Teacher Appreciation Gifts

This is my first year having a child in school. I am so grateful to other blog posters for inspiring me to consider what we will make for our teacher (who will also teach my daughter next year in senior kindergarten). Here is some fabulous inspiration if you need some.

Crayon Teacher's Gift by I Should Be Mopping The Floor

Teacher Treats by Sweetheart Moments

Anybody else come across some easy, inexpensive yet thoughtful ideas?

Fare Thee Well, Oprah

In recent years I have had different opportunities to watch Oprah both regularly and irregularly. Most recently I wasn't able to watch as much Oprah as I wanted to. It didn't bother me too much as I knew she'd always be there if I wanted or needed her. After yesterday, knowing that she isn't going to be available whenever I need her is scary. It was comfort to know that she was there, enjoying a crazy adventure with Gayle, introducing us to our future talk show hosts that ultimately led us in our newest craze (Rachel Ray's cooking, Nate Berkus's home decor, Dr. Phil's psych, Dr. Oz's whole living ... to name a few), to in-debt heart-wrenching stories (some of which were too deep for me to view). Oprah, I don't know you personally but I do feel I grew up with you and I will miss you.

I've Been Working on Crafting ~ Update

I feel like I have crafting attention disorder! I finished knitting a rocket ship pillow for Travis, I am currently knitting a jumper dress for Ava and I'm still plugging away at a queen-sized quilt in addition to digi-scrap booking (organizing the photos right now) for 2008 and getting a whole bunch of paperwork (passport applications) and the house organized (spring cleaning, figuring out the basement since our renovations are done enough to have stuff be put back where it belongs but I want to purge while we do that, clear out baby stuff that we don't need any more, put winter stuff away to make room for spring!, take Travis's crib down in his room and make it more "big boy" with a little desk and toy sorter, etc.). I still need to go to the fabric store to purchase fabric for my mothers quilt so I can cut when I can't get to actual sewing. Whew! I'm tired just writing it but I do love to be busy!

Yesterday I vacuumed the whole house and steam cleaned the main rug and my daughter's room from when she was sick. I also finally sat down to enter a big pile of points from lean cuisine meals and diapers between emails.


While I was vacuuming window sills in the basement today I was leaning on the sewing table to reach over it and while doing so snapped one of the metal pieces that holds a small flippy piece of wood (my official term for it! LOL) - it holds the material as it leads up to the machine but flips because when I put the machine away it needs to move out of the way. Anyway, I was really ingenuous and got some "no more nails" to put on the screw as it's cheap press-board for the desk and it wouldn't go in the thread any more. It should work out.

What have you been working on?

Rocket Ship

I found a fantastic rocket ship knitting pattern from Petite Purls and knew that it would both be a great stash buster AND something my son (3 years old) would adore.

For the pattern, visit Petite Purls Blast Off.

Don't you just love how kids learn to catch with their faces?!

Here is my version.

Spring 2011 Quilting Shop Hop

This weekend I enjoyed a fabulous Saturday shop hop of 5 local quilting shops. This was my first hop ever and I'm addicted! I think that it helped that the friend I went with was familiar with the shops and is a more advanced quilter than I am. If you are not familiar with a shop hop, you visit the each of the shops participating and at each store you get your passport stamped and a small swatch of fabric. When you have visited each of the stores, the final store has the instructions of what the project is you will be making. The one we got was an armchair sewing caddy. I can't wait to start this project as I will be able to practice with my new free-motion foot I purchased for my sewing machine!

I found some clever accessories to (hopefully) help the machine quilting go easier. The first is called "The Fabulous Fabric Glide". This is used when free-motion quilting and it moves the entire quilt as you use it. I hope it works! Click HERE to see a video on how to use it.

The other product I purchased is the "Jaws" to grip the quilt and hold the roll in place while I machine quilt it. As I am making a queen size this will make my life SO much easier!

Finally, I purchased some 505 spray so that when I "sandwich" the quilt I can just use this temporary adhesive to put it together instead of a gazillion safety pins. As this is a first, I'm crossing my fingers it works because it will save me SO much time (and save the tips of my fingers from pressing in all those safety pins through three layers of fabric and batting!).

I got this tip through reading some quilting blogs so hopefully my "tools" here are inspiring you to simplify your quilting projects!