scrap quilt

This is the scrap quilt I made for a friend's birthday. If you ever want to make a scrap quilt, I would suggest getting help from an expert like my sister. She provided most of the scraps, and helped some with pressing, cutting, and piecing. I quilted it on her Juki machine. There was red in the top (before we started sewing) but I took them out because they didn't seem to blend well with the rest of the quilt. It turned out well, though I might consider using brown for the binding to frame it.

Brownie and Pearl Go For a Spin

Brownie and Pearl Go for a Spin by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Brian Biggs is the newest book in the Brownie and Pearl series. It is a cute addition to the series about Brownie and her cat Pearl. Biggs' illustrations and Rylant's text make the book a winner. It would make a great gift for a preschooler's birthday.

some books by Kevin Henkes

This week my students and I read a bunch of books by Kevin Henkes. He was our author of the week. He does the illustrations for many of the books as well. A favorite of my students this week was Old Bear. While Bear hibernates, he dreams of a variety of things. The brief text would make it a good read aloud for a preschooler, but older children will like it as well. A Good Day is another book that Henkes has written for the younger audience. It has great illustrations and tells the story of a bird, dog, squirrel, and little girl.Lilly's Chocolate Heart is a board book, making it ideal for little hands, but children familiar with Lilly's Big Day and Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse would enjoy it as well. Lilly gets a chocolate heart and needs to decide what to do with it.
I also liked Little White Rabbit, Kitten's First Full Moon, and Chrysanthemum. Have you read any of his books? Which ones do you like?

cozy ragtime quilt

This is my latest quilt. It is the first time I made a ragtime quilt. It isn't something I thought about making until I saw the one my sister made last March (click here to see the picture). I like it because it is not flannel fabric. This is a closer view of the front, and below is one of the back. The squares are 4 inch finished with half inch seams for the frayed part.I washed it once, but the quilt does leave strings everywhere it goes. It should get better after a few washings. This one is a keeper.

Start Something That Matters

Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie is the book I finished this week. Mycoskie tells the story of how he started Toms Shoes. The remainder of the book gives advice for starting a business or nonprofit, along with other people's stories. I liked the chapter titled 'Keep it Simple' because I strive for that in my own life. Other chapter titles include Find your Story, Face your Fears, Be Resourceful without Resources, Build Trust, and Giving is Good Business. If you like reading nonfiction or you are thinking about starting a business, this would be worth picking up at your library.

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

I finally made it through this book. This isn't the first time I tried to read it, and about one hundred pages in, I wondered why I was trying to read it again. I persisted though and finished the book last night. It isn't an easy read, but it does give a person perspective by reading about such difficulty. I can't imagine living in a few rooms with little to do and nearly constant conflict with the people whom you are with. I would not recommend this book despite the high acclaim it has received. Have you read it? What did you think?