Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine is grateful for wool ...

the weather here at Acorn Cottage is becoming gradually colder and colder, rather the opposite of February Thaw... or maybe we already had that and are back to winter. Tonight the wind is just howling round the corners of the house, and making the little turbine vents on the roof rattle and spin.

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~ 100 day stitch book project - day 32 ~

Next is adding a large plover outline to overlay the patches... it was interesting to follow that rabbit hole to gather some information about some of the meanings attached to the motif. The other search term I found was "chidori", and as with many japanese motifs, it can represent more than just an image of the natural world, in this case it is "an auspicious symbol associated with longevity"

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I've been seeking out additional ways to use the edible rice paper wrappers, since making packets filled with pot sticker filling and pan frying them was so successful. I just found an online suggestion of rehydrating them and cutting into wide soft "noodles", which may let me be able to make my favorite Thai noodle dish "Pad See Ew" at home. I have acquired some gluten free oyster sauce, and tamari instead of soy sauce, have chicken and shrimps in the freezer, and some broccoli in the fridge, so will make the experiment sometime this week.

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Oh dear I have a doctor appt at the end of the week, and the weather is supposed to be frigidly cold. No bike riding when the temps are below freezing. I shall have to plan my day so I can take transit and walk from there to the Med Center. Ugh! maybe need my Yaktrax.

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 tiny bird books	soy sauce cruet base	recycle bin
2	semicircular bathmat	reconfigure neckline	yard waste bin
3	rice paper packets	rose kerchief mended	recycle bin
4	3 100 day pages	SR leather re-dyed	recycle bin
5	-	-	old cassettes
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I love my Glerups wool house shoes... They were one of the last things I bought in a store, three years ago, prior to the pandammit, when the smoke on the horizon made it clear that staying home was going to be a thing...
2. Icelandic lopi wool... it is a bit scratchy, but it knits up fast, has gorgeous colors, and is inexpensive. Today I wore the pullover I knit on the trip I took cross country on the train with my sister, again prior to the pandammit. Those were better happier days, and the warmth is in the memory as well as the wool.
3. edible rice paper

Time of Isolation - Day 1079

Thursday thoughts - the unholy wall and other tidbits...

in which our plucky heroine continues incremental improvements...

The west workroom wall had many holes remaining from removing the redundant shelving, ever since deciding that craft storage shelving taller than can be reached without a ladder was not ideal, both for reasons of convenience and for reasons of excess... It took, over the last few days, several tries with the gloppy spackle to fill the holes, but eventual success was not in question. Rather than sand down dried spackle, I simply use a very slightly damp sponge to smooth off any rough edges.

Today I found the most likely grey paint can, and after MUCH stirring, ended up with suitable paint to dab over the patched areas, and the wall is quite improved. Next up is continuing with adding in side walls to the remaining shelves, and then "tracks" to guide sliding door panels. Eventually I will have nice safe earthquake proof cupboards instead of open shelving, and then it will be on to a second pass of decluttering, and finally creating doors for the other shelves still needed to store supplies, materials et al...

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Library Makerspace saga: my struggles with Adobe Illustrator, while frustrating, were eventually successful, I hope. Will find out in a few days. Having to make an instructor chosen project is also frustrating, but I totally understand the rationale - that way we learn a bit about how to use the program, without also going all over the map, in the very very short time frame we have. The other assistant tech pointed out that she thought I would really enjoy the abilities of the petite CNC machine they have there for carving blocks for printing - I asked if there were any plans to make access available for adults (since I can't really masquerade as a teen!)...

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Look what showed up on my doorstep Tuesday!! Three wee maneki-neko, which had been wrapped up carefully with a card wishing me a happy day, the whole thing neatly sent with the most gorgeous decorated address label. Thank you eversomuch to my online pal Cricket!!

...while I am not usually one for collecting things, I do have a very *small* collection of maneki-neko that are less than 1" tall. And amazingly these three bring my count of unique and different wee maneki-neko to *sixteen*!!

Largest are just over 1" tall, smallest are just over 1/2";
made from paper, glass, porcelain, composition, and synthetic rubber

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October SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	fig cottage syrup (jam)	repot lg spider plant	wood scraps
2	puzzle ball toy	pinafore mended	bag to Goodwill
3	laser cut name pendant	U-lock loosened	bag to Goodwill
4	laser cut horses	Sterret scribe	bag to Goodwill
5	braided knit ball toy	destem elderberries	bag to Goodwill
6	five Inktober drawings	treerat mesh cloche #2	bag to Goodwill
7	four more Inktobers	planted green onions	bag to Goodwill
8	another three Inktobers	wheelbarrow tire	yard waste bin
9	three more Inktobers	west workroom wall	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

Sorrow, and one Sunday snippet...

in which our plucky heroine says goodbye to a friend...

Tell the people you love that you love them. DO it now! I was riding my bike to the grocery store when my phone pinged me. As I read the words on the tiny screen I started crying and cursing... This morning my friend Russ died, too early. He had gone through a serious medical situation and was recovering, had been moved out of the CICU and into rehab, when an aneurysm took him suddenly away. All his friends are shocked and sad, he leaves behind his lovely wife and two young daughters and a lifetime of unfinished work and poetry and song and storytelling. He was a true bard, and a kind, creative, thoughtful man. I am sorry I wasn't able to go see him in hospital, (thinking to self that the chance of sharing possible germs from my cough were not worth the danger of sharing a viral infection, and that there would be plenty of time... later...) The summerlands are brighter now, but our own world is darker for the loss.

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Using the beautiful paper that Drusa bought me last week to make a decorative mat for this small vintage Japanese woodblock... I've been waiting to frame this for over a year, as the size is not standard for the frames that show up second hand. Finally one did. The kitchen artworks here at Acorn Cottage have a common thread in that they all contain some of that vivid tomato-red color; when I found this woodblock print online at Washi Arts, I knew it had to come live here...

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	pottery buttons	mat/frame woodblock	yard waste bin
2	soap dish	x	paper recycle bin
3	painted bowl	x	-
4	geometric flower holder	x	-
5	3 enamels for E	x	x
6	-	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x

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Tuesday tidbit

in which our plucky heroine breaks the rules...

I almost never bring trinkets home, as the last three years have been all about letting go of what is no longer necessary. But I could not resist these two small Japanese Akita-Inu figurines, who somehow ended up on the Goodwill holiday shelf. They are being added to my permanent collection here at Acorn Cottage. No, I was not born in the Year of the Dog, but I have been looking for some little sculptures just like these for a long time.

These are about two and three inches tall. I have read that little Akita figurines are sometimes a gift in Japan to parents of newborns, for good luck, and to convalescents as a wish for speedy recovery... not sure how true the info, but I liked the sentiment.

:::

November SMART goals

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	charter #17	framed Summits charter	7 pounds
2	charter #18	framed Adiantum charter	Goodwill bag
3	reflective mesh vest	repair small frame	old chook gate
4	blue batik dress	frame fox print	paper recycle bin
5	-	attached scroll seal	3 bags recycling
6	-	framed Laurel scroll	2 bags trash
7	-	framed 1st AoA charter	11 bags Goodwill
8	-	framed 2nd AoA charter	1 bag yarn
9	-	-	-
10	-	-	-
11	-	-	-
12	-	-	-
13	-	-	-
14	-	-	-

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into indigo...

in which our plucky heroine had a blue Wednesday...

Last week was the final week of the Mood Indigo exhibit at SAAM in Seattle. I have some dear friends who live not far from there, and an excursion was planned.

A three hour ride on Bolt took me across state lines and between cities. The transit tunnels in downtown Seattle are deep underground. I took one bus from where Bolt dropped us off in the International District to where I could catch the electric bus to my friends abode. After taking the elevator up one level, after wandering about for a bit, I found this escalator up to the surface, and arrived, blinking in the daylight, in front of Benaroya Hall...

The composition of the photo really pleases me, as well as gives a real sense of the dizzying effect of the steep moving escalators.

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It was impossible to see and photograph all the amazing textile art in the show, and still have any time to actually take in some of the beauty. And for various reasons, M and I had only about an hour and a half there, before the museum closed for the night. I am very grateful to have had a chance to see this particular show, and hope to get back to the museum again at some point...

dynamic asymmetry on an African garment


resist dyed Japanese bed cover


wonder what other dyes were used, besides indigo


embroidered border on Chinese wall hanging


detail of embroidery on silk


embroidered Chinese roundel


weft dyed futon cover

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farmer jacket in shibori and sashiko

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furoshiki decorated in sashiko


Korean carrying cloth pieced from many small bits of indigo fabric


Japanese rabbits, doing things


this spherical Japanese bunny reminds me of "the rabbit in the moon"

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shibori herringbone, plus a closer look...


love the combination of stripey sleeves with figured body


Uzbek multicolored ikat...


padded tie-quilted bedding

This "sacred shawl" was in some ways the most impressive object I saw in the entire show; the level of detail in the weaving took my breath away... this is only two small sections (from Sumatra, Indonesia, from the Batak culture)

the kosode project: results and recap

My finished kosode is both comfortable to wear and pleasing to my eye... I learned a lot while making this project, had a lot of fun, and received several compliments at the event on my Japansese garb...

The shibori, while requiring a time consuming amount of preparation, was probably the most satisfying new technique. I had been wanting to try stitched shibori for years now, and it did not disappoint, just looking at it makes my heart sing. I really want to do more with actual indigo dyeing, as there is nothing else that looks quite like it. Some shibori camp flags say... for summertime events... while not in context for my little Norse long tent, would look very splendid indeed!

The stenciling was not a new technique, but I really liked the subtle white on indigo effect. I did cut some of the stencil ties a bit too narrow, and had a few "stencil blowouts" where the ties snapped, and I had to be very careful indeed to get a clean paint job. I can probably repair the stencils carefully with some tape, because they are nice enough to reuse, so repair is worthwhile. My clever plan of aligning the designs to form a stripe worked really well, I will likely use that idea again.

Making the kosode was indeed, as Kateline said, fairly quick, once I had the panels attached together into yardage. Had I chosen to start with yardage, the whole project would have been the work of a weekend (even with hand finishing the edges) - the actual machine sewing took one long afternoon. I don't have much call for an entire wardrobe of Japanese robes, though perhaps a lightweight one for travel would be a good future project; the kosode folds up neatly and easily into a tidy rectangle that would be easy to pack. Hmmm, while I search my stash of fabric for some silk to line it with, keeping my eye open for some silk for a travel robe as well might be in order!

This is the whole kosode from the front...

... and a slightly truncated view from the back (really I do have hands!)

It was a great event and seeing all the folks who brought out or made Japanese clothing was really impressive. My pal Tullia wrote the winning entry in the haiku contest, which also had the requested theme to honor Tsukiko (who has enthusiastically shared her knowledge and skills with our group for many years):

Gracefully, she pours.
Tea, like knowledge, fills my cup
Under the full moon.
O

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine is pretty happy, with several new projects completed

Kosode and obi - done!! I had some silk double ikat in my drawer of "small pieces of choice fabric" and decided that cutting two four inch strips off one side would be just right for the obi. Stitched up it made a tidy, just under 2" wide, sash.

The warm tones of golden brown, plum and soft red make an excellent contrast to the cool indigo blues of the kosode, and bring, to my mind at least, both a contrast and connection between autumn and wintertime, which feels appropriate to the transitional time of year. It was considered tasteful to have one's clothing motifs and colors reference the upcoming season, so my kosode has not only the colors of winter, but the auspicious snow ring design block printed on some of the panels.

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My first attempt at painting a kai awashe shell. Monkey is one of the Japanese zodiac animals. I've only fifteen clamshells, so am doing a partial set, more as a creative example of a possible variation than an actual historical re-creation... Since the only ones I've seen examples of are fairly modern and much more elaborate, and a complete set consisted of up to 300 matching shells. And instead of using lines of poetry, decided to use the zodiac animals, just because I like them...

I've been having fun! Our plucky heroine had to pick and choose which animals to paint, and chose the ones that were the simplest. If I can get twelve or more matched pairs of clamshells, I can do the whole zodiac, which was my original intention. I didn't manage to connect with anyone who actually eats clams; these shells were a surprise gift from my pal Svava, who found a windchime in a thrift store and remembered my project...

These are the other pairs: horses, tigers, rabbits, and dogs, and finally the entire partial set of kai awashe...

Am pretty happy with both how these came out and with the techniques I worked out to get this result. The edges of the shells are painted with the same awesome acrylic vinyl golden metallic paint that worked so well for decorating the bathroom wall border. The animals were painted with waterproof india ink on some very thin white unruyu paper (made from kozo fiber, so really strong), which was then applied to the surface of the shell using some matte acrylic medium. This gave the appearance of actually painting on the shells without the danger of possibly screwing up badly enough to waste one of the few shells... The white background blends smoothly into the white of the shell interior, and the gold border is mindful of the other gold leaf I have seen on some of the other kai awashe...

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One thing I am really grateful for is tame water. The city pool is "tame water",  slightly warm, the water is clear all the way down to the bottom, and the pool is roofed over with a dome, so weather is not an issue. I grew up swimming as a child in LA, so pool water is the norm, and wild outdoor pond water is always a little scary, because not being able to see what is under the water. I am continuing to love going to do water exercise, either in one of the classes, or simply alone during free swim time and doing my physical therapy. I manage to get there almost every day, and hope that the consistent gently increasing effort will help me become stronger, and that the pressure of the water will do nothing but good for my lymphedema

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October SMART goals

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	8 stenciled panels	kosode for R	-
2	carved yukiwa stamp	-	-
3	3 stamped panels	-	-
4	Japanese kosode	-	-
5	a silk obi belt	-	-
6	15 kai awashe shells	-	-
7	two cotton obi belts	-	-
8	-	-	-
9	-	-	-
10	-	-	-
11	-	-	-
12	-	-	-

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stencils and stamps oh my

in which our plucky heroine continues working on the kosode project...

<< The first three panels have been stenciled using white Jaquard NeoOpaque textile paint on indigo fabric. Stenciling is faster than shibori. Block printing is faster than stenciling. All three require quite a bit of advance preparation. I used a commercial stencil for this set of panels. The stenciled pieces will sit overnight before being heat set for permanence... Pretty happy with the subtle variegation of the triangles

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Combining the two stencils I cut while at Arts Unframed last weekend yields this floral/equine stripe pattern. Both motifs are appropriately Japanese in style. Am pleased to have figured out how to line up the two stencils to keep the design registration. The stencils are translucent mylar, with the cut portion bracketed by the adjacent motifs simply outlined on the mylar, making lining them up properly fairly simple!

One of the two stencils used to create the horse and flower stripe pattern. Each cut stencil has the alternate pattern inked in on either side. By making the stencil both wider and longer than the cut portion, it allows me to both mark the distance between the patterned stripes evenly, and to locate the horse or the flowers in the correct orientation to each other.

This is the resulting pattern, as horizontal stripes on one of the kosode sleeve panels.... one down and four more panels to go. I timed how long it takes to stencil one panel - about fifteen minutes...

In period, this sort of design would have been done with katazome, a stenciled resist surface design technique, where a starchy resist was applied to the fabric before it was dyed with indigo, leaving the pattern the original fabric color. For reasons of time constraint, I am simply stenciling the design with white Jaquard NeoOpaque textile paint, on indigo color linen...

five panels of stenciled horse and flower stripe completed, yay!

On one of the sleeve panels, I mis-placed two of the three initial motifs. Fortunately, the design elements could be moved around for a variation that still looks pretty good...

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After much digging through random boxes, I found the cutter blades that go with the handles for cutting printing blocks... Eventually the declutter and organise will make my life better, and I will be able to find my supplies and tools in expected places, but now I can get on with the carving the final blocks for the surface design kosode project

The motif is a snow-circle/snow-crystal called "yukiwa" and is an auspicious motif that suggests a bountiful year to come... Since the Honour Feast is in mid-autumn, the decorative motifs we use may in some way ideally reference the upcoming seasons

three printed snow circle panels, and a glimpse in the corner of my one set of "cheater" commercial shibori motif panels...

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October SMART goals

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	8 stenciled panels	-	-
2	carved yukiwa stamp	-	-
3	3 stamped panels	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	-	-	-
7	-	-	-
8	-	-	-
9	-	-	-
10	-	-	-
11	-	-	-
12	-	-	-

Friday fragments

Our plucky heroine is still astounded and delighted with the results of this weeks experimental art project! Walking out the back door to the drying yard and seeing my shibori panels waving on the clothesline made me insanely happy!!

There is still quite a bit of preparation before I can start sewing on the kosode, I have two additional sets of fabric panels to cut out and stencil this weekend, as well as two new printing blocks to carve, one with a Japanese "snow circle" motif and one with my new/alternate SCA badge, (for decorating the hemline panels)  Fortunately I have both enough assorted fabric and textile paint that the only constraint is my time available...

And just a few more notes about the initial shibori experiment...

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The upper panel in the photos was opened immediately after the seven dips in the indigo vat, and the lower one the next morning... I realised, after comparing the panels that there was a noticeable difference in the clarity and contrast of the horse's tooth patterning. A significantly more crisp pattern was the result with more time spent before undoing the stitchery. As the undulating wave pattern is less complex, the difference in contrast is less vivid but still apparent. This is worth remembering for future shibori experiments. The other thing I want to remember is to find a better way to anchor the gathered threads, my attempt to stitch them down was too successful and made it very difficult indeed to remove the threads after the dyeing was complete!

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nightstand: before and after declutter

Am continuing to put effort into decluttering the cottage. Tackling smaller areas is being more successful than the overwhelming challenge spots like the south wall of the workroom. This week, one square foot - the nightstand -  was definitely improved! Things remaining on nightstand (towards the back) are the ones that are supposed to live there: alarming clock, coin bottle, emergency radio, powder box (and my box of marbles, because it is important not to lose ones marbles...)  The small pile of things in the front are the things that get put down when I go to bed: phone, wee notebook and pen, pocketknife, and glasses.

I still have a modest bundle of random things that came off the nightstand that I don't have homes for. I have decided that the Mindy strategy of spreading them out so I can see each thing one at a time will hopefully let me either categorise what each thing is and thereby give me a clue, or make it obvious that it is discardable. I did send some papers to recycle-land, some things to trash, put several books back on the bookcase, etc. I also had various small first aid things (tubes and potions), and have noticed that now the medicine shelf in the linen closet is getting sort of messy, I need to figure out something to keep that sort of stuff (that is still good and useful) neatly corralled - will think about that, particularly as I know I have several boxes with other toiletries and small first aid stuff yet to be unearthed and sorted

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September was a really productive month, several longterm projects were completed and several new things were both started and completed. At this point in the year my SMART goal chart for the year is looking far better than it did at this time in 2014, and in fact, things made and things fixed have gone on to an overflow chart, and I hope to make equally good progress with the decluttering and the things gone, by the end of the year. Quantifying progress in this way seems to be a helpful thing for keeping efforts balanced. My eventual goal is to no longer need a things gone category in my life, and to continue to celebrate the creation and repair that is, in fact, the ongoing task of being alive.

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September SMART goals

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	apron dress for L	linen closet doors	bag to Goodwill
2	DM coronet	shed roof patched	bag to Goodwill
3	DM coronet	front door latch	bag to Goodwill
4	red top for Joan	bike brake cable	bag to Goodwill
5	Coptic stitch book	bike kickstand	bag to Goodwill
6	duct tape clone	side yard work	bag to Goodwill
7	whitewash	back yard work	bag to Goodwill
8	4 heraldic enamels	whitewash henhouse	bag to Goodwill
9	10 shibori panels	chook roost	electronica x 2
10	-	-	yard waste bin
11	-	-	yard waste bin

October SMART goals

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	-	-	-
2	-	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	-	-	-
7	-	-	-
8	-	-	-
9	-	-	-
10	-	-	-
11	-	-	-
12	-	-	-