Men Quilt Too!

Almost a year ago when I first started quilting I had tons of people tell me about this Men's Quilt contest in October.  I have been looking forward to today all year long.

Originally it was supposed to be much bigger thing with a contest and prizes then it was downgraded to just a linkup.  I though want to say I am a Man that Quilts and I was so excited about this.  Then when it was changed from a contest to a link up I was disappointed, because I wanted to win.  How do you win a linkup any way?

A month and a half back the SLMQG had a contest using Dresden's.  When I made that quilt I also started on this quilt.  The quilt I made for that contest was A Snake in the Garden.  This quilt is going to go to my son Jared for Christmas (Shhh don't tell him, That is Jared by the way holding the quilt).

For those that are new to Richard and Tanya Quilts.  We are new to the quilting game.  I made my first test quilt Christmas Eve last year and have finished 53 quilts now (wait this would be 54).  My goal is to make 52 quilts in the 52 weeks this year, I guess I have exceeded my goal.  Please note that most of my quilts are baby or lap quilts, but I love each and every one of them.

Tanya, my wife is slowly catching up to me on the quilting game.  Last night she finished her 3rd quilt (ok really slow) but she will catch up one day. We are having a lot of fun quilting as a family.  My 14 year old daughter is now working on her 3rd quilt.  Her first is finished already and she is half done quilting the 2nd and just finished the top of her 3rd (in a sewing class at school this year).  If you are new to Richard and Tanya Quilts I hope that you follow us and see what we continue to do.

To view a few of the quilts I have finished visit my Finishes page here.  I would also encourage you to visit each Friday to participate in my Link A Finish Friday with prizes.  Stop by the 30th of this month where I will be a featured designer in the Glorious Autumn Block Party and I will also be doing a giveaway that day too.

For those that are interested, this quilt is out of the Reunion line by Sweetwater for Moda Fabrics

Link A Finish Friday and Prizes #36

It is now time for Link A Finish Friday.  Today I would like to start with a big Thank you to Fat Quarter Shop who has offered to Sponsor our Link A Finish Friday with Prizes.  This month's winner (October) will win a $15 gift certificate to spend on Fat Quarter Shop.

Please remember to thank our sponsor by visiting their store at http://www.fatquartershop.com/ their blog http://www.fatquartershop.blogspot.com/ and Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/FatQuarterShop

Tonight I for the first time (OK maybe 2nd time, but who is counting) got Frustrated while sewing.  Yesterday I showed my Diamond quilt that I had ready to bind.  Well today I tried to bind it.  The original plan was to leave the diamond ends pointing out and bind the points.  After half hour of fighting with it I got mad and cut the tips off and messed up what was going to be a neat quilt.  Now I am frustrated as I don't have a cool quilt to show off this Friday, but I will have to settle with seeing your finishes to save the day.

Our first quilt to show off from last week is from Quilary - Take a peek over the fence

and a second for this week is 52 Quilts in 52 Weeks

Question for anyone that is in the mood to answer it.  Have you ever made a quilt that you totally loved and then while binding it decided you hate it (or like me chopped it up some) and instead of wanting to give it to your favorite friend it is now looking for that least liked family member to pawn it off on to keep in their car?  I am so irritated that I am going to leave it bound as it is and find a family member that is not high on the love list and give it away!  I can't wait to maybe meet a few of you at the SLMQG mixer Friday night, see you there.

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 $15 gift card from Fat Quarter Shop.

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.

WIP Wednesday #30

While on vacation last week Tanya and I went through our list of items that are started, but not finished but need to be.  I set a goal to make 52 quilts in 52 weeks and I am well on my way to that.  I also set a goal to make every family member a quilt for Christmas.  It just dawned on me that its October and if I really plan to have my Christmas presents done I must get in gear.

This is one quilt that is close but not done.  It is now all quilted and just needs binding.

This quilt that Tanya and I finished the top on vacation we need to finish for Christmas.

This is one of my color blast quilts that is just in need of binding.

Over the weekend we realized that our work in progress instead of a short list is a long book.  SO I must stop yacking and I must go sew a few more things together.

Everyone’s Favorite Platypus

The rag quilt I had finished sewing on Monday, has been cut up and washed. It features Perry the Platypus from the cartoon Phineas and Ferb. This is a favorite cartoon at my house, both my sons have matching Perry t-shirts. It is one of the cartoons that I can watch with Jared and not go crazy. This makes one more Christmas gift done. This quilt is for my five year old nephew and I think I have some jealous kids because it isn’t for them. I think I am going to be buying some more of this fabric to make more quilts for my own kids.

 Richard didn't get much sewing done yesterday, due to a cranky teething baby Julia. She seemed to be feeling better today, although no obvious teeth yet. I have started to realize that we have a lot of UFO’s to finish for gifts for Christmas and try to get Richard headed back in that direction. The two quilts I need his help on are for gifts for a sister and a sister in law. I bought the fabric for my Moms quilt, although we may have to alter the block she chose, it contains some pretty weird angles that neither of us is comfortable with yet.

On another note this is what happens when we leave the sewing room door open. This is Rat Cat. He got his name when his not so bright mother put him in three year old Jared’s bed right after he was born. Jared woke up yelling there is a rat in my bed.

what can we say we have a Smoke Free and Pet Free home.


 Posted by Tanya

How Tanya and I make a great team

My wife and I have one of those schedules that really sucks.  I get up early go to work.  Tanya gets up takes kids to school. Tries to sleep some (she works late at night and daytime is her night).  I get home from work about 15 minutes before she leaves for work so we get to do the quick kiss, catch up on what the kids are doing and what she/I did and then she rushes off to work.

Well then I am brought down to the sewing room and she shows me a rag quilt that is finished being sewn (I will not tell you what it is so she can show it off when done).  She then shows me this stack.

The purple (and light purple thing on the right) is a folded up quilt top.  This is her sampler quilt that she did as part of the Beginner Quilt along over at quilting gallery.  She has sorta taken over where I failed on this.  Meaning that she is now going to finish her sampler top along with the 2 I was going to do, before I got distracted (I never do that).  Any way this stack includes the center of the quilt and my Job if I so agree (or even disagree whats it to her) is to sew the white strips on as a border.  After those are sewn on I am to sew the purple leaf things on as a second border so her top is done.  (She completed the  3 x 4 block center last night they are 12 1/2 inch squares)  Then of course she hands me another pile. 

These are some applique blocks that she has been working on for yet another quilt she is doing.  She tells me that I need to sew around the applique's as they are frustrating her.  Then of course she points at yet another item.

This quilt is one that I started quilting last night (she finished basting it last night)  she threw me the material for the binding, and told me to finish quilting it and bind it.  So now the question is can I get all of the projects done that I have been tasked with?  Or will I just get distracted with my http://trackmyshows.com/ website that I made quite a few changes on this last week. (I added ability to log in with Facebook and also to have the application write back to Facebook about your activity on site).   I know to all you quilters out their it sounds boring to program, but hey I have to do something to slow me down a little other wise my house is going to be floor to ceiling quilts.

Now as to the title of my post.  How Tanya and I make a great team.  I love to quilt and she likes to design and pick colors.  I hate to baste quilts and she is willing too.  I work on things that frustrates her and she works on the things that frustrates me.  So the magic of Richard and Tanya quilts is that Tanya and I make a great team (Or if you have been reading the message hidden in the post) Tanya is a slave driver.

HAHA  Just kidding good thing she is at work and won't be home for hours to smack me.

One last thing before we leave I want to announce the winner of our Link A Finish Friday for September.  

Another thing my wife does well is she picks winners.  Then she makes me inform the winners.  So today I was happy to let Amanda from http://fabricengineer.blogspot.com/ know that she won and got to pick 1 yard of fabric from Fat Quarter Shop. And below is what she picked Congrats.  And I look forward to next month giving away another yard of fabric.

Wait I have I guess 2 last things.  This weekend is the start of Sewing Summit which is happening here in Salt Lake City, UT (just a few miles in fact from where I live).  If you are going to be in Salt Lake City for it or even not they are having a get together Friday Night sponsored by the SLMQG I will be at this get together and I will sadly probably be sitting alone, as I am the Token Guy at a all girls thing.  Any way come kick me in the leg or something and tell me hello!  It will be at 

Gracie's at 326 South West Temple from 8pm Friday night to 1 am Saturday Morning  Hope to see you there.