I sometimes drink Iced tea now

How to make a yummy iced tea (so this is sort of totally stolen from the Smith Tea house that has THE BEST iced tea on tap, so very good):  Brew a fruity brew nice and strong, extra tea bags and extra long, for me preferably some herbal blend so I can drink it all day long... I like Smith Red Nectar the best so far (I am new to cold tea drinking at home). I make a pot and sort of keep it room temperature, fill at least a pint glass full of ice, and pour the tea over it.  Owen is on a no-sugar kick with my Mom, so I blend up banana, coconut milk and mango smoothie thing and thin it out a bit, pour it on top like cream and enjoy!  This is not nearly as good as the in house stuff at Smith, but it is a really nice home version!

Plus it's been a pretty Ugh end of summer, politics illuminate the ugliness in our world, "natural" disasters abound with huge fires throughout the West including the beloved gorge, filled our skies last week with smoke and ash, red suns and moons and a ghastly haze, storms batter the South resulting in casualties, damage, fear, basically keeping me glued to the screens.  Sept. 11th crept up on me and for some reason this heart wrenching moment in time reminds me that in spite of the awfulness around, that the highlight to the darkness is that the heroes emerge and that gives me hope, that sometimes only when there is darkness the light becomes visible.  So, when it feels all blegh, I will try harder to remember the folks who work tirelessly to prepare us for disaster, to help us when it inevitably strikes, who risk themselves for others, the true heroes.

Weird conversation with Grace:  Basically she says that she has been reborn, and that we all have but only kids can remember it.  In her past life she was a girl named Ava and had a sister.  There aren't a ton of details, but she is sure of this.

Middle school:  Woah, this is a serious milestone and it has me super impressed with my kiddo.  Suddenly, he is responsible, thoughtful and helpful (except to his sister).  He has nice friends, they bike to school together (and this is quite the distance frankly, across several major streets, causes me stress).  He has his own phone now (so I can check in on him really, hello helicopter parent), has to change classes, has harder homework, is taking band and is super excited about the clarinet (really his gateway to the Saxophone).  Now, if he could just stop badgering me so much about computer time, and realize there are other things he can do with his "down-time", and if he could not do every little nit-picky thing to subtly annoy his sister who is anything but subtle, then it would be perfect... but who wants perfect anyhow.

Simplicity 1211

So five of these now, I am really liking this pattern.  This rock version is my most recent, G wanted a dress for hcer Rok unit at school, and for the field trip to the rock and mineral museum.  We couldn't find the cool crystal fabric in time for the field trip, but this landscape fabric worked well and looked cute with the cowl I knitted.  I am hankering for some mustard colored knitware lately... if you see a cute cardigan, let me know!

This is my favorite dress, the koi print is awesome!  

Though hard to get the puppet wielding gal to sit still enough for the picture to be very sharp.

The first one was a very light blue linen that she loves the most of all, I have a cute bird/cactus one for a friend's birthday and a blue floral one that is a lighter weight lawn fabric that will be so nice in the spring.  I"ll try to get those pictured in here soon.  (but a quiet breakfast that I enjoyed recently... there is a certain glee at our homemade food, Brian's bread, berry jam from the summer, my version of nutella, coffee... add that into a quiet morning is pretty blissful)

Here's the deal, I get a pattern, I look at it for weeks, if not months and think about it, then one day I get up the courage to trace it out, and cut out the pattern.  Then I start looking at fabric, and get loaded up on things that look nice, and then FINALLY I made one, and it went well, now I have made 5 (with at least one or two more in the wings).  Poor Grace can't exactly keep up the enthusiasm for the same dresses that I can have for sewing them, but at least these she seems interested in the twirly skirt and likes the overall pattern.

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!