A November Challenge

10 years ago No Shave November was started to help raise awareness by embracing our hair, which many cancer patients lose, and letting it grow wild and free. Donate the money you normally would spend on shaving and grooming to educate about cancer prevention, save lives, and aid those fighting the battle.

In November at Kelly Ann's we'll be collecting fund for No Shave November and giving help fight cancer...and because none of us at KAQ needs to shave a beard, we have enlisted a few of the spouses to participate.

Andrew aka Mr. Kelly Ann

Dave aka Mr. Angie

Scott aka Mr. Leslee

We are all gathering again on December 1st, and I'll be taking pictures to show how well these three guys did on their beards.

An update on our October Real Men Wear Pink campaign...Mr. Polster will be coming to KAQ on Wednesday, October 31st and will be dressed in pink by the team at the shop.

Until Next Time

Be Kind

Kelly Ann

Wooly Block Adventure 2018

It's no secret around KAQ that I am in LOVE with my little wool corner...I love it so much that I gave it a little name, Neked Sheep Wool. This name came about the first year I did the Wooly Block Adventure in 2016 and needed something clever for the mini license plates we sold.

Wooly Block Adventure 2016

I loved my little fence, but man or man was it a pain to cut. I used a batik as my background that year, what can I say, I was a wool rookie.

Wooly Block Adventure 2017

I still love this block. I see this block making another appearance at KAQ.

This year's design was so much fun, I knew it would have a birdhouse with flowers wrapped around it, but it took me a while to decide what flower until I walked outside one morning with the dogs...ta-da Morning Glories. 

Starting Point

I sat down with paper and pencils and drew out my design and then went to cutting some beautiful wool from my wool junkie. 

May I present to you... 

All Birds Welcome ~ Wooly Block Adventure 2018

You can purchase the pattern or kit on the Neked Sheep Wool website or in the store.  If you are on Facebook check out the Wooly Block Adventure page, there is also a fun Facebook group, Wooly Block Neighborhood, you'll need to ask to join, but it is so worth it.

Thanks for following along with my wool journey...we have only just begun...

Until Next Time

Be Kind

Kelly Ann

#WoolyBlockAdventure2018

No Judging Here

When I opened KAQ in 2005, I was still a rookie when it came to quilting. I knew that I loved the fabric and was pretty good at helping people pull fabric together, but I enjoyed making the basic patterns that were available. My first 15 quilts were some variation of the log cabin block.

KA's first quilt

I still have my first quilt, the binding is worn, and there is a small Zele hole that happened as she nibbled on it as a puppy.

I sat down this weekend to make a shop sample, the pattern, Yellow Brick Road by Terry Atkinson. The YBR is a fun, quick pattern to make, and as I was sitting there sewing I remember the first year in the shop being excited when I made this same pattern, I also remember someone making a joke about me finishing a quilt and "anyone can make the Yellow Brick Road, it's no big deal". I'm sure I just shook it off, but it must have bothered me to remember it this many years later. 

The reason I'm telling you this story is because I want everyone to know that we don't judge at KAQ what your quilting style is, if you make 100 4-Patch quilts or 1 Dear Jane, we are okay with that. And just so you know...I will make the Yellow Brick Road again and again, and I will make other fun quilts because I want to enjoy the process of picking out the fabric, cutting the fabric and sewing the fabric because that is my passion for quilting.

Until Next Time

Be Kind

Kelly Ann

@2018kindnessmatters

Weekend Update

Okay...

So here is my To-Do List Update...

TO-DO:

DONE ~ Finish Wooly Block Pattern

DONE ~ Walmart & Grocery Store

DONE ~ Walk BGB

DONE ~ Laundry

DONE ~ Quilt ~ Yellow Brick Road

Started ~ Quilt ~ Hearts

Quilt ~ Binding

Wool ~ Finish mini blue truck

Wool ~ Angel

Wool ~ Pumpkin

The Yellow Brick Road quilt is a new shop sample and just needs to be quilted, that's happening this coming weekend. The Quilt, Hearts, the background is quilted, just need to applique the hearts. The binding is sitting in my lap, but it's getting late, so I see that happening Wednesday night. The others will happen in little bits of time.

What's not on my list is the soup I made for dinner last night, the recipe was in the previous post, and let me just say...pop over there and grab that recipe...it was amazing! 

Turkey Veggie Chili

I also made two trips to Walmart, one didn't have what I needed so had to go to the one in Culpeper...a little bit of trivia for ya...the Walmart in Culpeper was the first Super Walmart in the country. I also did a little decorating for fall in the house...

Fall Mantel ~ Kelly Ann's

I'm pretty sure I left Bodhi outside a million times in two days...rain makes for a bored pup. I also chatted with family and friends in NC to check on how things were going...trees down at moms along with shingles & siding off the house, BFF has a leak but that can be fixed, nephew has black mold issues at his place so living with inlaws...but all in all we can be grateful that everyone is safe and electricity is back on.

We are all working in high gear at KAQ getting ready for the 2018 Quilters' Quest Shop Hop ... quilt is quilted...quest strips are cut...samples are being made and kits are being cut. 

Until Next time

Be Kind

Kelly Ann

#2018gettingthingsdone

Weekend Timeline

Since opening the shop in 2005 my weekend always starts at 4:00pm on Saturday, so Sunday is really my Saturday and Monday my Sunday.

This weekend I'm flying solo with a to-do list a mile long...

TO-DO:

Finish Wooly Block Pattern

Walmart & Grocery Store

Walk BGB

Laundry

Quilt ~ Yellow Brick Road

Quilt ~ Hearts

Quilt ~ Binding

Wool ~ Finish mini blue truck

Wool ~ Angel

Wool ~ Pumpkin

My goal is to start at the top and check everything off before Andrew returns home on Monday evening.  

After returning from the grocery store, I'll be putting a pot of Veggie Turkey Chili. I'll find recipes and start tweaking them once I begin chopping veggies, the recipe from Clean Crush is my inspiration, can't wait to tell y'all how it turned out.

I'll be updating this blog tomorrow night but y'all can see my progress by following along on the Kelly Ann's Quilting Facebook page.

Time to get some sleep so I can hit the ground running tomorrow...

Until Next Time

Be Kind

Kelly Ann

#2018ToDoList

Vacation Time ~ That's a Wrap

And now for the 3rd installment of our grand driving vacation...

We arrived in Bend Oregon, and within a few hours, we decided to stay an extra day.

Checking into the hotel, I was asked ... "are you here for the concert" ... nope but inquiring minds want to know "what concert."

Picture courtesy official Dave Matthews Band website

What a nice surprise but we didn't have tickets, so no concert for us ... or was there???

After checking in, we went in search of a late lunch, early dinner, and beer...because we were told by a great restaurant server in Boise that Bend was a beer lovers paradise, which would be Andrew. We took a short walk over to Immersion Brewing, Andrew really liked the beer, and they had an interesting food menu but the coolest thing I saw there were the bathroom sinks.

Reflection ~ Copper Kettles

Industrial faucet 

Flat sink ~ water flows to back and falls into a drain.

As we were walking back to the hotel after dinner, we saw the mass of crowds walking towards the DMB concert ~ holy cowpies the concert was in an outdoor amphitheater right next to our hotel.

The concert started at 7pm, and at 8 we decided to take a walk around the property and listen to some amazing tunes.

Cheers to DMB 

The next day we got up and went exploring...

The smoke hung heavy but not so much we couldn't enjoy the countryside. We walked through Old Town Bend and up and down the riverwalk, lots of walking and enjoying the sights. 

We got up Thursday morning, our last full day on the road, and head towards Sisters Oregon. 

Public Restrooms in Sisters OR 

Stitchin' Post Quilt Shop

I think we'll be making another trip to Bend & Sisters, there was way too much to see for a pass-through trip.

Leaving Sisters OR

Driving towards Seattle WA

We drove from Sisters to Seattle WA, it was a long drive full of changing landscapes. We drove through the Columbia River Valley ~ WOW ~ beautiful, full of orchards of cherries, grapes, apples, pears, hemp, and hops.

We landed in Seattle later than we wanted too but in time for dinner at Pike's Brewing.

Cheers after a wonderful vacation

We flew home on Friday, and the trip was uneventful, which with air travel that's what you want. We flew from Seattle to Salt Lake City for a plane change. While waiting to board a group of gentleman came up behind us in line, these guys looked like they were from a rock band. I didn't want to stare, but I wanted to figure out who they were ~ Andrew to rescue, along with Google, to figure out these guys were the band, Great White. I had to text my friend Susan right away because I knew she would know exactly who they were, and she did.

We got on the plane and right before the doors shut the last two passengers boarded, Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife. It took Andrew a few minutes to believe me, but once he got a good look, yep, that's who it was. We landed safe and sound at Dulles airport and headed to pick up our luggage and who was on the train to the main terminal? Yep, the Cheney's...

Mr. Cheney

We didn't want to be obvious about taking his picture but believe me, it's him.

If you wanna see our driving trip, start to finish, check out this link.

Okay, next post I'll be sharing some cool projects I've been working on, thanks for following along on our vacation.

Until Next Time

Be Kind

Kelly Ann

#2018RoadTrip

Vacation Time 2.0

 We left off on the last post with us arriving in Bozeman MT...
and now part 2...

Our friend, Kenning, dinner in Bozeman

The movie,  A River Runs Through It, was filmed in Bozeman, he has very small feet.

We strolled through downtown Bozeman, and I was enjoying the day and company and only took one photo.

Cool Bike Rack..I'm enamored with bike racks in cities across the country.

We spent most of our visit doing what friends do, catching up and talking about all of the world's problems...and the one that needed to be solved...was dinner Sunday night. Kenning and Deborah knew precisely where to take us, Livingston MT. I knew as soon as we pulled into the old town section that I was gonna love it...check out the marquee signs...some with flashing lights and others surrounded with neon. 

So retro

Walking around the block, we found this mural and cool fish...

Fly fishing is pretty big in this small town

So welcoming

So much more to see in Livingston...pretty sure the next time we go to visit our friends I'll ask to take a drive back over to see more of this cute little town.

We planned to leave Bozeman and head to Glacier Park for two nights, but the fires around Glacier had us thinking that the views wouldn't be what we expected. So on the fly, we decided to head to Bend Oregon, why??? because we'd never been there and it was kind of on the way to Seattle.

We Bozeman and stayed in Boise Idaho, and WOW...we were blown out of the water. Who knew this city was so flipping amazing. The dining opportunities had us wishing we hadn't made reservations in Bend for the following night. 

The State Capital ~ this picture is not altered, the sun was shining perfectly on its dome.

Flowers ~ this city knew how to welcome visitors with lots and lots of flowers.

We had dinner at Bardenay...I had the sweet potato, and black bean chimichanga that was amazing and the coleslaw had blue cheese and BACON, just wish I could have eaten more but was so full...and I was starving so no picture of dinner. We stayed right in downtown, it was convenient but at 6am the traffic started up, and it was a little too loud to let me sleep in. 

We got up, showered, dressed and packed the car before heading to Waffle Me Up for breakfast.

BOBacado Deluxe

I had this savory waffle and Andrew had the peanut butter & jelly ... If you've ever been to Waffle Love in Salt Lake City, then you should know these are pretty close, and we found out they use the Belgian Pearl Sugar (Nibs) which is the same thing Waffle Love uses. 

We loaded up the car and headed to Bend Oregon ... but that is for the next post...

Until Next Time

Be Kind

Kelly Ann

#Roadtrip2018