This is the time of year that every gardener and farm stand seems to have mountains of squash. When I was little I had no idea what to do with these oddly shaped vegetables, nor did my mom. We sometimes bought them to use as table decorations during the fall, but I never remember my mom even attempting to make squash to eat.
As an adult, however, I have grown to love all varieties of squash, from acorn to Hubbard, and especially butternut. I developed this soup today after picking up some butternut squash from a local farm stand. The recipe is easy and versatile, and makes as little or as much soup as you'd like (see the Notes section in the recipe).
CLICK HERE to download my recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash Soup.
A podcast is in the works -- thanks to the feedback I received, I am revamping things a bit!
OK, so I'm not really late, per se. I've just been off the grid.
I just returned from a fabulously recuperative vacation in not-so-sunny Southern California (Rancho Santa Fe/San Diego area) and am refreshed. I have lots of fun stories to share, and will do so in my next podcast (mid-October).
I'm thinking about revamping my podcast a bit so it's not quite so overwhelming for me to do twice a month. Looking for input, if you have any!
Meanwhile, here's a fabulous photo of the moonset (as opposed to the SUNset) that I took very early in the morning of September 22, 2010. That's my sister's pool in the foreground. Oh, but it was a fantastic and creative two weeks!
I was asked to provide something for a raffle at my church, and I decided to make a small icon quilt of Saint Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of my parish (Saint Anthony of Bellville, Michigan).
The quilt measures about 8 x 10, and is thread traced with a variety of rayon and metallic threads. This is my 14th icon quilt, many of which were commissioned by collectors throughout the United States.
I am working on my next podcast, which I promise I'll record before I head to San Diego for a couple of weeks at the end of September.
CLICK HERE to listen to Podcast 019. Right-click on the link to save it to your hard drive, or better yet, so you don't miss future podcasts, subscribe via iTunes or PodBean using one of the links on the right side of my blog.
You can skip to whatever segment interests you -- check the minute markers for each segment.
INTRODUCTION
The bumper music for this podcast is I See the Moon, a traditional lullaby. Here are the lyrics as I learned them:
I see the moon and the moon sees me
The moon sees the one I long to see
God bless the moon and God bless me
And God bless the one I love
Program from the 2004 Full Moon Party at Mirkwood
Full Moon Party 2004 at Mirkwood
Singing the Moon Songs (while gazing at the full moon)
Songs for a Full Moon Party:
Moonshadow
Moondance
Moon River
Moonglow
By the Light of the Silvery Moon
Shine on Harvest Moon
I See the Moon
Blue Moon
Moonlight Bay
Fly Me to the Moon
Full Moon and Empty Arms
Audubon Redwork - Cardinal
CLICK HERE for the PDF of the Cardinal, or click the image below to open the next of my Audubon redwork series, the Cardinal. You can save or print the file from within the viewer.
THE FIBER ARTS SEGMENT [Podcast minute marker 22:22]
"Moondance" - a tribute to my mother and my sister Pat
CLICK HERE for the Moondance PDF, or click the image below to open the free Moondance needlework pattern. You can save or print the file from within the viewer.
THE PAPER ARTS SEGMENT [Podcast minute marker 28:32]
Full Moon Party Globe Invitation and Decoration
CLICK HERE for the Globe PDF, or click the image below to open the Full Moon Party Globe Invitation and Decoration project sheet. You can save or print the file from within the viewer.
THE RECIPE [Podcast minute marker 37:57]
Full Moon Pie, developed by my husband Ted
CLICK HERE for the Full Moon Pie PDF, or click the image below to open the recipe for Ted’s Full Moon Pie. You can save or print the file from within the viewer.
THE GRAB BAG [Podcast minute marker: 44:20]
Here is a list of the names of the full moon for each month of the year. This tradition comes from various Native American tribes.
OK, I'll come clean. Those are made of wood blocks. I made them as stage props for The Drowsy Chaperone, a play my son Teddy is starring in. When he asked me to make these props, he also made me promise to make him some real petit fours.
Look for an original recipe inspired by an incredible cake that my brother-in-law Greg Link makes. This cake is so awesome -- I've actually had several dreams about it.
Speaking of The Drowsy Chaperone, it's "the best musical that you've never heard of." It won two Tony awards on Broadway in 2006. Teddy was cast as Aldolfo, the Latin Lothario, which is the funniest role in the show. I'll share photos in an upcoming blog post.
Meanwhile, I promise a podcast in the next day or two -- it must be before August 24 for reasons you will see! It's all ready to go except for the recording.
CLICK HEREto listen to Podcast 018. Right-click on the link to save it to your hard drive, or better yet, so you don't miss future podcasts, subscribe via iTunes or PodBean using one of the links on the right side of my blog.
You can skip to whatever segment interests you -- check the minute markers for each segment.
INTRODUCTION
The bumper music for this podcast is Summertime by American composer George Gershwin.
CLICK HERE for the Folkwear Vintage Vests pattern I use to make most of Teddy's vests.
First in a series of Audubon Redwork patterns: Indigo Bunting
Click the image below to open the first of my new free Audubon Redwork Series, the Indigo Bunting. You can save or print the file from within the viewer.
Below is an art quilt I made inspired by a photo I took of an indigo bunting perched on my window sill.
THE FIBER ARTS SEGMENT [Podcast minute marker 20:36]
Water Bottle Carrier - a really easy project!
CLICK HERE to learn about Water Joe, caffeine-infused, non-flavored water -- a favorite of mine!
Click the image below to open the free Water Bottle Carrier project sheet. You can save or print the file from within the viewer.
THE PAPER ARTS SEGMENT [Podcast minute marker 30:17]
Translucent Triangle Petal Card
CLICK HERE to purchase lightweight translucent vellum from Marcos Paper in a variety of colors. I used platinum vellum for my card.
Click the image below to open the free Translucent Petal Card project sheet. You can save or print the file from within the viewer.
THE RECIPE [Podcast minute marker 39:47]
Maurice Salad, specialty of the old J.L. Hudson Department Store in Detroit, Michigan
Here is a photo of the old downtown branch of J.L. Hudson's.
Hudson's used to sponsor the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in downtown Detroit, and it boasted the largest US flag,
which was suspended on the side of the building.
Sadly, after J.L. Hudson's closed, the main store was was demolished, as shown in this photo.
Click below to open the recipe for Maurice Salad. You can save or print the file from within the viewer.
THE GRAB BAG [Podcast minute marker: 52:51]
If you're interested in bariatric or the resulting reconstructive surgery, I highly recommend Barix Clinics. CLICK HEREfor information. My bariatric surgeon was Dr. Jon Schram, and my reconstructive plastic surgeon was Dr. David Hing, both out of the Ypsilanti, Michigan, location.
OK, for some reason I am diligently avoiding recording Podcast 018. Everything is ready, I just need to record! (That's on my agenda this evening when The Teds aren't home.)
We recently defrosted our chest freezer, and I discovered several boxes of puff pastry and phyllo dough hidden in its depths, and I decided to develop recipes to use them up.
Teddy loves toaster strudel, so I made my own version complete with the white icing on the top. I used up two packages of frozen blueberries that were also hidden in the depths of the freezer to make the preserves filling. They were quite yummy! And today I developed a recipe for my version of a Hot Pocket. These turned out so well that I need to run out and buy more puff pastry to try out all of the combinations that are filling my head!
CLICK HERE to download my recipe for Hot Pocket Sandwiches!
Later, 'gator! (And I do promise to record tonight!)
'thann
First of all, THANK YOU for all of the continued notes and emails wishing me a speedy recovery! While my recovery from reconstructive surgery took far longer than I had anticipated, I am feeling so much better.
I will be recording a podcast this week! YAY! I have a fiber project and recipe to share, but I'm not sure whether there will be a paper project. We'll see. The theme will be (drum roll) . . .
Summertime!
I am so excited to get back in the podcasting saddle again.
This is a great way to use your leftover pita or naan. Experiment with a variety of spices to please your palate. I like the combination of zatar, garlic powder, and sugar.
Still recovering, but I'm feeling creative again -- both fiber-wise and cooking-wise!
Fiber-wise, I have plans for another free set of redwork patterns, and I know these will be a huge hit. I can't wait to stitch the first one. I'm not going to share what the series will be yet, but there will be at least 12 in the series.
And cooking-wise, I'm excited to share some new recipes with you. At this moment I can smell some fabulous pita chips baking in my oven. I'll draft the recipe soon and will share it, probably as a bonus recipe.
What precipitated this? Well, if you're a Facebook friend, you know that my refrigerator died two weeks ago, and we had a replacement delivered just today. So in going through all of the stuff in my freezer I discovered several partial packages of naan and pita bread. Rather than toss these partial packages that are a little freezer-burned, I decided to make pita chips. Easy-peasy! And SO delicious!
I'm feeling so much better, and am champing at the bit to get another podcast recorded. I'm aiming for July 31.
Yes, I am still among the living! I hit a snag in my recovery last week, and just haven't felt up to creating even the most mundane blog entry. I saw my surgeon today, and he assured me I am definitely improving. I've had all of my drains removed, all of my stitches (hundreds of them!) removed, and am now feeling a little more normal. I still have at least a month of recovery, but I'm back on the right track.
I can't thank all of you enough for your kind words, thoughts, and prayers. I love you guys (um, that might be the Vicodin talking!).
My plan right now is to record a podcast August 15, but I just might record one July 31. I'll see how I'm feeling, At first they might be brief, but I promise to offer at least one project per podcast until I am fully recovered.
Until my doctor's appointment this afternoon I admit that I was experiencing "buyer's remorse" -- I thought I might have made a mistake in having this surgery. Now that I know all is well, and I am beginning to see the fruits of my surgeon's labor, I am happy with my decision. It's been a long 2 1/2 weeks, but I see the light at the end of the tunnel (and, contrary to popular belief, it's NOT a train!).
Again, thanks to all of you -- knowing that I have an obligation to you, my readers and listeners, I feel a renewed obligation to get back in the saddle.
If you listened to my last podcast, you'll know that I'm heading into major reconstructive surgery on June 21. I had hoped to record a mid-June podcast, but didn't get to it, and I apologize.
I'm not sure how long it will be before I feel up to recording the next podcast -- I'm hoping mid-July. I do have some project sheets written, so maybe I'll just post one or two of those without a podcast.
Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I haven't abandoned my podcast and blog! Nothing can stop my creativity, and I sure hope you're all being creative, too!
Here's a photo of a small portion of the mysterious quilt I've been working on. This is fused and blanket stitched, and the little images are all freehand machine embroidered. The fabric for the cat is all Ricky Tims' hand-dyed fabric (except for the black, which is Kona cotton). The sky background is my hand-dyed fabric and is English paper-pieced. The checkerboard floor is entirely hand pieced. I promise to reveal more after recovery! (Many thanks to artist Phil Lewis for permission to make a quilt of his illustration, The Joker!)
Until then, always remember, creativity isn't a race, it's an adventure!
CLICK HERE to listen to Podcast 017. Right-click on the link to save it to your hard drive, or better yet, so you don't miss future podcasts, subscribe via iTunes or PodBean using one of the links on the right side of my blog.
You can skip to whatever segment interests you -- check the minute markers for each segment.
INTRODUCTION
The bumper music for this podcast is The Gift of Love, in keeping with my theme of Weddings. (Yes, this is the same melody as Podcast 002's bumper music, The Water Is Wide, or Waly, Waly -- same tune, different words!)
Here I am 31 years ago with my matron of honor, Pat, and my flower girl,
her daughter (and my Goddaughter, and my son's Godmother) Kristin.
Here is my small design wall in use.
These are just a few of the blocks I've made for a Baltimore Album-style quilt,
which will eventually belong to Teddy.
Tips:
You can buy Styrofoam insulation sheets at most home supply stores. I bought two sheets that were 2 inches thick and measured 4 feet x 8 feet. Because our ceilings are fairly low, I had the salesman cut my sheets down to 6 feet and I made a small design wall with the leftover portions.
While you can buy flannel by the yard, I suggest you use flannel sheets instead. If you do that you can avoid a seam. Make sure your flannel is plain white or off white.
You can use quilt batting if you want, but I don't think it's as sturdy as flannel.
Click below to open the Design Wall project sheet. You can save or print the file from within the viewer.
OK, so this silly virus has me feeling particularly uncreative, and so my podcast will be delayed a few days. I have most everything done, but need to finish writing the project pages.
In happier news, I am pleased to report that my new design wall is a HUGE success. (And yes, the upcoming podcast has instructions so that you can make your own if you don't already have one!) Every time I walk past my design wall, I get inspired to work on my current quilt.
I am not going to share much about my current quilt -- I want it to be a surprise. A few of you do know about it, but everyone else will just have to wait!
But I'm going to share one teeny piece of the quilt. Here's a close-up of one small area. This particular area is made of fused applique, and I'm doing machine blanket stitch around the edge of each piece. The fabric you see is Ricky Tims' hand-dyed. The bobbin thread is Bottomline, and the upper thread is King Tut variegated ("Pharaoh Tales"), both by Superior Threads. The pieces were appliqued using Steam a Seam 2 Lite, and the stabilizer is that gold paper that comes on a roll. This piece and two other that are similar will be needle-turn appliqued in place. VERY pleased with the quilt progress.
Don't despair! The podcast is in the works!
'thann
I'm working on a very large art quilt that requires a wide array of special fabrics. As you recall, I bought 10 pieces of Ricky Tims' hand dyed fabric at the seminar a few weeks ago, but I still didn't have two pieces I needed for this quilt. One was the sky, which I dyed last week, and another was gray fabric to make a stone wall.
So this morning I dyed a yard of my handy dandy Kona cotton (which I buy by the bolt). I used a combination of Tsukineko alcohol-based ink in Cool Grey, Adirondak alcohol-based ink in Butterscotch (neither of which is actually a fabric dye, but in my experience they are colorfast when treated properly), and finally Pebeo Setacolor in Black. The cool effect that you see was caused by using a LOT of large-crystal salt as explained below.
Here is what I did:
I washed the Kona cotton with Synthrapol to prepare it for dyeing, then I splotched the two inks all over. That created a sort of pastel gray base.
Then I splotched (I think that's a technical term!) the Setacolor paint all over and squished it all around.
I laid the fabric on the lawn outside in the sun and sprinkled a LOT of salt all over it.
After it dried I washed it in Synthrapol again, and dried it on hot.
After I ironed the fabric, I cut it into strips and then created a sort of brick effect. Each "brick" is 5 x 2 finished. I think my stone wall turned out absolutely perfectly. What do you think? (I'm not showing it on the quilt in progress because I want to do a Big Reveal when that quilt is done.
One of my templates is featured in a very clever way on the Hero Arts blog today. Tami Hartley, the featured blogger, used my Square Petal Card template to make a graduation cap.
Here's a link to the Hero Arts blog page, just in time for you to make a gazillion cards for all of the graduates in your life! (I'm so green with envy -- wish I had thought of this first!)
I brought out a picture that I'm making into a large wall quilt and pinned it to my design wall. (YAY, design wall!) I received permission from the artist years ago to make a quilt using his image, and I took it to Kinko's to have it enlarged. The enlarged picture has been rolled in a tube since then.
Well, with my new design wall (YAY, design wall!), I am inspired to get going on this sure-to-be masterpiece. Part of the image is a summer sky, and I didn't have an appropriate fabric in my considerable stash, so I decided to dye a yard myself.
I buy Kona cotton in white, black, and ecru by the bolt because I use it for so many projects, and it's really versatile. So I tore a yard of the ecru and washed it to remove any sizing, and then I used four colors of non-traditional dyes (Tsukineko all-purpose ink, which is colorfast) to make large blotches all over it, then squished the ink into the fabric. Then I laid the fabric on the lawn and sprinkled sea salt all over it (which creates a lovely blotchy effect). After rinsing the fabric several times, first in white vinegar and then in cold water, and then drying it in a hot dryer, I ironed it with a hot iron.
Here is the result, and it's just perfect for my quilt. I'm going to cut it into circles and do traditional English paper piecing for the sky areas of the quilt.
CLICK HERE to listen to Podcast 016. Right-click on the link to save it to your hard drive, or better yet, so you don't miss future podcasts, subscribe via iTunes or PodBean using one of the links on the right side of my blog.
You can skip to whatever segment interests you -- check the minute markers for each segment.
INTRODUCTION
The bumper music for this podcast is Brahms Lullaby, in keeping with my theme of Babies.
Hey, don't forget to use my Amazon.com store links at the top of this blog for ALL of your online purchases! I get a small commission for each click-through purchase you make. Please help me pay for my increased cost of hosting my podcasts. (Or you can make a donation via PayPal using the link along the right column of my blog.) Thank you for your support.
Here are some items you might be interested in purchasing after listening to the podcast today.
Yours Truly with Ricky Tims. I don't think I could smile any bigger if I tried!
The stage set-up. From left to right: Libby Lehman, Alex Anderson, Ricky Tims.
You can see how huge the screen is on the right side.
This was taken from my seat, so you can see how close we were!
Ricky the night of the concert. Yes, that's a cowboy hat.
He's a Texan (now living in Colorado), complete with a drawl.
Ricky at the piano during the concert.
It was beautifully lit, with two of his famous quilts as the background.
Ricky playing a song, and the screen showing an accompanying video.
In this case, it was the video of the studio session making the recording of the song.
He has several CDs.
CLICK HEREto see where future Ricky Tims Super Quilt Seminars will be held -- try to get to one if you can!
CLICK HEREto check out Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson on The Quilt Show.
My name is Ruthann, but family and good friends usually call me 'thann. I am a wife, and a mother to one fantastic young man. In my former life I was an instructional designer. Now I fill my days with crafts of all sorts, reading (mostly mysteries), and cooking. I am the designer of the world-famous Mirkwood Designs templates. I am also a vocalist and fingerstyle guitarist and the music you hear in my podcast is performed by me.
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