Monday (Thursday?) Morning (Evening?) Star Count

 Hi Everyone!

Before you start really wondering about me--yes, I realize this is not Monday.  And at almost 9:00 p.m. as I write this I don't think anyone would refer to it as morning either.  But you see, this all started because Jessica over at Life Under Quilts decided to start up a Monday Morning Star Count--where quilters who are doing English Paper Piecing quilting could share their projects and report back each week how many stars (or hexagons) they had stitched together that week.  Sort of like a show and tell, and everyone could encourage you in your quilting endeavors because quilters as a whole are really nice people and that is just how we are.  So it sounded innocent enough.  And then she made it even easier, by just suggesting that we show our sewing kits the first week.  Even "I" felt like I could do THAT--so I did.  And I was shocked by how many people actually seemed interested in peaking into my sewing kit!  I even had a suggestion of something really great that I should add to my sewing kit (chocolate!).  And some people saw glimpses of the fabrics I am using as they were stacked up in my little kit, so they asked about them and said how much they would really like to see more of my little project.  And they all sounded SO sincere. . . so I hate to disappoint people.
   
There's only one little problem.  I didn't sew any this past week.  There.  I've confessed, and I feel SO much better for it!  I actually have been working just a little bit on a different project--not as much as I would have liked, but some, anyway.  But I can't show you that one because it's a secret.

SO.  Feeling like I should share SOMETHING from my English Paper Piecing project, I decided to at least show a little bit more about what I am doing.  Only I didn't have time to sit down and write anything up in time for Monday Morning.  So can we just pretend that it's Monday Morning SOMEWHERE in the world about now, o.k.?

So now I have another little confession to make (good thing confession is supposed to be good for us!).  I am not using paper for my paper piecing.  Shocking, I realize.  And I really think that before this project is done (make that an IF it ever gets done) I will probably be using a combination of my current method as well as paper, but I divert.  When I first learned about English Paper Piecing, the thought of tracing around a shape and then cutting it out and repeating that a million times BEFORE I actually started being able to play with pretty fabric just didn't sound fun to me.  Then I read about using plastic templates instead of paper templates, and that just sounded like it had several advantages to me.  So I went to my JoAnn's store and found one plastic template shape that I could use for English Paper Piecing, so that narrowed down my choices a bit and I finally made a decision and picked the little hexagon shape.  They came in packages of I think 25, and I used a coupon to buy them so they weren't TOO expensive.  The picture above shows a couple of these little plastic shapes sitting out in front of my sewing kit, as well as the little plastic pokey thing that came with them.  

This project absolutely has to be easy for me to do.  I just do NOT have hardly any time at all for playing in the first place, so when I do I want to be able to spend those minutes actually PLAYING, not preparing to play.  So I decided that in addition to buying the little plastic templates (to avoid cutting out the shapes myself), I would also buy fabric cut as close to the size that I needed it as I could.  I had been looking for an excuse to buy a "jelly roll" of fabric, and this project was it!  Again, back to JoAnns.  My JoAnn's store had jelly rolls of batik fabrics.  That was it.  Guess what fabric I chose?  After some deliberation about my numerous options, I decided to settle on choosing some batiks. ;)  I was able to get several different colors, which was fun.  This picture show a roll of blues, but I also was able to get a roll of pinks, oranges, greens, and purples.  The colors all made me happy!  

Using the jelly roll fabrics, all I have to do is snip off a square.  O.K., so I do use my ruler and rotary cutter to make sure my cutting is straight.  But it is pretty simple and fast--perfect for me!

 After cutting my fabric into a little square, I lay my plastic template on top of the fabric and fasten two sides of it with small binder clips.  The handles on these do sort of stick up and catch on my thread, so I keep telling myself I am going to change to paper clips.  But the paper clips are upstairs, and my sewing kit is downstairs.  And it just hasn't happened yet!

Next, I start folding down one corner at a time, just using my thumb to hold down the corner until I can get it sewn.  At this point, I am just basting.  As I move to the next corner and hold it down, I just keep basting my way around the little hexagon, not bothering to cut my thread off until I am at the end.  I do not even tie knots, just take two or three stitches at the beginning and the end.  If I was using paper templates, my understanding is that I would be sewing directly through the card-stock paper template. But using the plastic ones, you just push your needle in until it hits the hard plastic, and then bend your needle to make a little stitch.

Once I am all around and finished basting, I trim off the extra fabric points.  And this one tiny hexagon is ALL I accomplished on this project this week!  Not much to show for myself, I realize.  But remember how I said last week that this project was my "take to daughter's swim club" project?  Well, Swim Club stopped for the holidays, and the next semester of it does not start up until next week.  So I haven't had my three hours of doing nothing but sitting by the pool time since last November!  So there is still hope!  Next week, I will try and show the next steps, about what I am sewing these little hexagons into.  :)

Hope your week has gone well!  And thanks for stopping by my little blog!

~Susan

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If you want to check out Jessica's blog Life Under Quilts, to read about people who actually make time in their weeks to quilt--AND not only that, but they get their Monday Morning Star Counts actually posted on (gasp!) Monday Morning, you can find her here:  http://lifeunderquilts.blogspot.com/2014/01/monday-morning-star-count-20142.html

Invisible Me!

Hi Everyone!

I'm still here.  Really.  Even if you are not seeing me posting on my blog very much lately.  "If only" I had a secretary to follow me around and take dictation on all the things I think about that I would love to post on here!  But alas, that is definitely NOT the case!  So therefore I will have to be content with just posting when I get a chance.  (I know you are all disappointed about that, right???)

So where have I been?

I have been out helping our daughter finally learn how to ride her bike.

I have been trying out new healthy recipes.  Found a low fat granola bar recipe I would love to post.  Sometime.  Also a Chickpea salad recipe that our whole family loves to eat stuffed into pita bread.  Someday it will appear here.

I have been finishing up some jammies for our daughter.  Smiling frog fabric--she picked it out.  It is a soft flannel.  I'm glad they got finished in time for her to wear them just a bit before the weather turns too warm at night.  Hopefully they will still fit her next winter as well--I did make them a tad big for that reason. . .

I have been compiling my "Wish List" for next year's home school curriculum.  Every year I write down anything at all that I would love to have.  Then when June comes, I have to get ruthless and start crossing things off.  But for now, I am still having fun adding things to the list!

I have been helping our daughter finish up our math book for this year.  Yea!  I always use the finishing of the math book to "officially" announce to our children that they have progressed into the next grade level.  When you basically home school year round, you have to have SOMEthing to mark off the accomplishments!

I have been praying for and trying to support our son as he finishes up this second semester in college.  I can't believe he will be done with his first year in 3 1/2 short weeks!  But between here and there come the hurdle known as "finals."  Much prayer is needed to help him think clearly and study wisely.

I have been taking walks with my sweet husband.  :)

I have been trying to push through and finish up a quilt that our daughter designed two years ago and requested that I make for her.  It's NOT complicated--I'm just busy!  But I really am making an effort to finish it up.  After all, she won't be a little girl forever--and some day her tastes will probably change and she may not even like these loud, bright fabrics she chose!  Maybe.  Then again, maybe she still will! ;)

I have been sitting at the side of the pool, watching our daughter at her Swim Club.  They had their meet last week, and today it was announced that she won first place as the Swim Club member who shaved the most time off of her own personal best which they timed at the start of the semester.  Large, happy smiles! :D

I have been growing tomato plants from seeds, under lights in our basement.  I have several different varieties--most of them heirlooms.  My problem is that too many of them sprouted.  And I have a REALLY hard time pinching out the extras, so usually will just separate and repot all of them!  I currently have 50 plants--I used to have more, but I really truly did thin out some of the scrawniest.  And gave away some.  I probably only have official room for 12 plants.  But I will ask my husband to help squeeze in more. It's all right. He's used to it! ;)

I have been researching and ordering a new bike for myself!  Yea!  Remember I said our daughter has learned how to ride her bike?  Well, now I can't keep up with her when I am walking! :)  Good problem to have, I suppose!  So I decided in self-defense, I needed to get myself a bike.  It has been around 25 years since I have had a bike--hope I can keep up with her!  Or at least keep closer to her so I can watch over her.  So glad God does not have a problem with keeping close to me, to keep watch over me!

I have been reading an ebook about letting God lead in your home school.  And rethinking all those things on my "Wish List."

I have been reading through the Bible again.  This time I am following a plan that takes you through the Old Testament and the New Testament at the same time, taking a whole year to complete each.  It is divided up into a morning reading and an evening reading.  I have discovered that I do not do well with the evening readings, as there are too many times I miss them.  Therefore, I have taken to reading both the morning's Old Testament reading and the evening's New Testament readings both in the morning.  This works much better for me, but to be honest I think at this point I really prefer just reading straight through, rather than be reading in both areas at the same time.  But I am this far into it, so will finish this reading plan this year.  But I think next year I will just start with the Old Testament and read through in the order the books come.

So there you have it.  A snapshot of where I have been.

What have YOU been up to lately????

~Susan

Review: Homestead Blessings--The Art of Quilting

Delightful.

That is the one word that best sums up my thoughts on Franklin Springs "Homestead Blessings--The Art of Quilting" DVD.

http://franklinsprings.com/allfilms/homestead-blessings/homestead-blessings-the-art-of-quilting.html

I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to review this DVD. Being an experienced quilter myself, I was curious to see if I would learn anything new. I was also wondering if this might be useful for using in a homeschool setting--sort of as a little home economics class. The answer to both of my questions ended up a resounding "Yes!"

This DVD showed very clearly what steps to take in making a simple yet beautiful quilt. If I had never quilted before in my life, I would have felt after watching this DVD like it was something that I could easily do and something that I would love to do. The West ladies are warm and friendly, and clearly show how to cut fabric, sew blocks, layer your quilt, bind the edges and finally how to hand quilt. They show the start-to-finish of making a quilt, then show you different little quilting projects such as using one quilt block to make beautiful hot pads, a cobbler cozy, making pinwheel blocks simply, etc.

Everything that they show is clearly and simply shown. While they do show a few tools such as quilting rulers and rotary cutters that may make your quilt making easier, at the same time they do not emphasize having the latest and best in everything. Some sewing machines out there cost more than my car does--well, the West ladies do their sewing on a treadle sewing machine!

I love how they bring out a bit of the history of quilting, and also show how fun it can be to have a quilting bee. I wish they were MY neighbors--guess I will need to have my own quilting bee!

This quilting DVD could VERY easily be used in homeschool as a home economics class, but truly you will want to get it just for yourself!

You can learn more about all the Homestead Blessings DVDS here: http://player.vimeo.com/video/13279882?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

Personally, I would love to own all of them!

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Disclaimer: I received free of charge one copy of "Homestead Blessings: The Art of Quilting" in exchange for my reviewing it on my blog. I have received no other compensation, and all opinions expressed here are 100% my own.