Today since handsome Son is visiting I probably won't get to see Textiles and Tea.
So I thought, before February's gone, I'd do a salute to a wonderful quilter, historian, writer, teacher , retired aerospace engineer, yes, that's the field she got her doctorate in, African American woman.
This is all on YouTube. Go there. She's brilliant.
Meanwhile in a humbler context, I found myself in mid-winnow doing what you'd expect when a lover of fiber finds roving she'd forgotten, which goes nicely with the new sari silk roving
On the spindle is the new sari silk, spun.
And today's winnowing is yet to happen but it's decided on.
Meanwhile, the Together cookbook is in action. Page 77, Baked fish with tahini and pomegranate.
As usual, substitutions happened. Tilapia was the only available fish, and no tahini in the house. I don't like tahini, some sweet edge to it. (I pretended not to see the pomegranate seeds, but they're just a garnish.)
I also don't like peanut butter, but it's okay as a substitute for tahini in my hummus.
So i figured why not here, too. And I have no pine nuts, but since they're just about a bit of crunch, the peanut butter being crunchy, that worked. I did have actual parsley, you'll be glad to know I didn't sub hairy bittercress, though it's growing and I could.
The book has started acquiring notes
And here's the theater of cooking
This makes two meals and a whole fillet leftover for kedgeree or fishcakes or something.
And the sauce -- whoa Nelly, was that good. I ended up spooning a bit over the broccoli, too. Definitely making that again. Good over salmon, I'd guess, and green vegetables.
So, all fed and ready, I got to work on the artwork head. What looked like a mask yesterday is in fact the face, and it will be attached to a head as soon as I build one.
I woke this morning wondering how to do it. I don't have paper suitable to make a head shape, never get newspapers, recycled all the packing paper, what to do.. then I remembered messing about in the roving, noting some not good for spinning, could use that.
Then another thought smote me -- duh, batting. Lightweight, could work. I have the stuffing insides of a sofa cushion which collapsed years ago, to use. But how to make it hold up as I build..yet another thought, use tissue box found in recent winnowing. Yes!
Plenty of thoughts, so I've started.
Getting there. Tomorrow I'll figure out the next bit and maybe adjust and paint the face. The head will need some sort of armature, as will the rest of the figure. We'll get to that.
Meanwhile happy day everyone, keep having thoughts, they're useful.
Photo AC
I have thoughts, I don't know how useful they are! Those are some mighty fine quilts. Wow. Using batting lends a whole new meaning to being batty in the head.
ReplyDeleteAren't the quilts amazing? Her own reflect the history of the African American struggle.
DeleteJunk mail, plastic bags, foil, cardboard, even old rags can stuff an armature. You have a good start there.
ReplyDeleteAn armature is a support structure -- sculpture wire, piping, that kind of thing. I'm thinking I may need pvc piping, which I have. The rest of the figure is probably going to be hollow, but we'll see. I just had a great new idea for the head, too.
DeleteLove how you use up all your odds and ends to get creative.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately durning out very long covid lockdowns I used up all my scraps.
I’m now in the process of producing more lol
Will the head eventually have a body?
A body is in the planning, yes.
DeleteI love how your brain seems to work on problems and then deliver answers when you need them. Sometimes this happens to me too, and it is always such a treat.
ReplyDeleteI would love to meet Ms. Mazloomi but I think I would be intimidated as hell. What an amazing woman!
I think she's so nice that despite her stellar credentials, she'd be okay to talk to.
DeleteThe brilliant side effects of winnowing. Finding the equivalent of that roving would be a joyful interlude here (some forgotten fabric remnants would do it for F). We are interested to see how this head develops. Xxx Mr T and F
ReplyDeleteI'll be interested to see what's next, too! About fabric: there's a happy taker for the fabric I offered on free cycle.
Deleteyou are very talented, can't wait to see the next process. Love fish, may make that for Wednesday's supper, you've given me a great idea.
ReplyDeleteThe fish was very good, the sauce, too. Thanks for the nice words about the artwork.
DeleteI love how your mind works. You mentioned that this is something you have been thinking about for a while. Can you remember what prompted it?
ReplyDeleteThe fish looks delicious.
Yes, about forty years ago I saw some wonderful life-size human figures in soft sculpture, and have fancied something life-sized ever since. But I can't physically handle soft sculpture that big, so I've been thinking what other way I might manage it. Took a while find materials and methods that might work.
DeleteI was thinking, this winnowing is making spaces to save future winnowing!
ReplyDeleteAt this point, with collecting materials for the art, winnowing and acquisition seem to be in a tussle.
DeleteYou are so efficient and creative.
ReplyDeleteSounds contradictory!
DeleteDr Carolyn Mazloomi is a woman of tremendous accomplishments!
ReplyDeleteyou made so many substitutions that I don't think you made that recipe at all! I never buy pine nuts because they are so expensive but one of the deliveries we got at SHARE from the regional food bank was a few small containers of pine nuts. I figured the residents that come to us for food would not know what they are or what to use them for and would not go without if I took them home so I did.
ReplyDeleteI did, too, make that recipe! Baked fish fillets in a tangy sauce. With new ideas, recipes only being a suggestion. To me, anyway!
DeleteYou are a brave cook, something I could never hope to aspire to. I follow recipes to the letter although I feel most everything benefits from more garlic than is called for.
ReplyDeleteThe face is evolving into a head - hmmm. I, too, am curious to know what the step step in the process will entail.
I don't know clearly myself yet. I do know the questions, though. Just not the answers. Yet.
DeleteThis is so fun to watch! Your creativity is spectacular.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for introducing us to Dr. Mazloomi - yet another notable figure I'd never heard of. About to disappear down that rabbit hole. Speaking of which, as I'm a day behind - white rabbits! (And white it was, here, waking up to 4" of snow on our previously bare ground). Yay March!
Chris from Boise
Isn't she wonderful? I'm so glad I found out about her. Blazingly talented, also, from the sound of her presentation, a nice woman.
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