Tomorrow, Back to School

What does one do with one's self when she has a few days off from work? Well, ....
Lotsa blog surfing... and cooking... entertaining good people... sorry, I didn't take pictures of any of that stuff. Then, there is always sewing! Pincushions, table runners, little houses for a "There Goes the Neighborhood" quilt exchange, hot pads... I have a few more things I'll save for later.
I have seen so many generous blog giveaways, 'tis the season, you know?

The good ladies of Marie Madeline Studio are giving away a QUILT of YOUR CHOICE-!!
Both of these are beautiful, I don't know if I could pick one, but I'll certainly try! Read their directions, and it looks like I get a point if you tell them I sent you, so do that, too!

See? Ya gotta put your name in for this one!

Happy Quilting, Pokey

Ravelly 1 Rhonda

Another giveaway has come across internet, too good to pass up! Rhonda at Ravelly 1 has been blogging, and has reached 500 posts. Wow. She is having a giveaway, and the winner will receive an online $20 gift certificate to "Common Threads" located in Waxahachie, TX.
How special is that? Way to go, Rhonda!

The last thing I ordered was a book, Material Obsessions (you may have heard of it? *smile*), purchased at Connecting Threads, because their prices are so reasonable.
So, go cheer Rhonda on for her generosity, and join in, Now!

Happy Quilting, Pokey

Beautiful Fabric Giveaways

Did you enjoy your Thanksgiving? We had a yummy meal and fun creativity afterward. The best fact is the ease of meals today!
Vickie at Spun Sugar Quilts Has a great giveaway happening right now, she has five fabulous gifts celebrating her 405th post! Here are some goodies she'll be selecting from:

Meanwhile there are a few new prints showing up called Grandmother's flower Garden.
Corrie at Retro Mummy is offering 12 fat quarters in this sweet line.

You need to go check these out now. Corrie will be drawing on this Sunday, November 29th. Vickie's draw will be Saturday, December 5th. December is here- yikes!!

Happy Quilting! Pokey

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Pie Cake

This recipe has been made by my classroom full of students every year that I've taught at West Covina Christian School, all 22 Thanksgiving seasons. It is an easy recipe that kids can learn and practice measuring, mixing and sharing in the fun.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

1. 6 eggs
2. 1 - 29 ounce can pumpkin, not pie mix
3. 1 & 1/4 cup white sugar
4. 1-12 ounce can evaporated milk
5. 1/2 teaspoon salt
6. 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
7. 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Mix all the above ingredients into a plastic, non breakable bowl (if doing this with kids!) until relatively smooth and well blended. Pour the pie mixture into a 9" by 13" pan.

topping (the 'cake' part)

1. 1-box yellow or butter cake mix, 18 ounces
2. 1-stick (1/2 cup) margarine or butter
3. 1 cup chopped walnuts

Mix cake mix and butter until crumbly. Cover the pumpkin mixture with the cake, sprinkled over all. Sprinkle the walnuts on last. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour and fifteen minutes, or one hour and thirty minutes. You test for doneness with a knife, or that it doesn't shake like jell-o anymore ( as one of the little guys said). Serve with whipped cream.
this recipe makes 20 servings.

Hope you like it, Happy Thanksgiving!
Go see other yummy fun at Amy's Cook and Tell this week! Pokey

"Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, His mercy endureth forever." Psalm 106

Faithful Quilter and So-Cal Gal, Thanksgiving

There are some fun giveaways out there, let me tell ya!
There is a surprise gift from Elaine at the Faithful Quilter. She is thankful for Thanksgiving, and shouldn't we all?

Our So-Cal Gal is hosting a 'Worst Gift Contest", with the winner receiving a $100.00 AccuQuilt gift certificate. See if you can put your worst gift into words....

I'll try to share my Pumpkin Pie Cake recipe later, But I'm seriously considering my turkey cooked this way. Go read Diane's hilarious story of her first turkey wrestle,I mean bake, and her recipe at Quilted Moments blog.

Meanwhile, I'll be in Anaheim with about 7000 other Christian school teachers in this area. The Association of Christian Schools International Convention is held in Southern California always on the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week, and I've attended about 30 years, now. It is refreshing and encouraging to be with other Christian school workers, trying to make a difference in the lives of our children, and our future.

Then, I get the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to do some cooking! It works for me!

Happy Thanksgiving! Pokey

Patriotic Yo-Yos on Sew and Tell

Isn't this pillow a beauty? This was made by a lady I go to church with by the name of Leanna Smith. I think I surprised her with my enthusiasm over her talent! The flag pillow has 480 yo-yos, most of them at one inch. The little white 'stars' are even smaller!
I didn't take a photo of the back, but it is done in all white yo-yos. I told her my handwork is so slow, I would've been lucky to do the front, and use a solid cloth on the back, *vbg*!





She said she doesn't do quilting, "I couldn't." She likes to do her hand sewing in the evenings while she watches a little t.v.
I asked if she had done any other sewing, she told me she's made 17 queen size yo-yo coverlets-!!! Wouldn't we like to see those? I want to introduce her to English paper-piecing hexagons...what do you think?



I baked three "Pumpkin Pie Cakes" with my students on Thursday, for our Pilgrim Feast Celebration Friday, so there is not a lot of my own sewing to share this week. Thank you for letting me spotlight Leanna's work on Sew and Tell Friday!

Giveaway to See

The Old Farmhouse Gathering is giving away a great basket chuck full of fun stuff. It's worth entering the drawing!

Finish Ticker Tape

The Ticker Tape table runner is done, and I know already, it's not my last. My daughter Lydia is working up several gifts, and the lavender, green and white "checkerboard" shared space on the quilt frame with mine, isn't it sweet, too.

On mine, I cut 18" by 44" wide heavyweight muslin ($2.48 per yard at Walmart-!), and my floral prints are from dresses, purses and general stash accumulation over the years- don't ask, but the stash has its own room!-

I cut my pieces no larger than 3 inches, but the most of them were no smaller than 1" by 2"; some 2" squares, some 2-1/2" by 1-1/2, you get the idea. There are some longer 1-1/4" by 3 inch strips, too.

I started gluing from the center of the muslin. With Elmer's washable school gluestick, I just put a dab spot as needed on the back of the 'confetti' floral, and go on. There is no need to glue to the edges, you are just saving yourself the grief of pinning! I eyeballed the placement, no measuring. After all, accuracy of the raw edges against one another goes out the window when you wash it, and they draw up as they will.

As you work your own 'mosaic' pattern, occasionally you will have a small blank space to deal with. (I wish I could get my pictures to post where I want them to!?! ) That is when I decided to either move an already piece down to absorb some of the space, or just cut a small piece to fit.
(I'm referring to the top photo, see the tiny, little blue squares? about 1" cut size.)

I sewed two times around each piece, quilting as I went. I cut my thread between each piece, but I bet you wouldn't have to.

Then, it was off the frame,to bind and then to wash. I felt like Linus, the Charlie Brown character, standing by the dryer to get it out :-} !

I want to do more!! Can you see these in:
-Christmas prints -sweet designer coordinates -plaids -pastels
I mean, really. I love the simplicity!

Now, on Lydia's checkerboard runner, she went with a basic measurement of 3 inch strips of color, and white on white. She has 6 squares across, and 16 squares long. Her finished runner is slightly smaller than mine. It was the first time she quilted using the frame, and she enjoyed the feeling of completion. She did great, actually!

I really was working to complete this week, so I could I could post on Amy's Sew-and-Tell Friday. Yes, I take motivation from any direction, when it is positive progress!

Sorry to be so gabby, but I had to answer some questions; I hope I was clear. Try this project. I bet you will like it, too. And if you don't-hey, it's getting time that you can give it as a gift,
right? *smile*

Happy Quilting, pokey

Step Two:

Havin' fun today! Next, bind; then wash! pokey

Sneak Peek

Have you seen Amanda Jean's Ticker Tape quilt? Or her doll quilt? Mm-m, too much fun to avoid!

Of course, I have to try, and as my MIL would say, I "pokeyed"* it- glue stick!! And as nothing is new, and all is borrowed, I credit the glue idea to Bonnie at Nap Time News.

* to pokey it- to rough it up, make it primitive-style, or simply, to make it easier!! *smile*

That's me!! lol

Happy Quilting, Pokey

Thank You, Veterans

We do not have school today. Yesterday, my second graders had a discussion on our family and friends who are in military, and you should hear their prayers for these heroes.

The most touching part of the time is when all present in class stood to observe a moment of silence for our heroes who have given their lives for our freedom.

Wiggly, giggly 6, 7, 8 year olds. Standing straight and proud as any soldier. Not moving, not tapping, not sighing, not talking... one full minute passing with no disruption among any of them....

Then, we bow our heads for prayer again, thanking God for our country, and our freedom to worship, because of others who have given.

Thank you, Veterans.

I am blessed. Pokey

Homework Assignment, Complete!

Does anyone remember doing these trivets? The best I can remember, my MIL Barb and I were making the folded star trivet about 26-27 years ago. I wish the colors in my photos were more true; actually the close up views are more like the color. Well, this was the "homework assignment" that was given the week before in class, to do the prep work and come to class to sew/assemble them. Bev wanted us to bring them completed to class this Monday, 11/9. Yea! I made it. I'm working on #2 and hope I can bring it, too.

I found a tutorial online, (once the idea was given, could I wait for the class?) and you can see it at Liesl Made under her tutorials. (Check out her hexagon eyeglass case, too cute!) We assembled ours on the sewing machine, so I think it will be a bit more stable. The one my teacher showed was round, as were the ones I made years ago, but I liked the square ones 'Liesl' had, and went that direction instead.

I love my quilting class. Bev Carlson is the instructor, and her work is constantly winning awards. She does beautiful work and often enters her pieces in Orange County Fair. She usually works up two to three projects per semester for us to try. It is great to see the different fabrics and selections others make, and the influences it has had on my choices.

When we meet for class, she often introduces new tools and books that are out. I'm not a part of a guild, and really, it takes real effort to carve out time just to attend class, but it is so very rewarding to meet with 60 to 80 other ladies, all creative and our abilities varied, and share.

Between the class and the blogs, I've done quite a few items I might not have tried otherwise. I hope you have people you can find encouragement and support in your artistic endeavor. It expands us, doesn't it?

Happy Quilting, Pokey

Sweet Home Blessings

Does this look like a repeat? What's a person to do, when she finds out she's a WINNER!?!
Today, Larry and I left home for work at 6:20 a.m. That's normal. I had a class of 26 hyper-it's-Friday kiddos, normal. Parent-Teacher Conferences, 8 down, 18 to go, done at 5:50 p.m., okay, that's not normal, but comes with the territory. We ate out, a treat, but ya know, the day was long. We get home at 7:30 p.m. Whew, it feels good to be home, sweet home on the day before weekend.

I was reading the new posts, and saw my name. I called, "Larry, I think I won!"

He comes and reads over my shoulder, and says, "Maybe it's Pokeytown Kim, or that other Pokey you found online."

Maybe. Then, I checked the link that Melisa had put in, and there before our eyes was-
lil' ol' me.

What a blessing. I'm so excited. What to make, oo-o-o, the possibilities! Thank you, Sweet Home Quilt Company! It made a long day have a sweet ending.

Happy Quilting! Pokey

Shangri La Beauties

Well, Sweet Home Quilt Company is offering a great giveaway, that has me wanting to win. Go and check out this beautiful Moda set!