Pillows, Pillows, Pillows

It's time for new school year creations! I see a lot of sewing happening in the blog world.  I wanted to jump to it as well!

I'm linking up with Tara over at 4th Grade Frolics for this week's Monday Made It!

On a sad note, my sewing machine has been out of commission since last December.  Depressing!  I still wanted to make pillows for my classroom reading corner.  My colors are teal, black, and blue.  So naturally, I wanted pillows that were teal, black, and blue.  With the help of cheap items from Wal-Mart and Hobby lobby, I have them! 

Here are the items you will need!

1. Fabric: 1 yard (You can trim it and cut it to the size you want)
2. Stitch Witchery:  (Iron on.  You can get it from any craft store)
3. Iron
4. Scissors
5. Polyester Fiberfill fluff



Step Number One:
 
Here is a lovely picture of my supplies.  I used the "trash" towel to protect my table!  It's one I use when I paint or when I do anything that might damage my table. 

Heat the iron to the recommended temperature on the stitch witchery package.

 Step Number Two:

I didn't want to make the largest pillow alive, so I cut 6 inches off the bottom of the 1 yard of material.  Here it is folded and ready to go. 

Step Number Three:

Unfold the material, it will work as a seam you don't have to use the witchery on. 

Cut the witchery into strips and place them on the fabric about half an inch from the edge. 

Leave about 5 inches without the stitchery on one side. 

Step Number Four:

Fold the material again carefully so the witchery doesn't move.  Get your iron and iron each spot for 10 seconds.  Make sure you don't slide the iron, lift it and press in each area.  The stitch witchery says you should put a towel between the iron and the material, but I found it doesn't iron if I do that.  It also takes a longer time.  So I REFUSED, and did it my way. 

Step Number Five:

Carefully use the opening you left from not putting the witchery there.  Start turning it pillow inside out.  I say carefully, because you could pull everything apart. 

Step Number Six:

With the Polyester Fiberfill, start filling the pillow until it's nice and plump.  This is what takes a long time.  Stuffing it and making sure it's even all around.  I took a wooden spoon and shoved the fiberfill where I wanted it to go.  That worked a lot better than the stick that came with the stuff. 



Step Number Seven:

Now that the pillow is nice and full, stick a piece of stitch witchery in the unstitched section and iron it shut. 

Step Number Eight:

There you have it!  Pillow is done!  It's all ready for the reading corner!

Here is a picture of all three that I made.  I'm going to make some more because I have another aspect to my theme that I would love to incorporate in pillow form.

Happy pillow making!   If you try it out, post a picture in the comments of how it worked out for you!  If you have any questions you'd like me to clarify, let me know too! 

~Amanda

Liebster Love

Thanks to Sarah over at Mrs. Jones Teaches we've been nominated for a Liebster Award for new bloggers.


Darnee's Answers:

1. Would you rather write with a pen or a pencil? - Oh, depends. I do love a nice smooth writing pen. I'm not monogamous with my pens either, I like all brands, currently I'm in love with Pilot Frixion pens & highlighters.

2. Would you rather have recess duty or lunchroom duty every single day? - Recess duty, cuz we all need a little bit of fresh air every day.

3. Would you rather teach Math or Reading? Science or Social Studies? - Easy: Social Studies, I found my love for social studies & politics (gasp!) when working for the tribe and getting to travel to DC and stand at the feet of our government, I know I'm babbling, but I'm always humbled when I see where our country was forged, good & bad.

4. Would you rather eat 5 whole bags of M&Ms or 2 bugs? I'm not a sweet snack type person, but I'm not a bug eater either, so I'll hit the 5 bags of M&Ms, peanut please ;)

5. Would you rather get a brand new car or go on a vacation with your mother-in-law? Since I don't have a mother-in-law, I'll take the brand new car! (In my best Bob Barker voice)

6. Would you rather go skydiving (free fall) or rappelling (hug a rock)? I have no upper body strength whatsoever, skydiving it is.

7. Would you rather walk with a pebble in your shoe for a week or go without shoes for a week? Neither, ugh, I'll just sit :-/

8. Would you rather eat out every meal for a month or eat in every meal for a month? Need to save the moolah as a teacher, eat in for a month, not to mention I have my Mom's recipe book that she made for all us kids on her 50th wedding anniversary.

9. Would you rather be a salesman or a librarian? No-brainer, librarian, get to talk about and be around books all the time, duh, hehe

10. Would you rather live right across the street from the school you work at or live an hour away? I'd choose an hour, that hour would give me clear head space to prep for the day & then decompression time on the way home.

11. Would you rather lose your voice or have nonstop verbal diarrhea? Oh the peace & quiet to lose my voice. I've always tried to go without speaking during the day and never succeeded, so to hav eit taken out of my hands would be nice.

Darnee's Random Facts:

A - I was named after an alien princess from the last season of the Six Million Dollar Man tv show.
B - I don't know how to ride a bike.
C - I have an uncanny ability to remember random useless entertainment facts.
D - I love brussel sprouts, no really :)
E - I still love New Kids on the Block, don't hate.
F - I learned how to knock eggs at Easter time from my grandfather.
G - I didn't learn how to swim until I was 13 years old.
H - I've had my first dog Zoe for 12 years from one of my brother's dog's litters & Howie was abandoned by his original owner, both spoiled rotten.
I - My oldest siblings are my godparents, I call them "Nanny" & "Dubby."
J - I've met numerous Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame artists (just for pictures)
K - I can't wear toe separators at the nail salon cuz my toes are too short, it hurts :( lol.

Amanda's Answers:

1. Would you rather write with a pen or a pencil?  Pen all the way!  I love pens!  I have an intense number of pens. 

2. Would you rather have recess duty or lunchroom duty every single day? Recess duty!  I would much rather play than stand in a lunch room opening ketchup.  The lunchroom tends to be too loud too.  I like fresh air. 

3. Would you rather teach Math or Reading? Science or Social Studies? I would rather teach reading.  I love guided reading groups, and it is my favorite subject!  I would rather teach science.  I love experiments!

4. Would you rather eat 5 whole bags of M&Ms or 2 bugs?  5 whole bags of M&Ms.  Is this a challenge?  Should I go do this now?  Mmmm...

5. Would you rather get a brand new car or go on a vacation with your mother-in-law?  I'm not married!  So I would rather get a brand new car for sure! 

6. Would you rather go skydiving (free fall) or rappelling (hug a rock)? I would rather rappel.  I could pretend that I was Batman or Spiderman.  That actually sounds really exciting to me. 

7. Would you rather walk with a pebble in your shoe for a week or go without shoes for a week?  I would rather walk with a pebble in my shoe for a week.  Yikes.  This was a difficult one. 

8. Would you rather eat out every meal for a month or eat in every meal for a month?  If someone else did the cooking, I would eat in every meal for a month.  Eating out for a month would make me feel disgusted!  I've eaten out for every meal for two days when I was out of town for a conference, and it was overwhelming. 

9. Would you rather be a salesman or a librarian?  I can sell anything to anyone!  I have complete faith in my selling ability, but I do love the smell of books. I'd rather be a librarian. 

10. Would you rather live right across the street from the school you work at or live an hour away? Right across the street!  I'd like to run/walk/bike ride to work!  I don't mind the children around me.  Just wouldn't be able to go check the mail in my jammies. 

11. Would you rather lose your voice or have nonstop verbal diarrhea? I would rather have verbal flow.  I sing, and it would be horrible to not have my voice! 

Amanda's Random Facts:

A. I love comic books.
B. My favorite food is cabbage. 
C. My favorite animal is a rabbit! 
D. I play tennis!
E. I have a dog named Sadie, who I also consider my child since I don't have biological children.
F. The first time I drove out of the area I live in, was last year when I drove to Round Rock for a convention with my best friend.  I'm 27!
G. My favorite television shows are Adventure Time, Grey's Anatomy, and The Vampire Diaries. 
H. I take piano and voice lessons.
I. I watch Korean Dramas on Hulu and Netflix.
J. I love chocolate covered Peanuts. 
K. My favorite actress is Audrey Hepburn.  I have too many photos of her that I'm saving up for when I need to decorate my own apartment. 

These following bloggers are our nominations:

Two Tacky Teachers
The Fashionista Teacher
Teaching in Blue Jeans
A Splash of Life
What's New in Grade 2
Two Friends In First

Answer these 11 questions:

1. Do you own any pets?

2. If you could travel anywhere, where would would you go?

3. What is your favorite thing about being a teacher?

4. Chocolate or vanilla?

5. What is your favorite childhood book?

6. If you won the megamillions lottery, what would your first purchase be?

7. If you could go to any concert what would it be & why?

8. What is your favorite sport?

9. What are your favorite blogs in your blogroll (they don't have to be teacher-related)?

10. What's your favorite holiday & why?

11. Why did you start blogging?

You get to do the same things:

Link back to the blog that nominated you

11 random known facts about you

Answer our 11 questions

Ask your own 11 questions

Nominate 5-11 other newish blogs

Send out the love for the newbies people!

NOLA Wedding, Language Camp & Monday Made It

My brother's wedding has come & gone. It was hot, humid, sticky, nasty, can't breathe kind of hot. Thankfully during the day, errands were limited. My mom & sister did a fabulous job of coordinating and feeding everyone for the rehearsal dinner Thursday night. Hung out with my brother, his daughter, girlfriend, nieces and other family friends afterward down in the French Quarter, it's been awhile is all I'm going to say about that night.

Friday, a girlfriend of mine flew in from El Paso to be my +1 since I'm single :-/ As a thank you we went shopping around the Quarter. The wedding, at the Maison Dupuy Hotel, was lovely, but like I said, "ugh" kind of hot. I danced with my brother for the money dance & that was it. I did get to hang out with some cousins I hadn't seen in awhile and some I had never even met which is always a perk during weddings. The festivities ended with another shopping trip to kill time until we had to get Jenn, my friend to the airport on Saturday afternoon.

Saturday evening it was road trip to Marksville, LA with mom & my niece. We partook of some duh-licious, yes that's how my brother says it & it is just perfect to convey the duh-liciousness of the seafood dinner we had. You can't get seafood like that in Central Texas. Sunday I did homework. Today my sister Brenda, her assistant Sam & I began the Tunica-Biloxi Language Camp 2013.

Last year my sister organized a camp to teach our tribal youth our Tribe's language. Most native tribes are mostly in interested in preserving their language, not actually using it necessarily. In conjunction with Tulane University, she was able to get a children's storybook of 2 of our Tribe's legends printed. From that idea they came up with a camp to revitalize the language by teaching the children. A tribal spouse and her children have been diligent in learning and spreading the language, but a realized vision of classes on a regular basis kind of always fizzled out over time. A one week camp once a year for the kids, well, that's a lot easier isn't it?

In it's second year my sister asked me to help out with lesson supplement ideas. I was able to create spelling lists on Spelling City. The kids really enjoyed playing the games with the words they learned today. One kid had his iPad and downloaded the free app & was able to play games there as well. I've already told my sister we need grant money to get some iPads for the kids to use during camp. I'm linking up with Tara over at 4th Grade Frolics for Monday Made It, hope you enjoy our verb power point :)