Needlework Tuesday: Holiday Week Version

Monday was a holiday in the U.S. - Memorial Day - so, of course, I didn't work.  That threw me off completely, and all day yesterday I kept thinking I needed to get a Needlework Tuesday post ready for tomorrow.  So - here's my holiday version.

I completed my 100 mini prayer quilts.  If you don't remember, a friend volunteered to head up a drive to make 1500 4" 4-patch mini quilts by mid-June.  She farmed it out in lots of 100 to everyone she knew who sews.  I volunteered for 100.  I finished them last week and presented them with a great feeling of accomplishment.  Then she asked if I could do a few more because some people didn't return theirs.  So I'm in 4-patch mode again.

I completed the blocks and settled on an arrangement for my baby quilt.  I'm going to assemble that much while I ponder options for borders and backing.  The baby - my great nephew (wow) - is due in July.

My third project for the week was a prayer flag for my birthday.  The base is a vintage napkin - off white with red trim.  The fabrics in the crazy quilt represent things I like - sewing, knitting, music, anything "vintage"  - there's even a bit of Christmas stuck in there.  The triangle with embroidered flowers is the corner of another vintage napkin.

I also started kitting a red, white and blue afghan.  In fact, I've started it at least 15 times now.  I'm having some tension issues - but I think I have it under control now.  Hopefully there will be enough progress to warrant pictures next week.

Visit Heather at Books & Quilts to see what all the Needlework Tuesday participants are stitching.

Random Graduation Thoughts

There has been so much going on in our lives lately - but I have absolutely nothing to blog.  So, here's another one of those "posts in pictures". 

I was honored to get to "pin" Mitch at his Department of Nursing Pinning Ceremony.  Had I known in advance, I would have dressed better - well, probably not.

Our two soon-to-be-graduates at Mitch's pinning the night before graduation.

Following the pinning, the family gathered at Mitch's new home for cake and gifts.

So awesome to get them all together.

I already posted about the actual graduation - so we skip ahead to Amanda's post-graduation reception:

Amanda (right) and three of her friends partied on the rooftop patio of a local restaurant.

The grandsons got to meet NFL linebacker Justin Tuggle (Houston Texans) and his father, Jesse Tuggle - former linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons.  

And my favorite photo of the weekend:

Oh, happy day!

Tangled Thursday: Graduation

Graduation . . . fresh starts . . . new beginnings . .  This is where my head has been for weeks, if not months.  With two children graduating from college, I've been planning meals and cakes and gifts; and worrying about jobs and houses and future plans.  Naturally, this week's theme for Tangled Thursday involved them all

The Journey Begins Today Challenge - Create a tangle inspred by this drawing:

Our family is setting out in many directions so the ideas of the road and a journey appealed to me.  Here is my interpretation - 

The diverging paths is a pretty obvious reference and the herringbone pattern was inspired by the Yellow Brick Road - a nod to our family's Kansas roots - as was the tangle in the lower right, which reminded me of a waving wheat field.  The tangle in the center triangle made me think of graduation tassels.  On the left is a reference to the prayer quilts I made them.  The others are just pretty.  

To see how others were inspired, visit our hostess, Heather at Books and Quilts.

In other tangling news, Amanda helped Mitch decorate his new home, and she wanted to include one of my drawings.  Most of what I had on hand involved flowers and other frills that didn't match his bachelor pad, so I created a tangle just for him.  This is the Fort Hays State Tiger - mascot of Mitch's Alma Mater.

I traced and simplified the image into an outline for tangling.

I added "masculine" tangles - no curly-ques or flowers - and a woven background.  

Woven into the drawing are the university initials, Mitch's initials, and the date of graduation.  Mitch was much happier to have this hanging on his living room wall.

Like Sands Through the Hour Glass . . .

At 10:27 Saturday morning, Amanda Christine Erwin received her Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Kansas State University.

Forty minutes later and 120 miles west, Mitchell Scott Erwin received his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Fort Hays State University.  

I'm not sure I'll ever get over my disappointment at not being able to see both of them receive their diploma, but the college-powers-that-be are not to be argued with. So, we concocted a plan that was a nightmare of logistics, timing and me traveling 875 miles - but it went off without a hitch.  Both graduates got a parent at their graduation, as well as time to celebrate with the visiting family.  That's as close to fair as we could get.  In spite of the driving, the clock watching, and sitting through two hours of total strangers before we finally got to our graduate, it was an incredible day.  I truly could not be prouder of them.

And so, we close the door on another chapter of life.  It's the natural progression of life. First we were newlyweds - new name, new home, new dreams.  Then we were parents of two babies, 18 months apart- diapers, bottles, no sleep.  Then came the school years -  homework, spelling bees, little league.  Of course grade-schoolers grow into teens - cars, proms, dating, no sleep.  And suddenly they were in college - tuition, apartments, late-night meltdowns, career choices. 

What now?  The house has been an "empty nest" for four years, but somehow it feels as though the whole tree is empty now.  There are many changes coming, and change never comes easy for me, but we turn the page and begin a new chapter.

Bout of Books Challenge: Looking Forward

As part of the Bout of Books Readathon, Shannon @ River City Reading is hosting the Books You Are Looking Forward To Challenge.    I thought it was a good opportunity to look at books that are due to be published soon.   When I worked at the library, I stayed to date on book releases, but now I'm out of the loop.  To form my wish list of upcoming reads, I browsed Barnes and Noble's "Coming Soon" section.  I found that some of my favorite authors have books coming out in May and June that I will definitely put on my library list.

The Hurricane Sisters by Dorothea Benton Frank

Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich

Save the Date by Mary Kay Andrews

Mr.Mercedes by Stephen King

Needlework Tuesday: A Family In Stitches

One of our daughter's best friends and fellow crafter, Sarah, wanted some potholders to display on hooks she made from vintage spoons.  So, when Amanda was home for a few days last week, we whipped up four.  Amanda is an expert crafter with paint, Mod Podge or scrapbook paper, but she hasn't shown much interest in sewing until now. She did the majority of the stitching and they came out great.  

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A couple weeks ago, I picked up five fat quarters of Riley Blake's western coordinates to make a quilt for my great-nephew, who will arrive in July. I'm making simple half-square triangles, but I can't decide on a layout.

I could use a simple layout . . .

                                   

Or, I could add in some blocks with adorable cowboys that I fussy cut from some fabric in my stash.

Or I could try a chevron layout.  This is just a sample laid out with the few blocks I have assembled.  In the final version those two mismatched triangles in the second row would be from the correct print.  

Or I'm open to other suggestions.
  
Needlework Tuesday is hosted by Heather at Books & Quilts.    Visit Heather to see what everyone is stitching.

Tangled Thursday Challenge

It's my turn to select a challenge for Tangled Thursday participants and I've selected something a little outside the box.  Mitch and Amanda will both be graduating from college this weekend.  Over the last couple months, we have been fielding questions about job searches, grad school applications, moving . . . 

At the same time, Dave and I are facing a new phase of life - true "empty nesters".  Our children will all be grown, educated, self-sufficient adults -- well, mostly -- and our focus can shift a bit.

All these new beginnings wormed their way into my thoughts on Zentangles.  I wanted to pick a "graduation" theme of some sort, so I went online looking for ideas.  I found this drawing on Pinterest and knew it was my inspiration -- and now it's yours.  

One of my favorite TV shows is Project Runway.  Frequently they give the clothing designers a place or an object to be their inspiration.  Some designers take this very literally and some make such wild connections that I sometimes can't follow.  But that's what inspiration is all about.  So - the challenge is to draw one (or more) Zentangles -- any size, shape and media that you desire -- that is inspired by this drawing.  What form that takes is up to you.  The point is not to copy the drawing, but to let it bounce around in your head until up pops your unique interpretation.

Because I will be traveling this week for graduation ceremonies, this challenge is to be posted on Thursday, May 22.    Your Zentangle journey starts now.  Have fun!

Pinay New Yorker - on Flickr

Tangled Thursdays are a series of challenges hosted by Heather at Books & Quilts.  Participants take turns inventing the challenge, then share their results.  If you love to Zentangle, or want to learn, or just want to see what everyone comes up with, visit Heather and link up.  Newcomers are always welcome and there is no judging.  Just creativity and fun.