The call for participation for the #femedtechquilt really struck a chord in me.  Thinking about caring, and sharing.  What did I have that I can share?  What could I part with that might be useful to others?  I went through my stash (a long overdue task), with an eye to sharing,  culling that which really belonged in the trash (teensy scraps), in donation (honestly, I’m never going to make those men’s tshirts into dresses for anyone, & they could be used by someone else), or in my daughters’ personal stashes (so they stop breaking into mine, and not putting it away when they’re finished).  I found 7 large-ish pieces that would be worth sending, photographed them, and emailed Frances Bell to see what would be useful- this is a great point to keep in mind with open education- something that is not wanted or needed is not really a great thing to share- it’s just more stuff!  considering end users is important!  Frances requested the plaid sections, which made me super happy- they were originally purchased because they were very low cost/yard a decade ago when I was making tents for my cousins’ children for a family reunion.  I recall fondly the day I spent sewing them up with my sister when she still lived in New York, and my dad getting PVC pipe to hold them up in his backyard in Illinois, because he thought dowels were too expensive and would hurt if they landed on one of the kids (I still take this approach to open education- look for advice/patterns on the internet, adapt to the materials/skills I have on hand).  I haven’t seen any of the tents in a long time, but I do see that plaid every Christmas season- my sister and I subsequently made Christmas ornaments as a favor for a surprise birthday party we threw for our dad, and we each kept one.   Which is a long way of saying, I’m so glad that these plaid fabric pieces will have a permanent home on the #femedtechquilt.  I’m happy I could contribute in some small way to this project, that I have more space in my fabric cubby, and that I became mom-of-the-year for bestowing the other 5 piles to my younger daughter, who instantly set to work on them.

Shared by: Shawna Brandle, @profbrandle
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