Wyoming Breezes

Friday, I pulled some fabric from my stash and began cutting pieces for the next Quilt of Valor.  I still have a couple of large patriotic panels that Sue and Bert donated . It's difficult to come up with ideas of what to do with the large panels, so when I saw a recent post of Cindy (Delighted Hands) , I knew the pattern ( Center of Attention ) was perfect.  Once I located the pattern online (there are a LOT of patterns named, Center of Attention), I quickly ordered it.  The fabric is all cut, except for the border, so I am ready to begin sewing.

fabric donation from Judy J. in Texas June 2022 Recently I received a package from Judy J., a quilter in Texas who is downsizing. She asked if I would accept some of her patriotic fabric to make Quilts of Valor.  When I opened the package, I was humbled by Judy's generosity. The package included yardage large enough to back several Quilts of Valor. Thank you, Judy for donating all this wonderful fabric.  Quilt of Valor  made by Judy J. in Texas June 2022 In addition to the yardage, Judy included a completely finished quilt in the package. All I have to do is add a label that identifies Judy as the maker of this beautiful quilt.  Judy's gift will touch the lives of many veterans. 

Stars Abound 63 x 75 inches Quilt of Valor #214 January 2022 Nearly every fabric used in this quilt has stars, so the quilt basically named itself.  Pattern: Hedgehog on the Run by Judy Hansen (free from pbs fabrics) 

fabric and pattern selection for a Quilt of Valor March 2021 On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, I pulled and cut fabric for two Quilts of Valor. One will be made with a "new" pattern and one from a pattern I used previously.    fat quarter selection for a Quilt of Valor March 2021 While technically not Fat Quarters (FQ), these fabrics are too small to use by themselves. The pattern requires fifteen FQs, and as luck would have it, I had fifteen small pieces of fabric in my stash.  All the fabrics have been cut to the patterns' specifications, and all I need to do is find time to sew. 

Diversity 61 x 74 inches Quilt of Valor #196 This quilt was finished on MLK day, so I thought it was fitting to name it Diversity. It was made from red and blue 10" squares cut from scraps of other Quilts of Valor. The beige fabric was left over backing fabric from several other QOV.  I'm working on another version of this pattern where the red and blue placement is reversed. The rows are sewn, but I need to sew the rows together into the top.  I like the impact of this pattern and the simplicity of the design and construction. 

American Snapshots 64 x 70 inches Quilt of Valor #195 American Snapshots started with a stack of bonus, blue/white HSTs, enough to make 21 pinwheel blocks. I raided my scrap bins for more blue white to sew 24 more. The alternate blocks are squares, cut from two panels that Jean F. sent this summer. I framed them with red to bring them up to the size of the pinwheels.  the scrap HSTs provided nearly half of the necessary pinwheel blocks for American Snapshots I could have finished this quilt before the end of the year, but I didn't have the motivation, so American Snapshots is officially the first QOV for 2021. 

Army Strong 60 x 78 inches Quilt of Valor #186 Army Strong was made with a panel included in the box of fabric I received last week from Jean F. in Iowa . I've never made a branch specific QOV before, so this one was fun and quick to make. The camouflage in the center panel made choosing border fabric a challenge, but I think the dark grey and gold accent the panel well.  The pattern was also in Jean's box - a Villa Rosa Designs pattern card called "Daring Spirit." Jean thank you for making this QOV possible. 

fabric donation from Jean F. in Iowa July 2020 I received a treasure chest in the mail on Monday. Inside the box was an abundance of fabric to make numerous Quilts of Valor. This box was filled with possibilities and blessings: I am tremendously grateful for Jean's donation.  Pictured on the sides and bottom are folds of yardage; some large enough for backings. In the center are six patriotic panels, and below the panels are fat quarters. Jean also sent four patterns and Quilt of Valor labels.  Jean, my heart is full of gratitude for this generous gift. Thank you!

placing HSTs in the correct position June 2020 Here's a sneak peek at my current sewing/quilting project. The dark fabric looks black in the photo, but it is actually dark navy. Both fabrics were used for backings for previous Quilts of Valor and are the same print, only different colors. At this point the pieces haven't been sewn together. This is the first Carpenter's Star quilt that I've made.  According to Wendy Russell at Patchwork Square , "The Carpenter's Wheel quilt block has been around for a long time and is also known by a few other names ... Star of Bethlehem and Carpenter's Star. Most of the time, this block is made using squares and diamonds, but I have chosen to make this pattern using half square triangle sets, rather than the diamonds, to bypass distortion of the bias edges from the frequent handling, and also this method avoids the dreaded set in seam. My view is why do it the hard way, when you can choose the easy way? Now the down side o...

Still Chatting 61 x 75 inches Quilt of Valor #184 June 2020 Still Chatting is a twin to FaceTime Chats  that was finished a couple of weeks ago from 2.5 inch scraps. Can you believe that I still have 5 sixteen-patch blocks remaining? They went into the orphan bin for a future project. Currently, I'm slightly ahead of my goal to make two QOV each month this year. This quilt and the American Symbols QOV have been sent to Idaho for quilting and for awarding. 

We the People #2 60 x 72 inches Quilt of Valor #177 We the People #2 was fun to make, using a free pattern Pillars of Strength by Elaine Theriault. I would definitely use this pattern again.

nine, churn dash blocks March 2020 Clue #1 of Pointed Fun was released and completed on Wednesday. Marilyn and I sewed together via Face Time in the afternoon: she worked on a pieced quilt border while I assembled the nine, churn dash blocks for the mystery QAL. The blocks are 13 inches unfinished.

fabric cut and ready to sew Mystery A10 - Pointed Fun March 2020 Alycia ( Quilty Girl ) started another QOV mystery, and since I have no place to go, I will sew, I will sew, I will sew. . . The clues will be published weekly on the Mystery Quilts 4 Military group on ioGroups.

Vintage Americana 58 x 75 inches Quilt of Valor #175 Vintage Americana was made from some donations: the center panel from Marilyn and the striped fabric from Sharon F. from Palmyra, VA .

Boldly American 59 x 68 inches Quilt of Valor #172 Boldly American is the first finished project and QOV for 2020. Ironically, this pattern was also used for the first QOV of 2015 . I adapted the pattern ( Simply Susan ) to accommodate the center panel.

sixteen patch stars Remember all the four patch blocks that I made a couple of weeks ago? I'm gradually turning them into sixteen patch stars. The flag fabric for the star points on the left was donated by Sharon F.

Patriotic Columns 59 x 72 inches Quilt of Valor #163 Most of the fabric that Sharon F. sent was "cream-based," so I added some Civil War fabric scraps I had in the bins and tan yardage to create Patriotic Columns . Pattern :  Kristin by Villa Rosa Designs Adaptions : I increased the size of the vertical sashing to meet the QOV size requirements. Villa Rosa Designs patterns make great donation quilts because they are quick and easy to make.

hourglass blocks ready to sew September 2019 I have another QOV in the works: this one uses hourglass blocks. Several years ago, I cut several 16 inch squares of poster board and use them in my sewing room to organize blocks by my sewing machine. For the current project, four of the squares are holding ten blocks each, making the components handy to grab and stitch together. Time spent organizing certainly makes it easier and faster to assemble quilt blocks.

Autumn Star 56 x 70 inches Quilt of Valor #159 Made with eight fat quarters from stash and some background yardage. Pattern: Stars N Stripes by Villa Rosa Designs Autumn Star and the Twin Stars #1 and #2 are already in the hands of a volunteer longarmer and will be awarded to veterans in November.

Star #1 56 x 66 inches Quilt of Valor #157 These two quilts are fraternal twins - made with the same components but with somewhat different fabrics. Star #2 56 x 66 inches Quilt of Valor #158