Back after a totally down day

Yesterday was about tiredness, under the weatherness, falling asleepness, and a lack of doingstuffness. I'm back.

We had tornado warnings and heavy rain during the night. I never noticed. Sleeping.

Which accounts for the humidity today, I suppose. Not too hot, but the humidity is good for the houseplants and dry skin.

The other day I noticed at the library a brand new announcement among the book group and craft group and health group news. 

This one states firmly that NO photography, recording, videos of any kind may be made on the premises. Quite new to this library visitor who's made loads of pix in the past, Dolliver photoshoots, grip-and-grins with the library director on winning my Kindle, a lot.

Turns out there's yet another thing for library employees to look out for: evidently bands of roving right wing characters have been invading police stations and libraries, filming, recording, creating disturbance, provoking reaction then shouting about their first amendment rights. 

Now, since all the public libraries around here seem to be next door to a police station, it's quick to get help, meanwhile there's a New Rule to try to head off confrontation. We'll see how it goes. 

I was so tempted to take a pic of the notice, but heroically refrained. The staff have enough to do without being teased by the likes of me.

Meanwhile I've been working on the beaded and silver-worked figure. Hair is now out of the picture, another better idea having dawned. 

Seen from above, new ruby (!) headpiece in place

The back of the head, which will be different soon. 

I have inserted a handy skewer type thing, and the body will be slid onto it, too, as soon as I make it. I do love couching, that's where you stitch down the silver (or gold) work. Watch this space!

More roasted vegetables today: onions, garlic, ginger, celery, broccoli, leeks, carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, the remaining mixed spices from the chai, seasalt.

40 minutes at 450°f

Stuffed into the last of the pita, must make my own dough again

Dessert of a fresh peach dashed with baharat, plain yogurt. 

I hugely recommend baharat with fresh peaches. It's a lovely warm spice mix because of the cinnamon and nutmeg, as well as a bit peppery. I've started using it on canteloupe, too, instead of ginger. 

Watching a matinee of All Creatures this afternoon, at least some of it. 

All in all, trying not to be completely got down by all the news I can't help with beyond the little things I already do, there are things to enjoy.

Beaded figure update, fresh bread

While it's cool enough to run the stove for long enough, I baked bread. Wholewheat, sprinkle of seasalt on top.

Very nice crumb.

Baker's sample, warm, with Irish butter. 

And I've been moving along with the beading. Still more to go before I think hair.

Front view

Seen from top

Seen from base showing the area I'll use to attach it to the body

Left profile

Right profile.

The gaps you see are the next to work on.

I'm having various ideas about the body and dressing it. Plenty of fun to come.

And here's today's mail, from Goats Magosh

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The sparkly dark roving might be involved in hair. Or skirt. We'll see.

Tomorrow will feature jigsaw puzzles, with any luck. Back then.

Sunday morning

Breakfast in bed. Hot tea from flask, fruit stuffed pita. White nectarine. 

And here's Richard Rohr's Sunday meditation. This is so exactly right for how art happens. Every word is how it goes. 

I don't need to add anything, except Go, Richard!

Yesterday's beading went till late, when tired eyes made me stop. I love the physical picking up of the beads in a string, watching them move into place when I draw on the thread. 

I'm very much liking the untamed look that's emerging. I should probably refer to it as a beaded figure rather than a doll. The language seems to push the notion of toy, not what this is at all.

This kind of work is like painting with beads, each bead in the needle a brush stroke  decision, going back in with a different color here and there, backing off to see better. Learning all the time. Letting it tell me what's next.

The head is getting more solid in my hand with the considerable weight of the glass beads. 

I'm beginning to see how the body will go. The head has a way to go yet. And I'll need to allow for the weight as I attach the body so the head stays upright. Probably a fine dowel or skewer will work.

Happy worker here, looking forward to more.

Fresh picked flowers, veggies for roasting

Today aside from finding the newly immigrated buffalo bur weed, I picked fresh flowers for Doll Two, sitting in the hotel lounge, waiting for a cocktail.

And assembled vegetables from the freezer to prep for roasting and stuffing into pita bread. First pita in years, suddenly thought I would, when it showed up in the Misfits list. It smells excellent.

Celery, broccoli, onions, mixed mushrooms, sweet potato. Doused with olive oil, baharat, Old Bay, cardamom, Thai basil, salt. Dash of malt vinegar. They'll sit a while 

before I roast them. This will be a couple of days' supply. 475°f, 30 minutes.

And here's a warmed pita, stuffed with the roasted vegetables.  

I think this batch will make three pita sandwich stuffings. 

This is becoming a favorite way of vegetables for me. Surprising how reduced they are in roasting. And the flavor is great. Hard to go wrong.

Beading the Doll. Like Belling the Cat.

 So today is like this

Which means that aside from a lovely interval outside earlier this morning in the shade, deadheading my chrysanthemums, and a walk to the mailbox to drop in a letter, this has been an indoor day.

Here's a progression of the beading  excitement around here

Notice there's quite a bit of purl thread couched in here, the shiny stuff. The headpiece with rubies (!) just pinned to see, is off an Indian pin.

These are bracelets I wove ages ago which might find happy homes on dolls.  I used to sell these, to people who understood they were handwoven to my design. 

But I soon lost interest in selling, not much satisfaction really. Then people are rough with the bracelets, snag them gardening (!) etc and want repairs instantly.  A bit trying.

and here's a loom. Not the little one I wove beads on, I think I wore it out, but this is a bigger version, same idea. So high tech, thought you'd be amused. Notched cardboard. One of my loom repertoire.

Yet another form of weaving, great fun to do. I love handling beads and getting them to cooperate.

Tomorrow more bead application and a bit of sculpture. Right now it's sun tea and a bit of milk chocolate with an apricot. My eyes are tired or I'd go on beading.

I'm glad, what with the resumption of distancing everywhere, my groups maybe not starting up in September as hoped, another long winter of isolation looming, I'm very glad I make stuff.   Different sort of loom, heh, see what I did there..

Doll Two approves, upcoming reading, maple study

So here's where we came down. Doll Two in her sequined LBD, and perky sequined hat referencing The Importance of Being Ernest, and statement pin. She's set.

In other news, my Cross pencil had evidently arrived and is waiting its turn. I had emailed a follow-up three weeks after sending it and within hours this response arrived.

I was amused at being described as a cross consumer. I'm actually quite a pleased one.

And my future reading is interesting

The library now bought this, possibly in response to my request, and I'm in first place waiting for it. 

Meanwhile just thinking about Sonya gave me a great idea, that's how good she is. I remembered a piece of terry I'd organized for a quilt backing, for a quilt I never made last winter, one thing and another, and thought aha, I can make a robe with it.

But first to find it. A lengthy search ensued, including the bags in the car awaiting cooler weather to go to the thriftie, various other locations, among sheets, blankets, who knows. 

Then I finally tracked it down in its own bag, labeled, in its own dedicated crate. Under two other crates in the art materials collection. Where I was sure to find it easily (!)

I'll use that top I made from the jersey sheet, as a pattern, lengthening it to suit. That'll work. Also pockets. Big ones. I have other terry hand towels I sewed from the same fabric and they might be pressed into service as pockets.

So this might be an interval in dollmaking. Just some plain handsewing. 

Then there's a great exploration of zero

Hard to think of a time when it wasn't a recognized thing, or nonthing.  First need seems to go back to clay tablets and cuneiform account keeping. 

And an Indian mathematician developed it later. I need to learn more. Without the concept of zero,  coupled with ones, we wouldn't have coding and the ability to do what I'm doing here and you're experiencing here.

Then there's the existential to consider

I'm waiting for all these, but I'm high on the list, so I won't have forgotten requesting them before they arrive.

One last thing just because it's beautiful

Onward!

Other news, flowers and the fitting room

This morning was a good time to pick a few flowers, Russian sage, blackeyed Susan, chrysanthemums, one daisy. 

Tiny bouquet pleases me. 

And here's a reflection of Boud in pajamas taking pictures of the newly arranged flowers.

Then Doll Two suggested she do a stroll through the Dollivers collection and see if anything works.  Just trying on at this stage, she being much smaller. Testing her style.

I think she's up for a jaunty beret and little sparkly dress. Custom made. And I can reach back to miniature making days to create a little glass. 

Yes, I'd say she's placing herself in the 20s. The 1920s, that is.