Kevin the Quilter Picks the Winners

Kevin the Quilter just did the cutest post picking out the 4 winners in his block drive.  Kristine in Taylor, Utah won second place, getting some fabric and a quilt quilted by me!  I'm so excited to be a small part of Kevin's drive for quilt blocks for Quilts of Valor.  One of my daughter's is active duty with the Army, so this is near and dear to my heart.  I am blessed that her tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan didn't change her in any way - God watched over her well for me since I obviously could not!!!  I am looking forward to Kristine contacting me so we can collaborate on her quilting!

Memorial Day 2014

I attended the ceremony for Memorial Day at the cemetery of my little town of 900.  I found out that each of the large flags represents a Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine who has passed on. 

The VFW Post 7395 laid a wreath on the memorial for the 17 men of my community who died in service to our country.

The flag of the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard were snapping in the breeze.

The Ladies Axillary of  VFW Post 7395 laid a wreath and cross on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

This is part of the group that gathered to share this ceremony today.

The ceremony ended in a gun salute and the playing of taps (posted with permission).  The young lady playing the bugle was amazing!  Blogspot will not load my video, but you can go to my facebook page and see/listen to the short video. https://www.facebook.com/susan.ryanwalter

Thank you to all the veterans and their families for the sacrifices you have made in the defense of our country.  Thank you to all who are currently service in our armed forces, your sacrifice and dedication are very much appreciated.

In honor of my father and uncle who served in WWII, my cousins who both served in Vietnam, my daughter and her husband currently in TANG, and my daughter in the Army who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan and just signed up for an additional 6 year hitch.  May God bless and keep you all!

Three for Tea Won!!

My customer's quilt, Three for Tea, took second place in its category in a quilt show in Pennsylvania (I'll have to find out the name of the show)!  This is after it took a first place ribbon in our local quilt guild's show in its category.  I am so very excited - I have never had a quilt I made or quilted in a larger show then my little quilt guild's annual show.  My customer appliqued on the flowers after I had quilted the quilt.

I am looking forward to seeing the judges comments when this baby comes home.  I have never had a quilt I quilted judged by a real quilt judge, so I am anxious to hear what they had to say and how I can improve the quilting!!!  Looks like spending all that time of the quilting was worth it!

Shimmer Arrived!!!

Oh my goodness, this fabric is GORGEOUS!!!  Jennifer Sampou designed this incredible fabric line and she hit a grand slam!!!  It is beautiful online, but it doesn't hold a candle to it in person.  SHIMMER is a line from Robert Kaufman, so ask your local quilt shop to get some of this absolute yummy line for you!!!  I won the Big Fat Quarter pack of TWENTY-FIVE!!!!! so I have a piece of each of the amazing designs!!  Now I am on the lookout for a fabulous quilt pattern so I can make me a quilt with this fabric!  Does anyone know what pattern would be perfect for this fabric??

I WON!!!

I am so excited!!!  I just got an email from Jennifer Sampou Hensley letting me know that I won the BIG fat quarter bundle of SHIMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!  Oh my goodness, it is so BEAUTIFUL!!!  You can see it on her blog here.  Check it out and while you are there you will be treated to some fabulous eye candy made with this beautiful line!!  I'll post pictures when I receive it!!!  I'm so excited because I am currently making a low volume quilt and just loving it...SHIMMER will make another low volume quilt (and I think it will be MINE!!).

Divisive or Inclusive?

Are you a quilter or do you think of yourself as a traditionalist or maybe a modern quilter?  Sam, who blogs over at Hunter's Design Studio has the most marvelous discussion on her blog today!  We can unite to get a website who steals our blog content eliminiated...united, quilters are POWERFUL!

                                         (yep, got this great graphic from Sam too!!)

I have pieced mostly traditional quilts, but I'm working on a "modern" one right now.  Most of the quilts I have quilted for my customers are traditional, but I did this beauty for one of my customers.  Personally, I just love quilts!  I love the time, energy and love that goes into every fabric/pattern choice, cut and stitch.  I have seen some quilts that I would really not want in my home (I'll admit it, I've made some of them and they DO live here!!), but I can still appreciate the time and effort put into the creation of the quilt.  Donation quilts...I just happen to believe that if I am donating a quilt to some cause, it deserves my very best effort...I will guarantee you that it will NOT be perfect!  I am not the best piecer in the world, nor am I the best quilter, but I do all right with piecing and I think I quilt much better than I piece.  So go check out Sam's blog - it really got me thinking!!

Theft of Posts

                If you are not reading this post 

on http://farmquilter.blogspot.com/ it is pirated content!

       No other website is authorized to use my work.

Please click the link directly above to go to my real site 

    and please help spread the word about this site’s 

           unethical use of other people’s work.

 Megan, who blogs at The Bitchy Stitcher has found, along with many other quilting bloggers, that there is a site that is taking quilting blogs, pictures and all, and posting them on their site, with no link back to the original creator of the blog post.  This site also has a tab for free patterns...patterns written by other quilt designers who sell their work...this is theft!  Check out Megan's blog post about this and go to the site yourself to see if your blogs posts, pictures or patterns have been pirated!!

UPDATE!    Due to numerous complaints, the offending website has been shut down!  Score a big one for quilters united!!!