 3 positions) and a second drawing for anyone making 4 or more blocks.  I am still lining up prizes, but will keep you posted as they come in.

If anyone did no see my original post, you can check it out HERE and thanks to Jan and Alycia, the step by step tutorial is HERE.   Any blocks for my drive can be sent to the address below.

QOV-Eastern MO BLOCK DRIVE 
2627 Bates Rd.
O'Fallon, MO 63368.  

Linking up with Patchwork Times to see more design walls before I get busy playing with blocks.

DWM and Stash Report

It's time to take a peek at the design walls today.  Mine has not changed much since I took down the Honor Flight quilt.  I've started making more blocks for QOV while anxiously awaiting the mailman to bring more blocks to add to these.  If you don't know about the block drive check it out here.

I've been keeping out of trouble with more quilting.  This one was from a Planet Patchwork New Year's Day mystery from many years ago.  A friend of mine made this version (her's is now quilted) and mine is still in the flimsy stage waiting for it's turn. :)

She wanted leaves quilted as an all over.  I used "Falling Leaves" and thread that blended so as not to detract from the unique design. Maybe this will motivate me to get mine quilted this year too. Mine is much brighter and doesn't lend itself to a theme for quilting.  That's my holdup--how do I want to quilt it. :) 

My stashbusting is progressing slowly but surely.  Since my last report way back in week #30, I have busted another 10.95 yards of fabric.  Most was from my QOV quilt top-7.5 yds, some fat quarters that were donated to a game at one of my quilt guilds and gifted a couple backings for tablerunners to a friend.  This brings me up-to-date for now.

Fabric Report - Sept. 5, 2016

Fabric Added since last report - 0

Fabric Added YTD - 4.5 yards

Fabric Used since week #30 - 10.95 yds

Fabric Used in 2016 YTD -  64.86  yards

Hope you are all having a great Labor Day and getting lots of "laboring" done or having fun in whatever makes you happy.   I am linking up with DWM at Judy's Patchwork Times. 

Design Wall - Aug. 29, 2016

This week found me busily putting together several quilt tops for our veterans and finishing up some quilting.  One top is a secret QOV quilt that I can't show until Wednesday.  Stop back then.

But I can show the other project that is on my design wall. It is an Honor Flight quilt.  Several times a year we have groups of 30-35 that leave from St. Louis on their way to visit the war memorials in Washington, DC. through the Honor Flight program.  One lady from our guild gets up at 1 a.m. in order to get to the airport at 4 a.m. to present each veteran with an honor flight quilt.  We have made more than 100 Honor Flight quilts.  She has gone a step further this time.  She embroidered the center design and gave them out to volunteers at the guild to make a quilt for the next group out of St. Louis.
If you can't read it, it says "Home of the Free because of the Brave".  There is a flag, boots and dog tags in black embroidery.  They are 36" - 40" square as requested by the sponsors of the program so they can take and use them on the plane and buses throughout the day. 

I also received a donation of a Quilts of Valor from another guild member at the same meeting.  It was pieced by Shirley H. with patriotic fat quarters that she won in a contest.

Isn't this pretty. This is such a simple design, but I love the layout she used. Some veteran will love receiving this. Thanks so much Shirley for your donation.

A couple more finishes this week too.  These were made by a friend to be used as table toppers or wall hangings during the Christmas holidays.

 She made both these from her scraps left over from other projects. What a great design using simple blocks--half square triangles and rail fence.  Easy peasy. This would be a great stashbuster made in a larger size.

This only has HST with an accent strip randomly placed.

I'm a little late linking up with Judy's DWM, but it's still Monday where I am.  lol