Leaves, Stenciled and Steamed

Too pretty to eat? 

Scroll down for details!  

These days, seeking to make the most  

of fall foliage before snow falls, I'm often in the yard 

gathering every last good looking leaf.

Above, a bundle of bronze fennel and some rusty bits.
Below, the same bundle is unfurled, washed and dried.

From a bundle of Sugar Maple and iron bits.

A bundle of fern, onion skin and bronze fennel.

  That same bundle unfurled, backlit by the sun.

And finally, washed and dried.

    I'm excited about the growing pile of colorful, patterned silks 

in the studio patiently waiting for winter sewing. 

Stay tuned for future work incorporating these gems. 

Together we'll see what comes of all this work (and play)!

With just a few months of dedicated natural dye experimentation 

under my belt, I'm hopelessly smitten and

I'm already making notes for spring. :)

Rising to meet my Personal Pie Challenge for October

is my cousin Abby's Velvety Pumpin Tart, 

found in her book The Weekend Baker.

I'm extra proud of myself with this one because 

it's the first time I've used my tart pan, and 

c'mon - that stencil rocks!

Abby's clear directions simplified each step from start to finish.  

After slicing into this seasonal treat I completely agree with Abby - 
it's so velvety and flavorful that it's definitely replacing 
my (old) Thanksgiving pumpkin pie!

Did I mention the gingersnap crust or the very flavorful filling? 
Thanks Abby. This one is definitely a winner!

Well, this slice of pie and a fresh hot cup of coffee are
heading back to the Studio with me for the rest of the afternoon - 
I hear some silks calling my name.

All Treats!

My talented, handsome, fun-loving nephews, 

Brett (left) and Bryce (right), recently came over 

for an evening of pumpkin carving and seed roasting!

 Nothing but laughs as Jeff pretended to be Martha Stewart  

waxing poetic about each pumpkin's carving potential.

 Getting down to brass tacks, Brett and I opted for simple faces, 

while Bryce took time for detailed expression....

 Guess which one is Bryce's?

With faces glowing and seeds roasting, 
our evening wound down with (burn-our-mouths) hot apple crisp!  

Here's Ina Garten's Old Fashioned Apple Crisp, 

and as our burnt mouths can attest, it's a keeper!

  

Serving as September's contribution to my 
year-long Personal Pie Challenge, 

this crisp is everything you want a crisp to be. 

Adding pears, cranberries and walnuts would  
likely create crisp bliss.

If you follow this blog you may know 
I'm a long time fan of Alabama Chanin / Natalie Chanin 
and have steadily been hand sewing my own wardrobe 
in the AC style.

 Organic, cotton jersey, stenciled and reverse appliqued.

If you're in the Cortland area and want to learn 
the simple pleasure of hand sewing 
your own basic fingerless gloves (advanced shown above), 
sign ups are happening now for my workshop 
held at Cinch Art Space on
Saturday, October 26th from 11:00-1:00.
753-1304

At Cinch on Saturday, November 9th from 1:00-4:00
I'm teaching an advanced sewing workshop (the two photos above)
where we'll learn a variety of easy, gorgeous hand sewn 
embellishment techniques.
This workshop turns up the volume on the basic gloves.
The basic glove workshop is recommended, but not required.

Quick, effortless and addictive.
Sign up now and join the fun!

Score!

 While having a blast with Vickie, Mary, Priscilla and Tracy 
at the Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival last weekend, 
I came upon this little beauty, 
a prize find indeed. 
  
Kelli Terwilliger and her dad, Gary,
collaborated to create this tool that she calls
 Llabrys Niddy Nosty.
 It's a Niddy Noddy and Nostepinne
all in one. Brilliant! 
You can purchase this compact, gorgeous, locally made 
tool at Kelli's online shop: 
www.LladyLlamaFiberCo.etsy.com

For a truly wonderful look at the festival, 
please check out Tracy's blog:
www.myretiringlife.blogspot.com

Back at home with all these leaves covering our lawn 
it's high time to try my hand at leaf prints on paper.
As they say, "Get while the getting's good!"

First, I soaked watercolor papers in an alum bath 

and set aside to dry.
Next, I gathered leaves and layered them between papers.
Finally, I steamed the pressed paper bundle for a few hours. 

Where to go from here? 
Making marks with stitch and cloth seems obvious, 
but perhaps some rubbings, pen and ink, 
mark making with unconventional tools....
we shall see!

Oh, if you're interested, 
Sugar Maple, Silver Birch, Rhododendron, Cherry leaves
and a bit of rusty metal were used, 
and all were scavenged off the ground. 

Enjoy Fare Thee Well (Dink's Song), 
performed by Oscar Isaac and Marcus Mumford 
for the upcoming Coen brothers' film, Inside Llewyn Davis. 

Breathing Space

 Sorry for the lapse in posts; however, 

I've been taking advantage of some time to breathe.

As gorgeous as Fall is in upstate NY, it doesn't 

stick around very long, so I've been out and about 

enjoying some of our local sights and sounds.  

 The Ithaca Farmer's Market (both photos above) 

is brimming with exuberant colors and flavors.

My garden is envious!

 Many of you know my dear friend Carol Horton. 

 She treated us to her favorite food vendor's 

fresh, tasty spring rolls with plum sauce and crushed peanuts!

 A market highlight: discovering the sprout lady 

(my made up name for her because 

I can't remember the business name.)

 Reaching for more radish and sunflower sprouts!

I'll be back to visit other food vendors, like Cambodia - 

and to pick up more antique apples from Black Diamond Farm 

(thanks Vickie!) So many talented artists, too.... 

 Since my previous post, my mom celebrated her 

75th Birthday, and this is the pool bag I created just for her.

The bag's proportions are good for my mom's height.

Stuffed with a giant pool towel, the bag also has pockets  

for my mom's sunglasses, sunscreen, phone and keys.

Her Kindle and i-pad will fit in there, too.

 Meant for years of use, Alexander Henry fabric 

and cotton duck should hold up well.   

Happy Birthday, Mom!

 I just finished this Tulip Purse for myself

(the fabrics were cut several months ago).

Silly kitty. This is a knitting bag, not a kitty bed.

This particular bag is holding my Goodnough sweater

(pattern by Blue Peninsula.) 

I swoon over corduroy. 

It brings me right back to my happy childhood 

in the 70's (no surprise!) 

The button I chose for this bag was made by 

the super talented MaryAnn Carroll, 

and you can find more of her beads, buttons 

and jewelry here on her Etsy shop.

Now back on track for weekly posts, 

I hope to see you next week!

Find Me at Cinch!

Two of my upcoming workshops 

will be at the fabulous Cinch Art Space in Cortland! 

The lovely Carol Horton modeling the poncho outside her office,
Carol Horton, LMT in Cortland, NY.

Perfect Poncho

Saturday, September 21st, 2:00-4:00PM

Join us as we hand sew one clever, simple seam 

to make a timeless, organic jersey poncho. 

It flatters any figure, can easily be dressed up or down, 

and will be that cover up you reach for again and again.

The garment is so quick to sew up that we'll spend time 

learning gorgeous options for further embellishment. 

Whether you prefer solid fabric (like Carol's, above) 

or heavily embellished, you'll leave the workshop 

wearing your signature style!

Fearless Fingerless Gloves

Thursday, September 26th, 6:00-8:00PM

Surprise yourself as you learn how easy it is 

to hand sew these  organic cotton jersey gloves. 

Together, we'll custom fit your pattern, 

learn one simple stitch, a few tricks,

and before you know it you'll have a stylish pair

of fingerless gloves just in time for Fall.

View samples for both workshops at Cinch.

Call Cinch today to reserve your spot around the work table:

607-753-1304

I'm looking forward to gathering together in the

bright, welcoming and cheery workspace that 

Tammie, Kristin and Brenda have created! 

From the dye pot:

Before they depart for the long winter, 

I had to capture and preserve some rose leaves. 

Over the past few chilly days Stanley quickly

remembered how to snuggle up, aaaww!

One final note:

With Silver Trumpet now my full time occupation, 

and my weekends returning to personal & family time, 

my posts will soon change to a week day - a happy change! 

Please stay tuned for the new posting day, 

as well as more Silver Trumpet goodness to come!

A Day At Quilters Corner

This week, I'm honored to be a part of 

Quilters Corner's Demo Day 

(in Ithaca, NY)

for a visiting group of sewers and quilters.

I'll be demonstrating alongside some of the most

talented, supportive and giving women I know.

It's sure to be a really fun day.

For the occasion, I made a sweet wool felt 

needle keep for each "Friendship" kit sold at the shop.

Because I'll be talking in part about my featured project 

in Quilting Arts GIFTS Issue 2013-14,

I added a button-and-loop closure to show an optional

 finishing touch to the original design. 

More suggestions to further personalize the tablet and 

cell phone cases are offered in the kit.

 With the "Friendship" kits packaged up,
I'm looking forward to a full day of demos,
meeting fellow fabric lovers, and if time allows, 
squeezing in a little shopping just for me!

Aside from preparing for Quilters Corner's Demo Day, 

I managed to make a Saturday morning visit

to a nearby stand of sumac trees.

 Sumac berries and steam.

This warm pink is fantastic! 

The silk noil will surely make a future quilt glow.

I spy silk-cotton thread thrown in for good measure, 

and as an experiment, wadded up silk shantung

with hopes that it'll be a good first layer 
for eco-printing, then over-dying 
and finally, hand-stitching.
It's times like this when patience really is a virtue.

Tasty Tart

 Plum Tart was the winning choice for August's 

Pie Challenge, (close cousins allowed.)

 A great use of plums, I'd make this 

rustic, sweet and delicious recipe again. 

Personally, I'm topping each serving with vanilla gelato.

Click here for the Plum Tart recipe found on Saveur,

(originally published in the 5th edition of The Joy of Cooking.) 

Switching gears:

I'm thrilled to announce that my dear friend Tracy

has posted an interview with me (fun!) on her outstanding blog:

www.myretiringlife.blogspot.com

Please visit, if not to read the wonderful 

interview she did, then certainly to get to know her 

and all she gives to her readers across the globe. 

Tracy is an informative and fun blogger 

committed to sharing the world around us

as she experiences it.

Her stunning photography, BEST recipes and 

appreciation for so much that life has to offer 

make her blog a must-read every week! 

Thank you, Tracy, for interviewing me, 

and for sharing it with your audience. :)

Progress is happening in the Studio:

New designs, kits and patterns are under way.

It's definitely a process. I'm learning patience.

 To have the time to focus on my work is

truly a gift - one I hope to make the most of. 

Stay tuned for shop and Studio updates!

Don't forget to read Tracy's interview:

http://www.myretiringlife.blogspot.com