We interrupt our regularly scheduled blogging for cheering! (and, OK … I give up…blogger is refusing to let me “fix” the errors it introduced in the font…hope you can read the end of the recipe…no matter what I do it won’t change font or size….sigh and snarl!)

Yes, at llllloooooonnnnnngggggg last, we have a proper winter snowstorm here in mid-coast Maine. And unlike south of here in Portland and environs, and here two weeks ago, the snow did not turn to rain (which turned to slush and then ice) in the later afternoon. For the past two weeks, the mid-coast area has been a virtual skating rink, melting off only a few days ago. (Update: DANG! During the course of writing this, it has turned to rain !!!!! PPPPffffoOOOOOOEEEEEYYYYYY!!!!!)

This morning we had six inches of fresh snow. So what do you do on a no-school Friday? Why, shovel and sit and play! If you are Yeti, you play couch potato out of doors and bask in the glory of a thick coat and your element:

If you are Joshua, you get ready:

You launch:

and you land:

If you are Eli, you dig a cave:

and then go in head first:

If you are Mommy, you take pictures of cool patterns, like the falling down woodpile:

Our neighbor’s perfect tree:

and bark:

And if you are still a Yeti, you ask to stay outside a bit longer!

Then you make pea soup (recipe at the end):

Then you bring the dog in….alas, we didn’t use the flash (Eli was taking pictures and didn’t realize). How do you get that much snow off that big and hairy a dog? Why grab the push-broom!

Sarah’s Split Pea Soup

Here’s my recipe, which makes a very thick soup. If you like yours not-so-thick, add more water:

–2 slices bacon
–1 pound turkey kielbasa (if you like less meat, use half) cut into lengthwise quarters and cubed
–1 yellow onion, chopped
–2-3 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
–3 carrots, chopped very finely
–2 Yukon (or Aroostook) Gold potatoes, chopped finely
–1 bag (one pound I think) split green peas
–2 bay leaves
–herbs (I used a Penzey‘s blend, Sunny Paris, which has shallots, chives, green peppercorns, dill weed, basil, tarragon, chervil and bay leaf.
–3 16-oz cans chicken broth
–4 cups or more water

–Saute bacon in a dutch oven.
–Add 1/3 to 1/2 of the turkey kielbasa and brown it.
–Remove the browned kielbasa from the pan and saute the next batch until done.
–Remove bacon and kielbasa from pan.
–Add chopped onion and saute.
–Add smashed garlic and saute briefly.
–Add ONE can of chicken broth to de-glaze the tasty brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
–Add finely chopped carrots and chopped potato.
–Rinse split peas and (if needed) remove any small stones or twigs. Add to pot.
–Add remaining TWO cans of chicken broth and two cups water.
–Sprinkle on some seasoning and add bay leaves.
–DO NOT add salt or pepper yet…the salt in the chicken broth and pepper in the kielbasa may (or may not) be enough.
–Raise heat under pan and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to lowest setting and simmer.
–Stir every so often so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan and scorch.
–Taste test, adding salt and pepper if desired.
–IF the soup is too thick add more water to desired consistency.

I made my soup in the late morning, then turned the heat off. 45 minutes before dinner turn the heat back on under the soup to warm it up slowly. I added about two more cups of water at this time.

I also made croutons. I save our heels from bread loaves (the boys went through half a loaf just in French Toast for breakfast today!!!), then shave off the crust side and cube. Spray a jelly roll pan (or half-sheet cake pan) with Pam, spread cubed bread one layer deep, and spray again with Pam (I use regular on the sheet, Olive Oil Pam on the cubes). Broil for about 2 minutes…watch it like a hawk! It burns in a nano-second…and don’t ask how I know this. Don’t use the shelf level closest to the broiler…go down one. Pull out pan, “toss” the croutons, and return to broil for 1-2 minutes.

I thought I might do a series of brief notes with quotations from Aimone’s “Design! A Lively Guide to Design Basics for Artists and Craftspeople.” So, let’s begin at the beginning. Here is the opening of Chapter 1, The purposes of design (p.14)

…The purposes of design fall roughly into five categories: Descriptive (to document the visible world), narrative (to tell a story or send a message), emotive (to evoke a mood), utilitarian (to perform a practical function), and decorative (to creatively arrange design elements, such as color and shape). Keep in mind that most designs serve more than one of these purposes. In fact, overlap is almost inevitable. Usually, however, one design purpose is primary, and the success of any design can be judged by how well it achieves its purpose.

In a day or so, I’ll upload photos of my lecture on Mount Desert Island Wednesday evening, then my upcoming class schedule, and maybe even (if I can find the photo so I can scan it) me doing one of the scariest things I’ve ever done in my life….walking on the edge of the aquaduct outside of La Paz, Bolivia…..but more on that later. Now, I’m off to the sofa. Eli breathed on me. I feel icky and achy, and that’s after two extra-strength Tylenol and tea. Brrrrrr…….

Here, Eli waits his turn to test.

And Joshua racks up a few more wins at Saturday’s wrestling meet. (An aside: tried to post this yesterday, but blogger wasn’t cooperating! Hope to add quilty /fabric content on Friday– I made a new blouse from quilting flannel, and today I head to Mount Desert Island to speak to quilters from SouthWest Harbor, the rest of Mt. Desert Isl –home to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park– and from Ellsworth, just over on the coast.)

Monday night, however, was Eli’s night. He and several others, kids and adults, tested for new belts at Tae Kwon Do karate. Stripes, intermediate ranks as you progress from one belt to the next, may be awarded during regular teaching sessions or at testing sessions. Here, Eli is performing a kata, a series of steps simulating moves one would take against multiple attackers:

Then, the students perform one-steps with a fellow student (in this case Adam, who also got his green belt and is Eli’s class at school!):

Eli is also studying Ishinriyu Japanese style karate with 4-th degree black belt Sensei Pete Bishop. This is a great honor for him, since Eli is really the first kid Pete has invited to study with him; usually he works only with red belts (which is one under black) and above! The two worked on what is called “environmentals”, a sequence of steps practiced with an “attacker” so you can see exactly what situation is being simulated. Here is Eli with Sensei Pete:

When you need to re-tie your belt, or get a new belt, it is considered respectful to turn one’s back to the ranking belt to make any adjustments. Here, Eli has been awarded his green belt, and is tying the knot:

Then, everyone bows to the newly advanced practitioner:

And for an update on wrestling season:

Saturday was the six-team meet (most are 3-team meets), including the ever-awesome Mount Ararat school. Of Joshua’s five matches, one was a default (no one in his weight class on the opposing team, counts as a “win” for Camden-Rockport), one was a loss to the boy from Mount Ararat—not only do they have a huge team, they are all good, and THREE were pins! Yeah Sport! Here’s the opening move in one match:

And here’s a slightly blurry “win” (they move too fast!)

For today’s post, I thought I’d review Design! A Lively Guide to Design Basics for Artists and Craftspeople by Steven Aimone (If you click on the title, it will take you to the listing for the hardback at Amazon; I notice that it is due out in April in paperback, but the cost difference –$4– is so little, go for the hardback!).

The thing I like most about this book is that Aimone goes beyond traditional art media (oils, acrylics, watercolors and sculpture) to look at design EVERYwhere: the endpapers have a photo of a stovetop! Items used to illustrate various design principles include: paintings, sculpture, masks, jewelry, hair, olive oil can, chairs and flowers, baskets, mud huts, quilts, advertisements, toiletries, architecture, the Apple iMac, photographs (including one of a decorated camel), even food!

I can’t decide if this is supposed to be a textbook or a coffee table book: the production values are so good that it is eye-candy as well as informative. I have long said good sewing is good sewing, whether you are making a garment, a quilt, or household items. Similarly, good design is just that: good design. It doesn’t matter if it is a painting, a quilt, a landscape, an interior, a building. The basic principles of design apply across all media.

The book covers:

• Introduction
• 1. The Purposes of Design
• 2. The Design Process
• 3. Visual Elements
• 4. The Design Space
• 5. Repetition of Motif
• 6. Rhythm
• 7. Symmetrical Arrangements
• 8. Asymmetrical Arrangements
• 9. Focal Emphasis
• 10. Underlying Shapes
• 11. Critique
• Glossary of Design Terms
• Artist Index
• Index

Many quilters are intimidated by terminology from the art world, but (pet peeve / soapbox moment coming) it is just words! Just as we learned what Log Cabin, fat quarter, scant quarter inch and Baltimore Album mean, we can learn color vocabulary: complementary, analogous, tint/shade/tone, and we can learn art vocabulary: focal point, rhythm, harmony, line and more. It’s just words, we’re all smart, so we can learn to use the art terminology and better understand our own art form.

I loved Aimone’s straightforward description in the introduction: Simply put, design is the arrangement of visual elements in a space. (p. 10) And the illustrations for that page are a quilt and an oil painting by Piet Mondrian!

Unlike many traditional design books, Aimone also talks about texture: actual and imaginary, as pattern, as weight and emphasis, and as subject. Pages 54-55 are part of that discussion:

If you’re interested in learning more about why some designs work, some don’t, how to create better compositions, and how to troubleshoot your own pieces, this is a fantastic book that really gets you to thinking beyond the quilt world. And, it gives you exercises to try to help implement what you’ve just learned.

Highly recommended!

Publishing information:

Aimone, Steven. Design! A Lively Guide to Design Basics for Artists and Craftspeople. 2004 Lark Books, New York. ISBN 1-57990-349-5 (hard cover).

Fiberart For A Cause, fundraising for the American Cancer Society, is back
in action with the 2007 Invitational Reverse Auction.

http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/NewFiles/ACS/ReverseAuction2007.html

Featuring fiber art donated by Jane Davila, Jamie Fingal, Mary Beth Frezon,
Lynn Krawczyk, Heidi Miracle-McMahill, Carol Moore, Scott Murkin,
Cynthia St. Charles, Sarah Ann Smith and Elin Waterston, the Reverse Auction
runs March 12-16. The quilt above is my donation to the cause. Surf in to the link above to see all the fabulous pieces!

Artwork begins at a fixed price and is reduced by a fixed percentage each
day. Wait too long and the artwork you want will be gone. 100% of the
proceeds are donated to the American Cancer Society.