When my husband travels I try to catch up on movies or TV shows that he doesn't care for. He does the same. We will both watch a wide range of movies with each other, although we reserve the right to sleep through some shows that are so NOT in our interest range. And we reserve the right to an occasional "no thank you". He uses his on "Dancing With the Stars". I use mine for the worst or foulest of the shoot 'em up or sci fi movies. Although I have sat through "The Walking Dead" this past season.
Anyway, last night I watched "The Rabbit Hole" with Nicole Kidman. I had been ignoring this choice in my Netflix cue becuase the subject matter seemed so depressing. It's about a couple who tragicly lost their 4 year old boy in an accident and how they both dealt with their grief. I found it so well done that it should be included in classes on grief counseling. It showed that there are good ways and not so good ways to deal with grief, that each person does it differently, that it never completely goes away, but does get better over time and that in the end you get through it just by doing the next thing, walking through life and sharing with those around you. It's perhaps the most underratted movie I've watched in a long time.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
My First Pillows
I had been wanting to try a few new techniques and I thought son #1 could use some pillows for his way too old and saggy sofa. So I put those two things together and came up with this:
The green pillow is made from a burlap sack that pistachios came in. I had two other similar sacks from basmati rice, but the ink on those ran so badly that the design was indistinguishable. I was a little disappointed in that because I'm sure son #1 remembers the many meals made with that type of rice. The blue pillow is made with small scraps and leftovers from my recent quilting projects. They're stuffed with the filling from an old bed pillow (washed, of course). The only things I bought for this were the cording to make the piping (that turned out to be so much easier than I anticipated) and some green thread for the topstiching on the green pillow.
I love to "repurpose" stuff and I see a lot of potential here. 2011 was the year of the pillowcase and 2012 might be the year of the throw pillow. I need to get better at hiding the stitching when I put the piping on and that crazy quilt technique is not as easy as it seems like it should be. I found myself "stitched into a corner" more than once. This offers a nice small project in between the quilts or when my block of time is too small for the next quilting step.
Now I need to find a box big enough to fit these for the trip to son #1.
I love to "repurpose" stuff and I see a lot of potential here. 2011 was the year of the pillowcase and 2012 might be the year of the throw pillow. I need to get better at hiding the stitching when I put the piping on and that crazy quilt technique is not as easy as it seems like it should be. I found myself "stitched into a corner" more than once. This offers a nice small project in between the quilts or when my block of time is too small for the next quilting step.
Now I need to find a box big enough to fit these for the trip to son #1.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
British TV
My husband and I have been watching several British TV shows lately. I'm struck by the difference in the art form of acting from what we see in this country. I wonder if actors have the type of celebrity status that we afford them here. I so appreciate how normal the actors on these shows look. They don't have perfect, bright white teeth. They don't all look perpetually young and they aren't all a size 2. It adds an authenticity to their acting that can't be achieved by make up and costumes. Faces -real faces - tell such stories in themselves. I think this is why I'm attracted to sketches of faces, particularly old faces. I have an Indian chief and an old German potter hanging in my home. Both faces are deeply lined and wrinkled and I feel like the depiction of those faces speak volumes.
I will say that I have noticed a few actors in this country who I feel have interesting faces. I don't think any of them would be called "pretty or handsome" yet their looks lend believability to their characters. One is Morgan Freeman. His face seems to get more and more interesting as the years go by. Another is Frances Sternhagen. I was reminded of both of these actors while watching The Dolphin Tale recently.
Wouldn't it be nice if acting could be see for the art that it is apart from physical appearance? I'm sure there are a lot of people who can act but who weren't blessed with perfect hair or skin or body. We don't seem to hold other artists to this standard as strictly as actors. There are singers whose looks are less then perfect, although most of them DO get their teeth fixed for those close ups. I don't think this will change anytime soon so I'll have to go on getting my fill of regular looking, but well performed acting from the BBC.
I will say that I have noticed a few actors in this country who I feel have interesting faces. I don't think any of them would be called "pretty or handsome" yet their looks lend believability to their characters. One is Morgan Freeman. His face seems to get more and more interesting as the years go by. Another is Frances Sternhagen. I was reminded of both of these actors while watching The Dolphin Tale recently.
Wouldn't it be nice if acting could be see for the art that it is apart from physical appearance? I'm sure there are a lot of people who can act but who weren't blessed with perfect hair or skin or body. We don't seem to hold other artists to this standard as strictly as actors. There are singers whose looks are less then perfect, although most of them DO get their teeth fixed for those close ups. I don't think this will change anytime soon so I'll have to go on getting my fill of regular looking, but well performed acting from the BBC.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Winter Fruits and Vegetables
No, this isn't about acorn squash and yams. I've mentioned before that I have trouble maintaining an adequate amount of vegetables in the colder months because I have no desire for a cold salad when the weather is so cold outside. And I also mentioned my re-discovery of cooked greens to help with that. And that's all good, but I've come across a few other ways to get fruits and vegetables into my diet when all I really want is something hot and fattening.
Vegetables: I mentioned greens and I can expand that to point out that spinach is a great green. You can buy it in a bag already cleaned (supposedly - you can decide how much additional prep you want to provide). It steams quickly or it can be added raw to things like eggs, pizza, pasta or casseroles. One caution - if you are trying to determine amount, a six ounce bag which is the size commonly found in the bagged salad section will cook down to two medium sized portions. Soup is also a good medium for vegetables. I used to avoid making soup because I made SO much and was sick of it by the end, but now I take out a smaller pot and I don't try to add tons to things. I do though have a lot of "pieces" to the amount of broth since often a lot of broth just sits in the bottom of the bowl and travels down the drain at the end. For soups I've been using a combination of fresh and frozen vegetables. A lot of frozen vegetables come with resealable bags so you can just take out the amount you want and put the rest back in the freezer.
Fruits: These are a little easier for me in the winter, but still not the first thing I'm attracted to when the weather is cold. It helps if I leave a couple of pieces on the counter to warm up before I eat them. I also usually put fruit in my oatmeal and of course there temperature is no issue. Oddly, though buying fruit already cut up in those little cups helps too. The fruit is still cold when I eat it, but I haven't had to handle the cold fruit in order to prepare it and somehow that makes it better to me. But, my biggest discovery this winter has been baked apples! They only take four minutes in the microwave and provide a nice warm treat at the end of a meal or as a snack. I core the apple with my nifty apple corer that I found in the back of my kitchen utensil drawer. Then I fill the middle with a teaspoon or so of brown sugar and a bit of cinnamon. It doesn't take much sugar and I think it goes for a good cause. Then I put one of those plastic splatter covers over it and microwave it for four minutes. I've noticed that there is a big difference in apple variety. So far I've tried Fuji and Gala. The Fuji were a lot creamier in final texture. On my next trip to the grocery store I'm going to buy a few other varieties and experiment.
While diet is about food choices, other aspects have to be considered - like mental perceptions and the particular context of the meal (warm or cold weather, living alone or feeding many, how much you tolerate leftovers). Sometimes it helps to change the way the food is consumed as much as what food is consumed. I guess that's the psychology of dieting. Hmm....sounds like a good topic for someone's thesis.
Vegetables: I mentioned greens and I can expand that to point out that spinach is a great green. You can buy it in a bag already cleaned (supposedly - you can decide how much additional prep you want to provide). It steams quickly or it can be added raw to things like eggs, pizza, pasta or casseroles. One caution - if you are trying to determine amount, a six ounce bag which is the size commonly found in the bagged salad section will cook down to two medium sized portions. Soup is also a good medium for vegetables. I used to avoid making soup because I made SO much and was sick of it by the end, but now I take out a smaller pot and I don't try to add tons to things. I do though have a lot of "pieces" to the amount of broth since often a lot of broth just sits in the bottom of the bowl and travels down the drain at the end. For soups I've been using a combination of fresh and frozen vegetables. A lot of frozen vegetables come with resealable bags so you can just take out the amount you want and put the rest back in the freezer.
Fruits: These are a little easier for me in the winter, but still not the first thing I'm attracted to when the weather is cold. It helps if I leave a couple of pieces on the counter to warm up before I eat them. I also usually put fruit in my oatmeal and of course there temperature is no issue. Oddly, though buying fruit already cut up in those little cups helps too. The fruit is still cold when I eat it, but I haven't had to handle the cold fruit in order to prepare it and somehow that makes it better to me. But, my biggest discovery this winter has been baked apples! They only take four minutes in the microwave and provide a nice warm treat at the end of a meal or as a snack. I core the apple with my nifty apple corer that I found in the back of my kitchen utensil drawer. Then I fill the middle with a teaspoon or so of brown sugar and a bit of cinnamon. It doesn't take much sugar and I think it goes for a good cause. Then I put one of those plastic splatter covers over it and microwave it for four minutes. I've noticed that there is a big difference in apple variety. So far I've tried Fuji and Gala. The Fuji were a lot creamier in final texture. On my next trip to the grocery store I'm going to buy a few other varieties and experiment.
While diet is about food choices, other aspects have to be considered - like mental perceptions and the particular context of the meal (warm or cold weather, living alone or feeding many, how much you tolerate leftovers). Sometimes it helps to change the way the food is consumed as much as what food is consumed. I guess that's the psychology of dieting. Hmm....sounds like a good topic for someone's thesis.
Friday, January 13, 2012
2011 Summary Quilt
I decided to make a wall hanging for my quilting room with a block for each quilt I made during my first year of quilting. It was fun to make something small for a change and it gave me a chance to practice some techniques. I still have a long way to go on just about all aspects of quilting. First some pictures (from the person who isn't a picture taker!)
Each block represents one of the quilts I completed in 2011. There is also fabric from the table runner I made for son #1. The label at the bottom says, "The quilts of 2011". I'm going to hang it on my wall as soon as I get some of these cool hangers recommended by Leah Day.
Leah has been my inspiration to try free motion quilting and I used this piece as my first attempt at stippling. In general I was pleased with the result, although if I could do it again I would have used a different color thread. I'm not sure what color, perhaps the blue/green variegated thread I used on the 3D quilt. I also would have made the stitch that holds the binding on narrower. I wanted more practice putting the binding on this way and I can tell that I need to work on turning the corners. The stippling was easier than I anticipated. I had some trouble going over the non-traditional fabrics in the quilt - the knits from the tee-shirt quilt and the fabric from the cuddle quilt. It was a lot of fun. And the more you relax, the easier it is. I forgot to put my stitch length to 0 as recommended but actually I think on my machine keeping the stitch length on the standard setting gave me slightly better stitches.
I actually did a form of free motion quilting on the 3D quilt trying to make a seaweed like design and ocean waves. I like the result on this piece better. I have another quilt top ready to baste and quilt and it will at least in part have stippling. I will need to adjust my sewing tables to handle the weight of a large quilt better. I noticed that when this piece was mostly hanging to the back of the machine it became difficult to manage the fabric and that would be even more pronounced in a large quilt.
My quilt list for this year has eight quilts on it! I'm not sure I'll get those all done but I don't have to worry about running out of ideas for awhile.
Leah has been my inspiration to try free motion quilting and I used this piece as my first attempt at stippling. In general I was pleased with the result, although if I could do it again I would have used a different color thread. I'm not sure what color, perhaps the blue/green variegated thread I used on the 3D quilt. I also would have made the stitch that holds the binding on narrower. I wanted more practice putting the binding on this way and I can tell that I need to work on turning the corners. The stippling was easier than I anticipated. I had some trouble going over the non-traditional fabrics in the quilt - the knits from the tee-shirt quilt and the fabric from the cuddle quilt. It was a lot of fun. And the more you relax, the easier it is. I forgot to put my stitch length to 0 as recommended but actually I think on my machine keeping the stitch length on the standard setting gave me slightly better stitches.
I actually did a form of free motion quilting on the 3D quilt trying to make a seaweed like design and ocean waves. I like the result on this piece better. I have another quilt top ready to baste and quilt and it will at least in part have stippling. I will need to adjust my sewing tables to handle the weight of a large quilt better. I noticed that when this piece was mostly hanging to the back of the machine it became difficult to manage the fabric and that would be even more pronounced in a large quilt.
My quilt list for this year has eight quilts on it! I'm not sure I'll get those all done but I don't have to worry about running out of ideas for awhile.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
New Year's Resolution
I don't usually make New Year's Resolutions, but there is a small thing that I would like to change in my life. Keeping track in this blog has helped for other things, so maybe it will help with this. I would like to read more. I've gone through phases when I've been a pretty consistant reader and then others when I can hardly get through a book. And that's where I am now. So, I would like to read six books in 2012. I know that's not many, but I believe in realistic, attainable goals. The first three that I want to read are: two dog books that I got for Christmas and an e-book written by my nephew. I've already started the e-book, so maybe tis is cheating, but trust me, I need all the help I can get.
So, I'll post after each complete book, maybe even with my "review" of the story. Wish me luck!
So, I'll post after each complete book, maybe even with my "review" of the story. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
I'm Not a Picture Taker
I like blog posts with pictures and I've come to really admire the people who post frequently with pictures. Often they are simple things like how to bake brownies or make a certain craft project. It's many times harder to make brownies when you have to take a picture of each and every step and ingredient or to picture each step in a sewing project. So, I've come to appreciate their dedication and effort to provide that level of interest in their blog.
I like to have pictures of my family, but I've never been much of a picture taker. I used to be and if you look in my poorly organized photo albums you will see many, many pictures of son #1, slightly less of son #2 and many fewer of son #3. What you won't see are many pictures of me during those years because I was always the one behind the camera. But that's not why I don't care to take pictures these days and consequently don't post many pictures. I began to feel that while I was watching through the viewfinder of a camera I couldn't participate in what was happening. I was always looking for a good picture or trying to document an event on film and what I wanted to be doing was participating in the event. I wanted to SEE my children graduate not just take a picture of it. I want to MAKE the brownies, not take a picture of making the brownies. I want to be present in the activity rather than document the activity.
I still take pictures and indeed have pictures of graduations and the like, but I would rather just be there and then buy (for what seems like an outrageous price) the professional photographer's picture of my son getting his diploma or getting married or participating in the (fill in the blank) team. I've come to realize that I'm not paying just for a picture, I'm paying for the luxury of participating in the event and still being able to have the picture to commemorate it....and that is priceless.
I like to have pictures of my family, but I've never been much of a picture taker. I used to be and if you look in my poorly organized photo albums you will see many, many pictures of son #1, slightly less of son #2 and many fewer of son #3. What you won't see are many pictures of me during those years because I was always the one behind the camera. But that's not why I don't care to take pictures these days and consequently don't post many pictures. I began to feel that while I was watching through the viewfinder of a camera I couldn't participate in what was happening. I was always looking for a good picture or trying to document an event on film and what I wanted to be doing was participating in the event. I wanted to SEE my children graduate not just take a picture of it. I want to MAKE the brownies, not take a picture of making the brownies. I want to be present in the activity rather than document the activity.
I still take pictures and indeed have pictures of graduations and the like, but I would rather just be there and then buy (for what seems like an outrageous price) the professional photographer's picture of my son getting his diploma or getting married or participating in the (fill in the blank) team. I've come to realize that I'm not paying just for a picture, I'm paying for the luxury of participating in the event and still being able to have the picture to commemorate it....and that is priceless.
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