I'm very proud to showcase the 1st of this year's Teacher End of Year Thank You gift quilts. I deeply believe that teachers are a very important part of our children's lives. They deserve much more at the end of the school year as a thank you than a gift card to Starbucks for all the hard work they did throughout the entire year and all that they taught our kids. When I first came up with this teacher quilt project last year, it was because I wanted the teachers to know just how special the parent felt they are and based on the continued comments I get from last year's teachers, they honestly and truly appreciate the sentiment, they love their quilts and they continue to remember the kids. That was the whole idea. 

This year I needed to make the entire project simpler so instead of designing the quilts and having the families each choose fabrics, I chose patterns and the fabrics and the families contributed to the cost. One of last year's quilt recipients helped me decide on fabrics that suited each teacher the best and then I went to work.

This 1st teacher quilt is for Sunshine's head teacher and I've named it

Nurturing Young Explorers

It is made with a jelly roll of Moda's Coming Home along with a coordinating Yellow solid. The pattern it is based on is called Skinny Dip by Me and My Sister.

I deviated from the pattern for the block layout. When I laid them out as the pattern instructed, the quilt didn't sing to me. After fiddling with a few other options, I came up with this layout. With the alternating of the solid framed blocks and the print framed blocks, it turned a straight rectangular block quilt into something more visually interesting.

The block construction was super simple and it really highlighted the prints well. Even though the quilt might look quite wonky when you look it, it is an illusion because of the layout and when you look closer you can see the blocks aren't wonky at all.

Those that have been following me for a while know that I typically pick some sort of swirly quilting pattern and this time was no different. My quilter and I auditioned a number of different patterns, even some without swirls, but this one turned out to be the best choice.

The backing that I chose is a quilt block print and the binding is Red scattered dot print, both from the same line.

The quilt finished at 59" x 74". It will be well loved as it is snuggled under for years and years to come.

The final stitches on the binding on this year's Teacher Quilts were completed last night. Phew! I'm glad that is over. I'm so ready to move onto a new project.

I just snapped this quick sneak peak on my back stairs.

Today is going to be a nice day, sunny and warm, which will be a nice change from the rain and damp we've had too much of recently. I'll be able to get out and get a good series of pictures of each of these quilts to show to you in the coming days.

I just couldn't resist sharing this next picture with you. I woke during the night at 2:30 am and though Sunshine had crawled into bed with me at some point, dear hubby wasn't there. I checked the house and realized that he must be out on a fire call. When I woke again a couple of hours later, Jammer had joined us girls in the big bed but hubs was still MIA. If he was still out on that call, he is going to be one exhausted pup later.

I peaked into Jammer's room and found him fast asleep on dear son's bed, which isn't easy since he is 6'6" tall. Obviously he found that there wasn't much room left in our bed when he finally got home.

Jammer woke about 45 minutes ago and asked where Daddy is. I told him and he disappeared. I went looking for him a little while later and this is what I discovered.

It is hard, REALLY HARD resisting all the terrific quilty events going on all over the place. There are so many that I want to join in on but just can't. I'm nearing the end of this year's teacher quilt projects and then I have to get Joey's 100 Good Wishes quilt done. 

Though I can't play along, I certainly can pass on the info to any of you that might be interested and have the time to join in.

1st up, Christa over at Christa Quilts is hosting the String of Pearls Quilt Along.

I just love the look of this quilt. It is much my style.

Maybe I'll get a chance to make my own version sometime soon.

Next QAL up for sharing is from Fat Quarter Shop's Jolly Jabber blog.
It is their 10 year anniversary celebration Quilt Along Deck-ade the Halls.
 Now I will be totally honest in admitting that I'd only do a couple of these blocks myself, just more of each of them and I would design them into a totally different quilt but I really do like the idea of this.

It is time for something totally different on the Crayon Box blog. I'm happy to announce that sign ups are now open for the:

Sisters have unique relationships that others can't understand. Sisters aren't just those who have the same parents, they are also those with whom we have the very closest connections of the heart. My daughter is lucky enough to have 14 sisters who are all the little girls who were in our China Travel group. Together they  share their unique stories of their journeys to their forever families.
I have 3 biological sisters myself and we are extremely close. I'm also very lucky to have my very bestest BFF who is as much a sister to me as the ones I grew up in the same house with. We share things with each other, the good and the bad, we borrow clothes from each other (if we can) and we never have a hard time telling each other if an outfit looks horrible on one of us. We shop together, we know each others' tastes and we laugh at each other A LOT.
You are never alone in this world as long as you have a Sister!

My sisters and I have a motto when it comes to things we do together or buy for each other.

"It's A Sister Thing"

To join in, email me:

*Your full name

*Your complete address

*Your phone number (just in case)

*Your blog address

*If you are willing to ship internationally Yes or No

I was lucky to be a Secret Pal to someone who is now a good friend and to receive packages from my Secret Pal while we waited the long years to bring our daughter home from China. I cherish the memories of the days the boxes to me arrived and think of her each time I see something she sent. I also remember all the fun I had shopping for just the perfect little goodies to send to the person that I was a Secret Pal too. To this day we still laugh about the crazy things I sent to her (like the multitudes of Mr. Potato Head theme accessory sets).

Those same feelings and memories are what I want to create here for you, both for the person that you will be a Secret Pal to and the person that will be your Secret Pal. I hope that your new motto will become

  
"It's A Sister Thing!"

What is my entire focus these past days and for the coming days?

Bindings, bindings and more bindings!

This is literally all I have left to finish on Teacher Quilt #1. I wanted to sew these last few stitches last night but I just didn't have it in me.

 Yesterday morning was spent working in my garden beds planting a bunch of new perennials. The builder put in mostly just green things and I want lots and lots of color. There are still some bare spots but before long they will all be in and the beds will be filled with gorgeous blooms of many colors.

We worked until lunch time and then called it a day. It was H.O.T. and humid.

The thunderstorms came soon after and it was the perfect time to get the bindings machine sewn on the front of Teacher Quilt #2.

 I also went ahead and sewed the binding on the front of Teacher Quilt #3.

I expect that I'll get a call this morning from my longarmer that #4 is ready to be picked up. Tomorrow will be another binding hand sewing/Harry Potter marathon and I'm hoping to get #2 and #3 completed.

The graduation ceremonies and quilt gifting is next Monday and Wednesday so I don't have much time left to get these done.