No school!

Remember when a radio announcer would declare a snow/ ice day? Oh they joy!

  But no, this was not a weather break, but a planned inservice day for the teachers.  No I am not a student, just a learning assistant. Actually, I run our tutoring center, guided study: for those who really need a kick in the pants, and lunch duty.  Ah, the joys of not being in middle school anymore!

 I am a jack of all trades, who has taught almost anything from kindergarten to high school biology and and can even do algebra 2. I am great with a resource, and can edit, research, be a scribe, and motivate.  I love working with kids.  Sometimes, I am so frustrated for them for making those choices. Lately, a couple of them have had the dawn awakening. The lows... the highs.

Anyway, I had Friday off.  And I stayed home and worked like of son of a gun on my applique. My husband judged solo and ensemble contest yesterday; so I even had a 2nd day of concentrated effort.

And I prepped, and prepped my applique. All my leaves are made, all my flowers and center circles are made and my small circles as well!  Hooray!


I used Kim Diehl's applique paper. Then used kids washable glue to hold the fabric to the template. Next I sprayed Magic sizing into a bowl and "painted" the solution onto the edges. This was followed by ironing the seam allowance onto the back of the template.  (without burning your fingers.)


For the circles, I used Karen Kay Buckley's small template, gathered the edges around it.  ( which seemed to take forever)  " again painted the sizing onto the seam allowance on the back, and ironed it dry.  I used the same technique for the larger ones, which were a hair to big for her largest template.



My other resource has been Erin Russek, blog One Piece at a Time. She has great videos, and free blocks, and old patterns she has designed.  She is now an editor for McCall's quilting.

It has been tedious. And the pieces were previously cut out of the applique paper.



All the while, sitting in front of TV, which I can't do when I use the sewing machine.  I saw Butler lose to Seton Hall.  Butler is my alma mater, years and years ago, when it was affordable.  And they are doing very well this year in basketball, except yesterday.

And then, there was a string of Star Wars movies.  I stopped at 10:30.