I FINISHED THE QUILT TOP!!!!!!!!!!

I accidentally ripped the fabric close to the seam allowance!  Yikes!!
I hand sewed it shut.  Hmmm...???
I sewed on the border and my point is good!

Here she is!  My completed Lynne Edward's Perspective top!  Need to quilt it now..

My FIRST selvedge!!! I'm SO proud!!

My first selvedge! I'm so excited! I'm so proud and need to make it a home very soon! Next week!

The coolest Photo Cube ever!!

Cool, I found a way to still upload after I have uploaded already. I understand!! Ok. Here is a really cool CD case Photo Cube. This is a view with my Mom's (yep, still not done) Paperbag album. You can jump on over to Julie and have a look, literally at how she did it.
A bit of a profile for you! It went together pretty well. I spent many hours yesterday on it. I had to enlarge the base and inadvertently did it twice! Bummer. I used K&Co. Ancestry designer papers I bought this past summer. I used gold metallic cardstock from a local store here. I used some of me & my BIG ideas ICONS sticker bling. The punch on my kids at the zoo is Mary Engelbreit's Rose punch. Mary is from St. Louis too and she closed her store at the St. Louis Galleria. Why Mary, Why??? The flower is a Prima Calypso Tin one. My first one and I cut it!! The brad is from Making Memories. The frames are Sizzix ones. Ok. Now I feel legit!!
Well, here I go again, uploading backwards! Here is the finished cube. I have another one, stay tuned! It is up above. This is Peaches. So serene and pretty.
This is a picture of my two kids. We live in the Middle East and don't get too much rain. I have to say that after Gonu (hurricane in June 2007), my kids will always remember rain! Anyhow, we were at the Cleveland Zoo and it started raining and my two kids and my adorable Snoopy looking niece were trying to catch the raindrops with their mouths. It was Ali's idea, that is why the photo is centered on him. As quick as he said it, I got the camera ready and look how it came out! I love this picture. Especially Sofia and her Snoopy-ish-ness!!
This blog has gotten lots of comments on here and at my email addy on Uki. She is the hit of my efforts! My beautiful and fun girl!
This is the front of the cube and my favorite picture of the kids. It was on Christmas day and Amal was giving Ali a hug in thanks. They fight so much so that is why I love this!

Uki, my assistant!

She is sooooooo cute!  I was working the other night and she surprised me!  I did not even hear her jump up on my table!  She doesn't have any bells on.  Perhaps I should put one on her!  I got such a kick out of seeing her there!
It seems that Uki also likes my favorite tool, That Purple Thang!
This was taken this morning.  I ran out of food for lunch for the kids.  They feasted over the weekend.  Mental note Mom, 'don't buy cool food over the weekend'.  Well, we had guests, so that is ok.  Off to Hardanger this morning and then go grocery shopping. I think I will get to go quilting this afternoon after all as the kids are staying after school!  Hmmm... Ok.  Back to Uki.  I was sewing this morning because I did not have to make lunches and gave the kids some linen (money, African American slang) and had about 20 minutes.  I started walking yesterday morning but did not today and sewed instead!!   Anyway, Uk was intrigued.
Then, bap!  She tried to catch the moving shank.  I have to becareful as I know she could get hurt!  I shooed her off.  Actually, I grabbed her and gave her some Big Momma lovin' but she ran away!  :(  Have a great day!

Edit:  Man oh Man!  I need to clean this machine!  I will tonight!  Didn't realize!

I'm so excited!!!

Selvedges!  A new concept to me.  I have always noticed them but never, NEVER thought about keeping them!  Now, there is a contest to win some from here.  I hope I win!  I never win anything!  Well, that is a lie.  When we were in the Latino church one Sunday in downtown St. Louis, we actually stayed after and my sis was actually home and not in the hospital (had polio). We did a raffle of some sort and I won!  My parents figured it out as my number was between theirs but I did not dare look.  I was about 12.  I remember the feeling of walking up to the Priest and receiving my $20.00!  Man, I was stoked!

Anyhow, I will start collecting my selvedges from now on and where I am still not sure how to cut them all off right away without straightening the edges and all that jazz; I just hope I win this contest!  Should I not, congrats to the three that are the winners!  Hope you have fun fun fun!

Ok.  Back to my Perspective project.  Been hanging out mostly with my boy today.  Need to start cooking soon!  Bye!

The LE's pictures

Ok.  Here is the Reversible.  Such a cool technique.  You can see both sides and that it needs binding.  I'm going to attempt Lynne's interesting binding technique.
Just another view of this quilt.
Obvious to me, the red should be the binding as it is the sashing on both sides but I ran out!  See the little bit left?  Then I remembered that Lynne showed us a cool technique to do a double sided binding and so I found the green and brown of those fabs and am doing that.  Now, where are those notes??
This is the Perspective class.  This class taught us math.  I hate math.  I suck at math but I keep persevering!  It doesn't come easy to me so imagine my joy and relief  that my kids excel in this very necessary 'thing'.  I have two more little blocks and three more big blocks.  I won't get it all done today as I have laundry and grocery shopping and cooking and entertaining Ali now that Amal and her friend have left for the day.  I hope to get two of the little ones done as I have already cut out the freezer paper bits.  Now where is that fabric??  You DON'T want to see my sewing room!  It is my creative chaos of a space in my home!!  See you all later!!

What shall I work on today?

I will be sewing today but don't know what to do!? There are a few projects I want to start that seem they don't take too long to complete the top but I think I should work on one of my unfinished projects!

1.  Binding for Lynne Edward's Reversible Quilt.  I'll work on this tonight while I watch TV.  Love that TV!!

2.  Hmmm... I think I will also work on my Perspective Quilt by Lynne Edward's as well.  I will take photos now to prove to myself and to you all that I actually worked!

Today should be an easy day as Amal is out all day with her friend and Ali will be here with me.

I'm making Scotch Eggs and my Mom's simple salad.  I bought a baton of french bread last night.  That sounds yummy and quick!

See you!!

Another I did it!!

I made the cream puffs!  I have been wanting to make them for years but was afraid!?  I saw The Gourmet Next Door on BBC Lifestyle the other day and she was making a really cool dinner for her hubby and these were the desserts.  She took half the choux pastry and put Gruyere cheese, salt and pepper and made those for an appetizer.  I need to make those!  The kids enjoyed them but Ali liked his without the chocolate sauce!  Even Amal's friend liked them!
Besides my kitchen sucking (not our house), this is my best shot of the whole thing!

Pot Holders - Homemade!

My beautiful son Ali made this potholder for me.  Isn't it sweet!  I bought the loom for the kids years ago as I used to make these as a kid back in America myself.  They have loved them!  Now, to find a way to buy the loops online!
Another view, still on the loom.  He couldn't find the hook so I had to search for a crochet hook and found it yesterday and finished it off.
And here he is.  I think he needs a hair cut!  I wait any longer and he will start looking like Conway Twitty!  Thanks for stopping by!

100,000 Bars in Oman!!

These are my favorite candy bars since childhood!  You get them sometimes here in Muscat and when I went shopping the other day, I saw them!  Woohoo!!

My first Jasmine flower of the season!

I picked my first jasmine from my garden this morning.  The smell, well, I wish I could package it for you!  It is so nice.  I don't like any jasmine smell either except the real deal.  Hmmm..  On the other side of this bloom are two more buds.  I got this little vase at the St. Louis Botanical Garden Gift Shop last summer when I was visiting my best friend Liz.  I can look out my (dirty) window and see into the garden and smell my lovely jasmine while I work!  Ahh...

Lazy Man Lasagna

This is a recipe I got from my friend Ruth.  Amal loved it at a dinner party we went to but Ali was a bit put off by the cheeses.  A few years later and he loves it now.  My photo is not that enticing but trust me, it is lasagna without all the fuss!  If you want the recipe, please let me know and I will write it up.  Funny, I don't think many people stop by!
My 12 year old daughter Amal loves the lemon garlic bread and has always gotten in the kitchen with me to make it so I asked her to make it again and it was lovely.  This is the first time that she made the whole thing and put it in the oven!  Timed it and all!  It was really good.  Thanks for stopping by.

More Pin Cushion news.. I know...

Tuna can pin cushion big hit with kitty!!

Pin Cushion kudos

How bad of a blogger am I??  I made this lovely thing.  It is not stinking anymore of tuna, well, not too much, so how to get the smell out????  Anyway, I did not link the place where I got the tutorial.  My bad.  So sorry Amandajean, especially as you have commented on my creation!

This is what happens when you sleep around!!

It's ALWAYS the kids that suffer!!  Her name to boot is Debra!!

Thanks Stephanie for sending this to me all the way from Malta!  This is just too funny!

I made a pin cushion and man, what a mess! I love it!!

This is what I started with last night for dinner.  Made a really nice and simple salad!  Let's get busy!
Oh man, this band is too LOOSE!!  I have to undo all this and re-do it.  Ok.  Let's get started...
I had to undo all that channel quilting because it was just too loose!  Man!
Here it is with the shorter/tighter seam allowance and the threads I managed to pull off.
Now it fits snuggly!  Oh, oh, you can see the lip!!  Oh man!!
Ok.  Here is the finished project, finally!  I enjoyed it don't get me wrong!  I'm in a better mood despite my earlier post, see below!  I had to sew this pink stuff by hand as I screwed it up the first time around on the machine!
I think I need more pins and I have to say that my dear friend Jill gave me this fabric years ago and it was just enough.  I want to make her one now!  Oh, the cats are loving me NOT because I'm me but because of the pin cushions!!  HAAHAA.  They smell the tuna!!!! Oh, the tuna cans here in the Middle East must be a different size than standard ones in America.  I will have to adjust the measurements.  Oh oh, I forgot what I did already....

A Picture Says A Thousand Words...

I have had a tough week and have been hibernating.  This is exactly how I have been feeling!

The St. Louis Arch

I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. This is my creation for today! I will show it tomorrow at class and get on with the next technique!

One of my favorite tools for quilting.

One of my latest favorite tools for quilting is a little guy called That Purple Thang. It is an extension of your finger. You can use it to help you hold a seam allowance down while sewing. The other end has a measure of 1/4" so you can use it to check your seam allowances if you haven't been able to do it by sight. It is a great little guy! These photos were taken last week when I was working on the storage cube! Check it out...

Yesterdays Lunch

Before I get busy sewing, I wanted to share what my lovely 10 year old made his Momma for lunch yesterday.  He wouldn't let me in the kitchen and I was real nervous as he has never cooked before.  He told me that my Mom taught him just now on her visit.  How sweet!  I think with the little sleep I have been getting and the changing weather, I have been sick with the threat of something worse coming on so he gave me medicine too.  What a lovely moment for this mom!

I'm so nervous!!

Hi. I have my Advanced Quilting Techniques class tomorrow and just fixed or tried to fix the problems I had with my first block. I need to buckle down and make the second block today! Here is a picture of the first block. It is called the Missouri Star from this book. It is always very tricky to take apart anything with so many bias seams but I did and whereas I fixed one problem, the other is still staring at me! Oh well, I will let it go this time...

These are the fabrics for the second block which is a technique to learn how to use curves. We can't cheat such as use applique. We have to piece it. Yikes! Oh, I should mention that the first block's technique was to draft an 8 point star in the center of our paper. It could be any size we wanted as this completed six week project will be a wall hanging.

Here are the fabs that I will be using for the curves which I hope will be the St. Louis Arch.

I'm Done

I'm tired now.  I'm going on 2.5 hours of sleep last night!  It has been a lovely day.  It is only 6:23pm and dinner is late.  We were invited out but it was canceled.  I did not cook so will take the kids out to eat.  I have lots of errands to run tonight and my brake pad light has been ringing all week.  It scares me.  I need to get the car to the dealer and ascertain that they give me a car to use while they work on my brake pads.  Ok.  I'm done for now.  See you tomorrow.  

Ali at his Spring Concert!!

Here is what seems a terrible close up of my baby boy playing the big red xylophone!
Here is the Jr. Jazz Band that Ali is in.  I couldn't get the video to upload.  Don't know why.  Can anyone help out here??  Thanks!

Can't forget my lovely Peaches and the new toy!

Ok.  Lets see how these photos upload.  Remember a few posts ago I got a new fishy toy for my girls?  I went on and on about Uki and how she loved it?  That afternoon, little miss Peach comes to have a look!  I busted her!  She did not play, but she checked it out and I haven't seen her near it since!  She is three, Uki is 1.  Could that be the difference?

French Braid Fabric Audition

Here is a close up of the lovely feature fabric that I will be using....I hope!!  Does anyone know which flower this is??  It almost looks Oriental.  Hence, why I think it is Japanese because there is no selvedge.

Here are the fabrics I found today, beautifully Vanna'ed by Peaches (whom only got her backside trimmed and kept her coat; but she did have a bath, first time in three years!) that I am seriously considering for a French Braid quilt class that I signed up for at the end of April.  I am trying to step outside my box, which is still confusing, as I love color and try many things. We are so limited in Oman but it is getting better!  Tell me what you think and check out the French Braid quilts here.