Red, White and Blue

 Here's what's happening around the house & studio today:

I started this Alabama Chanin-inspired cotton jersey flag 

last summer and am only picking it up again now. 

There's something special about hand sewing the American flag; 

between the stitching, the meaning of our flag 

and the end use of this piece, 
it continues to be a very satisfying project.

 Little experiments...
ready for steeping over the holiday break,

a bit of India Flint-inspired silk-cotton thread wraps.

Thread and silk gauze steeping in rose hips. (Wow!)

Today's grand finale:
Making good on this month's personal pie challenge,

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Ginger Crumb Topping

Providing the rains hold off, tonight we'll slice into this beauty 
and savor it around the camp fire.
With cinnamon in the fruit filling and ginger in the buttery 
crumb topping, I have a feeling this is going to be outstanding.

If you try any of these pie recipes (one a month) 
let me know what you think. Pies are fairly new 
territory for me and I appreciate tips, tricks 
and darn good recipes!

Summer has indeed arrived, and if you're looking for 
summer reading suggestions head over to 
Tracy's blog, My Retiring Life for a fantastic list.

Here's to our Red, White and Blue! 
Wishing everyone a safe, fun and festive 
Independence Day Celebration.

Pleasing Pinks

I don't know about you, but June is one of those months 

that sneaks up on me. BAM! The days fast become a blur.  

Thankfully, during the first week of June I can always 

look to these gentle giants, Japanese Tree Peonies, 

for a sense of calm. 

 Despite June's frantic pace, yesterday 

I managed to start a dye pot following ice flower 

dye instructions from India Flint's book, Eco Colour. 

After 24 hours in an Iris and Peony concoction, 

the roving (gifted from my dear friend Marjorie) 

and tightly bundled silk habotai & silk gauze 

achieved a light pink. 

Feeling their color wouldn't get much deeper, 

I moved them to a shallow tray containing the 

liquid remains of a jar of pickled beet juice (above). 

  

Tomorrow I'll check their progress.

I really hope the roving's color will wick

from deep magenta to light pink. 

Cross your fingers for some beautiful summer spinning!

At our house, pink yarrow is flourishing.  

Darn my luck, another dye pot in my future.

 French Breakfast Radish.

For eating, not for dyeing. ;)

While they're milder than round varieties 

we've grown in the past, their tender small 

leaves certainly spice up a tossed salad.

 I'm hooked!

 I've got a few more natural dye experiments

up my sleeve that I'll share right here 

over the course of the summer. 

I have a feeling this month's pie challenge 

recipe is one you won't want to miss: 

(not just any) Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. 

Come back next week for the lip smackin' results!

Postcards From Squam

Instant friends, just add water. And yarn.

I'm still coming down from 5 loving, brilliant days 

at Squam Art Workshops 2013.

This year's center piece, Harriet Goodall's 

woven heart with twinkle lights.
If you're unfamiliar with Harriet, 
you'll want to visit her extraordinary website. 

Making the Blizzard Book on a drizzly afternoon.

 

Beautiful, busy souls. Exquisite paintings.

My painting buddy for 2 days, LauraLynn.

Yep, she's truly as radiant as she looks.

Close up of a painting I made in 

Alena Hennessy's workshop.

I found out I can let go, and I can play. 

I can leave a "mistake" alone for a minute 

only to see that it actually works! Huge for this Type A.

Each day started & ended with this incredible view. Sigh.

Imagine meeting you here, Debbie!

 A few of my favorite things from the Art Fair:

AWC Designs, leather belt & custom buckle

Ribbons from Germany (!)

Letterpress notecards from Pressbound

Kelbourne Woolens project bag

 (Cabin-mate) Ana's Toil and Trouble hand-dyed yarn

But wait, there's more! 

One evening around the fire, our

cabin-mate Julie told us about her daughter 

playing fiddle for a band, The Floorwalkers. New to me,

I went straight to YouTube and had a listen - now it's your turn.

Wow, thanks Julie! 

 Breathe it in....until next year!

More bags are being added to the shop, 
in case you're looking for a zippy little pouch 
perfect for all sorts of uses, INCLUDING
GRADUATION GIFTS (just think of what you can tuck inside!) 
 Thanks, and have a fun week!

Sparkle and Shine

Hand beaded necklaces made in time for vacation, 

with hand dyed silk ribbons by Heidi of Jamnglass

and hand made clay beads 

by the very talented MaryAnn Carroll.

Our sparkling pink peonies after an early morning rain.

With summer fast approaching, it's time to change up our 
knitting accessories bags, pencil cases and travel pouches.
Fresh, new styles are landing in the shop - have a look! 

Today, Vickie and I are on our way home from 

Squam Art Workshops, and I'm

anxious to share all the fun we had!

Tune in next week. :)

Just Three Days

...until Vickie and I are once again Squamward Bound!

Last week, I introduced one of the two instructors 
whose workshops I'm taking: Alena Hennessy.

 As promised, here's the second instructor I'm excited 
to learn from: Franklin Habit,

writer, illustrator and photographer from Chicago, IL.

Check out his entertaining and informative blog,
 The Panopticon.

If you're a knitter, you likely know of him and his book 
of witty knitting cartoons, "It Itches."

For Franklin's Tomten workshop, I anticipate a fun day 
of fast knitting with fellow knit-a-holics, 
and perhaps even some yarn bombing from which 
even the most charming cabin cannot hide.

http://www.gwenskitchencreations.blogspot.com

Before I head to the wilds of New Hampshire, I must share 
a beautiful gift from my beautiful friend Tracy  
who nominated my blog and three others for
The Sweetest Blogger Award!
  Upon accepting this award, I answer 5 questions about myself
and then pass the award to (up to 13) other blogs I adore.
 

1.  Cookies or cake?  

 Is there really an "or"?

  

2.  Chocolate or vanilla?  

I repeat... :)

3.  Favorite sweet treat?  

 Aunt Mardi's Carrot Cake,

especially the one Michelle made for my birthday.

(While it's not Aunt Mardi's recipe, if you're now craving 

carrot cake, click the cupcake photo above for

Gwen's recipe and bake up some carrot-cake-love

in your kitchen!)

4.  When do you get hit with cravings?  

2:00PM. Like clockwork.

5.  Sweet nickname?  

Super T.

I want my friends to know how great that makes me feel.

Thank you for your ever-present support, Tracy!
I happily nominate these 5 deserving blogs for 
The Sweetest Blog Award:

  

Alena Hennessy

lil fish studio, Lisa Jordan

Have Needles Will Knit, Lara Smoot
Brichopas, use the translate bar for 
a review of handmade toys the world over.
Meet Me At Mike's, Pip Lincolne

Celebrate the sweetness and beauty in you.
You deserve it!

Countdown to Squam

More precisely, countdown to three powerful days
among creative, gentle souls. 

That's right! In ten days, Vickie and I head 
off to the magic of Squam Art Workshops!

Fly, an original painting by Alena Hennessy

This painting is by Alena Hennessy, 

one of two instructors I'll have at Squam.

This is Alena's bio, which I found on her shop:

Along with being a full time artist since 2005, Alena studied to become 
a Transformational Healing Practictioner, which includes traning in 
various modes of energy healing, herbalism, meditation, yoga, and Ayurveda. 
Alena is a also a certified flower essence practitioner and Reiki Master. 
Alena combines these sacred wisdoms with her passion for the 
creative process and the joy that brings. Alena lives her life in knowing 
that all things are possible through our thought, action, and feeling. 
The Universe’s dream for you is far bigger than you could ever imagine.

Reading her bio & blog, I feel an immediate kinship 
as a painter, but even more so as a fellow creative spirit. 
I'm genuinely looking forward to two days with Alena, 
and perhaps even having a transformative experience.
(OH! Pick me! Pick me!!) 
While my BFA's concentration is drawing and painting, 
you don't see paintings on my blog because in 2005 
I happily traded paint for fibers (portable, odorless, compact) 
as a way to be productive and have quality time 
at home each night with Alyssa. 

I do miss painting, and I miss the painter 
I haven't yet become. 
I'll let you know who I discover in the woods of Holderness, NH.

See more of Alena's work here: Art Becomes You
Next week, meet another spectacular Squam instructor -
you really won't want to miss him! 

Sweet!

Wow, Salted Honey Pie is one sweet pie!

And it's the first pie under my belt 

(quite literally for this one I'm afraid)

in my quest to discover if I'm a pie baker.  

It's buttery. Sweet. Custardy. 

Oh, and then there's that satisfying salty crunch. 

A scoop of vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream 

would only be added punishment. Hmmm.

If you or someone you love is a die-hard sweets fanatic, 

put this pie on the bucket list! 

(For the recipe, click "Salted Honey Pie" above.)

 And if you or some one you love is need of 

a quilting adventure, I'm excited to announce

 my free Storm Clouds-inspired quilt recipe
is now available for download. 

(Over there on the right, hooray!)

The recipe concept came from my experience of making 

a scrappy quilt for a boy, to donate to Project Linus. 

I had plenty of scraps, but no pattern.

As I was moving scraps around on the design wall, 

a storm rolled through our town and it gave me the 

inspiration that turned my scraps into "Storm Clouds".  

The recipe is really just that, a general list of ingredients  

and inspiration for creating your own phenomenal 
scrap quilt with a definite mood or theme. 

Let your imagination take you on a quilting adventure! 

I hope you'll share your questions and triumphs

with me here on the blog!

I'm smitten with Edie Brickell and Steve Martin's new CD,

Love Has Come For You.

This is their performance of the song 

"When You Get To Asheville", 

which by the way, goes perfectly with Salted Honey Pie.

Salted Honey Pie in all its sweet, salty glory

June's pie will be Strawberry Rhubarb.

I hope it's good. ;)