Amazing VBS

This is such a busy week for our family.  It is VBS week!  I am helping out in the kindergarten room and my husband is helping where ever they need him.  It is a great family time, but also a busy one.  The preparation has been intense as well.  Lots of painting of props and decorating rooms.  This week we are learning about how Amazing God is and how Amazing His power is.  He can do anything!  And we can do anything through His strength and power He gives us. Aviation is the theme too.  My little contribution to the decoration is a VBS windsock. :)  

We have a great artist at our church who put all props together.

I love the stained glass at our church.

My dad leant us his pilot hat and jacket for pictures.  

I Love My Summer Garden

Right now it is super hot here and I only get small peeks at my garden in the morning and evening.  Otherwise I am hiding in the house with the kids.  Here is a small peek into my garden.

Scrappy Stars Quilt

I have been working on using up my scraps this year.  Here is a quilt using as many of them as I could.  Right now I am working on the border.  Once I get that on this quilt will be done and ready to be quilted.  I will definitely have to send this one in to a long arm quilter.  It is almost a queen size without the next 2 borders.

My New Haircut

So I got my hair cut and some highlights yesterday.  What a difference a good hair cut can make on the way you feel about yourself!  I think I get my hair cut once a year because I get into the habit of pony tails.  Then I forget about my hair until there is a reason I might be in some pictures, like at holiday times.  This time I decided I just needed to start taking better care of myself.  I got my hair cut for me, not because of a holiday.  I am so happy about how it turned out I had to take some pictures!  And then I thought maybe I would share on my blog so those that stop by will have an idea of what I look like.  I  like to see what other bloggers look like anyways.  :)  

Garden Up-Date

I love spending time in our yard.  My tomatoes are out of control!  They are more like pumpkins than tomatoes!

 Our pumpkin patch is moving itself out into the yard!  It is fighting with the plants around it and trying to get more space.  I have never grown pumpkins before and didn't realize how much room they needed.

We went to Ikea last week and finally got a table we can all fit around for outside.  We had so much fun having a bbq and eating outside.  The kids thought it was the best thing ever.  When we finished eating they went straight to playing and my husband and I went straight to gardening.  I truly love to be outside.

We also got some ceramic pots for $5.00 at Ikea.  I got some ready to pot plants from Lowes and plopped them in.  I love how much they add to the little shed.

It also meant that I got to really use my garden bench.

My roses are blooming again!

We also finally planted out 2 sweet boxes and 3 hostas.  

We also planted another Miss Kim lilac bush, a plum tea rose bush, and 2 purple mums that I had sitting out from last fall.  I can't wait for next spring when everything is more established.  My yard is becoming a real oasis for our family.

A Pokemon Card Wallet

My son, Brian, is going to be 8 in one month.  Kylie begged me to help her make her brother his birthday gift.  She really wants to make him a Pokemon card holder.  Brian is really into Pokemon cards right now and that is all he wants for his birthday.  When he asked for just Pokemon cards I thought this was great and would make for an inexpensive birthday.  But turns out Pokemon cards are expensive now!  The packs he want are about 20 dollars!  I know that isn't much, but to me, for a bunch of cards, it is seriously too much.  But he will be getting a couple packs to add to his collection.  And Kylie is going to make him a wallet to hold them all in.   

Kylie's Sewing Project #3: 

Day 1

First we have to make a pattern.  She took a playing card out and traced it on paper and then measured it.  This is a great a project because it is teaching math and measurement!

Her first 3 was backwards.  

Here is what we came up with.  She did the math in her head and on her fingers, but I wrote the numbers down and drew it out for her.  Tomorrow we will cut it out.

Day 2: Cutting Out the Fabric

This time I cut the fabric out for her.  She helped find the numbers when we measured, but I wanted the sides to all be straight.  We also used black felt for the pockets.  The pockets were going to be 3 1/2 x 4 1/2, but since we used felt we didn't have to make a seam allowance.  So the felt pockets were cut out to be 3 1/2 x 4.

CUT OUT:

cut 2 pieces of fabric- 11.5 x 6.5cut out 2 pieces of felt-  3.5 x 4 (for pockets)
cut out 1 fusible fleece- 11.5 x 6.5
cut out 2 inches of velcro

Day 3:  Sewing Time

Iron the fabric and iron on the fusible fleece to one of the main fabric pieces.  Then put fabric together right sides facing and the fleece side up.  Pin in place.  Then sew together leaving an opening for turning.  I let Kylie do this part by herself.  She even threaded the needle by herself.  

Here it is after Kylie sewed it and then turned it right sides out.  Make sure you trim the corners and really push them out.  Then pin the opening together.  I did the rest of the sewing for her.  I didn't think her needle would be able to handle all the bulk.  This is a good little machine for small tasks only. So after she turned it I sewed around the edge making sure the opening was secured.


Next put the pockets in place and sew up the sides and bottom.

Then pin the velcro on and sew those down too.

Then fold it up and sew up the edges.  You are done!  Super easy and I know Brian is going to love his new Pokemon Card wallet. 

I linked this project to

Finished Binding and More To Do

I finished the binding for my table runner.  I am so happy with it and that it is done!

On Fridays I work at our local quilt shop.  We just got this Tool Time Northcott Fabric Quilt Panel in and matching fabric.  So I put a couple borders on it at the store and then quilted it at home.  It is such cute and fun boy fabric.  I used flannel for the back and no batting so it is a light blanket, perfect for the summer.  The quilt shop will hang it up for the customers to see what we have in stock.  Binding is all that is left for this one.  

This Avlyn Solar System Panel I also got from our shop, but I bought it and it is for Brian's birthday.  I love this panel and it glows in the dark!!!  I bought black fusible stabilizer, stabilized the top and then quilted it to black fabric.  I just need to put binding on this one too.  This one will hang on Brian's wall. So for his birthday he is getting a Star Wars quilt, 2 Star Wars pillow cases, and this wall hanging!  He is also getting some fun toys.  I will post pictures of everything completed after his birthday.  For now everything is in hiding.