hexagon obsession

If you've been reading this little blog for a while, you might recall my mild obsession with hexagon piecing. It started as a dabbling, but the dabbling had such great appeal, I keep returning to it when I get a chance.

hexagon tile floor at the Museum at Eldridge Street

When I teach sewing, I'm always surprised at the number of students who recoil at the idea of hand basting or hand finishing. To me, hand sewing is half the joy of sewing! I rarely get much time to do any sewing for pleasure anymore, so I relish vacations and the chance to make something entirely by hand. I like that that these little hexagon projects are portable and easy to pick up when I have a few minutes. Although, in truth, I have trouble putting them down once I begin.

We took some vacation time between Christmas and New Years, so I finally finished this little doll quilt. I hadn't really intended to finish all the edges like that, but it was a fun challenge once I got going.


I still had vacation time on my hands, so I started this one:


I thought it might be fun to make a quilt using a scrap from every Oliver + S fabric I design for Moda, adding to the quilt with each collection. This is the first two collections (our second collection ships in April, so it isn't in stores yet). I like how they work together.

I'm pleased that I can keep working on this same quilt for a while. We've got enough doll quilts around here to keep a princess with a pea sleeping peacefully, so it's time for a larger project. One that I can work on periodically, whenever I have time.

(This is the technique I use, if you're interested in trying hexagon piecing for yourself.)

weekend news

Every Friday S is given a small homework assignment for Kindergarten: weekend news. She's supposed to draw a picture and write a paragraph about something she does over the weekend and then read and present her news to the class on Monday. And every Sunday afternoon or evening we talk about all the things we did and try to help her decide which topic to write about.

I'm frequently surprised at what she chooses.

This evening she was tired and really didn't want to do her homework, so in an effort to excite her about the project I offered to do one myself. She gladly took me up on the idea and quickly generated worksheets for Todd and me to complete. So here is a summary of our weekend. She could have chosen any of the following activities:

1.
2. We had dinner (escargot for S: her favorite food) at a French restaurant in our neighborhood to celebrate the sale of the French rights to Little Things to Sew. It will be available en francais next fall. (Hurray!)

3.
(The big news here was the fact that S ate all her dinner. Todd is a great cook, too, but that's not news if you live at our house.)

4. We spent a little time admiring the Lod mosaic at the Metropolitan museum.

But with all those choices, here is what S chose to feature, instead:


"I had a tea party with my toys on Sunday. I had fun. And ice cream. It was fun for my toys too."

For the record, there is no ice cream at our house right now. So sweets weren't even part of the decision here.

living history

Happy 2011! I hope you enjoyed the holidays. We took some much-needed time off last week while S was on school break, and it was wonderful to hang out, see some friends, and relax for a while. That giant snowstorm threw off our plans a bit, but I like a good snow day or two every once in a while.


Do you remember reading All-of-A-Kind Family as a kid? I loved those books, maybe in part because they were about another family of five girls. (Although, in truth, I think I read them before my two youngest sisters were born, so that theory may not hold). Anyway, we've been reading them to S, who really enjoys them too. The stories and history are so much more meaningful to me now because the books are set in our neighborhood and capture some of the history of the area. They tell the story of a Jewish family living on the lower east side of Manhattan in the early 1900's. Many Jewish traditions are explained, and you get a real sense of what life was like in our city 100 years ago. I was fascinated to discover that the stories are based on the author's childhood.

Since it fit so nicely with the All-of-A-Kind books, we took a little tour of the Tenement Museum during our vacation. We had a little time between buying our tickets and the start of the tour, so we also squeezed in a quick visit to the Museum at Eldridge Street, which is located nearby. The museum was originally a synagogue that was built in 1887, so it fits into the same time period as the books and might resemble the synagogue in the story. The building fell into terrible disrepair but recently completely a 20-year restoration that left it looking extraordinary. Every surface is covered with pattern and decoration in a very elegant manner that was carefully researched from the original decor. I was particularly amazed by the grooves that had been worn into the floors from thousands of worshippers rocking back and forth over the years and which were left intact during the restoration. Since the original stained glass window at the front was destroyed, the replacement was designed by artist Kiki Smith. Can you see what a beautiful space it is? I'd like to return for a tour when we have a little more time.

Touring the Tenement Museum is an eye-opening experience. The apartments are so tiny! It's difficult to imagine a family of seven people living together in such a tiny space. And yet the tour guide told extraordinary tales of the real families who lived and raised their many children in these minute spaces. All without indoor plumbing or electricity, and often running a garment-making business in the same small space. (The neighborhood was at the heart of the garment center at the time.)

photo by Steve Cadman

photo from the Tenement Museum

We picked up a children's book, If You Lived 100 Years Ago, at the gift shop, and S has been intrigued by all the approachable facts and clever illustrations inside. I've learned a lot from it, too. For my own reading, I've reserved a book about the Triangle Shirtwaist fire from the library.

We stopped at the Essex Street Market to get a little more lower east side history (and a little dinner) on our way home.

P.S. If you're interested in learning more about All-of-A-Kind Family, here is an online reader's companion with a lot of additional information about the author, the books, and the history.