Quilted Connection

About a month ago, a friend of mine called me with a request.  She saw the t-shirt quilt I had made for my daughter, and when her cousin mentioned at a family get-together that she was looking for someone who made t-shirt quilts, Paula immediately thought of me. 


T-Shirt quilt I made for my daughter

But the t-shirt quilt that Paula's cousin Millie was asking me to make, was no ordinary t-shirt quilt.  You see, her teenage daughter passed away a year ago and these t-shirts were so sacred to her mother that she only wanted them hand delivered to the person making the quilt.  After several emails and a phone call, I had a basic idea of what Millie wanted the quilt to look like, although she very sweetly agreed to whatever I thought would look best.  Her only request was that I use the front and back of one very special shirt to put in the center.
Paula dropped off a rather large bag of t-shirts about a month and a half ago with some notes attached.  I was amazed at the care and thoughtful rubber banding of what part of each shirt Millie wanted included in the quilt.  The sides of the shirts were carefully creased, as if she ironed each one before placing it in the bag. I envisioned what it must have been like this past year for Millie, and thought about how hard it must have been for her even to gather up all these shirts, placing them in a bag and knowing they would never be worn by her precious daughter again.  But at least she would have the remembrance forever stitched up in the quilt I was about to make.
I put the bag aside for a few days, bought the batting and other materials I would need, but I knew how hard this was going to be.  These shirts were sacred for this mom.  She was entrusting me, a person she never met, but only knew through her cousin, with these last memories.  There were no other shirts, there was no making a cutting error.  This had to be perfect.  That was a big responsibility for me.  But one day, I mustered up the courage, and  I brought down the bag, laid out the batting and started arranging the shirts trying to go with the basic way Millie had folded them, but knowing she was giving me carte blanche with the design, except for the special shirt.


Millie's quilt laid out before adding solid blocks around edges

As I separated the shirts, and found the most important one with a note safety pinned to the front saying"most special shirt, put in middle", I wondered why this shirt was so special.  Was it the saying on the back, or maybe it was one her daughter wore alot. Whatever the reason, I knew this first cut on this first shirt needed to be accurate and would ease my anxiety about making cuts into the other shirts.  Well, I got through the first shirt and the rest became a little easier, but since I had it in the only space large enough to work, my living room, as I passed it I would move the shirts around, play with color placement and sizes of blocks, until I finally had them arranged the way I wanted them.  Since I had extra space around the sides, I asked Millie if she preferred a border of solid blocks or  if she wanted me to cut off the extra batting and leave just the shirt images.  I sent her a picture of the quilt laid out on the floor for her input.  She emailed me back, saying how much seeing it this far moved her and she was extremely pleased.  I was happy that she was happy.  That is what I needed to hear.

Finished quilt with solid block border

This has been an interesting and emotional journey for me.  It was more than cutting and arranging fabic blocks.   It was like putting the pieces of a puzzle together.  I got a sense of who this girl was, where she was from, where she went to school, what kind of student she was, where she worked during the summer, what kind of music she liked, what activities she was involved in and where she went on vacation.  I thought of my own daughter.  I thought of Millie and how she  must have felt and still feels every day.  My heart goes out to her and I hope that through this quilt, I have stitched together a lifetime of memories for Millie.  I feel like I have walked a few hours of her journey with her.  I was truly touched by creating this quilt and feel like this connection I made with Millie will never be forgotten.



Finished quilt

Owl Mania

One of my favorite subject matters lately is owls.  A popular image in lots of arts and crafts these days, owls have been popping up in all sorts of places.  Two years ago I made the cutest owls with styrofoam balls and felt with my Sewing Club students.  This year, we made stuffed felt owls. 

                                    

           

I have been painting owls on embroidery hoops, stools, and now I'm into making cute little stuffed owls. 

I found a tutorial for these owls on Pinterest.   I absolutely love them and the best part is that they're so easy to make.  I think in one afternoon, I made 7 of them!

I started by making the original pattern larger, made my own eye patterns, matched up some fabric pieces, stitched everything together and suddenly there were lots of sweet  little owls perched in front of me!  I'm going to continue to try different sizes, eyes, and color combinations, maybe even adding a few handpainted details.  The possibilities are endless!

Budding Fashionistas

About a month ago I wrote a post about the lone student I taught in my summer class entitled "Fashion Runway".
This week I have 9 students ranging in age from 10-14 in the junior version of the same class.  Some of the girls know each other because they attend the same school and are in the same grade, but all have formed fast friendships in this class. 

We began the week in much the same way I began the week with my one student, however, with a larger group, more time was spent in learning the basics of hand and machine sewing.  Even though they are just starting  to sew, I was pleasantly surprised how quickly they caught on.  Sure, we have had lots of mistakes along the way which is to be expected with beginners, but they are very focussed and extremely engrossed in their designs.  I liked the fact that, when faced with the challenge of redesigning a t-shirt and another item of clothing, they were definitely up for the task and went right to work, logically putting their designs into action.

 After a few trials and errors, lots of cut up t-shirts, and yards and yards of lace (thanks to a generous donation made by the grandmother of a former student who was a seamstress), the designs were shaping up.
A little too late, one of my students said we should have done a before and after photo of each design.  I was disappointed that I didn't think of that before they took scissors to t-shirt, but after the 2nd class, I did take a few shots of their sketches and the clothing they started off with.

By the 3rd class, the girls were getting more relaxed with me, with each other and with logistics of the building, running back and forth to the bathroom across the hall to try on their outfits, grabbing bottles of water and candy I had set out for them the first class.  My greatest satisfaction as a teacher is when all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.  They learn, they experiment, they interact and create in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.  That was all happening. 

With just 1 day left, the girls were busily finishing up their designs, and creating accesories if they had finished their outfits and then, on the final day of class, we planned a very small fashion show.  We invited the families and the school administrators. 
The morning of the fashion show, I planned to have the girls put the finishing touches on their designs, fill out a course evaluation, change into their outfits, and run down to the cafeteria to practice.
Of course, just like it's more famous counterpart, Project Runway, the last minute dilemmas sent a few girls into a little panic, but I stepped in a few times to take the reins to avoid undue stress.
The excitement and chatter followed the girls from the Art Room all the way down to the cafeteria where we went over the plan for the show.  The girls waved excitedly to their families already seated and waiting for the show, as they started lining up for their big moment. 
I had forgotten what it was like to be their age.  Something like this was such a big thing for them and they were extremely proud, a little nervous, and very excited! 
The show went well, and from what I heard from the summer program coodinators, both parents and students were very happy campers!

I thoroughly enjoyed teaching this course, and this great group of students.   I even hinted to them about having another course next summer entitled " Fashion Runway All Stars" and invite back this year's students.
 Time in this class passed very quickly, students were engaged and I shared with them a part of me, my loves and passions in the hope that a little bit will rub off and they would walk out of class a little more excited, a little more curious to learn more, and anxious to design and sew on their own.  Project Runway, get ready for your future designers!

Brides and Babies

A friend and colleague, and, in fact, my former art student, is moving on.  She is getting remarried and moving out of state, leaving the high school where she spent 4 years as a student and 4 times as many years as an English teacher.
I am very happy for her, to say the least, but sad that she is leaving.  Even though we taught in different buildings and didn't see each other that often, we team taught a summer program for several years, contacted each other via school email, and caught up during faculty meetings. 

Before she left, she asked me to make her wedding bouquet and a growth chart for her niece whom she planned on visiting this summer before moving out of state.

I created a bouquet similar to one I have in my artfire shop minus the butterfly.  She saw the growth chart also in my artfire gallery, and asked for one for her little niece.  I had previously started one with fairies and butterflies.  I asked her if I could just continue on that one for her niece and she was in agreement. 
After putting the finishing touches on the growth chart and the bouquet, both are complete and ready to send off to my friend.

About a week ago, on the 4th of July, I sought refuge from the unbearable heat and opted to stay inside to create a handpainted child's rocking chair for my nephew's wife.  Her baby shower is in the beginning of August.  I checked out the patterns of linens and other items she had on her baby registry and followed with a similar theme on the rocking chair.  I actually began this rocking chair idea with my daughter's first pregnant friend and it was such a hit that her other friends are waiting for their rocking chairs.  And as luck would have it, the second friend's baby shower is 2 weeks following my niece's shower, so the chairs are beginning to line up in my den.  I'm planning on putting one in my artfire shop as soon as the local baby boom quiets down!

Summer Fashion Fun

 I spent this past week teaching a one-on-one class entitled "Fashion Runway" to one of the seniors from my high school.  This class, which is part of our summer enrichment program, was offered on both the high school and middle school level.  Although my middle school class is full, Jenny was the only student enrolled at the high school level, and when the director of the program suggested I ask her if she wanted to do a one-on-one class, she consented. Since I taught Jenny for a trimester this past year, I already knew she is a very quick learner and a very sweet young lady who is a pleasure to teach.

Inspired by the TV program "Project Runway" I decided to present the class with a challenge for the week which was upcycling clothing- t-shirts and jeans.

Several years ago, I did this with a class and they all brought lots of different articles of clothing to redesign.  The piles of clothing got a little unruly at times.  We even had an old wedding gown in the mix. It was so much fun and the girls did an amazing job, so I knew this idea would definitely work.

Upcycled Drawstring t-shirt with sharpie dying technique

T-Shirt Scarf with sharpie dying technique

We started the week with a power point presentation of recycled clothing examples and discussed the schedule of activities for the week . I also did a bulletin board of examples that I made.  A former girlfriend of my son's accidentally bought him medium t-shirts only to discover they were a child's medium.  I hung onto them, as a true crafter never gets rid of anything that is a potential project in the making.  I turned them into shrugs and a sleeveless ruffled tank that I used on my bulletin board.

T-Shirt Headband

We experimented with dying using sharpies, and fabric dye and resist.  We made a headband and a scarf using t-shirts.  Jenny chose to redesign her t-shirt into a drawstring tank top using the sharpie dying technique on the front of the shirt in a diagonal pattern. She used the sharpie dying technique for the scarf as well.

Bead Wrapped Bracelet

Pajama pants-Simplicity Pattern

Bead and Ribbon Bracelet

One day we made some jewelry ( ribbon and pearl bracelet and bead wrapped necklace/bracelet) and a embroidery floss wrapped belt.  Jenny upcycled two pairs of jean shorts, and I taught her how to cut out a pattern for pajama pants and stitch them up.  She finished the pajama pants in our 2 hour class with 10 minutes to spare!  Although I taught her the basics of handsewing and machine sewing, Jenny already had a little experience on the sewing machine as a member of my sewing club .

Lace Up-Cycled Jean Shorts

I am very proud of Jenny's accomplishments in just 10 hours!  I hope she continues to pursue upcycling, sewing and jewelry making. I told her that she was a sort of my guinea pig for the much larger middle school version of the class.  She didn't seem to mind, though.  She agreed that it was a good test of difficulty and time for a much larger group.  We'll see how it goes next month, but for now, I'm happy to have spent an enjoyable week with a great student!

Lace Up-Cycled Jean Shorts- Back View

 

Milestones

My son is turning 21 today.  This is not only a milestone in his life, but in mine as well.  He is my baby who arrived 7 years after his sister, just when we thought there would never be another child in our lives.

Aaron was, and still is, a very special person in our lives, especially in my life.  He quietly forged ahead with that beautifully sly smile of his that could melt anyone’s heart.  He was our little comedian who loved to join in playtime with his older sister. We have lots of fun photos of him dressed in hysterical outfits with masking tape mustaches and tissue box guitars, or wearing his pirate bandana behind the boxes painted like bricks that he and his sister used as their fort.

Aaron in my Halloween 'Bookworm"creation

Pirate Aaron in his fort

Aaron loved to wear a toolbelt like his dad and follow behind him with his toy lawnmower as he mowed the lawn.   As he grew, he loved fishing with his dad, camping,  playing baseball, soccer and basketball, and swimming every day during the summer at our swim club.

Aaron during his canoe trip to Canada

He even spent part of his summer during high school canoeing from Minnesota to Canada!  He is a true outdoorsman.  In high school he played lacrosse and threw the shot put.

Aaron began his artistic “career” in elementary and middle school when he won 2 art contests.  He always amazed me with his drawings, although he says he can’t believe he ever thought his work was good. As both his mom and an art teacher, of course, I disagreed with him!   He continued to follow that path in high school taking art classes, but as a very technologically savvy person, he was immediately drawn to Graphic Design taking as many computer art courses as he could fit into his schedule, ending with an independent study in Graphic Design his senior year.

His sister had majored in the Visual Communications in college and went on to become a graphic designer.  He is headed down the same road, at the same university and with the same major. I guess my genes won out over my husband’s in this area!

Aaron is going to be a senior in college in the fall.   This time next year, hopefully, he will have recognized his dream and will be gainfully employed as a graphic designer.  There is no doubt in my mind that he will be successful.

He has inspired me, even giving me the name for my crafts business when he was in elementary school.  In the past few years he has helped me with the newly developed graphic art courses I teach at my high school.  He has given me suggestions, ideas, shown me his work, and the work of many graphic designers.  He keeps me thinking, creating, dreaming.  The tables have turned, I started out being the teacher and ended up being the student.  But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Aaron on his 8th birthday with my version of his favorite Pokeman character

The best words of advice I can give to Aaron at this point in his life were written by Henry David Thoreau,“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.”  Happy 21^st birthday to my baby!   Aaron, I hope you experience the joy and love in your life that you have given me in mine.  Thank you for being my inspiration!

Happy 21st Birthday, Aaron!

Birthdays, Bears, and Blankets

When my kids were little I tried to make every birthday special.  It all began with my daughter's 3rd birthday when I served clown ice cream cones which essentially were a scoops of ice cream for the clowns' heads and overturned sugar cones for the hats.  Embellished with chocolate chips and piped frosting, they were a delicious and creative addition to a beautiful birthday! The next year I made her a Minnie Mouse cake.  And that was just the beginning.  As the years went on the cakes became more elaborate.  The night before the birthdays I would decorate the dining room with balloons, streamers and a happy birthday sign strung across the curtain rod above the french doors. The best part were the kids' teddy bears who donned party hats for the occasion and sat amidst their presents on the dining room table.  This quickly became birthday tradition.  As I have come to learn, presentation is the key!  They probably will never remember what they got on those birthdays, but they will always remember those bears waiting to celebrate their special day with them.

My daughter, Dana, is celebrating her birthday this week.  Her bears, left behind in her old room, sit silently on her bookshelf, never again to wear party hats and enjoy their place of honor on the dining room table on that one special day of the year.  But time marches on, and the way to celebrate birthdays has definitely changed.  It's usually long distance with a card, gift card and a birthday phone call or text message.

This year, I had a request from my daughter to make a quilt out of her old t-shirts, so I decided to make the quilt for her birthday.  I have created many things in my artistic career, I have painted, sewn, drawn, but I have never made a quilt.  It was a good idea, and I had seen many examples of these quilts with the quilters' guarantee that it was super easy.  I used this tutorial as my guide to make the quilt.  Ok, I thought, how hard could this be?  So I start cutting up her old t-shirts, mesh athletic shorts, college t-shirts, and a t-shirt that I had painted for an environmental club she started in middle school called Going Green.  I soon realized why I hadn't done this before. Even this simple t-shirt quilt took on a life of its own.  I have been cutting, appliquing, basting and sewing for about 3 months.  It became easier as the days went on and my plan sort of came together the more I sat with the quilt and thought about it.  I hope it doesn't suffer the same fate as the afghan I crocheted for my son to take to college with him when he graduated from high school. He will be a senior in college next year and the afghan never left his room at home.  But that's ok. Creating it was good therapy on those long winter nights passing the time after work and dinner.  Maybe he's saving it for when he moves out of the house.

I think my daughter will appreciate the effort, since it is my first attempt at a quilt.  She is a mainly neutral tones person, not much for prints and unfortunately her high school colors were gold and brown and her college colors were blue and gold.  Then there was that "Going Green" t-shirt which, of course, was green.  I found some blue and green cotton prints with the tiniest dots on them to use and a few other small blue prints, I appliqued the printed portions of the shirts on them, zig zagged stitched around each one and then sewed all the blocks together.  I have to admit, this was the part I was most worried about and I was right to have felt that apprehension.  Novice that I was, not all the blocks lined up exactly, but it was my first attempt after all.
I basted and stitched all the layers together, leaving about 20" as directed in the tutorial to turn it.  After turning it right side out, I hand stitched the opening and then decided on the easiest way to quilt it which really isn't quilting at all, it was just tying.  I found a very good tutorial on youtube on tying a quilt and used that as my guide.  I used white embroidery floss at the corners of each block to tie the quilt together.  I pressed it a  little and admired my handiwork.  It may not be an authentic quilt. It might not be like the quilt in the tutorial.  It may not be perfect.  But I am very proud of my accomplishment!  I think it came out pretty well for a first time quilter.  I just hope my daughter feels the same way.  Happy Birthday, Dana!

A Tribute to Mom

There is one day a year set aside to honor one of the most important people in your life, one day.  Greeting cards fly off the shelves, florists are much busier than usual and restaurant reservations are pretty hard to come by.  But is one day really adequate to remember a woman who gave you life, changed your diapers, rocked you to sleep, and sat in the first row at every one of your middle school concerts?  Is it enough for the woman who dried your tears, helped you through your disappointments and celebrated your triumphs with you?  I think not.

Mom and me

I am lucky enough to still be able to celebrate Mother's Day with my mom.  She is a very special person and I hope she realizes just how important she is to me and my family.  I talk to my mom on the phone every day. Even though she only lives 20 minutes away, I still like to hear her voice each day, to check in with her and make sure she is ok.  We talk about family, how we spent our day, and one of our favorites subjects, the Yankees!  I could give my mom a bouquet of flowers or a box of candy for Mother's Day, but it wouldn't be nearly enough to say thank you for all that she has been to me all these years.
I hope that my kids will appreciate me as much as I appreciate my mom.  They say you don't start to appreciate your mom until you become a mom yourself, and I totally agree with that statement.   I understand what she and Dad went through, gave up and sacrificed to give us as good a life as they could.  I understand how hard she worked.  I remember her coming home from work as a secretary in her fashionable high heels and clip earrings.  I couldn't wait to grow up and be just like my mom.
I am grown up and I still want to be just like my mom.  She is the epitome of kindness and grace.  Mom is one class act and I only hope that I can  continue to follow in her footsteps and make her proud of me.

I chose this beautiful pink and red hanging basket for my mom!

I hope I have done as good a job of raising my kids as she has done raising me and my siblings.  I hope I have passed on her traditions, her recipes, her talents and her love the best I could.  I hope I have been all she has and continues to be to me to both of my kids.  
One day is simply not enough to celebrate such a magnificent lifetime of love.  Mom, whatever I come to your door with on May 13, a hanging basket of flowers, a box of chocolates or something handmade (my favorite choice), please know that I could never begin to give you a gift that would express my thanks and gratitude for being a mom extraordinaire!  Happy Mother's Day to the best mom in the world!

 I couldn't resist making these fabric bookmarks for my mom who is an avid reader.

Spring Rummaging

There are some things that are just better when shared with a friend, especially if that friend also happens to be your daughter.  One tradition that my daughter and I have come to share is our bi-annual trip to a large rummage sale held in a nearby town.  My daughter, who lives in Maryland with her husband, makes the pilgrimmage to New Jersey this time each spring, to share this exciting adventure with me.

It began on Thursday evening.  Dana and her adorably sweet, dog, Laila, travelled from Maryland to New Jersey after work.  I organized her old room which has since become my craft room, pushed aside the inventory of my Artfire shop, unplugged the sewing machine, and cleared off her bed.  She arrived at around 11:00 PM, tired from a long day at work and driving nearly four hours, but happy to see me, my husband and our 2 dogs.
It's nice to have her back in her room, shuffling around in her mismatched socks that she pulls out of her lingerie drawer still holding a few remnants of her youthful wardrobe.  For a few days, we are back to how life used to be.  It's great to have her back home, if even just for a few days.
I take a personal day for this event.  I NEVER take a day off from my teaching job, and my students can't believe I am actually leaving them to take a personal day.   But, I think this special time with my daughter warrants a day away from my students, and although I feel a little like I am playing hooky,( because that's just my strict work ethic), I reassure myself that it's ok to take 2 days a year off from school.
We rose fairly early on Friday morning, and dressed for the weather.  It always seems to rain the day we go, but Dana donned her rainboots and I put on my old sneakers, we grabbed some cloth bags to hold our treasures and headed off to the rummage sale.
It was crowded, as usual, with the parking section of the fairgrounds lined with cars , but we managed to find a space amidst the large, muddy puddles and headed off to the tents, plotting out our plan of which tents to visit first and what we intended to purchase in each one.
We began in the dry goods tent, weaving through the narrow aisles grabbing any fabric we felt would best suit our needs.  I found some gingham and tiny prints for a few baby projects.  Dana found some very cute beige fabric with tiny blue bird silhouettes that she thought would make an adorable baby skirt.  I am tucking that one away for my future grandaughter, when and if she ever comes into our lives.  Dana found some very nice upholstery fabric scraps to cover a chair pad.  She has a very descrimating eye, being a graphic designer.  Being an artist, crafter and art teacher, I am always planning my next project, and I am always on the lookout for just the right fabric to use in any or all of my projects at school, or at home.

We continued on to the vintage, arts and crafts, holiday and jewelry tents, picking up a few items along the way.  Our last stop was the kitchen tent where I picked up some teapots and plates to use for the Senior Breakfast at the end of May.  As freshman class moderator, I work with the freshman student council to host a themed breakfast for the senior class.  This year our theme is "Mad Hatter's Tea Party".  I found exactly what I was looking for...an eccletic assortment of interesting teapots and plates.  As we juggled these items, my daughter found a cast iron fondue pot.  We were quite a sight with this weird assortment of items, standing in line, balancing the awkward and heavy kitchenware.
After checking out, Dana strapped our 3 bags across her back and headed back to the car.  I lagged behind toting the box of teapots and plates, stopping every few feet to regroup.  Tired and muddy, we headed back to my house chatting all the way home about our purchases, and how little money we spent on such great buys, and planning the best time to come for our trip back for the fall sale.
A week before Mother's Day, this was the most perfect early Mother's Day gift I could have gotten from my daughter.  As I get older, I appreciate time spent with my kids more because I see them less.  It was a very special day, and a very special weekend, rummaging with my "friend".

Growing in Leaps and Bounds!

I have 7 grandnieces and nephews.  The youngest of the 7 will be celebrating his very first birthday next week and my husband and I will be attending his party.  I love to make something for these occasions because I feel it is a unique and special way of commemorating a special day. It will be a one of a kind gift and since I always second guess anything I buy as a gift, I know that something handmade is a perfect and confident choice for me.

 I thought long and hard about what exactly I would make for a one year old boy.  I made him a personalized stool for his christening.  I made him some appliqued onesies when he was born, so what could I possibly make him that would be useful and attractive?  Hmmm....a growth chart!
So I took a trip to the hardware store and bought a canvas dropcloth.  I use drop cloths for art projects with my students and love the color, texture and durability, not to mention the cost!

I toyed around with different themes appropriate for boys such as space, cars, forest animals, etc., but decided on frogs.
I cut and hemmed the cloth, sketched out the design, added the calibrations and painted.  I added some polka dotted ribbon to the sides for a little contrast and pattern, a dowel to which I will a a cord to hang it and 2 large beads to keep the cord from slipping off and, "voila", I have a perfect handmade gift for my little grandnephew!

The finishing touch will be a little message on the back signed and dated by me.  Happy 1st Birthday, Michael!