The pile of yummy yummy fabric sat, untouched (save for frequent peeking), for almost 2 months before I started the first step: tracing and cutting. I'm pretty sure I giggled with joy everytime I lifted the lid on the box of fabric to goggle at the radiant colours. Might have even dreamed about them.
I've had a couple of tracing/cutting sessions now, and the productivity of a cutting session, I've noticed, increases in direct proportion to the tempo of the music I'm listening to. So far the Supreme's Greatest Hits and Billy Talent has yielded the highest output. Great Lake Swimmers, on the other hand, produced only a modest quantity.
So far there is no wastage. However small, I'm keeping all of my scraps, to make into future craft projects. But in the meantime, I'm growing increasingly enamoured with the scrappy pile of colourful negative space. Think I might put the bits in a big Mason jar. Like an eye-candy jar.
I made a scale diagram on my computer and determined that for the size (Queen) and drop (about 6 inches), that I'm going to need to cut 559 full hex's and 69 half hex's. Phew! I've got my work cut out for me! But like I said before, I'm in no rush and I know this will take many months, if not years.
The tracing and cutting is relatively quick work. The next step, basting the hex's onto the paper backing, is going to take some time. I did one, just to test how much seam allowance I would need, and it was slow, fumbly work. Although I'm sure after a hundred I'll get in my groove and be quite adept. :)
Sigh. There will be no boasting of success in the kitchen this time. Nothing catastrophic, but a couple rather noteworthy mistakes. Firstly, I (again) grossly underestimated how long it would take. I beat my previous late dinner record by almost 10 minutes. This time dinner was served at the tummy-grumbling time of 8:39. Woot? Not sure how I convinced myself that this recipe was a good choice for a mid-week cooking attempt. And secondly? Well, read on...
I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to the legendary BeaverTail. I feel there must be one simple condition for consumption to take place: you must be on the canal. So, obviously, it's not often I get a chance to have one. Just those few weeks of the year when the stars align and temperatures drop for periods long enough, creating ice conditions favourable for the canal to open.
Oh hello paintbrush, sorry I've been neglecting you...
This morning I did something I haven't done in... a while. I painted. For fun. Just a quick 4x6 paint-sketch in acrylics of a photo I took last weekend. I thought of using a grid to get my proportions accurate, but decided against it for this quick project. Also, I was so eager to get started, I barely took the time to sketch it in pencil at all before attacking it with paint.
The only "rule" I set for myself was not using black. I wanted the dark areas to have a richness that sometimes I find hard to achieve with black. It can be too dense, and when lightened with white, can sometimes seem too cold. I might try variations using black, or perhaps only black and white to explore the tonalities.
Anyway, I'm happy with how it turned out; although I think it looks better from a distance. But more importantly, it felt good, and reminded me happily of all those things I love about painting. The tactile feeling of a brush moving across the subtle texture of the canvas, the marks left behind, and the way the individual strokes combine and blend and build themselves into an image. I need to return to painting with a sense of fun and freedom; as an activity that I look forward to, not a daunting "oh, it won't turn out so why bother" item on a to-do list...
Winterlude began last night with festivities at the Museum of Civilizations, including various performers, singers, dancers, activities, free admission to the Museum (which was open until 11pm), and fantastic fireworks!
A too-good-to-be-true, utterly indulgent, weekend spent among the trees, traversing frozen lakes, scaling hills, and cozying up by the fire; bellies full of cheese fondue, baguette, chocolate fondue, pancakes, fresh fruit, and more than a little bit of wine.
Back in November, Mark and I booked this cottage near(ish) Tremblant for 2 nights, knowing it would be nice to have a mid-winter getaway to look forward to, although not the typically southern location of most mid-winter escapes. This getaway was not to getaway from winter, but to fully immerse in all the wonderful things about winter! We had initially been looking for a little one-room cabin, but couldn't find any that weren't tied to a larger resort that required the purchase of a meal plan. But it was lovely, and the experience was great (having never rented a cottage before).
Sticking with my intention to master some simpler meals to build my confidence back up, I found this fantastic recipe: Curried Israeli Couscous and Lentil Pilaf. From stove to table was only half an hour—including a spontaneous side salad—quite possibly a record for me. Not only that, it was phenomenally tasty! I'm so proud of me! And I have leftovers for lunches. Triple win.
I used fresh carrots instead of frozen and re-hydrated lentils as an alternative to using canned—which tend to be high in sodium and a bit mushy—but otherwise followed the recipe.
My couscous absorbed the liquid in less than 3 minutes even though I had it on low heat; not a problem, just a comment. But nothing boiled over or burnt, and the kitchen wasn't even a mess when I was done. This has certainly bolstered my spirits in the kitchen and I'm excited to plan next week's meal!
