No pictures to share today. I am being productive.

Busy...

Finishing up sock monkey for Month of Softies

Sewing strips together for Owen's Birthday Quilt

Organizing craft/sewing room

Crocheting last two legs of darling blue elephant (can't believe I made it this far and that it actually still looks like an elephant)

Organizing huge button collection (really need to take pictures of my favorites)

Trip Around the World Quilt
After much debating, I have decided that my first quilt will be Trip Around the World. My goal was to use all the orange fabrics that I have been stockpiling for the last few weeks but when I got in there among all that luscious fabric I suddenly had temporary amnesia.

This particular quilt calls for ten fabric choices. You know I was all over that! Trip Around the World is a rolling quilt which means the first fabric needs to coordinate just as well with the tenth fabric as it does with the second. Seems the particular talent for choosing all ten fabrics comes with time and experience. I was able to choose about seven and my teacher helped me find three more coordinating fabrics.

I chose these fabrics because they have a vintage feel. This quilt will match Owen's room perfectly. I will have it done by the end of my class in six more weeks. I am making it as a present for his first birthday.

Here's my cheat sheet with all ten fabrics so that I can stay focused and keep the fabrics in order.

We are supposed to sew the strips together in pairs and then sew the pairs together. The teacher in me wanted to know why not just sew one to two to three...etc. Apparently, it is to keep from handling the fabric too much. There would be a lot of "stress" on fabric number one from all that handling and pressing. Makes sense. I better get started on my homework.

My grandmother was an exceptional crocheter. I'm pretty crafty so I thought I would have no problem learning to crochet or knit. How hard could it be, right? I have picked up a crochet hook several times in the past attempting to try and learn. I consider myself to be a pretty intelligent, albeit impatient person, and wondered why I could never quite get it right. I never had a problem learning the stitches my problem comes reading the patterns and putting the stitches together.

I think this is the third time in the past two years I have resolved to sit down and not get up until I have something to show for my hours of learning. One day I am going to sit down and write a book for the beginning crocheter. I seriously have five books in my possession and not one of them meets all the needs of a novice.

Drawstring pouch was actually made before the dishcloth pictured at top.

Quilting Homework

I finished my quilting homework earlier in the week. Our assigment was to make at least six squares. All of my teacher's classes this year will be making green squares which will be sewn into a charity quilt at year's end. What a great idea.

I enjoyed my first quilting class so much. I can not wait until the next one. Next time, we will be picking out our fabric and deciding on our quilt pattern. I am seriously thinking of making a quilt with orange fabrics.

Mistake Corrected
Remember this? I finally got around to fixing the casing on this pouch. I ripped off the skinny casing and sewed it to some black grosgrain...voila, new casing. I had to add thicker cording and now it draws together nicely. If nothing else, I'm learning...how to use the seam ripper, that is.


The inside has six pockets which come in handy for hiding sewing notions. This was supposed to be my backtack project but was scrapped at the last minute.

Backtack Goodies Received

I have been totally spoiled by Jenanne over at jenanne.com. Take a look at all this greatness! First, of course, is this fantastic bag. It is so original and I just love the straps and the colors. Notice the nifty ringed notepad keychain for that ever growing list of yarn needed for my next crochet project. Hey, I'm learning!

Inside the bag, darling fish sewing kit, Clover Asian Knot template, Adagio teas (yum), covered notepad, cosmetic pouch, stitch markers, buttons, and cute 8 by 10 quilt fabric.

And...Vogue Knitting Beginner Basics, Prism Captiva, Tweedy Cotton Classic and wooden Keyboard Keys knitting needles. Mine have the Windows key and the Alt key. So unique!

Thanks, Jenanne!

Eight months old and some history
Anyone who knows me knows that my job is very important to me. Before I even became a "full-fledged" teacher I was collecting Caldecott and Newberry winners for my classroom library, making file folder games, and subscribing to teaching magazines. It just made me feel better doing those things. I had the misfortune of graduating college in the middle of the school year in a town that has a hiring freeze every single year until the new school year begins. After substitute teaching for six months, I finally started interviewing. Praying that someone would hire me to do what I love most. I was hired (after eleven interviews) to teach fifth grade. I honestly remember driving to work every day and thinking how lucky I was to be able to love my job and look forward to working every day. I taught fifth grade here in town for three years.

A series of unfortunate events and following along behind someone led me to teaching three years in Dallas. Now, don't get me wrong...those three years taught me a lot about myself. I learned that I can stand on my own two feet. I also was afforded many opportunities by a principal who saw that I had a passion and pretty much gave me free reign. I picked up two extra endorsements for my teaching certificate and gained a lot of experience. Leading teachers twice my age with much more experience.

Then, I moved back to my home town went on one interview and was called back thirty minutes later while waiting for the next interview halfway across town. It is because of that time in Dallas that my resume' was more than presentable. I taught one full year at the best little school in my county. The second year I taught I went out for maternity leave in November and ended up taking a leave of absence until the end of the school year. I finally decided that I just can't return this year (can't leave my boy) and called my principal three weeks ago.

All that to say this. I went in to clean my classroom today. I was offered my job back. One more chance in a district where jobs aren't that easy to come by. I really wanted to go back. I accepted but by the time I got home that afternoon, my mind was made up for me. I just can't leave that little boy. If it means we have to eat potted meat out of the can, I'll just have to do that. I love my children at school, but I love that little boy with the bright blue eyes a whole lot more. Maybe the opportunity to teach will present itself again.

Happy 8 month birthday little one. Mama's a little late but her heart is always focused on you.

Mr. Owl

I am in love with this little owl. He took me about an hour and a half to make. I was searching for some dark brown toweling and couldn't find any. I checked two different fabric stores without any luck. I settled for the cheapest hand towel I could find. Unfortunately they don't sell cheap dark brown hand towels at Wal-M*rt, either. I think he turned out fine using the lighter brown terry.


He reminds me of the owl in the old Tootsie Roll commercial. "Mr. Owl, How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?" Seems as if someone has already answered that question. Or not.

"Bee"utiful Pin Cushion

Constructed from three different types of yellow fabrics, 1 yard of cording, black craft wire, and scraps of felt. I was able to make this during Owen's afternoon nap today. Years ago, I made a rag bowl and this pincushion is made pretty much the same way.

I am officially staying at home one more year with the boy. I am going to miss teaching (I already do) but seeing his smiling toothless grin every morning makes it all worthwhile.

I called about a quilting class today and I'm going to start next week. I have put myself on "fabric restriction" until I can put some of the fabric in my stash to good use.

Monkey Business

What do you do when the power is out and a storm in looming? Why make a hula-ing monkey, of course.

We weathered (ha) this storm just fine. It really wasn't much compared to last summer's Ivan. I am sure my fellow neighbors will agree. Thank goodness for the cable modem and the generator. I was having Internet withdrawal. Hopefully, the real power will be turned on soon.

Blogiversary

Today is the 3rd Anniversary of this blog. I can't believe I have been doing this for three years and have actually been able to keep up with it. If you drop by, please leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you!

In sadder news, I am sure we will lose power soon. As of three o'clock this morning, Hurricane Dennis was expected to hit as a Category 4. Ivan was a Category 3 at landfall. I am sure we will be without power for a while. I will just be watching...and praying.

Jo@nn's Fabrics is relocating in my area to a new SuperStore. They aren't taking anything with them to the new store and I am benefitting. I think I've been there five times in the last two weeks and they just keep marking items down each time. I bought some home decor fabric samples for pennies. All their remnants are now eighty percent off. It was hard to contain myself.


From left to right:
Williamsburg "Bryan House Embroidery" Origin: China
Liz Claiborne "Pineapple" (love those embroidered pineapples) Origin: Turkey
"Cream" (don't know the manufacturer)
"Spokane" (don't know the maufacturer) Origin: Turkey
"Sand" (don't know manufacturer)
Liz Claiborne "State Fair" Origin: Turkey

Waverly "Portia" Origin: Turkey
"Topiary" (couldn't resist the embroidered topiaries on this one) Origin: Italy
"Norway" Origin: Turkey
"Sunburst" (cute beach theme)

This fabric is marked "Made exclusively for Jo@nn's" I love it! I couldn't resist picking up some acorn and leaf buttons at sixty percent off, either.


These are just fabric remnants. Cheap!


New fabric for a bag. There was a two yard minimum and if you bought what was left of the bolt it was an extra ten percent off!

Battening Down the Hatches
Oh boy. Do you see that projected path of Hurricane Dennis? Well I live right in the middle of that yellow cone. Some of us aren't completely recovered from Hurricane Ivan last year. The poor people on the beach are just moving back into their homes only to be evacuated for this hurricane.

I went out yesterday and several gas stations are already out of gas. The lines for the ones that are opened are crazy. There is practically no ice or water to be found. So instead of standing in line elsewhere, I just went to the fabric store. There wasn't a soul there.

Seriously, we have a generator, we have ice, water, formula, and baby food. We are as prepared for this one as we can be. That generator will power my sewing machine just fine :)

Lots of great finds at the fabric store. Pictures soon.

I'll admit, I didn't realize the bag was going to be this large. Even after I finished cutting out the pattern pieces. You could fit a small nursery school class inside this tote. I did make a few mistakes, like sewing the handles between the lining and the interfacing. Thank heaven for the trusty seam ripper.


I'm extremely pleased with the way it turned out, however. I am going to have to make another one a little smaller than this for everyday use.

No small child was harmed in the taking of this photograph. Child included for scale only. Okay, that and he's so darn cute

Happy 4th of July

We celebrated the Fourth a little early with my family on Saturday. It was a combination celebration of Independence Day and my brother-in-law's birthday. Owen was a little scared of the fireworks but seemed to get used to it after a while.

I made this flag cake to take over to my sister's. We ended up eating it around ten that night. I had always wanted to make a flag cake but thought it would be difficult. Preparing the cake was extremely easy. The hardest part of it was the waiting. I used mini pound cakes from the grocery store and just cut them into thirds.

Sunday we went to the lake house to spend the night. We were just going to grill hamburgers and hot dogs. Instead we added fried green tomatoes, fried squash, and fried pickles to the menu. Monday morning we woke up and went for a boat ride on the lake.

I think I am going to the Farmer's Market today for some green tomatoes. I have been craving them since we had them on Sunday.

What I've Been Doing

I thought the outside of the Project Organizer was too plain. I had to add something to jazz it up a little. I was going to send my backtack pal these flower buttons but decided to use them on her case, instead. Mixed with the black buttons, I think it looks pretty good. It was a little tough ripping out some seams but I managed.

Here is the inside, one more time. I love the pocket that holds a pattern. I am sending along some of the same thread used to complete this project just in case some of the seams start coming apart. ;)


Now I am working on this tote. I have completed the front and back sections. I am a little apprehensive about lining it, though.

All of the above projects can be found in McCall's Crafts Pattern M4728