first cut, dismantling a pineapple for food and future planting

Pineapple.

I was delighted to see this pineapple on my counter one day ready for harvesting.

we love fresh fruit salad and this is a great addition to the usual fruit,

 one that is grown locally.

 first cut is the deepest, removing the crown

 

 then trimming the sides

 

cutting into chunks

 

rest of it stored in fridge and cut  fresh each day as needed

 

then  removing the crown of leaves

 

and peeling of about an inch of leaves

  

put into a jar of water with bottom just touching the waterline.

(cranky blogger won't let me upright this  photo)
 

 soon it will sprout little white roots

 

 next step to plant in a potting soil after sprouting  roots

 (I have a compost heap so I dig to the bottom of that  black gold.)

 I will plant it into a pot until I decide where I want to plant  in the yard.

 

 

I have some comfy sandals for my feet this summer, recommend by a nurse as I have developed plantar fasciitis n the last 6 months.bummer.

 they are called

OOfos and are available at TheInsoleStore.com

 I am a very happy customer.

 www.TheInsoleStore.Com

AND I have another pair just like these!

 

 

This is the latest homemade happy birthday card made for husband

 with Noodles as inspiration.

 When he was a kitten he loved to play BOO!

 He would run up behind you,

tap you on the back of the calf or butt, and streak past you like a flash!

like, now your it!

flashback

a couple years ago in a painting class I did some demos of an animal and a fruit as an afternoon exercise to loosen up a bit after lunch. a silly cat and some flora  and a tiny pineapple and then larger pineapple appeared n the cloth before long . Recently i found those pieces languishing and together with some yardage painted that day I made a shoulder bag. 

It's free motion quilted on the Bernina 830 record

.   

 

May your all be pineapples be sweet

 and

 may your feet be happy

 every summer !

 

Aloha nui loa, Sonja 

 

 

 

 



hip to be square

While I painting some fabrics this weekend, I was thinking about what the creative process, my process, might look like from the outside, in slow motion. I say slow because I am slow. I say I make slow art because it goes that way, meandering like a cat unable to walk a straight line and I can't hurry creative process, that much I've learned. And  I don't want to hurry the  process. I so enjoy being in  the "zone " I forget to eat occasionally and am often reminded by rumblings from my gut.  I enjoy ALL the processes very much, the painting, some planning, cutting, sewing, adding, subtracting, quilting and on and on. so many choices to be made along the way and I can't make them far ahead but only until the choice just before has been put into action.  then you can, of course have a change of heart  if an idea sprouts up .

this poured out box of scraps of many colors await a new life

 



random joined pieces become strips or squares.

I add on  till I get 4 1/2'' squares after trimmng.

like  these   cuties

then I cut 1 1/2" strips of my hand painted fabric and same size of a batik I like and sew them side by side and

sew a unit to all four sides of inner square.

 suppose I could call this a log cabin crumb I guess.
 I just call it fun as I don't like to over plan and once I get a rhythm,
 I'm  humming  now.

 Poof! another Saturday melts into a possible quilt top and scraps dwindle a little bit.

 

I have 16 blocks done so far  and  placed on the flannel covered stretcher bars.

I  just  might  make  more blocks.
(will post photo of quilted  up quilt in later post)

 

 or perhaps, I will take a nap.

Does your cat (or pup) assistant snore?
 Noodles does!

 

hearts of fabric

Do you have any idea  of HOW many songs have the word 
 Heart
 

 

 in them ? mucho plenty!!
 

 

i made a batch of  valentine post cards  last week to trade this month that started with painting a heart on cloth 4 by 6 inches .quickly. loose.
 the backgrounds colors were watercolory in lights.
 i layered paintings up for some simple quilting on "Bernadette".

added a  bit of glimmer and shading and i was done .
While i  was making these cards to mail,

 

i  thought of as many titles as i could sing a few bars of before

 i googled a list.more than i recalled  but none the less a fun mental jog.

Every beat of my heart-Rod Stewart
Heart of gold-Neil Young
Piece of my heart-Janis Joplin
Young at heart-Frank Sinatra

those are just a few i reviewed in my mind  and sang as i painted and sewed.

and who doesn't love the sight of  a cat in the sink?
Noodles pauses in a Sunbeam of  light at his morning drink in the sink.

 

 

May all hearts be happy and well,

Sonja

 

 

 

my helper Noodles everythinghereismine

" I am here to help!"

 

I got allot of help when i was finishing the 50 star Christmas quilt this week.Noodles is my cat helper.You have seen him here before holding down things and rearranging fabric according to cat standards.

                                      " what if i lay myself down here..
                                                          smells good"

                                  " why not move this closer to my face"

                                    "  this is soft  like me..... is this for me?"

" now where is that pin i just pulled out of your binding with my teeth?"

A cautionary tail.

 even older cats can hurt themselves if they get a hair brain idea to remove glass headed straight pins while you are  distracted  for even a moment.

so don't leave  your work unattended.

 i did not want an emergency trip to the vet any more than most cats like taking a ride in a crate in a car.

 labeled and ready to bring on the holiday cheer

 

all that work means yet another nap for Noodles.

may your helpers be taking lots o naps.

 

 

what are you working on for the holidays?

be well, Sonja

This post is now linked up to "Off the Wall Fridays"

thank you Nina Marie

 

 

 



after the fair is over...

Everything here is mine, said Noodles.

after the fair is over is a grand time for a cat nap.
This quilt did not get finished because as you see, Noodles has occupied my work in progress.
cats do that.

A July evening sky

I brought my camera  along,  alas i never took it out at the fair.

we had a constant flow of trade winds and visitors and shoppers.
 endless conversations of art and color and laughter,
 always laughter!

 little bits of the shading acacia tree flowers floating  in looking like little eyelashes.
and music filled the air.
 Mahalo to all who stopped to say HI and all who shopped my art fabric booth.

i am resting up a bit this week from all that going on.
in a hammock
with a lemonade and a book

Mango stars quilt

Yesterday a customer came out to pick up a quilt she fell in love with last weekend. at HAF
 i  took a few pictures of it before it left .the quilt was all the colors i paint and sew and quilt and sew some more. i also made a little pillow case from some of my hand painted yardage  to put the quilt in as it is a gift for grand baby that is coming early next year.
Congrats to all!
 below
doing a grateful happy dance

happy summer!

wordless wednesday