Make All the Things

Last weekend I made six more fancy-schmacy window valances for the classrooms at Amazing Grace Lutheran Church Early Learning Center. I'd made three of them in July. These six more were needed to complete all nine windows in the ELC.

Here they are, done, on the guest room bed. 

To get the needed width for the window, I joined a 48"- and 5"-wide piece of polystyrene. They're spliced together with toothpicks and covered with Joann Fabric's white Duck (not Duct) Tape. I added a 3" piece of polystyrene to each end of the wide piece for the return. Lastly, I covered the whole thing with fabric, and secured it to the polystyrene with t-pins.

To get the 64"-wide piece of fabric needed for each window, I did a lot of print-matching to make blind seams. This 42"-wide print was the most difficult to work with because the two pieces of fabric had to be seamed at the angles of the hexagons. It turned out good enough for hanging in the infant room.

With Dan's help, we hung all the valances at the ELC this afternoon. Here's what the infant room window looks like now. 

The infant room is on the front side of the building, and has a good view of the back of the church.

Two rooms - the activity room and two year-old room - have this valance print. 

The remaining three rooms - one, three, and four year-olds - have this Very Hungry Caterpillar print. Fabrics were selected by the teachers. 

I'm happy this task is finished because the teachers begin next week! And 62 children begin September 10.

It's been suggested that I make valances for my own windows, but I'm ready for a breather from valance-making! However, if you'd like to make valances, I recommend these DIY instructions.

For now, I've returned to free motion quilting my Bernina Zen Chic Triangle Quiltalong quilt with a sense of urgency. To be in the running for any of the prizes being given away, my quilt has to be completely finished (yes, quilted and bound), photographed, and put up on the Bernina website by August 31!

So this is my focus. 

After finding several tucks in the quilt backing, I spent a few hours unstitching, steaming it from the back, repinning, and requilting those places. All better. The print triangles, and several solid background triangles are quilted. 

Numerous quilting designs were achieved with ruler work, and enhanced with free motion quilting.

I used one Accents in Design Fine Line ruler for all the quilting - the 4" half circle - quilting straight edges, and curved edges.

Negative space on either side of the triangles remains to be quilted. I'll be using my Bernina 440 and its walking foot to quilt those areas in an angular pattern. 

I can't post without showing you another smoothie bowl! This is a new combo. I'm finding they still taste so good, and are very filling. I'm eating one nearly every day! 

Mixed in a food processor, for the bowl: 

• fresh steamed, then frozen cauliflower
• fresh frozen mango
• fresh frozen banana
• fresh spinach
• hemp seeds
• almond milk

Topped with:

• fresh strawberries
• fresh mango
• chia seeds
• homemade granola

YUM! Have you tried making one yet? Linda