Getting organized!

I got a great idea from a quilting friend. We are both on a list to help us use up our existing fabric for quilts and not buy anything new. Well if you could see my studio you would know that isn't a problem for me at all. The problem I have is that I have so many things started I can't get them all done. Her plan was to pick 6 things to finish in a 6 month period of time. So I have picked my 6 today and here they are......

1.) Christmas quilt that my best friend started....it was her UFO and now i am going to finish it and give it back to her for her grandkids.....i have one more block to do and then start putting the top together.....

2.) Hand quilt and bind and label my birthday stars quilt

3 & 4 & 5 ) Bind and quilt 3 quilts for Alycia's Quilts for Quilts of Valor

6.) Complete i new quilt using stash! and quilt and label it.....

I am really excited about this and will use the blog to keep everyone updated on my progress and include pictures....Today I have to work on masks and sewing binding on a quilt for a customer. I hope to start working on this stuff again this week sometime.

I have off from school tomorrow and will quilt one more quilt for a customer and one more for the UFO list from above. Then its back to sewing masks for awhile. Once I finish an item from the list I will post a picture here. Wish me luck!

I added the last one as number 6 so that is my reward for working so hard on the other things. I like creating new quilts as well as finishing my old ones. So right now I am going to put in the DVD I got from the library, JAG the 5th season, and get to work. I am sick of there not being anything on TV anymore so I have been getting shows from the library to watch. My hubby and I have been watching Mission Impossible, the Pretender, JAG and last night I watched the Odd Couple. Great shows and they bring back great memories of my childhood....well only the Mission Impossible ones and Odd Couple....while the other shows were on I was busy with my family and little girls so I missed a lot of them. This is my chance to get caught up!!!

Marie
This is a picture of the Hope diamond that is in the Smithsonian. We took this picture while we were on vacation last summer. It's the most stunning thing I have ever seen!

I have been tagged!!!

A friend of mine helped me with my blog.....doesn't it look amazing?? I love the new look.....I made this quilt for her to auction off so she can raise money to bring her son home from China.....and he is a cutie pie!!!!.....here is his picture!!

My thoughts and prayers are with my friend Cynthia and her family that she can bring this sweet boy home to her and her hubby and gorgeous sisters!!!





Ok then she tagged me.....here are the rules.....

Here goes....

1) I was in the Army. A few people know this but not many. I served from 78-82 and had to leave when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I came home to take care of her and left the service. Those were the proudest days when I got to serve my country and I am so proud to be a Veteran. I get some strange looks sometimes but that is ok. My girls proudly tell people, "My mom wore combat boots & she still has them!!!"

2) I am a rotten housekeeper.....I used to love taking care of my house and making it look nice....now I don't have time for that...I would rather quilt or sew or spend time with my teenage daughters. I love hanging out with them and just being goofy!!! We have a blast.

3) I recently went back to school to get my teaching degree. I graduated college in April 2006. I was a substitute teacher for 3 years and also worked as a volunteer at my girls middle and elementary schools. Their teachers encouraged me to go to school and get my degree and paid for what I love to do. I started teaching while I was still in college and taught second grade. Then I taught 4th for a year and now I am kindergarten. I love being in school and working with the kids. They give me energy and life. You can't beat that! I also still volunteer at the high school to chaperone the older kids in the JROTC program that my older daughter is a member of. That way I get to keep in touch with the military too!

4) I love crafts and do just about anything. I make dolls, crochet, sew clothes and make quilts. If I don't sew on the machine a little each day I go nutz. It's better then theraphy or talking to a doctor. I also used to teach adults to quilt....I guess that started me wanting to be a teacher. I figured if I could teach adults kids had to be easier...LOL

5) I have been to Germany twice. Once when I was stationed there and then I went back to visit a friend who was stationed there. It's a great place and I loved seeing another part of this great planet!!

6) I lived in Colorado Springs for a year and didn't learn how to snow ski but when I got my orders for Germany I learned how to ski. I took a trip with some friends to Switzerland and learned how to ski on the Alps. Not many people can say that!!!

7) I have the best friends in the world. Some live here in my hometown and many more I met online. I know there is always that fear that we may meet that crazy ax murderer from an online group but I haven't yet. I have met warm and wonderful caring people who love their dogs like I do, passionate about their families and quilters who will do anything to help another person in need no matter how many miles seperate them.

ok Now I have to tag other people.....so here goes....

Monna
Alycia
Liz
Bonnie

you are all tagged....I will try and find 3 more people to tag.....now I have to tell them.....

Marie

School is Cool!!!

Hi there,,,,

I had the best training tonight. I teach kindergarten as you might remember....and we adopted a new reading series this year. We are teaching Read Well and we had a follow up training tonight from our training over the summer. The instructor we had was amazing. She gave us such great ideas that I can't wait to go to school tomorrow and try them out......

I also have some extra work coming in this weekend and that will help pay the bills. So things are looking up a little .....

I hope to get some quilting time in this weekend too. I have a couple of quilts of my own to finish and I would like to get a birthday stars quilt basted this weekend. That way I can hand quilt it. I have had the top done for a while and need to get this basted!!

Talk to you soon!!

Marie

Christmas Stockings for our Troops!

Last week I made 11 Christmas stockings for our troops. Another quilter is making them and she fills them and sends them to our troops overseas. I wanted to make these last year and never did have time. Since I am only working at my teaching job now (no part time sewing or quilting anymore with the economy so down) so I get to do things I want to do. And I wanted to make these stockings.

I couldn't wait to show them to you all. I am showing you these 5 because I was so excited to actually get something done and ready to mail that I packed them all up before I took a picture of the last 6. I had a couple of plaids and then some Charlie Brown fabric. I think they are going to be well received.

I also made a baby quilt for my new nephew. He was born early and I didn't even have the quilt started so I had to move fast. I haven't heard from the new mom yet so I hope it was received ok. Ok I have to get that one off the camera. I took the wrong picture off. That will be done next time. I hate taking stuff off the camera. It takes me forever to remember how to do it because I take lots of pictures but have to think about how to get them off.

I am still trying to finish some UFO's. I got some from my friend a while back and she has some really interesting stuff so I am working on a Christmas wall hanging one now. Tonight I will do some buttonhole stitching on it while I am watching tv.

Speaking of TV I hate all these political shows and debates and all the repeats of really awful shows. So I have been borrowing some movies and dvd's from the library. Last night I watched Laverne and Shirley. I got Mission Impossible for my hubby. The original show from the 60's and 70's. They are so much fun to watch. I also got some Simon and Simon and JAG. I will be watching some tonight. Then at 10pm I will watch the weekly episode of ARMY Wives. Tomorrow and Tuesday nights are for Dancing with the Stars. I love watching that show. I was rooting for Misty May Treanor from the Olympics Beach VolleyBall team but she had an accident during rehearsal last week. I have shifted my votes to Warren Sapp from football, sorry I can't remember what team he is on....but I love to watch him glide across the floor....He is a big man but moves really well and I love his smile. GO WARREN!!!

Ok time to get dinner going.....so what have you been doing??

Marie....waiting for cooler weather.....its october but its in the 90's!!!!

The good and the Bad!!!

The bad is that I haven't had much extra work to do. The quilting and mask business has slowed down to a halt with the current economy. So what else is new. Thank goodness I am still teaching and have a job for the whole year.

The good is that I am finally getting to do somethingthat I want. I have been making Christmas stockings for the troops. I have 4 done and I am in the process of making more...I have pictures of the first set on the camera and I will ulpoad them tomorrow. I am also using up parts of my stash and that is a wonderful thing. I have a ton of Christmas fabric and this is a great way to use it and help make our service men and women have a great holiday while they are keeping us safe.

The hard part is finding my Christmas fabric. I have so much I can't get to it. So now after I make one more pieced part of the stocking I have to go fabric hunting in the stash.

I will post again this weekend. I already have my lesson plans done for next week so I just have a little school work for the weekend and I plan on playing and cleaning the house (just a little on the cleaning part....LOL) this weekend.


Marie....the Christmas elf!!!!!