Herbert Hoover

Herbert gets a bit of sewing trim that makes him adorable (and allows us to check off the "create a portrait of your president" part of an assignment). We would've loved to have kept decorating the poor man but worksheets, a written report and an oral report were calling.

Sewing fabric over the plate was easy for Sarah and when we're done with our homework, we'd like to return to other creations fashioned this way. I hope to turn her loose with scraps and a stack of plates. And lots of time to play.

Stitching One's Life

A very interesting idea indeed.

Josefina Day

Today we attended Josefina Day at the Eiteljorg Museum, the Native American museum in Indianapolis. While the Josefina events were geared toward tweens toting their American Girl dolls, we found there was something for each of us.

Sarah chose Kit to go with us.

Sarah tried her hand at metal tooling...

and grinding corn with a mortar and pestle.

There was Mexican folkloric dancing.

The boys had some time together.

Both kids took in the history, including this wigwam.

My favorite single item was this fiber piece by contemporary artist Marie K. Watt.

I also couldn't get enough of the color, beading and embroidery shown in the clothing pieces (some details shown above).

Headband and Messenger Bag

The Bernina's been exercised lately. This tutorial was easy to follow for Sarah's headband. We have more in the works.

And, I finally put something in the etsy shop. It's a take on my longtime favorite patchwork bag, sized slightly larger so it can hold more (and function as a messenger bag). The patchwork and decorative topstitching are time-consuming and I'm hoping someone likes it (soon) as much as I do. Like the headband, I was able to use scrap fabric I had on hand which was a fun part of the creative process.

Loving Snow

No matter that more snow got stomped back onto the shoveled driveway or that the wind made little cherries of our cheeks. There was much brightness to be had by all.

Cirque du Squirrel

[This photo courtesy of my husband who has taken up bird squirrel watching this winter.]

Christmas Spirit

The new year began today but I'm still hanging onto Christmas. We've been home as a family, having some much-needed time together. I'm reluctant to step back into the windy stream of living. For me, the slow place with family has been the real gift of the season.

We've had time for play...

and more play...
laughter...
baking...
and sweet treats...

(for all, of course...)
reading together...

and gifts of color and light. Peace on earth.

Life

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." – John Lennon

Singing

How Can I Keep from Singing (Bruce Springsteen/Pete Seeger variation)

My life flows on in endless song
Above earth's lamentation.
I hear the real, thought far off hymn
That hails the new creation
Above the tumult and the strife,
I hear the music ringing;
It sounds an echo in my soul
How can I keep from singing?

What through the tempest loudly roars,
I hear the truth, it liveth.
What through the darkness round me close,
Songs in the night it giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that rock I'm clinging.
Since love is lord of Heaven and earth
How can I keep from singing?

When tyrants tremble, sick with fear,
And hear their death-knell ringing,
When friends rejoice both far and near,
How can I keep from singing?
In prison cell and dungeon vile
Our thoughts to them are winging.
When friends by shame are undefiled,
How can I keep from singing?

Table Runner

Sometimes the hardest part of a project is not...being...able...to...talk...about...it. I'm glad this reached my friend for her birthday today.

[I like this composite image, made from 2 photos, even though it distorts the rectangular shape of the runner.]

Crescent Rolls

Originally I intended only to email this photo to E who is on a business trip and missing homemade cooking (sorry, Love). But this recipe is too good not to share.

Today I am making rolls for Thanksgiving. The last time E and I hosted Thanksgiving was 9 years ago - there were only six of us but I ate like it was the end of the world as I was 40 weeks pregnant and couldn't have cared less about an extra pound or two. [it really was the end of the world, as I knew it, anyway.]

Cooking for 16 this year will be a learning experience and I'm determined to make it easy. While I'm a bit nervous about the turkey, I can bake bread in my sleep and I'm happy to have an excuse to make my long-time favorite roll recipe. These can be made small or large. They are perfect with jam or sliced for sandwiches.

Basic Yeast Dough / Crescent Rolls (adapted from Southern Living)

Ingredients
1 package yeast, active dry
1 cup water warm (105-115 degrees)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 each egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3+ cups flour, all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add sugar, shortening, egg, salt, and half of flour; beat at low speed of an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Place dough in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk, or cover and refrigerate up to 5 days. [note: my experience is that refrigeration is best. The dough is less sticky and dividing the task keeps it from taking most of your day]

(If refrigerated, let return to room temperature before proceeding.)

Punch dough down; turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 4 or 5 times. Divide dough into two balls. Roll each to a 12-inch diameter circle, rub with softened butter, cut into 12 wedges, and roll each tightly, sealing points underneath each roll. Cover and let rise until doubled. Then bake for 375 degrees for 12 minutes.

Try not to eat immediately but wrap well and freeze until Thanksgiving.

[I took this picture of Sam at the same time as the rolls...is it just me or doesn't he look like a roll himself?]

St. Theresa's Textile Trove

I received a sad email just now - St. Theresa's Textile Trove is closing. I've written before about what a treasure the store is - funky fabric, Japanese fabric, African fabric, Balinese fabric, Aboriginal fabric, batiks. And then there are buttons. And beads, feathers, bones and anything else you might want to sew with.

I first read about the Trove in Kaye England's book, Quilt Inspirations from Africa. Although their fabric is available online, I read about how folks drove an entire day as a sort of pilgrimage to the store. They said there was no place like it. So on a cold February day I played hooky, packed up the kids, and we drove to Cincinnati. After browsing like mad, we ate lunch in a smokey bar adjacent to the store. I couldn't care less - I had amazing fabric for a new quilt. The quilt for my Japanese quilt also came from there.

The fabric stores of my childhood are gone. I am sorry to see St. Theresa's go as I can think of no other resource nationally in its niche. St. T's is not crafty or cute. It is an art quilter's paradise and I need to think about fitting in a trip soon.

If you are interested, here is the hours and sale information offered in the email:

Now through Nov 14: 30% off

Nov 17 - Dec 15: 40% off
Dec 16 - Dec 23 (closed Dec 24 and 25): 50% off
Dec 26- Jan 31 (closed Dec 31 and Jan 1): 60% off

Now that the days are getting darker earlier, our new (and final) store hours will be 11am-5pm, Tuesday-Saturday, effective Tuesday, November 3. We will still be closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Sewing a Book Cover

I've been feeding the sewing muse lately. Reading the new Stitch magazine. Playing with shapes (like the enlarged garden patch coasters below). Proceeding to sandwich my Japanese quilt. Staring sessions with my Butler brown-blue squares and then sewing them into different configurations (will they make a quilt? a table runner? a bag?). I want to learn more about free motion, adding dimension to items, and dyeing my own fabric. Some weeks I'm pressed for time and just want to feel fabric in my fingers. And it's true--the stash starts talking to you if you leave it alone for too long.

Last night my play turned into something. I started out making a birthday card and ended up with a book cover (I'm sure the recipient will be much happier!). It was so easy that I did it without a pattern or instructions. It took under an hour which is a happy thing for quick-gratification-loving me.

Here's how:

1. Take a blank book and lay it flat over a piece of fabric. I used a piece I had previously quilted. Cut fabric around book adding a 3/4 inch margin. This is for the book cover.

[here's the front of my quilted fabric cover]

2. Cut another piece of fabric at the same size. This is for the lining.

3. Cut two pieces for the flaps. They should be the same height as the cover and lining. Fold each over so they're two-ply. See how they look when placed.

4. Make a sandwich: first the cover, then the two flaps (folded in half so the right side of the fabric shows), and then the lining. Right sides together for the cover and lining.

5. Sew all around it, leaving a 4-inch opening. I used a quarter-inch stitch.

6. Remove pins and pull right sides out. Poke out corners.

7. Top stitch, catching the open part. I also zig-zagged the perimeter to match the free-motion, sketchy stitching I did on the quilted cover.

8. Ta-da. It's done. Doing this makes me think of other applications–maybe a checkbook cover, billfold or photo album.

Small Thing of the Day

Foodies and Fabric

I generally don't watch tv but I've gotten hooked on two tv programs that I tape and watch during lunch. One is Diary of a Foodie (I'm crossing my fingers and hoping the now-defunct Gourmet doesn't ax the show). It is produced extremely well. Each episode is a sensory delight showcasing travel, people, ideas and techniques. My leftovers pale in comparison to whatever they're showing but then, I'm generally so absorbed in the show I'm hardly aware of what I'm eating. All episodes can be downloaded for free online. This grilled cheese recipe was amazing. Seeing Ruth Reichl is also fun since I loved her three memoirs.

The other show is Quilting Arts TV. I've purchased the magazine a few times but really dig the show. Each episode is equal parts inspiration and technique, showing me how to apply often-innovative methods step-by-step. Apparently individuals can create a login and view episodes online but QA seems to have issues with their site (there's a lot of resources online but they're hard to find and the login doesn't seem to work). Anyhow, the show is great and it would be appealing to both artists and crafters. The episode I watched today featured Jamie Fingal's "Heavy Metal Aprons" and Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's scrappy, quilted scarves (omg, look at this.)

After watching either show, it's no wonder I have a hard time jumping back into work. I do need to fit in some sewing time--I've been dreaming at night about fabric stores.

Readings...

Currently Reading:

Housekeeping (Marilynn Robinson)

The Informant (Kurt Eichenwald)

[both are engrossing and hard to put down so you can imagine I'm not getting much done...]

Read Recently:

Black Boy (Richard Wright)

Wise Blood (Flannery O'Connor)

Franny and Zooey (J.D. Salinger)

The Sparrow (Mary Doria Russell)

[Housekeeping and the Wright, Salinger and Flannery O'Connor are on the reading list for a Open Yale course which is FREE online...I am making my way through the sessions slowly but surely]

Different Hotel ZeeZoy

Summer has quickly slipped away and my little boy seems to be, too. He's growing taller. His face is fuller. He tells me things like, "I want to do this by myself and that means you go away." Before it's too late, I want to remember who he is in this time.

Favorite words and phrases:

Grown-uppy - acting like or being a grownup; as in "I will be a fireman when I am grownuppy."

Boobay - a word expressing 4-year-old frustration; as in "You are a boobay and I will not clean my room."

Beet-an-boss - unknown meaning and can substitute for several words (it is fun to say)

Favorite imaginary - second favorite; as in "My favorite color is red. My imaginary favorite color is blue."

When I am a fireman - during the summer Matt told us dozens of times each day what life will be like when he grows up and becomes a fireman. They were generally glorious, wonderful things. He also wanted to make sure I would bring food to the firehouse and we played a game called "Mom, please tell me what food you'll bring me when I am a fireman." Mac and cheese was first in the list.

Favorite friends:

Donny - Donny joined our family in the spring; Matt said he is 5. His father is a postman. So we've learned.

DeeDoy - DeeDoy arrived this summer. Once Matt said in the car, "Look! DeeDoy is out the window!" We all looked.

ZeeZoy - ZeeZoy, or "Different Hotel ZeeZoy," showed up at the hotel we stayed in during the canoe race. They apparently met by the garage elevator.

The Son - Matt calls his favorite stuffed animal his "son." His son is a green mouse with a purple anorak and striped shorts.

Favorite book:

Monkey with a Tool Belt - Judging from the library's copy, this is one popular book. Matt told his teacher he was wearing a tool belt, just like Chico Bon Bon, the monkey.

A Happy Birthday

That it will never come again is what makes life so
sweet. - Emily Dickinson

I awoke to find a ruptured water header but no mind, it was still a lovely day. E stayed home with the plumber, making a cake, while I biked 36 miles under a cool October sky. Tuna melt and homemade potato soup for lunch and then curling up with a novel (before a nap). No work. No computer. No kids. And two large pieces of yummy carrot cake.

Hawk

Just as Sarah and I were about to sit down for lunch today, we saw a hawk with the same idea. He was on the swing set, 60 feet from the kitchen window. E's good lens allowed us to not only capture the moment but see his magnificent body in more detail. If you click the image, you'll view a 1000-pixel version.

King Tut and the Honey Farm

©2009 - Sandro Vannini (photo courtesy of National Geographic)

Now Matt is out of diapers, the choices for weekend fun seem endless. In the last 4 weeks we've visited: Eagle Creek Park for canoeing, a street art fair, an unusually cool farmer's market and the circus. On Friday night Sarah and I attended the celebrated King Tut exhibit (much thanks for the tickets, Stacy!). On Saturday, the kids and I took in a fall festival at a local honey farm.

Tut was more interesting than I expected. I'm not a huge Egyptian history buff but seeing the artifacts in person was dramatic. The gold and inlaid artistry was amazingly beautiful. What I appreciated most about the exhibit was how simple it was organized. It was easy to read all boards and the information was both fascinating to me, as an adult, and attainable by Sarah (age 8). While I loved the hands-on opportunity to educate Sarah about the ancient culture, she seemed most absorbed in the "spooky" aspect. Recipients of a special pass, we viewed the exhibit after the museum closed. This was very exciting to a child who's seen Night at the Museum too many times. However, she didn't seem disappointed that a mummy didn't chase us back to the parking lot.

Getting to Hunter's Honey Farm was half the fun. The trees were starting to turn and we saw a lot of them––we essentially had an hour's worth of back, snaky, hilly country roads to reach the Farm's annual Festival. It was worth it though. The farm owner (a teacher/beekeeper who is the son of a teacher/beekeeper who was the son of a teacher/beekeeper) first gave us a very informative demonstration of the hive. The 30-minute bottling tour was also fascinating. We saw honey removed from the hive, clarified, and packed for distribution. I often bake with honey and was disappointed to learn that baking depletes all nutritional benefits BUT I learned about additional by-products like pollen and tincture which we may try some time. [Pollen has 96 nutrients and is the most "perfect" food; it has more antioxidants than any other food.]

At the Honey Farm, Sarah and I remarked how different the Tut trip was from the trip to rural Martinsville. What a funny coincidence though––5 minutes after we said this, the Honey Farm tour guide said, "Anyone heard of King Tut?" He proceeded to tell us how honey never spoils and how archaeologists discovered edible honey in his tomb. Go figure.