We remember, we celebrate, we believe!

***About that new header picture....I took that photo during our last ice storm. The ravine is close to my office complex and the trees were so beautiful covered in ice. As the winds would blow, sections of the wheat colored grass would just collapse under the ice weight. The moment was both peaceful and eerie.***

Jazz has been assisting me with a huge project for our church.  We are making about 40 poncho style robes for the coming Lent and Easter seasons.   Jazz used the alphabet stitch feature on my machine to create size labels for all of the robes.  I cut the robes and ran the edges through my serger.  The necklines were finished with bias tape for a more sturdy product.  All the white robes are now complete and the purple robes are in the serging phase of the process.  I've offered to let Jazz serge, but I think she's afraid of the machine speed :)

Each year, those choosing to study the faith and enter fully into the Catholic Church participate in the initiation programs such as RCIA or Catholics Come Home.  Our church also has a wonderful program for younger children entering the Church that is geared toward their level of understanding and attentiveness.  These programs culminate at the Easter Vigil Mass when those studying, known as Catechumens, are brought fully into the Church family.  Depending on the size of the Catechumen class, this Mass can be very lengthy - think 4 hours.  The Mass begins very solemnly and transitions into almost a party atmosphere as we celebrate.

During Holy Week (the week leading up to Easter), the Catechumens wear the purple robes to visually remind the entire parish of the importance of the Lenten Season.  They will attend the Vigil Mass wearing these robes and, following the Baptism celebration, will be robed in the white of rebirth and renewal.  Those having been baptized leave the sanctuary to change into dry clothing and return to the worship center donned in white.  As this occurs, our parish family is standing to greet them and usually singing Festival Canticle, a song about the victory of our Lord.  I love the line, we remember, we celebrate, we believe, because the whole Mass calls us to remember the journey of our newest members.  We celebrate with them and we are reminded of the enormity of our belief and our faith.

I am always reminded of a very special Easter Vigil Mass in 1995, when Mr. Neoclassic joined our faith in full communion.  Having already been baptized into a Christian religion, he celebrated the Sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation.  And the proof is in this one Polaroid of the event!

I love his baby face.  And my closed eyes.

(And my early 90's hot pink.)

What will you celebrate this Easter season??

Post title from Festival Canticle by Richard Hillert

The Right Tool for the Job

My solo trip through the array of booths at the Quilt Show brought to light a fairly serious addiction of mine. I really love NOTIONS. Those wonderful tools of the sewing, embroidery, and quilting trades are like crack to me. I just need  them and have a very hard time just browsing.  I buy.  And then buy again. Lucky for me, many are reasonably priced to dang cheap.

This year's haul was smaller than years' past:

It would probably be best if I didn't mention the number of needle packets I own. I love having various sizes from which to choose. I blame this disorder on my mother, who for years would come to visit and bemoan my one packet of "Various Sizes" needles. "They aren't like Band-Aids! You can't substitute a different size or shaft and expect the project to turn out well." (Add your own exasperated sigh and eye roll). You'll notice two new packets of needles up there. One has an extra long eye for thicker embroidery threads without the extra wide shaft to match. I will try it out and report back.

I also have a love affair with thimbles.  I collect them, try them out, lose them, replace them.  Actually, it's not such a love affair as a horrible tracking system.

As always, there's a new presser foot to play with.  "It was on sale," I reminded myself, "and you don't have to deal with the cranky local dealer to get it!"

Lastly, I picked up a new pattern for teeny tiny pieced ornaments.  Buying them in March surely means they'll be complete for the giving season in 10 months, right?  I'm not betting money on that and neither should you.

A bit of fabric made it into my bag, as well:

These are for a table runner project that's been mulling around in my head for a year or so.   I have several other veggie and fruit prints in the stash and, finally, a dimensioned pattern on paper.  Now all I need is my New York sewing buddy to come home for a week or so and pull out the embroidery machine.

The last bit of fun fabric is a gift (Spoiler Alert - Karen):

You asked for SKY and I found what I could.  The upper piece (which could have used an iron prior to photographing, lazy me) is an ombre print.  Depending on where you cut into the fabric, the shading and gradation will be different.  It's more of an aqua than a true sky blue, but still beautiful.

Karen, my intention is to mail it soon and then just send a post-it note for Christmas saying, "remember that package of cool fabric."  The reality is that it will probably arrive for Christmas.

Thanks for letting me share.  Maybe soon there will be a project picture of something actually completed?  We can only hope.

Today's post title from Marcia Ball's The Right Tool for the Job.

And I count it all as time well wasted

I spent most of Saturday at the annual Quilt Show. Due to crazy schedules and children with activities, my buddy Jannette and I had to forgo our tradition of giggling and ogling through the exhibits together. She visited on Friday, texting me during the day with messages of quilts not to miss or exciting new booths of notions to check. I visited on Saturday, texting back with commentary on the quilts she'd told me to find. Not as fun as if we'd been together, but still exciting to see the hard work and planning of other artists.

Here are some of my favorites:

For my SIL, Karen - a landscape with beautiful sunset.  I wish you'd

have been there to study the stitching.  It's way more work than

I'd be willing to do.

The points of the center stars were amazing.  This is the show winner.

The beauty of the work was detracted slightly, in my opinion, by

the huge fake gem glued to the center of the star. To each his own, but

I would have left it out.

This reminds me of a cathedral window.  Such beautiful piece work.

I see a bad moon rising!

(sorry, couldn't resist)

As always, there were some pieces displayed that just made me wonder why all that work?  Why cover a beautiful fabric creation with glitter, faux jewels, or plastic?  It seems strange to me.  But then, my mother would tell me it's because I'm an engineer and can't think outside of my box.  "It's art" she says.  "It's not something I'd want to wrap up in on a cold day"  I say.

Here's our favorite in the Not My Choice but Very Interesting Nonetheless Category:

It's absolutely stunning - there is no doubt about the level of workmanship.

It also looks like the Martha Stewart craft aisle exploded onto fabric.  It contains glitter,

beading, jewels, sparkling bubbles, and paint.  Wow!

Other really cool works I found:

Made by a Newport News Shipbuilding employee for her retiring supervisor.  It contains a Mariner's Compass at it's center, surrounded by photos of the supervisor's history with the company.  I particularly appreciate the corner applique concerning the FORD class - the first ship Mr. Neoclassic has been a part of from beginning design to final construction.

 A wonderful rendition of a young Amish girl.  The bow tie quilt is actually appliqued

to the bigger quilt, as you can see in the chicken shot at the right.  Such a 

cool technique.  The grass and feather detailing was stunning.

While a fish isn't really my choice of wall art, this piece was beautiful.

The fabric choices really representing scales, water, and seaweed.

The fins were further defined by beaded embroidery.

Which begs the question, "How do you wash this?"

My next post will detail a few of my purchases and some projects upcoming with those purchases.  I enjoyed sharing the show with you.  Maybe you'd like to come with me next year????

Post title from Brad Paisley's Time Well Wasted.

Oh rise up, Fruit Loop lovers

I know it's been a bit quiet here on the blog. I am really enjoying the work I'm doing and the company I'm doing it for, but I am feeling the pinch of time that comes with hours spent away from home each day. For that reason, I'm hoarding my family time in the evenings and not really spending much time here.

That said, I've been wanting to share with you a sewing project from prior to Christmas. I love to make gifts for some of the teachers who give their time, talent, and heart to my children. Classic Rock and Zydeco have decided that they are too old to walk into school laden with gifts, but Jazz is all about something fun and pretty for her teachers.

This year, she has a four main teachers - two men and two woman - and we wanted a gift that was useful, colorful, and not overly feminine. Enter the humble placemat:

When rolled, it fits easily into a laptop bag or backpack.  It's personalized for each teacher and guaranteed to make them the envy of the teachers' lounge.  When you unroll the placemat, you'll see a handy little pocket for your fork, spoon, and/ or knife.  And a matching napkin is tucked up in there as well!

For her wonderful science teacher, who was kind enough to let me take over her class one day and talk all about watersheds, storm water drainage, and environmental practices, Jazz chose swimming fish and swirling green.

For her history teacher, a male, who encouraged them to memorize Patrick Henry's famous speech and truly made the colonization of Jamestown come to life, Jazz chose what she thought looked like fireworks and represented the New World.

For her cherished homeroom and math teacher, Jazz picked out the most geometric and colorful fabric she could find.  This is the teacher who writes all his word problems based on the menu at his beloved Taco Bell.  His humor and devotion to his class is greatly appreciated and I am so thankful that Jazz has been in his class for two years!

This fun, swirly, out-of-the-box pattern was chosen especially for Jazz's SAMS teacher.  [Students Achieving in Major Subjects]  This lively and vivacious woman gets one day a week with the students to challenge their thinking, ignite their imaginations, and cultivate their teamwork skills.  Her class is so much fun and I've tried to sneak in and play along.  Apparently, I don't pass for a fourth grader.

As for the construction details on the placemats, I read many tutorials and hodge-podged my favorites.  I cut the top, bottom, and batting (Warm & Natural) about 1/2 larger all around than the finished size I desired.  I cut a 3.5" wide strip for the pocket, folded it in half at the short ends, tucked under the raw endges, and stitched it to the front piece.  I spray basted the main layers together and either free motion quilted or stitched diagonal lines across the piece (but not the pocket area).  My free motion quilting needs a lot of practice, so I liked the straight line look better.  I made corresponding bias tape for the bindings and ties.  I really love to make bias tape!  I'm geeky that way.

I have another project to share soon.  I finally finished something for Zydeco and it really needs to be seen.  

Today's post title from the hilarious Breakfast by the Newsboys.

I just want to celebrate....

another day of livin'

Following a week of Classic Rock's after school practices and tournaments (he's a debater and forensics geek), we realized we'd hardly seen him. That same week saw the completion of successful school projects by Zydeco and Jazz. By the way, successful in our home is defined less by grade earned and more by ability of the child to independently achieve project goals. I'm always willing to review work or help glue, but truly believe the bulk of the work should be theirs. Some might call that lazy parenting. I've decided to be okay with that description :)

One evening last week, we declared it a "home night". No practices, meetings, swim lessons, or projects were on the horizon, and we decided to tackle a more involved dinner - homemade pizza. While the pizza making isn't hard, the timeline is longer than a usual week night meal.  As a surprise, I also concocted pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting because special, slow family dinners deserve special desserts to savor.

The afternoon started when Classic Rock arrived home at normal time and a small blond fuzzy head couldn't contain her excitement. He's usually left for school when she awakens and her bedtime is long before his tournaments end. He spent a wonderful chunk of time focused on her:

He constructed a boat, with resplendent sail, for her amusement.

(And mine, but that was completely unintentional)

Laughter, a little family friendly trash talk, and wonderful stories were shared.

Zydeco's diligent science project work and attention to his responsibilities

earned him the honor of the celebratory cupcake mat.

I purchased the kit for this little cupcake mat at the quilt show earlier this year.  It's intended purpose, as indicated by the candles, was for a birthday mat.  The suggested wording to embroider was "happy birthday to you".  As I stitched the candle pieces down, I kept thinking that birthday wording really limited the use of this mat.  At the last minute, I decided to embroider HAPPY, LOVE, JOY, and YOU around the mat.  Now, I keep it close at hand and ready to celebrate all the little, everyday milestones our Domestic Church encounters.

In the midst of the dinner laughter and conversation, I was reminded of the verses to one of my favorite psalms  - Psalm 128 [given here in verse form from the musical setting we proclaim at Mass]:

Blest are those who love you
Happy those who follow you
Blest are those who seek you, O God.

Your spouse shall be like a fruitful vine in the midst of your home.
Your children flourish like olive plants, rejoicing at your table.

This is the psalm most often used at the Mass celebrating the Feast of the Holy Family.  A fantastic explanation and reflection of this awesome day is presented here by Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio. Showing a true understanding of God's humor and love, our music minister would always schedule me to proclaim this psalm while hugely pregnant!  "Your spouse shall be like a fruitful vine...."  Indeed!

As we barrel into Thanksgiving and crash head first into Advent, I will keep the sweet memories of a family dinner, chaotic and messy, and of a doting big brother encased in my heart.  For, as Dr. D'Ambrosio suggests, this Domestic Church is truly becoming holy in the trenches of busy family life.

>May your own family's Thanksgiving be the continuation of something truly holy.

Today's blog post title from Rare Earth's I Just Want to Celebrate.

But the show is so unprepared now

I am supposed to be packing clothes and a van of supplies for the big OBLI-cation. It's not going so well because I keep stopping to make the clothes....

Left Top: Simplicity 2483 (again)

Left Bottom: Extra long skirt with lace hem for Jazz (simple elastic waist)

Center: See&Sew B5442 (stupid construction method, FYI)

Right top: Another simple elastic skirt with bias tape hemming

Right bottom: Simplicity 4206 (my go-to nightgown pattern)

The entire time I've been sitting at my machines, Jazz has been at my feet stitching up creations.  I taught her the blanket stitch when Jannette mentioned her girls easily mastered it.  Jazz took off running and completed the sweet doggie in no time flat.

She decided it was so much fun, she raided my wool felt stash and prepped several new shapes for car trip stitching.  I love that!

Thankfully, someone in this house is taking the trip seriously (although I think making sure the peeps have decent clothes is serious).  Classic Rock snagged the trip maps and started researching our dining options for the routes.  He's ensuring we don't get stuck eating McDonald's (a fate worse than death for me) or subs from the gas stations.  He's tracked down the Chipotle's and Panera's, as well as local dining favorites like Johnny's Pizza in Ruston.

What would I do without his need for food????

We'll try to stay in touch and post along the way!

Today's blog post title from Amy Winehouse's Procrastination.  So fitting!

'Cause I got a peaceful easy feeling

Several months ago, my husband asked me to sew a camping tarp for him.  To be honest, my first reaction to the idea of sewing rip stop nylon was unprintable here.  He showed me a book he'd read about backpack camping and the proper cover for this adventure.  The book is here, if you're interested. He campaigned for the tarp and assured me that my superior sewing skills were no match for this project.  (He's really good at flattery.)  I finally agreed to consider the idea.

I browsed the book and studied the author's directions for creating the tarp.  His sewing directions are obviously intended for a beginner, which made them hysterical to me.  He offered kits with all the essential materials - cording, nylon, grommets, and heavy duty threads.  After a bit of research, I determined that his sewing kit prices were certainly cheaper than ordering all the component parts.  Mr. Neoclassic picked his desired color and we waited for the kit to arrive. 

Meanwhile, I convinced him that the flat felled seam construction warranted a new presser foot for my Bernina.  My mama didn't raise no dummy!  I also pointed out how many times a simple home repair project resulted in things like a jigsaw, band saw, router or jig.  

That's what we call payback, Baby!

Once the kit arrived, I moved the kitchen table out of the way in order clear enough space to cut the lengths of nylon needed for the tarp.  With my pieces all ready, I moved the machine to the dining room table for a larger sewing area.  My small office space next to the kids' computer wasn't going to accommodate the almost ten foot lengths of fabric.  The actual sewing went very well.  I did not use the new presser foot (shhhhh!) as the flat felled seams were a larger width than the foot would allow.  I did use my walking foot and it made this project flow so smoothly!

The black patches have buttonholes and are stitched to the tarp "sides".  They allow additional tethers to be added to the sides to pull the whole tarp more taunt.  The shiny reflection you see is seam sealer. Mr. Neoclassic brushed it on all of the tarp seams to ensure a water repellent cover.  The channel running down the center of the tent opens to the interior and I added cording loops inside.  They allow for his glasses case to hang from the "ceiling" and not be stepped on or rolled over.  He can also attach a flashlight for quick retrieval.

The rods on the ends are hiking poles.  When the paths are steep (think Appalachian Trail), he uses those to help stabilize his climb.  When packed and tucked into the matching bag, the whole tarp weighs less than 1.5 pounds - perfect for a backpack adventure.

Mr. Neoclassic is comfortable sleeping on the ground without an actual tent wall around him. I don't think I would have a peaceful easy feeling about that.  Once road tested, I'll have to let you know how well (or not) it works.

Today's post title from The Eagles' Peaceful Easy Feeling

The friendship and affection I need

I recently finished birthday gifts for two wonderful women who surround me in love, offer great friendship, and constantly put up with my many faults. One of those huge faults is punctuality, apparently, since their birthdays were in June and they didn't receive gifts until July. Thankfully, they both recognize my need to work on multiple projects simultaneously - maybe because they share the same fault, er, adorable trait...

I found this awesome gardening print while on my crazy NYC visit.  As soon as I saw it, I envisioned a floppy, expandable, will-carry-it-all shopping bag.  The print made it perfect for summer mornings at the local farmers' markets, especially when paired with several Mesh Produce Bags.  When I brought the bolt to the cutting counter and asked for a yard, the clerk unrolled the bolt to discover it had about two yards on it.  He then informed me, rather emphatically, that he wouldn't cut it and I would just take it all.  Okay then, who was I to argue?

I managed to make five shopping bags from my cut and decided to use bias tape to cover the inside seams.  In order to keep it more slouchy, I didn't want to line it as I would a typical bag.  I further discovered that I really like making bias tape - maybe a little too much.  I use the continuous method each time I make tape and there's a great chart here that correlates starting fabric size to length of finished tape, depending on tape width.

I kept the awesome lemon/ lime stripe for myself!

Usually, my gift creating is so far behind schedule that I just hobble together a brown paper bag presentation.  Lately, I have really tried to make myself slow down and actually put together a full package for the recipient.  I know that the presentation also shows how much that person means to you - it should be special.

For Eileen (aka I.T. Mom) - the friend that loves my inner dumb blond and my children as her own.

I added a set of crochet dishcloths and a set of dryer balls.

I used Proverbs 27:9 for the wrapping because she is sweeter for always

being honest with me - sometimes painfully :)

For my Mama - who loves unconditionally, gives unceasingly, and

is probably to blame for my inner dumb blond :)

I added a set of Produce Bags.  That purple eggplant print is awesome!

I used Proverbs 17:6 because she dotes on her grandchildren, even when

they don't deserve it.

Who's on your gift list this month?  I am hoping to start a gift this weekend for another good friend.  And yes, her birthday has already passed.  Do you have a problem with that????

Today's post title from Big Daddy Weave's The Only Name

Sun goes down and says goodnight

As the younger of the two children in my family, I fulfilled the "baby" role well. I was happy to be doted upon and catered to by all around me. Still am, truth be told. I know my husband and friends will attest to that :)

I know that I often asked for a younger sibling, though.  My middle school BFF was the oldest of eight and her house was the most awesome place to visit.  There was always something crazy going on and something to do. Little did I realize that while I craved the hustle and bustle of her home, she craved the calm and quiet of my home (and the cable tv)!

I never did get the younger sibling. I did however get a younger "God-sister". That's not really a relation, I know, but it was in our family. Following their college years, my parents remained good friends with another couple - "Uncle" Marius and "Aunt" Mimi. When they had a daughter (and later a son), they named my parents as Godparents and my sister and I joyfully decided to become God-sisters to sweet Noelle. This lovely lady was married a few years ago and, just this past May, welcomed her first child.

I knew she was expecting when I trolled the booths at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show earlier this year. While browsing the novelty fat quarters at one booth, I saw a stunning black/ white/ red butterfly print and was smitten. It would be the perfect baby gift print! Almost immediately, I wanted to create a small "whole cloth" quilt that could be used during the first few months when the baby's eyes are learning to focus. I picked a backing fabric from my stash (thanks Mama for all those black and white prints, by the way) and made bias tape from that same fabric. Here's the post of the free motion quilting extravaganza. Everyone should try it that way!  I left long bias tape ties at the top of the quilt so that it could be attached to the vehicle seat or to the side of a crib or playpen.

The full gift package!  Quilt, crochet bunny, family favorite book!

I'm running low on tags, so I hope sweet Charlotte knows she's special enough to receive one.

Just a quick word about the bunny.  I have great affection for bunny toys.  I've made them many ways and many times. This particular one is from the Lion Brand Yarns company and the pattern's on Ravelry (here).  I used Martha Stewart yarn from Michael's for washing and durability purposes.  It also has a delightful sheen.

I've been trying to get much better about wrapping gifts.  I spend hours on the gift itself sometimes, then just hobble together the wrapping.  My usual go-to wrapping paper is just newsprint sheets bought by the huge box at the shipping store.  The kids paint or color designs and we call it good.  This time, I used a favorite lullaby to decorate the paper.  These are the lyrics to Dreamland by Mary Chapin Carpenter.  It's a standard bedtime favorite in our home.  Irish Jig will request it and suddenly the noise from bedrooms across the hallway lessens as other, bigger, small people listen in.

Congratulations Mike and Noelle!  She's beautiful.

Here at my side

Do anybody else sew like this?

At least this one's busy with her own project.

A needlework stocking from Nana.

After stressing the "how-to" for far too long, I jumped in and free motion quilted.

With my helper occasionally gunning down the pedal, it was an interesting adventure!

Today's post title from Tenth Avenue North's By Your Side.