The quilt top is 83 inches square. Now I will end one year finishing the marking on the outside border and begin the new year by quilting this project. Please let me know what you think. Happy New Year everyone.
Monday, December 29, 2014
Happy New Year
The quilt top is 83 inches square. Now I will end one year finishing the marking on the outside border and begin the new year by quilting this project. Please let me know what you think. Happy New Year everyone.
Friday, December 19, 2014
Still Batting A Thousand
Although it seems like it has been a long time, I heard today from the student I advised on his application essays during the summer. He got in early admission to Bowdoin, his first choice and truly his only choice. I am delighted it worked out for him. The only other student I helped this year won't hear until April because she is applying as a standard admission. While I do not charge any money for my help, my prickly personality and high standards mean that few students ask for my assistance. So there aren't many students each year but over the years every student I have helped has gotten in to his or her first choice. The students who come to me are hard workers with good transcripts; I only have a very small part in the process. It still feels good. The Presidential Scholar student from last year is on break and is coming for a chat on Sunday.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
It's a Snowman Year
We tied a record for high temperature in December yesterday at 58 degrees Fahrenheit. It is very warm, very dry, very unseasonable. But it is December so I decorated last week. This is a snowman year. My collection of snowmen is more varied than my collection of Santas or nutcrackers in many ways but there are almost as many of them. When they are all displayed over shelves and mantel they don't scream, "Maniac lives here!" the way that the nutcrackers seem to. They do take up a little less space since some are very small and most nutcrackers are at least 8 inches tall but they don't seem to stare out in the same way either. We don't have our tree up yet but the Christmas lights and balls are up on the outside and the Christmas quilts are out in force on the inside. Remember this one?
Here are some other Christmas themed quilts from previous years.
And here is a picture of my living room or at least one end of the room. The larger stockings were my family's stockings when I was growing up. The smaller ones represent our pets. Merry Christmas to everyone.
And here is a picture of my living room or at least one end of the room. The larger stockings were my family's stockings when I was growing up. The smaller ones represent our pets. Merry Christmas to everyone.
Saturday, November 29, 2014
One Half of One Border, Very Pretty
It was with a sigh of relief that I moved on from the piecing part of the Bulls Eye quilt to the applique part. Although I don't have a picture of the first, pieced, border it is the same as the pieced border I have seen on so many of these antique quilts. I am not sure what the name is but it is a square set on point within two triangles offset to make a strip. Many of the antique versions use red and yellow (yellow squares within a red background) and since those colors are featured in my pieced rings, that's what I used as well.
In the outside border I broke from tradition to make it straight applique. Most of the pictures I have seen combine various sizes and designs of Mariner's Compass blocks with isolated small floral motifs or simply broad bands of fancy quilting designs. I thought I would honor Indiana further with the state bird and state flower because I much prefer applique to piecing and I didn't think a plain quilted border had the strength to blend with the strongly colored center.
This is about half of one border but you get the idea. Almost all of the colors and almost all of the fabrics are somewhere in the pieced ring. The last flower will wait until the borders are attached and the miters are made and there will be some black embroidery on the birds for the eyes and the feathers near the beak. It is very pleasing to me with its happy colors and pretty design.
In the outside border I broke from tradition to make it straight applique. Most of the pictures I have seen combine various sizes and designs of Mariner's Compass blocks with isolated small floral motifs or simply broad bands of fancy quilting designs. I thought I would honor Indiana further with the state bird and state flower because I much prefer applique to piecing and I didn't think a plain quilted border had the strength to blend with the strongly colored center.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Have a Good Thanksgiving
For only the second time in my 45 year marriage, I am not cooking the Thanksgiving feast. My chef son wanted to make dinner at his house. That's a real surprise since he never cooks for himself if he can help it, not even breakfast. My part is the baked goods--two pies (pumpkin and pecan), Kentucky butter cake, and sweet potato dinner rolls.
Even better is that I don't have to clean the kitchen afterwards. For some reason the kitchen always looks as though there was a food fight and even though my husband does the dishes, I am left polishing and polishing the counters. Why did I ever get shiny black granite?
I hope everyone has a warm and wonderful day with family and friends.
Even better is that I don't have to clean the kitchen afterwards. For some reason the kitchen always looks as though there was a food fight and even though my husband does the dishes, I am left polishing and polishing the counters. Why did I ever get shiny black granite?
I hope everyone has a warm and wonderful day with family and friends.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Romantic Or Macabre? (Not For the Faint of Heart)
When my mother died nearly thirty years ago, there were not as many crematoriums as there are now and there was a back log of "clients". She had always asked for cremation so that her ashes could be transported to Little Peconic Bay on Long Island. She might have lived in Texas but she was damned if she was going to be dead in Texas. She had extracted a promise from me 25 years before when I was very young and of course I agreed. It sounded romantic and fitting to fulfill my mother's last wish. There was a three week delay so I was back in California when my sisters made the arrangements. They told the person they dealt with that because her ashes were to be scattered there was no need for any sort of fancy container, they paid for the cremation and the shipping charges, and I waited in California.
Since the probable time frame was set I wasn't surprised when the mail carrier parked in front and walked up to the door. I was surprised by how heavy the box, labeled in red Human Remains, was and I bobbled it slightly while trying to also grasp the clipboard she held out. She yelled, "Oh, don't drop it!," to which I responded, "I won't. It's my mother." She said, "You knew she was coming?" And I said of course I did. Then she said that everyone at the post office had given her a hard time when she got to work, joking that she was going to have company on her route.
Once inside I got a serrated knife to cut the tape on the box. Now remember that my sisters had said that a fancy container wasn't necessary. Well there's fancy and then there's the paint can that my mother's ashes were in. Not a used paint encrusted one but still one of those empty cans you can get at the home store. I put the can on the mantel and went about my day. When my sons got home from school their eyes were drawn like magnets to the can and they yelled into the next room, "Can we see what it looks like?" Not having a good reason why they couldn't and knowing that my mother, the consummate scientist, would have no objections were she able to talk I said okay but that I wasn't quite ready to see them myself. So they took a beer can opener and pried open the lid. "Hey, Mom, it looks just like kitty litter!"
That was the start of my months long saga with my mother in a can. My husband and I couldn't take off right away and there certainly wasn't any rush. But there were many embarrassing and amusing moments between September and April when we finally flew to New York. Like the time one of the teachers at my sons' elementary school asked me where I had put my mother in front of my youngest son's new teacher. When I answered, "In the hall closet," the poor woman almost fainted. Remember that this was a dented paint can, not an attractive urn so keeping it on the mantel for months where almost anything could happen wasn't an option for me.
We finally made all the arrangements to leave our sons at home and fly east. My husband's brother lived in northern NJ at the time so we were going to stay with him for a couple of days, drive out to Long Island one of those days, then fly back to California. Assuming that everything that I had in mind was illegal, I tried to figure out the best way to accomplish this mission. Since I didn't want to have to explain to anyone why I was carrying a dented paint can around with me, I picked luggage that was big enough to hold the can and the few clothes I would need. Even in the days before 9/11 that might have caused problems. For the same reason I checked the bag but I tapped the top with a hammer before packing.
Well there were no problems on the trip. My brother in law picked us up and we drove to his house. I took my suitcase into the room we would sleep in to unpack. Everyone knows baggage handlers are tough on luggage but I really wasn't prepared for what greeted me when I unzipped the hard side bag. My mother was everywhere. She was in my shoes, my underwear, my pants. You get the picture. I will never know if I got all of her back in the can--I am pretty sure that some got washed in the laundry when I asked my sister in law if I could use her washer.
My mother's family used to own an estate out near Montauk on Little Peconic Bay but I hadn't been there since my grandfather died when I was nine. Once again I was pretty sure that my actions were illegal but I also thought they were pretty harmless. In New York, the shoreline is public so accessing the beach wasn't a big problem but finding it was a little tricky. Since I didn't drive at nine, road directions didn't make much sense and this was way before Google Maps. But getting out to Laurel was pretty simple. Once there I told my husband to find the local post office. I had always volunteered to pick up the mail back in the summers we spent and figured I could find my way back to the house even after all these years. Sure enough, before too long we were at the farm. Now this was always more of a summer residence than a year round one and I hoped this was still true. Getting to the beach was legal but I didn't want to answer any questions. It was April so too early for too many people and I walked down the public stairs and across the beach. With my husband standing right at the high water mark, I walked in to the surf and took out the beer can opener. With tears streaming down my face, I popped the can and started to strew the ashes into the surf. Before I could even say, "Goodbye, Mom," several swans swooped down and ate my mother.
This was a long time ago. I am even more jaded now than I was then but there was very little romantic in fulfilling my mother's last wish. For sure I broke many laws and it was only luck that kept me from ending up in jail.
Since the probable time frame was set I wasn't surprised when the mail carrier parked in front and walked up to the door. I was surprised by how heavy the box, labeled in red Human Remains, was and I bobbled it slightly while trying to also grasp the clipboard she held out. She yelled, "Oh, don't drop it!," to which I responded, "I won't. It's my mother." She said, "You knew she was coming?" And I said of course I did. Then she said that everyone at the post office had given her a hard time when she got to work, joking that she was going to have company on her route.
Once inside I got a serrated knife to cut the tape on the box. Now remember that my sisters had said that a fancy container wasn't necessary. Well there's fancy and then there's the paint can that my mother's ashes were in. Not a used paint encrusted one but still one of those empty cans you can get at the home store. I put the can on the mantel and went about my day. When my sons got home from school their eyes were drawn like magnets to the can and they yelled into the next room, "Can we see what it looks like?" Not having a good reason why they couldn't and knowing that my mother, the consummate scientist, would have no objections were she able to talk I said okay but that I wasn't quite ready to see them myself. So they took a beer can opener and pried open the lid. "Hey, Mom, it looks just like kitty litter!"
That was the start of my months long saga with my mother in a can. My husband and I couldn't take off right away and there certainly wasn't any rush. But there were many embarrassing and amusing moments between September and April when we finally flew to New York. Like the time one of the teachers at my sons' elementary school asked me where I had put my mother in front of my youngest son's new teacher. When I answered, "In the hall closet," the poor woman almost fainted. Remember that this was a dented paint can, not an attractive urn so keeping it on the mantel for months where almost anything could happen wasn't an option for me.
We finally made all the arrangements to leave our sons at home and fly east. My husband's brother lived in northern NJ at the time so we were going to stay with him for a couple of days, drive out to Long Island one of those days, then fly back to California. Assuming that everything that I had in mind was illegal, I tried to figure out the best way to accomplish this mission. Since I didn't want to have to explain to anyone why I was carrying a dented paint can around with me, I picked luggage that was big enough to hold the can and the few clothes I would need. Even in the days before 9/11 that might have caused problems. For the same reason I checked the bag but I tapped the top with a hammer before packing.
Well there were no problems on the trip. My brother in law picked us up and we drove to his house. I took my suitcase into the room we would sleep in to unpack. Everyone knows baggage handlers are tough on luggage but I really wasn't prepared for what greeted me when I unzipped the hard side bag. My mother was everywhere. She was in my shoes, my underwear, my pants. You get the picture. I will never know if I got all of her back in the can--I am pretty sure that some got washed in the laundry when I asked my sister in law if I could use her washer.
My mother's family used to own an estate out near Montauk on Little Peconic Bay but I hadn't been there since my grandfather died when I was nine. Once again I was pretty sure that my actions were illegal but I also thought they were pretty harmless. In New York, the shoreline is public so accessing the beach wasn't a big problem but finding it was a little tricky. Since I didn't drive at nine, road directions didn't make much sense and this was way before Google Maps. But getting out to Laurel was pretty simple. Once there I told my husband to find the local post office. I had always volunteered to pick up the mail back in the summers we spent and figured I could find my way back to the house even after all these years. Sure enough, before too long we were at the farm. Now this was always more of a summer residence than a year round one and I hoped this was still true. Getting to the beach was legal but I didn't want to answer any questions. It was April so too early for too many people and I walked down the public stairs and across the beach. With my husband standing right at the high water mark, I walked in to the surf and took out the beer can opener. With tears streaming down my face, I popped the can and started to strew the ashes into the surf. Before I could even say, "Goodbye, Mom," several swans swooped down and ate my mother.
This was a long time ago. I am even more jaded now than I was then but there was very little romantic in fulfilling my mother's last wish. For sure I broke many laws and it was only luck that kept me from ending up in jail.
Friday, November 21, 2014
Delicious Scones
When I first moved to Utah 23 years ago, I was surprised to see scones on so many menus around town including the local KFC. Then I was doubly surprised to find out that these "scones" were not the buttery baked goods with which I was familiar but more like Navajo frybread--a yeast dough concoction deep fried in hot oil. Now they have their own unique charms but they aren't what I think of as scones. With that in mind, here is my favorite scone recipe but how authentic it is I have no clue.
Preheat oven to 425 F. Use a food processor to do all the mixing. Measure out 3 cups of all purpose unbleached flour, not self-rising and place in the bowl of the food processor. Add 1/3 cup white sugar, two and a half teaspoons baking powder, half a teaspoon baking soda, and a dash of salt. Process briefly to mix, then add all at once 12 tablespoons butter cut into tablespoon size chunks and process until the mixture starts to clump, sort of like pie dough. Then add half a cup or more of raisins or other dried fruit in combination and a cup of buttermilk. Process until the mixture clumps (this doesn't take long at all). Dump out on to a floured board or counter and knead briefly to finalize the blending of ingredients and then pat out into a circle about ten inches in diameter. Cut into eight pie shaped wedges and place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake. At my altitude this takes about 17 minutes but start at 14 and check. You can glaze these with a cream confectioner's sugar mixture or serve unglazed with butter.
Another variation that we sometimes make uses fresh orange zest and juice. Simply add the zest of a fresh orange and the juice of that orange. Put the juice into the measuring cup and add buttermilk to make a cup of liquid. This will vary depending on the juiciness of the orange. Bake as usual.
Preheat oven to 425 F. Use a food processor to do all the mixing. Measure out 3 cups of all purpose unbleached flour, not self-rising and place in the bowl of the food processor. Add 1/3 cup white sugar, two and a half teaspoons baking powder, half a teaspoon baking soda, and a dash of salt. Process briefly to mix, then add all at once 12 tablespoons butter cut into tablespoon size chunks and process until the mixture starts to clump, sort of like pie dough. Then add half a cup or more of raisins or other dried fruit in combination and a cup of buttermilk. Process until the mixture clumps (this doesn't take long at all). Dump out on to a floured board or counter and knead briefly to finalize the blending of ingredients and then pat out into a circle about ten inches in diameter. Cut into eight pie shaped wedges and place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake. At my altitude this takes about 17 minutes but start at 14 and check. You can glaze these with a cream confectioner's sugar mixture or serve unglazed with butter.
Another variation that we sometimes make uses fresh orange zest and juice. Simply add the zest of a fresh orange and the juice of that orange. Put the juice into the measuring cup and add buttermilk to make a cup of liquid. This will vary depending on the juiciness of the orange. Bake as usual.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Pie Crust Reminder
If you haven't tried this already, use iced vodka for the liquid in your pie crust instead of water. Water binds with gluten but alcohol doesn't. This makes the pie crust easier to work with and less likely to toughen up. You will be very surprised and pleased about how crisp and flaky your pie crust will be. I usually just put some ice cubes in a glass and measure a couple of tablespoons of vodka in then measure from there. Try it--you will like it.
Friday, November 14, 2014
First Part of Bulls Eye Quilt
After moaning and groaning through two pieced rounds of the Indiana Bulls Eye, I decided to make an applique border that included symbols of Indiana rather than simply continuing to make bulls eye rings. The peony is the state flower and the cardinal is the state bird so I will add these to an applique border adapted from a Jeana Kimball design, using the same colors as the rings. What comes next is squaring the circle but here is what I have so far, laid out on my kitchen floor (yes, it really is bright blue).
It already lies pretty flat but once it is blocked out with backing and batting it will be very flat. This circle is quite large so the finished quilt will be a decent size though probably not true bed size.
I can't recommend that anyone purchase the pattern I bought. There are so many errors and missing instructions that unless you already have an extensive background in sewing and foundation piecing the pattern won't do you any good. As an example, the instructions for the third plain ring, not shown here, end on page 5 with "then" and when you flip to page 6 there is no more text. The pattern for the first plain ring is missing entirely. Anyway, this isn't for the fainthearted at all and the pattern isn't much help.
I can't recommend that anyone purchase the pattern I bought. There are so many errors and missing instructions that unless you already have an extensive background in sewing and foundation piecing the pattern won't do you any good. As an example, the instructions for the third plain ring, not shown here, end on page 5 with "then" and when you flip to page 6 there is no more text. The pattern for the first plain ring is missing entirely. Anyway, this isn't for the fainthearted at all and the pattern isn't much help.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Long Way Around
A common complaint of high school students about math is that they will never use that information in the future. I think about that many times when making quilts because there are often times when my high school math comes in handy. Right now I am working working on the circumference of a circle with a diameter of 20.5 inches and of a circle with a diameter of 23.5 inches. Practically speaking, making a quilt that grows by ever expanding circles is very different from one that grows by squares or rectangles or rows. I understand why these quilts are less common since the very nature of laying out the pieces is more difficult.
So far I have the center, one white circle, one pieced circle, second white circle. Each addition makes the whole 2PiR numbers change, of course, and it gets longer and longer around. I don't sew circular seams with a machine unless I am making clothing so I guarantee you it is a long way around. I am about a third done with the next pieced ring using colors that were pretty common in about 1880-- bright yellows, pinks, greens, royal blues. When I finish this pieced ring and sew it to the existing assembly I will post a picture. Until then it is "round and round and round she goes...." A circle with a radius of 18 inches at this point.
So far I have the center, one white circle, one pieced circle, second white circle. Each addition makes the whole 2PiR numbers change, of course, and it gets longer and longer around. I don't sew circular seams with a machine unless I am making clothing so I guarantee you it is a long way around. I am about a third done with the next pieced ring using colors that were pretty common in about 1880-- bright yellows, pinks, greens, royal blues. When I finish this pieced ring and sew it to the existing assembly I will post a picture. Until then it is "round and round and round she goes...." A circle with a radius of 18 inches at this point.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Bulls Eye Quilt (Updated with photo)
I don't have any pictures yet, probably tomorrow, but this quilt is going to take some time, even using foundation piecing. I purchased a pattern online, but then found that the patterns and instructions were missing important pieces so I am making adjustments to the pattern. Still, I have the center Mariner's Compass part finished and about half of the first pieced circle done. The antique quilts that I have seen are very brightly colored, featuring pinks and yellows and reds, so my quilt will have similar color directions but I don't think I will put the extra Mariner's Compass blocks in the border. At this point I am thinking of flowers since the center compass is so bright.
I worked for about six hours on the first ring and only got halfway around. That's machine sewing and it still took that long. Now I know why I prefer applique. It isn't that I don't like how pieced quilts look but I don't really like piecing very much.
This will be the center--the bulls eye.
I worked for about six hours on the first ring and only got halfway around. That's machine sewing and it still took that long. Now I know why I prefer applique. It isn't that I don't like how pieced quilts look but I don't really like piecing very much.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Steeler Nation
This was more of a practice exercise than anything else. I can't say I love it but neither do I hate it. My next door neighbor is a crazy Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Maybe this instead of cookies for Christmas.
Of course it only took two weeks from start to finish, even with mostly hand sewing and hand quilting, so I can't expect much. It does show that no one needs to dye fabric to get the appropriate color wash.
My next project will also be pieced but there will be an emphasis on nice quilting too. I am already working on an Indiana Bulls Eye quilt so very old-fashioned design but with mostly batik fabrics in bright colors. The antique original Bulls Eye quilts were very bright colors but usually solids. The two photos I have of two different antique Bulls Eye quilts are different in what happens after the pieced rings with one having quite a bit of applique and one having none. I haven't figured out what I want to do after the center circles but I think I lean toward plainer with fancy quilting.
My next project will also be pieced but there will be an emphasis on nice quilting too. I am already working on an Indiana Bulls Eye quilt so very old-fashioned design but with mostly batik fabrics in bright colors. The antique original Bulls Eye quilts were very bright colors but usually solids. The two photos I have of two different antique Bulls Eye quilts are different in what happens after the pieced rings with one having quite a bit of applique and one having none. I haven't figured out what I want to do after the center circles but I think I lean toward plainer with fancy quilting.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
New Product, New Book
I don't know what the rest of you do with odd pieces of batting and maybe I am way behind the curve but I just used Heat Press tape from Jeanne Harwood Designs to join two smaller pieces of batting into a piece large enough for the small quilt I am currently making. I deliberately placed the tape so that I would have to quilt over it (I am a hand quilter), so that I would have a reasonable test of the product. Well I am sold. Maybe this has been around for a while and I just didn't pay attention but the heat soluble tape works well and is easy to apply, at least on the cotton blend batting I used. I am not big on recommending products but this one is a keeper.
Another recommendation I can make without any reservations is the newest novel from one of my favorite authors, The Children Act, by Ian McEwan. It is quite short (I don't know how many pages since I read it on my Kindle) but very powerful. McEwan's use of language is masterful and the thought provoking ideas he explores always resonate with me. I am still thinking about the various dilemmas posed in this book about children and the law.
Another recommendation I can make without any reservations is the newest novel from one of my favorite authors, The Children Act, by Ian McEwan. It is quite short (I don't know how many pages since I read it on my Kindle) but very powerful. McEwan's use of language is masterful and the thought provoking ideas he explores always resonate with me. I am still thinking about the various dilemmas posed in this book about children and the law.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Make Yourself At Home
I changed out the quilts in the living room today, choosing one from a while ago and one from this year. Several hours passed as both my husband and I went about our day. When I went in to the living room this afternoon to read before finishing dinner preparations my Maine coon cat followed me.
He isn't as mean as he looks in this picture. He loves to have his head rubbed and he loves his "mommy". You can check his kitten picture online in the photo attached to this blog.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Change In The Weather
It was a very wet summer here by any measure. It never got overwhelmingly hot, with only one day at 100F or over, but it has been a fairly warm fall. It isn't unusual for us to have a white Halloween but I don't think that will happen this year. The meteorologists are predicting a couple of cold days--close to freezing tomorrow, but then a warmup. Still there is a good chance of snow next week not this week. I have been putting off getting new tires but I need to get my act together this week. I also have another date with the new dermatologist to get the second skin cancer removed entirely.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Antique Blocks With Modern Pretensions--Anonymous Was A Woman, Of Course (With Pictures)
This is the border and corner that I added with a closer look at the antique squares.You can see that the center/reel section of the original block is asymmetrical. That's where the maker had the most trouble and nearly all the blocks have some problems there. I only point that out to emphasize that even if some of your own blocks are not "perfect", the final product will be all right.
And here is the quilt on our bed. It is about 70 inches square so more of a topper than a full sized quilt.
Friday, October 17, 2014
Nearly Done (Updated)
I have approximately 18 inches of one border, including the corner. left to quilt--two leaves and vines and all the acorns and half inch grid left. Although I cannot predict accurately since I have no idea what else will happen this weekend, the quilting should be done by Monday. Then there is the trimming and the binding but the quilt is very close to complete. I have no idea what I will do with this quilt. I have thought of donating it to a charity auction but after the last donation only made $125 and the individual blocks for this quilt cost me $85 apiece I hesitate.
My next project will be much smaller. When I made my Ties That Bind quilt, I thoroughly enjoyed the hand piecing of the bowtie blocks. So I found a quilt, "Shades of Pratt", by Kay Olivia, that uses bowtie blocks but in a non-traditional format. The original quilt was made with hand-dyed fabrics and I do not do any hand dying at all, but I have found appropriate commercial fabrics to replicate the original. I do intend to machine sew the checked border but if you haven't sewn bowtie blocks by hand you should try it. I found it to be like making origami with the final pull to complete the block almost like magic.
Update: It is Sunday evening and I have made very good progress. I finished the quilting on Saturday. Made the binding today and have already attached the binding on the first pass. Tomorrow I will probably finish the binding though I hate to predict anything. Then attach the hanging sleeve, make and attach a label (I think this one will be very involved), and then get rid of the blue ink lines. Nearly there.
My next project will be much smaller. When I made my Ties That Bind quilt, I thoroughly enjoyed the hand piecing of the bowtie blocks. So I found a quilt, "Shades of Pratt", by Kay Olivia, that uses bowtie blocks but in a non-traditional format. The original quilt was made with hand-dyed fabrics and I do not do any hand dying at all, but I have found appropriate commercial fabrics to replicate the original. I do intend to machine sew the checked border but if you haven't sewn bowtie blocks by hand you should try it. I found it to be like making origami with the final pull to complete the block almost like magic.
Update: It is Sunday evening and I have made very good progress. I finished the quilting on Saturday. Made the binding today and have already attached the binding on the first pass. Tomorrow I will probably finish the binding though I hate to predict anything. Then attach the hanging sleeve, make and attach a label (I think this one will be very involved), and then get rid of the blue ink lines. Nearly there.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Battlefields and Stores
My husband and I just got back from a trip east--a brief stay in NYC for my birthday dinner and then picked up a car to drive to Gettysburg. The trip to Gettysburg had two purposes--to see the battlefield and to visit antique stores in the area. We spent two nights in NYC, had dinner at Saul in Brooklyn. We used to go to Saul at least twice a year because the food was just so fantastic. Then they moved to the Brooklyn Museum of Art last year and this was our first visit to the new location. The food was still amazing and the manager and staff were so nice--champagne, oysters, and port gratis as a gift for my birthday. That was in addition to the tasting menu.
The trip to Gettysburg was nice, the very beginning of fall color showing on the trees. Some parts of northern New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania can compete with anywhere in the world for lush landscape. We stayed at a B&B in Hanover, Pennsylvania. the Sheppard Mansion, one that I would not recommend to anyone. The house is not in very good shape and has a very funny smell. It was also odd that the manager/housekeeper didn't do any room cleaning so after three days our trash cans were full of all sorts of debris including the coffee grinds from the in-room coffee maker. The little town is quite depressing, boarded up stores and obvious signs of economic distress.That sounds terrible but there is still industry in the town--Snyder's of Hanover snack food and several other potato chip manufacturers--but for whatever reason the historic center of town has been allowed to disintegrate.
To top all that off, this was specifically a visit to Gettysburg, about ten miles away, and the B&B had Confederate flags and pictures of Robert E. Lee on display. Of course people always say that Pennsylvania is Philadelphia and Pittsburgh separated by Appalachia but my husband and I found the display off-putting. We did enjoy our visits to Gettysburg. We went two days in a row because it would simply be too much to try to see it all in one day. No matter how much one reads about the battle, seeing the terrain makes it more real. We did it all from the museum display to the ranger walk and can highly recommend a visit if US history is an interest.
What would be hard to recommend is the selection of quilts at some of the antique stores in New Oxford. Yes, there were some genuine older quilts on display and for sale, none particularly noteworthy or anything. But there were some new ones mixed in and not marked as new. At first I didn't pay attention but when I started seeing the same fabrics over and over again at multiple stores, then I started looking more closely. It is perfectly all right for a quilter to sell new quilts but when they get mixed together with older ones and without identifying information I have a problem with the store's honesty.
The trip to Gettysburg was nice, the very beginning of fall color showing on the trees. Some parts of northern New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania can compete with anywhere in the world for lush landscape. We stayed at a B&B in Hanover, Pennsylvania. the Sheppard Mansion, one that I would not recommend to anyone. The house is not in very good shape and has a very funny smell. It was also odd that the manager/housekeeper didn't do any room cleaning so after three days our trash cans were full of all sorts of debris including the coffee grinds from the in-room coffee maker. The little town is quite depressing, boarded up stores and obvious signs of economic distress.That sounds terrible but there is still industry in the town--Snyder's of Hanover snack food and several other potato chip manufacturers--but for whatever reason the historic center of town has been allowed to disintegrate.
To top all that off, this was specifically a visit to Gettysburg, about ten miles away, and the B&B had Confederate flags and pictures of Robert E. Lee on display. Of course people always say that Pennsylvania is Philadelphia and Pittsburgh separated by Appalachia but my husband and I found the display off-putting. We did enjoy our visits to Gettysburg. We went two days in a row because it would simply be too much to try to see it all in one day. No matter how much one reads about the battle, seeing the terrain makes it more real. We did it all from the museum display to the ranger walk and can highly recommend a visit if US history is an interest.
What would be hard to recommend is the selection of quilts at some of the antique stores in New Oxford. Yes, there were some genuine older quilts on display and for sale, none particularly noteworthy or anything. But there were some new ones mixed in and not marked as new. At first I didn't pay attention but when I started seeing the same fabrics over and over again at multiple stores, then I started looking more closely. It is perfectly all right for a quilter to sell new quilts but when they get mixed together with older ones and without identifying information I have a problem with the store's honesty.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Good Decision
Last week I had an appointment with a new dermatologist. Even though I have already been to my previous dermatologist three times this year I thought I better get the process started with a new one since the first one was proven to be incompetent or nearly so. The new guy did the full body map as necessary to start treatment. That was one reason I had delayed since any new guy was starting off with terra incognita. Well it was a good decision to switch doctors.
I had a few actinic keratoses frozen last week AND the doc took a biopsy of a suspicious spot, one that my previous doctor had dismissed. I just got the call saying that it was squamous cell but luckily small enough that there will be no need for the full-on surgical routine I had in August. Sure--it isn't melanoma but two inch incisions are never fun and squamous cell carcinomas do metastasize.
I had a few actinic keratoses frozen last week AND the doc took a biopsy of a suspicious spot, one that my previous doctor had dismissed. I just got the call saying that it was squamous cell but luckily small enough that there will be no need for the full-on surgical routine I had in August. Sure--it isn't melanoma but two inch incisions are never fun and squamous cell carcinomas do metastasize.
Monday, October 6, 2014
Historic Day
Today the Supreme Court declined the petition to hear the appeals of the federal decisions that allow same sex marriage in several states. The practical effect is to make same sex marriage legal in the five states in the recent decisions including Utah where I live. Back in December when the original federal decision was issued, several friends were among the 1200 plus couples to legally wed as I noted at the time. I spent many years working for other areas of lgbt rights and recognition. I was the coach of the local lgbt swimming team, President of International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics, and a voting delegate of the Federation of Gay Games, popularly called the gay Olympics though that term was prohibited by the Supreme Court. I swam in the Gay Games in Sydney, Australia and even won the first gold medal in swimming of that major event by swimming in Ian Thorpe's lane to win the 400 meter freestyle in record time, the first of my five golds from the meet.
My husband and I are beneficiaries of previous court rulings that allow mixed race marriage. I am also someone who has gone through various types of discrimination including being disowned by my paternal grandmother when I married my husband and ostracized by several members of my mother's family for that same marriage. If the United States wants to be a nation of laws, then those laws need to be applied equally and rationally.
So same sex marriage is legal in Utah--hell has not frozen over and pigs aren't flying though a couple of moronic legislators have already proposed instituting two levels of marriage in Utah--religiously recognized marriage and something they are calling "pairage". Feel free to laugh out loud at that.
My husband and I are beneficiaries of previous court rulings that allow mixed race marriage. I am also someone who has gone through various types of discrimination including being disowned by my paternal grandmother when I married my husband and ostracized by several members of my mother's family for that same marriage. If the United States wants to be a nation of laws, then those laws need to be applied equally and rationally.
So same sex marriage is legal in Utah--hell has not frozen over and pigs aren't flying though a couple of moronic legislators have already proposed instituting two levels of marriage in Utah--religiously recognized marriage and something they are calling "pairage". Feel free to laugh out loud at that.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Serendipity
Our yard is very small but we decided when we moved in that we didn't want any lawn at all so most of what we have is planted with either decorative plants or productive plants with numerous trees. A couple of years ago I found some fingerling potatoes in my pantry that were just sprouting so rather than throw them away I planted them against our south fence. Most years I simply ignore them but this spring I marked where the plant shoots were so that I could find them come harvest time. Today I dug out a whole bucket of potatoes. I even left some in the ground for next year but I still ended up with a huge pile of potatoes.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Colder Weather, Changing Menus
One of my husband's college roommates told us that his mother made meals according to a rigid schedule--if it's Tuesday it's meatloaf sort of idea. So there were only seven different meals in his house and no surprises or changes. Now that would make for easy planning and shopping but it isn't the way I want to cook or eat.
Even when my sons were little we planned together as a group. Every Tuesday we would make a menu for the week. Everyone got to request a favorite and as the boys got older they began to ask for meals they had heard or read about. So if one night one brother asked for the meatloaf that another brother really didn't like, on another night the disgruntled brother would get his meal. This also made planning and shopping much easier which naturally meant it was cheaper as well since there weren't any surprise trips to the store. My sons learned to take advantage of seasonal items and they all three turned out to be interested in good meals and family dining.
Well my husband and I still make the weekly menu and we still pay attention to the seasons. Four days ago, the daily high temperature was about 90 F. Today the high is about 50 F. It's also very grey and damp. Tonight we are having my version of Catalan chicken and the menu for this week has swiss steak and goulash on it.
Catalan Chicken My Way(For Two But Easily Multiplied)
Chicken parts cut up (I happened to have one very large chicken breast that I split in two but drumsticks, or thighs in sufficient quantity for two people is fine)
Fresh shallots sliced lengthwise into thin pieces (2)
Fresh thyme (small handful)
Dry white wine (1/2 cup)
Chicken broth (1 cup)
Raisins (1/2 cup)
Pine-nuts (1/2 cup)
Fresh tomatoes (2 chopped) or 14 ounce chopped tomatoes
Some flour, salt, and pepper to dredge the chicken
Salt and pepper to taste
Put a little olive oil in a saucepan. Dredge the chicken pieces in some seasoned flour and brown on all sides in the oil. That should take about four minutes on a side. Remove chicken from the pan and add the sliced shallots to the pan. Cook these until they are softened. Throw in a small handful, perhaps a tablespoon chopped, of fresh thyme. When you can smell that nicely as it heats up put in some raisins and some pine-nuts, stir briefly and then add two tomatoes cut in to pieces and stir around. Add about half a cup of white wine and cook until the wine is reduced a little. Stir in one cup of chicken broth and then add the chicken pieces back. Bring to a simmer and then cover and turn to low and cook for 30 to 45 minutes. Chicken thighs take longer than breasts. Toward the end of the cooking time check the seasoning and check to see if the resulting sauce is thick enough for your taste. The Catalan method of thickening is to add a combination of olive oil, breadcrumbs, and ground toasted pine-nuts but if it is thick enough for you just serve that on the side. We usually make a little couscous and a green salad or green vegetable to go with this. In Spain rabbit is more common in this dish and often prunes are used instead of raisins.
Even when my sons were little we planned together as a group. Every Tuesday we would make a menu for the week. Everyone got to request a favorite and as the boys got older they began to ask for meals they had heard or read about. So if one night one brother asked for the meatloaf that another brother really didn't like, on another night the disgruntled brother would get his meal. This also made planning and shopping much easier which naturally meant it was cheaper as well since there weren't any surprise trips to the store. My sons learned to take advantage of seasonal items and they all three turned out to be interested in good meals and family dining.
Well my husband and I still make the weekly menu and we still pay attention to the seasons. Four days ago, the daily high temperature was about 90 F. Today the high is about 50 F. It's also very grey and damp. Tonight we are having my version of Catalan chicken and the menu for this week has swiss steak and goulash on it.
Catalan Chicken My Way(For Two But Easily Multiplied)
Chicken parts cut up (I happened to have one very large chicken breast that I split in two but drumsticks, or thighs in sufficient quantity for two people is fine)
Fresh shallots sliced lengthwise into thin pieces (2)
Fresh thyme (small handful)
Dry white wine (1/2 cup)
Chicken broth (1 cup)
Raisins (1/2 cup)
Pine-nuts (1/2 cup)
Fresh tomatoes (2 chopped) or 14 ounce chopped tomatoes
Some flour, salt, and pepper to dredge the chicken
Salt and pepper to taste
Put a little olive oil in a saucepan. Dredge the chicken pieces in some seasoned flour and brown on all sides in the oil. That should take about four minutes on a side. Remove chicken from the pan and add the sliced shallots to the pan. Cook these until they are softened. Throw in a small handful, perhaps a tablespoon chopped, of fresh thyme. When you can smell that nicely as it heats up put in some raisins and some pine-nuts, stir briefly and then add two tomatoes cut in to pieces and stir around. Add about half a cup of white wine and cook until the wine is reduced a little. Stir in one cup of chicken broth and then add the chicken pieces back. Bring to a simmer and then cover and turn to low and cook for 30 to 45 minutes. Chicken thighs take longer than breasts. Toward the end of the cooking time check the seasoning and check to see if the resulting sauce is thick enough for your taste. The Catalan method of thickening is to add a combination of olive oil, breadcrumbs, and ground toasted pine-nuts but if it is thick enough for you just serve that on the side. We usually make a little couscous and a green salad or green vegetable to go with this. In Spain rabbit is more common in this dish and often prunes are used instead of raisins.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
'Fraidy Cat Dog (Updated With Photo)
My bluetick coonhound, Watson, was abandoned when he was young. From what we know he was purchased to be a hunting dog by some wealthy man up in Park City. Since Watson, though easily led by his nose like all hounds, would not hunt, he was turned out of the kennel in the middle of winter to fend for himself (and presumably die in the process). Someone found him starving in the snow and brought him to a shelter from which we adopted him. We don't know for sure how old he is though the vet's estimate is that he was around two when we acquired him. He had never been housebroken, never learned to negotiate stairs, never been inside a house. Given all of that he has turned out remarkably well. He is smart and gentle and quite loving even to our cats, especially the Maine coon cat who adores him. But he has a whole raft of phobias and neuroses that probably come from his time on his own, though they could simply be part of his personality. He is terrified of sprinklers, mailboxes, men in white hats, and as we have learned lately thunderstorms. This summer and now fall has been unusually stormy for Utah, rolling thunderstorms with dramatic lightning at least once a week. Living in the high desert, we never begrudge the water but the dog is scared to death. So I have been up since 4 am when the dog came to my door shivering and shaking and asking to be comforted. At my age I didn't expect to be an active hands-on "mother" but my 'fraidy cat dog needs me.
One of my favorite poets, the late Maxine Kumin, wrote about her adopted coonhound Virgil, ending the poem with the following:
He longs for love with all his poet’s soul.
His eyebrows make him look intelligent.
We save our choicest food scraps for his bowl.
That's Watson with our rat terrier Tucker.
One of my favorite poets, the late Maxine Kumin, wrote about her adopted coonhound Virgil, ending the poem with the following:
He longs for love with all his poet’s soul.
His eyebrows make him look intelligent.
We save our choicest food scraps for his bowl.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Pointers For AP Literature Students
While the works of literature vary, the prompts have similarities that students need to understand. There are three prompts on the AP exam. The first two focus on a designated work, perhaps a short story or an excerpt from a longer work, perhaps a single poem, perhaps two poems to read and compare. The third essay is called the open prompt because the work is open to the student. Lists of works that fit the idea are given but the student chooses which work is discussed.
No matter what else a prompt asks, a central notion in all prompts is the skill of the author. So if a prompt's topic is characterization (a common focus), at least part of the prompt is about how the author uses characterization to magnify the message of the story. Authors make characters likeable or detestable, sympathetic or distasteful for reasons relating to narrative and meaning.
In the open prompts an idea is presented. The student is asked to consider the idea in relation to a specific work of literature and then using that as context, discuss how the author uses X to enhance meaning. Simply discussing the original idea, even demonstrating the author's skill at portraying whatever the idea is, will not satisfy the prompt. The essays I am scoring today question the notion of "moral ambiguity." The text the students read is Crime and Punishment. Most of the students are using Raskolnikov as the character who displays moral ambiguity. Where they show weakness is only discussing Raskolnikov's issues without connecting them to the broader idea of how this moral ambiguity is used by Dostoevsky to make a point.
So if you have a student in AP Literature or in a preparatory class for AP Literature, make sure the student understands the ideas of context and argument.
No matter what else a prompt asks, a central notion in all prompts is the skill of the author. So if a prompt's topic is characterization (a common focus), at least part of the prompt is about how the author uses characterization to magnify the message of the story. Authors make characters likeable or detestable, sympathetic or distasteful for reasons relating to narrative and meaning.
In the open prompts an idea is presented. The student is asked to consider the idea in relation to a specific work of literature and then using that as context, discuss how the author uses X to enhance meaning. Simply discussing the original idea, even demonstrating the author's skill at portraying whatever the idea is, will not satisfy the prompt. The essays I am scoring today question the notion of "moral ambiguity." The text the students read is Crime and Punishment. Most of the students are using Raskolnikov as the character who displays moral ambiguity. Where they show weakness is only discussing Raskolnikov's issues without connecting them to the broader idea of how this moral ambiguity is used by Dostoevsky to make a point.
So if you have a student in AP Literature or in a preparatory class for AP Literature, make sure the student understands the ideas of context and argument.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Pansies
Today I got two flats of pansies and three bearded iris corms. We have matching stone planters on either side of our front steps and I usually have pansies in the fall, winter, spring, and then sweet potato vines in the summer. After a long winter it's nice to have flowers that simply are there. Last year I planted a couple hundred tulips (never enough) but I just am not feeling that energetic this year. Of course it is still quite warm here so perhaps the weather is disinspiring me. I don't think that's a real word and won't even live as a neologism but it's how I feel right now.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Monday Rambles
I was shifting quilts around today, moving the very summery ones to the princess bed and bringing out more fall colored and themed. One nice aspect of having my stack is rediscovering quilts. If I haven't seen them for a while it is like rediscovering lost treasures. I get the same feeling when I bring out the Christmas decorations. This year it will be Santa Claus not nutcrackers except for the family nutcrackers.
The New York Times has an opinion column today (9/22) about the problems students from poor backgrounds have going to college at all let alone going to the top schools. Not all of my students are from modest backgrounds but I do worry about them finding their niche. Even coming from middle class families is a stark change from the trust fund babies. Some perform very well, working toward goals and taking advantage of the opportunities and some just plod along. I haven't had any dropouts yet but there have been several who have changed their ideas of reasonable career goals because they are intimidated by their classmates. The ones who irk me the most are the ones who end up choosing finance as a career goal. It certainly isn't that I resent the rich and since my husband has an MBA from Wharton it isn't business as a career. But so much of the market these days seems based on greed alone, on money as a product, that I find making money just to make money distasteful. Of course my husband's career has always been in some form of manufacturing so there is always a product and my own goals are very product oriented or process intense. Perhaps if I thought of developing financial algorithms as a process like solving a puzzle I would find it less reprehensible.
My former student, the Vietnamese refugee, is now a sophomore at Harvard. She has stayed in touch so I know more or less how she is doing. Her original career goal was medicine but her favorite class freshman year was expository writing. She even got a position on the Harvard Crimson. On top of that she had a lifelong dream fulfilled because she spent time in Paris this summer taking a class, paid for by Harvard. Hard work has certainly led to major rewards for her.
The New York Times has an opinion column today (9/22) about the problems students from poor backgrounds have going to college at all let alone going to the top schools. Not all of my students are from modest backgrounds but I do worry about them finding their niche. Even coming from middle class families is a stark change from the trust fund babies. Some perform very well, working toward goals and taking advantage of the opportunities and some just plod along. I haven't had any dropouts yet but there have been several who have changed their ideas of reasonable career goals because they are intimidated by their classmates. The ones who irk me the most are the ones who end up choosing finance as a career goal. It certainly isn't that I resent the rich and since my husband has an MBA from Wharton it isn't business as a career. But so much of the market these days seems based on greed alone, on money as a product, that I find making money just to make money distasteful. Of course my husband's career has always been in some form of manufacturing so there is always a product and my own goals are very product oriented or process intense. Perhaps if I thought of developing financial algorithms as a process like solving a puzzle I would find it less reprehensible.
My former student, the Vietnamese refugee, is now a sophomore at Harvard. She has stayed in touch so I know more or less how she is doing. Her original career goal was medicine but her favorite class freshman year was expository writing. She even got a position on the Harvard Crimson. On top of that she had a lifelong dream fulfilled because she spent time in Paris this summer taking a class, paid for by Harvard. Hard work has certainly led to major rewards for her.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Middle Section Quilted, Essay Done
I finished the middle section of the quilt today. Because I quilt in a 16 inch hoop there are small areas where I have begun the border quilting. The inner grid is 3/4 inch square and the outer grid is 1/4 inch. That doesn't sound like much but the amount of stitching involved is much greater. One small part of the outer border took two days. If you look back at the previous photos, the "V's" created by the vine, both upward facing and downward facing take about six or seven hours.
The young man whose mother is hovering finally finished his essay and got all his recommendations and transcripts lined up. I don't want anyone to think that I don't like parents but if your kids leave home they need to be able to leave home with confidence. Helping them too much, thinking they cannot do it without you, demeans them.
I have one more student so far asking for help this application season. Her parents didn't go to college. She is very unsure. I hope I can build her confidence without becoming a crutch.
The young man whose mother is hovering finally finished his essay and got all his recommendations and transcripts lined up. I don't want anyone to think that I don't like parents but if your kids leave home they need to be able to leave home with confidence. Helping them too much, thinking they cannot do it without you, demeans them.
I have one more student so far asking for help this application season. Her parents didn't go to college. She is very unsure. I hope I can build her confidence without becoming a crutch.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
New Book
Just got a new quilting book delivered. "Four Centuries of Quilts, the Colonial Williamsburg Collection," is marvelous. Not only are there beautiful pictures of the wide variety of quilts in the collection, but there are very good line drawings of the quilting patterns for many of the quilts. You know how sometimes it is hard to see how a quilt is quilted from the photo? That problem is solved very nicely with the line drawings. And the quilts are beautifully photographed and presented. Beyond that there is a wealth of historical information about fabric, quilting, industry, etc. I am impressed by the care that went in to this book.
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Yet Another Cautionary Tale
My sutures were pulled yesterday, leaving me with a two inch scar. My previous squamous cell lesions were small, treated with more of a sharp scoop, so this scalpel, scoop, cauterization, suture treatment came as a shock. Several years ago I had a surgical biopsy of a breast lump and there were similarities including feeling like road kill being tugged at by crows. As a cook I understand how to use a knife so my imagination gets carried away when I feel muscle being separated from skin and other tissue.
Anyway, if I haven't totally driven readers away, you should pay attention. More people die of squamous cell carcinoma every year than die of melanoma. Sure, that manipulates the statistics but squamous cell is far more common and should never simply be ignored. I didn't ignore it--my doctor did.
Anyway, if I haven't totally driven readers away, you should pay attention. More people die of squamous cell carcinoma every year than die of melanoma. Sure, that manipulates the statistics but squamous cell is far more common and should never simply be ignored. I didn't ignore it--my doctor did.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
More Helicopter Parenting
At the beginning of the summer I was contacted by a neighbor whose son was to start senior year so he was also thinking about college applications. I agreed to read his college essays but when the first versions came to me, I immediately emailed back since the common application prompt he responded to was the prompt from last year. I asked him if he was sure that was the correct prompt since the same one had not been used two years in a row before and also since it was still a little before the new prompt was published in years past. His mother responded that it was the correct prompt.
Now that should have been my first clue that something was amiss since the question went to the son but the answer came from the mother. The other fly in the ointment was that these folks who had never dealt with the common application before assumed they knew all about it. But I went through the process of reading the essay and making suggestions for a rewrite. Like many students, he simply wanted to list all of his accomplishments rather than write an essay with an overarching theme. I pointed that out and told him he would have to rewrite the entire essay, keeping in mind that the prompt asked a specific question and his transcript would accompany his application so he didn't need to list all the courses he had taken. His mother showed up on my doorstep a couple of days later. I have lived here for about eight years now and she had never been to my house before so you can imagine my thoughts. But I answered her questions, gave specific reasons for my previous instructions and sent her on her way. The young man's next attempt was much better but was way over the word limit so I suggested ways to shorten it, emphasizing that any language that did not advance the theme was unnecessary. The third essay was fine and that was that, or so I thought.
My suspicions about the common ap prompt proved correct and the student realized he had to write an entirely new essay on an entirely new topic. Luckily since the previous effort was written in summer and he had no way of getting the transcripts or recommendation letters sent he wasn't completely embarrassed by his unwarranted assumption. Still, listening to me would have been a good idea. Anyway, the first attempt at the new essay was pretty bad. Once again it was a list of accomplishments and events without any connection so when he complained that he couldn't figure out a conclusion I pointed out that this was because he didn't have an argument or theme to conclude. I suggested that he approach the idea differently and a couple of days later I had a new version in my email. This was much better and he even seemed to have learned a few things from the previous essay experience so the next suggestions were relatively simple and he sent an edited copy the next day, one that more or less passed my critical eye. He asked if he could come over to discuss this final version and we set a date. Lo and behold he and his mother showed up. She promised to keep her mouth shut but that was far from what happened. Still the young man and I discussed his essay, made two very minor changes, and I bade them farewell while also telling him that the worst thing he could do at this point would be to poke and prod at this essay.
So imagine my surprise and horror when the next day another essay showed up in my inbox, a truly dreadful essay that reflected all the comments the mother had made. I went through this version putting commentary in parentheses after each ridiculous entry and sent it back, telling him at the same time that there was nothing in the new version that improved on the previous one but that it was his choice which version to use. He wrote back saying that he agreed with me but that he couldn't find the final draft of the "good" essay (?) so could I please send it.
Do I think either of these people is ready for the son to go to college? There is sort of a delicious irony to it, though, since this year's common application prompt asks how or why did the student reach maturity. I often wonder if they would listen better if I charged money. I saw in the paper this morning that some people who do what I do charge more than $500 an hour. I am free.
Now that should have been my first clue that something was amiss since the question went to the son but the answer came from the mother. The other fly in the ointment was that these folks who had never dealt with the common application before assumed they knew all about it. But I went through the process of reading the essay and making suggestions for a rewrite. Like many students, he simply wanted to list all of his accomplishments rather than write an essay with an overarching theme. I pointed that out and told him he would have to rewrite the entire essay, keeping in mind that the prompt asked a specific question and his transcript would accompany his application so he didn't need to list all the courses he had taken. His mother showed up on my doorstep a couple of days later. I have lived here for about eight years now and she had never been to my house before so you can imagine my thoughts. But I answered her questions, gave specific reasons for my previous instructions and sent her on her way. The young man's next attempt was much better but was way over the word limit so I suggested ways to shorten it, emphasizing that any language that did not advance the theme was unnecessary. The third essay was fine and that was that, or so I thought.
My suspicions about the common ap prompt proved correct and the student realized he had to write an entirely new essay on an entirely new topic. Luckily since the previous effort was written in summer and he had no way of getting the transcripts or recommendation letters sent he wasn't completely embarrassed by his unwarranted assumption. Still, listening to me would have been a good idea. Anyway, the first attempt at the new essay was pretty bad. Once again it was a list of accomplishments and events without any connection so when he complained that he couldn't figure out a conclusion I pointed out that this was because he didn't have an argument or theme to conclude. I suggested that he approach the idea differently and a couple of days later I had a new version in my email. This was much better and he even seemed to have learned a few things from the previous essay experience so the next suggestions were relatively simple and he sent an edited copy the next day, one that more or less passed my critical eye. He asked if he could come over to discuss this final version and we set a date. Lo and behold he and his mother showed up. She promised to keep her mouth shut but that was far from what happened. Still the young man and I discussed his essay, made two very minor changes, and I bade them farewell while also telling him that the worst thing he could do at this point would be to poke and prod at this essay.
So imagine my surprise and horror when the next day another essay showed up in my inbox, a truly dreadful essay that reflected all the comments the mother had made. I went through this version putting commentary in parentheses after each ridiculous entry and sent it back, telling him at the same time that there was nothing in the new version that improved on the previous one but that it was his choice which version to use. He wrote back saying that he agreed with me but that he couldn't find the final draft of the "good" essay (?) so could I please send it.
Do I think either of these people is ready for the son to go to college? There is sort of a delicious irony to it, though, since this year's common application prompt asks how or why did the student reach maturity. I often wonder if they would listen better if I charged money. I saw in the paper this morning that some people who do what I do charge more than $500 an hour. I am free.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Skin Cancer Surgery
I was an age group swimmer in south Texas, spent most of my time outdoors. My ethnic heritage is Irish and German for the most part, northern European in toto, so I have fair skin. Well now I am paying the price. I have been relatively lucky since I haven't had any melanoma scares but I have had a mix of squamous cell and basal cell cancers removed from my arms and today from my upper chest. Although I am still not freaked out about this, the removal was far more invasive than any of my previous lesions. Today's procedure involved multiple local anesthetic injections, an incision about two inches long, a decent amount of tissue removal, and a bunch of sutures. I go back in two weeks to have the sutures removed. I visit the dermatologist every six months and he didn't say anything back in February but he did seem confident that the procedure was complete. The wages of sin--or in this case the wages of sun.
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Longer Nights, Shorter Days
Because my husband and I walk our dogs early each day regardless of the weather or the season, we are attuned to the changes from the earth's orbit, the sun, and the moon. We don't have the truly long dark nights that we experienced in Ireland but the mornings are dark again. Cooler mornings are nice for walking but darker mornings make it hard for our aging terrier to chase the ball or the Frisbee. The coonhound doesn't play games, but he doesn't like hot weather either so he seems more eager to walk. Of course as a hound he is led by his nose so there is a lot of stop and start walking no matter the weather. His paws are well suited to most terrains except ice.
I started quilting the Anonymous quilt today. No fancy designs but the grid pattern will take a long time. I use a 16" hoop, beginning in the middle of the quilt, and didn't even finish one hoop worth though I spent a few hours at it. That's all right. The antique blocks have been waiting 170 years to be made into a quilt so there has never been a deadline. I don't know what I will do with this once I am done. It is probably too fragile to be layered with the dozens of other quilts on the Princess and the Pea bed.
This photo was in another blog entry but that's what the Princess and the Pea bed looks like although in my house it is the Prince bed since all my pets are male. That's Max along with far too many books and far too many quilts, including those on the right waiting to be put back on the bed.
I started quilting the Anonymous quilt today. No fancy designs but the grid pattern will take a long time. I use a 16" hoop, beginning in the middle of the quilt, and didn't even finish one hoop worth though I spent a few hours at it. That's all right. The antique blocks have been waiting 170 years to be made into a quilt so there has never been a deadline. I don't know what I will do with this once I am done. It is probably too fragile to be layered with the dozens of other quilts on the Princess and the Pea bed.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Basting Begins
I finished the applique a couple of days ago and inked my inscription in the center square. Now I am basting the sandwich together. In my old house that was easier because I had a large landing used as a study/library space on the second floor. If you look at the blog entry titled Denna's Quilt it is the space behind me. There I didn't have to move any furniture and the space was big enough to baste even a queen sized quilt. Nothing in that house came in anything less than XL. In my little bungalow I have to choose between moving the furniture in the living room or moving the furniture in the dining room. There's something about the pile on the antique Chinese rug, a family heirloom (or hand me down depending on how one looks at it), that makes keeping the quilt sandwich stable while basting easier so that's usually the space I choose.
Nothing fancy in the quilting. There is a 3/4 inch square grid in the center part and a 1/2 inch square grid in the outside border. Lots and lots of lines but the hand quilting is my favorite part. The basting will take a couple of days so my living room will be out of commission until at least Sunday. I am too old to tailor sit and baste for hours at a time now. After about four lines of sewing I have to get up and relieve my back.
Monday, August 11, 2014
One Last Corner
I am going to finish the applique on the current quilt top today. Although I haven't finalized my thoughts about the quilting I thought I might add some trapunto accents in the outside border. That's one reason to learn new techniques or perfect (who is ever perfect?) others. Then you have more options when you work on your next project. The various accents and techniques that quilters in the past took for granted have to be relearned. I saw a quilt in a book once that had handmade silk braiding, cording, stuffed work, reverse applique, you name it. The quilter was supposed to be only 16 when she made the quilt. My mother's hobbies were cleaning and playing bridge so I had absolutely no example or instruction when I started.
Friday, August 8, 2014
Moving Along
I started sewing the borders on to the quilt body yesterday. So far I have one and a third sides applied. Once I get all four sewn on I will miter the corners and then finish the applique. I also inked my inscription in the center square. I have a bizarre sense of humor so writing, "Anonymous Was A Woman," on a very traditional quilt tickles my subversive funny bone. I went to Bryn Mawr where they didn't even teach art because "working" with one's hands was considered demeaning to women. Under that logic it is admirable to write about quilts but not to make quilts.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Quilts Matter
On more than one occasion, as I work on either a reproduction quilt (see the Gallery pages on this blog) or a quilt in the spirit of an antique, I think about the impact on life that quilts have. It's amusing to me that my two major leisure activities include so much time for contemplation, since swimming, especially the long distances I favor, allows the mind to wander or focus as the consciousness dictates.
When I made my version of the Bird of Paradise quilt, I considered the anonymous woman who made that original masterwork. My own view of the quilt changed as I drew the designs for each square, trying to be as faithful as I could to what I could see in the miniscule photo I was using. I saw things in that quilt top that I never saw mentioned in the didactic information in the quilt books. This woman was a naturalist, cutting flowers and leaves to mimic the real flowers and leaves around her. The elephant was a little clunky but trying to stuff an elephant in a 14 inch square block isn't easy. It's possible to differentiate the rose leaves from the chestnut leaves on the quilt and each bird with eggs has eggs of the correct color. The layout is similar to the European wall decorations that I most recently saw at Fontainebleau with an inner design surrounded by a vertically oriented leafy design spread over several blocks. Then she added the mostly horizontally oriented band with the accurate depictions of racehorses. The elephant trainer has a heart embroidered on his fancy uniform. The photos that nearly always accompany any text about the quilt show newspaper patterns but the patterns are not found in the quilt--the woman is quite different in the fabric version and of course the man doesn't show at all. That doesn't mean that she didn't cut these newspaper patterns but that she altered her ideas as she worked.
But this unknown applique artist made something that is memorable and treasured, even though she never finished it. Her needlework skills are admirable as are her design skills and her awareness of her world. Quilting has been around for several thousand years. Right now more money in the US is spent on quilting and quilting materials than on golf and fishing combined so quilting drives economic growth as well. The Industrial Revolution would have been vastly different if the production of fabric had not been a focus of technology. Without the waste product of chlorine gas that the process of making stable green dye provided, the first world war would have taken a different course.
So quilts and their makers have always had an impact on their immediate surroundings and families, but they have also had an impact on history. Even though most of the quilt makers of the past remain anonymous, quilts matter.
When I made my version of the Bird of Paradise quilt, I considered the anonymous woman who made that original masterwork. My own view of the quilt changed as I drew the designs for each square, trying to be as faithful as I could to what I could see in the miniscule photo I was using. I saw things in that quilt top that I never saw mentioned in the didactic information in the quilt books. This woman was a naturalist, cutting flowers and leaves to mimic the real flowers and leaves around her. The elephant was a little clunky but trying to stuff an elephant in a 14 inch square block isn't easy. It's possible to differentiate the rose leaves from the chestnut leaves on the quilt and each bird with eggs has eggs of the correct color. The layout is similar to the European wall decorations that I most recently saw at Fontainebleau with an inner design surrounded by a vertically oriented leafy design spread over several blocks. Then she added the mostly horizontally oriented band with the accurate depictions of racehorses. The elephant trainer has a heart embroidered on his fancy uniform. The photos that nearly always accompany any text about the quilt show newspaper patterns but the patterns are not found in the quilt--the woman is quite different in the fabric version and of course the man doesn't show at all. That doesn't mean that she didn't cut these newspaper patterns but that she altered her ideas as she worked.
But this unknown applique artist made something that is memorable and treasured, even though she never finished it. Her needlework skills are admirable as are her design skills and her awareness of her world. Quilting has been around for several thousand years. Right now more money in the US is spent on quilting and quilting materials than on golf and fishing combined so quilting drives economic growth as well. The Industrial Revolution would have been vastly different if the production of fabric had not been a focus of technology. Without the waste product of chlorine gas that the process of making stable green dye provided, the first world war would have taken a different course.
So quilts and their makers have always had an impact on their immediate surroundings and families, but they have also had an impact on history. Even though most of the quilt makers of the past remain anonymous, quilts matter.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Border and Corner
I have completed three of the four borders of the newest project. Once I get the fourth one done I can attach them to the center and miter the corners. Below is what everything looks like now, unsewn, with my idea for the corner treatment inserted.
The leaf is the same as on the antique blocks but with a reverse applique center to allow the insertion of another fabric. That's why I am adding acorns to the corner as well since I want to bring in the foulard print fabric from the sashing.
Monday, July 21, 2014
Begin Again Finnegan II
I finished the picking apart, new applique, realignment of blocks, etc. This square size (52 inches so far), makes it easier for me to design something for the next go round. I think it needs a smaller border before the outer border, probably something simple like strips of the reproduction fabrics, although some research has shown me that flying geese and dogtooth or feathered strips were common, too. Research also shows that antique quilt makers were more likely to add more in ways that modern eyes might see as intrusive to the design.
The previous iteration was 2 x 4 and the difference between width and length bothered me.
The center block has that enticing inner square so I am thinking about inking an inscription. It will probably be "Anonymous Was A Woman" since I have few clues about who made the original blocks. I suspect more than one person as the stitches varied widely, some small, evenly spaced, professional looking, while some were almost toenail catchers they were so big. There were three different colors of thread in the applique but that could simply have been a matter of supply. The applique varied in quality as much as the stitching did. Some of the blocks were so skewed they looked as though a child had made them. Even if I hadn't had to remove parts that were worn to the point of having holes, I had to cannibalize one of the blocks to get these to where they at least looked symmetrical even though they aren't.
Despite all the flaws and my own stupidity at not thinking this out ahead of time, I think it is looking good. You can compare this to the first version and let me know--not that at this point I would change it back.
The center block has that enticing inner square so I am thinking about inking an inscription. It will probably be "Anonymous Was A Woman" since I have few clues about who made the original blocks. I suspect more than one person as the stitches varied widely, some small, evenly spaced, professional looking, while some were almost toenail catchers they were so big. There were three different colors of thread in the applique but that could simply have been a matter of supply. The applique varied in quality as much as the stitching did. Some of the blocks were so skewed they looked as though a child had made them. Even if I hadn't had to remove parts that were worn to the point of having holes, I had to cannibalize one of the blocks to get these to where they at least looked symmetrical even though they aren't.
Despite all the flaws and my own stupidity at not thinking this out ahead of time, I think it is looking good. You can compare this to the first version and let me know--not that at this point I would change it back.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Center Section Finished (Well, Not Quite)
As I wrote before, I purchased nine antique blocks but not all of them were in good enough shape to use in toto. So I cannibalized one of them and ended up with eight useable blocks for this quilt. The problem now is that I have to figure out how to make this long narrow shape into something a little closer to the regular shape of a quilt since this is just too narrow.
If you have read other postings then you know I am old fashioned in my quilt tastes. I like this so far but I have to figure out where to go from here. Uneven borders were common back in the day, but this would need some major unevenness.
Update: So I was arguing with myself after I posted the above about where I would go next with this quilt. I decided that I am neither clever nor talented enough to make a long skinny section look balanced so I am going to take this apart and turn it into a 3 x 3 quilt rather than a 2 x 4 quilt. That means I not only have to unpick some of these seams but I have to make a new block to be the center block. I have chosen a design that will allow me to use the fabrics of the sashing that are also very old-fashioned. I will make a few more sashing pieces as well to make everything fit together appropriately. This will take a few days so look for more posts later.
Update: So I was arguing with myself after I posted the above about where I would go next with this quilt. I decided that I am neither clever nor talented enough to make a long skinny section look balanced so I am going to take this apart and turn it into a 3 x 3 quilt rather than a 2 x 4 quilt. That means I not only have to unpick some of these seams but I have to make a new block to be the center block. I have chosen a design that will allow me to use the fabrics of the sashing that are also very old-fashioned. I will make a few more sashing pieces as well to make everything fit together appropriately. This will take a few days so look for more posts later.
Friday, July 11, 2014
Don't Be Reductive
Today was another session with one of my current tutees. The primary reason students come to me is for help in learning how to write an essay for the AP English Literature exam.No one who isn't part of the planning process and being paid by the College Board knows what will be on the exam in the coming school year, but there are some basic writing and critical thinking skills that help regardless of what they are asked. The essays are expected to be formal, critical essays examining a writer's skill at using the elements of language. The prompt the student worked on today was directed to a specific short story but it was so basic it became a model for how to read the prompt, think about what was asked, respond fully and elegantly. All the question asked was, "How does the author use the elements of language to characterize the protagonist?" Characterization is a common topic for AP English Literature essays so understanding the uses and purposes of characterization is an important skill.
All these students who come to me want the highest score possible, that elusive "5". The students are bright but they specialize in math and science with little interest or exposure to literature and far too little exposure to critical thinking skills applied to language arts or other areas of the humanities. So when the question asked looks so simple, they think that answering in a reductive fashion will work. "Imagery brings pictures to the reader's mind." "Characterization makes the characters more real so readers understand them." Well that sort of answer just won't score well. Simply telling the readers that characterization amplifies meaning may answer the basic question but the higher scoring essays need more. So if imagery is an important literary element, how the reader reacts and responds to the images is a deeper answer than simply that pictures develop in the reader's mind.
So don't let your students be reductive in their responses to the prompts. Encourage them to talk about what they read for class. Do you like the characters? Why? Why does the writer want you to like this character? How does liking the character add to the message the writing implies? If you don't like the character why might the writer want that reaction? How does the imagery in the passage add to the tone of the passage? You get the idea. It isn't just about knowing the literary elements.
All these students who come to me want the highest score possible, that elusive "5". The students are bright but they specialize in math and science with little interest or exposure to literature and far too little exposure to critical thinking skills applied to language arts or other areas of the humanities. So when the question asked looks so simple, they think that answering in a reductive fashion will work. "Imagery brings pictures to the reader's mind." "Characterization makes the characters more real so readers understand them." Well that sort of answer just won't score well. Simply telling the readers that characterization amplifies meaning may answer the basic question but the higher scoring essays need more. So if imagery is an important literary element, how the reader reacts and responds to the images is a deeper answer than simply that pictures develop in the reader's mind.
So don't let your students be reductive in their responses to the prompts. Encourage them to talk about what they read for class. Do you like the characters? Why? Why does the writer want you to like this character? How does liking the character add to the message the writing implies? If you don't like the character why might the writer want that reaction? How does the imagery in the passage add to the tone of the passage? You get the idea. It isn't just about knowing the literary elements.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Appliqued Sashing
The most common type of sashing is a simple strip of contrasting fabric with the next most common being a simple pieced design. I considered both of those for this restoration/reproduction project and drew out a flying geese sash as an option. But I also drew out an appliqued sashing, one that uses the reproduction fabrics since I clearly could not match the antique fabric. I like applique better than piecing as well, both in the process and all along the process including the quilting since quilting over seams is never satisfying.
The fabric behind the antique applique is a piece I bought a decade or more ago so I not only have no more, I cannot get more. The sashing, and the border that I will also add, are just Kona cotton in a similar ivory color. The design is one that was used often in the time period of the applique pieces (1840-1860),but the border that will go beyond what is here will be my design, based on ideas from all over the place.
I bought nine of the antique applique blocks, saved a total of eight of them cannibalizing the ninth to repair the most worn areas. The blocks are now 16 inch squares (15.5 finished size) so with a 2 x 4 layout, sashing, and border the finished quilt will be pretty big, at least a large twin size. I think it is looking nice.
I bought nine of the antique applique blocks, saved a total of eight of them cannibalizing the ninth to repair the most worn areas. The blocks are now 16 inch squares (15.5 finished size) so with a 2 x 4 layout, sashing, and border the finished quilt will be pretty big, at least a large twin size. I think it is looking nice.
Friday, July 4, 2014
Woe Is Me
I don't know if the students I work with are representative of American students or not. They tend to be very good in math and science with high grade point averages and good test scores. Many of them have been identified as "gifted" during all of their school years. So why, oh why are they so weak in the humanities? I can understand focusing on a subject or area in college as a major, but only after truly investigating other subjects. I do not understand how a rising junior in high school can not know vocabulary, topics, people that even when I was a teenager I took for granted. I don't necessarily expect this rising junior to have read Paradise Lost , but I expect him to have heard of John Milton, have at least a vague idea of his time period, know his nationality, etc. I guess that the College Board expects, or expected, that as well since a prompt assigned within the last ten years included Milton in a poem by William Wordsworth.
I can't imagine a less inviting future than one that is dominated by technocrats who have no background at all--not even at the high school level--in the great ideas that the humanities encompass.
I can't imagine a less inviting future than one that is dominated by technocrats who have no background at all--not even at the high school level--in the great ideas that the humanities encompass.
Monday, June 30, 2014
Gift Runner
Two of my tutees gave me another kit. This time it was a table runner, complete with four inch squares of fabric similar to the fabric choices the designer showed in the accompanying kit photo. In the past I occasionally made quilts for other people with their fabric and/or design choices. This was a similar experience. I would not have picked these colors--I think of them as "West Elm" colors. Anyway, while I was waiting for a fabric delivery from an online purchase, and before I got tired of waiting and started the restoration project (hence my nickname of Zappelphillip), I made this table runner from the kit.
It is called "Tiny Town Tablerunner," from Hatched and Patched, an Australian company. It is not my style at all, doesn't go with my house or decor at all. That's not the poor runner's fault but I have no use for this now that I have made it. I don't encourage my students to bring gifts precisely for this reason. Someone showed up at my door last week with one of those supermarket orchids. I gave it to my son. I will probably give this away as a wedding present.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Working on a Restoration Project
Quite a while ago I posted a photo of an antique block that I had acquired, one of a small group of identical blocks, that I hoped to do something with. Part of the delay in dealing with these blocks came from other projects being in the queue first and part came from indecision about just what I wanted to do with them. The fabric of the applique on the blocks was in pretty good shape, but their muslin backing was badly discolored and very worn. The indigo dye used in the printed fabric didn't really match or even come that close to modern blues and the blocks themselves were in need of attention. The person who cut the blocks apart used a rotary cutter and wasn't that careful about preserving the points on some of the design elements.
But after this long delay, I have been working on the blocks for a couple of days. I have carefully unpicked the stitches on the points so they can be repointed and I have begun the process of re-appliqueing the oak leaf and reel elements to new muslin.
This is a block in more or less untouched condition. I have picked out the stitches right at the tips of the pointed reel sections but otherwise this block is as it arrived to me.
This is a block during the process of re-applying it to new fabric. Even though the indigo fabric is in fairly decent shape, it is still about 140 years old or more so I have left the original muslin behind the fabric and am turning under a small margin of muslin to form the new edge of the applique. Some of the blocks were also very "wonky", seriously out of symmetry and unbalanced so I have repositioned those elements (carefully) to make the block more straight and true.
The lighting was different but the fabric and color are the same nevertheless. This is the one block I have completed the process on. Although I have straightened some of the elements on some of the blocks, I have left other blocks, with all their imperfections, alone. So while this block is by no means entirely perfect and symmetrical, it isn't so far out of balance that it looks lopsided. The old points are points again instead of being chopped off. My hope is that the old muslin will help protect the original fabric but obviously this will still be a delicate quilt. My plan is to add sashing, probably Flying Geese, in coordinating colors from the Mill Girls line, and then an applique border of oak leaves and acorns in the same fabrics. It won't be elaborate, more focused on the plain strength of the oak leaves.
But after this long delay, I have been working on the blocks for a couple of days. I have carefully unpicked the stitches on the points so they can be repointed and I have begun the process of re-appliqueing the oak leaf and reel elements to new muslin.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Wild Girl
A few years ago I bought this kit to make as a gift for my daughter-in-law who owns two horses and rides in dressage competitions. I put off making it because this kind of quiltmaking is outside of my comfort zone. But I finally started, and finished, this small wallhanging, beginning on Sunday and finishing on Tuesday. I don't know that I will ever be inspired to make one of these types of quilts again, but the finished product turned out reasonably well. The kit comes complete with all the fabrics except the backing and has complete instructions though reading the instructions on your fusible webbing is also recommended. It's best not to lay out the pieces with your cats in the room too.
The quilt kit is called "Wild Girl", by Toni Whitney, from the Bigfork Bay Cotton Company.
The quilt kit is called "Wild Girl", by Toni Whitney, from the Bigfork Bay Cotton Company.
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Electronic Advantages
I still mourn the closing of my favorite local quilt store though I am probably part of the problem. As with the publishing industry and hard copy books versus e-books, so it is with fabric stores. Recently I was looking at a Romanian quilter's blog site and discovered that she and I use the same electronic quilt store, eQuilter.com. That's good for her since quilting fabrics are hard to find in Romania, but it isn't good for my local stores. The variety of fabrics and patterns available has probably never been bigger but there is nothing like walking in to a quilt store and seeing bolts of fabrics lined up and patrons walking around. Sometimes it is hard to tell from the thumbnails online just how big the pattern is and you can never tell what the fabric feels like--a prime concern for hand applique. As with books I want both experiences.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Spring Splendor Complete (With Picture)
Yesterday I finished my current project. As usual I learned a great deal about various things, some of which I expected to learn and others that were a surprise. As you can see in the photo, the trapunto elements turned out well for the most part--the upper right square doesn't have the "puff" that it should but the design on the square is very small consisting of one leaf and some vines. I might try working some yarn in through the back or I may just leave it. The colors are pleasing to me and the basic idea is all right but overall there is something just slightly off about the applique. I still like it but there is a stiffness that I did not intend.
The fabrics are primarily batiks, the natural variations in the dye colors work well for flowers and leaves, with some solids and small printed fabrics added here and there. The small white flowers are dimensional, gathered at the bottom and puffy toward the top. The quilt is about 34 inches by 42 inches. If you compare the finished quilt to the first photos posted during the layering process, you can see that all the quilting made it hang very nicely, straight as a board.
Monday, June 2, 2014
Trapunto and Quilting Coming Along
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Spring Splendor
As noted in my last entry, I don't often make quilts that coincide with the current season. I don't have any tulips left but there are poppies all over the city right now. Grapes aren't in season but the center panel, a John Flynn project, has grapes as the central theme. Since working on trapunto (not Flynn's method) is the point of this quilt, I stuck grapes and grape leaves in the border, adapted from several sources including Nancy Pearson.
So at this point what you see is the top, no batting, no quilting. The particular method I am trying is to layer the spots that are intended to be stuffed at the end. I outlined the lines on John Flynn's center over some wool batting, more or less cut away technique, before I attached the plain borders and cut away the excess batting. Before I started the applique I basted a piece of muslin on the back of the center to protect the batting during the applique process.. Between that and the applique, everything is sort of saggy at this point but I do expect everything to be flat and straight at the end. Of course I always expect that but this piece has special issues. To top all of those off, it is just pinned to a quilt on the wall adding to the "loosey goosey" nature of the situation.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Crunch Time
The next couple of weeks are dedicated to testing. Most of the tests are of the AP or IB category, not standardized tests to determine the effectiveness of the school program. So the tests are standardized but their purpose is supposed to be more lofty not more prosaic. This year's junior class, the students with whom I am most familiar, are not prepared to take the AP English Literature exam. They have weak critical thinking skills and even weaker writing skills. The handful of students who have come for tutoring may pass, one or two may do slightly better than a simple pass; but the majority of the students are not able to write a two page five paragraph essay on a directed topic to save their lives. One of the teachers has been sending me multiple excuses including that the students are lazy and the principal is incompetent. While either or both of those may be true, the fact of the matter is this is the teacher who has already told them they don't need to come for the next two weeks since there is so much pressure on them, who has simply not shown up for class or scheduled meetings with students with no excuse and no advance notice, who told the class that the core meaning of "Hamlet" was that Gertrude was horny and treacherous. My husband tells me that I should simply resign both my paid and volunteer positions.
The young lady who is a senior decided to go to Harvey Mudd rather than MIT or Stanford. Because she skipped a grade she is younger than the normal freshman and was quite intimidated by MIT on her campus visit and bored to tears at Stanford. She picked Harvey Mudd because everyone seemed as immature and nerdy as she is. Oh well, you can lead the horse to water but you can't make it drink.
The young lady who is a senior decided to go to Harvey Mudd rather than MIT or Stanford. Because she skipped a grade she is younger than the normal freshman and was quite intimidated by MIT on her campus visit and bored to tears at Stanford. She picked Harvey Mudd because everyone seemed as immature and nerdy as she is. Oh well, you can lead the horse to water but you can't make it drink.
Monday, April 28, 2014
The Rest of the Corner
The tulip photograph is part of the corner on my new project. I am making a trapunto center with grapes and leaves and an appliqued border with tulips, poppies, grapes, and some smaller flowers. I know grapes and tulips and poppies don't bloom and produce at the same time but the color combinations are good--red, yellow, purple, green.
There will be embroidered accents at the end and of course the blue ink will disappear on the center section once all the work is done and the top gets wetted down. I think my lilies of the valley could be smaller but I don't know that I will change them. The corners will be more or less mirror images.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Tulip Time in Utah
My quiltmaking doesn't usually follow the seasonal changes happening outside, but in the current instance I am working on tulips while tulips bloom outside.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Good Night, Napoleon
I finished my Napoleon quilt the other day. As usual there are items that I would change or that affect my total satisfaction with the project but I still like the colors and the overall design. The connection to Napoleon is largely in my head and mostly informed by elements of language rather than design. I guess that makes sense.
Here is the quilt on my bed to give some scale to the project. It is about twin size but a little short to be a bed cover.
The center portion shows all the Winding Ways and all those "magic" circles.
The borders are more specifically targeted to Napoleon with their references to diadems, laurel leaves, suns, etc.
If you look very closely you will see a Napoleonic bee quilted in gold thread in the corner. You can also see the pieces binding combining blue and gold. All the seams made the binding more difficult to apply but I do like the end result.
If you look very closely you will see a Napoleonic bee quilted in gold thread in the corner. You can also see the pieces binding combining blue and gold. All the seams made the binding more difficult to apply but I do like the end result.
.Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Funny Thing About That
All the college applications have been read and processed and the students I worked with did very well. I read in the New York Times that it was a tough year to get in anywhere and even tougher to get in to the "selective" colleges. I didn't work with that many students this year, only three, but all three got in everywhere they applied including Stanford that had the lowest acceptance rate (5%) in the country. Funny thing is I don't think she is even going to go there.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Corner Quilting
corner bees
The blue ink makes it easier to see the designs in the corners but they will still be visible when the quilt is complete. The bees are for Napoleon of course, and the fleur de lis is for France. I am about halfway around the border but it is very wide so it takes a while. Add to that I am painting my dining room--a multi-day process--so there is still at least ten days of quilting left if not more. This photo shows the slight pattern on the background fabric as well.
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