When You Can't Reach the Peddle....

While visiting our grand guys this past weekend, knowing I made quilts and after inquisitively watching me stitch during movie time, one of their friends really wanted me to teach him how to sew. My daughter didn't hesitate to unpack her sewing machine and we let the boys dive into a box of fabric scraps. As I sat and worked on some binding, I taught the oldest, who is nine, how to use the machine. I taught him the main parts of the machine: foot, pedal and the ol' 1/4 inch! 

 He was very focused, detailed oriented and caught on quickly. Well, before I knew it...

.

..he was quickly on his way to making all the younger boys their very own blankie, even

seeking their help when he couldn't reach the pedal himself! (Look at how focused they are!)

After busily rocking a teething baby,

...I soon returned to the kitchen to find all the older boys giving sewing a team effort!

(Is this just not adorable!!) One at the machine, another at the pedal, and one

guiding the fabric. I was so happy my daughter caught these moments for me!

By the end of the day, our guy had made four blankies for all the younger boys.

He spread them all out and I was flattered when he insisted that I join him for his finale! 

(As you can see,  I was busy giving our little grand guy a bath...and well, 

you know how one year olds LOVE to splash and play in water!)

As if the story can't get any better....we soon realized he can earn a Boy Scout patch for his efforts!

I truly had the best weekend with these guys and loved sharing our hobby with them.

Baby Gifts Done!

Like many of you, I enjoy making baby quilts but find new moms seem to use the heck out of these extra large, flannel receiving blankets. The first one  I made is for my instructional assistant who is having a baby boy in February and doing an "outdoor" theme for his nursery. The middle one is for my stash of baby gifts and the third one is for a friend who is having a little girl and they are having a "mermaid" themed shower for her. (Cute huh!) So quick and easy to sew them right sides together, turn right side out and add a decorative stitch around the perimeter. (Finished size: 45"x45")

Plus! These are blankets that seem to be a favorite with the little ones for quite awhile,

as witnessed by our own grand guy. Here he is a few days old with his Dinosaur R.B.:

Here he is last June with it as he packed all his "favorite things" to go to preschool.

It doesn't get better than that does it.

Wishing you all a great start to the week.

Our snow days are FINALLY over and I'm looking forward to a NORMAL week.

Well, as normal as things get around here! LOL!!

Happy Halloween Weekend

Our little guy was a clown this year....and was a sticky mess by the end of the day.

We enjoyed our walks...crazy he's already out his stroller and riding his strider bike.

Look Grammy..."poop". (Can ya tell he's potty training!)

 And we played!

 Nothing like a weekend having the kids and this little guy home for a visit to rejuvinate my spirits!

Tuesday Archives #66: Receiving Blankets

Welcome to the linky party that rejuvenates your old quilting/sewing posts! 

Please click here to read more about this linky party.  

This week's theme is: Receiving Blankets

I love picking up 1 1/4 yards of cordinating baby flannels to make receiving blankets for newborns. With right sides together, weyajust sew the two pieces of adorable flannel fabrics together together. Turn them right side out and add a decorative stitch around the perimeter. TaDa! You have a quick, cuddly baby gift that new moms love and appreciate. Doesn't it seem like just yesterday our little grandguy was a newborn and now look at him at 20 months old already!
I  love that he still uses his blankie. 

A Birthday Candy Gram!

I work with a great bunch a people!

Yesterday I was greeted with this big candy gram outside my classroom door and the entire staff wearing black!  I of course, stood out like a sore thumb wearing my "You Can't Scare Me I am a Teacher" flourscent pink shirt, as THAT's what my team said they were wearing. (Friday is dress down day) Good trick huh! But, of course, a birthday in an elementary school is always happy and fun!

  (I'm totally going to "pin" this to my candy/food fun board!)

This weekend finds me with a household of family and friends celebrating my 50th. 

19 months old and 50 years old

 May has been a slow sewing month....but with only 3 1/2 more days left of school, I promise some quilty inspiration in June! Especially from some projects I picked at the HMQS.

New Elmo Curtains!

Our little grand guy LOVES Elmo!

So of course when Grammy found a Hug Me Elmo on clearance, 

it was the perfect gift to bring for our visit over the past two days.

I spent a good part of yesterday helping my daughter decorate his room and when we couldn't find any Elmo curtains, a quick trip to JoAnne's fixed that! Yep, we made our own.

Plus, I told her when he out grows Elmo, I can remove the lining fabric and recycle the Elmo fabric into a quilt for Project Linus. (win-win)

He was sooooo excited when we showed him his room all done. He got right up on his bed, touched the curtains and wall decals, enthusiastically saying "Memo".

 (Love when they are learning to talk.) 

I can't believe he's already out of his crib but what a happy camper he is with his Sleepy Time and Hug Me Elmos to keep him company in his new car bed.  

Love you buddy! Sweet dreams!!

Quilty Hug Text Pictures

Looks like my I-Spy quilt...

...is becoming someone's favorite nap time, go-to, blanket!

Love receiving phone "texts" like these!

Am I the only one who thinks grandchildren grow way too fast!??

Another Fun Fall Weekend!!

I've missed blogging and sewing, but was treated to more Grandma time this weekend as our daughter made the trip down to visit. We enjoyed Fall walks through the neighborhood together:

I smiled as I found myself making our little guy Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches and spending morning, noon and night with him. He's such a cuddle bug! LOVE THAT! (Is it just me, or do grandbabies seem to grow faster than our own children did??)

And even amongst the toys and finding play time with our little guy irresistible,  (And exhausting... my daughter was quite humored at how tired I was at the end of the day.)

I managed to get this adorable baby quilt that I was commissioned to quilt, 

done and in the mail.

I am getting ready to quilt this one as another commission job: (Done)

Annndddd, because I love making lists and crossing things off even more, anddddd, I find myself on  a four day weekend, here are a few other things left on my To-Do list: 

QUILTING:

1. Catch up on my ABC QAL blocks 

2. Catch up on my Sat. Sampler blocks 

3, Start my Nov. ALYofF Wonky Stars (Piles layed out and ready to go!)

4. Get Tuesday Archives Ready (Tomorrow's theme will find us honoring our Vets!) and visit blog friends (you!)

HOME:

5. Mow the yard and rake leaves

6. Laundry

7. Pay Bills

8. Order Thread

ME :

9. Daily Walks (I have a new walking ap:Map My Walk I'm looking forward to trying out)

10. Start a new book in the evenings...as it gets dark so darn early now and too tired to do anything else! (Continuing to read my Elm Creek Book Series.)

With smiles,

Val:)

I-Spy WIP is a flimsy!

My I-Spy quilt has been a WIP for about a year now. I've been collecting and swapping 4 inch squares with fellow blogging buddies and it has continued to grow:  

When my oldest daughter expressed interest in sewing it together. I didn't hesitate to organize and label the rows and sent them home with her. 

She set up a little sewing corner in their apartment living-room and 

got busy sewing them together...block by block...row by row:

This past weekend, we spent Sunday together. She, busy trading summer clothes for winter clothes out of storage while I sewed the remaining rows together. I brought it home as a flimsy...all ready to quilt! ("Someone" was already having fun playing on it.)

Over the Thanksgiving Holiday I'll be teaching her how to bind it. So fun! Have you had the opportunity to pass this hobby we all love so much onto to a special someone? 

With Grandma Smiles!

Val:)

ALYofF Oct. Sock Monkey Finish

Our Grandson turned one earlier this month. 

 I think I scored a touchdown with his birthday quilt: 

As I stated here, my goal was to create a birthday quilt for our grandson. His parents are BIG Seattle SeaHawks Fans so my son-in-law was especially awed that I found his team's fabric. LOL!! (I actually found a background fabric called artificial turf grass!)

 He noticed that too! I even signed the front like a "sports star" would sign a football!

 I had so much fun creating this Sock Monkey Football Quilt for him!! 

A few shortcuts used:  First, I used premade binding for the white field stripes and machine sewed them on. I used iron-onVarsity Numbers. Applique: I drew the sock monkey and enlarged it by about 150%  at the local print shop. I found the football pattern in one of my old teacher bulletin board books and used 3" lettering templates leftover from my scrapbooking days to create the TOUCHDOWN letters. I then hand appliqued them all onto the quilt top. 

     It measures a cuddly 38"x 50". It's soft, lime-green, polka-dot, flannel backing, will hopefully make this his favorite "go-to" comfort quilt. Andddd...though I was a little apprehensive about using a pantograph on an appliqued quilt, I couldn't resist quilting it with my Sock Monkey Pantograph and it sewed over the applique with no problem. 

Jackson also wanted me  to show  how I included our 

grandson's age and the year on the back: 

Well, there ya have it, my pride and joy for the month!
I'm linking up with everyone else at:

(Can't believe I've made my monthly goal every month so far!! Anyone else feeling like that??) A big thanks to Shanna and Melissa for the motivation!!
Also check out my linky page for more fun places to link up and share.
With smiles,
Val:)

Fabulous Fall Weekend!

We had a lot of family fun this weekend as we welcomed Fall here in the states. We enjoyed caramel apples and even got to make our own apple cider!

(Thanks to my daughter for making and sharing these great picture collages.) 

We also celebrated our little guys first birthday! Quilter alert!! Notice the sock monkey flimsy  in the top left corner of the below collage!?!? Yep! I'm making good progress on my October ALYofF goal. I got the quilt top done just in time for our grandson's birthday celebration this weekend. But!  like any busy quilter, snatched it back and brought it home with me with plans to quilt it next weekend and then bind before my return visit for Halloween! (My son-in-law is a die-hard Seattle Sea-Hawks fan, so you can just imagine how much HE liked the quilt!) He also picked out a flannel lime green for the backing and requested I quilt it with my Sock Monkey pantograph!
 I just LOVE family quilting requests don't you!?

Well....these are some of the people I quilt for and love to keep wrapped in quilty hugs! It's back to "business" tomorrow and it's always good to be home. But oh do I love being a Grandma and I think a few of you out there can relate! I'm looking forward to finishing his Sock Monkey Quilt as I await my return visit for Halloween in a couple of weeks.
With Smiles,
Val:)