Rooms to Runways

Summer break was supposed to be a time to catch up with my posts but that didn't happen!  On May 2, Debbie and I , along with our students, staged Rooms to Runways, a fashion show featuring redesigned and upcycled chairs and apparel items inspired by the chair designs.  It was a lot of work but, in the end, well worth the effort.



I was the commentator for the event so do not have many photos from the evening.  Included here are just a few highlights.

The Cowgirl Chair in progress

Student Shelby creating her Cowgirl Chair inspired dress from rescued jeans.
There was an underskirt of white tulle.

Spirit Chairs in progress.

 

 

The completed Hippie Chair



 

We printed programs on cardstock and used donated paint sticks from Lowe's to make fans.  Originally the event was to have been held outdoors, in the school courtyard.  Questionable weather forced us indoors but the fans still came in handy.

 

 Sydney in her Travel Chair inspired romper and Justice in her Spirit Chair inspired dress.  The bodice of the dress is a restyled T shirt.

 

 

 Wish you could see the back of Julissa's black dress!  And isn't the chevron dress cute on Lauren?

 

 

My father-in-law died in 2010 at the age of 93.  As we have cleaned out his house, lots of things have been discovered.  Some people would dismiss most of the stuff as trash, but there have been treasures as well.  I snagged two old suitcases, one of which was in very bad shape.  Take a look at it now:

 My son calls this a Caroline chair!  Grandbaby Caroline is just the right height to enjoy sitting here for story time. The teddy bear and vest were my son's when he was a little one. The  legs of the chair still need to be stained and some reinforcing must be accomplished to make the back stay at the desired angle.  Repurposing a loved one's belongings is a great way to remember them.  Most of the chairs were sold at silent auction but this one is staying with me.

 

Alas, it is now August 14.  I will report to school tomorrow to get my room set up before the first official teacher workday on August 19.  The summer break has passed so quickly!

 

 

Easter Preparations

Easter Preparations

 

Life has been pretty busy recently but I have found time to decorate a little and to make a few things for sweet Caroline.



This wreath welcomes familly and guests.  The yellow chick was a felt Easter Basket that I found at Michael's.  Debbie wove the ribbon into the pink mesh, to calm it down a bit and also suggested using the green paper Easter "grass."

 

 

These funny bunnies are on the dining room table.

 

Sorry this photo is fuzzy.  This is the tree that we made for daughter Lauren's wedding to Chris.   We hung family wedding pictures on it at the entrance to the reception.  Since then, it has "lived" in my dining room and is decorated for holidays. 

 

These bunnies are at the base of the tree. 

 

The bunnies were entirely handmade.  The embroidery is beautiful and quite detailed.

 



 

My grandmother Cassels pressed glass bowl.  At Easter, she always served potato salad in it.  Now I use it for decorative purposes only.

 

 

And , of course, I have been making a few things for sweet Caroline!

 

 

The first smocking project I have undertaken in about 20 years!  My friend Andy gave me a quick refresher tutorial last week.  Hopefully this will be a dress by Easter morning. 

 

 

Here is a little outfit I made, using Simplicity 4243 as a guide.  I added the flower by making a rick rack stem, machine appliqued leaves and a yoyo flower with stacked buttons for the center.

 

 

Detail of the flower.  Won't rotate for some reason.

 

 

Every little girl needs an Easter basket!  For my own children, I made fabric baskets for their first Easter.  My inspiration for this fabric basket came from www.sew4home.com .  Then I saw the bunny ears on a 2009 entry of disdressed.blogspot.com.  My bunny face is machine stitched with a zigzag stitch.  "Caroline" is machine embroidered on the back side, just above the mohair tail.  I let the  floral lining form a decorative edge around the basket, instead of using rickrack.

 

 

This coming Sunday, 4 generations of our family will gather at my home for Easter dinner.  It will be a special day, with ages ranging from 88 years - my  mother, to granddaughter Caroline, who will be 78 days old on Easter!   

 

Happy Easter!

 

Renny



Pillow Fun

Pillow Talk
Part 1

 

 

It's funny how something as small as a pillow can change your mood - or the mood of a room.   If you want to quickly and inexpensively perk up a room, pillows are a great option.

 

Pillows are one of my favorite things to make.  It is an opportunity to be creative in a small space, which may mean that the project is completed in a relatively short itme.

 My absolute favorites are for Christmas.   This is one I made for my friend, Mary.  You will notice some black and white stripes and dots .  My friend loves everything by MacKenzie Childs.   This design took a number of hours to create but it was so relaxing and satisfying. 

 

 

This is a similar pillow that is in my home.  It has lots of hand embroidery to accent designs on the various fabrics.

 

 

A fun birthday gift from my daughter this past December.   We are both December babies!  The pillow was handpainted by artist Beth Wiseman of Lincolnton, NC.  It is one of only 3 pillows in my house that I didn't make.

 

 

 

 

 

 Valentine Pillows

 

 

 This was the first pillow that I made using this piecing method on a foundation of muslin.  For me, the design is never "all planned" before the stitching.  Instead, it evolves as each piece of fabric is placed.  This pillow also includes lots of hand embroidery and beading.

 

 Some pillows that are in use in my home everyday.  These are in my small music room - so named by my daughter, because it houses her piano.  I made the tuffet also in a fun class several years ago at We're Sew Creative in Concord, NC.

 

 

There are two of these French chairs in the music room, with the lively animal print pillows.

 

 

 Years ago, I stitched this bargello piece for the top of a footstool for my mother-in-law.  After she died, we found the stool, carefully wrapped in plastic in a closet.  It looked brand new so I took it off the stool and made it into this pillow for my kitchen desk chair.

 

Only one more pillow in this post.  My most recent creation:

 

 

 A lumbar pillow for the chair in precious Caroline's nursery! (my first grandchild).  Her room was decorated in white and pale grey until she was born.  Now we are having fun adding some pink accents.

 

That's all for now.   Another post will be coming soon and will include pillows made by my apparel students as a first sewing project and also by second and third year students who are making decorative pillows for our Rooms to Runways show on

May 2. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Banner Days Part 2

 

Banner Days!

Part 2

 

As mentioned in an earlier post, Debbie and I create banners for a variety of occasions and uses.

 

We have made several for display in our clasrooms and recently offered two sessions for the Family and Consumer Science teachers (remember, we used to be called "home ec."?) in our school system to help them make banners for their classrooms.

 

 

How funny!  Do you see my feet as I stood in a chair to shoot this picture?
This is a small piece I  made for a display at a national quilt show.  When I hit a roadblock, Debbie offered several suggestions, including the attached tape measure and the multiple dimensional flower petals.  My original flower was dimensional but of a different style.
After I made the caterpillar, she painted him for me and added the feet - they are just black ball head straight pins.

 

Debbie's second year Interiors students spent some time last spring designing banners.  This student made the banner to welcome her

 soon-to-be born niece.  Simple coloring book images helped with the carriage design.

 
  This is an Early Childhood teacher with her completed "Sunshine" banner.  She enhanced the banner with long, playful tassels.  We will look at ideas for tassels in a future post.



The student organization linked to FACS courses is FCCLA - Family, Career and Community Leaders of America.

Here you see an FCCLA banner in progress for use at club events.  This one will have a vertical orientation.  Love that cricut machine!



This is our FCCLA banner (it is on the reverse side of the "Create" banner).  Isn't this a festive Homecoming tailgate tent?
 

 





This is Debbie's "Create" banner.  It hangs in her classroom and hints at what students do on a daily basis.




 

The "Sew Inspired" banner I created for my classroom.  Notice that it hangs from a yard stick. Parts of this banner are machine quilted.

Hopefully these banners will inspire you to create one too!

Renny

Sweet Caroline

Sweet Caroline

 

On Saturday, January 12, we welcomed

a new generation in the Jetton family, with the arrival of

Caroline Loving Jetton!

Caroline's gender was a surprise, even to her parents.  Chip took two shirts to the hospital, one pink and one blue.  When he emerged from the delivery room to announce her arrival, he was sporting the pink shirt.

Lollie's sister Charlotte and Aunt Sally share their first moment together after Caroline's birth.

 

 

 Caroline's arrival marked a series of firsts:

The first in a new generation of the Jetton family.
The first child for proud parents Chip and Lollie.
The first niece for Charlotte, Lauren and Chris
And my first grandchild!!
From now on, just call me Renny.

I am Caroline's only living grandparent so I will spoil x 4!!  What fun this is going to be!

 

Weighing in at a petite 6 pounds and 13 ounces, she immediately stole our hearts.
Wonder if she will have blonde hair?



Or darker hair like Charlotte's? 


 

Uncle Chris and Aunt Lauren, Renny, Aunt Sally (Renny's sister),
Chip, Lollie and Caroline

 
 

Lollie's family - Uncle Bubba, Aunt Sally, Uncle John and Aunt Charlotte.

 

Yes, she has 2 aunts named Sally!

 

 

 







Check out the bow on the hospital cap.




Chris and Lauren quickly drove from
Durham and we all waited until they arrived to meet Caroline for the first time.



With Chris' sister, Ashley.
`I think they are discussing plans for a shopping trip.

Chris' mom, Rita, drove from
Greensboro to welcome Caroline and brought her first teddy bear - pink, of course.
 

 Chip's beautiful girls, preparing to go  home on Sunday.

 

 

Back at school, this was exam week.  On Thursday, after the last exam was completed, my colleagues surprised me with a "Renny" shower!  Debbie and art teacher Tony organized the event, sent out evites and managed to get one end of our building pinked out without me knowing about it.  I was surprised and touched. 

 

 

Debbie and some of her students covered candy bars with pink and white polka dot gift wrap (could there possibly be any other choice?)  and added the little  announcement card.  Shower guests enjoyed taking these as they returned to their classrooms to finish end of the semester duties.  We are making more for Chip and Lollie to give to friends and relatives when they visit Caroline at home.

 

Caroline's first black and white polka dot outfit.  No wardrobe is complete without those dots!

This has been a week of immeasurable happiness as family and friends have celebrated
 with us.  We are so blessed.

As I reflected upon the events of the week, I was reminded of this quote by
R.A Salvatore:

"Joy multiplies when it is shared among friends...."

 

This week I have felt joy beyond measure. 

Renny