Pennsylvania School Librarian's Association Conference

At the end of April, I attended the 3 day state librarian's conference.  I went as an attendee as well as a presenter.  Last year I presented on how to update book projects with technology and loved it.  So, I figured if I liked presenting one session, I would like it even more if I presented 2, so I submitted 2 proposals in August.  Boy was I wrong.  Unfortunately, I am not a person who methodically works on something for months prior to its due date.  I was up past midnight every day the week before the conference putting together my 2 presentations, the whole time wishing I only had to present and prepare 1 presentation.  I did a 2 hour presentation on Thursday night on podcasting.  On Saturday afternoon, I presented with the high school librarian on building a culture of reading in your school.

Thursday Presentation - Podcasting 101

This was the session I was wishing I didn't have to prepare for .... and the world must have agreed with me that night.  The high school librarian and I drove together to the Hershey Conference Center right after school.  We arrived with time to check-in to our room and for me to set-up for my session that evening.  As soon as she closed the door, she said, "I think I just locked my keys in the car".  Yes, there they were laying on her seat, along with my laptop, microphones, and project in the back seat .... everything I needed for my presentation.  I quickly called AAA, who said they would send someone as soon as possible, but they couldn't guarantee a time.  Luckily, I knew another librarian who was presenting on later in the conference, so I called her and asked to borrow her laptop and project.  I would just have do make do without microphones (a hard thing when your topic is podcasting and you were planning on giving participants time to try out the various podcasting applications).  Just as a finished setting up her laptop and project, the guy arrived to unlock the car.  After 10-15 minutes, he had the car unlocked, I grabbed my stuff, and made my way down to the room, quickly switched out laptops, and was ready for my session to start in 15 minutes.  It went well, not my best, but pretty good and my participants seemed to learn a lot and enjoy it based on their post-session evaluations.  Here's the website I created for the participants.

Saturday Presentation - Building a Culture of Reading
I was so excited to present this session and the actual presentation exceeded my expectations.  The high school librarian and I do a lot at our schools to try to build a culture of reading that extends beyond the walls of the library and Language Arts rooms.  Our session was packed.  The room seated 50 to 60 and there were probably over 100 people in attendance standing and sitting wherever there was room.  We took turns presenting various programming ideas.  Near the end of our presentation, a leader in the PA library world stood up and began reading an email she had written to our principal singing our praises.  Immediately after she sat down, another person said that she had just written to our superintendent doing the same thing!  Here's the website we created for our participants.  After our session time ended, we had people coming up to talk to us and ask questions as is usual at the end of presenting.  However, one person that came to talk to us worked for a national library journal, School Library Monthly.  She handed us a copy of the magazine and asked us to write an article for the magazine that we would get paid to write.  As communications with her and the editor continued in e-mail, the talk of writing a book has also come up.  So, we're both hoping the article transforms into a book deal!

Pillows

I moved into a new apartment in August and was not thrilled with the fabric options from the pre-made curtains available in stores.  So,  I stumbled upon a fabric store in Lewisburg called The Beckoning Cat.  This store is an absolute gem.  The owner imports fabrics from Japan, and they are beautiful.  I found a piece of fabric that I fell in LOVE with immediately ... so I bought it.  Unfortunately, there was not enough for curtains, so I decided to use them for a few large pillows.  This became my inspiration fabric.  I did eventually find some fabric for curtains that I liked at Joann Fabrics in my mom's area, but we'll save that project for another post :)

I have to say that I absolutely adore fabric shopping ... fabrics are incredibly beautiful.  Narrowing it down to one is difficult, and if I didn't have my pillow fabric to focus my search, it would have been slightly overwhelming to make a decision.

So, here are my very basic instructions for sewing pillows with an invisible zipper.



1.  Cut two fabric squares the size of your pillow form (or 1/2 inch more at most).  I followed instructions that said to add an inch or two, but I did that for my first one and it looked limp and lifeless ... so I had to redo it so that the pillow would actually fill-out its case. 




2.  Center the invisible zipper on your the right side of your fabric with the teeth up and toward the center of the pillow (not the outer edge).  Pin the zipper.  The ends of the pins should face the zipper head.


3.  Install your invisible zipper presser foot and begin sewing at the start of the teeth of the zipper.  Make sure to backstitch to strengthen it.  As you sew the zipper, remove the pins.  Continue sewing the zipper until the zipper stops the presser foot.  Backstitch again to strengthen.


4.  Now it's time to sew the other side of the invisible zipper to your second piece of fabric.  You need to place the zipper on the right side of your second piece of fabric with the teeth facing the center of the pillow (not the outer edge).  Pin the zipper and sew as before.  If it looks like you need to sew a little closer to the zipper teeth ... do it!



5.  Close the zipper 2/3rds of the way and then line up the corners on either end of the invisible zipper. and pin.  (Leave the tail ends of the zipper out, don't pin or sew them down)  Install your regular presser foot and sew the perimeter.  Make sure you pivot 90 degrees at each corner with the needle in the fabric to achieve a nice, sharp edge.

6.  Turn your pillow case right side out, press out the corners with a pointy object, and then stuff it with your pillow form!  I recently saw a project where the sewer lined her pillows ... I think I will try that next time.

This project would never have taken place if it were not for my mom ... thanks Mom!

April 15-22

 Theme for the week ... fruit ... yum!

To view my entire 365 project, click here.

Happy Easter

John, Jamie, Mom, and I spent the days baking bread, making rice krispie treat eggs rolled in spring sprinkles, and dying Easter eggs ... all in all, a fun-filled day!

We really enjoy using not just the typical, dip your egg dyes, but to also "paint" on our eggs using food coloring.

 





 

Instead of using the standard white crayon to draw on the eggs, I like using a silver crayon.  The silver looks great with the dye.








 I'm looking forward to lots of hard boiled eggs as snacks and egg salad for lunch over the next several days!

April 1-14

It is hard to believe that flowers would bloom during the dreary spring we are suffering through, but I guess they are a bit tougher than me.  I am waiting for the sun and warmth to truly let my energy blossom and feel carefree.  The blossoms are breathtaking and serve as a reminder that spring is here, whether it seems like it or not, and that summer is just around the corner!

Personalize a free digital slideshow To view all my 365project photos, click here.

March 16-23

Here's a little of this and a little of that ... remainders from my walk through Selinsgrove. 

To view my entire 365 project, click here.

From My Bookshelf

Player Piano by Vonnegut

I hated Slaughterhouse-Five when I read it in high school.  I'm sure I didn't get most of it, and I would never have picked up another Vonnegut book were it not for the recommendation of a fellow trusted bibliophile.  So, I began reading Player Piano only to find that I couldn't put it down.  
The main character, Doctor Paul Proteus, exists in a dystopian society where computers and machines do everything.  The average citizen has been stripped of the ability to work at a vocation.  Forced to do mundane, pointless jobs, they are supposedly living in a "perfect" world; everything is planned by computers, taking away choice, creativity, hope, etc.

The main storyline is interspersed with vignettes of the visit by the Shah of Brapuhr.  He is in the US to learn from the richest, most powerful nation how to improve his country.  The scenes where he keeps referring to the average citizen as a takaru (much to the annoyance of his guide) are hilarious.  Takaru means "slave" in the Shah's language.  As an unbiased observer, he is able to see that the citizens lead a life equivalent to that of a slave.  He is completely nonjudgmental and matter-of-fact when he uses the term.  He just believes these people must be the slaves since their lives mirrors the slaves in his country.  He sees right through all the gilding to the reality of the society. 
 
My favorite character is Ed Finnerty.  He is Proteus' best friend and possesses a "devil may care" attitude which I love.  Finnerty does not play along with the perfect world - he is jaded and disillusioned.  Since he won't play the part, he comes across as being a bit crazy, but I think he is just trying to keep it together trying to exist in an insane world.  He knows life is more than this.  It is Finnerty gets Paul thinking about the ills of their supposed utopian society and connects him with the "terrorist" group - the Ghost Shirt Society. 

"Without regard for the wishes of men, any machines or techniques or forms of organization that can economically replace men do replace men. Replacement is not necessarily bad, but to do it without regard for the wishes of men is lawlessness"