Vendredi 21 décembre 2007
My patchwork group had a challenge for this month : a Christmas project. I was not very convinced
of buying Christmas fabrics with Santa Claus on and tra la la ... I'm so much enjoying using african fabrics by now !...
But I love my patchwork group. You go and quilt and work around other quilters, the talk flows and someone always has a story. It's distressing.
So, here's the result :
Every patch of this Christmas tree reminds me of the stories I heard there: an
arranged indian marriage, life in a far away region of Canada or how to manage to (not) live a normal life in Saudi Arabia being an woman, and even the shy smile of the most
misterious and silent member of the group, a japanese.
Have a nice holiday !
publié dans :
patchwork
14
Another patchwork pot holder using the "Simple sewing" tutorial. (guinea brocade and wax fabrics)
This is a Christmas gift for a dutch friend ...
And here some Christmas cribs that you can buy on the street for your Christmas decorations ...
publié dans :
patchwork
6
Mercredi 19 décembre 2007
Oggi si festeggia Tabaski, una festa
importante per i musulmani. Tutto chiuso ma un grande movimento di montoni, alcuni portati in motorino (come nella foto) per la festa. Che finisce così :
publié dans :
in viaggio
1
Sul nostro albero di plastica (che gira con noi da qualche anno di paese in paese), le decorazioni sono "made in Africa" :
zucche (calebasse) svuotate e dipinte a mano e pini rittagliati in aluminio di qualche imballaggio di pulizia dove si può ancora leggere : "Nettoie et fait briller" ...
Abbiamo anche fatto il presepe, con personnaggi da tutte le parti del mondo e dove non manca nemmeno il centurione romano ! (troppo buio per la foto ormai, forse domani ...)
publié dans :
home sweet home
5
Dimanche 16 décembre 2007
When I have to determine how to cut and rotate squares of various fabrics (and colours) to fit a quilt block and then how to fit the blocks together to form a quilt, I'm exploring many
mathematical concepts. I love the connections between math and patchwork and between math and art !
This is a project I'm working on in my patchwork group meetings. I'm using african fabrics : bazin (also called guinea
brocade) with solid colour together with hand decorated bazin.
publié dans :
patchwork
2
Vendredi 14 décembre 2007
These photos were taken during an enjoyable dinner with friends up in the northern hemisphere ... A warm winter dinner.
Do you
notice how those fabric pins add an extra sparkle to these jackets or shirts look ? A pin is a fashion acessory that suits any woman ;-) ! Handmade gifts by
me ! (with african fabrics) - Gift crafting is still in full force here now. (And many thanks to the models I., R. and AR. !)
I haven't been cooking as I should like to, since my kitchen has become the private domaine of the cook and he doesn't
like so much to see me messing around, he is a "five stars" cook , I'm a dilettante ...
Anyway, since I got to know this fantastic cook book, "The soul of a new cuisine", I simply had to try by myself some of its appealing recipes. The author, Marcus Samuelsson, is a
"chef" , african-born, adopted as a child by a couple of swedish. In this book, he rediscovers the pleasures of a poor continent's cooking with recipes using simple tools
but rich in vegetables and flavours.
This book has appetizing african recipes; one of my favourite is the classical : chicken peanut stew. This is something I can trust the
cook to do it as he's keen on it . And also : curried trout with coconut-chili sauce from Kenya or else : spicy trout spaghetti
(result of the italian occupation of Ethiopia).
This time I tried something very easy : Mango Couscous
You need : 1 cup of couscous, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 clove garlic (minced), 1 mango (peeled, pitted and cut into small cubes), 1 jalapeño chili (seeds removed and finely chopped), 1/2 cup raisins, 1
tomato (chopped), juice of lime, 1/4 cup cilantro sprigs, 1/4 cup parsley sprigs, 1/2 tsp. salt. Prepare couscous and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add
garlic, mango and jalapeño. Sauté until mango begin to color. stir in remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, couscous, raisins, tomato, lime juice, cilantro and parsley and toss to heat through, about 1
minute. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Ok, this photo is not as
fantastic as some photos taken by
fantastic food bloggers ... but I guarantee it's very tasty !
publié dans :
in cucina
5
Vendredi 30 novembre 2007
Oggetti (li ho visti anche in vendita in negozi molto trendy a Parigi...) come questo escono fuori dal riciclaggio di
plastica. Una associazione di donne, finanziata dalla Regione Piemonte, raccoglie la plastica (la comprano a 50 fcfa il kilo, 7 Cent/Euro) e la riducono in polvere di colori
diversi che viene utilizzata per fare altri prodotti, sopratutto tubature ma anche sedie in plastica, materiale scolastico (righelli, squadre) ecc.
Un progetto molto interessante per l'Africa dove il problema dei rifiuti plastici è un vero flagello. Ne avevo già parlato qui.
Spezzando la plastica con un machete ! ... osservate anche la gonna della signora, con l'effigie del presidente ... una stoffa che va di moda !
i mulini e ... la "farina" di 
plastica in tanti
colori
Cuscino fatto in batik dipinto da un bravo artigiano locale e cuscino fatto in patchwork (come 
Ispirazione da : Marie Claire Idées, juin 2007.
