Sunday, May 26, 2013

Sistine Chapel Panel 40 Finished and summer vacation!


I put the final stitches on panel 40 this morning.  This is the first panel of my Sistine Chapel design.  There are 45 panels in all!!  I did a small happy dance and then pulled out Panel 28 to stitch next.  The pattern calls for you to stitch it in a certain order.  This next panel that I will be stitching has a lot of threads.  They took up one whole thread box and 1/4 of the another.

Graduation:

School is out for summer!!!!  You do not know how happy I am.  This has been a very hard year.  Graduation was last weekend and they had a chair with a cap and gown on the stage in honor of my student who passed away earlier this year.  I broke out in tears during graduation when they called his name.  It is just an amazing feeling to see all my little ducks who I have pushed and prodded for the past 4 years walk across that stage and get their diploma.  For graduation day, all the teachers wears gowns and our school colors while the students wear their cap and gowns.  We were able to graduate 807 seniors in 1 hour and 45 minutes!!!


Each year, I make my seniors a pillow case with name embroidered on it.  They LOVE them.  Here is this years fabric.  When my juniors realized that I would not be teaching their senior math class, they were not happy.  They have been with me since 9th grade and they feel they have EARNED a pillowcase.  So I told them if they finished the year and would graduate, then I would make them a pillowcase.   My husband just doesn't get it.  He doesn't understand why the all love a pillowcase.  I tried explaining that it is a personalized gift that they can actually use, and he still doesn't understand.  

Summer Plans:
Last summer I set several goals to get finished by the end of summer.  This year, my plan is be lazy!  I am too tired right now to come up with any goals.    We leave for our vacation soon and I am actually looking forward to it.  We are going to Minneapolis, MN for 4 days.  DH is going to golf and I am going to the Mall of America.  We plan on catching a Twins Baseball game.  Then we are off to Sheboygan, WI, where DH is going to golf.  I am meeting up with my friend, Kim R, and we are going to spend the afternoon together.  Kim lives in WI and I haven't seen in her in a couple of years.  After WI, we are headed to Chicago, IL for 3 days.  DH sister lives there.  Not sure what we will do there but we will be headed home Saturday afternoon.  We will drive until DH gets tired then we will find a hotel for the night.  WE plan on being home by 2:00 pm on Sunday.  My mom is going to dog and house sit for us.  The boys love her and she doesn't mind staying at the house.

14 comments:

Faith... said...

Sistine Chapel looks amazing! Congrats on getting another panel finished.

Love the pillow case idea - a memory for the ducks to take away to college with them. :)

It is a good time to come to Chicago - we are FINALLY going to warm up the 80's are coming!

Sara said...

Sistine Chapel is looking great :) congratulations on finishing the first pannel. And I love the idea of the pillowcase :)

Heather said...

Congratulations on finishing the first panel. It looks fabulous.

The graduation sounds lovely. I think the school honoured the student who passed away in a wonderful way. And, also, how nice of you to make all those pillowcases! You clearly care a great deal about your students. Enjoy your summer break, you deserve it!

CalamityJr said...

Wow, Vickie - getting that first panel finished makes it seem so much more doable. My initial thought was that I'd never see it completed, haha, but now there's hope! It looks wonderful, and I'm impressed that it hasn't taken over all your craft time. Love what you do for your students, as well. Kudos to you!

Sew Wilde said...

Congrats on finishing your first panel!! It looks very cool. It is so nice you make your students one of a kinds gifts for their graduation.

Enjoy your vacation! I live in Madison, WI-wave at you drive by. haha

Julie

Meari said...

Congrats on the graduating class! And for finishing panel 40.

Sounds like a busy vacation. My parents went to Mall of America a couple of times. Looks like a fun place. I'm two hours west of Chitown... there's lots to do there.

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WhitneyL said...

Make sure you go to Stitchville when you are in Minneapolis!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the page finish!! It is looking great!!! I like your summer plans. Have a great time on your vacation.
Betty in AZ (ILCS)

Lana said...

Great job on your "mini" finish! 1 panel down, 44 more to go! It looks great! I am really enjoying watching your progress on this one! That is so sweet that you make those pillow cases for your students! One year one of my teachers made tiny handmade Christmas stockings for all of her students in her class, and now even 25 years later, I still have it, and think of her every year when I hang it on my tree!

Melody said...

Have a good trip. There is Stitchville in Minneapolis area. Also, Welcome Stitchery is in Crystal Lake, north of Chicago. Both shops are good ones. Go, if you get the chance.

Jo said...

Yay for the panel finish, hope the next one goes well. Have a fantastic vacation x

Kim said...

WOW, looking great!! ENJOY your summer you deserve it!! And, cant wait till next month, looking forward to seeing you!

Kim

SoCal Debbie said...

Hurray on finishing the first panel! The pillowcases look like an amazing gift that they can use for years and years and always remember their favorite teacher!