Thursday, December 8, 2011

Crayons

I love crayons! Coloring is always blast, right? I found a tutorial for a crayon roll on skiptomylou.org and sewed one up for a friend.
The tut directions called for two pieces of 5x16 1/2 inch fabrics, one light weight interfacing at the same size, and one 6x16 1/2 inch fabric piece folded in half. It was a cinch.
The only thing I would change is I might make the next one 6x16 1/2 instead of 5x16 1/2.
Sorry the picture quality is so poor.

Friday, November 25, 2011

I have been busy...

That is pretty much an understatement, but it most likely applies to everyone.  So the last quilting project I posted on was the flower quilt...I haven't touched it since that post.  I have decided (with y'alls help) what pattern to use!  I will be starting on it soon.  I have to make some Chirstmas stockings first (like tomorrow).  I have been crazy with student teaching. I am loving my second placement!  I am one lucky girl to have such fabulous schools and cooperating teachers for both of my student teaching placements.  My last day is Tuesday, November 29th.  I am kinda depressed about it. I am going to miss these kids SO much.  I am loving 1st grade, but I loved pre-k and kindergarten too...so I am still not sure where my heart belongs.  I have been accepted to sub for Shelby County and have my application in for the Diocese...I hope to begin subbing next week!  And, oh boy, does my bank account need me to start subbing next week. 
Anyway, I had a fabulous Thanksgiving!  I hope yall did too.  My Nana came to spend Thanksgiving at our house, and since it has been almost a year since I have seen her I was thrilled!  We had a family dinner and Leslie, Jason and their kids (pretty much my sister and brother and nieces) came over for an hour or so.  We also got to skype with Wendy, Asher, Piper, Charis, and Toby and Andrew, Sarah, and Isaac!  I am unbelievably blessed to live in a time where I can talk and SEE my family from miles away.  Charis is talking now, copying what everyone else says.  It sounded like Piper was saying "Katelyn" instead of "Datelyn" so... success!  And she was so sweet, she says that she misses me and wants me to come to her house.  Well, Piper, I miss you too and would love to visit, however - see earlier mention of sad depleted bank account.  So please come visit me!
Happy note:
She is gonna visit me!  April is the expected date that Richard, Wendy, and kids will be moving back to the States - stationed in Fort Campbell Kentucky!!!! Only 3.5 hours away!!
Also Richard may be coming back from Afghanistan in January instead of February, so prayers for safe travel would be appreciated. 
Sad (but expected) note:
Andrew is deploying next week.  I am gonna miss him so much!  I have only spent one Christmas without him and I was with Wendy then...so this Christmas I will be sibling-less (hopefully I can convince Sarah to spend most of the day with me). 

Now that the longest update ever is over:
I have not touched the flower quilt...but I have made two others and already given them away!

This "Memphis" quilt was a gift for a friend of mine (fellow student teacher, that - randomly enough - I also went to high school with) who is having a baby boy in February.  She and her husband are huge Memphis Tiger fans and I thought it would be cute to make baby Landon a "Memphis" quilt.  This is the third quilt I have made and by far the easiest.  I think I made it in three days (while doing all the other stuff I do)!  I should have started with something like this...but oh well.  I have decided that a quilting class to learn how to better bind is in order. 

Now my best friend Kirie is due in January and will be having a beautiful baby girl Lilia...so I have been slaving over her quilt since I posted about the flower one :).



The fabric is Moda - "It's a Hoot" by Moma.  I am in love and wish that I could still get it...but it came out in April and I had a difficult enough time getting it in September.  The backing is "rose" a micro-fleece (or something like that - from hobby lobby...it was awful to tack, just ask my mom who was amazing enough to help me).  I got the pattern for this quilt from LellaBoutique in her etsy shop...and now I have lost it.  I am so mad at my self.  Oh well, I am in love with this quilt and think it is fantastic (if I do say so). 

* the making of these two quilts could not have been possible without Harry Potter on CD, TV ears (if you don't have them you should - they rock), Casting Crowns - Come to the Well CD, and Adele - 21. 

Now off to make some Christmas gifts.  I hope to post next week...we shall see.  LOL

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Shape Bingo

As I struggle soar my way through my second placement...I thought I would share one of the activities that I made for my first placement.  I was teaching a kindergarten math lesson and wanted to do something fun with shapes.  We had also been learning about colors so I incorporated it all and made a shape bingo game.  I looked for a freebie on the internet first, but no one had all of the shapes I needed (circle, oval, square, rectangle, triangle, diamond, trapezoid, and hexagon) so I made one my self. Well really I made 20 - they had to be different you know.  If for some reason somebody wants them click on the words below for the pdf (well at least I think I loaded it right, let me know if you want it and I didn't). 



Friday, September 30, 2011

Help me make a quilt...Please.

So I need some help.  I have cut squares and am all ready to sew them together with one small exception: I do not know what pattern I should use.  Here are some ideas I stole from the internet thought of, please let me know which one you think would be pretty or work best. 

pinwheels

hourglass

hourglass with a random mix of fabric

Diamonds

random triangles

descending triangles (not sure if I have enough of the same fabric for this one)
Sorry about the bad pics and even worse lighting...I work in a space with no windows and yellow walls (it hurts the eyes at times).

Please let me know what you think!  comment here, on the blog or on facebook.  I need some advice before I can sew!
Have a fabulous weekend!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

My Baby Brother is Coming!!

Well he is not such a baby now.  He is 24 yrs. old with his own baby actually.  But I am SO excited.  Andrew is coming home for a super short visit and then while he goes to SERE school Sarah (his awesome wife) and Isaac (the previously mentioned baby) are going to stay here and witness the craziness that is student teaching.  I started my new placement yesterday and am liking it so far.  I will let you know of any cool stuff that happens. 
But back to the family...
They are coming TODAY!  I am the only family member (besides Wendy and her bunch- and they live in Germany so that makes more sense) that has yet to meet Isaac.  So I am super excited!  I know that he is a baby and might still be boring...but you never know:). 

Some older (like last month) pics of him:
Precious, Right???

2 months - I think

MY baby brother and Isaac
 Yay for family!  I can't wait for Sarah to get here and we can bond over my cool school new sharpie pens...they are great!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Triangle Blocks

So I found a really easy way to make triangle blocks...

I used two 6" squares. One flower pattern and one from the main fabric (mine is the green).





Then I pinned them together, right sides facing.  It is pinned on two sides...


Then I drew a line down the middle of the square at a diagonal, using a disappearing ink sewing marker.




Next I sewed 1/4" away from the line on both sides...

After that I cut down the line (the one I had drawn), and now I have two triangle blocks.  My next step will be to iron the seams open, but I have not done that yet.  lol. 




I am so excited that I found out how to make the triangle block this way, because I would be the crazy person to cut each of the eighty-odd squares in half and THEN sew them together.  Yay, for time saving!!!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

My last day...

 Friday, September 23, was my last day at Donelson.  I am incredibly sad.  It is such a great school with an amazing faculty and a fabulous group of kids.  I know I am going to miss them so much!  I am so thankful for the opportunities I was given at the school and all of the knowledge I have gained.  I have been so blessed to have gotten to learn from such fantastic teachers, such as Jodie and Kirstie. 
Now since it was my last day, thank you cards were in order.  I loved the September card kit from Eclectica and, how perfect, they were thank you cards!!  Of course I altered them (just a super tiny bit), but I love how they turned out!












And when I got to school on Friday the students and Kirstie surprised me with an amazing gift basket.  Full of supplies that I will need for my own classroom someday.


I am a lucky girl!






Saturday, September 24, 2011

Training quilt

I have been posting about my quilt, the first one I have ever tried to make...a training quilt.  
Well I finished it!!

I quilted and put the binding on it.  

Now it is not perfect...

It is a training quilt after all...

But I do have some good spots:)

 And after I washed it, it crinkled a little...and is ready to keep someone warm!

Thank you to Diary of a Quilter blog for the beginner quilt tutorial!!
http://www.diaryofaquilter.com/p/beginning-quilting-series.html

Of course I am not quite sure what I am going to do with it now...lol.

On to my next project -

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

The Lady is 80!

My grandmother recently celebrated her 80th birthday!  
I cannot believe it.  I mean 80 is old, right?  Cause she is not.  

We went out for dinner on her actual birthday, but had a family (girls only) get-together in her honor this past weekend.  She had a blast!


She got to hang out with all of her cousins and nieces...

this is just some of the cousins
And I made her favorite cake - devils food with divinity icing...


and 80 candles.

Took more than one to light them all!
And she blew them all out!



Everyone said that the cake was delicious! 
My mom and grandmother where out until after midnight!  
Those wild young ladies!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Basting a quilt

Basting a quilt is hard work...



First I gathered my supplies:
1)Painters tape
2)Spray adhesive for the quilt
3)Quilting safety pins (slightly bent to make it easier to pin)
4)Batting (I chose the cotton/poly blend)
5)Quilt back and top


I laid out the  back and taped it down to the floor...



the batting went on top of that...

then the quilt top...now to iron.

 Of course I, apparently, cannot do math and have a ton of extra batting (and a nice chunk of the backing - that I used to practice quilting)
 

Then I pinned it all together and rolled it up.

 
Next - on to the actual quilting!
I'm scared ;)