This and that............

 'This' is a warp of some holiday towels that are on the loom right now. it's an undulating twill that many made candy cane towels out of several years ago.  They're fun. 

'That' is the forest fire that is ravaging in our area. I thought we might make it through fire season this year without a major/mega fire but not so lucky. On July 17th we had a lightning storm come through parts of SW Oregon - our county alone had 58 fire starts the last I knew. Almost all of them were put out quickly, none remain a problem except for the Rum Creek Fire up river from us. It has now made national news programs. 

It's in very steep terrain, very dangerous for fire fighters, one died there last week. They are working on putting in fire lines and contingency lines but most of the fire fighting efforts are by air because of the terrain - bombers dropping retardant and copters dropping water. There are crews of structure protection fire fighters working on protecting homes. The evacuation orders go from 1 - get ready, 2 get set and be ready to go at a moment's notice, level 3 go now you are in grave danger and you may not be able to be saved.  There are all 3 levels on this fire encompassing a huge section of the county. For how far the fire is we are still seeing level 1 approaching where we live which is on the outer western edge of the city of Grants Pass. Levels are changing constantly - first change for the evening just a bit ago added more area near us to level 1. Governor Brown ordered the Conflagration Act on Saturday which brings more resources to the area and yesterday declared a state of emergency which brings even more resources. Some are already arriving, hope they continue to come in to help our area. 

We already have a fire plan in our house - our GO bags have been packed most of the summer and are on the floor in the bedroom to grab and run, rolling carts sit near paperwork that could be thrown in quickly. We have friends in towns just to the east who have offered us refuge if we need to leave. Two vehicles have full gas tanks. I could make light of it and say it is what it is but I can't - I get very anxious over fire and I'm not doing well, I'm very scared for those closer to the fire including many friends, I'm very scared for the fire fighters, I'm very scared for not just my city but others in the fire's path and I'm very scared for us.  Please send positive thoughts our way, we need them right now with temps around 100 forecast for the week. 

Visiting Santa

I was going to wait until the 25th to post this pic but Misty insisted I put it up now.  She was so proud of how well she did visiting Santa...…….other than not wanting to leave when it was the next dog's turn. She could have stayed on Santa's lap all afternoon. I wasn't listening to what Santa said to her but I hope he didn't promise her any plush toys as she'll gut them within minutes.

Reindeer

It's hard to believe but we did get Misty to sit still with reindeer antlers on - she seemed to like it.  what will be interesting is how she reacts to a picture with Santa this weekend - hope Santa has an extra beard in case she eats his...….

Happy Holidays

Happy  Holidays from my home to yours

Hanging in there.........

I am still here although I haven't been posting.  There has been so much going on and so much of my time consumed with things that are not creative at all. Hopefully I will soon be spending time in the studio again.

We actually decorated this year, we haven't done anything for 10 years other than put a swag down on our gate at the old house. This year, in the new house, we actually have outdoor lights - that's a first, ever. The porch still needs something other than my wreath......maybe next year.  There are 6 trees up in the house - the big one, 3 small northwoods style trees that have all sheep/fiber related ornaments on them, a table top tree with my inklings and a tiny miniature tree. Stockings are hung by the chimney with care. It's looking very festive for the holidays.......for a change. 

The dolls above were made by my grandmother. I must have been in the 3rd or 4th grade so they're around 55 years old. I remember sitting at her dining room table watching her hand sew the clothing. The women's outfits are complete with petticoats and lace bloomers, cameos at their necks and not in view from this angle are gem baubles on their hats. That left muff is real mink. The man's outfit is all wool. I treasure these dolls and hopefully one day when I'm gone someone else in the family will treasure them. There were several sets made for my mother and aunts so there are others floating around the family - mine were my grandmother's set.

We did sell our old house - closed escrow on Nov 30th. What a sigh of relief not to go into the winter worrying about that house. We hadn't expected to own it for so long after buying this one but the fires this summer put a damper on houses moving in the area. I hope the new owners love living there, it is a beautiful house and piece of property. Now that we've sold it we can start thinking about some remodeling here at the new house....sometime after the holidays A new kitchen is in order, appliances are newer so those are fine but new cabinets, countertops, sink, backsplash are on the to-do list. Then a new gas fireplace which entails removal of marble tile and new tile and a different mantle. Some new lighting......which I've been looking for already but just haven't found exactly what I want. There are more things we want to do here but these are the first on the list.

Another issue taking up time was health related. An area of my breast with radial scarring found during a routine mammogram, followed by a core needle biopsy (yuck) and then a lumpectomy just 2 weeks ago. In the end all is fine, no cancer found, but still un-nerving. I can't say how impressed I was with my nurse navigator and my surgeon, not to mention how caring everyone was at the hospital. They all made, what for me, was a stressful situation so much easier. Man, am I glad that's over. Once those steri-strips fall off the incision I'll really consider it over.

Now I'm working like a mad person trying to play catch up with getting gifts together. I am so behind this year. This entire year has been consumed by not so fun or creative things - I'm determined next year will be better and I'll be spending much of my time in the studio. 

Off to Santa's workshop to finish up some small gifts.........

 When under stress I have trouble doing much of anything creative - the embroidery machine fits the bill, not too much thinking required and I've accomplished something.

New towels for sale in my etsy shop.......yes, I'm actually thinking ahead to the holidays.......for once.  I am loving all these towels but those pumpkins are so danged cute - I'll definitely be stitching up some for me too.

I hope all stay safe in Texas and surrounding states with the approaching hurricane, torrential rains and storm surge.......sure wish some of that rain could be spread out along the west coast.

It was a good holiday..........

Santa was good to Bailey this year......hmm, what's this?

 .....oh, it was a rawhide granola bar........but wait, what's up there????

 ......it's a new Buster!!!!

 

 Bailey said he's not sure why he got a new Buster because his old one was broken in just right......he just couldn't see that old Buster was threadbare and had a stink about him that no one in the house could stand any longer.......and he wouldn't have made it through another trip in the washer........

......ah, life is good.........Bailey hopes you all had just as wonderful a holiday as he did...........

Elves hard at work......

I've been absent from making blog posts as I'm been busy in Santa's workshop. Unfortunately I can't show what I've been creating but it's all been at the sewing machine this year, several different projects. I still have a few more gifts to sew but since they're for my mother I've got plenty of time - no mailing involved.

Some fun little gifts.......sorry, can't show what they are but I definitely will after the holidays along with a link to a YouTube video to show how they're made........

......holiday cards from hand-woven fabric in progress......

......and gift bag making. Those Trader Joe's bags I get when I've forgotten to put my reusable shopping bags back in the car don't go to waste - they become my gift bags for the holidays.....my tissue is old sewing patterns, no need to waste that tissue either........

This afternoon I had to run up to the post office and to the store. I pulled the mustang out of the garage and thought, wow, my feet feel so comfy.........well, I looked down and I was wearing my sheep slippers. I felt compelled to go back in the house and put on real shoes. If it were just the small post office 2 miles away I wouldn't have bothered changing but I was going to town to a big store with lots of walking around and it's pouring rain......thought real shoes would be in order.

Christmas Eve - the success and failure.....food wise.......

Success:  Cousin Jim's fish soup which he had tweaked since this new recipe was first sampled last year - it's outstanding.  Jim brought all the ingredients and made it here at our house. My grandmother's traditional fish soup recipe is how we start out our Feast of the Seven Fishes.....sorry Nani but Jim's soup is much better, if she were still with us I think she'd agree.  Recipe for this incredible soup is at the bottom of this post - I'm thinking we may have to try it sometime adding some shrimp, crab, mussels & clams - yum.  We'll be eating leftover soup tomorrow - yum.

Failure: Cousin Jim decided to try his hand at Sugar Plums because he'd never had them.  These were not good - list of ingredients sound like they should be super yummy......but they weren't, they really weren't, they really really weren't good........leftovers were going in the trash if he couldn't find any takers.  But we tried something new.

Bailey had a grand time opening a present from Cousin Jim last night - hard to get a picture of him he was so excited - we think he's as excited at carrying around a wrapped gift as actually getting the gift.

He sat still for a picture with it this morning.......that was until he saw what Santa brought overnight.


FISHERMAN'S SOUP

6 rashers of bacon, chopped (learned a rasher is a slice)
2 tbs butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic minced fine
3 tsp Old Bay seasoning
3 tbs fresh chopped cilantro
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2/3 cup dry vermouth or white wine
2-3 cups fish stock
11 oz potatoes, diced
1 1/2-2 pounds skinless white fish fillets cut into chunks (he used cod)
Salt and pepper to taste

Fry the bacon to browned but not crisp. Remove from pan.

Add butter to pan and cook onion and celery until soft, add garlic and herbs and cool for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, stock and wine and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add potatoes, cover again and simmer for a further 10-12 minutes or until the potatoes are almost tender.

Add chunks of fish and bacon pieces. Simmer gently uncovered for 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked and the potatoes are tender.

Garnish with additional fresh cilantro and lime wedge if desired.   I throw on a few spoonfuls of oyster crackers because I love them and rarely eat them......

This and that.......

The day after Thanksgiving we decided to head over to the coast for a long weekend. We love to walk on the beach looking for treasures which usually amount to seaglass and small sea snail shells but occasionally we find other treasures like this huge float. It may not look big in this photo but it is and it's heavy.......and I made Sam carry it all down the beach and back, and then back up the hill to our cottage. Not sure what boat this would have come off of - way bigger than used on the local fishing boats. Fun find to put in the front yard as coastal yard art.......and hope no one snatches it while we're gone.......

I put up a tiny little tree at the beach cottage. I found this little white lit tree at Michaels. Then I took some shells and glittered them. It needs more but that's all I've got for it at the moment. I used some leftover cones from yarn to make the cone trees covering them with scrapbook paper.

Bandon and the surrounding area has many cranberry bogs. Most of the cranberries are sold to Ocean Spray for juice and are water harvested which doesn't make them good for fresh eating but at the grower's market there's usually a booth in the fall that has some handpicked cranberries. Friend Nadine sent me the recipe for the Bandon Boatworks Cranberry bread so I made a couple loaves - yum. Bandon Boatworks was a nice restaurant across the inlet from the light house, it was there for years, then closed - they served this bread on their salad bar. The building was recently bought and worked on but up for lease now - hopefully another restaurant will eventually move in - one of the best locations in town for an ocean view........we even watched otters floating on their backs eating clams from our table when dining there. Here's the super simple recipe for Bandon Boatworks Cranberry Bread.

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 TBs butter, softened
1 egg
3/4 cup orange juice
1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped (I didn't read the chopped part so mine were whole)

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and soda. With fingers, rub butter into dry ingredients. Mix together egg and orange juice. Add to dry mixture. Fold in cranberries. Turned into greased loaf pan. Bake at 325 for 70-75 minutes.

Bailey had to say hi - he had a grand time on the coast.

 

 

Christmas

Christmas is a bit delayed here at our house this year. We usually do a big Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve but it snowed half the day here at our house and weather was iffy for the evening - possibly more snow & ice so we postponed that until Saturday. It's just fine, no reason for unnecessary worry about family driving.

I thought I'd post some of the gifts I made for family & friends this year. First off are our Christmas cards this year - I have pictures of two of them since the trees vary a bit since the warps were handpainted (dyed) and then woven. And yes, I hand cut all the tree shapes out of cardstock.

Here's another knitted felted tea cozy, this one decorated with needlefelted leaves & vines

I covered journals (these are just a few) with all sorts of papers for friends & family to keep their thoughts, dreams or ideas in. My spinning group got glass magnets - one with our logo and then others with various pictures of fibers. And for another gift I filled glass balls with spinning fibers, these the signature fiber from a past NWRSA conference, I added some glitzy fibers to it for more sparkle.











A friend who moved up to Corvallis earlier this fall got a special gift. Two of us were over helping her pack one day and while packing the kitchen I opened a drawer and found it full of twist ties, bread closures and rubberbands. I got hysterical because there were so many of them, more than a person could ever use - recycling taken to the max. The night before she and her husband took off she gave me a gift - a box of twist ties, bread closures & rubberbands! Well, I knew I couldn't let that go so I really took recycling to the max and made her a necklace and earrings - all I added were some jump rings and a few beads. I'm hoping she got a big laugh when she opened the box yesterday morning.
I made two quilted afghans this year both in golf themes. Hubby Sam's is the one in the grey/black colorway, my cousin Jim (whose name I had in the family gift exchange this year) is the forest/deep red colorway. Jim won't get his until tomorrow since we delayed Christmas Eve dinner - hope he loves it as much as Sam loves his.






And finally some of the fingerless mitts I knit and a new knit hat for Sam