Chapter February 3

In which I guest post on my daughters’ blog.

Parade of School, Sewing and Stuff

It took me a couple of years, but this is my 100th post.  No time for parades.  Stuff to do.

Today is the first day of the new school year.  That includes my high school senior (who spent part of his summer building himself a fixie):

and my youngest two, whom I still teach at home:

My oldest starts her freshman year at Purdue University next week.  She already works in the IT department of The College of Science, and will be studying fine art.  My geek artist girl!  She designed my blog header.  It’s good to have an in-house graphics department!

On the sewing front, Henry’s Orange Hexie is being quilted (when I can kick Heloise off of it):

And the project I’ve begun to call The Life-Altering Hexie Quilt has moved into the Big Orange Bucket phase:

I have spent the last 18 months making over 1700 little hexies.  Most are shades of lime and chartreuse (representing almost 400 different green fabrics).  I also have grapes and saturated sky-blues.

Here’s the design I’m working from.  The background is all green, the fissure is purple, possibly moving into the blues.  I have no idea how big it will ultimately be, but I have reserved a rather large wall in my living room–whose naked, blank stare is a constant reminder to get my butt piecing so that I can get this thing done.

I spend time each day adding hexies to the design.  I’m working from the bottom of the fissure up and out.  I will ultimately add as many greens along the sides as I think work with the design.  There’s no more plan thus far.

I’ll keep posting updates on my progress.  It’s another way to keep myself motivated–along with the disapproving stare of the blank wall and the giant bucket of hexies I haul around from room to room!  When I get it all done, then I’ll throw myself a danged parade!

Fabricpile is NOT in Pittsburgh

If only . . . but I’m following Mrs. Schmenkman around in spirit and on Twitter.  And Kimberly and Sarah, too.

My Little Hexies have grown up and moved away!  I don’t think my DQS6 recipient has it in her hands yet, so I can’t spill the beans as to who she is.  I really had fun piecing it.  I’ll definitely do more English Paper Piecing after all these years of pooh-poohing it.  In the early days of rotary cutters and chain-piecing techniques, it always seemed like way too much work.

I’m at a time in my life, however, when I can actually accomplish more doing a little handwork in spare moments–at the orthodontist, chaperoning bus trips, during lulls in housework or quiet times while the younger two are doing their school work.  The results are really crisp and beautiful.   I see a lot more hexies in my near future!

I’m still reeling over the fact that I have kids old enough to go to the prom.  And kids who are old enough to skip the prom to go see the new Star Trek movie.  Guess which is which . . .

Not necessarily the one I might have picked had I tried to predict in advance, actually:

Mark found an awesome vintage cashmere sports coat at a garage sale, and it happened to fit his lanky form perfectly.  We worked from that to get him all dressed up and ready to enjoy the event.   Next week, he’s off to Germany for his half of an exchange program.  So I’m madly working on a nice quilt to send with him as a gift for his host family.

I took two different Chez Moi fabrics’ charm packs and some plain cream Kona to put this together.  It has been a long time since I’ve worked with solid fabrics–especially cream or white, but the look has definitely come around again.  I’m not entirely happy with the way it pieced, but I’m sure it will quilt out.

That is if I can get Heloise off of it so I can quilt it!

A Good Day For New Skills

My Zingarella and I have been catching up with Project Runway together.  We’re mid-way through the second season (sshhhh!  No spoilers!  We really don’t know who wins this one!)  Emma has decided that she wants to learn to sew.   She was inspired by a cute little blouse pattern:

Along with some swoopy, sparkley, graphic fabrics:

Well look who the UPS man just now dropped off!  Emma’s new best friend Torso.

  Make it work!  Carry on!  We’ll see you on the runway!

Yes, I’m Working on It!

Doll Quilt Swap update.  All I can say is “antique and Irish linen”.

This is new for me.  Like I indicated before, I haven’t been in a swap for years, and I’m really not sure what the protocol is in some respects.  I decided to split the difference between my recipient’s style and my own.  I don’t really work much in antique fabrics or traditional notions and embellishments.  There’s a design that’s been on my mind, though, and I modified it a bit to make it work in linen.  

It’s surprising that it’s as far along as it is!  It’s been more difficult than I expected (what the heck else is new?) to find time.  

Halloween appears to be under control.  Kid number one is a very realistic princess.  I know that doesn’t sound interesting, but she’s 17 and about as far from being the princess type as they come.  Kid number two’s costume can be found here.  If you don’t get it, you don’t spend enough time on teh interwebs.  Or maybe you just don’t have geek teen-agers like mine.  We dyed his hair red and gave him a pompadour.

 He’s got a lot more hair than Rick Astley.  Maybe next year I’ll talk him into going as comedian Lord Carrett.

The younger two are a gypsy and pirate, and I’m going as a mom slaving in the kitchen so that her kids can take homemade treats to their Halloween party.  Wait, that’s nothing new.  I’ll have to put on a mask and make it official.

The Steering Wheel of Life

My two oldest children are in public high school after having been home schooled for 10 years. Being so close to Purdue University has a number of advantages, including one of the premiere First Robotics high school teams in the country.

Kiwi is putting her skills to use in the computer animation competition–and making quite a name for herself as an animator. Her prototype model vehicle dash board for the competition looks as good–if not better–than some of the early Alias work that was going on in the automotive industry when I worked at GM Design over a decade ago.

She can’t show off her work until the competition is underway, but it’s really amazing. It’s weird to think that the little baby I used to sneak into the Design Center (before security got really tight) is now doing her own creative automotive design.

Cabin in the Woods (With Hot Tub!)

Ahhhhhh. We just returned home from a long Thanksgiving weekend tucked away in the hills of Southern Indiana. It was truly one of the most relaxing vacations we’ve ever had. We read, watched movies, sat in front of the fire, sewed (!!), knitted (!!!), baked, ate, napped, and soaked. Occasionally we ventured out to nice restaurants, bookstores, coffee houses and thrift shops. We were thankful the entire weekend for the lack of stress.

This place would make the perfect quilter’s retreat. It’s quiet, gorgeous, comfortably sleeps six; and even though it is out in the woods and very nearly required a four-wheel-drive vehicle to access, it’s far from primitive.

The kids are already pushing to spend Thanksgiving there again next year.