Why Everyone Should Consider Hosting an Exchange Student

At the beginning of this school year my daughter's high school sent a school-wide email, asking families to volunteer to host an exchange student from Japan for one week in March. We thought this sounded like fun and signed up. In August, March seemed a long way off. Yet, it snuck upon us before we knew it. Our international  exchange student arrived last week, and yesterday we sent her off in a cloud of hugs and tears.

Despite the language barriers, cultural differences and early-morning drop-offs I would encourage all families to consider hosting an exchange student. Here’s why:

1. Hosting a student will provide a great motivation to tidy up your house. Unlike visiting friends or family, an exchange student is a stranger who will be a part of your family for a short period of time. While you might tolerate some mess with close people around, you will probably feel a lot less comfortable doing so with a stranger.

A fellow host mother I met at school the night the students arrived told me she’s been scrubbing her house for two weeks straight. I didn’t go to such extremes, but I did clear all of my projects out of my sewing room, a week-long endeavor. My family and I returned the sewing room to its original manifestation as a guest room, and meticulously cleaned it up. I suddenly remembered how beautiful it could be. The kids, on their part, were amazed by how big it looked. And so, like in the story of the Rabbi and the Goat, we all felt as if we had more space in the house:

2. You will appreciate other people’s courage. When our exchange student arrived, I was impressed with how courageous she and her classmates were. These young teenagers left their homes and everything familiar, to travel to a faraway country, with a different language, different customs, and different foods. They did come as a group, true, with teacher escorts, but shortly upon arrival they were paired up with their host families, and driven off, each alone with a bunch of strangers, into the dark and the unknown... I’m sure they were all quite nervous at that point. I, too, traveled alone to faraway lands, but I was a lot older. My own experiences helped me respect my young guest’s bravery.

3. For a short period of time, you will gain one more child. I’ve always been curious as to what it feels like to have four children. This week gave me some idea :-) It was interesting to see how fast mothering instincts take over when you suddenly become  responsible for a child. When our exchange student arrived, I immediately wanted to feed her, make sure she’s warm, and take care of her in other ways. Somehow, it seems, by caring for other people you make them your own.

4. Your children will learn that the basic fundamentals of humanity cross all cultural and linguistic barriers. My daughter and my Japanese daughter had some difficulty communicating, but they quickly found ways to connect despite their differences. The two girls traveled on school tours together and had a lot of fun. They attended classes together, and learned a little about how schools in their respective countries compared. The girls taught each other some basic words in their own languages. They bonded over a shared love for everything Harry Potter, and spent a few evenings watching the movies together. And they realized that their mutual passion for piano-playing and music erases all differences. Our Japanese child turned out to be a piano genius, and we all greatly enjoyed hearing her play.

5. You will get to see your surroundings with fresh eyes. Our entire family took pleasure in introducing our guest to our world. We soon realized how refreshing it was to see things through her eyes. When we took her to visit places we took for granted, these familiar spots suddenly seemed a lot more interesting and exciting. A nearby office building revealed itself to be a fun playground. Our downtown appeared as an exciting, opportunity-filled hub. Even our familiar neighborhood trail all of a sudden seemed amazing, covered as it was with spring blooms.

6. Mundane, everyday activities will become more appealing. Making dinner, for example, can often feel like a chore. But if you’re teaching someone from another country to make a dish that is new to them, it no longer feels this way. We taught our guest to make pizza from scratch, for example. Preparing the dough felt more special when done together, and putting toppings on personal pies became an activity that all the kids enjoyed.

7. Family dinners might become a bit more nutritious. It's not always easy, with everyone’s busy schedules, to make room for daily dinner preparations. And although I really try to cook a fresh meal every day, and to make sure it’s as nutritious and healthy as could be, I sometimes find myself slacking. I also tend to get in a rut, repeating the same five or six dishes over and over again. But when our guest was here I found myself thinking about dinner more. Suddenly I wanted to make something different every night, so that she could taste a variety of new foods. I also made sure to include several dishes in every meal, to give her options in case something wasn’t appealing.

8. You will become more conscious of what you eat. We enjoyed introducing our Japanese child to different foods. By doing so we realized just how international our daily cuisine actually was! We had Italian food one day, mediterranean goods the next, some European dishes another time, and then some Mexican cuisine. This is how it usually is, except we haven't paid attention before!

9. You will realize that sharing a meal connects people. There is something very basic in eating together. Food bridges gaps and creates bonds.

10. Everyone will learn that giving unconditionally feels good. Giving gifts is an important part of Japanese culture. In the school’s parent orientation we were told to expect to receive gifts, as well as be prepared to give presents. But while it was really nice to get Japanese tea or origami paper, we all found that buying and gifting our own gifts felt even better. My kids excitedly thought of what things to buy our guest, and aimed at items she might really like and use. They enjoyed wrapping everything nicely, and derived great pleasure from handing them over. Making another human being happy was all the reward they needed.

11. A nice bonus: kids tend to fight less when a new person is around. I got one week or relatively-few quarrels. Priceless!

12. Everyone will have lasting memories. Experiences, not material things, are what happiness is based on, or so researchers say. By hosting a child from abroad for one week we created memories for everyone that will last a lifetime. We forever became a part of someone else’s life, and she became a part of ours.

Our week of hosting was over in a flash. As expected, it was hard to say goodbye. We are hoping to someday get a chance to see our exchange daughter again, but even if not, her stay with us has made the world a little bit smaller.

A Pussy Bag

Art is a dialogue. A conversation between artists and the world that surrounds them. Real life inspires art, and, in return, art hopefully makes a difference in the real world. Inspiration often derives from beautiful things, but sometimes, sadly, also from the not-so-beautiful.

One of my recent works is my small comment on what I see happening all around:

This is how it came to be: A few weeks ago a dear friend had a birthday gathering. I wracked my brain trying to figure what to give her. She already had one of my notebooks, a zip pouch and a tote, so I couldn’t bestow more of either. Purses are too personal to gift, as are decorative cushions. I was running out of products...

For days I kept thinking about it. I knew she liked denim. I also knew that she, like so many of us, recently became interested in, uhmm… pus, I mean ... cats. And then, one morning, I woke up knowing what to do!

I sorted through the pile of my kids’ torn jeans:

I picked one of my son’s torn pants, as well as a piece of jeans I darned a few months ago:

I selected a bright pink linen cloth for the lining (this one HAD to be pink!), as well as a beautiful pink and purple cotton for the inside of the inner pocket:

I cut, ironed, interfaced, appliqued, pinned and sewed:

I finally added a bright magenta strap, along with a magenta loop and a pink wooden button, all to go with a certain pink hat she recently made. And there it was: a brand new Pussy Bag!

My friend seemed delighted, and at the very least got a good kick out of it. Unfortunately, I have a feeling she might get a lot of use out of it (though, of course, in normal times I love it when people use my creations!).

The thought of my Pussy Bag making a statement out in the world was so satisfying, that I decided to make a couple more and put them in my Etsy shop. Check them out. I'd love to hear what you think!

Year of the Weed

I’m not sure how it got here so fast, but March is upon us already. Spring will officially start this weekend, with the move of the clock. It was a great relief, after four long years of drought, to finally have a rainy winter in California. Not just any rainy winter, mind you, but a record-breaking one at that! Our water reservoirs are now full and overflowing, and our snow-caps are at record deep. We sure needed the water, but many of us were no longer used to the long stretches of dreary, wet weather. Recently, however, the days of rain have started to be interrupted by longer and longer intervals of sunshine, and hints of spring are all about us.

I mostly avoided going out to my yard all winter long. Even on the rare days of no rain the garden was cold, sodden and muddy. A few weeks ago I had no choice but to get out and prune my fruit trees, for they were about to come out of their winter dormancy. And that was when I saw them: the vast fields of weeds everywhere I looked!

There are always weeds in my yard, of course. I fight them year after year, from spring all the way to fall. But I have never seen anything like this before. This year is truly a record-breaking year for weeds! I imagine their seeds lay in the ground for years, lurking and waiting for the right conditions. Now, with all the water, the conditions were apparently right, and thousands of weed seeds germinated and sprouted. The result: weeds all over my lawn; weeds where wild flowers used to grow; weeds under trees and even in the shade!

This, for example, is a spot in our yard that is usually covered in spring by a field California poppies. There are just a few of those growing there now. Most of that green is plain weeds...

When I saw the enemy my heart sank. Fighting weeds is daunting on a regular year, but this was way beyond anything I attempted before. So I did what any reasonable mother would do: I tried to bribe my kids to do the weeding for me. I actually offered them money to do it. Apparently, though, I didn’t offer enough, for they all claimed they had better things to do. Threats, pleading and guilting didn’t work, either. So guess who has been spending hours plucking weeds this week?

I cleared most of the lawn (for now), and one of the flower patches. There are still many more spots to tackle. I know I’m fighting a losing battle, but I’m trying to restore some balance here. Besides, I secretly enjoy weeding. It’s a bit like darning: a repetitive action that uses your hands but leaves your mind free to roam. I actually enjoy sitting outside, in the sun, getting mud under my fingernails. It’s relaxing, almost meditative. And at the end there is a huge pile of green materials to add to my compost bin! (Worry not. I never add weeds with seeds…).

All that outdoor activity, basking in the sun and interacting with plants put me in spring mode. After months of looking at several pieces of beautiful wool-embroidered cottons, I decided to turn them into spring totes:

Here is a finished one, from the front:

And from the back:

I’ve also been working on finishing a bunch spring-themed journal covers, and designing some spring-inspired greeting cards. Spending time outside the sewing room has once again proven to be inspiring and energizing!

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A Tale of Jeans

When I was in high school I had a pair of jeans that I simple loved. I literally lived in them, wearing them day in and day out. It didn’t take long before they started to fringe.

Before I go on, I need to stop for a moment and tell you a couple of things. The first is that when I was very little my grandmother taught me how to darn socks. She must have learned doing it as a young girl herself, at a time when socks were expensive and possibly knitted by hand. By the time I was born all socks were already store-bought and rather cheap, and very few people ever considered fixing them. Hence, for many years I wasn’t exactly sure why my grandma chose to pass on that specific piece of knowledge at a time when it was already passé. Recently I realized she might have done so since I was very crafty, and darning socks was pretty much the only crafty thing she knew how to teach me… No matter the reason, I fondly remember her showing me how to pull a torn sock over a cup, and how to weave over the hole ever so gently.

The second thing you need to know is that I went to a high school for the arts, where all of us students considered ourselves to be artists--and dressed to match...

Well, as I said, I had a pair of jeans I loved, and they didn’t last long. So I made use of the skill my grandmother taught me, and started darning them using colorful embroidery floss. I fixed the first tear (at the knee) and it looked great ... for a while. A few weeks later the jeans tore above the fix. So I fixed that, too. And on and on it went. Soon they tore at the crotch, and from behind, and even at the bottom. And so, over the course of my four years in high school, my beloved pair of denim became a continuous, living work of art:

Some teenagers rebel by smoking or drinking. I tested boundaries by means of embroidery. To my mother’s great horror I insisted on wearing my jeans to our high school’s graduation ceremony! (She walked on the other side of the street all the way from the bus…).

Needless to say, I kept them, and although I never wore them again once high school was over, they are still folded nicely in a closet at my parents’ house.

  

As for darning, you might wonder if I ever found use for that skill again. Well, you will be surprised to learn that I did!

When my girls were little I loved dressing them in cute dresses and pretty tights. I went out of my way to search near and far for the most beautiful, colorful and elaborately-patterned tights I could get. The problem was that the tights didn’t last long. A mere day or two of energetic playing predictably resulted in punctured holes at the toes… The busy mom that I was, I just couldn’t stand the thought of perfectly new, beautiful tights with only a little hole being thrown away… So I spent hours darning tights that tore yet again after another day or two. It took a few years until I finally gave up.

But while I no longer darn socks (or tights, for that matter!), I recently started darning for art’s sake. Inspired by the memory of my high-school jeans, I began saving my kids’ torn pants (of which there are PLENTY!), cutting the ripped pieces out, stretching them over embroidery hoops and darning:

Now, I simply enjoy the process. Darning is relaxing and therapeutic, almost meditative. I also savor the memories it brings, memories of my high school days and of my grandmother, now long deceased. And I just love the aesthetic outcome!

The Scrap Project: Greeting Cards

I’m sure you are all familiar with one of my favorite children’s stories, the one about Joseph’s overcoat. Versions of this story, based on an old folk tale, have been written into many books, such as Phoebe Gilman’s Something from Nothing, or Simms Tabak’s Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. The story is about an item (a coat, a blanket or something else, depending on the version) that Joseph's grandfather, a tailor, sewes for him. The boy outgrows/tears it, and so the grandfather keeps transforming it into smaller and smaller objects, until in the end the last one is lost and a story is written in its stead, hence the making of “something out of nothing.”

I find this to be a beautiful, touching story about love, cross-generational connections, resourcefulness and frugality, amongst other things. Joseph’s grandfather expresses his love for the boy through the things he sews for him. He keeps coming up with new creative ideas, all for perfectly useful items. He literally turns trash into gold over and over again, by re-purposing, up-cycling, and recycling. In that, he is, of course, being completely eco-friendly (although the story is set at a time and place where poverty, not green ideology, was the main incentive).

When I work, I often think of this story. I feel a kind of kinship with Joseph’s grandfather, and not only because we both share a love for sewing. Like the grandfather, I, too, express affection through making, especially when I create something for people I care about, be they family members or friends. I know how the grandfather felt because I also derive much satisfaction from seeing people use my creations. And, like the grandfather I, too, am passionate about turning useless materials into useful items, and about constantly coming up with ideas for new products. Likewise, I eschew waste and enjoy finding innovative ways to use every little scrap of fabric. Finally, I suppose that this blog itself could be counted as a way to “make something out of nothing” :-)

I work with many beautiful fabrics, each a piece of art on it’s own. The things I make usually call for big pieces of cloth. Yet, inevitably, the creative process leaves me with many scraps, sometimes very small bits, that I just don’t have the heart to throw away. I collect them all, and every now and then try to find ways to use them. Over the last few months I’ve been using small cotton pieces to make notebook loops, and small fragments of upholstery fabrics to make pouches or bookmarks. Right before Valentine’s Day I used some of my scraps to make Valentine cards, and I just LOVE how they turned out!

The card above was born from my treasure pile of tiny fragments:

I picked the pieces I found suitable, and cut one into a heart shape:

I appliqued it, added another heart in the middle, and appliqued that one, too. Then I embroidered all around with a gold-colored embroidery floss that matched the background fabric:

When that was done, I sewed the entire piece onto a cardboard card:

Voilà! A beautiful, original and entirely useful piece of art!

Creating this was so much fun, that I proceeded to make a few more:

Working on cards is somewhere between painting and quilting. There are endless possibilities for combining colors, patterns and textures. At the same time, however, the medium is also limiting, for the pieces are quite small (all my cards were 4”x6”), which can make cutting and sewing difficult.

I later scanned my cards, loaded them onto Zazzle, and created a print-on-demand collection. I then ordered a few for myself, to see what they looked like. I couldn’t be happier with the result: the first picture in this post shows me holding one!

Since then I made yet more greeting cards, and enjoyed every minute of the process. This is surely something I'd like to keep playing with! If you have ideas about what kind of cards you will find useful, I will love to hear from you!

A New Shop Banner

My little sewing room has seen a lot of activity since I tidied it up a few weeks ago. And while I can’t say it remained perfectly tidy, I must note that the new organizing system seems to be working. Despite all the different things I’ve been creating simultaneously, it surprisingly stayed in a completely manageable state!

If you’ve been following my previous posts and my Facebook Page you might have gotten a hint as to some of the projects I’ve been working on lately. Today I’m excited to share the work I’ve done this week on a shop banner:

I became obsessed with sewing a little over a year ago, and since then participated in three or four small crafts fairs. For the very first fair my daughter laboriously prepared a nice paper banner, which we laminated for durability. When I arrived at the fair, however, I was saddened to realize I forgot it at home… By the time the second fair came around many months later, the banner simply disappeared. I kept thinking I should make a new one, from actual fabric, but simply couldn’t find the time. And so, for the remainder of the fairs in 2016 my booth remained bannerless.

One of my goals for this year is to participate in more vending vanues than last year. My first small event for 2017 will be happening tomorrow. And so it occurred to me that perhaps the time has finally come to make a real shop banner.

I’ve been thinking a lot about which colors I want to use. I have many small pieces in different shades of blue, so at first I thought I should make it blue. I also considered a palate of fall colors, since I really like those, too. But the more I thought about it the more I realized that I really didn’t have a choice at all. An ANY Texture banner would just have to be in shades of purple and magenta, just like my Give a Hand art quilt. As my mom could attest, I’ve simply always been a purple girl…

And so, I assembled all the purple/dark pink fabrics I could put my hands on, and started playing with different combinations:

I settled on a composition I liked for the background, and sewed all the pieces together:

I then zig-zagged over all the seams to keep the piece flat, and also to give it some additional color nuances:

Then I chose fabrics for the letters, and for the first time doubted whether it was wise to choose a shop name that was ten-letters long…

My kids don’t realize it, but sewing actually requires quite a lot of math. For this project, for example, I had to measure everything and figure out the maximum size of each letter. I proceeded to cut all the fabrics accordingly:

Once again, I played around with the order of the colors, until I settled on an order I liked. Then I drew all the letters onto the fabrics and cut them out:

I arranged the letters on the background, to see how they fit and how it looks:

Originally, I wanted to hand applique everything. Since I needed the banner sooner rather than later, however, and since hand appliqueing can take many days, I decided to machine applique it instead:

This is what my banner looked like after I finished attaching all the letters:

At this point I noticed that the “t” in “Texture” was too close in tone to the background, and that it kind of disappeared from afar. So I decided to hand applique it with a bright changing-tone magenta embroidery floss, to give it a stronger outline:

The very first picture in this post is what the final banner looks like at the moment. It will be perfectly functional for tomorrow’s purposes, but for me it is not quite finished yet. I still want to hand applique all the letter, and maybe add a subtitle, or even a few decorations. I will have to think about it some more...