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Saturday, June 30, 2012

Soldiers Star


I finished my Soldiers Star Quilt today and I entered it into the weekly themed quilt contest at Quilting Gallery its in the patriotic category and I believe it starts next Friday.  I will try to remember to remind you all to go vote.


This was a fun quilt and it was fun to get a shot of Jared laying on it (was actually hard to get him off it) almost every material in it has stars (except the out side edge if you look at the white by the outside red points that's a wavy white.  Even the back is a white on white stars pattern similar to the front stars but all white


On the quilting on this I did a echo quilt across all blocks that had color change (so the blue red line I echo quilted both sides) the blocks that were same side by side I did not echo those.  This is most evident on the white star that is the solid one piece star around the entire quilt.


The quilt pattern for this quilt came from http://quiltscapesquilting.blogspot.com/ Deonn Stott created this pattern called Soldiers Star for the 2011 Accuquilt barn quilt design contest and won 2nd.


This quilt was a lot of fun.  I think I am going to make another one of these in a littler size as its a fun pattern to do and I want to do.

Friday, June 29, 2012

James Returns Victorious


James my son and his partner Sam above at the start of their competition in 3D animation and visualization  at the National Competition in Kansas City Missouri.


This is them after working 8 hours on their project (this might have been another day, he can't remember, but I will assume they are all smiles because they did a great job).


Jared and I watched the awards ceremony on TV (internet telecast) when they got to the announcements for his competion we watched as they read off the bronze/silver/ and then gold.

What is the first thing Jared blurts out??

LOSER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then he ran out of the room to play.  I don't agree with little brothers assessment of the results (Jame's name was not read), we later found out he placed 11 of 33 groups in his competition.  James is taking it in stride.  The group last year that went from his school (he won second in state last year) placed 19th last year.  He and his partner Sam placed 1st in state and got gold medals so they are winners in all of our books.


For any that don't know my son James has been diagnosed with Aspergers, which is a high functioning Autism.  We paid about $800 to send him to nationals.  Before he left I asked him to take his camera and make sure to take some pictures.  He argued that he does not think their would be a single thing in Kansas City that he would want to take a picture of.  I told him for $800 bucks I expect him to take some pictures.  When he got home the only picture on his camera was a picture of a dead frog.  He told me it looked interesting.  Some times I want to bonk him on his head.  (He for example did not even copy what he turned in, so I can't even show you what he did). The above pictures at the competion were from Sam's camera. 

I took him to dinner to celebrate (his being a LOSER as Jared says). He talked a little bit about his roomies at the motel (they stayed 4 to a room). Two of them were in a competition in video and they were doing some video and had 48 hours to work on it.  They were stuck on how to end their film, when James suggested that they could have some one dragging off a dead body (something about zombies, what do you expect from teens) Any way he got to play the part of the dead guy that got dragged away.

Any way they won 3rd place so he is a winner after all.  Just as a dead stiff.


I finished quilting my quilt tonight here is a sneak peak from the back.  It is right now in the wash and will try to get some pictures Friday or Saturday of it and post its finish.


In the mail today I got a block from a swap partner, it looks great, thanks.


And lastly for today, my wife spent her first full week back to work (acutally almost two weeks now) but this is her week one check.  Yep they paid her 1 cent.  I think I can afford to hire her at that rate. (It should be noted that our medical insurance comes though her work and after 3 months of insurance and not paying for it, they took it out of her first check, thus leaving a silly penny that they direct deposited into our checking account.  Thanks, we will try not to spend it in one place.








Thursday, June 28, 2012

Link A Finish Friday #21

The Goal for me this year is 52 Finishes in 52 weeks help keep me honest and show off your own finishes at the same time its a Link A Finish Friday!!  I as counting the other day and in a couple weeks I will pass my 52 quilt mark.  I might have to be upping this goal some.



The most popular quilt last week was from Just something I made. Remember that every link up you do will add a entry into a drawing each month for 2 fat quarters.


Tanya rounded up the first few items, that are up for offers to the winner of the random draw, for those that link up on LAFF here at Richard and Tanya Quilts.  The winner will be picked the Thursday after the last Friday of each month.  This will make it the 5th of July for the month of June.  The winner have their choice of 2 fat quarters from the 9 pictured.  These are from my stash, but have no current project with their name on them.  Some of them are items I got from the shop hop, others are items that came with materials we bought, but did not make it into a project.






Thanks again for visiting Richard and Tanya Quilts and supporting  our quilting adventures.

So for the rules.

1) Who likes rules. Toss them out.
2) Add a link to your finish blog or where ever you show off your finishes (Not limited to quilts but I like them the most).
3) Visit a few of the finishes and comment or encourage them on.
4) Monthly random winner picked from all of the months linkups to win 2 fat quarters.

Not Required but fun to do

1) Follow my blog.
2) Follow the blog of all those that link.
3) Link back to my blog.
4) No finish, go quilt and stop reading the web.


Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Tanya Rocks!


Tanya is showing off again, she had her next block in our Beginner Quilt Along  She is frustrated with her block because her corners don't match perfectly.  I think she did a fantastic job though.


When I sat down to make this post it seems I have extra pictures on my camera.  My Daughter took this picture of my 3 cherries.  I bought 2 cherry trees this year and planted them in my front yard (ran out of room in the back yard for tree's it has way more then our small yard can handle.) I do not know much about cherry's other then they taste good how do you tell when they are ready?


As for me all I did today was finish the quilting of my soldier star quilt.  This quilt took some serious effort.  I wanted to echo quilt both sides of all the blocks that were different side by side (so between blue and read etc and white and blue.  but between same blocks I did not quilt)  It was a lot of effort to drag the quilt though the machine.  Now all I need to do is cut it down (we did a booboo on basting it and part of one side did not get back and batting) so I need to find the least amount I can cut off the edges to make it look good and bind it should maybe have it done by Friday night.

This block is one of my 12 1/2 inch block swap blocks I got this month it sure is pretty.



Tuesday, June 26, 2012

WIP Wednesday #19

Today is going to be a Work In Progress Wednesday.   I will be linking up with Freshly Pieced.  

WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced
Completed Projects: I made a pillow case and have to hide in shame this week as that is all that I have done.


In Progress:
I finished this week the top to my Yellow and Blue Batik It is wonderful and once I get finished my Soldiers Star (which is in the machine as we speak) I will quilt that one next.



Ready To Quilt:
I am getting behind on quilting my tops I have 4 I think now in the box.  Rebecca (my 14 year old) has a quilt also on the list it was basted by her and her mother this week and she has started to quilt it.  It will be her first pieced quilt. With any luck I can help her get it done this week (she is doing all of the work I am just giving guidance).


Ongoing Projects:
I am now interested in making quilts for others if you know any one looking to have a quilt made, send them my way.  I also have a few quilts listed on my etsy shop.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/RichardQuilts.

Planned Quilts:
I started writing a list and so has my wife.  With just family quilts I need to make (about 10-12) and the quilts I just want to make because I can I think my list is now near 20 or so of what I want to make.

Totals:
Finished: 3 June, 10 May, 8 April, 10 March, 10 February, 7 January
46 Total for Year wow only 9 more quilts tell I meet my 55 projects and I have to set the bar higher maybe I should go for 100?.

Monday, June 25, 2012

James is competing in Skills USA


Last Saturday I had the pleasure of dropping my son (No really it was a pleasure any time you can get rid of your teenager, do it) off at the Salt Lake International Airport to send him off to Kansas City to compete in the Skills USA contest in 3D Animation.  He has been there since Saturday, but his competition starts Tuesday and runs from 9am to 5pm.  I never competed in any thing in high school so never got to go any where exciting.   Last year, James won 2nd place in state and was so disappointed.  This year he won 1st in state which got him the privilege to go to nationals.  He was so excited he won and then he went to the meeting about it and was afraid we would not let him go (the cost is around $800) for us to ship him there.  While with any luck he will win something.  If he does not win, maybe he can be lucky enough to get noticed by one of the companies sponsoring the competition.  His dreams is to work for a company like Pixar, the makers of the new movie Brave that is out this week.


Last night I started to quilt my soldiers star.  Tanya basted it for me and she had a difficult time getting it straight, without too many puckers.  After 2-3 times of basting it we finally got close to what we wanted.  I will be spending the next day or so working on this.  So not much excitement in the world of quilting.


What all do you do while quilting?  As for me I watch all the TV shows I have saved up on Tivo on my DirctTV, tonight I am starting with Falling Skies this is a interesting new show this season on TNT.  Its about a Alien invasion of earth and how us little humans are trying to fight back.

I have mentioned it before and will again.  I outside of quilting my other huge love is Watching TV
or was it Programming, Wait I know its Programming about watching TV.  I have created a free site that you can use to track your TV watching its called TrackMyShows.com ,you can register with my site and then keep track of your TV addiction.  Best of all if you mark what shows you want to follow it will give you a quick list of all the shows you follow that you have not watched.  Any way TV and my quilting are calling.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

A Finish is a Finish

I am a total slacker this month.  I have only 2 completes so far, the first is my Grandpa's Cards and it is tiny, almost as small as Julia.  The ssecond was not fancy by all means and was a top made more then a month ago Kathy's Quilt.  I decided to go all out today and I finished my first Pillow Case.  Yes lets hear the applause.  Such a great.. Wait that is not a quilt??


Yes Richard is out to amaze today, he made a Pillow Case.  Lets call its name "Jungle Friends".


Yes I know a pillow case is nothing to be amazed with.  It was a total Train Wrek wait that can't be, I already have a quilt named that and Julia is laying on it.


If you have been around for a while (or at least read my first few posts) I wrote about this quilt that Julia is laying on (A little history I started quilting so that I could make Julia quilts, and Train Wrek was the first I ever made) and it was a wreck.  That quilt was finished January 16 and was my first pieced quilt.  Every thing went wrong.  Hence its name.  Today I topped my wrecking skills.


How it went totally wrong was simple.  1) Instructions for the pillow pattern were a single page hand written and hard to read. 2) Typical man, I did not read them (looked at them saw the measurements tossed instructions on the floor).  Looking at the picture above my Rick Rack while I blew it, I um sewed the edge of it instead of down the middle and it looks silly.  Then you can see that silly stitch thing down from the rick rack.  While I sewed the top and the bottom of the pillowcase together, then sewed around the pillow case and then the DUH moment kicked in when I realized (if I had read the instructions) I was suppose to fold the top in half and sew that to the bottom.  So improvise is a mans best friend I just um pushed the end into the pillow case and stitched it down.

I know this is where every one says that's what that pick was made for.  While if I used that pick I would not have a constant reminder of my mistakes (that I won't make again) and then you guys could not laugh at me.  What fun would that be for you.


Now for you all to teach me something.  Above is the seam inside my pillow case.  Below is the seam inside a pillow case that my daughter brought me as an example of what I should have done (yes even she picks on me, so don't feel bad laughing at me).

My wife tells me that the below picture is a serged seam?? I don't have a serger so I need some ideas of what I should do on my inside seam's of my pillow cases?


By the way, I always have a reason for my madness.  We (Tanya and I) plan to give a quilt to every one of my and her family's and their kids (2 siblings on my side of the family no kids(not counting me) plus mom and dad, Tanya has 3 siblings on her side not counting her, 8 kids + mom and dad (this is for Christmas this coming year).  We also have  2 grandmothers (already got their quilts) .  That does not sound too bad. My wife's dad got remarried 2 years ago which added 6 kids & spouses (+ new step mom) and and they have 17 kids between them with a baby on the way.  We decided we would give 1 quilt to each of the step brothers/sisters of my wife as a family gift. Then we thought that's not enough.  So we are going to make the 17 kids each a pillow case (see I am not totally crazy after all).  The baby on the way though is going to score its own quilt (doesn't every baby need a quilt).   Today I crashed and burned on the first one (Julia never complains about my train wrecks as she is not quite 3 months old,  so she can have that one). I  did cut out material for 8 more and we bought material today for another 3-4 of them so expect to see some wimpy finishes in my future.


When I sat down tonight to make my post I had my son bring me the camera and he insisted I take a close up of his face (while 2 pictures the first flashed in his eyes and he made me delete that one)  Tanya says he is my child, if he was hers his face would be washed and not have a chocolate milk moustache.


I asked him to hold up the apron I won from Keeping It Simple and their sponsor Knotty Daughters.  When Tanya,  opened my mail (she tends to not wait for me in opening things I get) she called me to tell my the apron will just look cute on me.  Duh its a girls apron (hum I did look to see if they made a guy looking one when I won). I did inform her that she gets to wear it and that she gets to model it for this post.  She quickly told me no (though you can find her pictures here any way ha!) shy tries to be picture shy.  So I made Jared model for me.  He promptly refused (You know its a Girlo thing and he is a boy after all) I did convince him to hold it so I could take a picture, but he covered his face. I am supposed to tell you that it is a girl holding it and its not Jared.


I also won this secret surprise gift from http://ibescheraldine.blogspot.com/ and it was shipped to me from England.  My wife after I opened my surprise ruined the day by telling me she already knew what it was before I opened it.  She cheated and read the custom declaration on my envelope.  Oh well I did not cheat and read that first, I opened my surprise and saw it the proper way.  They are 2 cute magnets pin cushions,  I promptly stuck them too my computer (which my wife protested about) so I moved them to my white board in my office, they are so cute.  Thank you Cherie.

Lastly today (because today is almost over and what more could I blab about)


http://beccasews101.blogspot.com/2012/06/cupcake-baby-toy.html Rebecca my daughter finished another item.  This is her 3rd/4th finish I am so proud of her and its on her blog.  The 5th item a pieced baby quilt she started quilting today.  It will be a week or so for her to get it quilted, it wore her out quilting the part she did today but I got some cute pictures of her working go check out her blog and tell her that she is doing a great job.




June Finishes

Blue and Yellow Batik top finished


While the first of the 2 Color Blast Quilts (My pattern my name in case any one has been wondering about it)  You will notice that Julia was peaking into this picture on the bottom right I though that was so cute.  I was holding the top and my son James took the picture.  That white thing next to my daughters head is a cupcake toy thing that Rebecca my 14 year old made.  She is sewing a second one right now she "Messed" that one up and gave it to Julia and she is making a new one for a baby shower her and Tanya are going to for a lady at church who is Rebecca's Young Women's Leader.  I am going to see if I can get her to either post it here or on her blog to show off.  Some time tonight or Saturday she will be quilting her first baby quilt for Julia.


The picture above and below was taking about 6:30 pm as the sun was starting to set I wanted to get a sun shot before it got dark.  Though I like the look of the lights shinning though from my sewing area on the top picture (another one at the end too).



While out side I got distracted looking at the fruit tree's.  We have a small yard but we have crammed as many tree's in as we could (we have 2 apple, 2 peach, 2 cherry, 1 pear, 1 nectarine, 1 apricot/nectarine mix tree)





And of course the guard cat on the table in the back yard.


One extra last thing for today.  I have been doing a Block swap with Quilting Block Swaps Australia.  They are doing a giveaway from a new sponsor a company named http://www.fabricworm.com/  If you are looking for fabric check them out.  And if your looking to do 12 1/2 inch block swap I belive they still have some spots open I have been doing it for the last 4 months and just love the blocks I have received many of which are posted Here on my blog

Friday, June 22, 2012

Link a Finish Friday #20

The Goal for me this year is 52 Finishes in 52 weeks help keep me honest and show off your own finishes at the same time its a Link A Finish Friday!!  I as counting the other day and in a couple weeks I will pass my 52 quilt mark.  I might have to be upping this goal some.



The most popular quilt last week was from Marjorie's Busy Corner.  It was a pretty Sampler Quilt.  Remember that every link up you do adds a entry's into a drawing each month for 2 fat quarters.






Thanks again for visiting Richard and Tanya Quilts and supporting  our quilting adventures.

So for the rules.

1) Who likes rules. Toss them out.
2) Add a link to your finish blog or where ever you show off your finishes (Not limited to quilts but I like them the most).
3) Visit a few of the finishes and comment or encourage them on.

Not Required but fun to do

1) Follow my blog.
2) Follow the blog of all those that link.
3) Link back to my blog.
4) No finish, go quilt and stop reading the web.