Yesterday I promised you that I would be touching today upon the other and most noticeable Japanese element in our wedding: the sake ritual.
The sake ritual is one of the oldest elements of the Japanese wedding ceremony, dating back to a time when sharing a sip of sake was as formal a bond as a Victorian handshake. The ritual as it is practiced today is known colloquially as the san san ku do: three [san] sets of three sips, for a total of nine times [ku do]. Starting with the smallest of three nested cups, the groom drinks a small amount of sake in three sips. The cup is then refilled and passed to the bride, who does the same. They move on to the middle cup, then to the largest. At the conclusion of the ceremony, both families drink together to signify the unification not only of the bride and groom, but of their families and traditions as well.
The sake set that is used for the ceremony, as you can tell from this description, is a very specific type. I scoured the web (pre-Google this took a bit more effort than it would today) and finally found a store in Los Angeles's Little Tokyo that had such a thing. In fact, they had two - one in red lacquer and one in black. The one we chose (lucky red, of course!), was etched with images of pine, bamboo, and plum.
At the very end of our western wedding ceremony, we had my little sister (then 10 years old), our sake maiden, pour for us. As she poured, the officiant explained the meaning of the symbols on the sake set: pine for longevity and endurance; bamboo for constancy; plum for hope. Then we walked out to our parents, poured for them, and they drank together to symbolize the joining of the families.
Afterwards, one of DH's grandmothers came up to us, beaming, and said that when she was young, she herself had served as a sake maiden at a wedding ceremony. She hadn't understood what it was all about, and had wondered many a time, but had never known for sure - until this very day.
I beamed back, too thrilled to speak.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Wedding traditions, part 2
Our wedding celebration included a number of elements from DH's Japanese heritage as well. Our invitations had a cherry blossom motif, and we used folding fans to decorate the pews of the chapel. (Fans are symbols of the wish for future happiness and prosperity at weddings: just as the ribs of an open fan stretch out in many directions, so the couple's future unfolds before them.)
But there were two traditions that really took center stage. One was the folding of origami cranes. (The other I'll cover tomorrow.)
In Japanese-American families, it is customary to fashion lucky paper cranes for weddings. This may be due not only to the crane's association with longevity, happiness, and fidelity, but also to the belief that folding 1000 cranes will grant a wish. To make 1001 of these origami birds signifies a wish for luck "a thousand times, and then some."
Folding an individual origami crane goes pretty quickly, as you can see in this animated crane folding tutorial. Folding 1001 cranes, however, is a bit more daunting. Fortunately our mothers agreed to pitch in on the task. So we purchased packet upon packet of gold origami paper, and reconciled ourselves to devoting all of our downtime to crane making!
When the cranes were ready, we strung garlands of them from a large hoop (like the garlands of flowers and ribbons at the top of a may pole). We placed a single crane at each place setting at the reception, as an accompaniment to the chocolates we offered as favors. And even after all this, we ended up with hundreds of cranes in reserve.
Over the years, I've been tucking our wedding cranes into festive packages, and have given several batches to friends to share at their own weddings. We double the good wishes by sharing them :)
But there were two traditions that really took center stage. One was the folding of origami cranes. (The other I'll cover tomorrow.)
In Japanese-American families, it is customary to fashion lucky paper cranes for weddings. This may be due not only to the crane's association with longevity, happiness, and fidelity, but also to the belief that folding 1000 cranes will grant a wish. To make 1001 of these origami birds signifies a wish for luck "a thousand times, and then some."
Folding an individual origami crane goes pretty quickly, as you can see in this animated crane folding tutorial. Folding 1001 cranes, however, is a bit more daunting. Fortunately our mothers agreed to pitch in on the task. So we purchased packet upon packet of gold origami paper, and reconciled ourselves to devoting all of our downtime to crane making!
When the cranes were ready, we strung garlands of them from a large hoop (like the garlands of flowers and ribbons at the top of a may pole). We placed a single crane at each place setting at the reception, as an accompaniment to the chocolates we offered as favors. And even after all this, we ended up with hundreds of cranes in reserve.
Over the years, I've been tucking our wedding cranes into festive packages, and have given several batches to friends to share at their own weddings. We double the good wishes by sharing them :)
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Wedding traditions, part 1
Tradition has it that in colonial America, young women made a dozen quilt tops before they married. When they became engaged, friends and neighbors would gather to help complete the twelve tops and begin on the lucky thirteenth - the coverlet for the new bride and groom. This special quilt often included blocks with names of friends and relatives embroidered or signed in ink.
You've heard me blog about my friend's wedding, where we embroidered signatures on blocks for a quilt. At my own wedding, we provided pens and squares of white fabric for people to sign at the wedding reception itself.
Curious how well it worked? One of the grandmothers (a quilter herself) took it as her own personal mission to make sure that everyone came over and signed their squares, so we ended up with a pretty complete set! And only two people, who shall remain nameless (although my mother used to be married to one of them, ahem) managed to sign on the wrong side of the fabric.
Doing a wedding quilt instead of a guestbook was one of the ways we made the wedding more personal and expressive of us. (Branches of my family have been in this country since pre-revolutionary times, so in a way, this tradition and the choice of the historic site [shown in the Christopher Gurshin painting below] were nods to my heritage, as well as to my interests.)
I'm pretty tired tonight, so I think I'll tell you about the traditions we chose to follow from DH's heritage in tomorrow's post...
You've heard me blog about my friend's wedding, where we embroidered signatures on blocks for a quilt. At my own wedding, we provided pens and squares of white fabric for people to sign at the wedding reception itself.
Curious how well it worked? One of the grandmothers (a quilter herself) took it as her own personal mission to make sure that everyone came over and signed their squares, so we ended up with a pretty complete set! And only two people, who shall remain nameless (although my mother used to be married to one of them, ahem) managed to sign on the wrong side of the fabric.
Doing a wedding quilt instead of a guestbook was one of the ways we made the wedding more personal and expressive of us. (Branches of my family have been in this country since pre-revolutionary times, so in a way, this tradition and the choice of the historic site [shown in the Christopher Gurshin painting below] were nods to my heritage, as well as to my interests.)
I'm pretty tired tonight, so I think I'll tell you about the traditions we chose to follow from DH's heritage in tomorrow's post...
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Fierce white tiger
It's been 2 1/2 years since Finny was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and 6 months since he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma.
And yet, the cat himself is currently purring away on my lap, 3 lbs lighter and quite a few whiskers short (side effect of the radiation on his thyroid gland), but otherwise the apparent picture of health, especially for a nearly 16 year old kitty.
Worry and fear are supposed to compromise the immune system, right? So does the fact that he doesn't know (and can't ever comprehend) that he is "supposed" to be sick help keep him from manifesting symptoms?
Or is the old macho wildcat lineage rearing its head in my gentle little housecat?
And yet, the cat himself is currently purring away on my lap, 3 lbs lighter and quite a few whiskers short (side effect of the radiation on his thyroid gland), but otherwise the apparent picture of health, especially for a nearly 16 year old kitty.
Worry and fear are supposed to compromise the immune system, right? So does the fact that he doesn't know (and can't ever comprehend) that he is "supposed" to be sick help keep him from manifesting symptoms?
Or is the old macho wildcat lineage rearing its head in my gentle little housecat?
Monday, November 26, 2007
The thrill of victory and the agony of the feet
DH and I have gotten into this friendly competition over what we can do on the treadmill. He automatically gets a better workout when we do the same thing because he's bigger; however, I have a very important advantage, and that is that my knees can take walking on an incline. So I can ultimately do as much as he can in the same amount of time (although I'm having to do it all uphill).
We've been one-upping each other every day, just to keep it a little more challenging. This game was all well and good until I made the decision to do about 150% of the previous day's workout. I had a reason for it that didn't pertain to our game, but I forgot to mention it to him.
When he saw the number I put up, he was very unhappy indeed. He retreated to the basement (where the treadmill is housed), and I came upstairs to check my mail.
Slightly more than an hour later, he came back upstairs and I checked with him to see how it had gone. He broke into a big grin, and announced that, once again, he had one-upped me.
RATS! Now I have to do more (not looking forward to that on today's blisters) or be the wimp who throws in the towel. Why, oh why, did I not announce I was calling the game off - back when I was still ahead! ;)
We've been one-upping each other every day, just to keep it a little more challenging. This game was all well and good until I made the decision to do about 150% of the previous day's workout. I had a reason for it that didn't pertain to our game, but I forgot to mention it to him.
When he saw the number I put up, he was very unhappy indeed. He retreated to the basement (where the treadmill is housed), and I came upstairs to check my mail.
Slightly more than an hour later, he came back upstairs and I checked with him to see how it had gone. He broke into a big grin, and announced that, once again, he had one-upped me.
RATS! Now I have to do more (not looking forward to that on today's blisters) or be the wimp who throws in the towel. Why, oh why, did I not announce I was calling the game off - back when I was still ahead! ;)
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Comforter
While we have a perfectly serviceable guest bedroom, we've never had a comforter for the bed. It wasn't too much of an issue, as smart guests head south in the cooler months. But when the odd winter guest did come to stay, we'd pull out random blankets from storage and present them with a pile of lime green, cotton candy, and periwinkle blue. (Ugh!)
And yet, despite the pile, anyone who didn't bring a spouse or partner would invariably end up feeling chilly at night unless we turned the thermostat way up.
This fall, we had enough company that we had to come up with a better way. So we set out for the store with our paint swatches and fabric samples, and went through every last comforter or duvet cover in the place.
Finally, in the very last row, we found it: warm and snuggly, and a shade of red that, for the first time ever, did not actively clash with the other colors in the room.
We got it back and spread it out... and it was True Love for the kitties. They congregate there during the day, and sneak in at night to luxuriate in the warmth and softness. If you try to keep them out, they sit in front of the door and cry.
While I do want the comforter to be warm and lovely for our guests, I cherish the hope that they won't be quite as fanatical about it as our connoisseurs of coziness.
And yet, despite the pile, anyone who didn't bring a spouse or partner would invariably end up feeling chilly at night unless we turned the thermostat way up.
This fall, we had enough company that we had to come up with a better way. So we set out for the store with our paint swatches and fabric samples, and went through every last comforter or duvet cover in the place.
Finally, in the very last row, we found it: warm and snuggly, and a shade of red that, for the first time ever, did not actively clash with the other colors in the room.
We got it back and spread it out... and it was True Love for the kitties. They congregate there during the day, and sneak in at night to luxuriate in the warmth and softness. If you try to keep them out, they sit in front of the door and cry.
While I do want the comforter to be warm and lovely for our guests, I cherish the hope that they won't be quite as fanatical about it as our connoisseurs of coziness.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Giving and receiving
It must be that time of year again, because we got our first question today about our gift lists.
Once my computer rejoined the world of the living, I spent some time going around the web trying to find budget-friendly items to put on a list. And as time went by and I continued to draw a blank, I got to the point where I was wishing that there were some other way of doing this.
I don't really need anything. And the sorts of things that I want are either intangibles (peace, contentment, etc.), or the outcome of seriously time-intensive endeavours. Neither of which would really fit easily on a list.
Which is not to say that I'm not trying anyway. I have been telling my mother for a couple of years now that I would love to have her write down her memories in autobiographical format. (I'd like my father to do this as well, only I've been too scared to ask him.) This would be priceless both to me and to future generations of our immediate and extended family.
All the same, I am sure my parents would give a lot of money not to have to do it. So in a way it's probably too much to ask.
If the only thing I want is too much... what do I do when they ask and keep asking for a list? They aren't going to accept "nothing" for an answer.
Maybe this is why edible gifts are increasing in popularity. (At least food gets used up!) Too bad nobody's close enough that I could just request a home cooked dinner or dessert (which I think would be enjoyable for both giver and recipient). :)
Once my computer rejoined the world of the living, I spent some time going around the web trying to find budget-friendly items to put on a list. And as time went by and I continued to draw a blank, I got to the point where I was wishing that there were some other way of doing this.
I don't really need anything. And the sorts of things that I want are either intangibles (peace, contentment, etc.), or the outcome of seriously time-intensive endeavours. Neither of which would really fit easily on a list.
Which is not to say that I'm not trying anyway. I have been telling my mother for a couple of years now that I would love to have her write down her memories in autobiographical format. (I'd like my father to do this as well, only I've been too scared to ask him.) This would be priceless both to me and to future generations of our immediate and extended family.
All the same, I am sure my parents would give a lot of money not to have to do it. So in a way it's probably too much to ask.
If the only thing I want is too much... what do I do when they ask and keep asking for a list? They aren't going to accept "nothing" for an answer.
Maybe this is why edible gifts are increasing in popularity. (At least food gets used up!) Too bad nobody's close enough that I could just request a home cooked dinner or dessert (which I think would be enjoyable for both giver and recipient). :)
Friday, November 23, 2007
Treadmill
In the everlasting quest for the ideal exercise gadget, DH recently purchased a treadmill. I tried it out for the first time today. It was my first treadmill experience.
In the past, I've done stair stepping, which is pretty hard on the knees if you use the step at any height at all. Plus, stepping backwards off a step isn't exactly a natural sort of movement for your body (although stepping backwards onto a step is harder!).
In comparison, the treadmill was just so easy. I was on for about 50 minutes, at a very brisk walk, and ended up stopping not because I was tired, but because I was just kind of bored. (I think I need to queue up an engaging movie and just see how long I can keep at it.)
This evening (yes, I came back later to add this!) my computer decided that it no longer wanted to go online. This may be just the incentive I need to redirect some of my time towards pursuits that are a little more physically active. Huzzah!
In the past, I've done stair stepping, which is pretty hard on the knees if you use the step at any height at all. Plus, stepping backwards off a step isn't exactly a natural sort of movement for your body (although stepping backwards onto a step is harder!).
In comparison, the treadmill was just so easy. I was on for about 50 minutes, at a very brisk walk, and ended up stopping not because I was tired, but because I was just kind of bored. (I think I need to queue up an engaging movie and just see how long I can keep at it.)
This evening (yes, I came back later to add this!) my computer decided that it no longer wanted to go online. This may be just the incentive I need to redirect some of my time towards pursuits that are a little more physically active. Huzzah!
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Thanksgiving
This evening we tried something a little new for Thanksgiving - eating out. We have no family in the area (although as I noted before, I'm still hoping that may change!), and spending all day in the kitchen laboring over a feast just for the two of us seemed a little silly. So we looked on Opentable last night and found that a few local places still had availability.
We ended up at a restaurant in the city where I got to try a few things that I'd only ever heard about before - some amuse bouches, a foam, and a gelée. Very Top Chef in a way ;). I admit that I had a hard time with the gelée (which was sort of a savoury lobster item with the texture of jello), so that is apparently not my thing. But then, I don't love the texture of jello either, so at least I am consistent! More specifics available on request...
At the end of the meal, DH turned to me and said that we should make this a Thankgiving tradition. Sounds good to me!
We ended up at a restaurant in the city where I got to try a few things that I'd only ever heard about before - some amuse bouches, a foam, and a gelée. Very Top Chef in a way ;). I admit that I had a hard time with the gelée (which was sort of a savoury lobster item with the texture of jello), so that is apparently not my thing. But then, I don't love the texture of jello either, so at least I am consistent! More specifics available on request...
At the end of the meal, DH turned to me and said that we should make this a Thankgiving tradition. Sounds good to me!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Book review: I Love You like Crazy Cakes
I had noticed "I Love You Like Crazy Cakes" in my local bookstore before Sandie began her adoption journey. The lovely, peaceful watercolor illustrations caught my eye every time I went past the display, so when I had the excuse of this blog, I jumped at the chance to purchase a copy.
I put it away for a while, intent on other projects. But this summer, when I saw some of Anna's watercolors, I felt they were vaguely reminiscent, and mentioned the book to her. My comment was met with astonishment and delight, for it was, in fact, one of the very books she had referenced.
So the book has been here waiting patiently for me to post about it for a couple of months. And now, flailing about trying to find something to say in the longest November on record, I turn gratefully to it once more.
"I Love You Like Crazy Cakes" follows the story of a woman who adopts a baby girl from China. It is based on the author's own adoption experience, and is written as if in response to a question from her young daughter about how they came to be together.
As you would imagine from this description, the mother simplifies a fair bit for her young listener, so the whole adoption goes off lightning fast and without a single hitch, and the baby takes to her immediately. (Ah, poetic license.) With its simple and direct language, the book works well as a story to read to a young child.
Now, I know that Sandie prefers that the adoption stories she purchases show a family situation as close to her own as possible, and this one does feature a single mother and no siblings. I thought about this when I chose to purchase it, as I'm fully expecting to pass all of these books over to her in time. And I concluded that, while the book focuses specifically on the relationship between the mother and the daughter, it doesn't necessarily exclude the possibility that there may be other members of the family. If one wanted, one could easily add more family members into the list of people who come meet the baby once she's off the plane. (I always felt free to add and change things in the picture books I read to my little brother when he was young. He never called me on it! Authors, please don't kill me for this!) However, Sandie, if you feel hesitant, I'd be happy to keep this one with me. It really is a very pretty book and I wouldn't at all mind having it for my collection.
Buy this book (or just read more about it):
I put it away for a while, intent on other projects. But this summer, when I saw some of Anna's watercolors, I felt they were vaguely reminiscent, and mentioned the book to her. My comment was met with astonishment and delight, for it was, in fact, one of the very books she had referenced.
So the book has been here waiting patiently for me to post about it for a couple of months. And now, flailing about trying to find something to say in the longest November on record, I turn gratefully to it once more.
"I Love You Like Crazy Cakes" follows the story of a woman who adopts a baby girl from China. It is based on the author's own adoption experience, and is written as if in response to a question from her young daughter about how they came to be together.
As you would imagine from this description, the mother simplifies a fair bit for her young listener, so the whole adoption goes off lightning fast and without a single hitch, and the baby takes to her immediately. (Ah, poetic license.) With its simple and direct language, the book works well as a story to read to a young child.
Now, I know that Sandie prefers that the adoption stories she purchases show a family situation as close to her own as possible, and this one does feature a single mother and no siblings. I thought about this when I chose to purchase it, as I'm fully expecting to pass all of these books over to her in time. And I concluded that, while the book focuses specifically on the relationship between the mother and the daughter, it doesn't necessarily exclude the possibility that there may be other members of the family. If one wanted, one could easily add more family members into the list of people who come meet the baby once she's off the plane. (I always felt free to add and change things in the picture books I read to my little brother when he was young. He never called me on it! Authors, please don't kill me for this!) However, Sandie, if you feel hesitant, I'd be happy to keep this one with me. It really is a very pretty book and I wouldn't at all mind having it for my collection.
Buy this book (or just read more about it):
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Snowflakes
In celebration and recognition of our first snow of the season, I present a link to a site on snowflakes, run by the gentleman whose snowflake pictures appeared on the 39 cent snowflake stamps back in 2006. The site offers gorgeous close-up photos, snowflake facts and physics, and some ideas of snow-related activities for kids and adults.
If you become inspired here, you can seek out Paula Nadelstern's "Snowflakes & Quilts," to learn how to make amazing snowflake quilts. (The book is out of print, but I was able to find it last year at a quilt store for its original price. I include the link to Amazon so you can read a little about it; I'm not recommending that you purchase it at that inflated price!) Or just take the easier and more economical route and go goggle at the quilt gallery on her website!
If you become inspired here, you can seek out Paula Nadelstern's "Snowflakes & Quilts," to learn how to make amazing snowflake quilts. (The book is out of print, but I was able to find it last year at a quilt store for its original price. I include the link to Amazon so you can read a little about it; I'm not recommending that you purchase it at that inflated price!) Or just take the easier and more economical route and go goggle at the quilt gallery on her website!
Monday, November 19, 2007
Doctor Who
Lately I've been revisiting the newest Doctor Who series. These episodes, starting in 2005, are a far cry from the old time Doctor Who, with the low budget monsters and wobbly sets. Today the special effects are decent enough not to call attention to themselves.
I love that the characters travel in time, but we don't have to get all hung up on the details of the technology that allows them to do this. No super-hyper-mega-warp-schmarp-burp drive like they'd have on Star Trek. It's funnier than Trek, and more history-friendly too. (Stories include characters like Shakespeare and Dickens and Queen Victoria.)
Most of all, I love that the main character is a big old geek who takes a childlike sense of wonder and joy in life and adventure and all of the little things that make people (and other weird creatures) work. It's that joy that makes the character (and the series) so much more attractive to me than someone like Spock.
But don't tell my stepmother I said that. She's a huge Spock fan, and this would be tantamount to blasphemy.
I love that the characters travel in time, but we don't have to get all hung up on the details of the technology that allows them to do this. No super-hyper-mega-warp-schmarp-burp drive like they'd have on Star Trek. It's funnier than Trek, and more history-friendly too. (Stories include characters like Shakespeare and Dickens and Queen Victoria.)
Most of all, I love that the main character is a big old geek who takes a childlike sense of wonder and joy in life and adventure and all of the little things that make people (and other weird creatures) work. It's that joy that makes the character (and the series) so much more attractive to me than someone like Spock.
But don't tell my stepmother I said that. She's a huge Spock fan, and this would be tantamount to blasphemy.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Liam's recital
My brother-in-law is in town to interview for a potential job. (Who knows, they could actually be back here next year. I am keeping my fingers crossed!)
My sister took the opportunity to send along with him a CD of my 5 year old nephew's recital. Liam's performed with other kids before, but I believe this was his first solo recital. It covered all of the material found in the Suzuki violin book 1.
My sister started Suzuki group lessons when she was 3 years old. I don't know how old she was when she was playing the book 1 tunes, but I remember every one. (Not by name, but by melody. The human brain really seems to be wired to respond to and remember music and rhythm very well, which makes me wonder if maybe we shouldn't be integrating more music in the teaching of other subjects. Imagine the possibilities.)
I enjoyed revisiting all of the pieces, but my favorite moment was listening to my sister duet with Liam on three of the minuets. It gave me such a sense of continuity, the passing along of something important from one generation to the next.
Maybe in 25 or 30 years, it'll be Liam playing the harmony for his child in her/his first recital. And the rest of us, very old and gray by then, will be sitting in the audience, remembering...
My sister took the opportunity to send along with him a CD of my 5 year old nephew's recital. Liam's performed with other kids before, but I believe this was his first solo recital. It covered all of the material found in the Suzuki violin book 1.
My sister started Suzuki group lessons when she was 3 years old. I don't know how old she was when she was playing the book 1 tunes, but I remember every one. (Not by name, but by melody. The human brain really seems to be wired to respond to and remember music and rhythm very well, which makes me wonder if maybe we shouldn't be integrating more music in the teaching of other subjects. Imagine the possibilities.)
I enjoyed revisiting all of the pieces, but my favorite moment was listening to my sister duet with Liam on three of the minuets. It gave me such a sense of continuity, the passing along of something important from one generation to the next.
Maybe in 25 or 30 years, it'll be Liam playing the harmony for his child in her/his first recital. And the rest of us, very old and gray by then, will be sitting in the audience, remembering...
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Birds
I keep seeing a bird (sparrow?) motif in fabric and decor, like this Joel Dewberry print
When we were out and about the other day and wandered into various design shops, I thought for sure I'd see whole aviaries full of bird prints and other material... but I saw just one, in the very first shop.
Now I am wondering whether this is a trend whose time has come and gone, whether it's only just begun, or whether the whole thing was always only a flight of fancy to begin with.
Idle question, really, as I don't especially care for birds. It's just interesting and mysterious to me to see what floats in and out of style, and try to guess why.
When we were out and about the other day and wandered into various design shops, I thought for sure I'd see whole aviaries full of bird prints and other material... but I saw just one, in the very first shop.
Now I am wondering whether this is a trend whose time has come and gone, whether it's only just begun, or whether the whole thing was always only a flight of fancy to begin with.
Idle question, really, as I don't especially care for birds. It's just interesting and mysterious to me to see what floats in and out of style, and try to guess why.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Brownies
Two weekends ago, DH had to go into work all day Saturday to help conduct interviews for potential college hires. I decided I should bake him something nice to make up for it, so I took some of the peanut butter cups left over from Halloween, chopped them into wedges, and folded them into some homemade brownie batter.
When they came out, I tasted them - delicious! I let them cool, put a bunch into a plastic container, and left a half dozen or so on a plastic-wrapped plate on the table.
Some time after dinner, I wandered back through the dining room and was shocked to find one of my cats on the table hunched over the plate stuffing her face!
I burst into laughter at the guilty look on her fuzzy little face - even while I began to worry, knowing that chocolate in quantity is toxic to cats. The question was, how much was too much?
DH googled for information. And, after I gave him the amount of chocolate in the recipe, and the weight of the greedy kitty, he concluded that she was right on the border. So I got on the phone to animal poison control, and, ultimately, they suggested we'd better take her in to the emergency vet.
We knew we'd be about 3 hours in the waiting room, if they were as busy as they'd been in the past, but there was nothing to be done about that. We loaded the guilty party into her box, and headed off to the vet.
Not 3 minutes before we arrived, my husband the engineer almost stopped the car: "Wait... did I get the math wrong? I think... I think I multiplied instead of dividing at the end!"
Sure enough, he re-ran the numbers and confirmed it.
We called poison control back while sitting in the emergency vet parking lot. As he suspected, they told us we could just go home. Sigh. (At least we figured it out before they put kitty through some unpleasant procedure. The car ride she didn't actually mind.)
Tomorrow DH goes in to do another round of interviews. I'm thinking maybe this time I'll stay away from the baking...
When they came out, I tasted them - delicious! I let them cool, put a bunch into a plastic container, and left a half dozen or so on a plastic-wrapped plate on the table.
Some time after dinner, I wandered back through the dining room and was shocked to find one of my cats on the table hunched over the plate stuffing her face!
I burst into laughter at the guilty look on her fuzzy little face - even while I began to worry, knowing that chocolate in quantity is toxic to cats. The question was, how much was too much?
DH googled for information. And, after I gave him the amount of chocolate in the recipe, and the weight of the greedy kitty, he concluded that she was right on the border. So I got on the phone to animal poison control, and, ultimately, they suggested we'd better take her in to the emergency vet.
We knew we'd be about 3 hours in the waiting room, if they were as busy as they'd been in the past, but there was nothing to be done about that. We loaded the guilty party into her box, and headed off to the vet.
Not 3 minutes before we arrived, my husband the engineer almost stopped the car: "Wait... did I get the math wrong? I think... I think I multiplied instead of dividing at the end!"
Sure enough, he re-ran the numbers and confirmed it.
We called poison control back while sitting in the emergency vet parking lot. As he suspected, they told us we could just go home. Sigh. (At least we figured it out before they put kitty through some unpleasant procedure. The car ride she didn't actually mind.)
Tomorrow DH goes in to do another round of interviews. I'm thinking maybe this time I'll stay away from the baking...
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Halfway point
It's the midpoint of November, which is the halfway point in the blogging project.
The whole experience has been very... different. Unless I have something of a factual nature to report, I don't tend to write a lot. Having to sit down every single day and write, whether or not I have anything to say, has been both challenging (in a good way) and frustrating for me.
Today, I am feeling the obligatory nature of the project very much. With the time off, we've been gallivanting around the city quite a bit; as a result, no fabric has been purchased, no design decisions have been completed, and no quilting progress has been made. So there just isn't much to say.
It's never bad to write for the sake of having written; to just sit down and make yourself do it anyway. I just question whether it's necessary or desirable to go ahead and put it out there in a public place. (Of course you all always have the option to scroll down, and that grants me a certain measure of relief.)
Will it have been a good experience in the end? I think it may be one of those things that I will be glad that I've done. Waiting a few weeks for a sense of accomplishment... well, that's not so bad, is it?
The whole experience has been very... different. Unless I have something of a factual nature to report, I don't tend to write a lot. Having to sit down every single day and write, whether or not I have anything to say, has been both challenging (in a good way) and frustrating for me.
Today, I am feeling the obligatory nature of the project very much. With the time off, we've been gallivanting around the city quite a bit; as a result, no fabric has been purchased, no design decisions have been completed, and no quilting progress has been made. So there just isn't much to say.
It's never bad to write for the sake of having written; to just sit down and make yourself do it anyway. I just question whether it's necessary or desirable to go ahead and put it out there in a public place. (Of course you all always have the option to scroll down, and that grants me a certain measure of relief.)
Will it have been a good experience in the end? I think it may be one of those things that I will be glad that I've done. Waiting a few weeks for a sense of accomplishment... well, that's not so bad, is it?
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Art appreciation
We were out and about today (a day off). We stopped off at the MFA and bought a membership, but didn't stay; instead, we headed off down to the south end, where we walked about and wandered in and out of shops and just generally looked around.
One of the shops featured an exhibit of the paintings of an artist by the name of Oana Lauric, and DH took quite a fancy to some of her work.
Ultimately the subject turned to how someone can guess whether any given piece of art might appreciate or not. I told him that unless you are loaded and can hire an expert, you can investigate where an artist has shown (to see if these are prestigious or come-as-you-are shows), and you can do a little research, but ultimately you probably just buy what you like. And if it ends up appreciating, well, that's a side benefit. (Hey, it worked for Gertrude Stein! I don't know how many misses she had amongst the hits, though.)
But to tell the truth, I haven't a clue. Any hints, Tam? Or should I just start googling?
One of the shops featured an exhibit of the paintings of an artist by the name of Oana Lauric, and DH took quite a fancy to some of her work.
Ultimately the subject turned to how someone can guess whether any given piece of art might appreciate or not. I told him that unless you are loaded and can hire an expert, you can investigate where an artist has shown (to see if these are prestigious or come-as-you-are shows), and you can do a little research, but ultimately you probably just buy what you like. And if it ends up appreciating, well, that's a side benefit. (Hey, it worked for Gertrude Stein! I don't know how many misses she had amongst the hits, though.)
But to tell the truth, I haven't a clue. Any hints, Tam? Or should I just start googling?
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Practice, practice, practice
When my mother was out visiting, she and her friend got me started on hand quilting. She gave me a special thimble and an embroidery hoop with a little lap stand, too, so now I am all set to start a hand quilting project using proper hand quilting - once I can truly figure out what it is I'm doing.
(Proper hand quilting isn't exactly intuitive. Take a look at the stitch here Confused yet?)
I've done enough to realize that it'll take a lot of practice before I'm confident enough to do it on a real project. So I have a hoop set up with some scrap fabric and batting so I can try to get a few stitches on a needle at a time without having my stitches be an inch long. And in the meantime, I'll go back to "cheating" and finish up an in-progress project using my nice old familiar stab-stitching method. Only another quilter would be able to tell ;)
(Proper hand quilting isn't exactly intuitive. Take a look at the stitch here Confused yet?)
I've done enough to realize that it'll take a lot of practice before I'm confident enough to do it on a real project. So I have a hoop set up with some scrap fabric and batting so I can try to get a few stitches on a needle at a time without having my stitches be an inch long. And in the meantime, I'll go back to "cheating" and finish up an in-progress project using my nice old familiar stab-stitching method. Only another quilter would be able to tell ;)
Monday, November 12, 2007
Value judgments
DH has given me a little input on the sorts of colors and values I should be using in the photo quilt for the grandparents-in-law. This is group of potential fabrics we're considering - blues, browns, and neutrals that are generally medium to light in value. (I think he would rather that I not include the two darks on the right end at all, but I should be able to convince him with the ruby beholder.)
The photos scanned and printed on fabric will for the most part also be medium to light in value. That means you have a very low contrast quilt, so you need to look for a pattern where the blocks can be similar in value, rather than one that only works if there is significant value contrast. Like the snowball pattern. (uh oh)
Look at the examples here. In the ones with high contrast, where the snowball is significantly lighter or significantly darker than the surrounding squares, it stands out nicely and gives a nice crisp look. In the ones with low contrast, the pattern becomes a big muddle of slush.
I think this means we go back to the drawing board on the pattern here. :-S
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Painting's a pain
Since we were getting someone to paint the outside of the house this summer, and because we have some water damage in a few rooms indoors, we decided to go ahead and get the same company to fix up a few spots inside too. Picking a color for the kitchen walls has been a major pain.
Here is how it looks now with the original white walls. The granite is new as of this summer; we changed up the knobs (originally brass) to coordinate better with the counters.
The paint guru at the hardware store was enthusiastic, for some reason, about a sort of drab greyish pink color which was about as attractive as that description sounds. We ruled out that color - and nearly everything else for various other reasons - and ultimately arrived at gray.
But even when you narrow it down to gray, you have to pick exactly which shade and value you want (one for above the chair rail, one for below), and Benjamin Moore has so many that a person can get a little lost.
Over a few visits to the hardware store, we picked up a bouquet of paint chips in just about every shade of gray they had. We've finally played with them enough over the past few days to narrow down the combinations to two:
1) Bunny Gray above the chair rail; Pike's Peak Gray below.
2) Sterling above the chair rail; Adagio below
(You can view them here)
DH has gone to get some quarts so we can see how these really work together in real life on our real life walls. Eep. The moment of truth!
Here is how it looks now with the original white walls. The granite is new as of this summer; we changed up the knobs (originally brass) to coordinate better with the counters.
The paint guru at the hardware store was enthusiastic, for some reason, about a sort of drab greyish pink color which was about as attractive as that description sounds. We ruled out that color - and nearly everything else for various other reasons - and ultimately arrived at gray.
But even when you narrow it down to gray, you have to pick exactly which shade and value you want (one for above the chair rail, one for below), and Benjamin Moore has so many that a person can get a little lost.
Over a few visits to the hardware store, we picked up a bouquet of paint chips in just about every shade of gray they had. We've finally played with them enough over the past few days to narrow down the combinations to two:
1) Bunny Gray above the chair rail; Pike's Peak Gray below.
2) Sterling above the chair rail; Adagio below
(You can view them here)
DH has gone to get some quarts so we can see how these really work together in real life on our real life walls. Eep. The moment of truth!
Saturday, November 10, 2007
First group project
The first group quilting project took place not long after I first learned to quilt. Our quilting teacher was getting married - what better gift than something quilt related?
My partner in crime concocted some relatively plausible excuse to procure the entire guest list, with addresses. (I'm still not sure what she said, but it worked!) Then we sat down and wrote a note explaining the project, asking each person to sign an enclosed muslin square and return them to us before the date of the wedding. We would embroider all of the signatures and present all of the squares to the couple on their wedding day. (We didn't have a lot of time, so we were aiming just to have all the squares ready; they could be assembled into a quilt after the big day).
Incredibly, we had full participation. Everyone sent signed squares. More than that, even, because the bride's best friend found an old letter from the bride's father (who had passed away), and copied that onto a square too. (They had been very close, she wrote to us, and she knew that the wedding quilt wouldn't be right without him.)
This is a shot of some of the ones I worked on first. Unfortunately I don't have a photo of the finished set, but I hope it'll give you a taste of the project.
On the wedding day, we arrived at the reception just a few minutes before the bride and groom, but it was enough time to lay out all of the squares in a row. We'd divided the blocks in half and had each tackled the embroidery on our half individually, so we were seeing the whole batch together for the first time. It was pretty exciting!
But our excitement was nothing compared to that of the bride and groom. They went down the line (accumulating quite a following of guests behind them) and read each and every message. And then we pulled out the pièce de résistance - the square from her father, and there was not a dry eye in the house.
My partner in crime concocted some relatively plausible excuse to procure the entire guest list, with addresses. (I'm still not sure what she said, but it worked!) Then we sat down and wrote a note explaining the project, asking each person to sign an enclosed muslin square and return them to us before the date of the wedding. We would embroider all of the signatures and present all of the squares to the couple on their wedding day. (We didn't have a lot of time, so we were aiming just to have all the squares ready; they could be assembled into a quilt after the big day).
Incredibly, we had full participation. Everyone sent signed squares. More than that, even, because the bride's best friend found an old letter from the bride's father (who had passed away), and copied that onto a square too. (They had been very close, she wrote to us, and she knew that the wedding quilt wouldn't be right without him.)
This is a shot of some of the ones I worked on first. Unfortunately I don't have a photo of the finished set, but I hope it'll give you a taste of the project.
On the wedding day, we arrived at the reception just a few minutes before the bride and groom, but it was enough time to lay out all of the squares in a row. We'd divided the blocks in half and had each tackled the embroidery on our half individually, so we were seeing the whole batch together for the first time. It was pretty exciting!
But our excitement was nothing compared to that of the bride and groom. They went down the line (accumulating quite a following of guests behind them) and read each and every message. And then we pulled out the pièce de résistance - the square from her father, and there was not a dry eye in the house.
Friday, November 09, 2007
Timing...
I was talking to a friend about our project, and mentioned that we were discussing the schedule for the project.
I mentioned that I thought setting a date too far out would be risky because people would be likely to forget… but setting a date that came up too soon would annoy people because they would feel like they didn’t have enough time.
The response? "If [Sandie] doesn’t expect that she’ll even have the baby with her for a few more years, why would you guys even need to start thinking about this yet?"
(I think the real answer to this is "Because we’re excited!!!!!" right?)
So how much time would you want/need to shop for the fabric for your wish square?
I mentioned that I thought setting a date too far out would be risky because people would be likely to forget… but setting a date that came up too soon would annoy people because they would feel like they didn’t have enough time.
The response? "If [Sandie] doesn’t expect that she’ll even have the baby with her for a few more years, why would you guys even need to start thinking about this yet?"
(I think the real answer to this is "Because we’re excited!!!!!" right?)
So how much time would you want/need to shop for the fabric for your wish square?
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Pantographs
I realized when I looked back at my posts on The Machine that I had glossed over some of the details of how it works. Don’t worry, I’m not going to bore you with obscure technological details. I just want to tell you about its pantograph system.
You may be familiar with a traditional pantograph, a very old device for copying and, optionally, changing the scale of a two-dimensional drawing.
When you trace the drawing with the pointer, the pencil mirrors your movements and creates another image of the drawing. By adjusting the relation between the pointer and the pencil, you can change how large the copy will be. (Click for more on pantographs. This site is where the drawing above originates.)
On The Machine, the pantograph works on the same principle, only here, you trace the drawing with a laser pointer, and the sewing machine copies your movements in thread!
How on earth does that work? You move the laser pointer using heavy steering handles that are attached to a rolling shelf on which the sewing machine sits; thus, when you steer the laser pointer over the drawing, you are also steering the sewing machine over the quilt.
As long as your sewing machine is turned on and threaded, every movement you make, for better or for worse, will appear on your quilt.
You may be familiar with a traditional pantograph, a very old device for copying and, optionally, changing the scale of a two-dimensional drawing.
When you trace the drawing with the pointer, the pencil mirrors your movements and creates another image of the drawing. By adjusting the relation between the pointer and the pencil, you can change how large the copy will be. (Click for more on pantographs. This site is where the drawing above originates.)
On The Machine, the pantograph works on the same principle, only here, you trace the drawing with a laser pointer, and the sewing machine copies your movements in thread!
How on earth does that work? You move the laser pointer using heavy steering handles that are attached to a rolling shelf on which the sewing machine sits; thus, when you steer the laser pointer over the drawing, you are also steering the sewing machine over the quilt.
As long as your sewing machine is turned on and threaded, every movement you make, for better or for worse, will appear on your quilt.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Return of The Machine
I’ve taken a look at the stack of quilt tops waiting patiently in my studio, and have come to the conclusion that I can no longer avoid firing up The Machine.
I've been putting this off because running The Machine is a bit stressful. You can't entirely see how things are going til you're done (by which point you are not at all interested in the thought of ripping out all of those stitches). Last time I got to the point where part of my routine included not only popping in a fresh bobbin and making sure the quilt was rolled into the proper position, but putting some lavender oil into the diffuser and turning on a CD of calming medieval chant music.
But I do believe it'll go more smoothly this time - after all, we have a better idea of what to expect!
First up is the flower boxes quilt, since its backing is good to go. I’ve chosen a wildflower pattern for the quilting. (It seems fitting!) If it looks as pretty in thread as it does on paper, I'll be very pleased :)
I’ll keep you posted...
I've been putting this off because running The Machine is a bit stressful. You can't entirely see how things are going til you're done (by which point you are not at all interested in the thought of ripping out all of those stitches). Last time I got to the point where part of my routine included not only popping in a fresh bobbin and making sure the quilt was rolled into the proper position, but putting some lavender oil into the diffuser and turning on a CD of calming medieval chant music.
But I do believe it'll go more smoothly this time - after all, we have a better idea of what to expect!
First up is the flower boxes quilt, since its backing is good to go. I’ve chosen a wildflower pattern for the quilting. (It seems fitting!) If it looks as pretty in thread as it does on paper, I'll be very pleased :)
I’ll keep you posted...
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Green, no, blue!
What is your favorite color? What does your favorite color say about you?
I have said for many years that my favorite color was green, but if there is any validity to these descriptions, I am not so sure:
I can hear a couple of you laughing at some of this from here! ("Too patient" especially amused me.)
Perhaps I need to rethink this favorite color thing... ;)
I have said for many years that my favorite color was green, but if there is any validity to these descriptions, I am not so sure:
Green: The color of harmony and balance, Green symbolizes hope, renewal, and peace, and is usually liked by the gentle and sincere. Greens are generally frank, community-minded people, fairly sociable but preferring peace at any price. Green people can be too self-effacing, modest and patient, so they may get exploited by others. They are usually refined, civilized and reputable.
I can hear a couple of you laughing at some of this from here! ("Too patient" especially amused me.)
Perhaps I need to rethink this favorite color thing... ;)
Monday, November 05, 2007
Serendipity
Now that I have a studio with a door, I can keep the cats away from my fabric. But back in the day, I lived in a studio apartment with a youthful Finny, and there was no cat-free place to sew unless I wanted to move my sewing machine into the shower.
Finnegan always had a lot of dignity, even as a kitten, so this was not usually too much of an issue. He would make a little nest in my scraps, or would come over and supervise from a respectful distance; and I was lulled into believing he wasn’t interested enough to mess with anything.
So when I couldn’t get one layout quite right, I went ahead and left it lying on the floor. It looked like little boxes, and was pretty neat, but… I just wasn’t quite satisfied. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Each time I went by, I’d stare at it, move a block or two, and then resolve to figure the rest out later. I was well and truly stuck.
Finally, I guess, the intelligent one in the apartment had had enough of the dithering. He went tearing through the room, galloping across the bed, stampeding through the papers on my desk, and – you guessed it - rocketing through the middle of the blocks on the floor.
When the proverbial dust settled, my blocks were lying every which way. I couldn’t remember where any of them had originally been. I was so disappointed.
But, serendipitously, he had actually done me a favor. Once I had put the blocks into the box formation, I had pretty much locked myself into that configuration. Finn’s wild rumpus shook things up and made me start over from scratch. The freedom of beginning afresh was exactly what the quilt needed, for it enabled me to find a layout I finally loved.
Finnegan always had a lot of dignity, even as a kitten, so this was not usually too much of an issue. He would make a little nest in my scraps, or would come over and supervise from a respectful distance; and I was lulled into believing he wasn’t interested enough to mess with anything.
So when I couldn’t get one layout quite right, I went ahead and left it lying on the floor. It looked like little boxes, and was pretty neat, but… I just wasn’t quite satisfied. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Each time I went by, I’d stare at it, move a block or two, and then resolve to figure the rest out later. I was well and truly stuck.
Finally, I guess, the intelligent one in the apartment had had enough of the dithering. He went tearing through the room, galloping across the bed, stampeding through the papers on my desk, and – you guessed it - rocketing through the middle of the blocks on the floor.
When the proverbial dust settled, my blocks were lying every which way. I couldn’t remember where any of them had originally been. I was so disappointed.
But, serendipitously, he had actually done me a favor. Once I had put the blocks into the box formation, I had pretty much locked myself into that configuration. Finn’s wild rumpus shook things up and made me start over from scratch. The freedom of beginning afresh was exactly what the quilt needed, for it enabled me to find a layout I finally loved.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Notes from my pensive citadel
This is the snowball quilt I mentioned below. Here, I've set the snowball block in alternation with a simple nine-patch. These are both very traditional blocks, technically straightforward to construct. The idea of combining them is not especially earth-shattering either.
I took the traditional blocks and then sort of played inside them with color and value to try to make something that doesn't look all that traditional.
I wish the angle on the picture were better. You can see the light tricks in the center and some of the dimensional things going on near the corners. But if you saw the quilt top straight on, you would see the thing I like best in this one, which is that the center snowball feels visually like it must be smaller than the ones that surround it. (In fact, it's precisely the same. I don’t how the illusion works, but it makes me want to find out!)
When I look at a lot of my works-in-progress, I see over and over this preoccupation with creating illusions - transparency, dimensionality, glow, optical tricks, etc - within traditional patterns.
(I can cite Wordsworth without sounding pretentious, because everyone is made to read him, right?) This makes me think of the "Nuns fret not..." sonnet, which speaks of "Souls/ Who have felt the weight of too much liberty" finding "solace" in the act of composing within the confines of traditional forms. There is something about that that rings true for what I am doing here.
What this realization means for what I'll make in the future, I'm not sure. But it may mean I should be thinking about it...
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Clear as mud?
I wrote up a draft of what we'll need from participants. (Sandie's explanation of the project will be grafted onto the top of this.) Could you guys read this and tell me if there's anything that is unclear to you? Would you understand what you needed to do if you read this letter? Would you have any additional questions? I don't want people to be scared off of participating because the instructions are confusing.
Sandie, there are two places where I have questions for you. Please let me know your thoughts.
If you would like to participate, here’s what to do:
1) Go to a fabric store locally or online, or plumb the depths of your scrap bag, and select a 100% cotton fabric that you love. If you are buying new, a quarter metre/yard should be more than sufficient. [Have we reached any decisions about colors? Is doing a "gendered" color like pink too risky? What happens if you do get a boy?]
2) From your chosen fabric, cut two pieces:
a) a large square measuring 9" x 9" (23 x 23 cm). This piece will be used in the quilt. (We will wash and square up all the pieces when they arrive, so your cutting does not need to be perfect.)
b) a second small swatch about half the length of your thumb. This piece will be included in a wish scrapbook for our little one.
3) Take this swatch and glue it to an index card or small piece of paper. Next to the swatch write your wish. Use all your own words, or incorporate a quotation, verse, or anything that is meaningful to you. The sky’s the limit!
4) Mail the square and the wish card to the location nearest you:
* In Australia: (Sandie's address here)
* Outside Australia: (My address here)
Sandie, there are two places where I have questions for you. Please let me know your thoughts.
If you would like to participate, here’s what to do:
1) Go to a fabric store locally or online, or plumb the depths of your scrap bag, and select a 100% cotton fabric that you love. If you are buying new, a quarter metre/yard should be more than sufficient. [Have we reached any decisions about colors? Is doing a "gendered" color like pink too risky? What happens if you do get a boy?]
2) From your chosen fabric, cut two pieces:
a) a large square measuring 9" x 9" (23 x 23 cm). This piece will be used in the quilt. (We will wash and square up all the pieces when they arrive, so your cutting does not need to be perfect.)
b) a second small swatch about half the length of your thumb. This piece will be included in a wish scrapbook for our little one.
3) Take this swatch and glue it to an index card or small piece of paper. Next to the swatch write your wish. Use all your own words, or incorporate a quotation, verse, or anything that is meaningful to you. The sky’s the limit!
4) Mail the square and the wish card to the location nearest you:
* In Australia: (Sandie's address here)
* Outside Australia: (My address here)
When we receive your envelope, we will note its arrival on our quilt page, http://lobster-quadrille.blogspot.com, so be sure to check in and follow our progress online!
Deadlines are, alas, a necessary evil, without which the world would cease to function. We would therefore like to ask you to mail your envelope by [What date would we like to give them?].
Friday, November 02, 2007
The first quilt
During college, there were two teaching assistants whom I got to know well. One I wish I hadn’t. The other was my Shakespeare TA. She was only a few years older, and when a couple of us chatted with her after section, we discovered that the conversation would drift from assignments to common interests. When we learned that she had cats – not fey visitors like the strays we surreptitiously fed on the back porch, but actual pets – and was willing to let us come meet them, the bond was cemented.
On the day of the kitty playdate, we discovered not only cats but also quilting. Displayed on her wall was a brand new, handmade patchwork quilt. We were fascinated. "You made that yourself?" we asked. Oh yes, she had taken a class. "You wouldn't, maybe, be willing to teach us how to do it too?" It turned out that she was.
So at the start of the new term, we made a pilgrimage to the local fabric store to pick out supplies for our new adventure. It was a crazy quarter academically, and we were working like fiends. But every week, we set aside one day to go on retreat. Our friend would pick us up at our dorm, and we’d bring along treats we’d concocted in our kitchen the previous night. We’d go to her apartment, sew and nibble and play with the cats all day, and then, before we went back, she would feed us one of her hot, home cooked meals. The food at our dorm was edible enough, but it never measured up to these cozy dinners amongst friends.
Friends, cats, and food... with such positive associations, is it any wonder I’ve stuck with quilting for all these years?
On the day of the kitty playdate, we discovered not only cats but also quilting. Displayed on her wall was a brand new, handmade patchwork quilt. We were fascinated. "You made that yourself?" we asked. Oh yes, she had taken a class. "You wouldn't, maybe, be willing to teach us how to do it too?" It turned out that she was.
So at the start of the new term, we made a pilgrimage to the local fabric store to pick out supplies for our new adventure. It was a crazy quarter academically, and we were working like fiends. But every week, we set aside one day to go on retreat. Our friend would pick us up at our dorm, and we’d bring along treats we’d concocted in our kitchen the previous night. We’d go to her apartment, sew and nibble and play with the cats all day, and then, before we went back, she would feed us one of her hot, home cooked meals. The food at our dorm was edible enough, but it never measured up to these cozy dinners amongst friends.
Friends, cats, and food... with such positive associations, is it any wonder I’ve stuck with quilting for all these years?
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Day 1, and drafting a letter
Look at how many posts we average per month. Now try not to laugh when I tell you that I will be attempting to make a post a day during the month of November in honor of NaBloPoMo Really there is nothing to lose. Even if I don't make it all the way through, it will be a good, much-needed kick in the seat in the pants for my posting frequency. So, why not?
I wanted to begin by updating you on where we are on the Good Wishes quilt front, as there has been a bit of news that we haven't posted. To wit: since Sandie and her family have been approved, she has said that she now feels ready to start planning the quilt!
The first thing we need to do is to draft a note that we can send out to potential participants. This note should explain:
1) what the project is
There are countless examples online from other families who have created Good Wishes quilts. I think we can simply look at a few of them and adapt this amalgam as necessary to our own version of the project. Would you take the action item, Sandie, to do this and send me a draft?
2) what we need from participants.
For this second item, we need to start by figuring out what we do actually need. I can take it as an action item, and then can fold the information into the draft you send me.
Does this sound doable? Feel free to make countersuggestions if you have other ideas!
P.S. In order to figure out what size squares to request from participants, I do need a general sense of how large you would like the finished quilt to be. Are you thinking you would like a quilt she can cuddle up with, or a quilt that can cover her twin sized bed? Let me know!
I wanted to begin by updating you on where we are on the Good Wishes quilt front, as there has been a bit of news that we haven't posted. To wit: since Sandie and her family have been approved, she has said that she now feels ready to start planning the quilt!
The first thing we need to do is to draft a note that we can send out to potential participants. This note should explain:
1) what the project is
There are countless examples online from other families who have created Good Wishes quilts. I think we can simply look at a few of them and adapt this amalgam as necessary to our own version of the project. Would you take the action item, Sandie, to do this and send me a draft?
2) what we need from participants.
For this second item, we need to start by figuring out what we do actually need. I can take it as an action item, and then can fold the information into the draft you send me.
Does this sound doable? Feel free to make countersuggestions if you have other ideas!
P.S. In order to figure out what size squares to request from participants, I do need a general sense of how large you would like the finished quilt to be. Are you thinking you would like a quilt she can cuddle up with, or a quilt that can cover her twin sized bed? Let me know!
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