I'm Back!

I haven't been around for a while on this blog, I moved six hours from Kentucky to Ohio.  The move was long and very complicated; and have many glitches.  I am just thankful that it is finally over.  I have started getting some crafting done.  I made a bunch of cards; and I finished the Army Cathedral Windows quilt I have been working on for my retired Army son-in-law.

Army Cathedral Windows Quilt update

Finished two more rows for it today; only 6 more rows to go! 

Update on the Army Cathedral Window quilt

Over the weekend I was able to get a lot done on the Army Cathedral Window quilt.  I got 6 rows finished and attached to the main body of the quilt.

I have to cut about 125 more of the black inset squares.  Hopefully later today I can set up the rotary cutting mat and get cutting.  Unfortunately, although the sewing machine is all set up in my bedroom, so multiple times a day I can just set and sew for a few minutes or more.  But the rotary cutting mat is bigger and I have to set that up either on the living room coffee table or the kitchen table. 

I have a small pile of denim cut from old jeans and 1 uncut pair of jeans built up.  Hopefully I can get them all cut into the circles for future quilts.  The store easier in less place once they are cut.

I have an excited new variation of the Denim Cathedral Window quilt that I am eager to do; but I am trying to finish the Army Cathedral Window quilt first.

Army Cathedral Windows Quilt Update

Well I finally have the sewing machine set up again and plugged in and all that good stuff.  So I started working on the Army Cathedral Windows Quilt again.  I got 4 rows finished today.  But had to make a  run to the store for more black thread and black fabric.

This is it before I add the 4 rows I finished today.  This quilt is for my son-in-law, he is retired Army and the background is made from all of his old uniforms.  This pattern is my adaptation of the old Cathedral Windows quilt pattern; but it is done entirely on the sewing machine - no hand sewing!

Will post an updated picture as soon as I can figure out how to get them from this different camera onto the computer, lol.

Art Journal Every Day # 14 - Welcome Home Soldiers - Good Well Done!

Sorry for the long delay in posting the next page in my art journal. 

This is the next page in my Art Journal that I am doing as part of the year-long project that Julie Fei Fan Balzer is hosting. You can check it out here: Art Journal Every Day

This page is a collage.  Here is a little secret the previous page was fine until I outlined in black with the Marthe Stewart ebony writing marker.  Now I love this marker, got it at Big Lots for a dollar and it is wonderful.  However, in this case, the black bled through the paper (the art journal was one I grab when I was visiting my Dad at Big Lots so probably not the best quality paper.

Anyway, when I saw the the black bleed through marks, I decided to make this paper a collage.  Now with four kids in the military and living near an Army post (Ft. Campbell) I am very into military and patriotic things.  I have been cutting these images out of newspapers and local magazines for a long time.  So this page went together fast.  And then I had the soldier sticker (I think, technically he is a Marine, but still military).  Overall, I think the page speaks for itself.

God Bless all our service people and bring them all home safely.

Out of town

It's been almost a week since I have posted, because I am out of state.  My third son is in the Army and has been deployed to Iraq.  He had his mid-deployment leave this week and so I went to Ohio to see him before he had to go back.  It was great seeing him and his wife and my two little sweet grandbabies.

Homecoming

My second son has been at Fort Knox for the last 3 weeks doing a Warrior Leadership Course; he is finishing up and should be home Wednesday. Have missed him. Glad he is almost done. This is the son stationed at Fort Campbell with the 101st Airborne, the Cav Scout.

Update on 3rd Son & Fort Hood

My 3rd son has arrived at Fort Hood, Texas and seems to be liking it there. He has gotten base housing and is getting settled nicely. He is a tanker in the Army, by the way; if you haven't read my earlier postings about him.
Also it looks like he won't be deployed to Afghanistan just yet; now it might not be until next summer. If so, it will mean that he can be there for the birth of his first son.

Quilting Update

I managed to get about an hour or so of quilting time in Wednesday. Got 2 rows finished on my daughter-in-law's red bandana print Denim Cathedral Windows quilt. Her hubby (my oldest son) has a lap quilt exactly like it. When I asked her what she would like her lap quilt to look like, she decided to have it be exactly like his and then I can join it to his and they will have a twin size quilt. That is one of the really cool things about these denim cathedral quilts ... because each little square is finished before you butt it up to the main part and zip-zag in place; you can stop where you want as it is always finished and you can add another row anytime you want.
My second son did that with his lap quilt. Each time he saw me sewing he would bring the quilt and ask me to add just 1 row on 1 side. Since this didn't seem like much effort, I would slap a row on there. His quilt was twin size, when it got stolen while he was working in Louisiana.
So I have made him an Army print Camo Cathedral Window lap quilt; he says he plans on having me add to it until it is queen size and then it will be used on his bed.

Library

Had to take dh to the VA Clinic down on Fort Campbell Army post; while I was waiting for him to get done I went over to the post library and got 3 books: The Complete Tightwad Gazette, a book on bread machine recipes and a money saving tips book. Sorry on the last two I forget the actual names and they are still in the car. Libraries are the coolest places; thousands of dollars of things that you can borrow for free. They have dvds, cds, books and much more.

Off to Fort Hood

Well my third son has finished his Army basic training and AIT at Fort Knox and his leave is over. He and his pregnant wife and their 1 year old daughter are in the midst of relocating to Fort Hood, Texas. We will miss them; but are very proud of the sacrifices they are making for their country and their family. God Bless their journey.

Annual Training Completion

My second daughter has just finished her Annual Training with the Army National Guard in Florida. She has been a soldier now for 2.5 years and also does Honor Guard at the veteran's funerals. I am very proud of her.

Air Assault Graduation!

I am very proud to announce that my second son has graduated from Air Assault. He is the one that is a Cav Scout, stationed at Fort Campbell with the 101st Airborne, home of the Screaming Eagles. He leaves for a Warrior Leadership course at Fort Knox in a few days. It will be his second anniversary in the Army tomorrow.

What's everyone up to?

Well here is a current rundown on my bunch:

I am currently visiting friends in Ohio.

DH is at home watching the critters and the place.

DD1 is still stationed in Virginia; she is a staff sgt in the Air Force and thankfully returned safely in January from her third deployment. She has been home to visit 2-3 times.

DS1 is in Kentucky; he is still working for the same place; him and wife and kids are doing well; grandson and granddaughter made honor roll in school recently.

DS2 is still stationed in Kentucky with the 101st; he recently was promoted to Specialist; his wife is starting a new job; our granddaughter is going great.

DS3 entered the Army on New Year's Eve and has successfully graduated from basic training and is in the middle of his AIT now; his wife is about 4-5 months pregnant with their second child; the baby just turned 1.

DD2 is currently in Florida; and in the National Guard; she does the Honor Guard for the military funerals; she is engaged.

DS4 is up in Ohio this week visiting on of his best buddies; he is doing well in school; and is taking a welding class this semester that he is enjoying.

DD3 is spending her spring break with ds2 and family in Kentucky. She is doing well in school and recently had her birthday.

As for the extended family:

My dad and step-mom are still in Ohio and doing ok.
Much of the other family is in Ohio some in northern Ohio and some in southern Ohio. Thankfully most are doing pretty well.

I am blessed with my family and thank God for them.

Back after a while

I haven't posted in over a month. So much has happened since then. My husband and I have reconciled and have moved into our own place together. This has brought about many changes in my life; mostly for the better.

My third son, Joseph has graduated from Fort Knox and is in the middle of his AIT training. His wife and baby girl came to spend a week with us.

Our new home is way out in the boonies, near a state forest. One of the few not so great things about living here, is that there is no dsl. I currently have a dial-up service that is very taxing on the nerves, after being used to cable speed internet. On the positive side, they only charge $13 a month for it. But on the negative side, it is horrendously slow. So much so that, it takes minutes for each email to load, etc. However, Hughesnet which offers satellite service here charges the better part of $100 a month.

Promotion

I am proud to tell you all; that my second son, was just promoted to the rank of Specialist in the Army. So proud of him! HOOAH!

Family Back Home

Well the family is all back home from Ohio.

So the solitude is at an end. However, it had it's effect, I am much more centered and grounded and dealing with them much better.

They opened their Christmas presents from me when they got home. Two youngest kids got denim cathedral windows quilts -- one in red & blue and the other one in all blue.

Got my 2nd son's Army denim cathedral window quilt started, but I am short on the fabric and the local Walmarts don't have it in stock.

Happy New Year!

May 2009 be your best year ever. Wish everyone happiness, health, love, and laughter this year.

God bless and protect all of our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines.

HOOAH

This patriotic Denim Cathedral Windows quilt was made for my second son, Josh. It started out as a lap sized one 12 rows by 15 rows; but every few months while I was sewing he would bring it so me and sweetly ask if I could add "just 1 more row to 1 side, please". And so I did. He had this up to almost a single / twin size throw.

He went to work in Louisiana before he enlisted in the Army and someone stole this quilt down in Louisiana.

So I am working on making him another one.

This one he wants the denim parts to be military camo; and a army fabric for the insets. I have the background circles all cut out; but came up 10 squares short for the Army fabric; and I can't find it at the local Walmarts!

I really want to make this for him, he just came home from serving a year long deployment in Iraq.

Congrats

2nd daughter called to let me know she has been promoted; she is a Specialist in the Army National Guard. Very proud of her.