American Sewing Guild - July 2007

Wow, these women are talented! Another great American Sewing Guild meeting at G-Street on Sunday. Rejeana Tinsley shared her expertise (and I mean EXPERTise) about creating and fitting a sloper. I, happily, was her human mannequin! Now my task is to complete my new well-fitted sloper by September (I feel another crisis sewing project coming on)! And then came "Sew and Tell" - my favorite part of the meeting! So much talent!!! Enjoy!!

For Warren – For Phyllis - For Me!

So my fabric postcards are CELEBRATIONS - of someone, something, some event! I love to make them because I'm creating a tiny piece of 'art' for someone else and because, in the process of designing the postcard, I have the luxury and pleasure of reflecting on that person and how that person has touched my life! Creating my most recent postcard, crafted for my friend Phyllis' brother Warren, was really a gift to me! Phyllis, my freshman year college roommate, is a remarkable woman (a blog in itself!). We were friends at school but we really didn't spend alot of time together and we haven't really seen each other much over the years - but we always have a great time when we have the chance to reconnect. Phyllis, to me, is the human embodiment of CELEBRATION. She has the rare gift of finding - in all things, events, and people - something to CELEBRATE! And I love her for that!

Back to the postcard ---- Phyllis' brother Warren was diagnosed with prostate cancer that rapidly progressed despite aggressive therapy. As his birthday approached earlier this summer, Phyllis enlisted her huge circle of friends to send Warren a birthday card - just a quick note to CELEBRATE his 50-some years! A wonderful "Phyllis idea"!!! The minute I received her email I knew that a fabric postcard would arrive for Warren on his birthday. Phyllis was great to provide me with lots of insight into Warren - who he was as a human. Music, literature, the Yankees (Go Nationals!), movies, golf, his Buddhist religion, etc! I also asked Phyllis for a photo of her as a little girl to include on the postcard. She laughed and insisted that I use a photo of me, not her – "Laura, he knows what I look like"!!

So I crafted away, designed and created the postcard, and mailed it so it would arrive on his birthday. Well, Warren died a few days before the postcard arrived! When Phyllis wrote and told me that Warren had died and that he had not gotten to see the postcard but that she would treasure it, I realized that I had crafted the postcard not only to CELEBRATE Warren and his life and struggle but, and probably most importantly, I had crafted it to CELEBRATE Phyllis, for whom I have always been in awe! Seems just right that the photo I chose is a great pic of Phyllis and me slugging down a glass of chard and CELEBRATING!! Perfect!

Another Swap! Tea Towels

Here are a couple of photos of the tea towel(s) I will be sending to my "swapmate" for the Tea Towel swap! Crafty Daisies organized the event - you create a tea towel and send it along to the person with whom Crafty Daisies pairs you! So I decided to add a twist to my swap - I made an apron from a very cool tea towel I purchased at Anthropologie (thanks to "Tie One On" for the inspiration!!! ) and then made and embellished a matching tea towel from scratch. See the photos below!! I'll mail my package this week and I will await my tea towel swap from whomever received my name! A fun way to spend a Memorial Day afternoon! (And special thanks to Barb Spillane for taking me to Anthropologie on my recent shopping trip to Fabric Row in Philadelphia)!

Here is the 'matchy-matchy' ensemble

I added a 2 yard length of pink webbing for the apron ties

I loved this tea towel because it has the recipe for banana bread on it!

I purchased the cotton toweling and the cheerful rick rack from G-Street Fabrics

I look forward to the next swap with the Crafty Daisies!!! Thanks ladies!