Sunday already!

Oh, where do the weekends go? It is already Sunday evening and I don't want it to be a work day tomorrow! I did get a bit of sewing in yesterday. I finished the top of the monster quilt so it is ready for quilting. I need to get some Minkee fabric for the back and there isn't a store that sells it around here so I will have to look online. Anybody know a good online store?
Today I spent cleaning bathrooms and baking. I did it first thing this morning while my energy level was still up but was beat by noon. I did a lot of resting this afternoon. Now it is back to the grind!!! I am hoping to get a picture of the completed monster top up soon. Have a great week all!!!

Making cards and buying wine!

I spent the last few days after work making thank you cards for some of the judges from my school's science fair. I am so glad to be done with it all. Trying to arrange for judges is a real pain. I am so thankful that I could call on friends and spouses of coworkers to help me out. To make the thank you cards, I just cut up the judging sheets and used PVC scrapbooking glue to attach the pieces in a collage type fashion to cardstock. Then I wrote a short thank you on the inside and attached a bottle of vino!!!! They deserve it!! Since the computer teacher helped out my class so much, I got her a gift card to a restaurant that makes dynamite margharitas so she could forget all about the hours upon hours she spent helping my students make graphs and format papers. She is a gem!!! So, this is how I have spent the better part of this week, aside from work that is!!!

Adding a New Giveaway!!

I am so excited about the OWOH event. I am getting to see lots of different blogs and I am meeting some very nice people. I am enjoying seeing all the different types of art people produce. SO...........

This is my second giveaway. He is made from african fabrics and has a bead and coin necklace and glass beads on his belly. Hope you like him!

So get on the magic carpet and start checking out everybody else. Don't forget to leave a comment on the original OWOH posting to be eligible for the second giveaway.

One World One Heart Event

Hey everybody, I read about this great event to get bloggers to meet one another on a blog titled A Whimsical Bohemian. This is a great way to get to meet others. I am very excited to be a part of this event.



As a part of this event, I will be giving away a small spirit doll. This doll is made from African fabrics and includes silk ribbons, beads and a clay face.
I am also including a small wallhanging that has quilter sayings on it, like "behind every quilter, there's good backing!"
This quilt will make all quilters smile!!!


Please leave a comment to be included in this give-away. Make sure you leave me an email address or blog address so that I can get in touch with you if you win.
Good Luck and thanks for visiting my blog. I am looking forward to making some new blog friends.

Stephen and Snowman

This is a picture of my youngest when he was home on Christmas break. He couldn't resist all the snow! They are still kids even at 20!

Gracie Bag

This is the bag I ordered 2 weekends ago from Sew Thankful. It was on sale so I thought I would try it. I love ordering from this company. They are quick and very friendly.


This is the fabric that I am going to use to make the purse. It was given to me by a dear friend. Her brother went on a mission trip to Africa and brought this back for her. She didn't know what to do with it but knew that I love African fabric so she gave it to me!! Lucky Me!!!

Monster Quilt

These are the pinwheels that I made. There are 2 in each colorway for a total of 16.


This is the panel that will go on the top and the bottom after the pinwheel border is attached.

This is the monster quilt that I am working on for a friends new baby due in May. I found this adorable panel at It's a Stitch Quilt Shop in Barrington Illinois and it was on sale for 40% off (the whole kit) so I grabbed it. This past Saturday I got the borders cut and sewn on the panel and I cut all the pieces for the pinwheel squares and got them all made. They will go around the outside of the black border, alternating with a white and green fabric. I didn't take a picture of the white and green because it would show up mainly white.

Long Awaited Paper Quilt pictures.

These are the pictures of the paper quilt that I worked on over Christmas break. I spent a lot of time sewing and painting this and I wasn't very happy with the results. Maybe I am just a material girl!!!!

Science Fair!

Well, I know I won't get much sewing done in the next week as it is our school's annual science fair and guess who is the coordinator. So not only have I spent this week making sure my own students have their work completed, I have been begging people to judge, getting judging sheets ready and organizing people for the event. UGH!!
I did wander out yesterday to the only quilt shop that is still open in my area, and found some darling fabric with monsters on it for a baby quilt for a friend. The great part was that the fabric was already cut up into a kit and the kit was 40% off. So I got all the fabric for the top for about $30. It makes a big quilt too, 54" X 72". I was hoping to get that started this weekend, but I am not sure if that will happen.
I am hoping to post my paper quilts this weekend. I spent a lot of time on these, but I am not sure I would do it again.
Hope everyone has a great week!

The center of my world!

And this is the spoiled whippet that shares our home and our hearts!!! He is always with me when I am home. He sleeps in his special chair in my sewing room when I am away and only comes out when I get home. Yes, he is neurotic, but I love him!

Tops!

These are the tops that I completed over Christmas break. Now they only need to be quilted! I also completed a paper quilt. Pictures of that one later!

More Biker chick pictures!

I am just learning how to use the computer to resize the pictures so that I can put them on my blog. Here are some more of the Biker chick. I have one with her label and one on her little blankie!

Biker Chick picture!

Finally, I have a picture of the infamous Biker Chick! Isn't she cute!

School Has Started!

Unfortunately, now that school is back in session, I don't have the time nor the energy to work on much else during the week. I hope to get all my pictures posted this weekend. Or maybe tomorrow if we have a snow day!!!!!!!

Finished!

Biker Chick and blankie are all done. I need to take pictures today and then get my darling son to run it over to the post office tomorrow so that it arrives in time for my friends birthday. I am hoping to get access to the other computer so that I can get pictures up on the blog tonight. Wish me Luck!

Biker Chick

I spent most of yesterday and today working on a chicken pattern that I turned into a biker chick for a girlfriend's birthday coming up. I got the chicken pattern from Sew Mama Sew! It was a spring chicken and I just dressed it up a bit to make it a biker chick. I have a chain around it's neck holding a sign that says Biker Chick. I used leather for the sign. Then I made a hat out of a fake black leather. It probably looks more like a granny hat but she's a granny too so that is ok! Now I am making a small rag quilt for the chick to sit on. I found the fabric on the clearance rack at Joann's for $2 a yard. I bought what was left, 1.6 yards and I have some orange here at home that I will add to it. I am hoping to get that cut out tonight so that I can whip it together over the next few days.

I have to go back to work tomorrow. Sad face! I do enjoy teaching but I also love being home and just creating. I made 4 quilt tops plus a paper quilt while I was home so I wasn't just sitting around. I did get a chance to rest quite a bit, so hopefully I will be all ready to handle 11 year olds again!!!!

I am going to work on getting pictures up in the next few posts. I know how much I like to go to other blogs and see pictures so that is my goal for my blog, lots of pictures!!

I hope everyone has a great start to the new year.
Kathy

My First Post

I am so excited. I am new to the world of blogging, at least when it comes to posting my own. I have been reading so many quilters blogs especially as I have been home during the Christmas break. I was so excited to see all the different activities that other quilters were doing and I wanted a blog of my own to record my creative journey.

I will have to learn how to upload my pictures and put backgrounds in and all that kind of neat stuff I see on other blogs. I hope that if you find my blog, you will be patient with me and come back often to see how I grow.

I have a son and husband who are both very technologically savvy, but I really want to do this on my own. Wish me Luck!!

A little bit about me. I have been doing a variety of crafts since I was 12. I first began to sew on my grandmothers very old cast iron sewing machine. I sewed some clothes but I never could figure out how to get them to fit very well. I never took any sewing classes, I am all self-taught. After I got married to my wonderful husband of 30+ years in 1979, I purchased a New Home sewing machine for $99 and began to sew small quilts. I took some hand quilting classes and then I was off. After having my two sons, I found little time to quilt or sew or do much else but be a mom and continue to work in my "paid" profession of teaching. Now that both of my boys are adults and gone from the nest, I have found my love again. I sew on a Bernina Artista 180. I am not sure why I bought such a fancy machine when I did, since I rarely use any of the embroidery part of the machine, but it sews wonderfully so I will keep it!!!!

I long for a longarm quilting machine someday. I would like to be able to have my own business quilting for a living. Perhaps once the college aged son is finished (0ne more year!) and the economy turns around, I will be able to realize my dream.

I am going to post this very first post and see what else I can do to make my blog look more like my own. I'll post again soon!