Wounded Warrior Quilts

It's time again to share some quilts The Pedal Pushers of the St. Louis Metro area of IL are sending down to the Wounded Warriors at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO.

This quilt top was donated by Susan.  She had these blocks from a shop hop several years ago and never did anything with them.  She decided it was time and whipped up the top to donate to the Wounded Warriors.  What a great idea - it's perfect!  Thanks Susan!

This quilt top was a Pedal Pushers group effort.  We collect 12" blocks each month and when we have enough, we make a quilt top.  It was my turn to assemble a top this time, but instead of adding sashings, I added an thin inner border and a nice big chunky outer border!  Something a bit different than what we usually do - and probably a bit faster, too! 

This is the fun backing that was donated by Susan for both quilts - it was an extra wide back and that's so nice to work with instead of piecing fabric together.  I quilted both quilts with stars and loops (Susan's) and a large meander (mine) - and I finally got brave enough to do a deco stitch machine binding - usually I tack the back by hand!

We're always looking for more blocks/backings to add to our quilts for Wounded Warriors and Soldier Babies.  If you have any orphan blocks laying around that you'd like to donate, just let me know...we'd love to work them in to our donation quilts!!!

For fun stuff happening today in the blog-o-sphere, check out the link-ups on my sidebar!

Finishes for Wounded Warriors!

This week I made another trip to MO to drop off a couple of quilts for wounded warriors (and to have my Bernina 820 serviced and to do a bit of fabric shopping and to drop in on my old sew day group...).  This one is a smaller version of Charming Stars.

Charming Stars (WW quilt)

I did quick meander quilting all over the quilt with a freeform star in each star center. The backing is a brushed cotton that I got a few weeks ago for $2.00/yard (yes, I bought the entire bolt so I'll probably be backing several WW quilts with this soft fabric).  I even used the brushed cotton on the binding and tried out machine binding once more...it's ok, but I really prefer a hand tacked binding.

Charming Stars (back/quilting)

You've probably already noticed how wavy this quilt looks, well, that's due to the 4 oz. poly batting that is inside of it.  I had so much batting left over from Kayla's quilt (she loves puffy fluffy batting?!?!), that I needed a place to use it.  That poly takes up a ton of space to store, so I was happy to use it up! 

Irish Chain Variation (WW quilt)

The Irish Chain Variation was a group effort from a new group of ladies I've met since moving to IL called Quilt Ladies.  We have begun to suggest an idea for a quilt each month and each person will make a block or 2 before the next month.  Then one of the ladies assembles everything and I have volunteered to do the quilting!

Irish Chain Variation (back/quilting(

Again, I just did quick and simple meander quilting (often my go-to for charity quilts), then I backed and bound it with this multicolored star quilt that I was given with this quilt top.  I think it came out really nice considering it is very different from the original design that was suggested!

January WW Quilt Blocks

This month we decided to each bring one or two of our favorite blocks in patriotic colors.  My friend Debbie and I pieced these together while I was in MO (I cut, she pieced).  These blocks will become a part of a sampler quilt which is always fun to do.  I can't wait to see what setting this month's flimsy assembler decides to use!

Linking up to A Lovely Year of Finishes, 2015 Finish A-long, Whoop Whoop and Link-A-Finish Fridays.

2014 Quilting Summary

So just for fun, I decided to go back and see what progress I had made in 2014 and create a summary for the year.  I am quite happy with the number of my actual project completions!  Please take a look and tell me what you think!

11 Charity Quilts...

8 Army Baby & 3 Wounded Warrior Quilts

12 Quilty Gifts...

3 Play Pillows, 2 Wedding Quilts, 4 Mug Rugs & 3 Army Decor

 17 UFO Quilts (for me :)...

If you would like to see the goals I set for myself in 2014 (aside from January...let's just say I guess I got a late start?!?), please check my left sidebar.  Most are linked back from my finishes posts, but if not, there will generally be a goal post at the beginning each month (ex. December UFO Goals).  And here are all of my finishes posts:
January UFO Finish
February UFO Finish
March UFO Finish
April UFO Finish
May UFO Finish
June UFO Finish
July UFO Finish
August UFO Finish
September UFO Finish
October UFO Finish
November UFO Finish
December UFO Finish

Linking up to A Lovely Year of Finishes!

Friday UFO Finishes!!!

Woohoo!  I've got several finishes to report today...and my November UFOs are done.  Just in time, too, because I'm headed to MO tomorrow to drop them off when I go to help out with the Gone to Pieces Quilt Guild Quilt Show in St. Robert!!!  Can't wait!

 Three finishes, and all three will be donated...

The baby quilt began with just 5 blocks.  I split one of the blocks and used two parts to create another block with 4-patches and a final block with 9-patches, thus making a lovely 6 block baby quilt.  This one is backed with the same pink polka dot fabric as in the borders and sashing.  It will go to welcome a brand new baby of a soldier at Ft. Leonard Wood!

I loved these blocks as soon as I saw them!  They are 14" and made up a beautiful quilt!  I didn't even think it needed a border being that each block was already bordered itself.  I just set them all together and backed it with an adorable neutral toile print and bound it in gold.  This quilt will go to a wounded warrior (or family of a fallen soldier) around Ft. Leonard Wood.

Last, but not least, is this cute Christmas sampler.  The blocks were rather "old fashioned" looking, but I really think this brighter green jazzed them up a bit.  I only had 8 block to begin with, so I dug out some "deep stash" Christmas fabrics and whipped up the card trick block in the upper left then sashed, bordered, backed and bound everything in the cheery green print.  This quilt will probably be gifted as a wheelchair quilt for a veteran just in time for the holidays!

Linking up to Let's Make Baby Quilts, Finish It Up Friday, Link-A-Finish Friday, & Can I Get A Whoop Whoop?, A Lovely Year of Finishes, & 52 Quilts!

November UFO Goals

Here's what's on my design wall right now.  I pulled out all of these donated block sets to see if I could finish them up this month for charity.  So, that's my November goal...3 quilts for charity!

First, is this set of OLD Christmas sampler blocks.  I haven't seen fabrics like these for a long time!  I'm sure I have some scraps in the deep stash that can work with them to whip up just one more block and then I'll probably just add some very simple sashing.  I may add a border, too, to hold it all in and make a nice size lap quilt.

Next up is this set of cuties...I think with a bit of added rosey pink, they might make a sweet baby quilt, so my plan is to split up the 4-patch snail trail block on the bottom and make two blocks out of it, pairing the snail trails with alternate rose-colored blocks.  Six blocks will make a good baby quilt with sashing and a small border.

 My last UFO will be this beauty...I can't imagine why someone wanted to donate these blocks because they are just gorgeous!!!  It looks like this on may have been a civil war repro block of the month.  There are 12 blocks and each is already framed, so I'll probably set them right next to each other as is and add a border.  This one will make a really nice quilt for a fallen soldier's family!

Linking up to A Lovely Year of Finishes!

A Quilt for a Widow

The Gone To Pieces quilt guild in St. Robert, MO does a lot of quilting for local charities.  My daughter, Kayla, decided to take on one of those charities for her GS Gold Award project and made a bunch of quilts to donate to a local women & children's shelter.  Once she completed that project, we still had a box full of fabric, blocks and UFO quilt tops that were donated to her to finish up to donate to charity.  We still have that box...and have been slowly dwindling down the contents by donating, through the guild, the finished quilts to that same women & children's shelter, babies born at Ft. Leonard Wood hospital, and local wounded warriors/veterans and their widows.

This one is designated to go to one of the widows.

This scrappy HST/4-patch top center was someone's UFO.  It was really cute and there are tons of really cool fabrics in there!  Kayla added the little border, made the muslin binding (a surprisingly suitable choice) and packed it away unfinished again (usually that just means it's waiting for quilting).  Well, I pulled it out this week and quilted it up!  Isn't there nothing better than hand stitching the last few stitches of binding down on a quilt you can't wait to see finished?  I LOVE hand stitching a binding!!!

The red & white backing was also one of the donated fabrics, as was the stripe of birdhouses (and the last of the HST & 4-patch blocks).  It's a thicker cotton weave, not sure what it would've been used for...a tablecloth maybe?  It's a heavy fabric and layered with dream cotton batting...this is gonna be a warm quilt!

Linking up to Kim for Scrap Basket Sunday & Kathy for Slow Stitching Sunday.

Charity Quilting...Military Quilts

We've had a big push this year in the guild for military quilts.  With so many of our soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and so many wounded warriors, we really wanted to make sure our community's heroes are recognized.  So we got to work...

You've already seen some of the quilts that I've made for Veterans this year, but I also volunteer to quilt and bind some like these...

I was also asked to teach a workshop for a quilt that would use 2.5" strips.  Of course, I couldn't just use 2.5" strips, I had to add in lots and lots of strings, too, and piece in anything else I could find into the backing...

And after the workshop, a very new quilter came up to me with all of her blocks and several that were cut off pieces and asked if I could do something with them.  Well, I squared them all up and got the top together and pieced everything else right into the back...

We are so thankful for our nation's protectors!

More Veteran's Quilts

This is probably the last post about Veteran's quilts for the year from me.  Maybe.  I just added the bindings to these 3 beauties, after my friend, Kathi, finished the meander quilting on her longarm.  I can't take credit for all of them, but the top one (Bowties) I pieced, both front and back.  And in the second one, well, Suki (the dog) is mine, too, but I can't take credit for the quilt!

Veteran's Quilt Challenge

This month our guild meeting had a Veteran's Quilt Challenge.  Each member was challenged to complete at least one quilt for our wounded warriors/veteran's charity.  I've gotten 2 completely finished and one is just top and backing (not yet quilted and bound).

"As American As Apple Pie" (top, finished - below, backing)

"Army Star" (top, finished - below, top & backing)

"Patriotic Bowties" (top & backing, unfinished)

This one still needs to be quilted and bound.  I'l turn it in at the next guild meeting!

As American as Apple Pie!

This patriotic quilt is going to be donated to the local veteran's rehab facility/home.  It was inspired by several stripey quilts that I've been seeing around the blogosphere, so I decided to give it a try!

This is just one block, 8x10" finished (yes, the photo is a little wonky, but...it really is square, I swear).  I pieced each block together not worrying about the strip width or length (just as long as it was over 9").  I wasn't even bothering with squaring up strips that were a bit wonky...they all went in.

A close up showing that I didn't have a ton of variety in strips as I was trying to us up as many of the partiotic/Americana fabrics as I could.  I still have some more so I'm planning on using up chunks of fabric for the backing (and binding).  If there's still more, I'll whip one more Vet quilt for the year.

With all the apple and layering of fabrics, the quilt kinda reminds me of apple pie, inspiring the name "As American as Apple Pie!"

And this will be the backing - a pieced baking with navy girls!?!?!

Free Motion Quilting

This was my first attempt at free motion quilting.  This is the quilt I am donating to the Veteran's Home this year.  I love the scrap piecing...it was so much fun to do!  The (domestic table top, Bernina 820 midarm) machine quilting, well, not as much fun.  I've got to get in a rhythm and get better; then I hope it will be more fun.

Since this is a medallion-style quilt, I took advantage of that and practiced a few different quilty techniques. The center section was just stitched in the ditch.  The blue star border got some loopy loops.  The string blocks were meandered and the final border got some star and loop patterning.  I purposefully used a neutral bobbin so that I could see how the effects were working on the dark backing for this first attempt.  I realize that this isn't the most desirable way to finish a quilt - it was for the learning curve!

This month our guild's baby quilt coordinator challenges us each to complete at least one baby quilt to donate.  Thus, my second attempt at meandering was this baby quilt panel.  I found that I was beginning to get some skipped stitches when moving the quilt towards me, so I tried to focus movement on pushing the quilt away instead.  It's done...

And since I got that one done early, I went ahead and whipped up another one!  This one did give me a tough time quilting.  Lots of skipped stitches, but I stopped, tucked threads, etc., and got it done.  I'm chalking this up to an experimental learning experience in thread and fabric weights.

Done, done with charity projects for this month.  And of course, after I turned in the Veteran's quilt at the guild meeting this month, the Veteran's Home coordinator issued HER challenge for a 40x60 vet quilt per member by next month - I guess all of our charities are stocking up early this year!

Linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict's "Can I get a Whoop Whoop?" Friday!