For my closest friend

My Closest friend died November 20th, her funeral was Wednesday November 23. 

this picture was taken after her losing her hair to chemo (we thought she was in remission), her hair grew back and Elaine had her stylist pamper Sue for the day... we made an evening of it with dinner and drinks. Alexi took this picture, and while I was supposed to hold the card to reflect the light to the left side of her face, I forgot to get out of the way....my story , I am sticking to it!


Her birthday is this coming Saturday, and I am going to make sure it is an important day for Marv  (her husband).


I was asked by Sue to speak at the service. When I tried to share what I was going to say about her, she said , "I trust you."  
HThis is what i said:


Today we bid farewell to our dear Sue. She wanted me to share a few things that you may or may not know about Her.

Sue was a lefty.
      Her favorite color was green, 
            She loved leaves, chickens, and flamingos.
                     Autumn was her favorite season.

Sue was a talented knitter, quilter, fisherwoman and hunter. 
       She could gut a deer, bait a hook, thread a needle, and coach someone through a difficult knitting pattern equally well.  

    She had motion sickness,  she always rode shotgun, but would prefer to be behind the steering wheel, if at all possible.
    I often kidded her that her slow, cautious driving was like walking...but without wasting shoe leather. 
     She could back into a parking space better than anyone I have ever seen. Same with parking a boat or trailer. 

        She could not sleep with the light on... even the smoke detector light would keep her awake.   
             "Hi GUYS"  was NOT an acceptable greeting if Sue Nelson was in your group. Especially at a restaurant.
          When she went out for breakfast, her eggs better be cooked hard with no runny yolk or white, whatsoever. And absolutely no egg shells, thank you!
She made the best deviled eggs, but made chili with no spices whatsoever.

   Sue was a heroine, while out camping at Lake Poinsett, a  motorbike accident ripped the foot off a young man... she was first on the scene, bound his leg to keep him from bleeding to death, and kept him from going into shock.   She was commended by the parks department for her life-saving act and brave effort.

Sue's life is being celebrated half-way around the world....her virtual family in Australia, "Margaret's mob" and Katharine Gunn  will never forget her generous gifts of knitting supplies, love and support. They had planted a Tasmanian OAK tree months ago in her honor, and visited it on Sunday...just hours before she died. 

Sue was skilled in dog obedience training, as is evident in the behavior of my pug, Pucci...and our beloved Mr B.
      She  was a matchmaker...Right Chad?  Jennifer?
                             Tanner and Alex, you are on your own. 

          Sue's biggest fear was being forgotten by her Daimy, Corbin, Sydney, Ronin, and Hunter....
                   NOT a chance...
              She was a doting grandma... She loved them "to the moon and back."

          She wanted to to name Ronin "Razzor" so we could use up all the excess "z" letters in her scrap-booking alphabet sets. She lost that one.

                  She was a self-less mother, and loving wife.
                       Her mother, brothers and sister adore her. 
                    The XRX family is handicapped
                                       and heart-broken by her illness and death.  

She has many names......
Marv calls her "Honey", she is "Mom" to Marshall and Kelly Sue,
    Her family calls her "Susie", and "Auntie Susie." 
          "Sue Bee" was her nickname at Hutchinson Technologies.
XRX Editorial call her "our Sue."
         The grandkids call her  "Grandma Sue". 
                 Guess which name was her favorite? 

Sue and Marv treated me like family,  I always had a place to go on the weekend, a holiday, or anytime I was feeling lonely. 
         She was my closest friend, I could tell her anything.
We would share a wink, or a smile...and words weren't necessary.
     I would spend time with her, and  minutes after most every visit, one of of us would call the other with a reminder, or something we forgot to say, and I would start our conversation with "I miss you already." I stopped that when she decided to cease her experimental treatments.

Sue struggled through 3 bouts of cancer—and although she was frustrated by feelings of helplessness—she faced it with strength, dignity, and her infectious smile.   
          She fought through to see her and Marv's 40th wedding anniversary, and escaped cancer's grasp only days before her 60th birthday. 

She asked us to address her death "as death."

Sue taught me patience, kindness, and generosity...and showed me what Trust, Courage, and Faith are all about.   

My life will never be the same...not because she is gone, but because she was here. 

Sue, I miss you already!

Good-bye Sue!

I have been away from this for a while....my best friend, Sue, was living out her final days before escaping the grasp of cancer. Yesterday she made her final move. It wasn't without a lot of pain, and effort. She was amazing in dealing with this insidious disease... so strong, brave and positive. She slipped into unconsciousness about 5:00 on Saturday and took her final breath Sunday at 12:20... I take comfort in the realization that she is no longer suffering...and that she loved me because she wanted to and didn't have to. I fed her for the last time on Friday night. My voice was the last one she heard as we allowed her to let go. I know that her husband, Marv, will be OK because I promised her that I will make sure he is. I will be speaking at her service, and have written a few notes....that I will share only after they are spoken. I mourn her passing but celebrate her being. Sadly and fondly!!!

Bricks and blocks

Here  are the directions for creating a staggered brickwork with fabric strips.  I created a table runner in batiks... and wall piece in homespun fabrics.

Cut at least 18 strips of fabric (these are 2 inch wide, but jelly roll strips are perfect)
I prefer to use at least 2 or 3 of the same fabric strip within the mix for a little cohesion between the two strip panels I will create and use. (this sample used 5 different fabrics so repeats are more often than usual)

You will slash, sew and press continually as you create the runner.

1) Seam two sets together, one has 8 strips and the other has 7. My goal is to make a long 8" wide panel of staggered "bricks"...the two panels are about 101/2 and 12 inches wide, but the shify will narrow that. Add more strips for a wider finished runner.
(**you will add extra strips if required.)

2) Begin by squaring one side of each panel.
3) Cut a 1 1/2" strip across panel A and sew it to panel B, Stagger seams between strips to look like bricks. it is not necessary to center them.
4) Cut across panel B 1 1/4 " from the new seam.
5) sew new pieced section to panel A, Again staggering the seam, remembering that you want every other block to stack above the other (with a little shift).
6) Cut across panel A 1 1/4" from new seam.
7) Sew new pieced section to Panel B.
8) repeat 4-7 creating a column of blocks...** NOTE, that when one panel shifts over too far to one side you will need to add a strip to the opposite side. **

After 7-9 stacks of bricks, feel free to square up the side edges. Also understand that a little wonkiness in the seams makes for a more artsy look.

Yours for the picking

Here are the templates, ready to go.        

Because the finished pieces are stuffed and then shaped with the center "core" perle cotton stitching, the pieces need not be cut exactly perfect... as long as the seams match between adjacent crescents. 

Think about enlarging or shrinking the templates for pin cushions in different sizes. This could be quite a harvest.

 Also not stated in the previous post—but hopefully understood—is to make sure and press each seam after it is sewn. Once the piece is finished you can massage the apples or pumpkins into "shape", for a little more character.

These make great paperweights or centerpiece accents as well.    

ENJOY,

 each square is 1 square inch.

Rick

Making an Apple (Pumpkin) pincushion

I made apple pincushions for a swap, and was asked how to make them,
Here is my process.
I decided to make a pumpkin for the tutorial; as it is that season, and I need something for my Autumn/Halloween swap.  
If you have questions please let me know.

[NOTE: the photographs show the pumpkin pincushion in process.]

MATERIALS 

 6 (8) pieces of  6X6" fabric in your color choice, I used batiks for my apples, and both batiks and metallic-dusted darks for the pumpkin.

 1 piece of  green fabric 2 ½ x 10”  for leaves and stem

Thread for piecing and also contrast thread for veins in leaves.

Long doll needle & perle cotton.

Sewing needle.

Filling, I prefer crushed walnut shells form the reptile department at the pet store

small shank button for floret end of apple.

Pattern template 8X3 inch piece of card stock or plastic cut to cat's eye shape.

Tape

1 Make your pattern template by enlarging the schematic, the template is 8" long and 3" at widest point.

    2    Cut  6 (8) wedges, I prefer to stack and whack with my rotary cutter.

    3   Adjust the machine stitching to 12-15 stitches per inch.   With right sides facing, layer the wedges into pairs and seam along 1 arc.

 4    Take 2 of the paired sets and seam them together along one arc into a quad. (for the pumpkin repeat for the other 2 sets for 2 quads.) Make sure that your seams cross at the points for stability.

 5   For the apple, seam the pair to the quad along one arc. (for the pumpkin seam the 2 quads together along 1 arc.)

6  For the final seam,
Sew from one point past center and beyond for about 2 inches ending with a back-stitch.
 7  Skip approximately 1-1½” back-stitch and seam to opposite point.
8   Turn piece inside out.  You will have what looks like a deflated football (basketball), that is a good thing.

9  With a funnel begin filling your apple (pumpkin) it takes a little patience and some adjusting, keep in mind that you will want to pack this tightly.

10 When the piece is about 75-80 % full, temporarily tape the opening closed. 11 With doll needle and perle cotton sew from the point , through the center, to the other point, to shape the apple (pumpkin) indentations. I try to get at least 4 passes sewn through the center, and place a shank button on the end opposite the stem.

 12 Remove tape and continue to fill apple (pumpkin) until it is solid. Use a dowel or pencil, if necessary, to pack the filling.

13 With needle and thread,  sew the seam closed— stitching should be very small and  neat as possible. If necessary tighten the  indentations with more  perle cotton stitching through the center of your appe (pumpkin) core. ( this will tighten and firm up a somewhat squishy fabric.  for the record the pumpkin weighs 2 pounds 5 ounces...)

14  Take leaf fabric, and place wrong sides together, draw, then machine stitch 2 leaves along diagonal of fabric following sketch.  Using contrast thread adds interest when sewing veins. 

and center stem.  Cut out each leaf, as closely as possible to the stitching, then pinch the edges with your fingernails and run then along the cut edges for a bit of curl and frayed edge.

 13) Fold remaining leaf fabric in half with right side together, and sew stem according to sketch.  Turn right side out, stuff with fiber, yarn or cottonballs,  sew to top of apple (pumpkin), tucking in raw edges

       Apply leaves, covering the opening if necessary. 

Enjoy...note that the templates will follow  in next post...having issues with adding them. see sidebar for more pictures. 

Rick

Everyone can be a dick fan at one time or another....

I am back from Stitches Midwest, what a great time, I was never so busy. Would you believe that I didn't even walk the full market? But with small foibles and oversights that I had to remedy at the last minute, I didn't have the free time I wanted. This show was one of the most tiring ones so far; but also really rewarding, as we implemented in-booth demos that were ever so $u€€e$$ful....

I discovered a new fabric ink, and purchased 30 different colors. I even stenciled my tux shirt for the student fashion show just minutes before the show itself....I can't wait to try shaving creme printing, daubing, airbrush, stencils, marbling, and all the other things that my new friend, Joyce Tang, showed me.

We then went to Chicago proper for a photo shoot, had an audition and found amazing models for the next issue, the shoot went without a hitch. And even provided a little time for retail expeditions...I will rethink my purchases only after my CC bill arrives....NOT! No buyers remorse in this body. I love my new books, jewelry, and art piece for Casa Rico.

We were treated to 3 amazing sunrises over Lake Michigan, and a Wed night fireworks show at Navy Pier, perfect from my Hotel window!!!!

We also had great opportunities to dine...went to Burgoff's (not as exciting as it was in then olden days), Giordono's pizza (amazing...but no artichokes?.?), and Frontera Grill(food was a little too salty, and RB turned out to be a €#*%)....he lost four fans in the matter of 5 seconds. His cook books are now in the recycling bin to be hauled off on Tuesday.

My research desires for the week were to visit the Chanel shop...I did and they never disappoint....I am so ready to interpret the Chanel jumper for our next show! I also shopped Cop Copaine...and got an amazing pin for my blazers...I couldn't resist, the stylist was sooooooo cute and adorable...((Randall, I think I love you!))

And last but not least, I got to finish my trip with a little Dick.....

Blick...... More surface designs coming down the pike.

CROSS DRESSING IN SIOUX FALLS

OMG....sitting here having breakfast and three businessmen in the next booth are bitching about the Gay Pride celebration at the fairgrounds this weekend and the drag show Friday night at the Washington pavilion....apparantly only straight people pay taxes????

" This is Sioux Falls, a wholesome town"...... "can you believe Wells Fargo sponsored the stage set-up... And even advertised" " there was even an article in the paper..." "our taxes support that venue..."

Can someone please enlighten these baby-boomer morons that the mousetrap just snapped, and they are the captives. Gay Pride is not about conversion, cross dressing, or staying in the closet ...it is about
CREATING AWARENESS
...please gentlemen...please....repeat you anger and disgust all day, we need more people to know we are here and not going anywhere soon!!!! We did our job, now be our apostles and spread the word that gays exist in wholesome Sioux Falls, South Dakota!

Off to Wells Fargo to open an account! And then to work so I can pay more taxes! But as I go ....remember....


Today I cry for misinformed, because the misunderstood are far better off.

And you can quote me.