Time Flies...

 
 This has been sewn into a flimsy, but no picture of that. "What border?" is the nagging question, Larry and I cannot agree....


Time flies...and I'm dragging these days, but school has been a joy to get back into. One teaching friend described it as getting back in the routine, so it's a good tired, not a stressed one. I agree. Cute students, teaching with a great staff and getting hugs from those little guys, it's all good. One little gal must have told me 3 times today that I was just beautiful-ha! Made me lol every time. I think it called "looking through the eyes of love",  you can't beat that. But on second thought, I was wearing fushia pink slacks, and a pink and purple shirt - a little girl's dream colors- ha,ha~

Hi to you, sweet Norma!

I've neglected saying hi through sheer lack of time.  Norma said on facebook, "I can tell you are back to work, less posts." :-}

Still sewing by bits, but the only pictures I've taken in the last week is of the kids in my classroom for the 1st day's picture. I get them printed out and use their photos all year for the board in the room that says, "Second Grade is the BEST!", made for me by none other than my favorite live-in artist, my sweet Larry.

 

~ the built in, almost finished cabinet...the shelves and not finished baseboards ~

Sewing room, uh, not done. I think I need to hire out for helpers, maybe you'll get a home cooked dinner in return? LOL No promises...!

The air conditioner has gone out at home, hopefully it will be repaired tomorrow. Thankfully, we've been too busy to be home, plus there has been a bit of a break in the weather.

We lost a dear friend in a tragic motorcycle accident. It has saddened our church family, we love his family like our own. He has a wonderful testimony for the Lord, and we know we'll see him again, but it is such a loss. Larry was honored to do some art for the special services. Jesse was a young man, a 24 year veteran for the Los Angeles Police Department. "Heaven's getting sweeter all the time"... this is the song running through my mind these days....

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Tomorrow is Back to School night, and there is always projects you want to have done so the parents can see you're trying to teach and have art around the room. Jeff and Lydia helped today by making folders for tomorrow's meetings, and hanging some apple mobiles from the ceiling. Hanging colored creativity always adds some fun to the room, and the kids are so proud ~

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Okay, I fired up that camera to share these current 15 minutes of sewing:

From the red and white swap ~21 star blocks!

I was totally inspired by Annette of Sunshine Yellow's blog, who also had participated in the swap!

...and this is my sketch of a block I've been admiring, seen here and here, and too cute for me to ignore!

 

I'm using redeemed squares from my pineapple blossoms, plus other half square triangles I've sewn to go along...using a "Triangulations" cd purchased for 25% off, great deal!

 

Especially, since my redeemed squares measured an odd 2 3/4" and I wasn't willing to throw that 1/4" away, the cd made it easy to make more hst's the size I needed...and that made me happy!!











"Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is." Jeremiah 17:7

Quilts for Little Guys

All last week, I've been working to get my classroom ready for the new school year. Posters, tape, staples, up and down the ladder numerous times, washing desks inside and out, labeling, moving furniture, making each bulletin board a work of art, visiting with returning staff, filing curriculum, another new beginning. 

Tomorrow starts Teacher's meetings. Next week the students will be in the classrooms, ah, the cycle begins again. This is my 6th year at second grade, my first group at grade 2 will be graduating from 8th, and they will be leaving our campus for other times of their life. I'm glad to be a part of the children's lives at West Covina Christian School.

A new semester of my Monday night quilting class begins tonight. I'm home (not prepping in my own classroom) sewing today, since I won't get another chance to choose to stay home after today, yep, the denial thing is still in full swing, lol!

This is a quilt that Ginny and I worked on for her great nephew, another Bakan boy.

 

She wanted something to do with the piggy print (Bakan-bacon, get it?) 

 

 but was trying to not major on the pink of the pigs. 

We both like the back of it the best-!

 This is another quilt, this time a Prayer quilt for my dear friend Vicky's grandson Jake. He has a serious medical issue, that's going to require surgery on his spine. Jake's great aunt has a gift from the quilters at her church who made this with love and prayers. The tag reads:

 Jake's favorite thing of all time is Lightnin' McQueen from the movie "Cars". 

He is gonna love this! Please join me in prayer for Jake.  Since this was diagnosed, today is the first meeting with specialists.

 I'm sewing on a few fun things, including the next Block Lotto blocks that are a secret, hope to share later. Hope you're making the most of your day today, too!

 

"This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Sewing (When There are So Many Other Things to Do)

I've received all my block lotto winnings for the Liberated Checkerboard,

and look what happened as I laid them out in the bed...I couldn't help but see this rainbow taking place!

The day's work: rainbow trims, ready to make into 'quilt jelly'!
edited to add: Larry's Momma pushed all those colorful little confetti pieces of fabric into a jelly jar and called them "quilt jelly" for fun! If you stuff it full, and put a couple of layers of netting on the top, you can use it for a pin cushion, too. With those pretty rainbow scraps, I felt it was too happy to toss them. 

Today, I trimmed them all down to match, and sewed a few more to round out the quilt (actually, I made about 4 more RED ones, another blue green, and one more darker blue, too). Let's see how soon they get sewn together...!

While sewing these block lotto squares together this month, I saved the cut off half square triangles, I usually sew them as I go to help on the bias cut later, just easier. Now, how small is too small? Well, I know some of you girls do beautiful mini quilts, but I think this will be as little as it goes for me.

I used them as they were, should've trimmed them up neat but hey, they turned out kinda cool at 1/2 inch finished!

These were from the center of the flower, the yellows started out on the flower at 1 1/2 inch cut squares, but there were 4 "redeemed" squares from each flower.

On this year's quilt run in July, we found this sweet-gotta-have-it tiny box at Temecula Quilt Company, and it told me wanted to become a pin cushion :-}

So, I'm thinking...perfect!!!

Travelling 2011

A free picture collage by Smilebox

You can click on the photos to enlarge this collage share, which includes photos of:

• Four Corners
• Brice, Utah
• Mount Rushmore
• fishin'
• car rides in Papa's 1922 Ford Overlander
• Crazy Horse (from freeway)
• Wildlife Preserve in South Dakota
• Mammoth digs
• Carhenge in Alliance, Nebraska
• Nebraska wildflowers

We also visited a museum, and went to a musical performed in Fort Robinson, Nebraska. It was so good to be with the folks. Mom is doing well, she only was sick one day during our time there. We went with her, Papa and Larry's brother Wayne to a Dr.'s appointment, and were able to ask some not so easy questions. Mom is in latter stage 3 breast cancer. at 82, she is confident in her next home, and says she feels fine, just has the "cancer" label. I would hope to have her attitude! She's a love, so dear to us all. It was so hard to leave Nebraska....

Of course, you have to have something to "do" on the road. I have been making these little hexies during little bits of time, but on the trip I got them sewn into a section, probably a table runner,

and two flowers to spare. I do not hand sew, really, but needing a carry along project made this the exception. I was glad to have it along....

When I got home, I had the pleasure of opening "squishy" envelopes, woohoo!! I won the Liberated Checkerboards from Block Lotto! 48 squares are gonna come together from other quilters world over, that's neat, huh?

front cover

Before our trip, Lydia had put together her wedding photos into a book on "Shutterfly". Have any of you done this before? Her book is beautiful, I'd recommend it 100%!

~one of our favorite pages~

It has quality paper, and is hard bound. We had coupons and free shipping, and 52 pages ended up costing around $50.00 apiece, not bad!

back cover

Oh, and today is Lydia's Birthday, love you, girl!

Block lotto this month is doing this flower, and here is my 4 for the month.

Do you recognize it, Lynda? You know I love the quilts you've done in this flower!

Well, I needed to post, but now I've got to get back to painting, sanding, glueing, moving woodstuff... a woman's work is never done....
:-}

And, We're Off ~

Lydia and Jeff are minding the house.

Larry and I, Beth and Jerry are starting our road trip!

selecting music cd's before we go

I do not even know if I'll get to check email, or post
or read blogs Yikes! See ya'll sometime in August ~

A Bit of Progress

Hi! We have been doing a number of projects, and a couple have gotten completed. Larry and I worked on the floor (look, Papa, not too bad!)



but we had to take a few boards to other folks to trim the ones that weren't full widths, because we don't own a table saw.

It worked out, but the floor just couldn't get finished in one day....
Today we have been working on the cabinets: purchasing, painting, and our friend Richard is installing and building the countertop.

I went with what was available, a Formica brand, but it had to be custom done because it will have extra depth than an ordinary kitchen cabinet.

I had to go to court Friday, umm...one of those lovely cameras on the corners of certain intersections took my picture for not coming to a complete stop. Yes, I'm ashamed to say, I'm not very "pokey" when I'm driving. This is only my second ticket in 30+ years of driving, but you cannot believe the price of that ticket, people! I pleaded "no contest" and asked for consideration, that being I received said ticket 6 months after it being issued (during the time Larry was in the hospital), and the judge knocked off some cost. Are you ready? I still had to pay $450, AND whatever the traffic school will cost. That Comedy Traffic teacher better be pretty funny!

Saturday, we drove up to Bakersfield to be with dear friends from our past. They had to bury their beloved daughter, a 35 year old momma of 4, a childhood playmate of my daughter. Her Daddy was saying how hard it was to stand at the graveside, knowing he would be walking away and leaving her physical body there six feet under. We'll see her again, we praise God for His promise of that...still...hard.

Dad and Mom, and the "kids"-Ginger, Wayne, Larry and Preston

We also received some sad news, which is leading to a trip to Nebraska. My sweet MIL Barb is having a recurring bout with cancer. She and Dad have agreed to not suffer through radiation/chemo treatments. She says she's feeling great right now, just going on with life as it comes.



She has been such an inspiration to me personally, spiritually and in my sewing and quilting. Actually, she was my home economics teacher my senior year in our private Christian high school eons ago.

I already was an accomplished seamstress, and I ended up assisting the new sewing students. I remember at that time in her life, she was sewing EVERYTHING she wore EXCEPT her pantyhose, no kidding, she had even sewn her shoes. She's amazing. I'm glad for the opportunity here before school to be able to go back to Nebraska. Larry and I will be travelling with our friends Beth and Jerry, for moral support and good company.



I've sewn a gown for the trip (no, I'm not modeling it!),

and the stack of Storm at Sea units has grown.

There is this little stack of nine patches, civil war style prints. Lydia wanted to know why I was sewing with such ugly prints. I said I've always liked era quilts, and was trying to do a "brown quilt". If you've never heard me say this before, I love Debbie Mumm, but usually end up with something more Mary Englebreit, lol. Lydia comes by her love of color in her genes, *vbs*! But, I'm hoping this stays a good brown quilt. :-}

And, the red charm squares arrived from Karen, and they are super!

Not a bad piece in the bunch, either! Thank you, Karen and all the 125 participants. I LOVE them ALL!

"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy;
at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." Psalm 16:11