Inspired Stitches - Ramblings of a Blackworker

Fear Dreher!!!!

This past weekend, we headed home to Columbia, SC, for a very fun event. Dreher High School - my alma mater - had an All Class Reunion. The school district is building a new building for Dreher, and this summer, the hallowed halls which I roamed for 4 years will be coming down. In recognition of the long years, and many students, that this building has been home to, the school had a special weekend for all alumni. We were able to take a tour of the old school on Saturday morning, and then attended the big All Class Reunion Gala (graduating classes from 1938 to 2007) on Saturday night.

It was quite the experience going back to see the old school. I don’t think that I’d stepped foot in it since graduation, so it really was a trip back to the past. We met a good friend of mine there, and roamed those halls. It was eery that it smelled the same and looked the same. Well, when I attended we had no air conditioning, and the heat was provided by huge radiators in all the classrooms. Those are gone, and students now spend their days in cool air during the hot South Carolina springs and falls. Dave even was able to point out to me all the different locations where my lockers were (a little scary, but pretty funny at the same time). We not only ran in to more of our classmates as we roamed, but I also ran into people from my home church. Funny, one of the couple met at Dreher in their junior year, back in the 1950s. I believe that Dreher has now graduated some third generation students.

The reunion was quite an event. What a great time, also, because there were so many generations of students - spanning all ages. My sister and I, having graduated 5 years apart, went together, and what a fun night it was.

With all that history, the old school will soon be gone, but the new school is fast nearing completion. How exciting it will be for the students to begin classes this fall, but my heart for some reason is hurting, thinking that those walls with all those stories will soon be torn down.

The State newspaper has had a special series going on celebrating Dreher’s history, and one of the submissions has a copy of the epilogue found in the 1960 yearbook. I think that it’s perfect for this time…

“The doors of Dreher High School will soon close for the last time for the class of 1960. Those doors have seen the face of every emotion pass through their portals — sorrow, joy, defeat, triumph, elation, and remorse. All these emotions have touched the hearts of the departing seniors. The door will close, but in the forthcoming year they will open to new joys and sorrows, new faces, new hopes for the Class of 1961. So here’s to Dreher, our alma Mater, hail to thee always.”

Here’s to you Dreher. GO BLUE DEVILS!!!!

Isn’t it funny how creativity shows up in everyone in different ways?

I was reminded of this when an old friend of mine, Susan, nicely reminded me that I hadn’t e-mailed her back - oops! Sorry Susan!!!! Susan and I went to college together, and she’s currently a fiber artist, putting out wonderful art quilts.

If you want to see some truly creative and colorful fabric art pieces - stop in at her site Creative Chick. Susan’s use of texture and color are amazing, and I’m envious of how she works with all the different elements.

I’ve always had a more structured and ordered creativity. As a kid I’d sketch on my father’s engineering pads - with the different shapes of grids - of course keeping with the lines. Even in my profession - interior design - don’t ask me to do a freehand sketch of a square. It will come out somehow roundish and oblong - and definitely not to scale. But, get me on the computer with AutoCAD, and I’m all over it, and will get you 10 different ideas in as many minutes.

Back in college is when I realized that everyone was creative in different ways. Susan and I had a couple of other sorority sisters also in the arts, as well as a couple of big brothers, and each one was different. In my freshman year, I remember sitting in the studio of my first freehand sketching class, hanging out with the skull of a goat (think I named him George), struggling over it for hours. Then, one of our big brothers walked in, an art major, and immediately was able to quickly sketch what I still couldn’t after hours, and helped me figure it all out. I still have those pencil sketches, and I’m proud of them - since I really did sweat that class out. Somehow, my sketches of George ACTUALLY look like a goat!

In the business world, creativity might not show up as artsy, but it exists. Ever watch an executive mentally work through a problem, and effortlessly work through the logistics of a complicated deal? That’s amazing to me as well.

If you don’t think you’re creative - you are!!!! Go and find it… it’s a wonderful way to release yourself. If you know you’re creative - use it and stretch your creative muscles.

Want to exercise your creativity? Susan offers some great classes online that will get you playing in color, fabric, beads, and thread. Stop in at her Joggles Class Listing to see what she has to offer. MMMMMMMM, I might just need to finally try my hand at one this summer… How cool is this piece!?!

What might you find interesting to play with? Let me know, I’d love to hear!

Well, my exciting add to the blog today is the new Today in History bar on the side. I’ve always enjoyed history, and love to find out what happened on this day back in xxxx. Looking back at where we’ve been, and what we’ve done, I feel, is important. If we don’t learn from our mistakes, then what do we learn. If we aren’t familiar of the terrible things that have occurred, there’s a possibility that history will repeat itself. Looking back also gives us a great opportunity to remind ourselves of the great strides we’ve made in the past, and the amazing things that have been discovered. Having grown up in South Carolina, and now living in Virginia, I’ve always been surrounded by history. It’s just a normal thing for me to be surrounded by monuments, stories, and ghosts of the past. Actually, it feels a little lonely to me when I go to a city, and don’t know the history as well.

Here’s a joke for you…

This year Virginia celebrates the 400th anniversary of the first settlement in the United States. Just about an hour from here, in Jamestown, some very brave souls travelled from England to land, and establish the first colony in the States which has continued to this day. What an amazing feat that was in it’s day!!!! Today, at a time where American’s have been to every inch of our country, it’s hard to put ourselves in their shoes. What was it like to land on foreign soul, not knowing what to expect. While Mom and I were in London, and amazing exhibit opened up at the British Museum. A New World is an exhibit of beautiful watercolors painted by John White, and explorer in the 1580s. These paintings were painted during his travels to Virginia / North Carolina, and gave the British their first view of what this “new world” looked like. Going through this exhibit in England, now as a Virginian, really took my breath away. If you’re in London before it ends in June, don’t miss this exhibit. It truly was a view into the past.

Here’s a picture of Mom in front of the museum during our trip.

Have a great rest of the day! Off to finalize some Needlework Building Blocks designs!

Well, after another long and quiet many months, I’m hoping to get going on the blog again. Yes, I know, I’ve said it before, so I’m not making any promises. Over the past several days now, I’ve been working at updating the look and feel of it. Wha’cha think? I tell you, even though I consider myself technologically saavy, it doesn’t come easy. Here I am after a long evening of it …

What a great segway! It has been a very busy year so far for me. In January, while we were on our annual vacation to La Grange, TN, my mother called me with an exciting possibility. Evidently, her travelling companion for a trip in March to England was suddenly unable to go, and would I be interested. Did she even have to ask? Now, it began a frantic couple of months trying to get my passport (after having to also get my birth certificate) and all the other preparations that come with international travel. What a great time we had!!!! It was such a treat to have that opportunity to spend a week in England with her. Mainly we spent our time in Oxford, which is such a wonderful place. If you haven’t ever been, then you MUST go.

Also, my job has really picked up steam in the last several months, so I’ve been running myself crazy. We’re looking at hopefully having some semblance of a slow-down in the next week or so, but I’m not going to jinx it.

Well, I must run along to get a few more things done. Watch in the next week or so for more new designs, as well as finally some new Needlework Building Blocks.

Happy stitchin’!

Well, today, November 18, there’s not much more to talk about than THE game. Having been born into a family with deep-deep roots in Columbus, Ohio, the day of the Ohio State - Michigan game looms large in the family calendar. Today’s the day!!!!! Everyone’s schedule circles around it, and not much else occurs on the day of the game. Look at this picture I found last year when working on a “This is your life” book for my mother. It’s a picture taken during an OSU game in 1958. The band’s doing their “Script Ohio” routine, which ANY Ohio State fan is familiar with. Football games and their fans certainly were different then, than they are now - weren’t they? My grandfather took this picture.

For me, it now has a different type of significance. It was during this game 3 or 4 years ago, as I was watching the game, and also cleaning the house getting ready for the arrival of our large family, that I decided to trip over the vacuum cleaner. 6 months and 2 surgeries later, I was FINALLY off of crutches. Never again am I allowed to clean while that game, is on. Actually, as I write this sitting safely at my desk, Jim’s getting the vacuuming done - so that the vacuum cleaner can be retired to the upstairs junk room - by the time the pre-game festivities begin. By that time today, I plan on being safely parked on the sofa, with snacks and drinks all within reach. I won’t move until the game’s over with, as I don’t want to take any chances of a reprise of that event. For those family members who’ve called making sure that we were going to hide the vacuum cleaner - you can stop worrying - Sally’s not chancing it again.

Here in the States, Thanksgiving’s quickly approaching as well. My brother, nephew, and mother, are all coming into town, and we plan on celebrating Thursday at my sister’s house, with her soon-to-be in-laws. It should prove to be a nice, relaxing day, with (of course), too much food. This year not all of our family could come in to town, but that will make it easier for us to jump immediately on Friday into more wedding planning. Mom gets here on Monday, so we’re trying to get prepared for her today.

If I’m not able to stop in on Thursday, I do hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving day!

Happy Stitchin’!

I hope everyone’s had another great Saturday! It’s been gorgeous here today, and I was able to spend a good amount of time outside while I designed. Yup, the designing bug has hit again, and luckily, a creative mind has followed as well. I love it when I get into this mood, and am able to get pen (or mouse) to paper, and actually have some good results come from it. My great motivation this time - stress!

Yes, I’ve finally made the decision to take part in my first “live” wholesale trade show. Next August, Stitchin’spiration will be exhibiting for the first time at the Summer needlework show held for needlework shops. I’ve taken part in the online shows, but this is quite different. It’s definitely time for me to make this move, and I’m very excited about meeting all these wonderful shop owners in person. I feel as if I know many of them already via e-mail, so look forward to putting a name with a face. The task list is quickly growing as I begin to get some planning for it done. But, in the meanwhile, it’s been a good shove to my creativity.

Well, I hear Jim in the kitchen beginning dinner. Better run along…

Happy Saturday everyone!