Happy Birthday to Me!

One of the most challenging things to deal with while growing up was having a birthday just two days after Christmas! It's not a great time to be having a birthday party or to be getting really cool birthday presents. I remember MANY Christmas mornings being told "That's an extra special gift Cathy, it is partially a birthday present". I was blessed with having to learn how to be gracious and thankful on my special day!
I do have some great memories! My father would always deliver a birthday spanking and it was great fun with a great production! He would catch us, lay us over his knee and count out a whomp to the rear for however many years old we were! With three brothers, two sisters, and Mom looking on, there was much merriment.  One year, I decided I was going to be prepared for that spanking! I padded my pants with kitchen towels (because they were just the right size) and when Dad came looking for me, I ran up the stairs, to my bedroom and headed for the cubbyhole. I was pretty surprised when Dad came into the cubbyhole after me, pulled me out, and dragged me downstairs for my very public birthday spanking. HE was surprised when he realized I had padded my pants. There was lots of laughter that year.  Oh, and when I was 10 years old, I got a teddy bear for my birthday. I still have him:

Here he is! He looks like a baby but this bear is 44 years old!! (hehehe, Thanks Mom and Dad)
When I was a teenager, I remember telling my friend Ann-Marie Caron that if I wanted a birthday cake on my birthday, I would have to make it (because there was usually lots of pie left over from Christmas so we would eat that). So, Ann-Marie showed up at my house one year with a white cake with strawberry frosting, and strawberry perfume (I was really into strawberry that year!!)
Oh, What fun memories!
My friend Kim and I have been swapping birthday gifts for many years. It has become great fun to try and come up with something fun and challenging for her (August 24th). The last several years she has given me quilt or sewing related gifts for my birthday.  This year, I got a package in the mail a few days before Christmas and it was wrapped in birthday paper. I was a good girl. I put it under the tree and waited until my birthday to open it.  This is what I found:

A quilt kit called Blitzen. The fabric is Blitzen for Moda by Basic Grey.  Oh what wonderful deliciousness!  So, I looked at it for a couple of days and decided I would make all those half square triangles easy. I bought some foundation paper, drew a 5-inch square with a diagonal line down the middle and sewing lines 1/4 inch to either side. I printed them off on the computer and laid them on the squares while I sewed merrily away   :)

The pattern calls for 72 half square triangles. Sew them up, cut them up, square them off.

Here's my stack of squares - (144 total) and the pile of trimmings. I think that pile is pretty small so I would venture to say my sewing abilities are spot on!

I am VERY thankful for rotary cutters, mats, and the Tucker Trimmer!  Made this job easy!
If you want to see more, you will have to stay tuned!!!!
Until next time!