We got our RFO today (Request For Orders) so that means we might be moving. Good news, hey? I have had enough experience with the military to not get really excited until we get the real orders to make travel arrangements and prep for the movers. All I am going to say at this moment in time is.....Kansas. Yep. Not Ft Bragg or Ft Campbell...somewhere in Kansas. I am not going to narrow it anymore than that since I don't want o jinx the whole deal. For those of you in Kansas who want to learn to make some bags from your loved ones' uniform....I will be there in July so we will get together then. OK? It still doesn't feel real, so let us go on to my current reality, OK?
Beautiful Bushfire Liberated Star Quilt Blocks....lot and lots of them. Emma is really getting good at locating the different countries you are sending the blocks from, so this makes a great geography lesson. Thank you my friends for that! I have been having a great time skipping around to your blogs and websites learning more about all you wonderful people who are taking some time out of your sewing day to make a block or 2 ...or 50 for this project. You are including the greatest cards and notes and I am hearing over and over about how much you like this type of piecing. I TOTALLY am inspired by Gwen Marston. I want to be her when I grow up. Tonya and Bonnie are deep delicious vats of quilting inspiration too. Sit down with their blogs and a small stack of scraps and see what you can whip up. I LOVE moments like that. Quiet quilting moments...ok that time will come again, no worries!
I am trying to finish up all my bag orders before the madness really kicks off here at the house. See up there on the table? There are 6 Molly Purses up there almost finished! Happy Happy day! I have some awesome bags in my sewing room...I think this last push of bags will be my best ever. You ladies are going to be carrying around some real doosies! Of course while I am working so hard on the bags my mind is in 2 different places. 1) How to organize the quilt blocks that are literally POURING in and 2) 3 new bag designs. Yes yes, I know now is not the time for bag designs, but they come on me unexpectedly. I am holding off on further development until after all (or most) of the bags are done. I may go ahead ant test out a couple new designs on some of you whose uniforms I have had the longest. Obviously these designs are from bits of the sleeves or pants that are not used in the bag you originally ordered. That would be odd, huh? for me to send you something you TOTALLY didn't order. I won't do that to you. But you may get a bonus in your box.I have a fever...when I am ill my mind is so very creative. Too bad my body can't keep up. This particular plague I think is either my husband's fault or one of my sons or it could be just the fact that I went to the grocery store last week and pushed around those nasty trolleys that are incubators of bacterial growth. Emma and I are laid up...Sam is recovering and I am watching Ethan. He has massive "sick eyes" but so far has yet to display any symptoms other than being really irritable.
OK, back to the organization of quilt blocks for the quilt. My dear and very organized husband made me a wonderful spreadsheet for recording all your lovely blocks as they come in. It even has flags to represent your countries. I love a good spreadsheet. Well, here is my issue. I want each quilt we make together to "go" I want the blocks to "jive". It is OK if some blocks are more noisy than their friends...it is fine if some are really really quiet. I don't mind, but I do want the quilt blocks to get on together. So my deal is How do I keep track of whose quilt blocks are in which quilt top? I have them all labeled (I can't tell you how excited I am about my little system) and sorted into tones. Well I was thinking out loud this evening (OK, I was talking to myself) and my husband happened to think I was talking to him so he gave me his opinion. He think I should just let fate decide the placement of the quilt blocks. Say, the first 25 blocks I receive go into the first quilt top, the second 25 I get go into the second quilt top and so on and so forth. Part of what he says makes wonderful sense, because SO MUCH of this project has come together like there is a Higher power guiding it. I will do some layouts over the next couple days and see if I agree with his plan....
In the mean time look at this! See? There on the left? 2 Totally finished quilts from quiltcraft. She also sent along 2 more lovely blocks...wow. I am amazed. A quilt top by sunflowerquilts and 4 quilt tops by Jean Lemin and Pamela Townsend of Cooranboona (I am not sure if that is spelled correctly). There are also some more bags to be finished....over to the right.Those are Becky Messenger bags in a couple states of formation.
Here are the blocks I have categorized so far :
Kristin L. - Hawaii x2Lurline G. - Port Kennedy x2Julia C. - Port Kennedy x2Milly S. - East Fremantle x2Jacquie G. - KC, Kansas x2Kristin C. - Richboro, PA x2T. Crawford - La Habra, CA x2Ellena O. - Greenville, NC x 4Helen W. - Riddells Creek (VIC) x 2Lorraine M. - Isle of Capri (QLD) x 2 Caroline - Dulwick Hill x 2J. Boath - Adelaide (SA) x4Elanor F. - Orange East (NSW) x 2Kate F - Darwin (NT) x 2L. Choun - Saratoga, CA x2Ramona B. - LIttle Rock, AR x 3Margaret G. - Gorham, ME x 8Leona B. - Spokane, WA x 2Sarah G. - Gainesville, FL x2 Mary N. - Pasadena, MD x 2Marilyn B. - Kansas City, MO x 2Michelle E B - Rahway, NJ x 3Judith M. - Aliso Viejo, CA x 2
Blocks recieved 23 Feb 09
Lisa F -Queensbury, NY- 2Amy F - West Newbury, MA- 2"Harris" -Twain Harte, CA -4Julie T - Toowoomba, QLD- 2 blocks and 2 completely finished liberated star quiltsAndrea B - Greenwood Lake, NY- 5 blocks + 6 rolls of bindingSheirdan P -Stanhope Gardens, NSW -4 quilt blocks + safety pins + roll of bindingTess - York, UK-2Darla T-Medlow Bath - 1Jane -Whitby, UK -2Jennie S - Marengo, IL-10 blocks + backing for 3 quilts and 1 quilt topJean L & - Cooranboona,NSW - 4 quilt tops and fabricPamela TCurrent count = 92 blocks and 2 completed quilts. Awesome!
I still need to sort out the afternoons haul of quilt blocks....which is a pretty big stack. I have a box to collect at the Oz post office tomorrow as well...maybe the backing and thread from Kim??? I will let you know tomorrow!
Oh and I was the guest speaker at the Alice Springs Quilting Guild last night. That was kinda a surprise, but I loved the looks on all the ladies faces as I listed out all the support we had so far from AROUND THE WORLD! "All" I need them for is their skill. This Quilt-a-thon is going to be fantastic and there are some fantastic ladies to sew with here! I can't wait! One of the ladies was talking about a quilt given to her grandmother after a fire years and years ago. It has become an heirloom that the family passes around as one of them move to help them get settled. I hope our quilts will be so treasured.
One last thing then I really am dragging my tail to bed- Jinny Beyer is coming to town. How wild is that? Jinny Beyer way out here in the middle of NOWHERE! I am going to hear her talk and to her workshop, I am going to learn hand piecing. I have always wanted to learn, but everyone uses machines these days. I can't wait. My first ever quilt instructor studied under her way back when. See, more destiny at work!
I love it. I love being an instrument in something so very much bigger. Don't you?
OK, I need to go to bed. I will be back in the morning! I will have my coffee right here with you.
Sweet dreams, all!
13 comments:
fingers crossed that you get your orders soon. kansas, eh? you'll be closer to Nebraska and the quilt study center in Lincoln - woohoo. You are doing such a good thing with these stars.
darn! i was hoping for florida! : )
tia - you're an inspiration with the brushfire quilts! i'm working on quilts of valor for our wounded servicemen/women and got a huge boost of inspiration yesterday from the navy's safe harbor program.
i understand about the military and moving...my hubby is navy. AND, he's from kansas, so if you do go there, it's not all that bad. or least it isn't when i go visit my inlaws. there's amish country with neat quilting stores in yoder (near wichita).
feel better!
I just left KS. It would of been great to learn about sewing from you.If Manhattan, KS is were your going its a great community. I really enjoyed our time there. I wish you luck.
KANSAS?!!? Seriously? OK... don't narrow it down; I understand. But seriously, this is very exciting! VERY exciting! Please keep me in the loop!
You might have my main email; if not, you can reach me at bagsbyKZK at the gmail dealie.
Woo hoo! We love an RFO. :-)
We love all your projects too. How about a compromise in order to save our sanity: lay out your blocks like your hubby suggests and then if there are a few that just aren't playing nicely, swap them out with the first good ones that show up in the pile. Maybe hubby can take all the kids out bowling or to a movie or something and you can take over a few rooms and lay out several tops at once. Maybe.
Muchas gracias ladies! Yeah, I am kinda excited to go to Kansas. I have never been there. I am really looking foreward to being in the heart of quilting country! I think Kansas City is close to where we are going (that should narrow it down pretty well ;o) oh and we are NOT going to be guests of the big prison) and the schools are great on base, so Miss Emma can get some assistance with her hearing impairment.
I want my firend Erica to come over sometime this weekend and we will lay out quilts in the back yard. We don't get rain here, so that should be fine. I am going to employ both Stu and Kristin's ideas...I feel it should work!
xo,
Tia
hi,
I found your blog via shellyfish.wordpress.com, who says she is planning to try to make a couple of squares. I've never done any quilting, but have thought for a while that I'd like to try, so if I get a chance I'll have a go in the next week and send them to you.
I don't have a sewing machine though, being more of a crocheter and knitter than sewing person, but I'm sure I'd be able to 'liberate' either my mother's or my mother-in-law's!
Kansas? Hope you will be closer to NE Oklahoma! We live in Green Country and it is really beautiful around here. When we get rain we also get "wind" so be ready for some active stormes. :o)
I have purchased the basting pins and printed off the the instructions now all I need to do is make my quilt blocks. I will have them in the mail by the end of Feb. ( this weel)
Thanks for all of your hard work to help others.
Are you sure you cant get orders to VA?
Hope you get your orders...there's no place like Kansas!
I've made some blocks I'd like to send to you but I don't know where to mail them to! You can e-mail me the address at milkandhoneyquils@gmail.com
Hope its not too late!
What a great project! Three blocks and two bindings are on their way to you from Cody, Wyoming! I'm watching to see how many wonderful quilts you're able to put together!! Jan in Cody
Kansas, eh? Not this year, but maybe next year, we can divert through KS on our way to SD. It's only a *little* out of the way. =)
How wonderful that you will have a chance to work with Jenny Beyer. I love hand piecing, though most of my hand time is now spent on crazy quilting.
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