2009 New Years Day Mystery Quilt

A week or so before the New Year began, I was going through my favorite blogs and came across the 2009 New Year's Day Mystery Quilt. Well, Brian had bought me a new sewing machine for Christmas and this seemed like a great project to start with.

The project is suppose to be completed in a day. You get a few preliminary instructions on fabric choices and cutting instructions. Throughout New Year's Day, more instructions were added for building the blocks, more cutting and eventually the final assembly.

I knew there was no way I could pull this off in a day, so I set the month of January to try and complete the top. I finished today! It is hard for me to carve out time to work on projects like this, but I set my machine up in our family room on a small table. This allowed me to snatch bits and pieces of time, often just 5 or 10 minutes. Little by little the pieces took shape. I would encourage anyone who doesn't think they have time in their busy schedules to give it a try. Keep your project handy and sit when you can, even if it doesn't seem for very long. Those minutes add up to a finished project.

I did not peak and see what the final project looked like until I was almost ready to assemble to larger pieces. This was a real challenge for me as I am a visual learning and not being able to see the finished project was tough, but helped me to work with the instructions and not try and get ahead of myself.

I do not have a large stash of fabric, so the first step for me was a trip to the fabric store. I don't have a lot of confidence yet in my ability to pick good colors especially when it comes to variations in hues and tones, so I went with the suggestions on the pattern. This is the stack of fabric I brought home. The photo doesn't show it real well, but the colors are golden, yellow, two greens, black and red.

Lots of cutting produced these nice piles of squares and rectangles. I love my rotary cutter and this does not take nearly as long as it looks like it might.

The first sewing steps resulted in these snowball blocks.

The next step proved to be the bane of my experience in this quilt...flying geese. By the end of the project, I was referring to them as drunken geese as they refused to fly very straight. I did a lot of "unsewing"...aka ripping out while trying to get them together. I can not say that I love flying geese, although they do look so nice then they are done correctly.

These are the final components that made up the quilt. The block on the right was the center double stair block.

So, without further ado...here is my 2009 New Year's Day Mystery Quilt top, a center medallion quilt. It is about 30" square. I will finish it into a wallhanging.

For my first machine-pieced quilt, I am quite pleased with how it came out. I had to look up several things and learned some new techniques for making it go quicker. It was a challenge to keep good 1/4 inch seams and I often got way off the mark...thus the unsewing. I was able to let go of some of my perfectionist tendencies and allow for mistakes here and there. I have some points cut off and not all my corners meet squarely, but it is completed and I love it. I don't suppose anyone will notice much except myself or perhaps other quilters and I'm sure any that see it will bestow a certain amount of quilting grace.

Weekly Co-op

Our weekly homeschool co-op continues to be a great experience for our family. I often wonder if taking a day out of our regular schedule to attend is worth it, but each week I see our children learning and enjoying the fellowship of other Christian families.

Here are a few photos from Friday's meeting.

This photo of Gabe is so funny. Those that know Gabe well will know he is not an adventure eater. In science, the children had to close their eyes and hold their noses and see if they could tell what they were eating. Gabe was very nervous about tasting something when he didn't know what it was. He was a trooper and did the experiment, but as you can see, he didn't think much of raw potato.

Bessie has already gone through Apologia Biology, so she is the class helper. This week they were dissecting a worm. Bess loves this type of stuff and she and her class mate had fun.

The cartooning class is going well. The children are learning some great techniques and I think their confidence is building as they see they can produce good cartoons.

A couple of the science experiments had to do with air pressure. The children are amazed that the water stays in the glass when tipped upside down.

Homeschool PE

We continue to love our Wii video system. It has been a lot of fun for the whole family.

We recently bought a new game called Active Life Outdoor Challenge. It is a very active game.

It comes with a floor pad with different colored squares and shapes. These are used to control the game.

There are over a dozen games and different levels that make it a game that adults and little folks can all use. Some of our favorite games are hurdles, trampoline, jumprope and mountain boarding.

This is not a sit in your chair game. You are up, jumping and running.

I would recommend this game to anyone that has a Wii. It is a very physical game that gets everyone up and moving and also works on those coordination skills.

On some of our coldest days, I get the game out and we have indoor PE. I have the kids go through several of the games and they get a good workout and as you can see, it is a lot of fun too!

Weekly Daybook

Hope you enjoy my entry for this week. Go to The Simple Woman to read more daybooks from other blogs.

For Today...January 26, 2009

Outside My Window...blue skies, white clouds, birds busy at the feeders.

I am thinking...how choosing to surrender is a daily, sometimes minute by minute effort.

I am thankful for...my mom and dad who are always so willing to stop over for a visit, bring us firewood or lend a hand however they can.
From the learning rooms...continuing with early explorers and sealife.
From the kitchen...oatmeal, chocolate chip cookies.
I am wearing...a bright red long-sleeved shirt, a fleece vest and sweats.
I am creating...a new cross-stitch block.
I am going...to Dan's speech and Bessie's Grace-full girls meeting.
I am reading...a bird guide and new mystery.
I am hoping...to continue with my decluttering.
I am hearing...Hannah chatting, Rachel drawing, Gabe on the computer and Dan using his great imagination.
Around the house...the clutter slowly, slowly disappearing.
One of my favorite things...completing a project.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...the normal...speech, piano, choir and co-op and I hear we are suppose to get a sizable snowstorm...that would be fun.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing.. The photo isn't very good. My scanner was not cooperating, so I had to take a picture. This is my latest cross-stitch block.

Snippits from Last Week

I have been doing a terrible job of keeping up with my blogging these days. I am going to try and do better, but life sure does seem to continually get in the way of me blogging about our life!

Last week was a very full week and we only had one "normal" day and that was our co-op day. This resulted in only one semi-normal home school morning. We have always had the philosophy that most things in life offer learning opportunities, so we don't sweat the day count too much.

Monday was Martin L. King Day and Brian was home. Most times when Dad is home, we have a no formal schooling policy. We worked and played and enjoyed having Brian home.

Tuesday we had our morning circle time and did some seat work before we gathered around the TV to watch the presidential inauguration.


I enjoy the pageantry of it all and I marvel at the peaceful, orderly exchange of power that takes place in the US. I loved the music by John Williams played by the quartet. What a tremendous treat that was for me. We listened intently (well, we sort of lost the little ones part way through) to the words of President Obama and we pray for him daily. He was not my choice, but I know who ultimately holds the power of the world and I put my faith in God to sustain us through whatever comes our way.

The day was rounded out by speech class for Dan and piano lessons for Bessie.

Wednesday found us heading to a local mail to meet with friends we hadn't seen in about four years. The mall was a good half-way point for us to meet. Abby and Bessie have kept in contact through snail mail, email and most recently Facebook. The girls finally made a plan to spend some time together. We dropped Bess off with Abby and her mom Deb, after having a very nice chat and catching up a bit on what each family has been doing.

The younger children and I made stops at the Christian bookstore, McDonald's for lunch, The Christmas Tree Shoppe and Target. It is interesting how the little guys will tolerate going in and out of stores, but don't care for the mall. I guess I can understand as I am not a big fan of malls myself...too much monotony, noise and people.

The children always enjoy a few runs up and down the escalators.


We picked Bessie up later in the afternoon. Bess and Abby had a wonderful time and we are hoping to get together more often.

Hannah had another doctor appointment on Thursday. She is such a trooper about these appointments and charms everyone she meets. We have another appointment in two weeks to go over a plan of treatment for her.

Friday found us at our local homeschool co-op. We enjoy meeting with this small group. It gives the children some variety with their subjects and a wonderful time to be with friends. I also enjoy the time spent with other homeschool moms.

The children finished up the Meet the Masters curriculum last half and started working on a cartooning class in art. Everyone is really enjoy it. Art is one area that I am not strong in, so it is a real blessing that the children are getting such wonderful art instruction at our co-op.


Saturday is our normal library run day. We love our library and all the librarians and volunteers are so wonderful to us.

We stopped at a friends house on the way home and picked up their oldest son to have a play day with Gabe and left our two little girls there to play with their younger daughters. Everyone had a great time. Brian and I worked in our family room, trying to sort through bins and assorted other mess. What a chore.

Sunday we had morning worship. They had three baptisms after church. It is always such a joy to watch as folks profess their faith in Christ through baptism.

There is a very brief synopsis of our week. I will endeavor to do better with posting.

2008 Christmas Ornaments

A couple of the online groups I belong to hold Christmas ornament swaps every year. It is such a treat to shop for that special ornament for one of the ladies. Then I wait for the mail to see what my new ornament will look like; a definite highlight of the Christmas season.

This year I received two lovely ornaments from Linda in FL. I just love the ocean and she had no way of knowing that the manatee is one of my all time favorite animals (sorry for the blurry picture). I loved the beautiful shell ornament as well. Thank you, so much, Linda for the wonderful ornaments.

The other ornament I received in 2008 was a lovely angel from Laura. My photography does not do this justice. It is very beautiful. Thanks, Laura!

Each year as I bring out the Christmas things, I look forward to my exchange ornaments and remembering the wonderful ladies that have blessed me over the years.

Weekly Daybook

Hope you enjoy my entry for this week. Go to The Simple Woman to read more daybooks from other blogs.

For Today...January 19, 2009

Outside My Window...It is dark now. I almost forgot to post today.

I am thinking...that I am looking forward to my on-line Bible study group tonight.
I am thankful for...God's quiet whispers of love, hope, forgiveness and healing.
From the learning rooms...just lots of play today. We took a day off from academics as Daddy was home.
From the kitchen...fresh chicken soup.
I am wearing...the cozy fleece jammies I got for Christmas.
I am creating...still working on my mystery quilt and my flower cross-stitch block.
I am going...to go spend some time with Bri, Bess and Gabe. The Littles have gone to bed.
I am reading...a new mystery.
I am hoping...to be home when they have the swearing in tomorrow. Tuesdays are our busy outside the house day.
I am hearing...the Littles quietly talking as they settle into bed.
Around the house...we rearranged the front room today after taking down our Christmas tree. I like the new layout.
One of my favorite things...iced cold Ginger Ale.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...another doctor visit for Hannah and meeting with friends we haven't seen in a while.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing... The younger children working on an art assignment.

Simple Daybook

Here is my latest entry. I hope you enjoy reading these snippets of my life. Go to The Simple Woman to read more daybooks from other blogs.

For Today...January 12, 2009

Outside My Window...The sun has gone down and the light is fading. The western sky is purplish pink and the vibrant blue of daytime has turned such a soft blue color.

I am thinking...how hard it is some days to know the best way to help our older adopted children learn and adapt to family life after so much time in an orphanage.
I am thankful for...that each is a new start. Time with the Lord makes all things fresh and tomorrow I get a clean slate.
From the learning rooms...another good start to our school week. The children are enjoying the new curriculum and I am too.
From the kitchen...blueberry muffins.
I am wearing...warm clothes. It is cold and getting colder.
I am creating...a quilt (still working on the mystery quilt) and almost done with my latest cross-stitch block.
I am going...to pray for a better day tomorrow with training the little man.
I am reading...a new cozy mystery and a new quilt book from the library.
I am hoping...that all things really are possible through Christ, who strenghtens me.
I am hearing...the younger children enjoying some late day sledding and Bessie's fingers ticking on the computer keys.
Around the house...so much mess this week. Good school days often mean not much housework. New books and fresh ideas for learning and fun.
One of my favorite things...the stillness of a cold winter evening and the crunching sound the snow makes when it is very cold.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...the usual, speech, piano, choir and co-op.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing..
Bri reads to the children

Daybook

Hope you enjoy my entry for this week. Go to The Simple Woman to read more daybooks from other blogs.

For Today...January 5, 2009

Outside My Window...The children are having a fun time sledding on the hill. The sky is blue and the birds are busy at the feeders. We got some icy snow overnight and it is a bit warmer today.

I am thinking...how thankful I am that it seems the current sickness has stopped at two of the children. Tomorrow will say for sure.

I am thankful for...the wonderful time we had with Brian home from Christmas through New Year's weekend. It was a real blessing to have so much family time.

From the learning rooms...a new curriculum, Heart of Dakota. It feels like a good fit for us. We also started with "circle time" today, before we did any school work. We had prayer, Bible (we are attempting to read through the NT this year), some poetry and memorization work. This is something I want to keep going.

From the kitchen...very light today. Still some unsettled tummies.

I am wearing...a warm cardigan that I discovered in my closet.

I am creating...a new quilt...it is a mystery quilt, so I don't even know what it will look like. Also a new cross-stitch block.

I am going...no where today. We are without a vehicle. It was nice to stay home.

I am reading...a book on letter writing. Also a Penn Dutch mystery.

I am hoping...to have a good night's sleep with no sick children.

I am hearing...quiet playing...I think Pet Shoppe.

Around the house...the Christmas tree is still up, we are reluctant to let it go and also quite a bit of the mess here and there from Christmas. That will have to be attended to this week.

One of my favorite things...a nice cardigan...not too heavy. I am finding these very hard to find.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...working on everyone catching up on their sleep, getting healthy and developing a new schooltime schedule.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing..

First Day of 2009

Happy New Year!

The day dawned, bright, clear and very, very cold. We had minus temperatures overnight and barely getting out of the single digits during the day. It was a gorgeous day with little wind, which made the cold temps tolerable.

Brian went to work on clearing the snow from the storm yesterday. The younger children ventured out for some sledding fun. I braved the cold for a bit and filled the bird feeders. The little birds tend to be so frantic on these very cold days. I like to make sure they have plenty to eat.

As Brian came around the house to make the bird feeder path, he aimed the blower toward the children. They thought this was great fun and used their sleds as shields from the blast of snow. He made several runs at them and they squealed with delight at the barrage of snow.

They didn't stay out too long and came inside to hot cocoa, always a treat when you are cold.

I spent time today planning out a new quilting project. I think I'm going to need to make a run to the fabric store. My "stash" isn't that large, so it is hard to pull enough fabric on hand to complete a project.


It was a pleasant start to 2009.