USAF Quilt
 

Hi, All, I've been lurking for a long time and have decided to share the third quilt I've ever done. This is for my son's birthday. He is in the Air Force and is currently deployed. This has been a challenge for me for a couple of reasons. First challenge was digitizing the 5 different aircraft that are embroidered on the front. The second challenge was when I was almost finished with the back, I broke my dominate arm and have a full arm cast from knuckles to shoulder. I just got my quilting frame so I had to learn to use it using just one hand. I just finished it today so needless to say I'm a tad bit proud. I’ve learned a lot from this site. :)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]418529[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]418530[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]418531[/ATTACH]

Nice job! Bet your son will be thrilled. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Beautiful. Your son will be thrilled. I know I would be.

nicely done

Wow! Sorry to hear about your injury. Hope it heals fast. Must have really been a challenge to learn to use the frame with one arm. Your quilt is gorgeous. My next quilt (after this Irish Chain I am making for my daughter's 50th birthday) will be a quilt for my nephew (also a 50th birthday) who was in the Air Force for 16 years (flew in the Gulf War) and is now a priest. Am trying to tie in both careers (Pilot to Priest). Don't know that I could manage a double sided quilt as you have. I quilt on a domestic machine -- mostly stitching in the ditch or cross-hatching. Your quilt is an inspiration.

BTW: Thanks for sharing. Welcome!!

Thank your son for his service! Sorry about your arm, hugs to you for finishing his beautiful quilt with all the difficulties you had to deal with!

Welcome from OHIO! Your quilt is beautiful and I'm sure your son will treasure it. I can't imagine how you finished it with your arm in a full cast, but I know where there's a will, there's a way. Great job on the planes!

Wonderful quilt, I know he is going to love it. Sorry about your injury, you still did a great job! Welcome to the board too!:)

Hi Eliane,

Hope your arm is much better!!!, but even one handed you did a beautiful job on the AF quilt! Your son will really enjoy it. You said you digitized the airplanes....what type of machine do you have and what type of software did you use? I'm just now ready to buy an embroidery machine and there are so many options out there, but our whole family is into airplanes so I could sew until doomsday and not be done.

Welcome to the board! Great quilt.

Wow! Very impressive. Sure to be treasured.

Hello and welcome to the board. Your quilt is nice; glad you were able to finish it. Wishing for a speedy recovery. You stated "you digitized the airplane." Kinda interesting; can you share on how you did this? I have seen on here where some of the quilters stated about digitizing a picture for machine embroidery.

Wonderful work, sorry about your arm!!!

If that's what you can do with one hand, I'm really looking forward to seeing your work with two hands! Wonderful quilt. Best wishes to your son.

fantastic quilt

Wow what a work of love God bless your son for his servive

What an awesome quilt! And to finish it with your injury - hope you heal well and soon!

Wonderful quilt front and back. It sounds like you really had a hard time finishing it. I hope you heal quickly. Please thank your DS for his service.

Wonderful quilt

Welcome from Northern California. Glad to have you aboard. Your quilt is super. Sorry about you arm. Hope it's better soon. Please give your son our thanks for his service. BrendaK

You have good reason to be proud. Your embroidery is excellent, and the whole quilt is amazing.

Great job. It's beautiful.

Very nicely done.

Fantastic quilt ! Quilted with 1 arm in a cast - boy, you are good !!!!

Beautiful quilt. Love the embroidered planes. Great job digitizing. My son is in the Air Force and has been deployed 3 times. Now he's in the Red Horse Squadron. For him, it would be bulldozers, backhoes, excavators, etc. Red Horse squadron parachutes in to repair the runway and such, so that the rest of the troops can fly in. I hated when he was deployed.

Sewfine, I'm a computer programmer by trade, so when I bought my Brother Quattro 2 6700d, an embroidery sewing machine,I got a deal that included a computer program to create my own pictures for embroidering. So when I "digitize" a picture I'm drawing it out on the computer so the machine's computer will be able to embroider it. I guess this takes care of the "nerd" in me along with my love of sewing. Hope that explanation helps.

Also, Thank you all for your gratitude for my son's service. His wife just went through the Moore OK tornadoes by herself. Even though she didn't have any damage, they have several friends that lost everything. Please keep them in your prayers, especially those whose spouses are deployed. At times like this they feel helpless.

nice patriotic quilt...

God bless your son for his part in our safety and freedom protection.wonderful job, my husband does the digitizing , he loves trucks,trackers and fire equipment. Me I just buy patterns.
but I enjoy the embroidery , so if it lies still to long in my area it make have something embroidered on it. I have a 10 needle machine. thanks for sharing

Beautiful quilt, he's gotta love it! Good Luck with your arm!

Great job! You are some talented quilter.

Great job, you can honestly say you can quilt with one hand tied behind your back! I'm sure he is going to love this quilt.

Great quilt! And, thank your son for serving!!

Nice quilt.

What a great quilt! Terrific job.

What a beautiful gift for your son...he will love it.

Great quilt - love the embroidered planes. Sorry about your arm, I can relate as I'm in a sling for 6 weeks due to rotator cuff surgery and haven't been able to do any sewing as of yet, but working on it. Hope you have a speedy recovery.

Awesome job!

What a great idea, my husband would love something like this. I may borrow your idea! you did a great job on this quilt and am sure your son will treasure it for may years to come.

Wow, wow, wow...this is only your third quilt? Full cast on dominant arm? Double sided quilt? I am impressed. I am sure this was a good diversion while your son was deployed. I made a military quilt during my son's last deployment and it was good medicine for my soul.

Proud AF mom of an EOD tech