fullness

Hello friends, and here we are into the month of August already. My sense of hours, days and months feel so warped in these weird times.

But there is such fullness in these days. And I’ve got so much on my mind and in my heart that I can’t even figure out how to articulate it.

So here is a photo of our family highchair, scrubbed and drying in the Vermont sunshine. The crib is waiting in the breezeway (to be assembled) and the canvas tent is going up on the tent platform as I type. A grocery list is growing on the kitchen counter, extra beds are being made, towels hung on racks.

We will not have everyone here this summer, but there will be four generations under one roof for a bit. Wee Flora will meet my Mumsie and if that doesn’t distract us from the perils of our world, I really don’t know what will.

Here’s to watching the Milky Way spangle overhead, to campfires with coyote song in the background. Here’s to visiting goat friends down the road. Here’s to hand sewing under the shade of the birches. To maple creemees and playing with my dad’s wooden blocks. To dance parties in the kitchen, to bedtime stories, to hugs. So many hugs.

It may be quiet here for a bit here at sewandsowlife, but I’ll drop some photos later.

As Batman and I step away from the troubles in the world and into the magical circle of friends and family headed our way, I’ll keep thoughts of you, dearest readers, close to my heart. May each of you find some magic in the August days ahead.

xo

preciousness

Dearest ones,

I just returned from a quick trip to Mount Desert Island in Maine to spend some time with the dearest of friends. I nearly lost her more than once in the past year and a half. Thanks to excellent medical care I plan to get into good trouble with her for years to come.

And today I did lose a dear one. A dear one I’ve known all my life. A dear one who sheltered people in the wide, wide reach of his love. He had faith in people, even when they did not have faith in themselves. He gave people the benefit of the doubt over and over again. He made a difference in this world. I will miss him forever.

If you have friends and family who are precious to you, this is a gentle reminder to tell them that they are precious to you. Shower them with love. Hold thoughts of them close to your heart.

Where we are in this world of ours is no time to be shy about love.

Tell them they are precious to you.

xo

invited, submitted, accepted and hanging

The Chandler Center for the Arts and the White River Craft Center are two sweet venues in Randolph, Vermont, just down the road from our place. For the first time ever, they are hosting a collaborative show, Hidden Messages: Old and New, a Fiber Arts Exhibition. You can read more about the show here.

A while back, I was delighted to be invited to submit work for the show. After I got over my nerves (again???) I did a bit of brainstorming of ideas, with a list that included cross outs, arrows and doodles. The quilts made with cues for the Underground Railroad came to mind, along with the symbols used by hobos to mark gate posts. The code breakers and mound builders and standing stones were all under consideration.

In the end, the beauty of this place here on the ridge came through with the strongest voice.

Are you surprised?

I’m calling my piece “Whispers from Nature”.

I began with the quilted foundation…

I stitched a very traditional nine patch, one of the most basic quilt squares I know of. I sewed it with a natural colored linen blend, and linen dyed with my homegrown indigo. I used a favorite gingham check from my stash, two soft browns woven together, for the binding.

Next came the embellishments, filled with the “hidden meanings”. The birchbark reminded me of layers of meaning. I invite you to consider the two pebbles…what do they conjure for you?

How could I resist a cross cut of wood…and the passage of time that it invokes? Secured with a bit of leather from the factory floor at Vermont Glove, it feels pretty darn local. The acorn caps (see first photo) remind me that even Mother Nature knows when it’s time to let go.

I was so pleased when I heard this piece had been accepted, and even more chuffed when I learned that an image would be included on the post card announcing the show.

So there you have it.

A surprise invitation, a gathering of courage, the planning, the doing and the surprise outcome!

I’m really looking forward to seeing all the other pieces in both shows!

PS I’m very excited about this new opportunity for exercising my muscle of hope. If you are an On Being and /or Krista Tippett fan, check it out!

PPS Check out this amazing new project put together by the Craftivist Collective. The images alone will make you smile.

july days

Years ago, while visiting dear friends in California, I fell in love with the wild poppies that were strewn across the hills. We’ve grown them now and again over the years. I guess as we were coming out of the COVID fog we yearned for bright and cheerful signs of life. These beauties fit the bill. They are especially lovely when they dance in the wind up here on the ridge.

Like much of the world, we are having some weird weather this summer. Hot, hot, hot and dry…and now days- on-end of clouds and some much needed rain. The Black-eyed Susans are having a bumper year, and the Queen Anne’s Lace is coming on strong out in the meadow. Our potato patch is thriving, but the root veggies are slow to get going. I wonder what’s growing where you are?

This is the third year our madder (above) has been growing in the dye garden, its roots maturing for a fall harvest. Which reminds me…time to dig into exactly how to use them for color! I’m pretty excited to have a new dye adventure.

My usual source for indigo seedlings had a rough spring, and so this will be my first year in a while without indigo growing in my garden. I am giving woad a try instead. I ordered seeds from Tierney Barden over in New York State. Another learning opportunity!

One of my favorite things about summer is being able to go out into the gardens and pick fresh herbs. This mint needed a quick swish in a bowl of water to dislodge the dirt spattered up from the recent rains. I sometimes keep a glass jar filled with a bouquet of fresh mint on the kitchen counter to add to salads, grain dishes and beverages. How about you? How do you use fresh herbs?

I used some of the mint to make a batch of Amy Chaplin’s rhubarb rose infusion. The color reminds me of the peonies blooming just a few weeks ago.

here’s a little teaser for my next post, a fun opportunity that tickled my imagination.

The lightning bugs come out each night to play and Cora and Wilma sit on the windowsill to watch as the breezes move the curtains. The porch is lined with pots of blooms and the houseplants are enjoying their annual outdoor time. We repotted the Meyer lemon and the fig is growing taller each week.

Sometimes we hear the whizzing of bikes along the road, their riders changing gears as they navigate the changes in elevation up here. Tractors are busy with cutting, tedding and baling hay.

The bluebirds and swallows continue to delight. As I did my morning walking meditation, tea in hand, a murder of crows were out in the balsams. I don’t know what disturbed them, but they were up in arms about something!

Here are a few links you may enjoy

• I love it when our kids share music finds with me. Hannah introduced me to Angelique Kidjo. I can’t believe I am so late to the party. Angelique has been making gorgeous award-winning music for years.

• My friend Anne Butera has a lovely blog post today over at My Giant Strawberry (especially if you enjoy embroidery).

• I found another kindred spirit via the internet! Check out the exquisite work at sarita.arte. Birch goodness.

I’ll be back here sooner rather than later. Sending you a bit of calm and peace and comfort from our bit of earth here in Vermont.

xo

there and back again

I went on lots of walks with wee Flora and her piggy. xo

It was a typical Reed family adventure, with lots of jigsaw-like planning and a sophisticated action plan. A U-Haul and a car left Brooklyn in the early hours of the morning. We met up with the caravan at a rest area somewhere on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Our pick up truck was loaded with a few things that had been stored in our shed for a few years.

Much hugging, jumping up and down and squealing (and maybe some tears too) ensued. I can only imagine that some would say we caused a scene. Oh well. We drove west, trading drivers and having snacks along the way. Whenever we stopped, we ran around with our Magpie to give her antsy kid body a chance to unwind. She’s more of a bus and subway kind of kid, but she was a champ strapped into her car seat.

We rolled into Lindsey’s driveway just in time for supper, family style, so grateful for a safe journey and for our reunion. The next day the truck was unloaded into her basement, awaiting the next move into Ben, Gretta and Maggie’s very own apartment later in the summer.

The week ahead was filled with fun. I often had breakfast with Flora via FaceTime during the pandemic and it was SO MUCH FUN to have breakfast together in real life! There were morning walks to the park, swinging at the playground and reading books with Flora’s curly little head tucked under my chin. We had playtime when the two cousins learned about how to be together (the isolation of the pandemic robbed some kids of more than a year of interaction with other kids). Maggie was just soaking up every new thing up, dazzled by new places and new people and new routines.

Batman had to go north for a few days, one more time, and despite a few snafus, closed the chapter on the summer house. It marked the end of an era. I’m so aware of the generations shifting before my eyes. Old weaves into new and yet there is still the connection of family, threaded through the changes.

I had a chance to meet up in the real world with my friend Noel, a member of the Detroit Modern Quilt Guild. We met via Instagram and when we sat down together for the first time, she felt like an old and dear friend.

We toured Fisheye Farms, with veggie gardens planted in vacant lots in Detroit. We ate delicious African, Mexican and Thai food. We stopped by Sister Pie to catch up with the fabulous Lisa and had a legendary mocha at Avalon Bakery on their 24th birthday. (They make their mochas with chocolate milk, such a treat!) We wandered the beautiful grounds of the Cranbrook School and enjoyed supper gathered around Hannah and Loren’s table. I even did a bit of babysitting!!!

As fun and full as those days were, there was also an element of reticence in some situations. We had ventured out of our very safe state of Vermont and into the wilds of the rest of the world. Masking protocols were just being lifted in some states and vaccination rates varied. Add to that, the fact that we went from just the two of us, sheltered in our home on a dirt road…then launched into a busy urban area, bustling with lots of interactions. I was weary as my head hit the pillow at night! But most of all, THANK YOU SCIENCE, for making it all possible.

We’re already plotting our return for Hannah and Loren’s wedding at the end of the summer. Hannah just ordered flower girl dresses for Maggie and Flora, the tent has been reserved and the food truck selected.

I know a few of my readers are in the midst of similar family transitions this summer. Godspeed to anyone navigating their way into changes this summer. We have all hoped for these opportunities for so long. Let us embrace them with renewed appreciation for the simplest blessing of being together in a turbulent world.

xo

Our peonies have been magnificent this year. We lost a lot of the blooms to severe thunderstorms that passed through the other night, but I caught these pics before the wind. June beauty.

eshqua bog

showy lady’s slippers

Oh friends, let these magical blooms be a place holder until I catch you up…soon…on other things.

A friend told me about this enchanted spot, on a dirt road between Woodstock and Hartland Vermont. Batman and I took advantage of this perfect June day to find it. I don’t know how we’ve been here this long without knowing anything about this place, but there you have it, surprises happen. You can read about the Eshqua Bog Natural Area here.

xo

blooming

a panoramic shot of our view

Our slow and chilly spring was interrupted by a few explosively hot days that pushed all the trees into full bloom. Then a huge wind blew all the blossoms off the crabapple, apple and pear trees in one afternoon. And the pollen count went off the charts. And the black flies arrived. Yet still this place enchants me.

I caught one of the crabapples and the ferns in a moment of glory.

If this photo had a soundtrack it would be the buzzing of hundreds of bees. How lovely to hear them again.

And what would May in Vermont be without the lilacs? Some came with the property when we bought it, others we have planted over the years. Once the windows are open and a soft breeze picks up, the house is filled with their scent. Sometimes I sit outdoors, under their shelter, close my eyes and just breathe. What a delicious meditation…

A bouquet on the three season porch…

…and another on the kitchen counter.

The neighbors have done their first mowing of the hay season, and the scented rows of cut hay drying in the sun never fails to fill me with joy. The bluebirds and swallows flit over the meadow and the lupin is sending up stalks of blossoms. I am back to my favorite breakfast…homemade granola, homemade yogurt and homemade stewed rhubarb, all layered in a bowl of delight. We’ve been eating spinach from the hoop house, but it has begun to bolt. The tomato and pepper plants are thriving down there and the upper raised beds are filling up with all sorts of goodies. Growing season is underway! The last few things won’t be planted until after Memorial Day, once the risk of frost has passed.

I did get away for a quick visit to Massachusetts to see my Mumsie, brother Doug, sister-in-law Ra and we HUGGED! I fell asleep listening to the waves and in the morning I took a walk on the beach with Doug and Ra. Catching up with them after so many months and having such a lovely change of scenery was a treat. I caught up with my favorite aunt and uncle too. Maybe you are finally having a chance to meet up in person with some of your loved ones? I sure do hope so. If not, maybe you have plans in place…

sneak peek: an old piece is inspiring a new piece, getting ready for a juried submission. :-)

I had promised you a few fun internet links.

In the better late than never category, we discovered British chef Jamie Oliver’s pandemic cooking show, Keep Cooking and Carry On . Some of the episodes are filmed with a phone, some of his kids are featured as sous chefs and many of the recipes are wonderful. Emphasizing that cooking at home, with limited ingredients is a great way to take care of one’s family and neighbors in the midst of the pandemic. Jamie’s good cheer and kitchen coaching are fun to watch.

Some lovely things to look at:

Rosanna Morris Printmaker

Kristina at vivawaldorf

Clover Robin

Jess Polanshek, Vermont artist

Recently, a friend from college reconnected with me and brought along (virtually) a bunch of folks I have not seen in decades. What fun it’s been to hear from them and know that our hearts are still connected after all this time. I met many of them when we were first year students enrolled in a Living/Learning course exploring the dynamics of Black/White life in America. It’s where I was first introduced to the term “institutional racism” and I struggled mightily in that class. The struggle has followed me through life, giving me opportunities to engage in anti-racism work time and time again.

Anyone who has followed along here knows that I am a huge fan of On Being, a podcast hosted by Krista Tippet. Last year I may have posted a link to this interview she did with Resmaa Menakem, a brilliant thinker based in Minneapolis. The episode first aired on June 4, 2020 and it blew me away. I have listened to it several times, while stitching in my studio. Resmaa’s book My Grandmother’s Hands, Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies was on backorder when I tried to order it back then. I now own a copy. I’m working my way through it bit by bit. It’s not for the faint of heart, but wow, is it worth our time! Maybe you will be called to find a copy and join me on this continuing journey of mending the world.

As always, with hope and love…

sentimental musings

(left) A close up of the door spray I put together for May Day for our neighbors down the road.

(right) The full spray, made with bits and pieces from the yard.

Hello friends!

It’s been a very slow and chilly spring here in Vermont, with a bit of a drought, and then some lovely, refreshing rains. The hoop house has gorgeous spinach and kale under its shelter, and a few of the veggie starts have gone down there to harden off. The madder in the dye garden is up, and since this is the third year we’ve had it, it will be ready to use at the end of the summer! And, oh my goodness, the rhubarb is thriving. I may go grab a bit this weekend and stew up a compote to put on my yogurt.

Down in the village, the fruit trees are blooming. We’re just a bit higher in elevation, so our trees are still in bud. I’m guessing the blooms will come any day now. Lilacs, crabapples and pears! The birch catkins are dancing in the breezes up here on the ridge and the spring bulbs have lasted way past their usual time. May and October are my favorite months and I am delighted when they linger.

Mending a moth eaten sweater with Sashiko thread (the color match was irresistible). It’s a Laura Ashley sweater brought home from London by my mother-in-law for one of our girls years and years ago. It will soon be headed out to our grandbaby, Flora.

We all have stories to tell about this bizarre time in the world. Batman and I took Vermont’s very restrictive Covid protocols to heart. Our Brave Little State has had some of the best overall statistics in the nation. I felt safer here than I think I would anywhere else. But it has come at a cost. We have not seen our four kids and their families in a very long time. We have not seen our granddaughter Maggie since November 2019 and our little Flora was born in the midst of the darkest days in Detroit’s Covid struggle. Today is her first birthday and I have yet to meet her.

There’s a lot happening in our cherished family right now. A move will be underway at the end of the month, bringing all four kids back to their Midwestern roots. Maggie and Flora, the two little cousins will be able to grow up together. There’s a new job for Margretta, Hannah’s postponed wedding has been rescheduled. The sale of a shared family summer home of 52 years is on the horizon. It’s a home filled with treasures from years of living overseas and family pieces.

So yes, sentiment is pretty strong around here.

Yesterday marked the two week wait, after our second doses of Moderna. Batman loaded the truck with lots of our kids’ childhood treasures that had been stored here and headed west. My dad made this dollhouse for Lindsey in the mid 1980’s and now it’s ready for the next generation, safely delivered last night.

Batman arrived in Detroit after a long drive. (He’s on the first leg of his journey to meet up with siblings to begin the work of emptying the summer house).

I made this little dress for Flora and her new baby doll for her birthday. (With all due respect to gender neutral child raising?) I was delighted that Batman could deliver these in person. And thank goodness for FaceTime! I was able to watch Flora open her gifts, with my mug of tea in hand, from our kitchen in here Vermont. What fun it was to see Batman, Lindsey, her husband Scott and their wee Flora sharing breakfast and celebrating such a milestone together way out in Detroit.

(My turn to catch up with family will come. We have plans. It will happen. Patience. xo)

And, friends, I know that the important things in life are not things. Certainly not! But sometimes things can be treasured and passed along and they can be full of meaning and sentiment and, well, love. Like things built by hand, stitched with intention, tucked away with reverence.

Such a bunch of ramblings here today!

I will be back in this space sooner rather than later with some photos of spring here at our “bit of earth” and a few links to places I’ve been poking around on the internet and a book that is knocking my socks off.

Until then, friends, stay well and strong and hopeful.

K-

come and sit with me for a bit...

It’s Friday afternoon and I’ve just brewed some tea and how I do wish you could be here with me friends. After three very blustery and snowy days, the sun has finally come out and made a few puddles of sunlight in the living room. You might have to gently push Cora or Wilma out of the way to find a spot to sit, but I do wish you would. We could chat about what’s new, projects we’re working on, what we might be struggling with, or maybe something we’re celebrating. Remember those times when we used to get together with friends and family to “visit”? I guess that’s a bit of what blogging has been about all these years. And what Zooming has been about most especially this past year!

Here’s a bit of what I’ve been up to, and maybe you’ll drop a comment (like Anne and Donna and Jen have done recently) to let us know how you’ve been faring.

On Sunday afternoon we headed over the ridge to Raven Hill Farm to pick up our 2021 supply of maple syrup (one of the main food groups here at our house). Jackson and his friend Derek (at Anchor Light Farm and Third Branch Horse Logging) use a team of draft horses to go into the sugarbush to collect sap. No plastic tubing for these guys! Jackson and his wife Katja also raise animals and that very morning a mama goat delivered her babies out in the chilly field. By the time we got there the babies were snuggled in the barn with their cousins and aunties. Only a few hours old, the little ones were scampering and romping all over the barn, including up and over one another and the mamas. Too freaking cute! We were all 6 feet apart, outdoors, and our neighborly chatting turned into some great conversations. Winter and Covid isolation has begun to lift and we’re all hungry for in person community!

Some fun listening for you…Two ten year old girls decided to do some online teaching to work toward their business badge for Girl Scouts. I heard this story while doing errands and it made me smile as the miles rolled under my car. Listen to it here.

While I was on Interstate-89 I also got a chuckle from a few of the message boards set up as public service announcements along the way.

Camp in the woods, not in the left lane.

Your mother called, she said fasten your seatbelt.

We finally replaced the ancient post that held up our clothesline. Batman cut down a birch out in the woods and we hauled it over to a new spot. It took Batman a good bit of time to dig a hole that would accommodate the upright (because in Vermont you can’t dig a hole without finding rocks.) We reused the hardware from the old setup and now my “domestic prayer flags” (the laundry) flap from this gorgeous birch pole.

Have you heard about the collaboration between Decolonize the Garden, Public Library Quilts and Land In Our Names? They have teamed up to host a fundraiser to feed funds into a BPOC Growers Grant in the UK. One side of the quilt is a gorgeous patchwork of indigo shibori, the other side is made from hand plant-dyed fabric from around the world. Just for fun, this afternoon I put together a block using some of my own hand dyed fabric…onion skins, avocado and tansy, using the pattern they have shared in their promotional materials. I hope you’ll check out these links whether you make a donation or not. It really is a very thoughtful and unique collaboration!

Last but not at all least, are thoughts I have on the conviction this week of Derek Chauvin. It provoked a lot of feelings for me, but I think what has haunted me most powerfully was the role of teen Darnella Frazier. She was the bystander and trail witness who recorded the video of the crime with her cellphone. I have heard that some people think she deserves a Pulitzer Prize for her courage. I hope she gets one. Her brave act has me wondering what I would have done if I had been on the scene. Do we ever know what we’ll do in a situation like that? Darnella was bearing witness in the midst of chaos. She did not look away. Her moral courage helped make history this past week. I will be sitting with thoughts of Darnella close to my heart for quite some time.

By now our tea mugs are empty, the biscotti is gone and I’ve got to get moving on taking in the laundry, checking the mailbox and starting supper. How about if we keep chatting as you pull on your jacket and mittens? I’ll walk you out to your car, and wave to you as you turn out onto the road. Until next time friends, stay well and have hope. xo

spring fever on the hill

the potato patch is ready to plant (but not quite yet), with greens popping up in the hoop house and the blueberry bushes are waiting for warmer days out by the snow fence.

Once again, it’s been a bit since I last checked in here at sewandsowlife." “Where does the time go?” as my grandmother used to ask.

Batman took the snowplow off the tractor, our vehicles have had their tires swapped out, and the grader has made its passes along the road. We’ve put a bunch of the screens in and it’s lovely to have a window or two open at night, just a crack. Today, many of the windows are wide open, letting in gentle, fresh air that feels like such a treat after this weird, closed up winter. We had our first maple creemees of the season on Wednesday and dang…were they good! So, indeed, spring has sprung up here on the hill.

rope bowls, dyed with homegrown marigolds from last summer’s gardens, finished off with scraps of leather from local manufacturer, Vermont Glove.

a stack of balsam sachets hand dyed with indigo, birch catkins, avocado skins, onion skins and tansy flowers.

My Beloved Bernina is off to the spa for her annual treatments, so this week I’ve been working a bit more on the nuts and bolts of my shop-in-progress. I ordered a “sewandsowlife” rubber stamp, mailers and a few other supplies. There’s so much more work than simply making things. Taking photos, uploading them, writing descriptions, figuring out shipping costs…

Slow and steady suits me right now, I don’t aspire to have a booming e-commerce site or anything. I’m just someone making things to offer to others. I’ve got deadlines in other parts of my life, so this little project seems like a good place to let things evolve as they will.

There are still days when Batman and I have zoom meetings at the same time and have to negotiate who gets to use which space, but the work we each do as volunteers often intersects and we have terrific conversations over lunch. Affordable housing, environmental justice, economic development, food insecurity…sometimes the need feels so overwhelming, and yet each time we chat, we realize how many people with good hearts are working on these things together in this “brave little state of Vermont”. For us, keeping things local is the most hopeful way to go. And goodness knows, hope is what it’s all about these days.

I wonder how you are faring, dearest ones. Are you vaccinated? We are half way there! Are you feeling a lifting of some of the weight that has been draped over our shoulders these many months? Where are you finding joy and wonder?

xo