Today's the day! If you are out here on Long Island for Thanksgiving weekend, be sure to stop by!
Friday, November 28, 2008 9 AM to 3 PM
Saturday, November 29 9 AM to 3 PM
Sunday, November 30 10 AM to 2 PM
The Grange
Sound Avenue at Church Lane in Riverhead, New York
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
The Eclecic Artisans Web Show
It's cold here in Greenport today -- it actually feels like snow. I've built a fire in the wood stove out here in the studio and I've got Christmas carols playing. Cairo is curled up on his cushion. I have to finish up my piece for the TEA show which will held starting November 24th. Just click on the button in the right hand column to get there. I've seen a couple of pieces already and they are delightful.
Friday, November 14, 2008
100th Post
I just realized that I have finally reached 100 posts. I know that in crafter blogland that usually signals a giveaway by the blogger. I am too deep in shows and architects and stuff like that right now, But I am hoping that by the first week of December, I'll be able to announce a giveaway. So stay tuned . . .
In the meantime -- I'd like to wish my husband Peter a very Happy Birthday -- it was yesterday. He was born on Friday the 13th, and his mother always says that is her lucky day . . . We had our wonderful friends Paula and Ann over for dinner -- they make everyday a celebration. I made Tortilla-Wrapped Fish, Aztec Quinoa Salad, Bok Choy, and a green salad for supper. The recipes are from Mesa Mexicana -- a wonderful Mexican cookbook by Mary Milliken and Susan Feniger. It has the best recipe for guacomole, too. For dessert: a Spiced Chocolate Cake with Almond Cream from a very old copy of Bon Appetit. Yummy. I'm looking forward to leftovers for lunch today.
In the meantime -- I'd like to wish my husband Peter a very Happy Birthday -- it was yesterday. He was born on Friday the 13th, and his mother always says that is her lucky day . . . We had our wonderful friends Paula and Ann over for dinner -- they make everyday a celebration. I made Tortilla-Wrapped Fish, Aztec Quinoa Salad, Bok Choy, and a green salad for supper. The recipes are from Mesa Mexicana -- a wonderful Mexican cookbook by Mary Milliken and Susan Feniger. It has the best recipe for guacomole, too. For dessert: a Spiced Chocolate Cake with Almond Cream from a very old copy of Bon Appetit. Yummy. I'm looking forward to leftovers for lunch today.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Rug Hooking Road Trip: Green Mountain Guild Rug Show, Shelburne, Vermont
Barb and I hit the road again last Friday and headed to the Shelburne Museum -- one of my favorites -- for the 13th Annual Hooked in the Mountains Rug Show. It was a less than stellar trip in terms of food, accommodations, and driving, but the show itself was fabulous.
The show is being held in the magnificent round barn on the Museum grounds. This is the second or third year that the show is being held in November and I have to say, the barn was a lot warmer on Saturday than it ever was when the show was held in the spring. There were many fewer rugs this year, which made for a better show. (Amy Oxford photographed a couple of the shows for books, which made every rug hooker from here to Alaska enter every rug they had ever made into those shows, no matter how bad they were. That was sensory overload.)
This year's show is called Expect the Unexpected and features the rugs of Diane Kelly and Rae Harrell. Diane's rugs were enclosed in their own room, with a sign outside that said "Diane's House." The room was set up with furniture and rugs on the walls -- very charming.
Rae Harrell's work is a little more unexpected. She is obviously interested in eastern religions -- she had a hooked piece with a beaded figure that was quite striking. I imagine her stacks of what look like crocheted stones with eyeballs at the top (they reminded me of E.T.) are somehow tied in with the mystical as well.
She also had some braided pieces, including a web-like installation made of braids. My favorite of Rae's unexpected pieces were two dioramas, contained in little painted boxes with small holes that you had to bend down and look through with one eye -- very clever. While some of Rae's more experimental pieces don't always speak to or engage me, I certainly appreciate her spirit of adventure and her willingness to take rug hooking to places it hasn't been before. Her more traditional hooked rugs, which often feature women, are always striking. Peg Irish pointed out to me that Rae often hooks with a particular black and white off-the-bolt wool -- you can find it in almost every piece she hooks.
Speaking of Peg Irish -- she had an interesting piece in the show, too. She abstracted one of the Unicorn tapestries into a small hooked piece. In the photo you can see a picture of the tapestry as well as the finished piece. This rug was done for a class peg will be teaching at the Brookfield Craft Center in Connecticut.
I found this rug really interesting. The color was striking and the hooking was beautifully executed. I'm sorry to say, I didn't get the artist's name.
I didn't get the name of the woman who hooked this little colorful mat either, which presents an unexpected subject matter instead of an unexpected technique.
A few years ago it seemed that everyone was hooking self-portraits in shades of blue -- perhaps now we'll have a rash of colorful hooked male body parts . . .
I liked the border on this rug a lot -- looks like an oriental rug.
Here are a few others that I admired, either for their design, color or technique.
More on the show to come . . .
Hooked in the Mountains XIII: "Expect the Unexpected"
featuring the Hooked Rug Art of Diane Kelly and Rae Harrell.
November 8 – 16, 2008
Round Barn, Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, Vermont.
Exhibit open 10 AM – 5 PM daily.
Opening reception 5 PM Friday evening, November 7.
The show is being held in the magnificent round barn on the Museum grounds. This is the second or third year that the show is being held in November and I have to say, the barn was a lot warmer on Saturday than it ever was when the show was held in the spring. There were many fewer rugs this year, which made for a better show. (Amy Oxford photographed a couple of the shows for books, which made every rug hooker from here to Alaska enter every rug they had ever made into those shows, no matter how bad they were. That was sensory overload.)
This year's show is called Expect the Unexpected and features the rugs of Diane Kelly and Rae Harrell. Diane's rugs were enclosed in their own room, with a sign outside that said "Diane's House." The room was set up with furniture and rugs on the walls -- very charming.
Rae Harrell's work is a little more unexpected. She is obviously interested in eastern religions -- she had a hooked piece with a beaded figure that was quite striking. I imagine her stacks of what look like crocheted stones with eyeballs at the top (they reminded me of E.T.) are somehow tied in with the mystical as well.
She also had some braided pieces, including a web-like installation made of braids. My favorite of Rae's unexpected pieces were two dioramas, contained in little painted boxes with small holes that you had to bend down and look through with one eye -- very clever. While some of Rae's more experimental pieces don't always speak to or engage me, I certainly appreciate her spirit of adventure and her willingness to take rug hooking to places it hasn't been before. Her more traditional hooked rugs, which often feature women, are always striking. Peg Irish pointed out to me that Rae often hooks with a particular black and white off-the-bolt wool -- you can find it in almost every piece she hooks.
Speaking of Peg Irish -- she had an interesting piece in the show, too. She abstracted one of the Unicorn tapestries into a small hooked piece. In the photo you can see a picture of the tapestry as well as the finished piece. This rug was done for a class peg will be teaching at the Brookfield Craft Center in Connecticut.
I found this rug really interesting. The color was striking and the hooking was beautifully executed. I'm sorry to say, I didn't get the artist's name.
I didn't get the name of the woman who hooked this little colorful mat either, which presents an unexpected subject matter instead of an unexpected technique.
A few years ago it seemed that everyone was hooking self-portraits in shades of blue -- perhaps now we'll have a rash of colorful hooked male body parts . . .
I liked the border on this rug a lot -- looks like an oriental rug.
Here are a few others that I admired, either for their design, color or technique.
More on the show to come . . .
Hooked in the Mountains XIII: "Expect the Unexpected"
featuring the Hooked Rug Art of Diane Kelly and Rae Harrell.
November 8 – 16, 2008
Round Barn, Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, Vermont.
Exhibit open 10 AM – 5 PM daily.
Opening reception 5 PM Friday evening, November 7.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
History is Made . . .
It's just after 11 pm here in New York. I was going to go to bed early -- didn't think I could stand to watch the election returns. . . But I got pulled in -- and I'm glad I did. Times Square looks like it does on New Years Eve. . . Jesse Jackson is in tears. . . My daughter won't be moving to Canada . . .
Seriously, though. Barack Obama's election is a remarkable event. The only thing that can top it is a woman in the White House. That's next.
Seriously, though. Barack Obama's election is a remarkable event. The only thing that can top it is a woman in the White House. That's next.
VOTE!
Everybody in our house has voted -- including Clara who is technically not in our house right now. Did you vote? There's still time -- so get out there and be a good American!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Sign of the Season
I saw these pumpkins on my way to the market the other day. Tomorrow is the big day, so get out and vote -- no matter who you favor. If you don't vote, you can't complain. Clara is happy to be voting in her first presidential election tomorrow. I'm proud of her for taking the time to change her registration so she can vote while she's away at school.
On another subject -- if there is a god of household appliances, please put in a good word for me. About a month ago, our 20 year old microwave died. Got a new one. A week later the washing machine quit working. Had it fixed. Last week -- no hot water. Got the hot water heater fixed. Today -- the drains are backing up. Thankfully, Pete is home to deal with this one. We're waiting on the plumber now. What else can go wrong? Maybe I shouldn't ask . . . .
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