2016 blows

Never have I been so invested in election results, never have I been so stunned, ... hold onto your shorts people, we are going to be in for a wild ride the next few years. I have spent the past week kind of wrecked, really I remain beyond comprehension as to how the country could have such a strong desire for any kind of change (I get the need for change), that they are able to accept, normalize and even embrace to the highest office the values and voice of misogyny, racism, xenophobia, lies, science denial, the list is vast and I am not sure how we can justify one (change) without giving credence to the other (values).  It was hard to talk to the kids about it, because as far as they are concerned, the biggest trait that the people should be voting on is kindness.  Being kids, after the first day they moved on, though we talk everyday now about how to do good each day, and how to stand up to victims of bullying.   I thought long and hard about how to share with my classes, where I didn't really want a gripe fest, even if that is what we needed in some respects, and I want them to be successful, which means staying on target, plus who wants to see their professor cry in frustration... nobody needs that. They can know that I will make a call, it's not very time consuming, and it gives me a voice, and I expect after the first few horrible ones, it will get easier! Anyhow a few students have expressed appreciation that I shared this, and I want to remember what to do when I am feeling frustrated by politics, how to actually make an impact and my voice heard.  

In the search for understanding... on the internet ... While I can best appreciate the comedic attempts to address our concerns, there were a few resources that actually impacted the way that I view and understand the state of our country:

for an empathetic view of what happened (try to make it past the movie references, they are actually helpful)

http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-reasons-trumps-rise-that-no-one-talks-about/

and the idea that we all have bias associated with different groups of people, once we can identify that bias, then we can address it... but I do find a strong claim that you aren't biased (racist) is probably not true, but how to we respond to our implicit biases, knowing they exist can change our views!

https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

To my classes in response to the election:

I feel like I need to address the presidential election results, not because they were disappointing, but because they have resulted in a lot of sincere concerns, fear and anger.  I am struggling with my role in the face of an uncertain future that appears to be anti-science and divisive, and maybe you are too.  What I want to tell you is this: we need you more than ever, I need you for your determination, for your inspiration and for your justice.  Social justice issues are environmental issues, both in this state, this country and world wide.  Empathy, critical thinking and connecting society with the environment are the foundation of our well-being and even survival.

So, what can we do? I can’t say that I have answers, more what I would call starting points based on my own feelings and discussions with my colleagues.  I want you to know that I will hear you, I will advocate for you and I will work with you to continue hone our critical thinking skills on the search for understanding.  For you: Stay focused, listen to each-other, care for each-other and work hard, because the future of our country and planet depend upon you.  Your education, your ability to evaluate and solve real-world problems, and sift fact from fiction is critical for our future, so I’m counting on you.  Education is powerful, it gives you a voice and options and can actually change the world.

Do you need something more concrete?  If you have a concern with policy, do you wish your senator or representative would say something… make an old fashioned phone call, speak from the heart:

https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/house/Pages/RepresentativesAll.aspx

https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/senate/Pages/SenatorsAll.aspx

Work with our local governments to ensure your values are applied at home, we have made some great progress here in support of education, of supporting our veterans, and connecting students to nature but we can do much more!

Support groups and individuals who are, let’s face-it, scared.  I had hoped that we would be buffered somewhat here in Portland, but it turns out hateful rhetoric and crimes can make their way everywhere, but we cannot tolerate it, not for a moment more.  Stand with the victims if you witness something, focus on moving to safety.  If it is an emergency call 911, if it is a non-emergency, report it to the police (503-823-3333) or campus security (503-725-4404).  

Stand with organizations that can support the values that you hold important:  ACLU, NAACP, planned parenthood, LGBTQ alliance, IRCO, NRDC, Nature Conservancy etc...  donate your voice, your time and your money.  

Share your ideas and your plans with your peers.  

Linden for fall

So I had one last sewing effort for the end of summer, a cozy linden sweatshirt from grainline studio patterns.  I got some pretty, soft nani iro fabric (I'm not sure what to call it... almost a flannel, but somehow different) that is a woven for the front and back panels, and a soft sweatshirt material for the sleeves and bands (and an added side-panel because when I guessed I didn't purchase enough of the woven).  I went down to a size 4 from a previous version that I had made from some jersey, and is nice but loose.  This is mostly the "b" view (but with added bands at the sleeves and waist), so it is sort of a hybrid version.  Anyhow, I plan to spend all of fall in this.  I still need some help making a nice neckline, I always manage to do the weirdest part up front, no mater how I plan it, so this one is a bit extra stretched right at the front and I mistakenly put the seam up there too, but it is not too noticeable and this is already my second try on the neckband so I left it.

Cross-backed aprons.

 I think I could live in this thing.  I made a few cross backed aprons later this summer.  The pattern is from Sewing Happiness by Sanae Ishida.  It's one of those sewing books that has you saying.... that's perfect, it's simple (most of the projects) and I really need to make that right now.  I also made my MOther in law Renee one (well hers was first) and it was a beautiful blue linen-cotton blend that was really nice to work with and felt great.  When I went back to the Mill-end they didn't have enough left to make another apron so I did it with some cotton blue and white striped shirting material with just enough heft.  Grace's is a pretty linen floral that is closer to canvas weight.  Anyhow, comfy, cute, easy!!

Although I haven't taken pictures of most of my efforts, I have been trying most of the tutorials at the Postman's knock and was pretty happy with this birthday card for Randall.  

It's fun to practice the lettering (especially since my handwriting on a day to day basis has degraded seriously... I had a student the past two summers who teaches calligraphy at Reed and he has re-inspired me to at least appreciate some more care in handwriting and to try new things!

it only took about 5 years... modern crosses quilt at last

It only took me 5 years to finish this thing... I would go in fits and bursts... get a lot of squares done and then none for a long long time.  I was chatting with a friend about projects unfinished and this came back up.  Turns out I really was nearly done, I was derailed a year (or two or more??) ago when I had to cut a bit more of the light blue background color... I had it, I just had to cut more strips so things came to a long halt.  Anyhow, after mentioning it I decided to finish up and it took all of almost no time at all to finish the last 10 squares or so.  I was sure it would take forever to sew the squares all together... but nope!  They went together in an afternoon (with some sweet help).

 After an attempt to randomize the colors and reshuffling a few different ways, we settled in on a rough rainbow distribution.  Of course, after all that I don't sem to have a picture of the whole quilt at once.  It was bound in fabric from the crib set that Auntie Gigi made for the kids.  I loved it, the big cross on the back is from that as well and I love that I get reminded of it every day.  The crosses are entirely from my stash and scraps from various projects, which is to say I have purchased too much fabric over the years.  The pattern is from Modern Log Cabin Quilting by Susan Beal (mine is even autographed :).  In all truth, though it took forever... this is NOT a hard pattern at all.  the crosses go together so easily.

 In the end, I took it to get quilted by a professional long-arm quilter guy.. Leon Gogl if you need someone.  He did a great job and had it done in a few days!  The pattern suggests tacking buttons in the middle for quilting, but I didn't love the idea of sleeping on buttons, and sort of felt they would get snagged on things (though looked cute in the pattern).  This is a big quilt for me (though still a bit small on our queen sized bed), and I didn't think I could sanely cram it through my sewing machine.  Anyhow, I"m glad I had Leon do my first big quilt project.  I"ve made some big quilts for the kids bed, but they were large pieces put together, this is the first fiddly quilt I"ve made, with lots of cutting and seaming.  It ended up pretty square in the end, and I"m proud of it!

Shoot I just realized that I need to make a tag for it.  What year do I put on it though.  Start/end year (too much like a headstone?), just the final year?

blankets for babies

So, we are enjoying another baby wave, at least from afar and I managed to pull together some whole-cloth quilts 

all with some of my favorite fabrics ever... the mermaid fabric is some of the first that I may have actually fallen in love with a bit.

The double gauze makes this one like a cloud.  These were lined wit wool batting, so it is super fluffy, and tied so on one side the babes could play with the fiddly bits, and the other side is a bit more smooth.

I haven't made these in a while, but figured the big sibs needed a little something to haul their own stuff around in so a few more zaaberry messenger bags.  I love these and may be double gifting to Noah (can't remember if I gave him one a few years ago for Christmas), but my kids both still use theirs!  

Plus one more... a log-cabin quilt that is more traditional, and made almost all with my stash!  This is for a pending baby... waiting for his full arrival, but this time I am prepared!  So exciting to have cute littles around again!

patterns

I just realized that I missed this, for it rarely happens anymore.  For ... well probably years from three until just recently almost everytime we would sit down to eat, Grace would start the meal by gleefully pointing out the patterns in our seating arrangement..... It goes something like this (with plenty of pointing to clarify whom she was speaking about... pairing up each in turn... and it only works orthogonally):  "Girls next to girls, boys next to boys, wearing blue... not wearing blue, light skin... dark skinned, kids... grown-ups, short hair.... long hair"

Spoilers

Owen was suspicious, but uncertain, he is 10.

The santa thing, the easter bunny thing, he is suspicious but he is willing  to suspend his disbelief for the spirit of the season, does not see a major need to test this story in favor of the magic and joy of the seasons.  However, maybe because he has received some pretty convincing notes along the way, the tooth-fairy was the last to fall prey to skepticism of maturity and growth.  When he lost his 9th tooth last month, he staged a "test" to confirm his suspicions.  With tooth tucked deeply underneath his pillow, and putting on his lightest sleeping practice, he constantly checked on the tooth and would awaken at the least activity near his room.

10:00 & 11:00:  I tried to make the swap for the expected shiny gold dollar.  He awoke, I told him I was going to sleep and hugged him goodnight, but no swap

12:30 Brian tries same, fail.  Sets alarm for later... certainly by this point O's suspicions are closer to being confirmed with the little parade of parents "checking on him" or "saying goodnight"

2am:  Last try, Brian gets up, crawls stealthily into the room and is caught lying on Owen's floor next to his bed, Owen peering down at him asking him what he is doing.  Brian hands him his dollar and takes his tooth.

I was so sad that this too has passed, in the morning when I checked in with him, he informed me somewhat reluctantly that he had caught Dad last night.  We talked about him keeping the magic intact for his sister and even his friends and he seemed to get-it.  I laugh too so if it's funny and sad... what is that fad?  Sunny?  Sunny.... thinking about Brian laying down with his hand under Owen's pillow at 2am, with his every growing son looking down at him with no great pleasure but a certain resignation and maybe even satisfaction but  no glee... and poor B having nothing really to say other than... here you go.  B who has written curly-cue letters with little fairy drawings on it for several of the early lost teeth, in response to requests that the tooth fairy provide a picture so he knows what she looks like, explaining why the tooth fairy forgot once, who did so sweetly to make the event exciting ... was caught weirdly lying next to the bed in the middle of the night.

P.S. O has since lost two teeth and we simply pretend that moment of reveal never happened.  This kiddo isn't missing out on his gold dollars!

Capes and butterfly sleeves

 Did I post this already?  I made this cape for Grace around Christmas time.  It was some great steely velour that I got at Knittin Kitten, and a beautiful meadow that Grace picked out at Fabric Depot.  It is adorable.

 I just finished this shirt for Grace with some great double gauze (I love double gauze... so soft, breathable, and comfy).

 The pattern is from the Lesson book, and I have made her a similar one (with a bit of a skirt) in pink before and she seemed to like it, but these days she is more into blue so this suits her well.