Pinwheel Quilt

 This is a quick quilt that I've made for numerous babies.  I got the original pattern from "Quilt it For Kids" years ago, although I've fussed with the original pattern to make it easier to fit my needs.

It only calls for roughly 4 yards of fabric, three 1-yard cuts for each of the pinwheel colors (stripe, polka dot & solid), plus enough for a backing.  It measures up to about 36"x36" when finished, and it is so quick it only took me two days from cutting to machine quilting!  I'll write up instructions soon!

My advice for a novice quilter

I had to create a "Multi-Genre Paper" for a writing course that I just finished and I did the paper on my quilting experiences.  This was one of the pieces:

(Note - the advice is gathered from various friends, books, magazines, etc)

• Always cut away from your body
• Replace your rotary cutter blades regularly
• Don’t be afraid to “Frog” (“rip-it rip-it”) sometimes
• Use a quarter-inch seam
• Match your points
• Always pre-wash your fabric
• Starch, heavily if you need to
• Don’t iron back and forth, always press
• Your fabric stash will grow more than you realize
• Press your seams flat before pressing the pieces open
• Use solid colors to make patterns pop
• Don’t use calico
• Take a class if you don’t know how to complete a pattern
• You’ll collect more magazines and books than you know what to do with
• Don’t worry about perfection
• Label your quilts
• Your fabric stash will grow more than you realize
• Finish your ‘UFO’s” = Unfinished Fabric Objects
• Don’t rush to finish a project (unless you have a strict, set deadline)
• Every once in a while, have good “S-E-X” (Stash Expanding ‘Xperience)
• Give your quilts to people you love, they will be well appreciated
• Talk about your obsession; you never know who is a fellow quilter

50 Things About Me

This list is inspired by all of those emails/Facebook posts/etc that ask you to fill in your own information. Here goes:

Name on your birth certificate: Nicole Aileen P***

Were you named after anyone? My first name, who knows but my middle name came from my Aunt, Aileen.

TV shows you always watch: Good Eats, Pawn Stars, Duck Dynasty, House, CSI, and Castle

Book you're currently reading: Just finished The Hunger Games and looking for something else

Favorite song: Right now, it’s “Payphone” by Maroon 5.

Favorite movie: The Princess Bride, 8 Seconds, and Mulan

Last movie you saw in the theatre: “The Avengers”

Favorite pastimes: Sewing, reading, working out

Favorite restaurants: Red Robin, Einstein Bagels

Favorite season: Fall and Spring

Favorite food: A good grilled steak

Least favorite food: I’ve never had anchovies but they are just eww!

Favorite drink: Sweet tea

Favorite sandwich: I like a good turkey, spinach and avocado

Favorite dessert: Anything that’s chocolate!

Favorite cookie: Chocolate chip (I’m a purist)

Favorite ice cream:  Mint Chip

Favorite flower: Carnations (I’m a simple kid!)

Favorite smell: Fresh cut hay (it’s the farm girl in me!)

Least favorite smell: Umm...B.O.

Favorite sound: My kid laughing

Least favorite sound: Little yappy dogs barking or fingernails on a chalkboard

Favorite feeling: The euphoria of a good workout

Least favorite feeling: Just simple fear of doing something “bad” whatever that may be

Biggest fear: That I’ll fail as a parent

Biggest pet peeves: People who “tailgate” when they’re driving

Biggest weakness: Chocolate! 

My perfect day: I’d love to have the day to go have a leisurely breakfast with a book, hit the pool, then come home and sew all day.

Have you ever been outside the country? A brief trip over the Canadian border from northern Idaho way back when!  However, what

What time do you wake up? Usually around 7am

What time do you go to bed? Right now, anywhere from 10pm to midnight if I’m crafting or in the middle of a good book!

20 interesting/unique things about you:

1. I was born a preemie at 2 lbs, 1.5 oz, 13 inches long. 3 months early!
2. I never believed I'd enjoy being a teacher as much as I currently do. Especially to my hard to reach, VERY much at risk students!
3. Even though I'm an English/Lit/Writing teacher, I hate grammar...and I was REQUIRED to take a grammar course to fulfill my student teaching semester. UGH!
4. My daughter makes my life absolutely complete. She surprises me on a daily basis!
5. I'd rather go barefoot than wear shoes. Seriously. Even in the winter, I'll go outside barefoot. Except when it's snowing like crazy!
6. I used to crunch through cups of ice like crazy when I was a kid. No liquid, just ice.
7. I lived in a one-stoplight, 6 bars in 2 blocks town in Montana and loved it.
8. I collect cookbooks and Breyer model horses. The horses, since I was 6.
9. I love to swim, but cannot dive. At all!
10. I taught myself to quilt about 5 years ago. Since then, I've made various quilts.
11. I never thought I'd study and take classes to become a Special Ed teacher. That's something that has come up in the past year, and I'm in that program. Dual Master's!
12. I've been friends with my 2 best friends since kindergarten.
13. I'm a bookworm. I've always got a book or 2 going, even during grad school work/reading.
14. I love to bake and can bake a mean Challah!
15. If I had to do school over again, I'd love to be a home ec/consumer family studies teacher.
16. I was a founding member of my sorority chapter in 2003.
17. I love music, especially the cheezy 80s, early 90s music.
18. I have to have something chocolate after lunch and dinner. The darker the chocolate the better.
19. I had two jobs (back to back) where I was the ONLY female employee. Both jobs were in college and I LOVED it!
20. I've lived in Colorado all my life (except for the almost year in MT) and I've never skiied. Trees don't move!
21. I taught my little brother to ride a bike and tie his shoes. What more is there to life?! :)
22. My favorite colors are purple and green.
23. I prefer to be with one or two friends instead of a huge group... but I'll go out in a group and not complain.