Author: keri marion

  • In Tension

    In Tension

    I. The situation. As I approach the first quarter of this project, I have uncovered new insight around my practice and about myself, accordingly; I thought I would share. I was approached by a curious neighbor who had seen me around the neighborhood taking photographs. She asked me why I was taking pictures of her…

  • In The Way

    In The Way

    Well, here it is a bit more than a month into this year-long commitment I have made to myself. I suppose it’s as good a time as ever to reflect on what has come of it so far. I. I have decided to organize the paintings into the 8 seasons of the pagan calendar, each…

  • True Intimacy Is Being Awake

    True Intimacy Is Being Awake

    This has been a really productive couple of weeks. I’m working out most of the conditions surrounding my forthcoming year-long project: I’ve changed a few things around, tried some different techniques and decided on some project boundaries. The first thing I changed was that I purchased a travel palette, which I like even better than…

  • Travel Watercolor Kit

    Travel Watercolor Kit

    Over the weekend I constructed myself a tiny travel watercolor kit and I’m pretty jazzed about it. I’ve been kicking around the idea of a year-long project like Justin’s poetry project, but with watercolors. The paintings would be small, and should take no longer than 20 minutes: a daily, meditative practice. A few years ago…

  • Covering for an old friend.

    Covering for an old friend.

    This week was full of little celebrations of friendships, and while that isn’t so unlike any other week, maybe this week had just a tiny bit more. The shorter and cooler days are rich with intimate and domestic tasks, much of which comprises mending, knitting, rearranging, tidying, organizing, planning, thinking and conversing. But a dear…

  • Nopalitos & Eggs / Caviar Mañanero

    Nopalitos & Eggs / Caviar Mañanero

    On a recent library excursion, Justin & I picked up Pati Jinich’s Treasures of the Mexican Table. What a book! One of the things I appreciate most about Pati is that she explains how to prepare items not usual in our regional cuisine, case-in-point: nopales. I’ve eaten nopales plenty of times, but always they have…

  • Betty & Judy Lodge Sweater with Acorns

    Betty & Judy Lodge Sweater with Acorns

    The cozy time of year is upon us, which means I’m knitting, and Betty & Judy Lodge Sweater happened both quickly and smoothly. I already have plans to make more of them because it was so straightforward and easily customizable. I had some stash yarn in a nice, dark brownish-grey that I used for the main…

  • Tender Bean, Potato & Onion Stew

    Tender Bean, Potato & Onion Stew

    Transcontinental Kitchen is a method for friends and family to connect across distances through meals. The idea is this: we agree on a recipe and a date, then we cook, eat, and discuss. Our pilot meal is from the Blue Zones Kitchen Cookbook, Nicoya section, p 163: Tender Bean, Potato & Onion Stew, and Jesse’s…

  • Embroidery School

    Embroidery School

    January 15, 2023 This sampler was a smorgasbord of disappointment, but with each stitch brought the meagerest of morsels tasty enough to try again. This post is lengthy, but it goes through the process almost entirely (I only omitted some ridiculous attempts that weren’t even worth discussing), but I think the final test swatch made…

  • All The Grandmothers And None My Own

    All The Grandmothers And None My Own

    January 12, 2023 I’ve started the dirndl bodice today using the reclaimed wool from the skirt that I didn’t need for the Halloween costume. January 13, 2023 ALL THE GRANDMOTHERS, AND NONE MY OWN My childhood didn’t really provide a grandmother – at least not in the traditional sense. I had a Norwegian grandmother for…

  • Double Feature

    Double Feature

    January 9, 2023 It’s a double feature project plan. Project A: Milkweed floss capelet. This will likely take more than one growing season to collect enough floss to cover the capelet, but I have a p pretty good start to my collection. Project B: Reclaimed woolen winter dirndl blouse, whicg I believe is called a…

  • Nonna’s coat is finished!

    Nonna’s coat is finished!

    January 8, 2023 I have come to a decision on the sleeves. I will take them out, add length, and reduce width by what appears to be about ¾” and then I will hand-stitch it all back in. Took 5/8″ out each side of arm Serged 3″ to bottom of sleeve; serged all edges. Re-stitched…

  • Almost finished with one small hitch

    Almost finished with one small hitch

    January 7, 2023 Wellp: I’m nearly finished with Nonna’s coat liner replacement and overall repair. I still need to hemo the lower edge of the liner, and I think I’ll likely need to re-do the sleeves. I noticed when I test-fit the coat that the sleeve hems at the cuff pull the e cuff up…

  • Nonna’s Coat Progress

    Nonna’s Coat Progress

    January 6, 2023 I accomplished a lot today. I double checked the liner pattern against the coat, then cut and serged all the individual pieces, as well as stitched the body together; then, I steam-ironed the seams and the serged edges. When I took inventory of the pocket bags, realized they need to be completely…

  • First steps on Nonna’s coat

    First steps on Nonna’s coat

    January 5, 2023 I was able to remove successfuly the leftover sleeve liners without damaging the stabilizing twill. It needs a steam and brush, which makes me wonder if I could use that lavender wool cleaner in my steam iron, or at least in my new (vintage) steamer. Note to self to check. I was…