HOLIDAY WISHES...AND A LITTLE BREAK

Here's wishing you all a lovely holiday...Dave, MicMac, Paddywack and I got 
together again for our annual photoshoot...

We are leaving on Thursday for a Christmas cruise on the Amazon...we fly to Lima, Peru, then to Iquitos, where we board the Aqua for 7 days of adventure.
This is a short trip for us; we'll be back before New Year's Eve.

I've done a little sewing for this trip, but it's a very casual cruise, very hot and steamy, so no big wardrobe post! We won't have internet, so I'll take some pictures to show you when we get back.

This has been a bittersweet holiday season, so far; my dear friend Joan lost her
 brilliant 49-year old son from complications following a heart attack. He was a spectacular man, deeply involved with his family, including two young sons, an American Lit professor at Cal Berkeley. Such a tragedy...

Enjoy your loved ones during the holidays...

Margy

THE TURKEY, THE RUANA AND ME...

Thanksgiving was lovely, with DD and DSIL here, just the two of them, for a lovely, relaxing holiday. The turkey was not so lovely...after more than 50 years of cooking a turkey, I UNDERCOOKED the bird...and my capitulation to Dave's wish for sweet potatoes with marshmallows (his memories, not mine!) was also less than stellar. Luckily I was so exhausted that it didn't bother me (much). Maggie and David made side dishes and Dave made pies...those were GOOD!

I have had a wonderful piece of felted wool from Emma One Sock for at least two years...it's quite heavy, a felted gray knit with fabulous black nubs...

It has a great selvage, too, that wanted to be used. I made a ruana this last

week...so easy that I didn't even use a pattern. I had to make a seam down the back so that I could utilize the selvages...

Notice the mirrors hanging from the eucalyptus tree...these pre-date the wedding mirrors-in-the-oak-tree by 15 years...also, notice the branch-coming-
out-of-the-head in most of these pictures...the photographer (that would be 
moi) forgot to check the pictures and then was too lazy to reshoot... it's 76º
outside right now, so a heavy wrap like this one isn't comfortable for too long.
It's supposed to get down in the high 20's - low 30's at night, next week, so maybe I can wear it soon.

I'm sure it will be a surprise to many that Paddywack matches the colors of the 
ruana...or vice versa...

I am participating in both Visible Monday, with the fabulous Patti from Not Dead Yet Style and in December Hat Attack with the equally fabulous Judith from

Style Crone. How lovely of these women to give us an opportunity to "show

off"!

I am still working on my Super Secret knock-off and it has been a godsend this

week; a very dear friend is going through an unspeakable tragedy and any

project I can do to divert my pain for her is welcome. She has no such diversion. Hug your loved ones tight and tell them how much you love them.

Tell them NOW.

Till later...

BITS 'N PIECES...CATCH UP!

My best friend, Joan, had a birthday right in the middle of all the wedding activities, so we put off celebrating it till I could get my act together. That finally happened this last week. First, the food...

(I know I've shown this before, but I LOVE those colors!!!)

We had Lamb Shanks with Gremolata and Baked Polenta and Warm Kale Salad with Maple Roasted Acorn Squash...a perfect meal for our cold rainy night!

For her birthday cake, I made a Clementine and Almond Syrup Cake (AGAIN!)
from my TNT cookbook, Jerusalem...

 

The other part of the celebration was a Travel Vest for Joan; she travels as much or more than I do and had wanted one. I had her try on mine (here and here) and showed her the colors available from the vendor I use. We're almost the same size, so I didn't have to make many changes...she did want a reversible vest, so that was new for me with this pattern.

She close black for one side, with black twill tape and tiny "evil eye" beads I got in the fabulous Ashkabad Market in Turkmenistan. (I astounded the old lady in the market when I bought her entire stock.) The opposite side is the cranberry stretch taffeta I've used before...

I used some printed bias tape for the pocket trim. I had to find a place for my label that wasn't on the neckline...so I hid it behind the zippered pocket!

One change I made was to use elastic in the back waist channel; it works better than trying to make the tape tie gather evenly.

Here are some pictures of the vest on Joan, at her beautiful home on the Alisal Ranch...

N.B. The warrior in the background is from Xian, China, as is my horse who

has lately appeared in the blog...

My jacket is a RTW ponte moto jacket trimmed with (faux) leather by NYDJ, as are the jeans...and my beloved red western boots!

As for my next sewing project, I am working on a Super Secret knockoff of a jacket by one of my favorite designers...I do have a couple of non-sewing posts
to share, so stand by...

Till later!

BLACK AND SILVER!

I've been having a little trouble getting back in the swing of things... I made this in a carmine/black knit from Marcy Tilton, but it seemed dark and murky to me and the style was kinda dumpy...so it's already gone to a new home! I have a new pair of silver jeans, and some spectacular silver boots, so it was clear I needed a top to go with them!

Pattern is V8699, OOP, and I used a black light-ish weight ponte from who-knows-where, and a gray with silver dots knit from Girl Charlee. The necklace is a silver chatelaine which I found in Uzbekistan.

The silver jeans are from Chicos and the shoes are black and gray spectator wedges from Sesto Meucci.....

The gorgeous silver boots are "Groove" Distressed Leather Boot in Pewter...Charles by Charles David, which I got from Bluefly...

I'm making it under the wire for Style Crone's Hat Attack, wearing my very old, very beloved Patricia Underwood hat, which is  soft and worn...

'

and also for Patti at Not Dead Yet Style's Visible Monday.

Cooking? Oh, yes...this

and this

both, of course, from Plenty and Jerusalem, by Ottolenghi and Tamimi.

Today, I made two soups for a party my friend Joan and I are giving tomorrow...

Cannellini and Kale soup, and

Winter Squash Soup with Curry and Coconut Milk...YUMM!

FASHION...AND FOOD!

Back, at last, to my studio and sewing...the mini sabbatical due to the wedding preparations is over, and I have spent some quality time doing what I love to do!

I made another M6607, my 3rd...I guess this makes this pattern a TNT (tried and true) for me.

I wear tops like this over a tee or turtleneck and slim pants for at least six months of the year. The only change I made from this one and this one was to add pockets...MUST HAVE POCKETS!

I used a vibrant ivory and white ponte knit from Girl Charlee, one of my favorite vendors for knits.

And I've been at it again...cooking from my current love(s), Jerusalem and

Plenty. Here is a link to an article in the New York Times which attempts to explain the popularity of these books.

One night, we had Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Onion with Tahini and Za'atar

and (a repeat)  Sweet Corn Polenta with Eggplant Sauce

All of the ingredients for these two fabulous dishes came from our next-door-neighbor's organic farm stand...the last of the sweet corn and the first of the winter squash.

Last night, we had Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce; this is the dish that is pictured on the cover of Plenty

and I think was partly responsible for so many readers buying the book...it was

as good as it looks!

I have to show you pictures of this lovely food in my colorful dining room...they were meant for each other!

So...my life is back to food and fabric...I am in heaven!

I am back on Patti's Visible Monday this afternoon; she is on the road, but the rest of us Visible Women are showing up...take a look!

A FAIRYTALE WEDDING!

Ah, the pictures are here! WARNING: this will be a picture-heavy post!

The Bride

The Groom

David and Maggie

 The Bride and her parents

The Bride and the FOB... on their way to the ceremony

(Hey, we live in the country!)

down the "aisle"

Bird's eye view

Groom's Family

All of us!

Sisters Janet, Maggie and Linda

The Bridal Bouquet

Magic under the oak tree

The "Magic Shed" under a starry sky

Dear Friend Jeannine, Sarah, who made it all happen, and moi

True Love!