Finishing Touches- Mariner's Compass

Well you all remember back in February when we went to Dallas and dropped off that fabulous blue and white Mariner's Compass quilt top with Kathy Bradbury of Bear Paw Machine Quilters? Well she was busy, busy, BUSY working on that quilt! Not so busy that she didn't have time to send me updates on the quilt! It's like she knew what a special quilt it is to all of us, and she treated it with the same care! (Seriously folks, Kathy rocks.) Here are some of the machine quilting "in-progress" shots.

 The markings for the white block quilting. You can see where she included extra batting so the design would really show and it'd give more of a trapunto look.

 Seriously it was better than watching my plants grow!

After this quilt had been on her machine for !!!3 weeks!!! it was time for Valerie to go pick it up! Kathy even got pictures of that!

She was ecstatic to have it and even put it on their bed un trimmed and un bound.

The timing was seriously perfect because Valerie and Matt were coming to visit us the next weekend! It was our job to get the quilt trimmed and bound so that we could take it to Olten and finish binding it with Aunt Lois and Aunt Maggie!

Val was experiencing frustration binding the "special quilt" so she worked on another quilt I needed to bind while I got to binding theirs!

I got about half of the binding done during that weekend, but then it was off to the races with other visitors and trips so everything was more or less on pause until Valerie and I met Aunt Lois, Doc, and Aunt Maggie in Olton, TX. It was great family time, and the perfect chance for four Harper women (Uncle Doc calls our specific Harper Girl traits the "H1 gene") to finish up the last steps on this quilt.

Of course, Jolly Quilter's were in order!

As was LOTS of visiting! 

and maaaaaybe some sewing.

Especially some celebrating when it was ALL finished! 

L-R: Aunt Lois, Me, Aunt Maggie, Valerie

Stay tuned for the big reveal!

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Education and it's Credentials

This has been an interesting time. Today the school of education held its graduation ceremonies. A whole mess of people got their BA's and MA's and we got our credentials. I have mixed feelings about this because these last three semesters "merely" got me a credential and yet I'm proud of being done. I'm glad the three semesters are over.



At the start of the program our cohort head count was about 20. Finishing the credential we are now at about 10. (2 of us weren't able to be there.)
One of my closest friends, Destinie, and I started the program together.



I'm proud to say we finished it together too.
I had considered not going to this ceremony, but looked forward to the closure it might bring. Getting my credential was also sentimental as my mother was an amazing educator and life long learner. My mom made her way through a B.S. in Home Economics, a single subject and eventually a multiple subject teaching credential, and a MS degree in business.
I felt like today was a day of sentimental note in regard to my mom and I was missing her very much today. I wore a skirt I converted from one of her old dresses and of course it was her token color blue.



This was also a sentimental day as Destinie was in my moms class during her second year teaching. I know my mom is so proud of both of us. Did I mention I miss her? I so wish she had been there.



On a brighter note my nails were Ravenclaw (OPI Dating A Royal) blue in honor of "Wit beyond measure.
I have bumped up my departure date to ASAP. I hope that none of my local friends and family will take offense. I'm feeling particularly ready to be back with Luke and doing a bit of reflecting.

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French.

For many reasons, the primary one being that she was in the hospital, my mother was unable to attend the Quilter's Paradise Quilting in the Pines retreat at Bass Lake. I was very lucky and spoiled as my  father encouraged me to go in my mothers place. The quilting retreat is a very special time as you are in a room surrounded by other women, their sewing machines, their chatter, laughter and love. Woah my goodness. I never truly realised until this year just how much love is in that room. Quilters are somehow joined by binding threads and when one is having a rough time they will hold you together much like the quilting that holds together the layers of blanket. All of these women share stories, tell jokes, reminisce, and throw in a bit of sarcasm and mischief to provide some of the best therapy on earth. I'm telling you people pay BIG bucks for therapy this good. As Shakespeare the great writer says "Listen to many, speak to a few." Sure I did a lot of answering questions about Luke, and the wedding and my mom, but the things I heard left me full of that love, including encouragement, advice, stories of experiences, and support that would not and has not been only at the lake.

Speaking of Shakespeare, he has more to say that applies to this weekend....

“Teach not thy lip such scorn, for it was made For kissing, lady, not for such contempt.” Yep...I'm hearing bells and screeching brakes going off in your brain but keep going! The quilt I was working on this weekend was called French Kiss! Not quite your traditional Mennonite Quilt pattern! haha.

I had seen the Amy Butler's Daisy Chain Wildflowers fabric and pretty much gone gaga over it.

 I resisted buying the fabric for a while and then I just couldn't take it anymore. I was thinking about it ALL the time! Well except when I was day dreaming about Luke. Anyway I bought a yard, then began collecting more fabrics I thought would "really go" with it. What I was going to do with it? I really didn't know.

Some time later I went with Jennifer and her girls to see Mark and Cindy at a Quilts in the Trees show in Livermore. It was there that I saw this phenomenal diamond quilt pattern.

Then I found out that it was called French Kiss. THIS made me think of how Jenny and I called Luke Loooooooke because that's how the guy in that movie says it. Should you not recall this see the Video clip here. The pronunciation is about 5min 58 seconds in. Please note that the movie is NOT G rated. So the fact that Looooke would be brought into this quilt as well pretty much sealed the deal. The fact that the quilt concept included kissing? Icing on the cake.

Long story shorter, I worked on this quilt at Huntington in the Fall, and for most of this retreat and its finally finished!! Wooo! Not to say that this quilt wasn't given it's fair share of innuendos, potentially raunchy jokes, and quite a bit of air tongue action. (Every time some one mentioned it I'd stick my tongue way out and wave it around.) This did, however, lighten the mood quite a bit, and turned out rather well if I do say so myself. It was NOT an easy quilt. Diamonds are a pain to pin, but I'm pleased to say that almost all my corners match and I love it! Love it and love Loooooooke! (For those of you who were there....now all I'm gonna need is some sugar cubes...)

Also on the note of French, I made some ooober cool pillow cases that had French Seams which are self encased and don't unravel as much. (See here for directions.)

Only One Color?

Or maybe two. I was packing for my trip to visit Luke and his family in Grand Junction. I'm a visual kid so I layed everything out on the bed to make sure I had what I needed/wanted. I took a step back to survey the math and noticed my color selections were very one track...

PS. We're going to visit an alpaca farm tomorrow! WoooH!

Kool Blue Waters

Val's good friend Laura has commissioned a pair of mittens. Valerie told her she couldn't wear the ones she got from the dollar tree so now Laura is pullin out the big guns and goin for the gold. I had her log on to my Ravelry account and pick a pair she liked. She said, "Can you do those? Are they too hard?" Psssh. I can do anything. We'll see if that's my tune when I'm done. I got the book from the library, ordered the wool yarn (Lanaloft worsted.) Laura is pretty go with the flow so I've taken this opportunity to hand dye the yarn for the pattern. I'm using Kool Aid.
I made a big loop so that the yarn wouldn't be variegated in such short intervals. I wanted it to be fairly gradual. Soaked the yarn in water. Looks like spaghetti.

Dissolved the kool aid. (Round one: 1/3 package blue 1 tip of spoon purple Round two: 2/3 package blue 2 tips of spoon purple Round 3: Whole package blue 3 tips of spoon purple)

I wanted 3 shades of the same blue each level darker than the next. Here you can see round one in the microwave.

I believe this is round two. Chopsticks were perfect for propping the round one yarn out of the dye. Not metal so I could still do the simple microwave method.

After round three I did all the yarn for two more min in the microwave all submerged in the darkest dye. (I realised there was plenty of room to take the whole thing darker.) You can see how much of the color it actually absorbed.

Here's the whole thing hanging out in the sink post rinse. Twisted into a loose hank and drying the rest of the way on the back of my door.

Wound into a ball. Doesn't do it justice...looks rather pink...couldn't wait to start knitting it.

This yarn has been dubbed Kool Blue Waters.

My Resource can be found here http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall02/FEATdyedwool.html and I strongly recommend following their directions and not my photo story board.

Under 1 Generals Fan

Not to mean that there is less than one generals fan. Just that THIS fan is under the age of 1. Henry's Dad John is a coach and henry needed a blue and gold hat to wear to games. I was up to the challange. Henry's Auntie Jill and I picked out a pattern at Monday night football. Then I forwarded some yarn choices I'd gotten from the ever so helpful Wendy...shoot I think that's her name...at The Websters in Ashland OR. (Pretty good yarn store folks.) The day I got the yarn in the mail I started the hat!

But then I though...Henry cant just have a hat! I have left over yarn. He needs something else.

Mittens! Henry needs mittens! Having just picked up the book Knit Mittens by Robin Hansen from the library for Miss Moss's mittens, I was well equiped to make Henry's. (This book is fantastic by the way.)

And now Henry has a set to wear when he cheers the Generals on!

Slippin Into Fall!

Yep...these just in...minutes ago...literally...I finished crocheting them, put them on, took the pictures, and posted them. That is how excited I am.

Yarn is a cotton crocheted with a super soft synthetic from Lynda's shop, Keep Me In Stitches in McCall, Idaho. (The two separate yarns explains how I was able to pull that blue out for the trim.) Pattern is free on Ravelry and is called Mary Jane Slippers by Lisa Gutierrez. Pretty easy peasy. The buttons are old metal ones intended for some of my Grandma Peggy's (my mom's mom was an avid knitter, she could read while she knit!) projects. You can tell they're REALLY keeping my feet warm because the veins on my feet pop out when they get hot. Oooooh that's why they put hot packs on patients arms at the Cancer Center before they "go at" the patients with needles. Maybe they need arm slippers...oh wait...mittens.

I also discovered that once I finish making one I like to wear it while I work on the other. It's sort of encouragement. I was sitting (working on my slipper) at a friends house while her kids were sleeping so she could go out and get some shopping done. The littlest one woke up and I went to check on him/comfort him/ended up walking around with him til mom came home (maybe 5 min?) anyway when his mom came in she was entertained by my single slipper on.

These were initially for mom to put hot packs in the bottom but I don't think the bumps from the crochet will go well with her neuropathy. Darn. I'll have to keep em.

One In Every Color- Phones

These phones all have quite the stories. Most of the stories pertain to color. Mom and Val got the phones first. They both go blue. Then I came into town from Idaho, and was up for a phone upgrade. Luke and I went to the store and Mom told me I couldn't come back with the same phone as Val or Val would be mad. So I got green. Turns out she had wanted green over blue. Lose lose situation. Well turns out Cindy W. had the same phone too. In green. We were always picking up each others phones but all it took was one slide open. Cute little grand kids meant her phone. Boy hearts girl meant mine! Then Lakeview Cottages phone went kaput. Lakeview got red. That's the color I wanted. No matter. I got a new (red) phone (with a camera that has a flash) the weekend this picture was taken so its a mute point. HOWEVER, I thought it was cool that we had "One In Every Color." haha.

Wax Job

I've been playing with wax. I know it drives my dad crazy. He sees (and remembers) all the things that can (and sometimes do) go wrong and it sort of freaks him out. For some reason I cant stand to let all those broken crayons go to waste. Theres good color left in them just waiting to be utilized! I loved to lay crayon bits on paper in the sun to get all swirly and melty! (It didn't help the case against my dad when it didnt occur to me to weight these projects down. The wind blew them over and the wax melted into our pourous pool side concrete. oops.) Any way we've got lots of broken crayons at work and once again I found myself saving them. We did the melty wax project at school with the students, but then I found ideas for making crayons around the web. Mine are sort of a mix and match of all of them but I did learn some things:
1.) When baking the wax in a slicone mold (big flowers) it really is important not to get the temp to high. If you turn the heat up to speed up the process, you'll get a clear layer that doesnt color.
2.) If you use mom's special non stick pans for acting as a double boiler, and the can the wax is in tips over, she'll find out what you used them for (even if you think you wiped it all out) when she makes mashed potatoes and the bubbles on top are blue.
3.) Use heavy duty bags to smash the crayons in, because "Dad" (substitute roomate, husband, sister) doesnt like it when there are tiny wax bits on the floor that stick to feet.

Happy crayon making! Its a lot of fun!