Steampunked Kilts: Trunk or Treat

 

Sam & Roxie's kilts are 8 yards and 5 yards, fully pleated in back.  John and mine are quickly done, costume only, not even the right tartan, but close.  Roxie's is not quite Davidson clan, but she loves green and blue and it was in my fabric stash, conveniently.

I decorated our car trunk with silk flowers hung #56 tags, and the red satiny quilt (from Luanna) and the 56 days left sign:  Christmas countdown.  We won one of the trunk decorating prizes!  Scariest?

People, friends, have asked me this week how I am doing, really doing, and they made time to listen.  I have gotten teary-eyed and mushy and choked up and realized how much I am still grieving for Maxwell's loss.  I miss him, and still feel really sad.  It makes sense to me now the year of mourning in Victorian times, family wearing black, or at least black armbands in remembrance of their lost one.

   It has been easy to escape reading books and not having to "think" or "feel" or to stay busy, really busy, or get involved in serving someone else so I don't think about being sad.

One listening friend said, "I don't know how you are doing it, even waking up and getting out of bed."  

Holidays are sad, since we use them as gathering, food celebrating, and remembering.  Max was a blue-body suit man last year.  He asked me to mend his suit where it had ripped a little at the neck.  I fixed it but didn't get it back to him, he said he didn't need it until Halloween.  Every time I see Suzu in her matching suit, I think it would have been a fun picture/video of them together.  Regret un-photos=times you wish you had photographed, but too late.

 

Dealing with stress and grief--besides drinking more water, getting outside once a day, not eating sugar, reading scriptures on my own, doing something unexpected and nice for someone else at least once a week, and everyday being nice to myself (hot shower) and giving myself a complement--saying something out loud while looking in the mirror.  Something about me that I like and is real and true (not just something I do well, but an attribute describing who I am, inside.  Kind of like the pep-talk in "The Help" that the maid gives her boss's daughter "You is kind, you is smart, you is important").

 

And yes, our garage now has burnt orange diamonds, for Halloween.

Because I am a visionary woman.  I like to see changing colors in my environment.  The autumn trees are gorgeous and inspiring and I like to savor colors like flavors for my eyes.  (Haha, now I am laughing at myself.)

Projects & Portraits

#recycled_tshirt project:  cut an animal t-shirt in half, sew to front of hoodie or jacket.  Because of stretch and not enough pins, (PIN MORE THAN I DO IF YOU CARE) his nose is slightly UN-aligned.  But I love colors: brown jacket someone gave me that had some stains on front & clearance t-shirt I never would have worn.  This I will wear.

 More recycled t-shirt projects:  simple circle necklaces, hand sewn, using neck ribbing or bottom hem, or sometimes sleeve hem as ribbons to tie around neck.  They help make shirts modest without wearing another layer underneath.

Sam before his first group date!  He turned 16 this summer, and he and Alan from seminary class went bowling with 2 girls from stake!

Meet The Mormons

We took the family to see the film, "Meet the Mormons."  Really liked it!  Hoping it is available to buy for Christmas neighbor gifts this holiday!

Wet out to lunch afterwards, got a free mini pumpkin because we ordered big BBQ sampler at Famous Dave's. 

The screen shot was from work, required training.  Thought it was well worded.

Kilts instead of Quilts this week!

The combined stake LDS youth dance tonight is a costume dance:  come as a family history member.

So I made Sam a kilt.  It took a very long time, but I am excited about making more!

I had some Stewart Royal wool in my stash, thinking I would make something for our son, Stewart someday...Researched the process, started trying it on Sam to see how big to make the pleats...

And I have learned all kinds of new vocabulary, pleating to the sett, fells, stetting the pleats so they don't fall down, and the goal to have no stepping of the pattern in the back, just smooth, horizontal lines.  LOVE how the plaid changes when it is pleated, almost looks like a different pattern in the back.  Pleats only in the back, smooth front aprons overlapping, held down (just top layer) by kilt pin.

My favorite helpful website was USA Kilts , just 1.5 hours away in PA.  So I took a road trip to buy "hose" and they just happened to have a used pair of guilles brouges in the right size for super cheap.  I think the shoes are my favorite part!  Criss-crossed up the calves.  And the flashes-the ribbon pennant garters--ok to match tartan in solid colors or use tartan fabric (gauche to mix tartans, hmmm). 

The staff was super helpful, gave me a HUGE sample of Davidson tartan to take home, which Roxie is in love with. 

I made a sporran  from a Goodwill purse, fur trimmed and held on by ribbon.

Yes, he wore shorts underneath.  He looked confident, happy, ready for the dance!

More Photos (because Deb asked!)

I am standing here with 4 moms who also lost children, plus sheriff office guys and organizer.

Roxie is third person in from right side.

This was our Saturday!

Great event.  We wore our Defiance shirts, waved and said "Good morning" to the card driving by.  Glad Sam & Roxie came with us (she is in the shade, holding a sign down the street further, discretely reading her book).  At one point we all stretched out around the corner and down Main Street holding hands.  Sobering stuff. 

We met last night to organize the Defiance Foundation.  Mission statement being word-smithed by John, but it includes education-prevention and policy advocacy, focusing on youth up to 21 years and combining mental health issues with addiction.  We want to help raise money and awareness, and a separate annual scholarship to Maryland State Boychoir to sponsor a young man. 

Whew.  Lots of ways YOU will be able to help, if you want.  We will get a webiste figured out, details coming. 

Technically it isn't a "quilt" but a painted cloth framed for ease of hanging/display.  I had volunteered a "quilt" for the silent auction on our stake's "Day to Serve" concert event, raising money to feed the hungry, joined with several other church organizations. 

I should have taken before/during pictures...Frame was a thrifted $10 find, cleaned and repainted frame to black (it was nice, sturdy oak wood, but damaged, needed some camouflaging).  The white fabric with pink flowers was a yard of fabric, also thrift store find.  Stencil one of my NEW stencils!  I made new ones of Max, made a "Mr. Smith" one, too.

THIS is a great example of faux-painting:  a metal modern switch plate added to a marble wall in a cathedral downtown.  Great job, even if it is poor placement.  I was there for a friend's mom's funeral, first one I have been to since Max's memorial service. 

I was disappointed to not hear even one reference to Christ, no scriptures, not even in the prayer.  Angels watching over me song was closest it got...Everything was unknowable, mysterious, vague, about where we came from and what happens at death and even why we are here on earth in our fleetingly short lives.  

The non-denominational preacher came up to me afterwards and she complemented my huge "presence."  She didn't say the word "aura" and she wasn't talking about my weight, but she waved her hands around my face and head.   I talked to her a little bit about what I believe happens after we die.

Faith does help.

"Beautiful Heartbreak" by Hilary Weeks had me teary this morning.  I wrote on one of my mom's cousin's posts about my sign:  "Lost a son to drugs/suicide."  Can't say that easily every time.  But I do believe in miracles, and we have been blessed and supported through this painful mourning-morning.