Happy October, On to November!

 This month has found us more with church and school than with sewing. It is the 33rd Anniversary of Lighthouse Baptist Church, and we are in a building program for a new gym, classrooms and offices. Larry designed the church and school logo, and we are going to see large versions of the Lighthouse and of the lion in the gym-pretty cool, huh? We have been members here for 29 years!

Last Saturday found Larry and I with parent helpers, running a cake walk and cupcake decorating booth at a fall festival for the second graders (my class) of West Covina Christian School.  I had baked cakes at home Thursday night, 

and with my students on Friday morning. Then, the students and I frosted and decorated 24 cakes in 8"square pans. 

 Yes, I made a couple of these, and they were the first to go! 

No, I don't have a picture of mine, this is the one I copied from Betty Crocker ~

 We sold them or had them for prizes on the cake walk Saturday, along with 10 dozen cupcakes (Mommies baked these for us) that the guests paid to come decorate.  it was a bit slow, but come to find out, our booth did better than most, with over $200 profit! We are trying to raise the money for a classroom computer to use with our newly installed classroom camera. 

I was able to already purchase a document camera! The kids call it a ladybug (because it's my favorite color, RED) and we can focus on a book page and read it together on a screen!

 

~ Right now, this is what I'm busy with--1st quarter report cards ~

~*~*~*~*~*~ 

This is my pomegranate jelly, waiting to be Christmas presents.

 

 It turned out Yum!

 

And it is such a pretty color. It is my first time to make pomegranate jelly. Lydia remembers my strawberry freezer jam growing up, but I bet it's been 10 years ago since my last batch....

  ~ Okay, we didn't wait for Christmas on all of it ~

~*~*~*~*~*~

This is the progress on Harmony Grace's quilt. The blocks are sewn together, and the word print is where I'll sew her name down. Just looking for the time. 

Oh, I've quilted another I Spy I'll share next time ~

~*~*~*~*~*~

Friday was the field trip to Riley's Farm, remember me sharing about it last year? Well, my kids went again this year and really enjoyed it. I was not able to go. As I left school, I was in a car accident, and my vehicle was demolished. -insert big sigh here- I was uninjured, the young couple in the other car were okay, too. I called on ahead and made sure the kids would be fine. (Out of my class of 24, there were 22 adults attending with them, plus 3 other parents that are teachers!) Needless to say, the day did not go as I planned. Hopefully, we'll get the car stuff worked out in the next couple of weeks.

 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Comfort Quilt #3 ~

What?!? September is passing and I haven't posted here since August 28? ...Oh, yeah, I'm back to school and time is marching on ....


This school year, the door opens to the sweetest bunch of kids than I've had for a long time. Good listeners, mostly getting along well. I'm glad for the calling of working in a place where your coworkers give daily hugs, and want to talk with you, even take the time to draw you art work and let you know that you are the best (teacher) they have ever had in their (short) life. Things like that keep me grinning most of the day, lol!

 

I was waiting for Larry to edit these pictures so I could share the cool pieces in it. This is a Comfort quilt for my friend Jeannette. It is made from her husband's shirts.


I found this quilt a challenge. Nothing I pictured was "jelling" to suit what I hoped for it to come!



 Last year the two girls quilts were completed in time for Christmas, as Jeannette had requested the comfort they could bring for them with Daddy gone that first Christmas.

 ~quilt label written on Daddy's collar~

Jesse was killed last September in a motorcycle accident on his way to his job as a Police Detective for Los Angeles, California. It was such a tragedy, and he left a big hole in our lives and our church family, not to mention his beloved family, with a wife, adult son, 18 year old daughter and a seven year old daughter.








For these 2 quilts, I worked with his shirts and other fabrics to pull the designs off, using colors the the girls liked. 


But, Jeannette expressed the desire for hers to be only shirts, "For me, it's about his shirts," was her statement.

 

 Jesse was an officer that dressed in suits for work and also at church. Most of the ones I was given are dress shirts, solid colors.

 

I tried 3 different ideas: 4 patches from 5 inch blocks, then hst's that became hourglass blocks, 5 1/2 inches...I had set aside the white shirts to use for the background, on the points of the stars...

 I needed to add the pockets*,

 but those squares were 

so big (6 1/2 inches) 

that they looked -blah. 

*"The finish will have a couple of pockets from Daddy's shirts. Daddy's heart was right there under those pockets once, and it's a place she can put her hand to remember that his heart is still with her."


 

 

 My original plan was to make stars, but...I still was struggling, and not really happy with all these odd sized, cut up, solid blocks!




Also, the shirts were cut and there was no more! This is when my designer husband reminded me that as an artist, he is often called on to complete a client's desire, and that it does not always become what he wanted-- but it will be done well. 

 I think the nine patch blocks 

in the center of 3 stars finally 

gave me that patch feel 

I wanted. 

I started laying out the different elements, then worked out the patches to fit. Sewing it together finally brought the smiles and peace I was seeking ~









I was able to use all the various pieced blocks, plus added a few other patches here and there for the "filler' spots~




 



I hope to find time to quilt on this in the coming month. or so...
:-}








Other projects beside school that are going on:

• baby quilt for "Harmony Grace" (don't you love that name?)
• big time mending on 7 pairs of jeans~ most for clients, 2 for Larry
• juicing pomegranates 
• hoping to make pomegranate jelly!
• cutting, sorting and mailing 224 charms for the low volume swap

 

• also, cutting numerous 2 1/2" strips for organization

I am sure there has been more randomness, but that's all this brain is remembering for now. Hope you all will have a great week ahead~

 


"(Let us) hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption." Psalm 130:7

Pay it Forward, and Another Swap ~

I'm back in the classroom getting ready for another "big first day" for second graders!
Oh, all right, the rest of the school classes are starting, too. Our start date is the traditional time,  September 5th,  after Labor Day. (Looking all around us, I think our school is the only one, lol!)

 Tonight, I'm doing the "computer work" for school, you know, newsletter, class lists, attendance charts, class roster, name tags, labels, ...this time of year finds me tired, wonder why? :-}

BUT, let me tell you about 2 things before I get back to the regularly scheduled programming ~

 

http://www.makingrebeccalynne.com/p/low-volume-swap.html

 Rebecca Lynne is hosting a charm square swap with those low toned prints that are pretty cool for backgrounds, or maybe your own version of "Sunday Morning Quilts" by sweet Amanda Jean. Look it over, and think about it. I'm in! Rebecca put out a call for a few more participants ~

I also signed on for a "pay it forward". Jan, the blogfriend I'm participating with, picked the first 3 responders. I will do the same. You must be willing to give me a year to complete the item(s), and you would have a year to do that for your friends you want to create for. That means if you are interested, I will be making gifts for three of my followers. If you want to be one of these three, you in turn must be willing to do the same on your blog.  

It is a kind deed, I love that!

edited to add:

PIF # 1 ~ Terry of Terry's Treasures

PIF # 2 ~ Linda of Linda's Lines and Loves

~next post, I hope to share the last of the comfort quilts for my friend Jeannette, the wife of the police officer killed in a traffic accident last year, September 2. The top is finished, it is made from Jesse's dress shirts~

 

"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." I Corinthians 2:9

A Bright, Happy Friday to You!

 

This project was just completed, read about it on down~

Hi, from sunny, HOT California! I know, I am not the only one who has trouble with the HEAT! Enough on that, it's Friday! That means we'll be on our way to Beth and Jerry's for a dip in the pool tonight, oh, I'm looking forward to that. When we bought our home 4 years ago, we tried so hard to find one with a pool, but it wasn't meant to be. I love our house, and God knew what was best. When Beth and Jerry bought a place with a community pool, it was a blessing to us all. That has been a weekly activity for us this summer, and it is wOnDeRfuL ~

Okay, I wanted to show the little projects that have filled in the cracks between larger quilts (and swimming!). "Bright and Happy" is the theme behind them all~

~ chook friends chatting ~

 Raw edge applique, yep, I used Elmer's washable school glue again!


the washed and crinkly version

  




vintage sheet on the back, and straight line quilting

 

On other projects, this was a piece of striped fabric used for a guide. 

 While squaring up some hst's, there was a collection of 1/2" strips, too pretty to toss! 

     Here, they are sewn down with a zigzag stitch,

 

then a ripple stitch to secure the thin strips down.  

Afterwards, it is cut up to use in a few projects like Chook pincushions,

 "Has anyone seen my eye buttons?"

  and zipper bags (there are only the bag parts showing right now, lol!)

 a brood of hens-can you hear them clucking away?

Shake your tail feathers!

This little chook is for the girl who made the basket postcard for me ~

Some crocheted coasters I might have shown you before....

Long ago, really-last year! these flower blocks were made for the Block Lotto.

 

I redeemed the centers that were so tiny, but had enough to do this little pincushion, made to fit in this s-w-e-e-t ruler box from Temecula Quilt Company...I misplaced the box...I didn't have the walnut shells to fill the pincushion pillow...

 

but they finally all found each other this past week!
(Are there really pincushion fairies?) :-}

Have a great weekend, everyone!

 

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; 
and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Psalm 37:4