"Flow Zone" Block of the Month: December

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving week! The final block chosen for December by Laura is called the...

*Lady of the Lake 2*

This block tutorial is one of Macia Hohn's Blocks from the Quilter's Cache.

Click here for the tutorial.

My version is less than perfect, but hey it works for me! :-)

I'd love to see your version in the Flickr group! Thanks to everyone who has participated all year. It really has been a special way to connect with co-workers and friends from the school district!

Next post, I'll give some support for finishing this quilt as best as I know how. You might have a great resource...let me know in the comments!

"Flow Zone" Block of the Month: November

Hey friends! :) How are you? I hope everything is beautiful in your world today. I chose the block this month and I thought we could try a...

*Wonky Log Cabin*

I just made mine up as I went along. I cut out a square for the middle and worked my way around the block cutting some strips wide and some skinny at slightly different angles until the area looked big enough. Actually, I used up a lot of my scraps from previous blocks. Then, I trimmed it to a 12 1/2" unfinished block.

Now, those directions are probably not very helpful so here are some wonderful directions from Quilt Dad. I can't wait to see your interpretation in the Flickr group!

Here's my finished block:

One more to go! I'm thinking that the December block will be posted next week. Next month is Laura's choice.

"Flow Zone" Block of the Month: October

Hi friends! I almost wrote that I can't believe it's the last day of September but my schedule has been so full of home, work and family business that it really actually does feel like it should be October tomorrow! Last week, our Superintendent encouraged us to embrace "flow" and strike a balance between our health, work and personal lives. So, in honor of the "flow zone" block of the month, I hope you will take your mind off of any stress and enjoy sewing this block! Thank you, Karen, for picking a beautiful block for the month of October! It's called the...

*Starflower*

Click here for the tutorial. On a side note, I didn't have the link for the tutorial when I made my block, so I challenge you to use what you learned from the August block to make it without the directions!

Here is my version:

So lovely! Don't forget to post your blocks in the Flickr group!
Click here for a link back to the other months.

Rhombi in the Sky Quilt

Remember the equilateral triangle quilt progress I posted about last month? Well, although this quilt has been finished for a few weeks, I did not want to post any other photos until it was given to its owner which was Henry's dad, Henry! I'm pretty sure he liked it! I decided to name it Rhombi in the Sky. In my opinion, there are two fronts to the quilt...it just depends on what you are in the mood to look at!

How many rhombi do you see? How did you see them? A little subitizing (the ability to see a group of objects without counting) practice for you! Here we have 3 large and 6 small rhombi. I placed each rhombus on my design wall to match one of my sketches and voila! Rhombi in the sky was born. 

This is the second front of the quilt and it has 12 rows of equilateral triangles with 17 triangles in each row. Can you mentally do the math to find out how many triangles are on this quilt top? Try it now and then see if you did it similar to me. I thought of 12 x 12 and that is 144, and 12 x 5 = 60 (that 5 was left from the 17) So, 144 and 60 is 204 triangles! The finished dimensions were about 54" x 78". I'm estimating because I don't remember and the quilt is gone. If each side of the triangles are 6 1/2 inches, does that seem reasonable? (Last math question, I promise.)

Close up of the quilting. I tried my best to make some sharp angles but they ended up looking like STARS! I think it matched quite well with the rhombus side of the quilt.

Besides my Bettina DANGER tag, I don't have any custom quilt labels but I do like to quilt a few words and numbers. I smile every single time I hear those words above.

Thank you for reading!
Peace, Love and Happiness to YOU!

"Flow Zone" Block of the Month: September

Blink! September has arrived. I hope everyone enjoyed the August block: The Zigzag! This month is Jeananne's choice...

*Castle in the Air*

Here is the link from The Quilter's Cache/Marcia Hohn.

Word of advice: Don't forget to look at Page 3 for the cutting list! I didn't realize this page was included  at the end. Livin' and learnin' over here!

Regardless... I do love how my block came together.

Can't wait to see your block in the Flickr Group!

Next up...It's Karen's choice for October! :) Only 3 more to go!

WIP - Teacher Leader Vision Quilt

Yep...still geeking out triangles! This is still very much a work in progress, but here is the beginning of our Elementary Math Teacher Leader Flag!

All of the math team selected a shape that represents them as a Math Teacher Leader. The three sections represent our district vision for all students to Make Sense of Math, Do the Math and Use the Math.

Next step, zig zag stitch around all of the shapes. More to come!

Linking up at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday.

New Fabric from the Austin Shop Hop!

The Austin Fabric Shop Hop this past weekend was phenomenal! There were 6 stores participating (2 are usually exclusively online) and they all stock amazing fabric. Seriously...eye candy all day long! Click on the link above to see all of the stores that you can support if you need fabric!

Some of the items I bought are for my living room like the gorgeousness to the far left and the geometric print in the center. I'm itching to spice up that room with a floor pillow and/or cushion. The light blue, purple and orange fabric toward the front will be a perfect background for the future math teacher leader quilt flag. Annie Kitty is sitting to the right of some fabric that will become bags! And of course, do you spy the hexagon earrings? Math jewelry...my favorite! They will go perfect with my hexagon slacks I snagged up during tax free weekend.

I already made my mama an iPhone sleeve from some fabric she picked out. *Feeling blessed* Birthday month is turning out to be awesome! 9 more days of my twenties! 

WIP-Tumbling Blocks

In May, I started messing around with some three-dimensional designs. I found this video explaining tumbling blocks by Marci Baker. Although there are some excellent tips for a beginner like me, there aren't too many measurements to follow (and I don't have her book), so I guesstimated my best estimates and tried something out. Last week, I realized that The Craftsy Block of the Month for July by Laura Nownes discusses 60 degree triangles and tumbling blocks! After watching it, I couldn't help but wonder why this wasn't the May or June BOM...you know...before I sliced up some of my fabric! ;-)

I've taken the top right design and made it into a wall hanging. The quilting is done and I'm working on binding that today.

Contemplating a larger quilt...

...and trying to decide on what that will end up looking like! Any ideas out there?

Have you ever used isometric dot paper? Perfect for sketching out three-dimensional tumbling block ideas! 

In other news, I've finished the Equilateral Triangle Quilt I posted about last week and photos will be up on my blog soon! 

Have a beautiful day! :)

Linking up at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday.

"Flow Zone" Block of the Month: August

This is my favorite month of the year! BIRTHDAY MONTH!!! What a coincidence that it is my turn to select a block. I went back and forth on a couple of different things but I chose the...

*Zigzag Triangle Block*

This block is based off of this tutorial by Elizabeth Hartman (love her!) for the Sew Mama Sew Blog (love this blog!). I followed the instructions, but in order to stay within our 12 1/2 inch finished block, there are 2 cutting adjustments that you want to make: (don't worry...I did the math for you even though I know you can figure it out!)

1. Cut the squares (16 squares total) so they are 4" x 4" instead of 5" x 5".

2. Once you make your triangle blocks, trim each one to a perfect 3 1/2" by 3 1/2" block.

These few modifications with give you a perfect 12 1/2" finished block! Please comment below if you have a question or hunt me down and I'll be happy to help!

Here is my finished block. I hope to see everyone's block in the Flickr group!

Equilateral Triangle Quilt Progress

Summer break has gotten the best of me! Sleeping in too late and staying up too late with no schedule in between. This is my last week of that before I head back to work so I've decided that I need to get some sewing projects finished!

I'll be thrilled if I can complete this equilateral triangle quilt. I've been fascinated with triangles lately and after creating this mini quilt, I really wanted to do another project with this figure.

After many different arrangements on my design wall, I decided on 3 fabrics for the triangles to face up and 3 fabrics for the triangles to face down. This photo is close to the final layout. In the last few rows I changed some triangles around.

Since two equilateral triangles create a rhombus...I wanted to use that figure on the back. (This quilt is for a friend, so I have more reasoning to this design that I'll share later!) The rest of the background is blue. There was probably an easier way to piece this together, but I didn't know what that was! Better pictures of the quilt back to come.

Thank you, Annie Kitty, for lounging in the sun and not on the quilt sandwich while I was pinning.

Now I'm trying to decide on quilting. I'm thinking I want to do a free-motion design vs. straight lines. I sketched this idea out, but I'm thinking that the actual quilting will not be quite this dense. Any suggestions out there?

Hopefully I can make my mind up and get this baby finished! :)

Linking up at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday.

One Year Blog Anniversary Reflections

July 6th marked my one year blog anniversary! Thankfully, I've been off work this month, so I've enjoyed much needed leisure time to reflect and celebrate the sewing I've completed this year.

As I reviewed my blog, a few entries brought smiles to my heart (I linked up past blog posts if you want to check out photos)...here are the numbers:

• 44 blog posts (22 the first 6 months, 22 in the second 6 months) 22 is my magic number so it was only appropriate to post this reflection on 2:22 on July 22nd, 1 month before my decade birthday on August 22nd.  

• 12 quilts
• 2 Mini Quilts (1 in memory of my dad, 1 for my kitchen)
• 3 Math Quilts (2 called the distributive duo, 1 about fractions)
• 5 Quilts for Family and Friends (Mama's Quilt, Grandma's Quilt, Earthy Log Cabin Quilt, Sweet as Honey Quilt and the Ride the Train Quilt)
• 2 Other Quilts (My first ever quilt: The Rail Fence and my second quilt: Kaleidoscopic Kites
• 10 Puppets 
• All of these were created for friends. The Smiley Face Puppet took the lead with the most viewed post on this blog. 
• 7 Blocks posted for the "Flow Zone" Block of the Month! 5 more to go and I love checking out the blocks in the Flickr group.
• 3 Recycled Projects
• Grandma Marge's Old Couch
• iPhone Case
• Scrappy Christmas Tree Skirt
• 1 Tutorial: The piano mug rug This post is the second most viewed but I have yet to see that anyone made it. 
• Other: I sewed and quilted about 20 bags, a few dresses and skirts, 5 table toppers (here is the hexagon one), 10 plushies like the Neapolitan bunnies, practiced free-motion quilting, and bunch of other things that didn't join blogland.

So wow~I sewed, quilted, created, and did a ton of math! Through these projects I learned way more about myself than I ever expected. In an interesting way, what I choose to create offers a glimpse into my life and passions, as well as where I stand in my personal learning journey. Yes, there are plenty of things I wrote about that I would do differently and I hope that will be evident in my future posts. One thing is crystal clear to me: Every single project I do, I learn something that I didn't expect to learn. Every single time.

So all in all I'm reminded to...

Be positive. "Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habit. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny." -Lao Tzu

and most importantly...

Keep on keepin' on -Henry + The Invisibles

"Flow Zone" Block of the Month: July

Carol's magical choice for July's Block of the Month is...

*Card Tricks*

Click here for the link to the directions.

Don't forget to post your quilt blocks in the Flickr group!
Also, here is a link to the previous months.

Here is my version. Can't wait to see everyone else's "Card Tricks"!

Equilateral Triangle Mini Quilt, Kitchen Curtain and a Skirt!

A few months or so ago, I bought a fat quarter bundle at Remnants: Fiber culture for no reason other than it looked pretty. About 7 months ago, I moved into a new house. In turn, my walls are still incredibly naked. So, that fat quarter bundle paired with my bare house is an excellent recipe for creation! Please check out my equilateral triangle mini quilt, kitchen curtain and skirt! 

Who doesn't love triangles? I realize that triangles come in all different shapes and sizes (and students should learn about more than just the regular triangle), but there is still something about the equilateral triangle that I adore. 3 equal sides, 3 congruent 60 degree angles...wait...oh yes...the 60 degree angles is what I love! They were interesting to cut out and fairly simple to piece together! This blog, On the Windy Side, originally inspired me to go for it. I have plans to make a larger one in the near future for a gift.

Perfect for the kitchen. I can glance over at the magic triangles while I am cooking. I still may bring it down a little lower on that wall.

And along with a naked house comes naked windows! Slowly but surely, I'm making them gorgeous. I used some of the fabric for a basic curtain. It was so simple. Rectangles, ironing, and straight seams...loveliness!

Here is another view. I can adjust the curtain rod as different light comes in throughout the day. The yellows (or yellers as I like to jokingly say) in the fabrics just remind me of the kitchen! 

Lastly, using some elastic thread and squares, I pieced together this little skirt. I've worn it a few times and I love it!

Not the best photo...but you get an idea for how it looks on.

Of course, I have scraps left over, so some scrappy potholders are already in the works! :-)

Thanks for reading and have a beautiful day! 

My Interactive Fraction Strip Quilt!

Have you ever used fraction tiles before? You might recognize them if you saw a photo so here is a link. Fraction tiles can be a very useful model in understanding fractions, however, math educators...be careful! Sometimes these tiles can hide the true understanding our students have about fractions. Who needs fraction tiles when you can have this gorgeous interactive fraction quilt that starts at the top (white) with one whole, and continues with (red) halves, (pink) thirds, (black) fourths, (green) fifths, (purple) sixths, (yellow) sevenths, (teal) eighths, (orange) ninths, (gray) tenths, light pink (elevenths), and dark purple (twelfths)?!

The free-motion quilting on the back highlights the unit fractions quite nicely. The greater the denominator the smaller the piece is!

Flat Stanley Comes to Austin!

Flat Stanley has made a stop in Austin, Texas! My cousin Vinny, a second grade student from Shorewood, Illinois, sent him to me a few weeks ago. We've had a wonderful visit, so I thought I would write up a blog post of our activities for his class to read.

What do you think was the first thing we did when he arrived? I sewed him up a new outfit, of course! Since the weather has been in the 80s/90s, Flat Stanley is wearing a blue t-shirt, black pants and red flip flops. Austin is a laid-back city, so we kept the clothes casual!

Since I work a full-time job as an elementary math curriculum specialist, Flat Stanley joined me this week in our district office. He met a co-worker, Carol, and learned about all the deadlines we have to meet by the end of the school year. The last day of school here is June 7th!

The first day Flat Stanley came to work, we assembled 1,000 math toolkits for 3rd and 4th grade students to take home with them this summer. Flat Stanley assisted instructional coach, Christa with the decks of cards. Click here to read more about how we packed the toolkits and solve some math problems!

Since Austin is known as the "live music capital of the world," a trip to Austin wouldn't be complete without a chance to see Henry + The Invisibles! He is a talented 'one man phunk band' from Austin that layers live loops with guitars, keyboards, drums and vocals. This video is of Henry in the kitchen that shows how he layers instruments.

Flat Stanley even got to try some local food. First stop was Smokey Mo's for some Texas Bar-be-que. And a trip to Austin wouldn't be complete without some breakfast tacos. Flat Stanley ordered a potato, bacon, egg and cheese taco with pico de gallo and extra spicy salsa!

I soon found out that Flat Stanley has a big appetite! We went shopping for more food at our local grocery store, the H.E.B., and Flat Stanley noticed something strange when we checked out. There were no bags for our groceries! On March 1st, the City of Austin passed legislation that bans single use plastic and brown paper bags. Austin is the first major city in Texas to pass a ban like this. Good thing that Flat Stanley didn't have to worry about the items he bought...I made him a reusable souvenir 'Bettina Danger' bag to take back to Illinois!

Flat Stanley also wondered why he saw "Keep Austin Weird" in so many places. I explained to him that this slogan originated to support small businesses. You can read more about that at this link.

Lastly, we had to see the bats. Austin is home to 1.5 million bats that live underneath the Congress Street Bridge. It is the largest urban bat colony in the world and a tourist attraction to watch them all take flight at dusk. There are actually more bats than people in Austin! Learn more about how bats are good for our environment here. Don't forget to check out the video of the bats flying!

On Flat Stanley's last night here, he helped me sew an envelope to send him back to Illinois in style. He selected red thread and a super cool geometric stitch design. 

Thank you for sending Flat Stanley, Vinny! Please comment below and let me know he made it back to you! :)

From Scraps to iPhone Case!

I have a lime green scrap bin that holds fabric pieces. It keeps staring at me every week saying, "Sort me, sort me, SORT ME!" Despite the constant pestering, I shove it back onto the shelf and keep sewing, accumulating more and more fabric scraps.

So, I decided to sort out everything in the bin this weekend. I began by organizing it into two piles: keep and too small to keep.

Just as I was about to throw away the "too small to keep" pile, I remembered that I really wanted to make an iPhone Case to keep my new phone from scratching.

So, here it is...

And here is a photo of the back:

I love these scrappy projects because each little piece tells a story about something I've created! What a great "memory case" to hold a device I use daily!

"Flow Zone" Block of the Month: June

By request, I am posting June's block a little early. June's "Flow Zone" BOM is Shannon's Choice! She has picked...

*The Woven Block*

Thank you, Shannon, for selecting a wonderful block! Click here for the directions.

I love how my block came together and I can't wait to see your creation. Here is a link to the Flickr group to add a photo of your finished block for everyone to enjoy!

July is Carol's choice...stay tuned!

"Flow Zone" Block of the Month: May

What a beautiful day to announce May's Block of the Month! This month was Laura's choice and she has selected a block called:

*Peace and Plenty*

Doesn't the block name just sound pretty? Click here for the directions!

Thank you Laura for selecting such an enjoyable block to make! Here is my version:

Don't forget to post your finished blocks in the Flickr group! 

Stay tuned for June's BOM-Shannon's pick! (As requested by a few people doing this BOM, I'm going to post the June directions within the next couple of days.) We have some zealous ladies out there! Love it! ;) Happy sewing!

Neapolitan Bunnies

Once springtime rolled around this year, I thought I would bring back the bunny! A few years ago, I made these young rabbit plushies for some dear friends. It is always entertaining digging up old photos. Although I must say that searching through my folders on a hard drive doesn't do it for me like rummaging through an old box of printed photos!

   

 I had some of the Love My Honey fabric collection by Jenni Calo left over from this baby quilt, so I thought I would do something a little different this year. What follows are some photos of the  "Neapolitan Bunnies!"

Personally, I'm still partial to the original pink bunny, although I love them all of different reasons. Which one is your favorite?!