River wrap-up

L-hook with bumper

The River quilt is hanging so that it looks like art -- I've got to pinch myself and when I do, I say, "You're pinching an artist!"

This is how George and Sue hung the piece:

1. They asked me to make the casing in 3 separate pieces, so I made two outside casings of about 7" each. I sewed them about 1" in from the sides and 1/2" from the top. The center casing takes up the rest, about 20".

2.They hung two L-hooks where the casings meet, 8" in from the edges. In addition to being out of sight, hooks placed this way offer more support to the center, to avoid possible sagging.

3. They put little black foam doughnuts, from the plumbing department, over the hooks. They ensure there's space between quilt and wall.

4. The quilt, with a flat board in the casing, rests on the hooks. It looks great. I'm going to re-hang all my quilts this way.

Here are some other things I learned while making this piece:

I followed Judy Perez' tutorial on how to make a faced binding. 

River inspiration.

Joan Mitchell painter: River and Sides of a River

Poetry

John O'Donahue, For the Pilgrim a Kiss: the Caha River

Music

XTC, River of Orchids

Myth

Lethe, River of Forgetfulness--Drink from it and forget earthly life

Bible:

Amos 5, 24. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness a never-failing stream!

Collage 2

Mixed media by Mike Brennan, at LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts, Tallahassee

Big lesson 1: Water causes wrinkles & warping.

Big lesson 2: Have several pieces going at once.

Part 1

I don't know the difference between mixed media & collage. April discussed it in our first class -- but I forget. Seems to me the line is thin: what you make is whatever you call it. Mike Brennan calls his horses mixed media, & I'm lucky I heard him talk at the LeMoyne last Saturday. His work is big. Here's how he described the process:

First he makes a supporting frame, a kind of shallow box from glue & boards, for a piece of Masonite. He dries this overnight. Then he brushes a layer of Elmer's glue & a little water on the Masonite. He takes a piece of paper -- maybe a page of an Asian newspaper; he doesn't ponder much -- & dips it into a bucket of water. He lets most of the water drip off. Then he lays the paper grid-like on the glued surface & leaves it overnight. By morning it's dry & smooth. Then he sands & paints over it with several layers of acrylics. He might project a horse image onto it, or draw one freehand. It could be something else (a fish maybe), but people appreciate horses. Brennan seems to do his art after work & on weekends. I missed the introduction, so all I know is that he has also worked hard developing his art, like his discovery that using water & paper in this way eliminates wrinkles, & his building of Masonite boxes so the water won't warp the board.

Part 2

In Sunday's class April showed us a way to use ordinary paper napkins as a collage element: You spread the napkin over something that has a pleasing texture. April used a big scallop shell. Rub it with charcoal. Move the things around. Rub again & again -- maybe using several colors -- until your napkin looks great. Then dampen the napkin & slowly pull the layers of paper apart. There will be at least two layers, or plies. Take the pretty one & glue it onto your collage. We also learned that white paper turns transparent when applied with glue. And here's April's bonus tip: set up stations in your studio so you can work on several pieces at the same time. I have projects on three separate corners of the table. Now to make them!

No class 31 July, but two sessions next weekend.

Five Salads

We're on a mental "vacation" this week. I'm not cooking much. Last night I boiled potatoes & opened this can of tuna. I put it on a plate with some (not all) the ingredients below, plus the prepared olive salad you see here, from La Lanterna deli. It was good. During the week I made all but one of these salads. The farro is for tomorrow. To any of these salads, you could add bread, broiled fish or meat or shrimp. I think I will start over again next week.

Mediterranean Salad

Olive oil, Salt, Lemon juice

Tomatoes, Italian tuna, or Green pepper, Croutons, Olives, Garbanzos, boiled little potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, sliced red onions

Cucumber, Tomato, & Feta Salad (from Bon Appetit)
(These ingredients go together well, no matter what proportion you have.)

About 2 pounds cucumbers, peeled (I peel in strips, leaving strips on too) & chopped
1 pound tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 C. Greek olives, chopped
7 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (I bought the good kind, in water. It tastes milder & better)
½ C mint, chopped
6 T. olive oil
¼ C. lemon juice
Salt & pepper

Mix everything, except for last ingredients. Salt lightly. Mix oil & lemon juice, s & p. with a fork. Toss. Save some cheese for the top.

TABBOULEH WITH DRIED FRUIT AND WALNUTS (from Splendid Table)

Serves 4

Sweet bits of dried fruit and crunchy nuts add a delightful twist to this Middle Eastern salad that is traditionally made with tomatoes and parsley. Use an individual dried fruit such as apricot or cranberry or a combination of your favorites. Serve on lettuce leaves.

1 cup bulgur

1 cup chopped dried fruit

1 cup walnut pieces

1 bunch scallions, chopped

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Add the bulgur to 2 cups of salted boiling water. Decrease the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Drain any remaining water and blot the bulgur to remove the excess moisture.

2. Place the bulgur in a bowl and add the dried fruit. Toss to combine. Add the walnuts, scallions, and mint.

3. Pour on the walnut oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well to combine.

Tabouli with Farro (from Splendid Table)

Reprinted with permission from Ancient Grains for Modern Meals: Mediterranean Whole Grain Recipes for Barley, Farro, Kamut, Polenta, Wheat Berries, and More by Maria Speck (Ten Speed Press, 2011). Copyright © 2011 by Maria Speck.

Serves 4 to 6

Farro:

2 cups water

1 cup farro

2-inch sprig rosemary, or 1/2 teaspoon dried (optional)

Tabouli and to Finish:

2 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes (3/4 pound)

1 cup loosely packed chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

3/4 teaspoon minced hot green chile (optional)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. To prepare the farro, bring the water, farro, and rosemary to a boil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until the farro is tender but still slightly chewy, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the rosemary sprig, drain any remaining liquid, and transfer the farro to a large serving bowl to cool.

2. Once the farro has cooled, make the tabouli by adding the tomatoes, parsley, onion, and chile to the serving bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

3. To finish, pour the dressing over the tabouli and toss to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes for the flavors to mingle, and serve.

Gretchen’s GUACAMOLE SALAD

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

l yellow pepper - seeded and diced

1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup diced red onion

2 tbls. minced jalapeno pepper, seeded

1/2 t. grated lime zest

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. black pepper

1/2 t minced garlic

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

2 ripe hass avacados, seeded, peeled and diced

Mix veggies together (minus avacado) in large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over vesgetables. Toss well. Just before ready to serve - add avacados.

Gretchen adds cilantro & a little hot sauce (she likes things very spicy).

CHICKPEA-COUSCOUS SALAD WITH LEMON AND FRESH MINT (from Splendid Table)

Serves 4 and doubles easily

15 minutes prep time; 3 minutes microwave time
The salad holds in the refrigerator for about 4 days. Serve it with sliced tomatoes and spoonfuls of whole milk yogurt.

Juice of one large lemon

1/2 medium red onion, cut in 1/4-inch dice

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

3/4 cup whole-wheat couscous

1-1/2 cups warm water

1 small, sweet bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 stalk celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/4 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives

1/4 cup raisins

One 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/4 to 1/3 tightly-packed cup fresh mint leaves, torn

More lemon if needed

1. In a large bowl, combine the lemon juice, onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and let stand while you pull together the rest of the dish.

2. In a microwave-proof glass bowl, combine the couscous, water, and the remaining salt and pepper. Microwave, covered, on high for 2 minutes. Carefully check couscous for tenderness (be careful because it will be steaming and hot). If needed, give it another 30 seconds to 1 minute. You want it slightly firmer than usual because it will finish cooking as it sits.

3. Add the red pepper to the onion mixture along with the celery, olives and raisins. Toss everything with the chickpeas and couscous. Taste for lemon and salt and pepper. Serve the salad cool or at room temperature, but not stone cold.

River quilt, finished

River, 36" x 36"

(I think the quilting made it shrink.)

I am happy with this River quilt. I like the design, the colors, & the quilting. I wondered if it would be hard to work with friends who had asked me to make them a quilt. It turned out fine.

Collage 1

I got so wrapped up in April Saler's collage class at LeMoyne Sunday that I forgot to take notes or even a photo. So, quick, before I forget, here's my "collage" & a couple of Aprilisms. She is clear & opinionated. You don't misunderstand this artist!

1. Don't be stingy. Buy good paper (Arches cold press watercolor) & acrylic medium; brushes don't have to be expensive, just not too hard & not too soft. . .

2. April hates Mod Podge. Expensive, not flexible, just plain unprofessional. Ditto Liquitex medium. Watered-down. Don't use it. Use acrylic medium from a real art store, like Utrecht brand. Dick Blick & Jerry's Artarama are good online art sources. Oh -- medium is paint minus pigment. (When you're a beginner it's all a mystery.)

3. How to adhere stuff to paper: First, dip your brush into water. Then get rid of most of the water--no dripping, just a wet brush. Then dip it --go ahead, dip it deep, don't dab it -- into the medium. Don't be stingy.

4. "Paint" the medium on the area of paper you will be using. Use enough, not too much.

5. Lay down the picture or other collage goodie.

6. "Paint" medium over the top, starting in the center & going around in a circle like a clock.

7. Then "paint" lengthwise.

We practiced sticking papers to the base. I used too much water, so the paper warped & the picture wrinkled. I'll get the feel soon enough.

Garnet & Gold Quilt

"Just another part of the adventure"

Patrick's FSU graduation quilt, 55" square

River quilt, step 7

Cautious at first, I didn't want to disturb the edges of the pieces because I love the design. But water does ripple & run, so I let the thread go in waves of color around the edges. At QSDS I learned "mistakes" don't last; I can fix them. Of course, I did look at pictures, sketch out lines & practice on scraps first! Bobby McFerrin's free improvisation made inspiring sounds around me.

River quilt, step 6

I committed one of my own pet peeves: not telling the size of the quilt. When Mona saw this in my studio, she was shocked -- from blog photos she'd deduced it was 10" or so. I hate to see art online (& in print too) for which you have to guess the size. Lesson learned! This is 38" square.

Another blog problem: color, intensity, all that ... Photos (mine, anyway) don't convey reality. Sue & George thought I'd changed color plans from the model in step 1. Well ... yes & no. The blues ARE less rosy, but the piece is pretty much like the original idea. My photo doesn't tell the story.

Now I'm edging the pieces in same-color thread. I started with monofilament (recommended by Barbara Olson in Journey of an Art Quilter), but that gave the fabric a punctured look -- all needle holes & no connectors. It's slow work because I'm not adept. Today's gloomy -- too wet to run but perfect for stitching.

Sweet biscuits for peach cobbler

We celebrated the Fourth with peaches--they are so delicious. I was going to make Mom's sublime peach pie, but cobbler is easier & also scrumptious.

Fruit cobbler

Slice peaches--enough to generously fill the pan. (Great also with blueberries + raspberries) Mix with finely grated lemon rind & sugar. Top with:

Sweet biscuits

Mix:

1 C. flour

1/8 C. sugar

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

Cut in 1/4 C. cold butter.

Add 3/8 C. heavy cream

Flatten pieces of dough on a floured surface. Place them over the top of the fruit. Sprinkle with sugar, the fancy kind with large crystals. In a pinch you can use regular sugar, but you won't get that sweet crunch. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes.

For shortcake, bake the biscuits 15-20 minutes. Serve with fresh fruit, sliced & sweetened, & shipped cream.

For regular dinner biscuits, eliminate the sugar & use milk instead of cream.