
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Veteran's Day

Sunday, November 8, 2009
Next quilt for Christmas~!


Friday, November 6, 2009
Friday YA!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Let's Talk Birthdays!

Wed

Monday, November 2, 2009
Tired
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Happy Halloween!

Friday, October 30, 2009
Library run
One was a fun one, the library!
So I picked up a few books.
The first one is called "If You Come Softly" by Jacqueline Woodson. I'm already half way through this wonderful little Young Adult Fiction book. Here's the description from the author's site:

If You Come Softly is about Jeremiah who is fifteen and black and Ellie who is fifteen and white. They meet at a private school and fall in love and then have to deal with how society treats them because they’re an interracial couple. It was inspired by a poem by Audre Lorde that begins: If you come softly as the wind within the trees you may hear what I hear see what sorrow sees.
Where it takes place:
In the Washington Heights section of Manhattan
Where I wrote it:
Whidbey Island which is off the coast of Seattle, Washington and in Olivebridge, NY
Why I wrote it:
I wrote If You Come Softly because I wanted to write about first love—how hard it can be and how great it is. I also wanted to write about being fifteen because I remember that age very well. As I was writing it, I came across some lines from Romeo and Juliet and realized this story was a modern-day Romeo and Juliet. The enemies to Jeremiah and Ellie’s love are racism, police brutality and people’s general stupidity. I also wanted to write about Time—about how fleeting it is, how important it is to love who you want and be who you want in the moment so that you don’t look back and think “I should have…” or “I could have…”
The next book is an older classic book called "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers. I cannot wait to read this one. Here's the description:
Published in 1940, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter is considered McCullers' finest work. The focus of the work is on John Singer, a deaf-mute in a Georgia mill town during the 1930s, and on his effect on the people who confide in him. When Singer's mute Greek companion of 10 years goes insane, Singer is left alone and isolated. He takes a room with the Kelly family, where he is visited by the town's misfits, who turn to him for understanding but have no knowledge of his inner life. The book's emphasis on individuals who are considered outcasts because of race, politics, disability, or sensibility placed it squarely within the Southern gothic tradition of American literature.
Oh ya, and did you ask me when I'm actually going to find time to read these???
Hmmm, haven't figured that out yet. Actually I started reading the one today, half way through.
I'm truly neglecting life today..
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Meet Donetta

Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Another Wednesday

Sunday, October 25, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Study weekend

Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Wednesday

Monday, October 19, 2009
Cheap sewing machines

Here's a little background. I had my first sewing machine out of college when my mom gave me her old green Kenmore. Great workhorse. I'm not sure what happened to it, now that I think of it. LOL. Must have died some time ago, or she took it back, possible, knowing my mother LOL. I sold my house about 5 years ago and got a LOT of equity money, so I purchased a 2,500 dollar Bernina. Nice. My family got into a bind and I felt horribly guilty. Sold it after 5 months. :(
So I then bought a Husquervana cheapy, maybe $150 dollars. That motor wore out...Yes, I quilt A LOT! At the time I was sewing almost every day of the week. So I purchased a Singer cheapy a couple years ago. Now that one is acting up. That is the machine I own now. Hubby finally figured out that some WD-40 helped it run a bit smoother, but he says he thinks the motor is going and that's why it's so tough to spin the knot/wheel on the right side. Well it is working FOR NOW...but I'm here to say....
I'm a sewing machine snob. This is the only nice thing I own...Well, used to own. Money doesn't buy happiness right???? Hmmm...I always questioned this phrase. If I had all the money in the world I would own a long arm sewing machine, and several other Berninas just cuz.
Well there's the sewing machine story...If you got thru it.
I finished my daughter's costume. I purchased some cool scary web fabric from Joann's a couple weeks ago and made her a cape for her witch costume. Also sewed some of the webbing to her witch hat. I'm not sure else I"m going to doll her up for the costume, as she hates anything on her face. I was going to at least paint it green...hmmm. We'll see.
Joe is being a transformer, the bad guy...His name is Megatron. He insisted on the bad guy.. pretty nice looking store bought costume LOL.
In past years they have been lady bugs, Ninja Turtles, Buzz Lightyear. I finally have a girl after 3 boys and do you think she'll wear a princess or pretty costume!? No! She has all brothers! lol. She is definitely NOT a girly girl...hardly will wear barrettes in her hair LOL.
Ok, I'm done with my long post, for now.
Back to work I go....
Oh ya, and on a side note...I'm starting online classes today towards my teacher certification...the program will last around 2 years...all online, a postbacc (i have my bachelor's already in science). I am going to be a special ed teacher, if I can get B's or better in all my classes. Wish me luck!
Happy Monday!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Cookie Site
I love to bake when the weather gets cooler and the holidays come around.
So check out THIS site for tons of recipes and ideas for making the best cut out cookie!
Here's the recipe that caught my eye and might just use:
Basic Rolled Sugar Cookies
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup superfine sugar, or granulated sugar, processed in blender or food processor for 30 seconds
• ½ tsp. Salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tsp. Vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. Almond extract or emulsion, optional
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour.
Cream butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with mixer set at medium speed (see Dough Preparation and Baking tutorial for more information on creaming times). Add yolk, beat well. Add whole egg, vanilla and optional almond extract and beat until well-incorporated. Add flour; beat at low speed just until flour is mixed in; do not overmix. Divide dough in halves or thirds and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least one hour and up to 2 days.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dust work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll dough to 1/4" thick, sprinkling with additional flour as needed to prevent sticking. Cut into desired shapes and place on parchment or silicone-lined pans. Bake in preheated oven until cookies appear dry on the surface and are light golden brown on the edges, about 10 minutes (very large cookies may take up to 12 or 13 minutes). Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks and cool completely before decorating.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Cute free tutorial
Friday, October 16, 2009
TGIF

Thursday, October 15, 2009
*Allie* Just Cuz
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
A sneak peek

I survived the dentist today. It was a horrible experience. Not for the reasons that I thought it would be. I had a filling replaced and am usually a huge baby about this. But that part went just fine. The dentist (he's new to me) was a huge sleeze bag! I don't know how many times he had to tell me he needs a girlfriend. And at one time he jokingly said to the assistant "Niki will be my girlfriend". WHAT?????? Sexual harrassment! This was after I asked him how much out of pocket (no insurance) a crown would be. He said "Oh like 1,000 dollars...and then went on to say how much he needs a girlfriend. Sounded to me like a sex proposition. I was dumbfounded. The assistant didn't say anything! And my mouth was occupied with tools, I could not reply. Ugh. Of course I won't go back. But still! I was actually laughing all the way home at how inappropriate he was. I don't feel violated that much, just surprised! What a P.I.G!!!
Ok, so that's my newest story. LOL.
I will get a snapshot of the quilt tomorrow...Promise!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Ok Sandy
;)
I also sew for Project Linus and some other odds and ends organizations, but for some reason I just DON'T feel like finishing this one LOL.
I guess it's not UGLY, but just disappointed with the colors.
Anywho, it's on it's way to ya!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Any quilters who donate? FREEBIE HERE!

Are you a Quilter???????? Stay connected ;)

Movie and Coffee
Friday, October 9, 2009
TGIF!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
paperback swap!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Lots of Free Patterns

Check out this cute mouse bookmark! What a great gift this would make.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
SAturday Stitching
If you haven't signed up for my Halloween contest yet, you still have time. I'm including everyone and will be using the computer random generator for fairness. This will be in the mail Friday for the lucky winner! (see below for contest).
What is everyone up to today? Any fun happenings around the world?
The state fair is coming to Arizona in a couple weeks and I think we might try to actually go this year. Because of the economy they are having great deals, like FREE admission days and such. I love going and seeing all the exhibits, quilts, cakes, etc. Fun fun. Plus, the younger 2 only went to the fair one time before and they were very little...they probably don't remember it.
Oh, and I've been trying to get better about leaving comments for my fellow bloggers, as I love them too, and notice after YEARS of having a blog, seriously, I get very little comments still. So I'm working on that. (wink)
Have a great day everyone!
Friday, October 2, 2009
It's October!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Halloween Contest Right Here!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Quilt with me
Nice pattern


Friday, September 25, 2009
October around the corner

Thursday, September 24, 2009
Happy Thurs!
Thank you for all the kind comments on my last few posts.
The weather is getting nice now in Arizona, where I live...and it puts me in good spirits.
This weekend is a big weekend for us...My oldest son Alex is going to take his girlfriend to the Homecoming dance at their school on Sat night. Sat morning the two little ones (6 & 8) are starting their new soccer practice teams. So that will be fun for them. Sunday I think I'll head to a new church to see how I like it. I've been doing my homework on churches in the area, non-denominational Christian churches, and found one close by that I think I'll enjoy. We'll see how it goes. I've been doing absolutely NO crafting or quilting. Last Sunday I got out some fabric and thought, ah heck, and then put it all away. The motivation is just not there. Not sure why. I have more to write, but I have to get off to school now. Have a great day!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Great book site
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Halloween fun!
Yes, It's true....I'm a die-hard fan
If you have not seen it I highly recommend it...
The nerd gets the pretty girl story. Great writing....
{just a die hard fan..that's all lol}
HAVE YOU SEEN IT???
season 3 starts Monday! CBS


sheldon, leonard, penny {kaley cuoco}

Sheldon and Leonard {jimmy galecki}

Sheldon Cooper {jim parsons}

What the lyrics say in the start of the show:
Our whole universe was in a hot dense state, Then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started. Wait... The Earth began to cool, The autotrophs began to drool, Neanderthals developed tools, We built a wall (we built the pyramids), Math, science, history, unraveling the mysteries, That all started with the big bang!"Since the dawn of man" is really not that long, As every galaxy was formed in less time than it takes to sing this song. A fraction of a second and the elements were made. The bipeds stood up straight, The dinosaurs all met their fate, They tried to leave but they were late And they all died (they froze their asses off) The oceans said, "Pangea, See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya!" Set in motion by the same big bang!It all started with the big BANG!It's expanding ever outward but one day It will pause and start to go the other way, Collapsing ever inward, we won't be here, it wont be heard. Our best and brightest figure that it'll make an even bigger bang!Australopithecus would really have been sick of us, Debating why they're here; they're catching deer (we're catching viruses) Religion or astronomy, Descartes and Deuteronomy It all started with the big bang!Music and mythology, Einstein and astrology It all started with the big bang! It all started with the big ... BANG!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
My Very Own RAG QUILT Instructions

Please read all instructions once before beginning, just to get a feel for what it is we are doing here….
The rag quilts I enjoy the looks of are made from either flannel or homespuns. I like to use quality fabric, as the quilt is going to fray, that is the look we want, but we don’t want it to completely unravel in the next 2 years right!?
You are buying enough fabric for the front AND back of the quilt, as this is a ‘quilt as you go’ process. I always find this part kind of tricky. I like to make my squares 10-inch blocks finished, so I cut them 11 inches square for the ‘fringe’. So if you are good at math, you can pretty much figure it out from there…how many squares in whatever size quilt you want. Here is a chart of typical bed sized quilts:
Twin 63" x 87"
Double 78" x 87"
Queen 84" x 92"
King 100" x 92"
You can always make lap or crib sized, and that I just usually eyeball. Just remember this when doing a rag quilt…..I do not recommend these types of quilts for babies under the age of 3 OR if the child is still putting things in their mouths. Remember, there is a lot of frayed edges, and you never know when one can get into the child’s mouth and cause complications.
Calculating yardage for fabrics. This link might help in calculating: http://www.quiltindex.com/ATQF/q_and_a_single.asp?QAID=7
I do not pre wash my fabrics when doing rag quilts. You want it to ‘fray’ at the end, so wait to wash it.
CUTTING: Once you have decided how many blocks you are going to need for your quilt you will start your cutting. I use a rotary cutter and quilt ruler (can be purchased at WalMart in the fabric dept.). You will sit there cutting squares of 11 inches square (times 2, remember, we’re quilting as we go). So if you need a total of 24 blocks for the front you will need to double that number (48) for total squares of fabric to cut.
BATTING: Batting is optional. This really depends how heavy you want the quilt to be. Flannel quilts will be a lot heavier than homespun quilts. I once made a king sized flannel rag quilt for my bed, and if I could go back and NOT use the batting I would have. It is so heavy, takes so long to wash and maintain. Just my honest opinion there. However, IF you chose to use batting, you will want to cut the batting 1-inch shorter than the blocks. So, in our case, 10 inches square. You will only need one square of batting per block (not doubled). So like the example above, just 24 squares of batting. This you can also use your rotary cutter for OR simply cut by hand, either way will work.
CONSTRUCTION OF QUILT BLOCKS: You will take 2 pieces of fabric and layer the batting in between. Make sure the wrong sides of the fabric touch the batting, not the right sides. So when the block is complete you will see the right side of the fabric on each side. This is called a quilt ‘sandwich’. You can either eyeball it when going to sew, OR use a ruler, and draw an “X” from corner to corner with a pencil (the markings will come out in the wash). I usually just eyeball it and go for it. No pinning is necessary, but if you wish to, you can pin. Start at one corner and sew a straight line from corner to corner. Do the same, making an “X” shape in the block. BAM!, your done with one block. Continue process for all 24 blocks.
ASSEMBLING THE BLOCKS: You will be making columns of blocks. In our example, we will make this a 4 x 6 quilt. I usually make the longer columns first. Sew 6 columns of 4 blocks (hence 24 total). You will be sewing the blocks together using a ½ to 1-inch seam allowance. Remember, all seam allowances will be on the top/front side of the quilt. This makes the raggy edge. Once the columns are done, assemble the columns to each other, making the rows. You can pin the corners to make sure they match up. Once the whole quilt is together BEFORE cutting/clipping the edges (seam allowances), you will want to stitch around the entire quilt outside to make sure NO batting is showing. This, too, will be about ½ to 1-inch seam allowance.
CLIPPING EDGES/SEAM ALLOWANCES: Grab yourself a cup of coffee for this step. Turn on some music, and have fun. This is the time consuming part. Using utility, heavy-duty scissors (Fiskars has the easy grip rubber handled ones, love those, easy on the hands), clip all seam allowances almost, but not quite, to the seam. Make clips 1/4" apart approximately. This is what makes the fringed look.
WASHING TO FRINGE QUILT: You will then put the quilt in the washing machine, full cycle, with fabric softener and a bit of detergent. I like to take my rag quilts, especially the first few times, to the Laundromat. This is hard on the machines. Wash fully. Dry fully. You will want to change the lint traps OFTEN during the course of drying. Once dry, fully shake the quilt good once or twice outside, removing any loose threads. If you want a wider "fringe" or rag-appearance, make seam allowances wider---such as 3/4" or 1". Adjust the cut size of the fabrics for the blocks accordingly. For example, 10" finished size blocks would need to be cut 12" x 12" for 1"-wide seam allowances.
WALA! You’re done. Enjoy your quilt. If making the quilt as a gift for someone, I always recommend attaching a nice label, with your name, and a sweet message. If you have any questions on construction of the quilt, don’t hesitate to E-mail me



















