New year - new focus

The new year has arrived and with it, the desire to make resolutions, to ponder one's past and dream of the future, and make plans to move along the course desired.   Is there anything I wish to do differently this year? What changes shall I strive for?  In what direction do I want to head?

I grew up writing resolutions on many a New Year's Day, promises of new daily tasks or behaviors I wished to emulate.  More recently, instead of compiling lists (such as: I will exercise more often; I will make my bed everyday; etc),  I've narrowed my list of resolutions down to a single word.  One little word to be my word of the year, to encapsulate the new year and all my dreams for the future.  But which word should I select?  (no pressure ....nope, none, at all....).

 

My first thought was to use Nourish as my one word for 2016.  While reading the definition of nourish, and I realized that Nurture would be a better fit for this year. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines nurture as ....

      1:  to help (something or someone) to grow, develop, or succeed

• Teachers should nurture their students' creativity.
• a professor who nurtures any student who shows true interest in history

      2:  to take care of (someone or something that is growing or developing) by providing food, protection, a place to live, etc.

• The study looks at the ways parents nurture their children.
• You have to carefully nurture the vines if you want them to produce good grapes.

       3: to hold (something, such as an idea or a strong feeling) in your mind for a long time

• She nurtured a secret ambition to be a singer.
• nurture a dream/grudge

I love all three of these statements.

I am positive that nurture must be my word for 2016.

Why?
  

Because .... this is the year my teenagers graduate from high school and head off to college.

Oh my!  

They are my only children, making this the year that our empty nest begins.  

My dream for 2016 is to continue helping my teenagers enjoy and succeed in their adventure of transitioning from high school to college and providing as much of their basic needs as I can (from prom to college dorms and beyond).  Finally, I want to nurture my own hopes and dreams.  What do I want to be when I grow up?  Do I wish to return to teaching toddlers (two-year-olds turning three) in preschool again? (Note: I'm currently taking one year off - I consider this my sabbatical year, a year to recharge.)   Or should I return to teaching high school?  (Second note: This was my occupation before I became a Mom.)  Or shall I be daring and adventure into a new area entirely-- perhaps pursue job opportunities in quilting or sewing or .... Gosh, suddenly I can think of so many possibilities!  Perhaps I need to take time and nurture my passions, nurture my family, and figure out my dreams for 2017 so I can use my time in 2016 to get started.

N  is for Nurture.

The GeoAlphabet Pattern (above is one letter) will soon be released by Quiet Play.  

I have been fortunate this fall to join the pattern testing team of Kristy's and must confess that this is actually the Z turned on its side, morphing instantly into a fabulous N.

It's been several years since my last selection of 'my word for the year'.  

Click here to read about the year I choose two words, 

and 

click here to learn about my year of focus.

Quiet Play

As the year draws to a close, I am speedily stitching up the letter "Z".

Why?  Because I am a pattern tester for Kristy of Quiet Play and her newest pattern is the Geometric Alphabet (upper case).  The letter Z is one of the letters I am testing for her.

Thus I am stitching up the last letter of the alphabet on the last day of the year of 2015.  I love ending the year sewing a new pattern.

Happy New Year!

Happy 2016!

By the way, I have tested other patterns for Kristy too.  My favorite one is this sitting kitty.

I made the first kitty in red-n-white so I could swap it in an international block swap between my Houston Modern Quilt Guild and the London Modern Quilt Guild. 

I added a border to make the block large enough for the swap.

Then I made a second one for me to keep.

 

Paper piecing can be quite fun especially when using fabulous patterns such as these by Quiet Play.

Click here to see more of Kristy's patterns.  

Her patterns (including some free ones) can also be found here, a direct link to her site on Craftsy.
Click here to see another post about some of Kristy's paper pieced patterns.

A remodel but did it work?

I have a favorite pink paisley knit shirt that I love and I am not ready to send it to a new home.   When I found a plain brown t-shirt in my husband's wardrobe that coordinates with my paisley ....

I decided to try my hand at re-fashioning a new outfit 

by combining the two together.  

My plan is to cut up the brown t-shirt to create a peplum skirt to sew onto the paisley.  I want to add cuffs to the sleeves as well.  This will add length to both my shirt and its sleeves.  The cuffs will be fashioned from the t-shirt's original sleeves while the peplum will come from the main body of the t-shirt. 

Here is the end result, my new upcycled garment.

 I even salvaged the t-shirt's original chest pocket.  Do you see it?

 My new garment is very comfortable.  I am wearing it as I write this.  

However, my family is not sure I should venture out of the house wearing it .... 

.... perhaps I have a new nightgown?  

What do you think - is it a successful new upcycled wearable or an epic fail?

Zilker tree

A trip to Austin to see family over the holidays must include 

a visit 

to the Moon Tower Christmas tree 

in Zilker Park.

Seen from afar, the tree is even better as you draw closer to it.

 The view looking up from underneath is my favorite - especially when you take a little spin and twirl.

  In the photos above, can you spy the moon tower that is the structure supporting the tree?

photo of a moon tower from 1895

The moonlight towers arrived in Austin in 1894. Click here to learn more history of the Austin Moon Towers.  Click here to learn the location of the other Moon Towers (those around today and those that no longer are).  When the towers were originally built, there was much concern - click here to read more.  While more than one moon tower is in existence in 2015, only the Zilker Moonlight Tower turns into a festive tree every Christmas season. 

2013

2014

2013 was a chilly drizzly visit to the tree while 2014 was drier and only a bit warmer.  I enjoy snapping our photos at the tree -- but have to do so quickly,  before my family dashes back to the warmth of the car, leaving me to twirl and spin under the wonderful lights on my own. 

I don't mind as I know that I will be back again next year!

Stitching up coasters

This year, I am making many gifts for my family and friends, beginning with these coasters.  While directions for these have appeared elsewhere, this method may be a little different. 

The ingredients are simple:  6 charms squares (all the same size) and one piece of batting (sized 1/2" smaller).  Note: the batting used should be cotton or wool.  Insul-Bright (a heat-sensitive batting made by The Warm Company and is recommended for use in potholders) can be substituted for the square of batting.  Click here for more information on Insul-Bright.

For this coaster I used 6" squares: two of the snowman holiday print, three of the holiday lights print and one of muslin.  I cut one square of thin cotton batting that measures 5 1/2" square.  Note:  the 6" squares can each be different coordinating prints or solids, including the muslin square.  This results with a scrappier looking coaster.

First step is to iron four of the squares in half on the diagonal -- two of one print and two of the other.

The next step is to make a quilt sandwich with the muslin on the bottom (it will disappear into the interior of the coaster when complete).  Center the batting square on the muslin, and the final square on top with its right side facing up.  

Note: if using a print fabric in place of the muslin, layer it face down so that the wrong side will touch the batting.  This square ends up inside the coaster, barely seen.
Second note: the top print of this sandwich will end up being the bottom side of the coaster.

The next step is the mildly intricate one ...

Using the four triangles, place them around the four corners of the quilt-sandwich, alternating fabrics (if making a scrappy variation, arrange the triangles in any order that pleases).  Tuck one skinny corner of each triangle under its neighboring triangle.  While I tucked under all the left corners, it can be either the left or the right corners, as long as the same corner is consistently tucked under the neighboring triangles.

Pin carefully.

Stitch using a 1/4" seam allowance around all four sides.  Be sure to remove the pins rather than to sew over them.  Warning: weird and hazardous things can happen to your machine if you get used to stitching over pins ... such as pins getting mysteriously stuck inside the feed dogs, or worse.  No need to ask me how I know this....

After sewing all four sides, trim the corners to reduce the bulk in the coaster's edges.

Be careful not to snip into your stitching accidentally!

This next step is the magic one -- simply flip the coaster inside out, starting by holding the folded triangular sides.  Use a chopstick to poke the corners out, shaping them as squarely as possible.


I like to add a single top-stitch 1/4" (or so) around the seamed edge (as seen on the left coaster below) for added stability to the coaster - especially if your seam allowances are skimpy or if you clipped the corners a bit too much.

This step is optional as the coaster on the right shows it is a completed coaster at this stage.
Final note:  the batting layer is optional and can be eliminated.  The resulting coaster will be thinner, though.


This is the collection of coasters I have made so far ... I like to gift them in sets of four, but have also given them in pairs or individually.  The individual coasters are great for co-workers to use under their coffee mugs at their desk or work cubicle.

Pre-cut charm packs are great for making these coasters too.  They are smaller in size, but still plenty big enough for a coaster.  This project is a simple one and an excellent stash buster.

The coasters I made with the 6" fabric squares are great for larger coffee mugs yet they are not quite large enough to be mug rugs.  They can be used in many ways besides as a coaster, too.   My sister-in-law grabbed them to use as little potholders and another friend keeps one in the car to wipe-up windshield condensation.  What other uses can you think of?  

If you have any questions, I am happy to help answer them.

Be sure to share a photo if you make any coasters, too.

I love reading your comments!

the Nutcracker

This is our view as we wait for the fantastic opening of Ben Stevenson's The Nutcracker on December 20, 2015.  We are seated in the Founder's Box seats, gifts from a friend who unexpectedly could not use the tickets.

photo from this year's Houston Ballet's  Playbill

 

We were thrilled to be there as my sons had promised to attend one of this year's Houston Ballet's Nutcracker performances but had not purchased tickets yet.  I had seen it years ago, but they have not.

photo from Ballet News, UK  

More important, this is the last year the Houston Ballet is using Ben Stevenson's choreography which they first performed December 4, 1987.

The original performance of the Nutcracker was in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1892 with an original score by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.  Below is a photo from 1900 production of the Nutcracker by the Imperial Ballet.  Click here for more information and photos of the history of the Nutcracker.

photo from Moscow Ballet

The first full-length performance of The Nutcracker in the USA was December 24, 1944 where it was danced by the San Francisco Ballet.  Click here for more information on the San Francisco 1944 performance.

photo from the Classical Girl

It did not take long for The Nutcracker to become an American holiday tradition.  For more information about the Ben Stevenson's choreography and Nutcracker history click here.

We didn't want the magic to end, so enjoyed a walk in the neighborhood after the performance before heading to the 59 Diner and then home.

I look forward to seeing the new version of The Nutcracker designed by the Houston Ballet's Artistic Director Stanton Welch next year and plan to enjoy it with my sons too.

One last addition -- click here to read an article from The Week about this ballet being the cheesiest ballet of all time!  It includes more history about the story and the ballet .... beginning with this:

In 1844, French writer Alexandre Dumas adapted an earlier, darker version of The Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffman that had been intended strictly for adults, making it "happier and more appropriate for children.” The master of the Russian Imperial Ballet liked Dumas' new, lighter version of the story and decided to transform it into a ballet, commissioning Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky to compose the score, now some of the most recognizable pieces of music in the world.

I do love this ballet, cheesy or not - but then I like live performances of all kinds!

Colorful quilts

I love making quilts.
It's a fact, simple and short and very very true.

But how many quilts can one household truly need?  Especially when their home is located in a never-snows-here climate?  What's a quilter to do?

I have found an easy answer -- I make quilts for charity!  In fact I make lots and lots of quilt tops that I donate to various causes (most are given to my traditional quilt guild and someone there finishes them).  Basically, I love to piece blocks and to piece together quilt-tops.

After this spring's severe flooding in Texas on Memorial Day, I joined a group formed on InstaGram (#FloodTexaswithLove) making many many quilts to give to the many flooded families.  Originally I planned to make a few blocks and send them in, but somehow I became the Houston coordinator and received many blocks, tops and quilts to finish and label before dispersing.  A few friends even dropped off their colorful scraps which I used to piece more blocks.  Below are a few of the completed quilts.

All the quilts above were all pieced using the Just One Slab pattern found in Cheryl Arkison's book Sunday Morning Quilts.  Many different people from across the country, and possibly Canada as well have made blocks and sent them to Sara.  Click here for my earlier blog post about how this drive started and for further information on how to make the scrappy-one-color block or click here for Sara's original blog post about this.  Many thanks to Sara (@supersara20 on IG) for initiating this quilt drive and also to Cheryl (@cheryl_arkison on IG) for granting us the permission to use her pattern for these colorful quilts.

Many quilters also donated quilts made using different patterns and techniques, as seen below.

A Trio of Scrappy Striped Columns

an Around the World pattern

A Modern Graphic Color-Study

A Texas-themed Split Nine-Patch

A Batik of Abstract Stars

An original design was used to make the labels for these quilts.  Thank you the gracious Instagrammer for the colorful logo which appears below.

Thank you also to Karri (@karriofberries on IG) for printing numerous labels for me.  Photos below show the label stitched onto a few of the quilts.

I confess that I have lost track of how many of these quilts have passed through my hands, but it is well over a dozen perhaps close to two dozen.  I have personally handed out some to dear friends that suffered from the flooding and must thank Marna M. and Jamie B. for helping to deliver more of these quilts.  There are still a few being quilted by other volunteers (so many have donated fabric, thread, time, and their talent and skill!), so I haven't quite closed up shop yet ... but I plan to end the drive as this year draws to a close ... any new blocks or scraps that may find their way to my home will be used for new quilts that will be given away to someone who in need of extra hugs from the world at large. 

Thank yous must be extended to the great InstaGram community of quilters including all those named above and many many more.  We love to sew and to comfort others, especially in their times of stress and discomfort.  Hugs to all who received one of these quilts and more hugs to the quilters who helped to make the amazing gifts of so many quilts happen.