The Countdown Begins

Well......I am signing off for the next 5 days. I am going to try really hard not to read anyone's Blog, eventhough I am dying to see pictures from Quiltmarket and to see how everyone did!  My exam will be Saturday beginning at 9:00 and ending at 2:30.  Please keep me in your thoughts and pray that I pass this!  So, til next Sunday when I can officially start looking at fabric and quilting again.....do some quilting and sewing for me!

Til next time, take time for you!
Colleen

Trick or Treat Bags

For the quilt meeting last week, we made little bags from a Moda Bake Shop patterm (sorry I can't remember the name right now).  Anyway, I decided to make my children trick-or-treat bags from the same pattern, but on a larger scale. 

I did NOT pick out the fabrics, my kids did for their individual bags...very busy but they love them!  Ultimately that is all that matters. 

I also made 3 more for friends of ours children ages 1 to 7.  These bags are VERY durable.  We took them to Boo at the Zoo and they stood up to being tossed around, dragged on the ground and thrown!  I even had to wash them when we got home!

Here they are next to the pumpkin that we carved tonight.  The kids arranged them...not too bad!

They decided to sit on them while they posed for the picture!  Well, at least they make good cushions!

Til next time, take time for you!

Colleen

Inspirations

Here are 2 of my main inspirations:

My daughter, Emily, age 6

My son, Jack, almost 4

Shockingly, they both love to pick out fabric and chose the fabric for their trck-or-treat bags that I made (pictures soon!).

Another one of my major inspirations is nature.   A few times a week, when time allows, I take a hike at Ridley Creek State Park on my way home from work.  This is mainly to calm myself down and to de-stress after working all day.  I was going to make a quilt for the Modern Quilt Guild Challenge from one of the photos below, but decided I better study instead and hold off for 2 more weeks!  It is very hard to do!

The waterfall!

My favorite view....around the bend!  I need to get a photos with the leaves changing colors!

 I would like to make a quilt from this picture that I took at Longwood Gardens.  The flowers in teh water lily garden were beautiful!

Till next time, take time for you!
Colleen




The Beginning

Well, today I find myself home from work with a sick child. So, on this momentous day, I decided to start my own blog.  I am inspired by joining the Philly Modern Quilt Guild and reading, as well as hearing about Blogging at the meeting. 

I am 2 weeks away from taking my PhD exam, so I do not have a lot of time to post right now and in the same regard have not sewn anything in about 6 years....so pretty pcitures to post.

I have chosen the name, A Small Oasis, for many reasons.  The primary reasons are as follows: I work full-time as a high school Autistic Support teacher, I have 2 children (Emily 6, and Jack, almost 4), I am getting my PhD, I teach for a local college 1-2 nights per week, I am the Leader for my daughter's Daisy Girl Scout Troop and I have been married for almost 12 years......now do you see why I need a small oasis in my hectic life?! I am planning on starting to schedule in some time for me.  How pitiful is it that I just wrote, I am going to schedule time for me?!

So, in a nutshell, I am ready to begin my sewing journey once again!