julia's graduation photos

As part of the foreign exchange student experience here in Saline, Julia gets to walk with the rest of the senior class of 2015. When she got her cap and gown, I asked her if we could do pictures and she said "Sure!" Ha! She made such a fuss last time I figured no way would she let me, but she did!

This time instead of having Jackie do her makeup and hair, I told her these were pictures where she could look the way she wanted.

So she said, "Ok, I'm ready", and just threw on her cap and gown. No makeup - no hair straightener. Just Julia.

We went over to the high school and picked a few places to get some good pictures. She took her camera to get her own pictures of the school.

I like this one. She walked all over trying to find actual grass to sit on and not weeds. Even took pictures of the ground before deciding. I finally got her in front of the Saline Hornets water tower.

Julia really did love the school, going every single day no matter how badly she felt. 

There were a bunch of geese on school grounds and she was taking pictures of them as I was taking pictures of her.

This one is another one of my favorites.

By the end, she had pulled off her gown stating it was just too hot. Last shot before heading home. I love seeing the school behind her.

This year didn't count for her and she still has 2 more years of high school when she returns to Sweden, but the experiences and the friends she made will last a life time.

how I made graduation stoles

I make these stoles once a year for a group at the University of Michigan. Thought I would jot down my notes to refresh my memory for the next time.

If you need a pattern for your stole, there is one here.

There's another one here - little different design.

I can get 2.5 stoles out of 1 yard of material. I start out cutting strips of material that are 7 inches wide. You need 2 sections for each stole.

Embroider one side keeping closer to the edge, it will cut nicely this way.

This is why because the curve of the neck, you'll want to keep the embroidery closer to one side. You want a wider cut so that you have room for the hoop and to keep the material nice and tight.

Make sure you cut it out so the curve goes towards the right for the logo side. The opposite is true for the name side of the stole.

With right sides together sew the ends together. Then sew 2 sides together (right sides together). I start in the back where the start and end threads will be less noticeable. Set the stitch length down to 2 or 2 1/2 to keep the pulling of the material to a minimal.

Sew down on side. Then stop and go back to the middle and sew down the other side. Stop before getting to the angled cuts. Press open. It's much easier to press the stole open like this - than to work the satin for both sides flat to iron.

Once you press the seam open on the one side, finish sewing - starting at the angle and continuing around. Make sure you make nice sharp turns. This one pulled because my stitch length was too long.

Leave 3 inch gaps on the each end of the stole for turning. I do both end so I can get into the angled end real good to push out a nice sharp point.

Trim close to stitching before turning inside out.

Carefully iron the seams out. Use no steam and a silk setting on your iron.

Then go back over the stole do a trim stitch on the outside. And that's it!

The Giggle Box Graduates!

Congratulations Jacquelyn! You made it! You conquered the Chemical Engineering program at University of Michigan and came out the other side.....victorious!

Congratulations to your son... who walked with you through every struggle.

Say goodbye to long long hours studying at the library .... And crazy lab partners.

Say goodbye to driving to campus to park and take a bus to the different classes.

Say goodbye to stressful final exams and late night SWE meetings.

Say hello having more time to spend with your family! And what an awesome bunch of people we are. Hahahahahaaaaa! But ... we always got your back.

Say hello to your awesome sister ... and Bruce Wayne.

Say hello to seeing more of your friends and girl friend.

And just as important - but not more than .... say hello to the dollar billzzzzz!

We are super super proud of you! Congratulations University Michigan, School of Engineering Grad of 2014! What an accomplishment!

Now you can say hello to being a U of M alumni!