Painting returns, climate concerns, and food ahoy!

 I've been following Marion's World on YouTube, repeatedly being reminded of all kinds of good ideas.

She's a brilliant stitcher, and uses painting when it serves her work. So I've been thinking about this, remembering my box of watercolor crayons, and realized this is the next stage of the page.

Just a chron series of stages I thought you might like to see 

The setup, after I finally located my brushes.

Here I've protected the previous two pages with a plastic bag 

And started to stroke in dashes of color among the stitching. I picked up color directly off the crayon with a wet brush, tested it on the spare bit of matching muslin, then plunged in 

This is close to complete. I probably will set a few stitches in that mountain image top left 

Then, while I had the crayons out, I painted a couple of pieces of fabric for future use, maybe as patches or applique material. At the bottom you see where the brush, nearly dry, creates lovely flying white, a technique from Asian art, and a favorite.

So that was a nice return to paint, but working with my current fabric project instead of a separate item on paper. It's that time of year when I always long to paint.

And I did return to put in a few finishing stitches.

Done. On to page four when I decide what it's about.

Speaking of water, there are new ominous maps of the parts of this state which may shortly vanish into the ocean. I'm about an hour's drive from the shore, but in a flood prone area 

I live in that pale section near Trenton, in the center of the state, and checked our local 

Elevation above current sea level. Hm. Okay. Maybe. 

There's always food. Here's the lastofthefish sandwich, wholegrain bread, with ta da! pickled red onions, a bit early, they need a few days.

And whoa is it good. Crunchy but not bitey sharp, really fine with a sandwich that needed a bit of livening up.

While I had lunch I was reading this 

I've been waiting months but it's here and worth the wait. Just started.

Also I've been thinking about ice cream, as you do, haven't had any for ages, prices just too much, I won't. Then I wondered about creating a blueberry frozen dessert from my yogurt, honey and whole milk powder.

Just a trial size, you see the container, not much yogurt left after I reserved some for the starter of the next batch. Couple of hours in the freezer, stir occasionally, and I must remember this.

This is definitely worth doing early in the day for a frozen dessert later. You could use cream, but I found the whole milk powder just fine.

Happy day everyone. Happy mother's day if it applies and you like it. I'll be visiting a local sick friend,  bringing this card I made for her.

New taste adventure, wallhanging shaping up

I'd ordered a dried red pepper new to me, and it arrived yesterday. Dramatic unboxing follows, complete with official first grinding, in the pepper grinder.

It's hot, but like nutmeg, too. This will be great in soup or shakshuka or spag sauce, and I'll include it in my next batch of berbere.  It now has a place on my salt and pepper shelf.

The wall hanging is shaping up, almost done with the applique blocks. 

I need to think about the final stage.

Happy day everyone, try new things, you never know!

Meanwhile, little painting, 4" h×6.5"w, sedum by sidewalk after rain.

Groups again, stitching, painting, fraternal twins

The gloves are coming along, and the color-changing yarn changed color between gloves, knitting along to Atomic Shrimp on YouTube, great channel 

So I think this pair will be fraternal twins. With any luck the blue section will show up before the second one is done. I'm just a helpless prawn of fate here.

I put together the makings of the next section of applique

After this, two more, then I organize the overlay. That's to look forward to. Now I'm deciding on what stitches to use here and what colors.

Meanwhile, I did a three minute small study of flowers, from life.

A while back I posted daily paintings, all rapid studies and fun to do, a kind of here goes nothing approach. Maybe that will happen again. I really recommend it. As a commenter yesterday said, with watercolor there's no second chance. Not with one painting, true. The second chance is the next painting!  

About library groups and activities, several people have noted that their local library doesn't do classes and activities. Neither did the two I use before they were encouraged! I pushed and asked and supported and assisted many programs into existence. 

What libraries often need, and their governing boards require, is evidence that there's enough interest to warrant the staff time and attention. If they never hear from you, they may never try it, though they might love the concept.

I do know some very small town libraries struggle even to keep the doors open, and I'm not criticizing. But if we value them, they, especially now, need our support and encouragement. 

You may show up week after week with no takers. Our currently wildly successful and friendly knitting group started out that way. Just the library lady and me, chatting and working on our projects. And me recruiting friends. Week after week.  So there has to be a moving spirit, and if you fancy a group, maybe that's you! End of commercial for How to be a Good Patron.

And here's flowers, a couple of new ones added, couple of faded ones now outside to feed the earth. You'll see alyssum, dayflower, zinnias and marigolds

cooler and raining today, and my days of sitting outside this year are numbered, but still lovely. I sometimes just sit and be. No reading or stitching, just watching and listening and sniffing. 

Happy day, everyone, sometimes it's okay to just be.

It's official, the bee's on the lavender

The snail's on the thorn, and the rest of the poem. The lark's on the wing, the butter's on the toast, whatever it is

Yesterday was action packed, three visits from Gary involving collard greens and blueberries, ending in some greens and cooking water in my freezer for future soup, and berries in the fridge. 

His doctor is working with him on his diet, and he's started cooking and eating leafy greens and eating blueberries. Up to a point. He knows I hate waste and asked if I could help with the greens surplus. He overreached a little in his capacity to abandon TV dinners.  Or at least to add in greens. 

The first time he stopped in, I was taking roast chicken and french fries out of the oven. So much for my big talk about leafy greens..

He may rarely cook but he has beautiful cookware.  Definitely shows up my dented old stuff. 

Handsome Son visited, tea, chocolate dipped cookies, date and nut bread, then we did all kinds of condo related paperwork, and he helped me change the warm winter door curtain for the summer canvas heat-blocking one. 

I walked in the evening, one of the most beautiful June evenings, the kind to remember, evening sun slanting across the trees

This is my shared back yard

Further on, rabbits out dining

Until they spot me, then they're off.

About my paintings, two thoughts: you may admire, say oh I can't do that. And I'll look modest and say, ah, twere nothin. Or you'll look and say, heck I can do better than that! And proceed to do so. And I'll look sneaky, because that's the other bit of the agenda.

It's for anyone to try.

Happy day everyone, paint on, eat your greens, support the good guys, vote out the black hats.

Dyeing, sashiko, knitting, Textiles and Tea

Yesterday was a day of feeling tired but doing it anyway. I finished Pair Fifteen, from Batch Four of the Sock Ministry. 

One more pair then this month's parcel goes out. Still some yarn left.

And I drew the sashiko designs on the dyed tee

and stitched them. Wearing it today to the library movies.

On the subject of natural dyeing, a couple of people are interested in knowing more. I wrote about this a lot, way back in my art blog, but here's a note anyway, on a very good reference book I use

with a suggestion from one page. She's got a lot of those " try this" ideas.

Yesterday's Textiles and Tea featured

who's a dynamo of energy and talent, trained as a classical painter, switched to commercial art, that's graphic design, then crocheted and wove and knitted her ideas, often incorporating more than one art form in a garment. 

Here's her idea of a lot of fun waiting to happen

She's written numerous books of designs in all her art forms

She loves pattern as you see, and is fearless in trying new ideas, and teaching them. She's been an online teacher for years, long before the pandemic. Take a look at her website, fun on wheels.

So I leave you, wishing you a happy day everyone!