New Year's Tradition:Food

As I mentioned in my last post, I don't exactly get wild and crazy over New Year's. I DO, however, make the same meal almost every year. This recipe for Black Bean & Sirloin chili has been a favorite since I discovered it in the February 1992 issue of Gourmet Magazine. It's from the Fog City Diner. I am not much of a chili fan normally - but this is a great recipe and is nothing like chili made with ground meat. Here's a link for it: http://tinyurl.com/yornms.

I've Hopping John every year since the 70's (oops - that must surely date me!) Generally I am not terrible superstitious - but ,heck, why take a chance at the start of New Year - especially when it tastes good !! I add corn bread to the menu- and that rounds out a nice, spicy gastronomical start to the year !

The beginning of tasty hopping john - just add onions and a bit of bacon and I'm ready to set it in the crock pot.

A Touch of Heaven In The Mail

Saturday's mail brought a most unexpected surprise from Vicki. WoW! What a surprise! I thought that she might send me ONE piece of her hand dyed fabric (and a small piece at that!).
What I found, however, was an absolute treasure trove! The photo above is of a glorious piece of hand dyed fabric & metallics - and it is awesome. The photo below is of the rainbow of my favorite warm colors that she sent. Beautifully done. Heaven!

She also added some fun bits of yarn (each nestled in it's own plastic bag) & a tube of beads which are already destined for my 'tree' piece. How could she know?!

As if all of this wasn't WAY more than enough Vicki also enclosed some of her incredible hand made soap for sensitive skin. I am a shea butter fan - so I have opened that one first - and it really is wonderful for those of us whose skin can have problems tolerating the additives and perfumes in most soap these days.

Last, but not least, this card was enclosed. Vicki could not have known that Charles Wysocki is one of my favorite artists - but this must surely be the proof that she is psychic! I am so very grateful for my friends - both local and cyber. I am, truly, blessed. My friends are my teachers - their lessons are about the meaning of friendship & good will. Thank You Vicki for sharing so freely - your blog cheers my day and you generous gift will be used well - and creatively I hope!

Button Treasure

Friday was slower than usual at work. I appreciate those days because I know that they are always followed, sooner or later, by an all too fast paced day. Friday was cheered considerably by a visit from Janet. She had a mischievous gleam in her eye when she handed me this amazing packet of buttons that she had discovered in our local 'treasure' store (Funk'n'Junk). Apparently there was an estate sale of buttons going on! Janet knows me well and knows that I adore oranges and yellows - well also those 'ick' greens & reds (color my color wheel warm!). Since Janet had given me two sheep from the Heifer Project for the holidays she had planned to give me these for my birthday in May. Her dear husband, Dick, told her she could not wait that long - so she came in to see me at work - and brightened my day! What a treasure these buttons are - and Janet too! Now I need to figure out how to best display some of them. Ideas?

Another Thing To Do With Decorator Fabric Samples

Which looks better? The empty box above - or the flowered fabric below?!
At some point I needed a place to throw yarn & thread snips and I grabbed the thing that was most handy at that moment - an empty garbage bag box. It worked but it sure was disreputable looking ! My friend, Bonnie, uncovered a large roll of what I think is Peltex (or something like Peltex) during her daily breeze through the local thrift store. She said that she did not have a use for, but thought I might be able to use it . YES !! She sold it to me for $10.oo. Actually, she did not want anything for it - but I had to at least give her what she paid for it ! I wanted to experiment with this stuff a a bit -- and I still had this pile of decorator fabric samples lurking on my sewing table. Voila ! - a somewhat less onerous looking snip catcher. The paper that is still stuck to the fabric in the photo is from being attached to the sample book - it does come off. I wanted the front to bow a bit - easier to get the snips into that way. I might have to have a "do-over" to make the stitching nicer and all - but this is better than the old box I think - by far!

The Peltex -y roll will work wonderfully for bowls, cards, lots of things. It was a great find & I am so happy that Bonnie thought to snatch it up ! Thanks Bonnie !

Holiday Moon

"Know the true value of time;
Snatch, seize and enjoy every moment of it !"
Lord Chesterfield

This is what I saw as I left for work on Wednesday morning (about 07:30 am). This is the first "real"photo that I took with my wonderful new Nikon D80. I was totally impressed that I got such a good an image - hand held at that - in such a low light situation. The moon and the trees were so beautiful. Perfect. I stopped for a minute before I got in the car & considered how fortunate I am to be able to begin my day with this kind of tender beauty all around me. I am not sure how I managed to live in large cities for so long! Does excess concrete cause madness?! The moment also made me think about how very nice it is to S-T-O-P at times. Really S-E-E . Not rush. Not already "be" somewhere else doing "something" else - but simply be in the moment enjoying what life has to offer. What will you s-e-e- today ?

Creativity

"Creative minds have always been known to survive any kind of bad training"

Anna Freud

My friend, Lauren, gave me a small Mary Englebreit poster with this quotation on it. I keep it at work to remind me that we can be creative in any situation. My hope for the coming New Year is to make every day a day of creativity - in one way or another ! How about you ? What are your goals for the dawning year? How will you accomplish them ?

Gifts that are Perfect

I have been lusting for a better digital camera for some time now. The first digital I got was in 1997 - and it was a Kodak. Good for it's time. Next,I got a Sony Mavica (also a gift from DH) -it is still a great camera - 4mp - uses mini cd's that don't work in my Mac. Next, was a small Olympus 4mp that we bought from a friend whose wife wanted something even smaller. I have been using that one for several years now - and it is always handy because I can carry it in my bag. I am a loyal Nikon user though - and have many Nikon SLR's (F ,FA,FE,6006 & F4S)that I have kept over the years. The F4S was just TOO heavy to carry around all of the time - and I find that I seldom take film photos any longer (sad but true) - so I had been wanting a Nikon DSLR very badly. Ta Da!!!! Now, thanks to DH, I have one - and JUST the one I wanted too. The D80 is a very versatile camera, light enough even with a long lens to tote around quite comfortably. I am thrilled. There will be a bit of a re-learning curve but I am so excited ! It's light enough to always be able to carry with me. I even got a couple of extra lenses and an ultra light tripod. YIPPEE ! I am going to make it it's own special felted case. I may even have to name this camera- I love it that much !

I am known to love socks , color and cats (not necessarily in that order) and a couple of my friends gifted my with cat socks! Lauren gave me a pair of the softest gloves I have EVER felt.....like those ultra soft, plush socks you can get these days - but for your hands ! They are in a favored teal volor too !

Janet gifted me with two sheep - well - in my name anyway - through the Heifer Project. She knows how much I love sheep and wool. What a wonderful gift!

Sarah sent some of her luscious hand dyed fabrics - and a pair of dyed orange socks that are "the cat's meow" ! Will I be able to cut this stuff is the question ! She was disappointed, I think, that I had not sent hert af elted bag. I honestly did not think she would like to have one ! I stand well corrected and told her I will send her a bag - just made for her.

Bose !! WoW Bose! I never expected this gift - Bose over the ear head phones that make my IPod sound like heaven on earth. I am, truly, very surprised at the quality of the sound that these head phones produce. A amazing difference -- no kidding ! Lauren is the one who suggested these to DH. She got a pair - and I knew I could not afford to get them .

I was certainly blessed with many riches this year - and am gratefuyl for each and every thing !

The Power That IS

From reading Jenclair's blog yesterday morning
I came across this amazing video from Kim.
I think it is a perfect sentiment - for everyday -
but especially for the holiday season.
It's about 5 minutes - so sit back, relax and enjoy.

What To Do With Decorator Fabric Samples

I love decorator's fabric samples. I have no idea why I do - but I do. People are kind & give them to me when they come across them & occasionally I unearth one at a second hand store. These sample packs can be small and colorful like the one in the photo- or large & flowery. The fabric can be removed from the case - though sometimes you need to remove a bit of gunky glue from the very top of the piece, but the fabrics are superior quality and very usable - but usable for what is always the question I face !

I often like to make small bags with them - and I use them for backings a lot in my smaller quilts. Today I was looking at the mess that has become my knitting needle storage & decided that I needed to "neaten" them up a bit. I used 3 pieces of a sample book for this case that will hold some of my double points and a few bamboo straights too. I will soon tackle the larger problem of my circular needle storage in the same way. These are fast to make and work quite well to make needle storage both tidier as well as more colorful!

Wishing You Joyful Holidays & The Most Creative New Year Ever !

Before the excitement of the "big day" sets in (anywhere in the world) I would like to take this opportunity to send you all wishes for holidays joys and blessings for a New Year that is filled with joy, health, creativity & prosperity .. and a bit of wonder too! As I began this blog last Spring, little did I know how much inspiration I would find in the pages of your blogs, nor did I suspect how much friendship and good will I would find in the kind notes & emails some of us have exchanged. Thank you all for helping to make 2007 a year of discovery & friendship.

Sunset On The Shortest Day

The photo shows how the sky looked at the close of the shortest day of the year. Today I am looking forward to three more minutes of light - well.... the light will be there somewhere I know - but maybe I won't be able to see it ! Friday was a fairly nice nice day with mild temperatures (if you call 38F (3.33C) mild) and glimpses of sun. This morning I woke up to pelting rain & strong winds. I think we have had about a half inch (1.27cm) of rain since last night. I feel sorry for the folks who are traveling for the holidays today but I suspect that skiers and snow boarders will be smiling broadly since there is lots of snow in the mountains for them! Happy weekend to you all - and to all of you in the land down under - enjoy your warmth !

Vintage Quilts At The LaConner Quilt Museum

The second floor at the LaConner Quilt Musem was dedication to a vintage quilt collection. Perfect for me - since vintage quilts are favorites for me. The fan quilt was truly wonderful. The fan blocks were only about 5 inches and the background was a wonderful 30's warm yellow. It was in excellent condition.

I thought that this Sunbonnet Sue was especially fun all in red. Lots of cute details.

This excellently crafted DWR was made in , I think, 1987 .... it shows amazing skill.

The star quilt below was truly spectacular - thought the lighting left a bit to be desired. I was grateful that photography was allowed at all. This masterpiece was made in 1840 - and it too is in great conditions - just a few age apots and some wear near the center of the star. These quilts were a treat !

Ravens in The Window.....

.....of the Anne Martin McCool Gallery in Anacortes, Washington that is. These fabulous creations are made by artist Teri Silva. Crows & ravens are some of my favorite birds. Despite their sometimes noisy behavior I am amazeed at their intelligence and determination. I would have dearly loved to have been able to get one of these birds - but I had to leave them on their perches - cool shoes, accessories and all. What wonderful, whimsical work !

The fellow above sported an anemone and a fine top knot - and look at those shoes !
This one's a feather head - and must be a saddle show afficianado !
Here we have ravens showing off their sandals and Texas red boots (complete with gold tips!)
This pithy looking fellow shows off his bunny slippers ..... and there was even more of these wonders in the gallery !

Go Hug A Tree

I have a thing for trees. My father was, I think, somewhat chagrined that his daughter had evolved into a "tree-hugger". For whatever reasons trees just enthrall me . This tree seems so large & comforting to me. It is old & stately & speaks to me of it's history - and therefore of our history too. It's one of the reasons that I am considering a "tree series". ..well - at least a series of maybe two or three. Go hug a tree today - you'll feel beter for it !

Trees Through The Forest : The Start of A New Quilt

Rather than make a bag yesterday, as I had originally planned to do, I decided to start the painting for a new whole cloth quilt. This will actually be the sort of prototype for a large piece that I have been thinking of doing for some time. I used Stewart Gill paints, and since this early photo was taken, have started to add some texture for the 'ground'. I hope I can get the logistics worked out - because I really want to do a large version of this if I can figure it all out and make it look like what's floating around in my head !

A New Bag

Yesterday I felt the need to make a new bag. My goal was to make a bag that was less time consuming than some of the others, but I wanted it to be large enough to contain sewing or knitting notions & it had to have a zipper. I wanted to have a good time - the "slow cloth" experience as recently discussed on Sharon B's blog. Oddly enough, although this one took just a bit less time than others - it came together easily and is one of my favorites to date. I may have to make another "slow bag" today !

Joan Colvin's Work at The LaConner Quilt Museum

Two friend's and I had a lovely relaxing day today. My friend, Janet, had been exhorting me to make it over to the mainland for the Joan Colvin exhibit at the LaConner Quilt Museum - and she graciously offered to drive (I LOVE it when someone else drives!). We stopped at one of favorite quilt stores to buy some of Judy Robertson's special hand dyed fabrics (a once a year opportunity at the shop) & next we went to a favorite yarn shop. Then on to the museum! Janet & I are museum members - and your membership entitles you to two guest passes - so our friend Mary was set. Joan Colvin's work was far more complex, lush, dimensional and rich that I had imagined from books I had seen. In fact, I purchased her book today and was surprised at how the photos in the book pale so significantly in comparison to the real richness & beauty of her work. Our quilt world has truly lost a significant talent whose work will be sorely missed.

Joan Colvin did lots of pieces depicting one of my favorite birds - crows. Her work encompasses so much more that just fabric ... she utilized a wealth of rich, sumptuous fabrics of all kinds - silks, flannels, velvets, lames .. all found perfect placement in her quilts. She used a rich embellishment palette as well - paint and shimmer - so beautiful. I don't think anyone represented salmon any better - her salmon pieces just shiver with shimmer. I could not pick a favorite if I were asked to .... but the crows - maybe. If anyone lives in the area I suggest that you try your best to get to this exhibit before it's over on December 30th. It is WELL worth a drive. Most of the exhibited pieces are privately owned - and may never be shown again in a public venue. The museum is also a great place to make a holiday contribution -they really need our support to keep the museum growing . It's a rare and appreciated resource for all of us who love quilts and quilting!

The second floor of the museum had a wonderful collection of vintage (lots of 30's and some from mid 19th century) quilts on display. I have a real weakness for vintage quilts - especially 30's - so I'll save the second floor for another day.

Miniature Quilt- An Oldie But Goodie

This is a tiny miniature quilt I made s few years ago. I wanted a hand project at the time and I want to learn English paper piecing - and this was how I did it. I used some 1.5" squares I had been hanging onto for some unknown reason. It's hand pieced and hand quilted - and looks pretty on top of a dresser.

Fabric Bowls

Remember the big craze for making fabric bowls a year or so ago? Well this was the first one I made. It's on a Timtex base and I used some batiks that I over-dyed to get the colors I wanted.
It worked well to hold the rose petals that I picked - all my favorite yellow and white rose varieties. I got side tracked from these fabric bowls when I learned to make coiled fabric bowls. They are just so darn versatile - AND washable!. I have fun making these and also I enjoy beading the rims. The bowl bowl was coiled using plain muslin and then I used Procion dye on it when it was all wrapped. I wanted something that look sun bleached and soft. I have found these coiled bowls to be VERY useful in the kitchen...and for storing apples and other fruits in the frig. There are two good books out on making them. The first one I got is by Helen Deighan called "Coiled Pots & Baskets" and the second is by Susan Brier called "It's A Wrap". Both books are available through Amazon - or order them from your local indpendant bookseller! Beware though - you can't make just one !