Unit Studies by Amanda Bennett: August 2007

Hello! I hope that your learning adventures are off to a good start! 
It has been a long and very hot summer here, and I am looking forward 
to cooler weather and planning a few fun projects that tie in with 
our areas of study.

One of the most popular projects that I have undertaken has been my 
creation of bandana quilts for our children. Now I have other friends 
and family members waiting in line for their quilts! It is fun, 
inexpensive and EASY for those of us who are not exactly sewing-
oriented. :-)

You use 12 - 16 bandanas, depending on the size of the bed that you 
are planning on covering. These days, you can find a wide variety of 
bandanas in stores like Hobby Lobby and Walmart. From camouflage to 
jelly beans, and even great new colors for the standard paisley 
bandana - the choices are many. I've seen cowgirls, cowboys, horses, 
flags, airplanes, trains, fish, wildlife, space planets, and many 
more. Try to choose bandanas that have nice square corners and are 
uniform in size. 

I sew the bandanas together in rows of three or four across, 
depending on the size of the bed. I use rows of three for a double 
bed. Then I sew the rows togther - remember, I am not a terrific 
seamstress, so these simple straight lines work well for me! Now, 
I've got the main top part of the quilt complete - very easy. 

For the backing and border, I find a solid color or simple pattern 
(no lines) that complements the bandanas. For example, if you are 
using American flag bandanas, there is a Federal blue cotton fabric 
with small gold stars at Walmart - perfect match! It is 44-45" wide, 
so I have to plan on sewing two pieces together to get the width that 
I need for a double bed quilt. This also provides a wide enough piece 
that I can wrap the blue over the side and use it for the top border -
 very easy. I also learned that the quilting safety pins that are 
bent (Walmart) are WONDERFUL to use when laying out the quilt and 
backing and batting to hold it all in place before assembling the 
quilt.

I use cotton yarn thread to tie down the quilt at various points 
across the quilt, to keep the quilt and batting from bunching up when 
washing. 

OK - is this making any sense? I hope so - it is fun to plan and 
create, and not too tedious for this craft-challenged mom! 

I hope this helps, and let me know if you have any questions. Oh, and 
if you want a very soft quilt - back it with flannel. I did this for 
my daughter and she loves it. If you are looking for wide material in 
both cotton and flannel, check out fabric.com - their prices can be 
great, and then you don't have to sew any pieces together for the 
back of the quilt!

Blessings,
Amanda B.
www.unitstudy.com

Amanda Bennett's Unit Study News
August 2007

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Amanda's Corner

It's that time of year again - time to make a few last fun memories and enjoy the squeals of the kids chasing each other with water balloons! Like you, I am wondering where this summer went to - time seems to fly be faster these days. I hope you are keeping fairly cool in the middle of this big heat wave - 100 degree days in the Appalachians are unusual for us - even the forest trees seem to droop in the heat.

Once again, we are preparing for another year of learning, picking and choosing topics and books. Over the years, I have learned to program in some flexibility when planning, because "real life" never seems to be an exact fit with any schedules that I have planned. :-) From an unexpected sickness to a new church drama team, from sports to volunteer work, our family's lives can be so much richer because we do care enough to be flexible, keeping extra room for the things that mean the most to us. Leave some room to breathe, and then remember not to sweat it when something DOES come up.

Don't forget to ask your children what they would like to learn about this coming year. Sometimes we overlook the obvious - we are so busy planning and scheduling that we lose sight of the goal of educating our children to help nurture their gifts and talents. I don't know about your children, but ours are each very unique individuals with very different interests. Start a conversation with each child, finding out what they hope to learn about in this coming year of learning adventures. Don't forget to check out some of the August specials listed later in the newsletter, along with some great book recommendations and learning links.

Take time to make some memories, update the scrapbooks, and ease into a new season of learning. They grow up so quickly, just turn around and they are in high school, wanting to learn to drive! And as you trip over all of the kids shoes at the front door, remember that the pile is small now compared to when they get older...

Enjoy each and every day,
Amanda B.

PS - I am in the process of scheduling speaking engagements for 2008. I speak at conferences as well as women's church retreats -- if you would like more information, send me an email at Amanda's E_Mail

Announcing Amanda's New Books!

Due to be released in September 2007, these new studies can be pre-ordered
at the Introductory Price of only $10.95 each*

Flight Unit Study

Auto Racing Unit Study

Missionary Heroes

* Introductory price is valid through August 31, 2007

ALL NEW -- Unit Study Adventure Packs
Get ready to launch into learning with Amanda's three new Adventure Packs!
Full of great learning adventures, fun for the whole family, plenty of savings, limited time offer:

__________________________________

American Adventures Pack
This adventure pack includes these three very popular
four-week unit studies and the matching notebook pages, all on CDROM:

Pioneers Unit Study

Horses Unit Study

Trains Unit Study

All three units + coordinating notebook pages
for a very special American Adventures Pack Price of only $ 32.95
(Retail Value $ 44.85, you save $12! )

______________________________________

Nautical Adventures Pack
This adventure pack includes these three very popular
four-week unit studies and the matching notebook pages, all on CDROM:

Oceans Unit Study

Sailing Ships Unit Study

Lighthouse Unit Study

All three units + coordinating notebook pages
for a very special Nautical Adventures Pack Price of only $ 32.95
(Retail Value $ 44.85, you save $12! )

______________________________________

Home for the Holidays Adventures Pack
This adventure pack includes these three bestselling
holiday unit studies and the matching notebook pages, all on CDROM:

Thanksgiving Unit Study

Christmas Unit Study

Easter Unit Study

All three units + coordinating notebook pages
for a very special Nautical Adventures Pack Price of only $ 32.95
(Retail Value $ 44.85, you save $12! )

Book Suggestions for the Coming Months:

Thanksgiving, A Time to Remember: Hardcover with CD
By Barbara Rainey, published by Crossway Books

Is your November celebration becoming an annual blur of food, football, and dirty dishes? Rainey will help your family rediscover the roots of thankfulness and the joy of tradition. Reviewing this holiday's rich history, she explores the biblical teaching on remembrance and suggests creative ways for making lasting memories. Includes a CD of instrumental Thanksgiving music.

Gifts in a Jar: For Kids
By CQ Products
Use this book to delight your family and friends with a gift jar filled with all the ingredients for a yummy recipe. Each mix fits in a quart jar, and gift tags with recipes are included. Just cut them out, personalize, and attach to the jar. Fun recipes include "Sand Art Cookie Mix," "Almond Joy Brownies," "Trail Mix Bars," and more! Spiral-bound for lay flat convenience.

Gifts in a Jar: Bars & Brownies
By CQ Products
Make your own gifts with the bars and brownie recipes included in this handy do-it-yourself book. Each of the recipes include six gift tags for you to personalize and attach to the jar. You can decorate the jar top with any fabric, making it a useful and thoughtful gift for any occasion. Spiral Bound.

The following books are for moms and dads who enjoy an interesting book:

When Crickets Cry

By Charles Martin / Thomas Nelson
From Christy Award finalist Martin comes a work of "God-haunted" southern fiction sure to tug at your heartstrings! Travel to a sleepy town square in Georgia, where a 7-year-old child sells lemonade to raise funds for a heart transplant, an onlooker watches, and a speeding truck comes around the bend---changing both lives forever. 320 pages, softcover from WestBow.

Chasing Fireflies

By Charles Martin / Westbow
When paramedics find a malnourished 6-year-old boy near a burning car that holds a dead woman, they wonder who he is---and why he won't talk! Chase, a small-town journalist, is assigned to cover the story and investigate the boy's identity. But will his search unearth long-buried emotions about his own history?

Wrapped in Rain

By Charles Martin / Thomas Nelson
If it weren't for Miss Ella, Tucker and Mutt would surely have been destroyed by their father's drunken rages. Ella loved and sheltered the boys like her own. Now adults, they trust only each other, and their troubled childhood friend Katie. Can the legacy of Miss Ella's faith help all three
face the demons of the past? 368 pages, softcover from WestBow.

Learning Links:

National Aviation Day - August 19th

Orville Wright's Birthday

Wright Brothers National Memorial

Building and Flying the Wright Brothers’ Kite

Printable coloring page of the Wright Brothers’ Airplane

National Left Handers Day – August 13^th

National Dog Day – August 26^th

National Marshmallow Toasting Day – August 30^th

August printables

Sunflower Coloring Page

Sunflower and Fall Coloring Pages