Wednesday, April 04, 2012

Road Trip

Using some of the fabric Debra S.,  I've framed an encrusted piece, started a new prayer flag, and been working on a little quilt collage for AAQI.

The quilt collage has small pieces of eco dyed fabric, some discharged fabric pieces from several years ago, tiny embroidered pieces from a few months ago, and other stuff from the odds and ends baskets-- on the linen from Debra.  I'm still loving the pieces from the red cabbage dye, maybe one day I'll try indigo dyeing, but the blues from the red cabbage still please me.

Debra P. mentioned framing an encrusted piece at the same time I was looking for some of the frames and shadow boxes I had in the attic.  I intended to frame another piece, a leaf eco print that I'd embroidered in the fall, but the mat opening of this shadow box was the perfect size for one of the encrusted pieces.  I used a tiny piece of light green moire from Debra S.  to mount the piece on.

Tomorrow, Fee and I will be leaving for a short road trip to the southern part of the state-- Acadiana, Cajun country.  First, we'll travel along Bayou Teche, then visit our friend Suzi in New Orleans, then back through Baton Rouge to see Erin and the grandkids.

 The Bayou Teche stretches for 125 miles and is a waterway of great cultural significance to Acadiana.  Since the time of the Acadian migration to the Attakapas region, the Teche has been an essential means of transportation and food.  Before railroad tracks and highways dissected South Louisiana, bateaus and pirogues were used to move goods and people up and down this waterway.    Thus some of Acadiana’s oldest communities are on the Teche, towns like Arnaudville, Breaux Bridge, St. Martinville, New Iberia, Franklin and Berwick.


Although we will branch off at Port Barre instead of going through Lafayette, whenever I think of this area, I think of Paul Simon singing "That Was Your Mother" from the Graceland album.  I love the lines:
Along come a young girlShe's pretty as a prayerbookSweet as an apple on Christmas dayI said, "Good gracious, can this be my luck?If that's my prayerbookLord, let us pray"



I've a list of things that need to be done today, so I'd better get busy!  Think I'll take some Paul Simon CDs to listen to on the way down.

8 comments:

  1. Happy to see you put the fabric to immediate use!! I have been framing embroidery lately in shadow boxes too and love the effect. Great way to preserve those encrusted pieces.

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  2. FYI the button for the Prayer Flag Project is missing a colon in the URL link!

    I hate to do it, but I think I'm going to have to start another new project. Ever notice the ART in stART? (I gno, groan!)

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  3. Debra-- Strange how whatever comes in as new requires immediate attention! It was a great jump start!

    I buy the shadow boxes when they are on sale at Michael's or when I don't have anything else to use my coupon on. They always seem to come in handy!

    julie -- Thanks for letting me know! I think I've fixed it now.

    Sometimes a new project is a necessary thing! :)

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  4. Your encrusted piece looks great in the shadow box!

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  5. Love Paul Simon and that song. :-) Have a wonderful trip. I love the blue and green together on that prayer flag!

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  6. Have a wonderful time on your road trip. I love visiting any part of the state; there's always some history to learn, festival to enjoy, or new idea to check out! Bayou Teche is just beautiful now with the azaleas in bloom. Stop by Evangeline State Park.....they have a great fiber arts program where you can learn how raw cotton was turned into fabric! I found it extremely interesting to see the entire process from beginning to end.

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  7. Have a fun trip. Love the little framed piece.
    How did you do your red cabbage? I did not get such a lovely blue.

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  8. That framed encrusted piece is just wonderful! So pretty! Have fun in NOLA, and I love that song! I could hear the cajun beat as I read the lyrics. I love the whole Graceland album--great music.

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Good to hear from you!