Last Night at Fiber Art Fusion...

Last night at Fiber Art Fusion we did a 5x7 fiber art exchange. What a blast. First of all, everything was incredible. There were so many different techniques and fibers and... Everything was unique. Anyway, I had a great time. Here is the piece I made for the exchange. It went home with my friend Heidi, who does incredible work herself.


Here is the piece that came home with me. It was made by Hellenne Vermillion. I love it, and it is already displayed in my home.

Oh well, life goes on...

Alex did not get a part in Seussical. He was relieved, but a little sad. Anyway, he has moved on to other things, such as learning tennis from his dad.

I had a great time at Fiber Art Fusion Tuesday night. I just love getting together with those wonderful and creative women. My friend Heidi Miracle-McMahill is going to be in a art show on Sunday and I am very excited about seeing her. She had these incredible felted vessels at the meeting and I am going to buy a few.

I am also hoping to go to the open house at Shades Textiles this weekend. The whole artist colony behind the bowling alley in SoLoNoDo (south of the loop, north of Dobbins, according to Stacy Michell) is having an open house, so I am hoping to see some really great things.

Well, that is all for now.

The Ballet Mothers' Guild Changes Names

When we were growing up, my sisters and I all took ballet classes. Each year, for many years, we were in a local production of The Nutcracker. My parents volunteered for the production--my dad worked on the sets and helped run the production back stage. My mom sewed many costumes. One year, my dad even recruited my grandpa to help back stage. They needed someone to work the pulley to make the tree grow.

For some reason, the group of moms meeting about the production needed a name, and they were called The Ballet Mothers' Guild. Well, my mom was a college professor. She did not have a lot of spare time on her hands. Not that my dad did, either. So they split all of these parenting things pretty much down the middle. So my dad started attending the Ballet Mothers' Guild meetings. And it brought about the name change. It was changed to the Ballet Parents' Guild. And suddenly, a lot more dads started attending. My parents were pioneers.

Since I went back to work, my husband has been doing a lot more of the parenting things. He has taken kids for check-ups. He attends things at school when I cannot. (Although I must say my supervisors are very good at making sure I can attend many school functions.) While I don't think he will be making any costumes for Seussical, (if Alex has a part because he didn't check today,) I know he will volunteer in some way or another. Especially since it is in between soccer seasons.

Postcard from my dyed fabric

Here is a postcard I made from the fabric I dyed a couple of weeks ago. I am sending it to the woman who taught the class. Since the fabric must cure for at least 12 hours, she doesn't get to see the results. So I thought I would send her a small sample of the results. The buttons are from the sewing table of my great-grandmother. I found all sorts of goodies in the drawers. I have decided to use them instead of store them.

We are still waiting to hear about the Seussical part. We should know tomorrow. However, there were 7 boys at callbacks, and there are 7 boy parts in the show, so I think the odds are in his favor.

The last pair of first shoes

I bought my last pair of first shoes today. I took Sam to Stride Rite and got him his first pair of shoes. And I didn't get the standard white baby shoes this time. I got him cool looking blue ones. I didn't think I would feel sentimental about this purchase, but I do. I still have each of my children's first pair of shoes. I have always planned to get them bronzed like my mom did with mine. So when Sam outgrows these, I'll have to find a place that does that. My mom has ours on display at her house. She also has her own bronzed first shoes.

It made me start thinking about everyone's first steps, too. Alex took his at the zoo. Ed took his in our family room at our old house. Amy took hers at the aquarium. Sam will be taking his in about a month or so. Maybe he will wait until Christmas so my parents and sisters can see him do it. My kids are all late walkers. But so was I. My first shoes are much bigger than my sisters' first shoes. My baby sister walked at exactly 10 months on my mom's birthday. I didn't walk until I was 15 months.

Go Dog Go

When I was little, my dad was in graduate school. My mom finished grad school before I was born, but it really leaves you with a certain mentality. The mentality that you must cite EVERYTHING! So when my parents would read me books they would state the author's name along with the title. After all, they needed to cite who wrote the book. It is a tradition that has stuck with our family. So my kids know that Mary Pope Osborne writes The Magic Tree House books. When we were at Borders the other day to get a new book in the Boneville series, they knew that Jeff Smith was the author/illustrator.

Anyway, I was reading a post on a forum about children's books, and I knew immediately that Go Dog Go was by PD Eastman, not Dr. Seuss! (Do you like my hat? Yes, I LOVE that party hat. Goodbye. Goodbye.)

By the way, if you read this before tomorrow afternoon, please think good thoughts for my son Alex as he goes to call backs for Seussical, Jr. It is his first time trying out for anything like this, and I am so excited for him.

Funny thing at school...

The school choir went to a nursing home to perform this week. It had a profound effect on a few of my students, which I thought was cool. Anyway, two of them returned to my last class of the day singing. It started with "I Can See Clearly Now the Rain is Gone." So I sang along. Imagine their surprise that the algebra teacher knew the words to this song. Then they went into "Bridge Over Troubled Water," another song I know. After a few more songs, I finally realized that they had no idea that these had been popular songs in the 70's. At least they knew the Beatles sang "Let it Be." And I totally impressed them with knowing that the Fugees remade "Killing Me Softly" and I could sing it like the Fugees. (One of the saddest things about Howard Dean not becoming president was that he was going to make an executive order for the Fugees to start performing together again!)

Fabric Dyeing Class

I took a wonderful fabric dyeing class from Stacy Michell at Fiber on a Whim on Saturday. These are some of the fabrics. (Pictures courtesy of my 6 year old...)

The class was awesome. Stacy is a great teacher, and I am so glad she shared her expertise with me. If anyone is in the Atlanta area, her studio will be open for a tour the weekend before Thanksgiving. I plan to go see it, as it has been over ten years since I last saw the studio. She says there have been many wonderful changes.

One aspect I loved about the class (and now you will know that I am the geek you always suspected) was her telling about the chemistry that goes on. I just think it is so cool that the dye actually forms a covalent bond with the fabric. She even has pictures of carbon rings on her handout. I am pretty sure the rest of the class thought I was nuts when I talked chemistry with her. (Of course, I was the youngest by a number of years.)

I am working on the little houses that I started ages ago. I have them all quilted now. A couple of weeks ago, Fiber Art Fusion met at Rubber Stamp Fantasy and had a great evening of learning and playing. I got really enthralled by shrink plastic. (You remember Shrinky Dinks? This is similar to that.) So now I want to make buttons out of shrink plastic to embellish my little houses. Maybe a surf board? Or some trees or flowers? Anyway, I just need some time to get back to Rubber Stamp Fantasy and pick up my supplies.

That is all from this corner of the world. Back to planning algebra class for tomorrow...

Pottery Fun

Here are some pictures of the pottery I painted last month. It was a relaxing and fun afternoon.

My quilt made it to Michigan. I am so excited to have a quilt in a show.

I went to the opening of the local show. I forgot my camera, so I am hoping someone else took some pictures. Maybe I can get back there one day this month to see it again.

Here she is, ready for her trip to Michigan...

How I spent the day...

I spent the day working on Nursing Mom. I layered and quilted it. One line from the Pamela Allen lecture that stuck in my mind was that she thought stipple quilting on an art quilt was a waste. I kind of thought the same thing, but, well, I have never tried anything else. So I decided to write words in the sky. It looks great, if I say so myself. (I would post a picture, but it is wet and lying flat to dry. It doesn't look so good wet.) Also, I decided to quilt in the nose, and I am happy with that. After quilting it, and rinsing out the basting spray, I worked on the ribbon flowers. I am happy with those, too. If I had more time, I would get more ribbon and make more flowers. I might do that after it gets back from Michigan next month. (Did I mention I am sending it to a show in Michigan so it needs to be done this weekend?)

I am not feeling well. There are different germs than I am used to in my school, and one of them got me. Actually, for the first two weeks, I was downing Airborne. I felt great. Then I ran out, and now I am sick. I am buying more at the grocery tomorrow. I think it really works.

Well, the little people are in bed. Daddy has the older kids at the movies. I am going to drink a rum and Coke and watch the US Open, or maybe the CNN Specials called, "God's Warriors" that I recorded a couple of weeks ago. My friend's husband produced one of them. I thought the one he did last year was incredible, so I am sure this one will be, too.

Any one in the Marietta, Georgia area, be sure to check out the Fiber Art Fusion show at "The Art Place" starting Thursday, September 6th, and going through the month of September. My tree will be hanging there, along with some other fabulous art pieces. I am going to take my parents next weekend when they are in town.

Arty Stuff

I finished the tree and turned it in for the gallery show. I forgot to take a picture, so I will take one of it in the gallery. I am working hard on Nursing Mom for it to go in a show in Novi, MI at the end of September.

Last Friday I attended a lecture by Pamela Allen at Fiber on a Whim. I loved it. I love her work. It is incredible. I also had a great time hanging out with my friends Becca, and Kristen and Jan who own Fiber on a Whim. I came away very inspired. I have been working on embellishing things more, and Pamela Allen was further inspiration to do that. (Of course, my original embellishing inspiration was Debra Spincic.)

Well, I need to go take care of children. More later.

It used to be called Home Ec

My seventh grader is taking FACS this quarter. FACS is Family and Consumer Science. It is the equivalent of the Home Ec I took in middle school, but it also goes beyond.

School has been in session for two weeks. Last week he made us calzones for appetizers. His younger brother said they were the second best thing he has ever eaten. (We aren't sure what the first best thing is, but I can assure you that chicken is not one of the ingredients.) Now he has to cook us something else out of the cookbook. After he makes it, he has to write what we thought of it, any changes he made to the recipe, and how it all went. Then I have to sign it. When I was in home ec, we just cooked in class. I never had to make anything at home. However, he is doing a great job of it.

They also have "smart" babies in the classroom. These are robot dolls that cry when you do not take care of them properly. I am hoping that one never comes home for homework. It is all we can do to keep up with the real baby in our house. Alex says they are harder to take care of than real babies. Maybe our baby is just a well behaved baby? I don't know. But I have found a place I can safely donate two used baby seats. They can use them for the smart babies.

Anyway, school is going well for all of the kids. Amy LOVES her preschool. She runs in every morning, and doesn't want to leave in the afternoons. She has made a new "best friend," and asked the teacher if her seat could be moved so she could sit with her new friend. (Precocious, isn't she?) Her incredible wonderful teacher complied.

Ed had a rocky start to first grade, but then he has never been one for change. He is doing better now. He has two certified teachers and a student teacher in the classroom, so they are really able to differentiate instruction for the different levels.

And Sam is a happy baby. He loves the sitter, and crawls around with the other kids. They are a happy group.

Just want to say Hey

I went back to work last week for the first time in over 4 years. Boy am I busy! So far, I love the job. There are no kids in the building yet, but I do enjoy the rest of the faculty. I have set up my room. There will be some fiber art added in the not so distant future. Meanwhile, I am finishing up my piece for the Hope exhibit. I have the camo now, so I just need to make the leaves. I showed my sister the tree, and she loved it.

Stuff and Nonsense

The tree is on the quilt. The quilt is quilted. I just have to do the leaves now. My sister, who is the final recipient of this quilt, loves it.

I made a couple of butterflies for a church banner. I need to do some daffodils next. I forgot to take pictures of the butterflies before I turned them in. I didn't like how the banner was going, so I kind of took over. I didn't think it should be just another flat banner, so I made stuffed butterflies and will make three dimensional daffodils. Really, people should not get me involved if they don't want me to change everything. I really have a hard time following patterns anymore.

I have been working on the trip around the world quilt. I tried to talk my mom into finishing it for me, and she just laughed. I don't know why it is so hard for me to work on it, but I am determined to finish it. The son-in-law of my mother's college roommate (I know that is a convoluted relationship) is a neurosurgeon at Walter Reed. I keep telling myself that one of his patients may need this quilt. But I think I am almost scared of it.

Thanks for all the kind comments about my chosen path in life. It really helps to know that people a pulling for me.

I started putting on the tree

Well, I decided to layer the quilt and put the tree on all three layers. I knew it needed a stabilizer, so I figured backing and batting would work. I didn't want anything heavy in there that might interfere with the quilting in the other part, where I have decided to put words. So the tree in half down. It is taking a lot of time. I was hoping to have it down by Monday, so I can make a trip to Nicholas Kniel for a yellow ribbon. Since I am at "New Teacher Institute" the rest of the week, it will be Saturday before I get there if I don't go Monday. This working stuff is sure getting in the way of shopping.

Speaking of working, I got some new shoes from Liz Claiborne the other day. One pair of black. One pair of brown. I also got a couple of tops from Ann Taylor. I haven't bought nice clothes in years, so this shopping has been fun. I am hoping to make a trip to Talbots, too.

Hope Piece Coming Along

I work so much better with a deadline! Here are the latest pictures of my Hope piece for the Fiber Art Fusion show.After tea dyeing the muslin for 24 hours, I dried and ironed it. I then fused it to some stiff craft interfacing. (I think it was Pellon weight 50.) I then cut out the tree using a little rotary cutter. That was harder than I thought it would be, mostly because I was afraid of cutting myself. I then sprayed spray baste all over the tree. I used 5 skeins of embroidery floss to embellish the tree. I couched it down using YLI clear thread. I really love that stuff.

Now I have to figure out how to attach the tree to the background. I also need to figure out a quilting scheme. I thought about just echo quilting around the tree. Then I thought about quilting words into the background. Anyway, no decision has been made, yet. I may quilt the names of the guys in my brother-in-law's unit.

Part of the challenge I have given myself with this quilt is to only use things I own to make it. So far, it has not been that difficult. I am also trying out new techniques. I really like how the embroidery floss on the tree looks.

What is a feminist?

I have met a lot of women my age (37) and younger who say they aren't feminists. So what is your definition of feminism? I think it is women having the choice to be and do what they want for equal pay and with equal opportunity. I would also throw in that women can and should think for themselves. I am curious to hear what other women have to say about this topic. My other question is, do you have to be liberal to be a feminist? I really don't think so, but maybe I am wrong about that, just like I wrong thinking that all women were feminists.

By the way, I asked my husband about this issue. He thought it would be boring to be married to someone who was not a feminist.

All right, back to playing with my tea-dyed fabric...

How do you like me now?

So, in the past week I have discovered that one acquaintance from high school has a movie, The Painted Veil, that he both produced and starred in, on my cable's On Demand. I have another friend from grade school through high school who was on "The O'Reilly Factor" about boycotting the new release of Hairspray. The best man from our wedding just returned from a week of rebuilding a church in New Orleans. (He is the tall one in the back on the left.) And what am I doing? I am teaching algebra to at-risk students. Not that it isn't an important job that I am very excited about taking on, it just seems a little lackluster at the moment.

In order to combat my feelings of inadequacy, because all three of these men would think that teaching algebra to at-risk students is important, I decided to work on my piece for Fiber Art Fusion's show, Messages of Hope. (I have also been working on my Trip Around the World, but I need some variety in my life!) I made the background piece and designed a tree. But then I decided I didn't like any of my fabric for the tree bark, so I decided to try to tea dye something to thread paint. I only have herbal tea, so I hope that works. The leaves of the tree are going to be made of camouflage and button onto the tree. There will be a yellow ribbon around the tree. (I get to go back to Nicholas's shop to buy his most fabulous yellow ribbon.) Here is what I have done so far...

And the tea dyeing...

It has been too long

I have been working on things for my new job, and my sewing room has been neglected. Well, except for designing and making ribbons for the rookie league of our swim team. But tomorrow, it is back to work. I hope.

I just finished a two week course on "The Essentials of Effective Teaching." I passed, so I am ready to start my job teaching algebra. I hope. I am very excited about teaching starting in August. I know I am in that fantasy stage where I just KNOW I can change the world. Well, maybe I cannot change the whole world, but I do think I can have some positive effect on these kids.

The kids are out of school. They are swimming every day. We have one more swim meet, and then swim team is over for the summer. It is fun, but a lot of work, and making 18 ribbons a week is just the tip of the iceberg.

Just wanted to say a quick hello.