birthday quilt

This is my recently completed quilt. It is for my friend's birthday, which is today.I used my sister's Juki TL-98Q to quilt it and I might just have to buy a machine like it. I didn't have any puckers til I got to the binding. The stitches are very even, and I didn't have to do any stitch ripping. The only problem was that the quilting went so well I didn't take any breaks and my back hurt like crazy for several days because of it.

a dozen quilts

Above is a picture of my current quilt collection.
1. my bull's eye quilt
2. soft and snuggly
3. sunflower quilt
4. quilt of hearts
5. red, white and blue
6. my first quilt
7. fall looking quilt
8. red, white and blue quilt from my sister
9. farm quilt
10. tumbling towers
11. blue and yellow sampler quilt
12. the quilt my grandma gave me

Clicking on any of the highlighted names of the quilts will show you a bigger picture of the quilt.

Ten of the twelve I made. I actually use all of them in the winter when one of my sisters comes over to spend the night with her family. Many are used as play things when my nieces and nephews come over for Camp Clair.

My favorites are soft and snuggly, quilt of hearts, and the red, white and blue quilt I made. I do like them all, except the fall looking quilt. It is probably going on the giveaway pile once I complete my next quilt. Which are your favorites?

This Plus That

This Plus That: Life's Little Equations is Amy Krouse Rosenthal's newest book. It doesn't tell a story as much as write things as equations. The pictures are great, and my students enjoyed the format of the book. Some of the equations made me smile and it made me think my students and I should try to make up some of our own equations like Rosenthal did. The pictures by Corace are great, too. Though I still like her book Little Pea the best of all her books, this is definitely worth reading and rereading.

Promises to Keep

Promises to Keep is Ann Tatlock's newest novel. The story is told by 11 year old Roz. She lives in the late 1960's. Roz, her mother, brother and sister have just moved from Minneapolis to Mills River, Illinois to get away from her father. Promises to Keep is well written, but covers some issues that don't have easy answers. I would recommend it if you like reading serious stories.

Guyku

Guyku by Bob Raczka and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds is my new favorite picture book. The subtitle for the book is a A Year of Haiku for Boys, but I enjoyed the book immensely even though I am a grown up. Raczka writes haiku poems describing different outdoor activitites many children enjoy. He starts with spring and goes through each season using words to create images that made me smile. Reynolds also has great illustrations to go with the haiku. I read it to some of my students and they enjoyed it because of the words and pictures. It is a book I may have to go out and buy for myself. There is also a website that goes along with the book at www.guykuhaiku.com.

Poetry Matters

Poetry Matters by Ralph Fletcher is a book I read for a class I took last summer. I picked it up at the library again because it is National Poetry Month. It is written for older elementary or middle school students. Fletcher gives some tips and suggestions that help students become better writers of poetry. This book was written for students, but I think teachers and writers might enjoy it as well. Reading this book made me want to write a poem or two about some of my favorite things. Have you ever written a poem by choice?