Hello Summer!
Summer means there are always one, two, or three boys within throwing distance–it does slow me down, but that is not necessary a bad thing.
I managed to put my primitive but perfect McCarthy studio together. I’ll share a full blog post about this space in the near future. What would your off-the-grid garage studio look like if you had one? This is what mine looks like.
I lost my camera battery charger! This makes creating an image journal for the week challenging. I managed to take the studio photos before my camera died. Being out in McCarthy there wasn’t much I could do about it.
One of the things I love about summer is reading. I am on a very good streak right now. I finally finished A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. It is such a beautiful, sad, intelligent book. I wish that I had not started and stopped the book so many times. The characters move in and out of the narrative spotlight, and I found it hard to remember them all. If you know you are going to be able to read 600+ pages in a timely fashion, I highly recommend this book.
Next, I plowed through The Power of Habit. I am now equipped to be a better person one habit at a time. This book is very empowering.
I am deep into May We Be Forgiven by A. M. Homes. I love a good twisted messed up family drama, and this totally fits the bill. Plus it is darkly funny. This kind of book always makes me feel so normal–as in I must not be that crazy. I would never do THAT.
After two weeks in McCarthy, we headed back to Anchorage on Saturday. We stopped for Tok Thai in Glennallen. I give it a very big YUM. Can you tell what is wrong with this picture?
Leaving for McCarthy just 48 hours after the kids got out of school meant I left a lotta loose ends in Anchorage. I’m doing a very small presentation for the Alaska State Council on the Arts this week as well as orchestrating the rest of the summer.
I am still filling in the gaps in my Me Made Wardrobe. Surprisingly, I have mostly continued to wear only clothing I have made even though it is now June. I won’t lie–I am super glad to be wearing jeans again. I promise a full wrap up of Project EveryDay and my participation in Me Made May very soon. In the meantime, I prepped several new clothing projects.
Another pair of leggings out of this great striped ponte using my hand drafted pattern.
A funky woven tank top out of a vintage plaid using Megan Nielsen’s Eucalypt pattern.
And a practical t-shirt made from slate gray ponte using a Rebecca Taylor Vogue pattern. I hope to stitch all of them tomorrow.
Today, I finally puzzled out where my camera charger was. I had left it at the Captain Cook Hotel when I stayed there for the Alaska State Council on the Arts Convergence at the beginning of May. It was still there, and I picked it up today.
While I was out in McCarthy, we had new flooring installed in my studio here in Anchorage. This has been much anticipated event in my life. Things are not completely back in place, but here is a sneak peak. I will never kill another vacuum.
In Image Journal #20 (May 11, 2014), I posted a photo of Walt’s front yard garden.
In less that a month, this is what has happened. Isn’t it amazing what 18 hours of sunshine a day, a little water, and love can grow?
How is your summer? Are you getting more reading than sewing done? Is your garden in place? Do you have a new favorite summer cocktail? I’m all ears.
I just left you a longish comment and then the iPad crashed-but the gist was to say that I enjoy your blog from New Zealsnd where it’s winter, so relatively (for us) cold adn dark. But I like the look of your studio your springlike garden and your book taste. That Rohinton Mistry has been on my list for ages, so maybe I’ll just sit by the fire and start it!
Camilla- The Rohinton Mistry book is so good, I just wish I had been more disciplined about reading it continuously. I hope your winter is a mild one.
I look forward to a longer blog on your studio to see how you are able to work off the grid. Yes, our garden is in place and growing nicely. I’ve moved on from winter red wine to vodka and diet tonic. I love summer….my favorite season.
Diane- Solar power is the key for me. I have found that if I work in the morning, I’ve got plenty of juice to get things done. Vodka and Tonic is very yummy. I had this garden-tini the other day that I really wish I knew how to make. I love summer too!
I lived off the grid for years here in NM (and still have a cabin off the grid). At that time I had a small business selling quilts and quilted items. I did all my sewing on a singer treadle, which I still own. You can even use the old Singer button hole attachments that came in the infamous little green cases on the treadles. They work great. I loved sewing on the treadle, humming away out in the middle of know where. We were 40 miles to the paved road. (And when I wasn’t sewing I was studying Yvonne Porcella’s garment and quilt work and Nancy Crow…) all some 35 years ago. I enjoy your blog and love your work.
Penny- what a great story. It sounds like a great way to live. I have two treadles. One of them is out in McCarthy. I am so intimidated by it. One spring break, the boys and I all sewed on it. They were quickly better than me. There is so much rhythm involved in working a treadle. I should just embrace the nature of learning a new skill and go for it instead I’ve gone solar. Thank you for sharing your good stories.