Dolly Quilts

I have been saving pink scraps and buying pink for the sake of pink fabric for years. Every now and then I make up a bunch of these. I had fun making the border quilting different. This one has daisies. I made another one with butterflies. I hope they find a good home through my etsy site.

Housing Project Completed

The house quilt was finished ahead of time, not my usual last minute sewing on binding on the way to the event. I had so much fun, real fun, quilting it. There was a freedom in the whimsy. Nothing had to be just so. I think it is the best quilting I have done to date. I used 15 different colors of thread and over 25 different fabrics. It ended up making a nice sum for the PTA and was purchased by one of the parents in my class.

Thank You Tonya and Lynne

Dear Fearless Liberated Ladies,
I did it! I pieced my first word! Actually 2 words with a tilde! Can you sense my excitement? I sat at the sewing machine with the computer next to my little cutting board. I ripped out a few because I kept getting messed up on background and letter color, but other than that, I did it. I love the little 'c'. My mom's reaction was that I didn't measure. Nope, didn't measure a bit until I attached it to the houses. This quilt is a tribute to the La Canada houses we love and almost lost in the fire. It will be in a silent auction next Saturday. I need to get borders on and start quilting today. Thank you both. Even though you didn't know it, you were there with me yesterday cheering me on.

Wonky? Maybe Not

I have had this idea of making a home town quilt for the school auction for a couple of years. I wanted the kids to draw a house and then I would copy it somehow. This year I am determined to make it work, even if everything isn't "perfect". The idea of being liberated is tempting, but I always seem to try and straighten everything up and do the math way too much. Here are my first attempts at houses. I gave up on every block being the same size in the first 30 seconds. Now if I can only let go a bit and let the houses be a bit more wonky.

P.S. Of course, Rusty had to help.

Goodbye Patrick

I teach at a school, in a small town, nestled up against the now bare San Gabriel Mountains. Our classrooms are in pods. We can swing open the doors and visit each other. My neighbor Jan teaches first grade. I teach second. I love seeing her little ones and scope out future second graders for Room 7.

When I came to work at this school, I was immediately struck at how connected everyone was. As each new teacher comes, they are brought into the fold. Today the school family was out in force to support Jan and to say goodbye to her son. At 25, Patrick died last week. His mom says his death was a perfect storm of circumstances.

I'm proud to work with such caring people and I know going forward that Jan will have many to help her through the tough times ahead.
Goodbye Patrick

I Heart Fireman!

This photo is amazing. These are the homes just north of my school. They have an amazing view all the way to the ocean and back up against the Angeles National Forest. Each one was nearly lost yesterday. When the smoke cleared, the brush was gone and the houses remained unscathed!

The fire has now moved more in my direction but seems to be burning up the canyon and I live down. The sky is brown. The air is brown and thick with smoke. How am I going to have 20 little ones all cooped up tomorrow? Welcome to second grade, now don't breathe until after 3:00.

Waiting

As a child, I used to sit on the front lawn and watch the hillsides burn. My father was a Los Angeles County fireman and we knew he was up there working. It was an event. Now as an adult, it is an event with fear attached. I left school on Thursday night and saw many people out in the street taking photos as the fire makes its way down the mountain approaching multi million dollar homes and my school! This is a view up from school.

Friday morning when I came to work the campus was covered with ash and burnt leaves. My classroom was filled with smoke. I've lived here all my life and it has never been this close to so many people I know. Luckily I live 4 miles away, but I will have little ones start school on Monday who live in harm's way. We pray that the winds stay down and that the smoke lifts so the water drops can continue.