Cirque D'amour Prom

Our school recently held its annual prom, a formal dance for juniors and seniors. My coworker and friend is in charge of planning, decorating and working on Prom, so I get roped in to help out every year. 

I don't mind so much. Mostly, I figure out her vision, turn it into doable decorations and then help teach our students how to create the decorations.

Those students then make a dozen or so centerpieces to place on the tables. This year the vision was a Cirque de Soleil theme on practically no money.

 So we built everything from styrofoam, gossamer, tape. Lots of tape, wire and string. We started out by cutting styrofoam into the silhouettes of flying dancers.  

We added a colorful tent and a ceiling both made of gossamer. From the ceiling we hung a variety of colorful umbrellas, paper lanterns, rings and the silhouettes.

Then dressed the tables in teal, black, and white and added our centerpieces to all the other decorations.

To save money and add to our decorations--our Cirque de Soleil theme needed lots of action--we added cardboard people in the upper levels from another school's prom, which happened the week before.

We worked after school for several days just cutting and painting decorations, which included the silhouettes, an elephant, a lion and other interesting pieces. Then for two days we put up the ceiling, the tent, and the rest of decorations.

All of which were a great hit and a had a lasting impression. 

Pin It Weekly #152

Check out these cute summer dresses and shorts!

These pins are all over the place. Mostly I've just been vegging out and looking at things that may (or may not) be of great interest. Find something--pin it.  Find nothing--move on. Easy squeezy!

Have a great end-of-school-year! We're down to two weeks with EOC's starting tomorrow. (Say a little prayer for my kiddos, please.)

Stash Report: April 2016

Are you aware that Hancock Fabrics is closing all of its stores? Yes, this could be a problem. In addition to the fact that many are losing their jobs, an icon is ending its run, and sewers will struggle to find fabric, there's yet another problem: I can't resist the temptation to purchase still more fabric! 

I have enough. Really, I do. I cannot possibly sew every bit of it before I die at the ripe old age of 118.

My enabler, though, has to take some blame for the most recent purchase...he insisted that we go! I mean, I intended to go. I knew I'd be buying some Kona solids. I actually hoped there's be plenty of Kona. There was. Photos and confession tomorrow.

Tonight, a stash report that shows I am almost breaking even with purchases and uses. I don't know how this is good or bad, but I have a feeling...

Stash Report for April 2016
Additions and Subtractions	Yards	Projects from stash	Works in Progress (not in report)
Used this month:	10	Memory Quilt (9)	Circle Quilt (WIP)
Added this month:	20	Small Projects (1½)
Used in 2016:	39	(bags and painting)
Added in 2016:	36

How has the recent announcement that Hancock Fabrics is closing affected your stash? 

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Lonesome Dove Neutrals

We've been watching the 1989 miniseries Lonesome Dove. Four hours of the movie last week and, now, another four hours of Return to Lonesome Dove. It's our second go watching these, but Richard loves them.  He really likes westerns. 

Today we need some inspiration and, since there seem to be only neutral colors in the movies--it feels almost as if it were shot in sienna--I started thinking about neutral quilts.

Could the colors be more neutral with these muted grays, beiges, and browns? All beautiful, of course, but without much pop.  

So for some inspiration--

And now for some quilts--

With over 5,000 pins, my Pinterest board, "heart, quilts" includes these and many other beautiful quilts.