Tuffet Schnibbles for December and a PIF for Me!

I got a fabulous Pay It Forward gift from Amy in Wisconsin today! I could not believe all the goodies she made and sent me! You can see from these pictures that I got lucky! There is a thread catcher which has a pin cushion on the top, two fat quarters that are very pretty, a marking pencil, a pattern, and you can't see it too well in the picture but this cute wood ornament with a quilty saying on it. I have already put all of these things up and away in my quilting studio! The next picture has a cute little sewing themed quilt and I hung that up already too! Thank you Amy...these gifts were worth the wait and made me feel special today!

Some of you may remember that I signed up for the PIF under Amy...I made two baby quilts (well actually three) that I gave away to some babies in need and I made another little wall hanging for the gal that signed up under me, but I can't seem to get her address to send it to her. Long story, but if she sees this she can email me her address otherwise I give up trying to send it out! (Maybe we will have a little giveaway and send it on if I don't hear from her).

I also finally whipped up this little Tuffets pin cushion for the December Year of Schnibbles! I used little leftover strips of things and like how it turned out. Didn't take too long to make which is good because I am short on time at the moment! I will be using this pattern again and making some more. They are cute!

I spent several hours today sewing at Becky's house which was lots of fun. I got the presewing done for both mine and Kathy's NYE Mystery 2009. All are cut but need ironing and trimming before New Year's Eve Day. Didn't get a picture of that yet, but I will. Becky also made a really good white bean and ham soup which was really good. She motivates me to cook more! I also got some Secret Santa loot that I need to blog about but we are having the family over tomorrow for a belated Christmas and so I should get to bed as there is alot to do tomorrow!

Zoe and More!

I finally stopped over at Michelle's and delivered the babies quilts..this is the second one finally done. She was happy with them and Diamond liked hers...Destiny is only one so she didn't say too much, lol.

Here is another quilt history blue work block. Finished this the other night and am caught up until I get another pattern or two at this week's Quilt History class. This one still needs ironed!

Kathy's nephew Buck graduated from Dobson High School this past week. We are SUPER PROUD of him! This is him with his parents on the left and favorite aunt Kathy, sister Megan and niece Ayla. You can see the quilt Kathy and I made for her sister proudly hanging in their front room too. This is Buck's sweet and gorgeous girlfriend Jen. She is wrapped in my car quilt to keep warm in the rain. Did I mention it rained for the whole time at the outdoor graduation? We didn't care--at least it wasn't 110!
Here is more of the drenched group.

Buck is planning on going to college for Pharmacy Tech...we are so glad! He is a good kid with a great future ahead of him.

We also got a new baby...lol Zoe is about six months old. She was returned to the pound by someone and now she is home with us! She is chiuahuahua mix (maybe with Jack Russell?) and has lots of energy. She gets along well with the crew here and likes all of us and the outside. I left her downstairs (gated off the stairs) to run up and take a quick shower this morning and before I even got IN the shower, she had figured her way up the stairs to hang with me. She isn't completely potty trained. She learned the dog door in a hurry and only had one accident yesterday in the house, but still alot of effort on our part to remind her to go out and such. I don't think it will take long though. She likes my shoes...drags them out the dog door with her which is only slightly hilarious! So far she hasn't chewed on them, just lugged them around.

I am finally done with my teaching job and what a feeling that is! I have been cleaning around the house and even did my purse this morning. It gets so heavy and half the stuff in it doesn't need to be so now it is lighter.

We went and saw Star Trek the night before last...it was really good! I even picked up a new DVD set of Star Trek shows gone by for my step dad for Father's Day. He always liked that show and he is HARD to buy for! Not much sewing or crafting happening, but I did print out Bonnie K. Hunter's Bricks and Stones pattern and am thinking about making a few small dog quilts with that pattern!

One Down and One to Go!

I just finished the tying and binding on this quilt, one more to go but have to pick up batting first!

I am happy with this. The pattern was Streak of Sunshine from Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville.com

It was a great afternoon here...I worked on this and we cooked Kathy's mom's meatloaf, potatoes and peas and Randy made a Lemon something or other for dessert. We also watched an entire day of a past season of Hell's Kitchen. What a great day!

A Little Bit of Everything!

My nephew, my sister, my brother and his girlfriend at Chuck E. Cheese yesterday. We had a good time!

Tomatoes and Peppers are growing...can't wait to be eating them!

I got the border on the second of these two Pay it Forward quilts for two little girls who are in foster care that I sort of know. I then pieced the batting for one from scraps--for the first time zig zagging them butted up together...it went very well and didn't leave the bump I usually get! I also pieced the backing for both from a fabric that came with a grab bag type thing I ordered because I liked a different fabric that came with it. There was only a little left over, and since it was mostly pink and green it worked out really well with this! So the one in this picture is all tied and ready for binding...the second one needs batting, tying and then binding. Getting there!

I read Weeks Ringle's blog (of funquilts) and she posted a simple baby quilt pattern that I really like and I may have used that for these two quilts if I had seen the pattern a few weeks ago! Anyways it looks great and I will use that one in the future. Here it is if you haven't seen it! Her blog: http://craftnectar.com/ http://www.funquilts.com/gallery/patterns/simple-gifts.pdf

Eight Colonial History Quilt Blocks together...am working on the ninth one. A sign Kathy made for me!

Finally have my computer back so I can blog and all. I have a fan pad underneath it so that it doesn't overheat. I think having it on the tablerunner blocks some of the cooling ability and messed up the fan. I don't want to wreck my antique table though!

Only three more weeks of work...can't wait to be done with that job...I got an email to interview teaching ASL at a college...so with any luck that will happen or I will just freelance full time. At this point I am just happy my high school teaching career is coming to an end. It was not at all like teaching high school Upward Bound kids (they rock!) and I don't feel it is my niche! If you are a high school teacher my hat is off to you!

Pay it Forward 2009, My First Join!

2009!
Amy at http://skattebo-skattebo.blogspot.com/2008/12/pay-it-forward-2009.html asked me to join the "Pay It Forward" fun with her so if any of you would like to join me, leave a comment to join. I am to find three more people to play.

This is how it works--The "Pay It Forward" rules
Three people will be chosen to participate when they leave a comment on this post asking to join. (The first three are chosen).
You are agreeing to post a similar announcement on your blog, and Pay It Forward to three more people, who will in turn agree to Pay It Forward to three other people, etc.
You will create a hand-made item for your three people sometime over the next 12 months.

THAT's IT! Here's how it'll work...Amy will send one hand-made item to the three people who have signed up with her (me and two others) I will send one hand-made item to the three people who sign up with the challenge via my blog; then the three people who sign up with me will send hand-made items to each of the three people who sign up with them. And so on....

This is the first challenge like this I have ever tried and I have no idea what I am going to make, but I have almost a year to get to it so I think I can manage that!

Comment away if you want to join--first three are in! (Amy, bettter late than never, smile!)