Learning

I have this nice fancy nancy sewing machine. Red does a lot of things. I am beginning to explore these things. One of them is Free Motion Quilting.  Unlike working on the Long Arm with a program or its Free Motion, this is smaller and not the same stabilization that a Long Arms gives you. I would probably only do this for small projects and not larger ones.

Here is my first attempt at it.  No too shabby.  I need more practice for sure, but it is a start. Keys are keeping things smooth and even. You want even stitches.  It has a rhythm to it all. Once you get in the groove I found it to be easier. 

Look for more to come in this area and I explore Red and all that has to offer.

Not totally even, but totally free hand and first time. Some edges are still a little sharp.


Oh I also made a fabric file hanging folder. Turned out cute!

I have other projects too, but alas I can't show them till after Christmas. I do not want to ruin the surprises for many families.  ;o)

Meet Froggy

I love the imagination of little children.  Both of my girls have really show how strong of an imagination they have at early ages.  Grace was cooking and creating worlds and now Evelyn has a whole story line for Froggy.

Froggy has a home and a special bed. Now one would think that Froggy lived in the ground or in some kind of bed in the playroom right? Nope not our Froggy. Froggy lives in my closet where the towels go. Every morning Evelyn comes to check on Froggy, give him a kiss (even though he has a pink bow he is not a she.) and then put him in his home. 

Here is Froggy in his home.

Evelyn putting him back in his home in his bed. He has to be covered too!

A very proud mommy to Froggy. Stay tuned for more adventures to come.

Busy little family...

So I have been missing. School starts and well I get wrapped up in, going to work, kid activity, sleeping....sleeping.  Did I mention sleeping?

Here are some candid photos of what we have been up to.

 College Day at school. Of course we wore our Aggie shirts! I mean what else did you think we would wear?  ;o)

They needed a picture with daddy they said.

Dance class. They girls are drawing the audience on the mirror's for Evelyn's glass to practice with. It was too cute. Later Evelyn would kiss each face.

Can you say tired? She claimed just the opposite, but as you can tell she fell asleep standing up.  Poor baby girl.

1st Visit to the Dentist office!

 She did very well getting her teeth cleaned and during the x-rays. I was shocked a little I must admit. At home she doesn't even sit still for a Disney movie. She earned a balloon and a bracelet.

Friday Night Lights

Busy couple of weeks.

Sock hop at school. It is our PTA's annual membership drive. Always fun! Grace as still able to wear her poodle skit.


After the sock hop we hopped in the car and headed to Texas A&M to see our annual football game. The girls always enjoy march in.


The next weekend was followed by a trip back home to see my brother. We also went to the state fair!




We took the girls to the Brook homecoming game last night. We have several friends who children are in he band, drill team, and choir. Also as a teacher I ran into a LOT of my former students.

"Mrs. Henry!!  Do you remember me?"  I smiled and even know I knew I knew them I had to ask several. See the last time I saw most of the kido's they were smaller, no makeup, not "grown". Now they are all made up, some taller than me and "grown" up.

Here is a quick photo update of all our going ons.

 Sock hop

 Girls in their Aggie wear. Gig'em

 Big Tex

 A little bit out of order, sock hop!

 Dad and I couldn't resist. We all had a bite of the Fried Bacon Cinnamon Roll. It was pretty yummy.

 Game time. Ring toss

 Family pictures were attempted and pretty successful!

 Homecoming! The girls with their two favorite babysitters. LOVE, I mean LOVE these girls!!

 Umm Evelyn sort of snuck in on Gabe's snack. Aren't they cute though?

My girls and their mums. So cute!

The girls had fun and I really enjoyed visiting with friends, watching the band, drill team and choir performances. Brought back a lot of high school memories for me.

Been gone...

Man when school gets started it is like I can't keep up.  Thankfully our house still looks nice. ;o)

Things I have been doing:

1. Pain... I mean Physical Therapy. My foot is healing....well getting there
2. Working....teaching....homework....cooking
3. Prepping quilts. I have been doing some cutting and laying out. Hopefully this week I will get some good sewing done.
4. Other sewing projects. I have a few lined up and I plan to get working on them too.
5. DAR...when school starts, DAR starts back.
6. Scrapbooking!!!! Need I say more.

My goals for this month...rest of the month

1. Start on quilts (finish 2 tops)
2. Make block 6
3. Work on fabric folder system
4.  Keep my house clean

So here is a to a god res of the month!

Oh what a busy life we lead

I started back to work full time this Monday. Boy did the whole family feel it. By today, Wednesday, everyone has been a little cranky.  Just a little.

I have been mia for a couple of weeks so here are some things we have done.

 Starting cutting these babies for a manly quilt. Going to be VERY cool!

Had a yummy dinner and some good wine with my in-laws. The girls had a blast too! I bet baby Clara can't wait till she can keep up with these three!

Worked hard in my classroom! I did a LOT of different things this year and made some new things too. I thought this sign was too cute to not use! Made it with the cricut and then laminated it.

Thoughts:

This was my Gradmother and Granddaddy Goodman. Grandmother's birthday was this month. She was a special education teacher for 45 years.  Goodness me!

Here is my Meme, mom's mom. People say I look a lot like her. Thought since I was posting one Grandmother I will post the other.

This week ahead:

so much to finish!  Parent information packets, info cards, names cut out for desk, papers put away, pencils to sharpen, first week copies to be made, lesson plans to write, and I am sure I am forgetting something.

;o)

See ya later!

Block 5

I finally was able to get block 5 knocked out.  Well one of them at least.

I must say that I am really enjoying this pattern and all the new sewing techniques I have learned.

Only 3 more blocks to make and then I can begin to assemble this quit top. This quilt is a Christmas gift and I am so excited to give it to them.  ;o)

 I am SO proud. I mean SO proud of that center point.  Looks easy, but matching up HST points can be tricky. Thankfully through classes I have learned a few tricks to help you.

Took this picture with my mistake. I fixed it later. This is block 5, one of two. The other is in blues.

Hopefully once school gets under way I can pick and night and get back to a good sewing schedule. I very much DISLIKE not being able to sew all day.

YIKES

NOOOOOOOOOooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please say it isn't so!!  School isn't starting is it?

Sadly.......yes...... it.....is.... ;o(

But I am ready. My room is done. That is a HUGE step.

List of things to do:

1. Make first day copies for kids
2. Make my parent classroom information packet copies
3. Sharpen pencils  hehehehe
4. Cut laminating
5. Laminate game packets
6. Again cut laminating
7. Make info cards for parents to fill out
8. Write lesson plans
9. Cut out new classroom signs oh and laminate
10. Cut name tags out for desk
11. Oh CUT laminating.  HA

 
See a theme there?  Since this was the year of dong new things, I decided to step up and make more games.  Also since I will have different students than I have ever had, I am doing some different things with my math centers too!

Go me!  Year to be and do different!

Happy Sunday everyone!

Wish list

I am VERY, let me say that again....  VERY fortunate in the sewing machines and items that I own. I have a great Aunt that got me started and my mother-in-law that keeps challenging me in my sewing projects and techniques.

I decided to start a wish list of some sewing items I would like and will be working towards.

1.  I would like some triangle rulers to help me better measure my HST. Here are a few I have seen in action and read about. Not sure which one I will choose. Do you own one? suggestions welcomed (From left to right: 1. Perfect Half-Square and Quarter-Square Triangles Ruler. 2. Fons and Porter Half and Quarter Ruler by Omnigrid. 3. Perfect Corner Ruler. 4.

1. Easy Angle Ruler)

 





2.  Roller cutter. I have a good fiskars 45mm roller cutter, ok I admit I have 3. I kind of have a thing for scissors and cutters.  ;o) What I would like to add to my collection is this one it is a Olfa Quick Change 60 mm Rotary Cutter.

Now I would love to have one of these. I love a good ole seam ripper, BUT there are times when you have a long seam to rip and not enough tv time to go with it. Peggy's stitch erasure.  ;o)

You can never have enough of these

This is something I love. I need a 2nd one. I get tired of trying to remember to move my pin holder from one side of the room to the other side of the room.

 

Things to do still in my sewing room

1. Make my ironing board/storage thingy.

2. Hang my quilting design wall.

Ballet

Sniff...sniff... Evelyn is growing up!!  Sniff...sniff..  She started her Creative Dance class.  I can't believe she is already old enough for this!!

 Are you ready to go to dance class?  Oh YES Mommy!

 all lined up and ready to go into class.  They are just so cute!!!

 Stretching before they dance.

 Circle time.

She did well enough on her trial class that she will be going every week.  Such a big girl!

Baby shower

The girls and I had a great time at my cousins baby shower.  I can't wait for baby to come so we know what it is!!  Oh this anticipation is killing me!!!! Any who, Jodie is so cute pregnant!

 Out of focus... They wouldn't stop moving.  Evelyn and her cousin Serenity

 Nikki and Grace. Then all the little girls with Nikki. We wore pink in support of us thinking it is a girl!

 Can we help you open gifts?

 Yay she got her high chair. Nice color too.