A Snake in the Garden

Today I would like to present my newest quilt "A Snake in the Garden". This quilt was created specifically for the http://www.slmqg.com/ contest EZ Dresden Challenge.  It is celebrating Darlene Zimmerman's 20th Anniversary designing quilting tools for EZ Quilting.  The linkup is September 1st - 6th with the winner being announced September 17th.

Did I mention prizes?  Oh yes there are lots of them.  Please go enter your own  quilts, I would hate to compete alone.

Before I talk more about this quilt, I want to first say that I am a member of the SLMQG (contest is open to all by the way).  I have attended the last 3 meetings and I have to say it's interesting going to a quilt guild and being the new guy.  I so far feel like the odd man out (Maybe that is because I am the only guy).  I am hoping that by doing my best in this contest, I can gain some respect with the gals in the guild. If not, well I am not going anywhere so I guess they will get used to me.
In making this quilt, I did not want to just make Dresden plates.  My assumption is that if I am in a modern quilt guild, I have to make it well more modern.  As I searched different quilts for ideas, I saw many snake like shapes and I knew that I wanted to do that.  But then again, I also wanted to have some traditional plates so that I could decide how I liked them and decide if I wanted to make them again.

I am happy to say that I enjoyed the process of making the plates a lot.  I used the ruler that I received from the guild that was given out as part of this contest.  The ruler was fun and easy to use.  The fabric that I chose for this quilt is from one of my favorite lines Reunion by Sweetwater for Moda Fabrics.  One thing you might find interesting (its a guy thing) when picking fabrics from this line I avoided the "Flower" fabrics in that line.  For the back ground of the the top I picked the light gray dots from that line and for the back I chose the large number print in multi color.  To make sure I came up with some great pictures, my wife Tanya and I took the quilt to the International Peace Gardens near my house for a photo shoot.

These posts here talk about the creation of this quilt

http://richardquilts.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-first-guild-meeting.html

http://richardquilts.blogspot.com/2012/08/dresden-fun.html

http://richardquilts.blogspot.com/2012/08/all-is-well-that-ends-well.html

http://richardquilts.blogspot.com/2012/08/i-aint-talking-you-cant-make-me-talk.html

http://richardquilts.blogspot.com/2012/08/i-need-good-name-any-one-have-good-idea.html

Link A Finish Friday #30

Posted by Richard

Link a finish Friday is when we here at Richard and Tanya Quilts let you show off what you have been working on this week.  We know that every one can not finish a quilt for every Friday, but every one can finish something to the point it is ready to show it off.

My finish that I am showing off this week is a HST baby quilt that I made out of Tanya's Twirl stash. This quilt is not finished yet, but it was to a point I showed it off.  In fact right now its in the sewing machine where I left it last night when Tanya got home and we started to watch Julia crawl.

The 2 most clicked quilts last week was Tanya's First Quilt and Lyn's Quiet Rebellion

Now it is your chance to show off what you have done.  The rules are simple.  Link something you have done.  Then visit 2-3 of the other quilts on the list and see what others are doing.  Please comment and share your support for our fellow quilters.

Oh and don't forget each link enters you into a drawing to win 2 FQ that I give out each month.

And the fun begins

Today's post by Richard.

To the victor goes the spoils or so Julia is telling us.  For those that have followed my blog for long you know that I started quilting because of Julia.  She is such an amazing little girl.  When she was born her little arm (right arm was hurt). We did not really talk about it because it worried us a lot and of course its a private matter.  She has a early intervention therapist that has been coming over to our house to help us learn what we could do to help her.  While yesterday they told us that they are going to do an evaluation and possibly kick her out of the program.

What? They don't want to help her any more? In the last week or so Julia has decided she can reach and grab any thing that is near.  As any good parent we try to keep things out of reach and we let her down on the ground as much as possible.  While sadly we now have a problem.

(if you are reading this in reader there is a video that you will want to watch)

Yes, Julia Dawn Healey is mobile.  Nothing is going to stand in the way of her getting to and eating all the paper in the house.  One thing I would like to point out is Julia turned 5 months old yesterday.  When I brought her home from the hospital the manual said

"Most babies learn to crawl between the ages of 7and 10 months"

Some one needs to let her know that she is breaking all the rules, now who has the manual for the advance speed kids? Needless to say I think her right arm is doing fine and ya its ok that she is getting booted from the program.

WIP Wednesday #25

Today's Post by Richard

I like to take the chance every Wed and review the week in progress.  This week has been a busy one.  We are still in the middle of 2 giveaways In the mood for a giveaway and Back to school blog hop The both of have plenty of time to enter them if you haven't already.  This last weekend Tanya and I took some better pictures of some of our quilts at the International Peace Gardens near my house.

All in all I think the pictures turned out good.  I took a lot and I never realized how much work it was dragging quilts around.  In addition to picture taking and visiting every blog in the blog hop.  I have  as of tonight personally responding (I don't think I missed any of the emails) to every one that entered into both giveaway.  I just can't believe how much work that was.  I am looking forward to this weekend, to get a little more sewing time in and less time reading and writing.

I did get this quilt top finished this week and I believe Tanya basted it yesterday, but I have yet to go start quilting it.  My wife keeps pestering me to get off the computer and get to quilting.

I have many passions in life, quilting is one of them but by trade I am a programmer at heart and I have spent some time this week giving a small upgrade to one of my side projects that interests me a lot, but I just can't get others interested.  That is my site http://trackmyshows.com/ it is a website that you can register with for free and then use it to find shows you like and track which episodes you have watched.  Many of you have commented in the past about how I can quilt so much how do I have time.  The fact of the matter is I don't sleep enough.  I have ADHD and one of the side effects is it helps me be an amazing programmer (and quilter) sometimes that makes me fail as a husband and dad.  Though as this last week I have been so involved getting my changes done to Track My Shows that I have neglected my kids and family.  Any way the changes are all done and I can get back to quilting.

Last week I talked about going social (that is sort of what got me distracted with my Track My Shows site) I have long had a blog for it http://trackmyshows.blogspot.com/ and I have added to both the main site and my blog links to social media.  I have created a page for it and Richard and Tanya quilts on both Google+ and on Facebook.  While  I am thinking about it, I want to thank all of you that have liked and shared and other wise my site on both the social media's it means a lot to me.  Any way its getting late and I have work in the morning so good night and have a great Work in Progress Wednesday

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

Block Swaps and Finished Tops

Posted by Richard

To start out tonight I want to say sorry to my block swap partners for July on the http://blockswapadventure2.blogspot.com/ and http://quiltingblockswapsaustralia.blogspot.com/ 12 1/2 inch swaps.  I have been doing too many things, but not the right things .In an attempt to right the ship I sent each of my partners 2 blocks this month (while my July block partners, I still need to do August I might make it by the end of the month).

While not completely slacking on my block swaps, I did finish a quilt top last night for a baby blanket.

I started this top last week to do a "Quick and Easy" project.  Partly because I think the simplicity of this type of quilt is nice and partly because I ran out of baby girl quilts in my stash and needed one for the etsy store.  I have done many HST and never had a issue with them.  This ended up any thing but Easy.  I did a fast Google to find out measurements to cut a HST and found a neat blog post about how you could sew 2 fabrics face to face around all 4 sides and then cut a x across it and presto 4 HSQ.  I though wow such a great idea.  WRONG! worst thing I ever did in my life. I keep forgetting I am still new to quilting and I have a lot to learn.  I have heard about sewing on bias and never ever had issues with sewing any angles.  While because I had all 4 sides of my triangle cut at angles when it came to sewing those dumb blocks back together it made me want to scream.  (this is where Tanya would pipe in and tell you I did scream.  In fact I stomped around a little and yelled).  So it is now my opinion that I hate that method which seemed so quick and cool when I started and ended up terrible   

Any way my little princess can always calm me down (not sure who took this picture, it was on the camera when I downloaded the rest) but she is in Jail in her crib and she has one of them let me out of here looks on her face.  I just can't believe she is growing up so fast.

Speaking of growing up, Jared is in 3rd grade and again I found on the camera this official I got dressed and ready for school picture.

A reminder for any one that missed I have 2 giveaways going on

http://richardquilts.blogspot.com/2012/08/quilters-blog-hop-party-with-giveaways.html

has 3 different prizes.

http://richardquilts.blogspot.com/2012/08/i-am-in-mood-for-giveaway-what-about-you.html

Giving away a FQ and 2 bowls my sister in law made.