Be*mused

To Boston with Love

My contribution to the To Boston with Love project will be winging its way to Massachusetts today.  Have you read about it?  Organized by Berene Campbell of the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild, this idea grew from a desire to support the city after the recent events surrounding the Boston Marathon bombing.  Quilters from around the world are sending their flags to contribute to a public display of support.

Through the efforts of Amy Friend, a Boston quilter, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts will host an exhibit of the flags for several weeks, starting on a free Memorial Day Community Weekend and continuing to June 16.  You can read all about her efforts and more details in this post she has written on her blog, During Quiet Time.

 

 

Although the deadline's getting close, it's not too late to make a flag.  The more, the better!  If you click the above link to the Vancouver MQG's design guidelines and project instructions ~ very simple! ~ you can still contribute to this wonderful project.  However, the flags must be received by next Tuesday, May 21, to ensure inclusion in the exhibit.  Use the Boston mailing address: Amy Friend, PO Box 774, West Newbury, MA 01985.  It only takes an hour or two to make a flag.  Very doable, even on short notice!

Being a Massachusetts girl myself, I wish I could attend the exhibit but I'm hoping to see some photos eventually.  In the meantime, I'm enjoying watching the contributions accumulate on this To Boston with Love Flickr group.  It looks like it will be another wonderful outpouring from the quilting community.

Bursting forth

A number of you have asked about my Lollypop blocks so I thought I'd answer some of the questions here today.  I've started block #4 so it's a perfect time to illustrate some explanations.

Since finishing my first block, each subsequent block I make is somewhat balanced against what is already completed.  Although I want them to work together, I also want each to stand alone in a particular skew toward a color scheme so that in the end, the whole top isn't just a mish-mash.  For block #4, I'd like the blossom top to have a pink and orange emphasis, with mostly greens toward the bottom.  I start by choosing the main, large pieces and appliqueing them down.

The pattern I'm using is Kim McLean's Lollypop Trees, available from the Glorious Color website.  The block patterns are formatted as 18" blocks, but since I am making a 9-block version with a particular wall in mind, I reduced the pattern size to 15".  It would be difficult to shrink these dense designs much smaller.

Some of you have commented on my appliqued circles, probably because they look so exact compared to other versions of this quilt online.  Confession ~ I have "tightened up" the design a bit.  As you can see in the photo above, the circles on Kim's pattern are somewhat organic, which is totally appropriate to her original intent, which is to make this up in Kaffe Fassett's lush, floral fabrics.  However, when I decided to make my interpretation in more geometrically patterned prints, the loose circles resulted in sloppy looking buds. 

Each time I prepare a new block, I use a circle template to determine the closest size of each bud and note it on my master drawing.  (As you can see in a previous photo, I also assign each leaf a letter designation for reference when I make my paper patterns.)  This all looks very fussy and time-consuming, but it's really not.

When I started the project, I made my own little plastic templates of the circle sizes that I'd need.  But before I start prepping small pieces to applique, I audition lots of possibilities.


Still just playing!

That big mess of fabric bits in the top photo sits on a tabletop that butts up to my design wall.  Some of it is scraps left from previous projects, some are circles cut for earlier blocks that were discarded for some reason and some are just little snips I've cut off of yardage to consider.  Over a number of days, I try different colors and prints until I start to develop an overall combination that I'm happy with.  I don't pay any attention to the size of the bits I throw up for consideration.  I'm just trying to get a feel for a good mix ~ colors, values, scale, prints, dots, plaids. 

At this point, I also have the finished blocks on the wall.  This helps me avoid repeating a bold print or bright color in a similar location (for example, lower leaves) and develop a block that stands on its own, colorwise.  I tweak the fabrics here and there as I applique, but once I've established the overall color distribution, I put the other blocks away and sweep the bits and bobs into a box so that the project doesn't take over the sewing room.

It looks like there's been great progress here but truly, this week has had more than its share of wasted time.  Annual tree pollen allergies have slowed me down and the terrible news story here in Cleveland since Monday night has been a sad distraction.  The beauty of springtime in full bloom and the enduring human spirit are heartening.  This happy project is a perfect fit this week.

May Day

I'm so sorry to hear how many people in the upper midwest are waking up this morning to significant snowfall.  Thankfully, spring is busting out all over here ~ finally! 

When I returned from Texas, I was anxious to get back to my stitching, and started right in on the April quiltalong on Humble Quilts.  Pulling compatible prints and colors, I found myself trying to clear some space on my worktable, stacking fabrics and patterns on one side, pushing threads and floss to the edges.  At one point as I continued to secure more space, it became apparent that I was really juggling too many balls here and maybe I needed to work on a few things I had already started.

I reluctantly set aside the doll quilt pieces and decided to chip away at my Lollypop quilt.  As I've noted before, my slow progress on this project is due more to the time it takes me to choose the fabrics for each block than the actual applique work.  I decided to plug on, make my final picks for block #3 and lay them out on a tray for easy handwork whenever I had a few minutes. 

That really is the key.  Because within a few days, I had completed the block that's been sitting for months.  Three down, six to go! 

Time to prep another and get back to my other work now that the worktable is cleared!

Howdy

I'm back from Texas.  Have been for a week, but after three out-of-town weekends in April, I've been slow getting back in the saddle.  It was a four day trip, but owing to no direct flights from Cleveland to San Antonio, two of those days were mostly travel. 

It was Fiesta Week, an annual celebration which spans 10 days.  We visited on the first weekend but it seemed more like 'fiesta prep', not too crowded and lots of fluttering flag garlands and viewing stands being erected around the city along parade routes.  We didn't stay downtown so there were probably evening events that we missed.

Since I've never been to Texas and had no particular destination preferences, Molly used her mad internet research skills to come up with numerous offbeat destinations which we added to some of the great recommendation comments left on my last post.  First stop Saturday morning ~ El Milagrito, home of 'the best breakfast tacos in San Antonio'.  No argument here!!  It was hard to push away but we had a long list for the day and headed into town.


You can take the girl out of Japan, but....

We spent the day in San Antonio, visiting the Alamo (remember?), strolling the Riverwalk (north from the museum district, down into the city) and browsing galleries & shops at La Villita.  The weather was gorgeous all weekend and mariachi bands at the outdoor cafes along the water added to the festive atmosphere.  On Sunday, we drove north to Fredericksburg for the day.

Food was definitely a highlight of the trip and the Texas BBQ at this San Antonio spot was out of this world.

Ribs, brisket, bacon-wrapped, bacon-wrapped stuffed jalapenos and creamed corn.  Mmmm...

Molly found a few fun spots off the beaten path that she knew I'd like.  This unassuming store front belongs to San Angel Folk Art, in the Blue Star Art Complex in San Antonio.  Filled with wonderful pieces from local and south-of-the-border artists, it's one of those places that you need to browse several times to make sure you don't miss anything!

No photos allowed, but this postcard provides a peek into what awaits inside.  We had a great time chatting with the owner, a friendly character who shared my enthusiasm for ethnic textiles.  This stop was definitely one of the highlights of our trip and I'd suggest adding a visit if you're spending a day in San Antonio.

But don't blame me if you can't leave without a purchase!

Didn't mean to make you cry

I'm very touched by the nice comments you're leaving on my last post.  I've been receiving messages through email as well.  So many of you have people from your past that you, too, dream of reconnecting with.  As I replied to several, I was a little hesitant about sharing something so personal but I wanted people not to give up hope about such possibilities, to know that they exist, even in a world of difficult headlines.  I'm so happy that our story is encouraging some of you to make a serious effort in your search.  There is nothing like reuniting with old friends!

It may take me a few days to reply to all of the comments because tomorrow I am off on another trip.  After scuffing about the house most of that long, gray, seemingly unending winter, all of a sudden last-minute travel opportunities abound!  Last weekend, I was north of the border, this weekend I'm heading south.  I'm meeting Molly, here on on a business trip, in San Antonio for a girls' weekend and we'd love some suggestions.  We've already done a little internet research and have noted the usual tourist spots, but we'd love some personal recommendations.  Offbeat neighborhoods, galleries, unique shops (antique, fine crafts, etc.), restaurants ~ any fun stops that might escape our notice would be most appreciated!  I'll have my iPad with me, so feel free to forward tips through the weekend.  I'm looking forward to my first trip to Texas!

Between tucking things in a suitcase, I'm taking a little time today to plan out my version of Lori's new quiltalong.  I'm going to try to make mine a bit 'off', like the quirky original, so I'm taking some notes on the photo before I start.  We'll see how that goes.

Oh, and several asked about a little tutorial on how to make the fabric envelope.  I'll do that sometime soon.

Dreams do come true

Sounds a little corny, right?  Not this time.

The reunion weekend has come and gone.  It was wonderful beyond words.  We can hardly believe it happened, but we have pictures to prove it.  Just as we had pictures from long, long ago of a wonderful year together.  So many memories.  I want to share the story, but will intentionally keep some details vague.  You're all pretty smart.  I'm sure you'll understand why and be able to fill what I am not comfortable presenting in words.  

Like most everyone, my high school years were filled with the usual highs and lows.  We moved to town at the end of my freshman year, so I had that painful experience of being the new girl.  By junior year, however, I was happy to find myself among a large group of good friends.  For the whole of our senior year, the family of one of those friends hosted an exchange student for the year, a girl from, to us, a very exotic locale.

It didn't take long for her to be wholly absorbed into our world, living the life of a typical American teen in the early 70's.  She was sweet and funny and we delighted in sharing all facets of our year with her...the daily routine of classes, high school activities, football games, Friendly Ice Cream runs, parties and just 'hanging out'.  We all loved her. That year was almost idyllic to me, and her friendship was a big part of that.

At the end of the year, shortly before she left for home, we had a celebration weekend for her ~ a surprise birthday party one night and a big, going-away cookout the next day.  Everyone came ~ close friends, classmates, other exchange students staying in the area.  It was the last time we were all together.  A bittersweet mix of goodbyes and the excited anticipation of graduation and new chapters.

Throughout college, we kept in touch.  Letters flew back and forth, filled with updates and youthful plans for eventual visits.  We graduated, got married and shortly thereafter, history intruded.  Understandably, we ceased correspondence with her, not wanting any unwanted attention to be brought by mail with a U.S. postmark.  Time went by.  High school friends (and some friends' families) moved from the area.  Except for an occasional Christmas card from one in the group with news of the some other, we mostly lost contact. 

But frequent headlines from that part of the world often brought back memories.  About 10 years ago, I woke up suddenly from deep sleep, in a cold sweat. I had dreamed we met again.  She was always somewhere in the back of my mind.  What is her life like?  Is she ok?

About a year and a half ago, sitting at the computer on Facebook, my mind drifted to her and on a whim, I typed her name into a search.  To my amazement, up came a match!  I hurriedly sent a friend request.  And waited.  And waited.  And finally, three months later, up she popped.

If you can imagine an emotional reunion online, that is what we had.  After all those years, here we were, sitting on opposite sides of the world, scrolling through posted photos of each other's lives.  We commented.  We messaged back and forth.  We were incredulous.  But cautious, always cautious.  And intentionally vague in our exchanges.

Just before I had reached out to her, she had reunited on FB with her host-sister, my friend, A.  Which led to our reconnection.  As happy as that was, can you imagine our dismay when we discovered that she and her husband (another high school classmate and friend) live just a few miles from where M (also in our class) & I lived several years ago.  What?!!!  

Two weeks ago, I got an email from another of the group, S, with the news that our friend would soon be in Canada for several weeks, visiting her daughter.  Would M & I like to join the small group for a weekend? 

The class of '71

This photo was taken shortly after we all reunited on Friday night.  Except for me (70's girl photographer), everyone in this shot is in the party photo above. Words cannot express what this weekend meant to us all, not only to see our friend again, but to see everyone again.  Honestly, it was as if no time had passed.  We caught up on lives lived and family stories, met S's husband and our friend's daughter and son-in-law.  We reminisced, we toured the city.  I laughed more than I have in years.

This is the last photo we have of the two of us together, at a Patriots' Day gathering of local exchange students and guests in April of 1971. 

And here we are, together again, almost 42 years to the day later.  Did this really happen?

You asked what the fabric envelope was for.  During our senior year, I was editor of our high school yearbook.  Way before digital was even a thought, all photographs were shipped off to the yearbook company for publishing, including family photos our friend loaned us to include in a feature layout about her year with our class.  Many months into college, our high school notified me that all had been returned, so I picked out several of interest and saved her family shots, planning to return them eventually.  When mail became a gamble, I saved them in a folder.

I knew they would be a perfect gift.  Needless to say, she was overwhelmed when she opened the envelope this weekend.  The next day, she thanked me again, incredulous that I had saved them all these years.  I told her that even though I never thought we'd see each other again, there was a little part of me, somewhere, that always believed that we would. 

She smiled and told me there's a famous Iranian poem that goes something like this ~

Tell me a hundred years, tell me another hundred years but don't tell me never.

And then she squeezed my hand.

Necessity, the mother of invention

A couple of weeks ago, I was stunned by the unexpected opportunity to meet with someone very, very dear to me from long ago whom I thought I'd never see again.  I'm off tomorrow for the reunion.  Anticipation has been off the charts and since this incredulous news, I have hardly been able to focus on anything else.

I have something to give to her that I've been holding for four decades.  While tending to trip details, I've been trying to decide on an appropriate wrapping for it.  Nothing seemed right until I had an idea this morning.  Despite all of my as-yet-uncompleted lists (can you imagine ~ it's been 42 years!!), I took a couple of hours this afternoon on a sewing gamble.  I dug around the stash to find some linen and lining fabric.  Some floss and a snap.

Unlike so many previous wild, last-minute, crash-and burn ideas, this came together just as I had hoped.  Quickly.  Neatly. 

Seamlessly, you might say.  No pun intended.

Happy Easter

Wishing all who celebrate a lovely Easter weekend.

And for those who don't, spring is finally in the air ~ enjoy!

Shall we jump into one more thing?

Like many of you, I'm guessing, I favor a certain style in clothing.  Comfortable, loose and linen all come to mind.  However, because I am short and have a small frame, most of what I find in the stores looks ridiculous on me because of outsized proportions.  Even smalls in these styles often swamp me, because I am petite.

When we went to Shanghai last fall to visit the kids, the day after we landed my DIL whisked me to the South Bund Soft Spinning Material Market.  Inside is a dizzying array of hundreds of booths on several floors, each owned by a different tailor/shop.  The booths are lined with bolts of fabric and hanging along poles up near the ceiling are numerous articles of clothing ready for you to try on and consider the styles.  Once you decide on an item, you choose a fabric, your measurements are taken and upon your return, a week later ~ Voila!  Your custom clothing is ready to pick up!  Jersey print dresses, cashmere wool coats, linen smocks and pants, silk and satin evening gowns, it's all available.

H, considering a new style

For just over $100, I ended up with 2 dresses, a skirt and the blue-gray linen smock (above), all custom made.  Aside from being a fun destination, it's a wonderful convenience, as my DIL has discovered during their stay in China.  A special occasion coming up?  No problem.  See the style you want but want to change some things?  No problem.  Shorter sleeves?  A different collar?  No problem!

Sadly, no such options in suburban Ohio.  I used to sew for myself, but not in years.  Yet, with the styles I prefer, how difficult would it be?  It's often a problem finding good patterns, but over my years of travel in Japan, I've accumulated a number of pattern books featuring these simple linen styles that I like.  If you sew at all and are on the blogs and Etsy, I'm sure you're familiar with them.  Japanese children's clothes patterns are particularly appealing, more and more widely available now.  But even for experienced sewists, the Japanese patterns are somewhat intimidating.

If you've been at all interested in sewing with Japanese patterns, you must get yourself over to the charming blog, You & Mie.  A home sewist, the author is currently presenting what she is calling 'The Japanese Sewing Book Series', a week of links to posts by invited bloggers who regularly work with these patterns. Each features a particular challenge of working with them.  So far, they are clearly written, explain each step and are illustrated by many excellent photos. Aside from being an interesting introduction to some very creative bloggers, the series is a great reference to bookmark for my eventual projects.  There's hope for us all!

Molly visited several weeks ago while in the U.S. on a business trip.  She knew she'd have a little room in her suitcases so accepted some special orders from me ahead of time ~ so nice to have a personal shopper in Tokyo!  Among the things she brought were these two patterns I had seen on a Japanese website, Linnet.  (Wouldn't I love to shop in the actual store!)  The drawings don't look like much here but I loved the photo of No.74 and think No.48 might be cute a little shorter, tunic length, in a light linen or lawn print over a t-shirt and leggings. 

Have I made even one piece of clothing from any of my accumulated patterns?  Go ahead, venture the question. You wouldn't be the first! (Molly among them.)  No, I haven't, but as they say in the commercial, you can't win if you don't play. 

And I'm fully stocked and ready to play.