A Bit of Painting

The muse called me into the room where my paints are stationed.  I had been working on a painting that just doesn't want to play right now.  So I took it off the table and set it aside.  I found another partially done painting that I was never happy with and just started playing on it.  I decided to use cool colors - blues and greens - to cover all the corners.  That got the muse in gear and I painted for a while longer adding bits and pieces,  brush strokes and line-work.  

This is where it is at the moment. 

At this point, I am feeling happy about this odd little abstract painting.  For some reason I get a "beach" feeling from it.  With the cold weather we have been having, the beach seems very appealing. I must say that the painting looks better in person than the photo. For some reason, the camera causes the colors to lose some of the depth - making them a bit muddy in the photo. 

I don't know if I will leave it like this or add more paint. For now, it is "resting" at this stage. 

The quilt is still going along slowly.  I have layered another section and have begun quilting it.   I didn't take any photos. I am waiting for a "pretty" day to take photos of the quilting.  

Until Next Time,  

Stay Creative 

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in comments will result in the entire comment being deleted.

Quilting a Section

Now that all of the sections are sewn, I finally got back to the quilting.  On Friday, I layered and basted the third section of the quilt and started quilting it.  I started in a solid block that is hand painted fabric. 

I quilted my version of "square flower" on it. Since I started off center, one side has an extra petal.  In the overall scheme of the quilt, it will not be obvious. 

Then I did a quirky pattern on a pieced block.

I think I am calling this one "feather flower."  I started with a circle in the center and then added a modified feather going around it until the block was filled. 

I also did another solid block with random quilting designs - I made it up as I went along.

I did another block with just meandering, but I didn't take a photo of it.  I also did all of the sashing/border areas.  That means that this section is more than half finished. 

But UPS came with my late "combination birthday/Christmas" present to myself.  I spent the rest of the evening playing with it and just being very happy. 

This is an Evoharp - an autoharp designed by Evo Bluestein.  I chose a diatonic that plays in the keys of "F" and "C."  Yes, that limits what you can play, but the advantages are greater volume and a nicer sound.  I  really love it. 

Until Next Time,  

Stay Creative 

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in comments will result in the entire comment being deleted.

Preserving Food - Kimchi

One of my "other hobbies" is preserving food and if possible making it taste better.   I love cabbage anyway, but when it is made into sauerkraut or kimchi, I love it more. Plus, I get those lovely probiotics that come from fermented foods.  

I will say that I have never met anyone who was indifferent to kimchi. It is usually love it or hate it. Many years ago, my brother-in-law was stationed in Korea.  My sister went to visit him there. She stayed a while and lived and worked there. Of course she learned about the culture and the foods.  When she told me about kimchi, I said "YUCK."  To be fair, she told me that they "bury it in ground and let it rot." 

Forward many years, but still a few years back.  A friend took me out to eat.  He said, "Let's go to the Korean cafe. I am sure you will enjoy something on the food bar."  By this time I had become adventurous in my food choices, so I said "Okay."   One of the things I tried was kimchi - I don't remember if  I knew what it was when I put it on my plate, but I do remember that I went back for more at least twice on that visit. 

Then a few more years passed.  I saw a recipe to make kimchi on the internet.  I searched out some ingredients and made a small batch.  I have used different recipes but I have been making it since then.  

A couple of days ago, I made two quarts.  Today, I made two more.  They are sitting in my laundry area,  where it is dark, to ferment.  

I keep an old beach towel over them to help keep them warmer. And they sit in an old baking pan in case they get "active" in fermentation and run over - it can happen. 

For these batches, I used the "Emergency Kimchi" recipe.   I have learned a lot about Korean cooking from this site. She has many kimchi recipes.  One of them uses chayote - a type of squash common in Mexico.  I made a batch of it some time back and realized that I could use chayote to replace the Korean Radish or Daikon Radish in kimchi.  So these two batches have chayote in them.  I have made it this way once before and I know that it is good.  I get the chayote from a local Mexican market.  I also substituted yellow onion - chopped nicely - for the green onion.  And I added a couple of good dashes of Oyster Sauce also.
This kimchi is delicious eaten by itself. But I also love dropping in a nice portion in a bowl of ramen noodles (with most of the high sodium seasoning left out.) The kimchi flavors it wonderfully.  I also enjoy eating it with rice.  But possibly the most surprising way I like it is with pinto beans and cornbread.  Does that make me a practitioner of Fusion Cuisine?

Until Next Time,  

Stay Creative 

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in comments will result in the entire comment being deleted.

Quilt Update

I have been a bit quiet on this blog because I allowed myself a bit of a holiday from quilting. I am still planning to "go slow" on the rest of making this quilt.  But I made a leap Saturday night. 

All of the pieces are now sewn into the larger sections that will be quilted.  

Here is a peek at it placed on the bed in the configuration I am planning for it. 

There are two pieces of hand dyed fabric that I pieced into the last sections that I just love. 

Those are prettier in person than they appear here.  I can hardly wait to quilt on those luscious colors.  I will be fun to decide how I will quilt those squares.  

I am also working more on my music lately.  I am doing a lot of trial and error learning on the autoharp.  That is taking a lot of my time.  So far, I can only use it to accompany singing.  But I know that others use it for playing actual melody.  Eventually, I hope to be able to do that also. 

Until Next Time,  

Stay Creative 

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in comments will result in the entire comment being deleted.