Life 5 - zen garden

Just an update for the blog, as it's been a while! Although the exhibition at Redditch is up and running, I'm making two more Life quilts, based on an oriental theme, and this is where I'm up to with Life 5.

I've been investigating shoji blinds, and have begun to put them in place. They are room dividers and privacy screens.You can see a space between the blinds and this will be for a view through an open door - a bit like the photo on the left.

 My view was inspired by David Hockney's paintings of a zen garden in Kyoto (internet trawl bought up the photo below)

I'm not sure if I'll go with stones or put one of my wobbly topiary trees in the gravel instead.  I'm looking forward to doing the machining for the gravel patterns!! It's quite a big space to fill and is a bit like a quilt within a quilt.

I've been a bit slow with stuff lately, but hope to speed up soon and perhaps get it done before the end of October. (There, I've publicly set a date now - cripes)  Gardening jobs and related special occasions are at an end now so I have no excuse not to crack on! The other Life Quilt with an Oriental theme will be Still Life with lots of Chinese pots (I've been collecting them and now have enough I think) 
Right then, I'm off to eat cupcakes.  I'm supposed to be on a low fat diet but can't see good food go to waste especially if it's extraordinarily delicious.

Exhibition open

Catherine and I took a trip over to Redditch yesterday so that she could see the exhibition before flying home later this morning.
We were very pleased to see how wonderful the work looks in the gallery at Forge Mill. Here is a little taster to hopefully entice you along to our Meet the Artists ( some of them!) between 1pm and 3pm today.

Look forward to seeing some of you later - off to Manchester Airport now!

Edwina

Dunking in Edwinas Vat

Here are some images of some cloth that Edwina most generously let me dunk in her indigo vat .... one was scrunched up around big waste pipe and the other was clamped over square plexiglass resists ... I love them! Edwina teaches this day fairly reguarly and I would definitely have a go. The big question now is: will I be able to resist adding other colours in to these cloths??

My turn!

Having wondered what all the fuss was about I had to have a go with Catherine's recipe this afternoon.

My version has pecans, raisins and just in case they weren't chocolatey enough, dark chocolate chips. I hope I have some visitors over the next couple of days or I cannot be held responsible for what might happen to this mountain of brownies! I guess we are allowed to celebrate the fact that the exhibition work has been delivered.

 

Delightful Hilary came all the way to Leamington yesterday to give me a lift delivering quilts to Inneke's barn for the Orientation exhibition.



Now whilst Hilary was deep in a trough of indigo dye...................

........................ I was deep in a trough of those world famous brownies!
 

Thanks to everyone, and see you on Saturday!

food for thought

With deadlines looming and about a million things that need to be done before an exhibition opens whats a girl to do. I know when the going gets tough the tough get going so we decided on shopping (did that yesterday!) and baking- you guessed it Hilary - brownies!

This recipe actually originates in Vancouver- it's from a wonderful place called The Lazy Gourmet and I have been making them for ages. I shared the recipe with Edwina and she made a few additions and adaptations to the recipe and here is the version we shared at the latest SiX and Friends meeting, enjoy!

The Lazy SiX and Friends gourmet brownies-
235 grams butter
235 grams white sugar
235 grams brown sugar
175 grams cocoa
3 large eggs
235 grams flour ( cake and pastry or plain)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
235 grams total all or mixture of chopped pecans, dried cranberries, chocolate chips or.....

*in a large bowl sift flour and baking powder and set aside.
* In a large saucepan melt the butter add white sugar, brown sugar and cocoa- blend well. Beat in one egg at a time add flour and blend well, add vanilla and nuts etc... mix in well.
* Pour into prepared 9" X 13" pan ( we lined the bottom with parchment) and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F., 180 C or gas mark 4.  Center will be firm but not hard.

We won't mention the calorie count but a little free motion quilting helps wear some of it off!

Edwina recommends Green and Black cocoa and I'm a fan of Fry's.

Brownies in the oven- back to stitching!
Catherine