Speaking of boats and water, these people have the right idea for a hot, hot day. This picture was taken from the Old North Bridge in Concord, Mass. last week, but it’s another hot, hot day today. I’m running a small fan of water from the sprinkler again today, moving it on the hour — mostly for the birds, who have been congregating wherever its moist coolness is being delivered. Usually we just let our lawn brown out late in the summer, but this year our shrubs and trees seem to be at risk and it’s only mid-July!
[Re: “this is what climate change looks like at the personal level,” check out Elizabeth Kolbert in this week’s New Yorker – Talk of the Town section].
Most of the basting on the Ark quilt is done. This little nursery print (above) was pulled out for auditioning, for obvious reasons. Maybe I will use a larger piece to cover the back when I am done. I’m not sure I want all the stitching to be there, on view, even though it will be against the wall.
The hideous 1970’s jacket that provided the bulk of the Ark is wonderful for the suggestion of wooden construction. I am weaving up some more rectangles for the sides, and decided to introduce more of that lavender.
On another front, my indigo arrived from Dharma Trading, along with some white powders. If I can stand the heat, my plan is to set up a dye station in the back yard today, under the leafy catalpa. I will string rope from deck to D.’s mini-ramp (think ‘small half pipe’) to hang fabric from, and cover a folding table with plastic so that it can stay out in all kinds of weather. A neighbor and former student (she is 16 and will be a junior this year) has agreed to be my intern for a few weeks this summer and she will be helping me – pretty great, right?!!
P.S. A garter snake traveled past me this morning while I was waiting for Jack to complete his business — remarkable enough – I haven’t seen a snake around here in a long time. But then! It slithered right between both sets of Jack’s legs, narrowly missing being plopped on. And, perhaps most remarkable of all? I don’t think Jack really noticed.
It just gets better and better…and with this weather, more and more appropriate in the way of a rainmaker charm–and speaking of charm, that was a charming snake story–ha! I’m headed up to Massachusetts for two weeks August 9th and will also be toting my Dharma Indigo dye kit (it’s incredibly easy),,,there’s lots of outdoors and a clothsline, and a pool to dip in too!
The lavender will be a lovely echo, and I really like the blues and that pinkish (orange-ish?) and black/gray stripe! It’s great watching and hearing about your process–thanks for sharing!
ooooooooh I wish I had a pool to dip in right about now – TG for air conditioning, which I don’t love, but wd have trouble surviving without anymore. Where in Mass. Michelle? I think I remember that it’s central Mass?
That stripe is a Kaffe Fassett print that may be out of print – I don’t see it in a quick look at his site… I just noticed that the geography/map print that I’ve been featuring in my Middle Passage series is one of his as well. I had forgotten that.
http://www.kaffefassett.com/Fabrics.html
I do hope it cools down for you soon. We all need to see the sunshine but the heat? no thanks.