Back to Real Life - One Block and 5 Qts

Finally my "make it" mojo has kicked back in.  After rehearsing and performing for so long, I needed a nice rest.  
Yesterday I started it....but let's go backwards.  Today I had a thought of how I want to use the Color Daze batiks and the Nocturne "turnover" fabric that I won from Moda.  Amazingly simple, but also nicely effective.  I made one block:

I haven't trimmed the block yet but it will be square - ish.  LOL.  I am not one to worry about perfection. I love the beauty of imperfection in handmade items like quilts and weaving.

Now, back to yesterday:  I had two heads of cabbage and some daikon radishes in the refrigerator. These were bought with a plan: Making Kimchi.  So, that is what I did. Here are five lovely quarts of kimchi. Four of them are cabbage (just plain old cabbage - not Napa) and one is all daikon radish. There is another partial quart of the radish version in the refrigerator...but I had to eat some of it yesterday.

This batch fermented nicely.  When I pushed it down in the jars after fermenting there were lots of lovely bubbles of the fermentation gases.  It is all now safely ensconced in the fridge.  That is the issue if you want to limit the fermentation. You must refrigerate it to slow down the process. 

Mmm.. I can hardly wait to put some of this over some rice.

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The End of the Run (photo heavy)

As many of you know, if you have been keeping up with me,  I was in a musical with the local theatre company.  The show was Cole Porter's hilarious romp Anything Goes.  I was in the Ensemble cast as a passenger on the ship.  I got to sing onstage in a real production for the first time ever.  I loved it.  Here are some pictures with various cast members.

The full cast singing "Bon Voyage" 

One of the "Angels" and Chris aka Elisha Whitney

Georgia aka Evangeline Harcourt and "Billy Crocker" 

Yes the sun was in my eyes and they are closed (oops.)
Ellen played both "the reporter" and a passenger on the ship.
She is a real darling.

My friend and once upon a time my duet partner.
I love working with this lady. She played one of the "angels."

Goofing off backstage

Lord Evelyn Oakleigh and the Debutante Hope Harcourt

Reno and Erma  

The Fabulous Kelli  as Reno Sweeney- the Sensuous Sermonizer
I rolled her hair for every performance. She is one of the
sweetest ladies I have ever worked with. 

During the Sailor's song "Lady Fair"  I danced with the lady in the wheelchair.

Some of the "guys" backstage. 

The Ship's Purser - He was so funny. What a great guy.

My "drinking buddy" for the song Public Enemy Number One

The end of a run is bittersweet.  I will miss seeing these folks (and the rest of the cast and crew) many times a week.  However, I will have time to get back into my creative "making stuff" groove; and that is sweet. While there are no upcoming shows that I see myself auditioning for, I may help backstage or with concessions occasionally.


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A Little Fantasy

I visited a blog for a publishing company where the blog posts are by the writers. One post talked about road trips.  The final paragraph asked about a favorite road trip - or a fantasy road trip with unlimited resources.   Of course, I went for the fantasy.  But I did use a bit of my personal history in the making of it.
Many years ago, I went on a fantasy trip - all alone - to England. I flew into Heathrow and took the train/subway right into London.  There I got off at the Lancaster Gate stop and walked to my hotel. (Yes, I had too much luggage - but I was young and foolish) A friend's brother had found the hotel for me and met me there. We went to eat with a couple from ???Germany??? Truthfully I don't remember  - I was very jetlagged.  That meal was my first time eating mussels. Mmmm.  Yes travel does broaden you - sometimes in more than one way. Ha ha.
After a week in London, I took the train south to Shaftesbury where the friend's brother was teaching at a church school- he is a priest. As school was out for a week, he took me around the countryside and showed me some sights I would never have seen.  On one of these excursions we went to Durdle Door.

This is in Dorset on the southern shore.  I borrowed this photo as all of mine are in albums- it was film camera back in those days.  I don't think I got a good picture of this anyway.  The rocks, from the Jurassic era (according to Wikipedia) were amazing.

Do you ever go on imaginary trips?  Do you take flights of fancy? Do you have a bucket list?  While this is one trip that I have marked off my bucket list - I would go again in a heartbeat.


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Quilt Angels Update

If you didn't see yesterday's post, it is here.   Please be aware that if you are a no-reply blogger I can't email you unless you leave your email address.  You can email me as stated in yesterday's post.
For the remainder of this week and next week, I am in a musical production and may not reply as quickly as usual to emails - but I will reply.
And speaking of the show, here is a photo of a few of us backstage for opening night. I am wearing the blue ascot that I made for this show.

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger" - I can not reply.

Angels Can Change Lives

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. Psalms 91:11

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (Hebrews 13:2)

The season of Fall is upon us. Suddenly we are thinking about cooler weather.  (I am hoping for it to be cooler soon!)  This also makes me very aware that it is time once again to kick the Quilt Angels project into gear for this year.  Truthfully, I am late.  Mea culpa.

What is the Quilt Angels project?
Quilt Angels is a project that started in 2011.  The original plan was to do this one time. A Higher Power had better plans and this has become a yearly project.  Basically the project gathers quilts generously given for youth that are in a shelter situation. The shelter that we support is named Ogden House and is in Guntersville, Alabama.  The young people in this shelter  are not "juvenile delinquents" or "bad" kids.  These are youth 12 to 17 who at risk or for some reason can not be safe in their home situation.  This may be due to abuse, bad environment or some other reason.  They come from all areas of the socio-economic spectrum. They all have one need that you can help fill. They need to know that they are loved. It is truly amazing to see and hear them when they receive these quilts.  The quilt each one receives tells them that someone loved them enough to put time and work into showing that love.  I have heard amazement when one looks at a label on the quilt that says it came from Texas or California or Virginia or wherever.  For some this is the first time unconditional love for them has been made tangible.

We do ask that the quilt be at least 45" by 60" so that they can be used by the largest youngster that is there. We also ask that, if possible, you make it gender neutral. Bed sized quilts are excellent and are much appreciated as they will be loved and used for years. They will be a tangible reminder that "Someone loves you!"
It is preferred that you put a label on the quilt. Whether or not you put your name is your choice. But, a label with your state and a short statement such as "made with love just for you" or "From someone who loves you" etc will add so much value to these quilts in the eyes of the recipients. Machine binding is perfectly acceptable. Completed with love is far more important than perfection.

If you would like to help, you can comment on this post or email me by clicking here.  Please put "Quilt Angels" in the subject line.

Thanks to Linda for asking - the deadline for delivery this year is December 17, 2015.  We would like for the quilts to be to us by that date.  Quilts arriving later will be delivered to the shelter also, but will not be part of the main delivery.  When you comment or email me that you have a quilt for the project, I will reply with the shipping address for the quilts.

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger" - I can not reply.

A little Weaving

The last weekend in August I headed to North Georgia - Toccoa to be precise- for a weaving retreat. I had made a warp and put it on my loom just for the event.

As you can see it is mostly black and white with just a pop of color. 

I didn't finish it at the retreat, but I finished it this week and it is now wet finished also. 

Here is a photo of it hanging on the deck railing at a friend's house. 

It now has lots of color and is a lovely piece of cloth. 

I then added a narrow "scarf warp" to my loom and did a very "airy weave" to make these scarves. 

Even though these were made using the same warp, the threads used for the weaving were different.  As you can see, they are quiet different.  Other than that, I have been working on learning the music and my cues for the musical 'Anything Goes" which I am in.  It starts this week.  Yikes!  A few more rehearsals and we go live for a paying audience. 

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger" - I can not reply.