Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Coffee and Tea

 

 Here in Louisiana, we are all about hot coffee and ice tea. Community Coffee is the ONLY one we drink here in Avoyelles Parish--it's a Louisiana product, after all. 

However, there are others. Cafe du Monde, for example from the famous NOLA French Quarter market. And then Mello Joy coffee which you can easily find in the Lafayette area. 

As far as tea goes, there's only one that's passable in the Marcotte clan--Lipton. It has to be sweet, ice cold and served with a real glass (made of glass as opposed to plastic) filled with ice. Yeah, it's hot here. We use, drink and eat ice all summer long. 

Now don't be fooled by these pretty little cups, teapots and coffee pots. Not one person I know pours coffee into a fancy pot or demi tasse cup. It's the electric pot and a big mug for us, cher! But they make for pretty quilts don't they? 

These quilts are in my "heart, quilts" board under the category of "coffee and tea."

Critter homes are heaven right here.

 

Richard and I have been enjoying our backyard. The weather has been beautiful, though it is warming up somewhat. Lunch is generally a sandwich and fruit under the catalpa trees. There are two in our yard. They give deep, dark shade. See the red chair? That's my retirement rocker from BHS. Next to it are a green table that Rich made for me and his old green chair from the camper. 

This electrical pole is near the slough, or small lake, on the side of our house. The woodpeckers have made several large holes, which other birds have claimed for homes. Of course, Richard has several bird houses and as many feeders. The birds regal us with their chatter and song while we eat and several times they've given us a show. I especially love to watch the fledglings leave the nest.

The slough is home to ducks, squirrels, rabbits, snakes, turtles, frogs and any other wildlife you can imagine. The owls screech and hoot all night. The woodpeckers tap all day. And we enjoy every bit of it.

One nest that will soon have fledglings is this swallow nest that the parents decided to build on our front porch. Most people would discourage them from making such a mess, but we enjoyed watching them build and are now enjoying seeing the proud parents feed two mouths all day long. Back and forth, the poor things first carried mud and straw to build, now they come and go carrying worms and insects. I'm not sure which has been more work. 

This old boat, the SS Hershey because it was originally chocolate brown, sits on the edge of the slough as a reminder of when the boys were still young. William built it in shop class, and the three of them paddled it around every cypress tree in that slough. Finally they hit one cypress stump too many, tore a hole in it, and sank it. They used their dad's new four wheeler to draw it up on the bank and there it sits. It's a great home for several critters, most of whom I give a wide berth. 

This fella lives near the back window. We've watched him chase the hummingbirds for about two months. Thus far they've proven too fast, but he is persistent. Right below his perch is one of five feeders, but he's also trekked back and forth on the cable wire where the hummers love to perch. Now that they are nesting, we don't see as much of them or him, but they'll be back out soon. And there you have it: our little piece of heaven which we gladly share with the flying, crawling, slithering animals who enjoy it as much as we do.

Brunch in Arnaudville -- and pictures from the passenger side

Somehow I managed to turn this post into a draft or I never published it. Either is a possibility. So I'm publishing it (again?) just so it's recorded. Wish I knew what I did....
Last Sunday we drove down to Arnaudville, Louisiana, to meet Rory and Meggan for brunch at a cafe called "Little Big Cup." The food is amazing! If you're ever in the Lafayette area along I10, it is THE place to eat. It's my second time eating here, and I've been impressed both times. 

Really, make reservations and go! In addition to the food, the atmosphere is fantastic and the restaurant is right on Bayou Teche. There's an outdoor eating area where diners can clamor down the patio steps and eat right on the water's edge. I recommend spring or late fall for alfresco dining. Ask for the etoufee: it is the official festival of Arnaudville.

The rest of this post is about the town. It's relatively typical of South Louisiana towns, but pretty in it's own way. I put my window down and grabbed a few pictures from the air conditioned passenger side. It's too hot to go out-of-doors. It's almost too hot to put the window down! 

Bayou Teche and Bayou Fusilier intersect giving one many places for photo opportunities. And, speaking of opportunities, this is a great place for a swamp or bayou tour. Eavesdrop on the locals and you'll likely hear some Cajun French. It's also a great place to hear zydeco music.

Enjoy Arnaudville, Louisiana.    

The front (top) and back (bottom)
of the old gin still in use.

North Bayou Des Glaises ~~ finished!

I finally have a finish that I can show you. This is a small hand quilted art piece that I started weeks ago. I should have finished last week, as planned, but bipolar depression can get in the way of lots of should haves. Anyway, it's finished now and I love it.

It is Bayou Des Glaises at Bordino Crossing. Bordino Crossing is the bridge that is closest to my late grandmother's old home place. She died in 1991 and I still think of her and miss her. I'd worked on another piece with a part of this green-brownish water and loved the outcome. For this one I decided to focus on the water. 

Bayou water is slow moving and carries lots of sediment, which makes it muddy brown. All summer long algae, water lilies, and small shrubby trees tend to cover the top of the water so that there's much more green than brown at this time of year. 

If you really look into the bayou, you might see every shade of green and some shades of brown, red-browns, and khaki browns. Much of the colors depend on the soil, the green growth, and (honestly) whatever rot there may be. 

To capture the movement of the water, I used big stitches that sort of sway but not much. The water can move so slowly that you can tell only if debris happens to be floating by. And where lily pads cover the surface, movement is barely perceptible. 

I like to finish these little quilts by mounting them on gallery frames that Richard makes for me. I square up the edges and zip them through the serger. Stretching them on the frame takes patience because this is quilted fabric, not canvas.

As with regular quilts, mitered corners are especially nice, but even more difficult. The folds create an extra thick layer on the back and staples are not cooperative. I've been considering going back and stitching the corners on the side edges to see if I can sharpen them just a little. What do you think about using monofilament thread? I really dislike using it, but will reconsider if it will make enough difference to warrant the fight. If you use this thread, would you mind recommending your favorite brand? I'd be ever so grateful.

		Quilt Stats
	Name:	Bayou Des Glaises at Bordino Crossing
	Size:	7" X 9"
	Fabrics:	various green fabrics from stash
	Pattern:	art quilt of my design
	Backing:	reclaimed green fabric from stash
	Batting:	100% Cotton
	Binding:	none, framed
	Quilting:	hand-quilted using big stitches
	Completed:	November 2019

Ouch! and the Arts Festival

A front porch with the funniest table and chairs.

Did I tell you about the foot accident? Ah yes, I did here.  In a nutshell: Milly accidentally pushed a hitch out of the truck. Onto my foot. Right on the bone that goes to the big toe. A metatarsal, I'm told. I find out, for sure, whether it's broken on Wednesday.

Today  I'll see a doctor to find out why this shoulder hurts so much. The last time I saw him, he gave me a shot right in the joint. Ouch! It has not helped. I'd take another shot though, if there's a chance it will help. The shot is painful (oh so) but that pain ends in a few seconds. This pain is constant. How's that for attitude?

My weekend was great, though and I'll focus on that instead. I went to the Contemporary Fiber Artists of Louisiana (CFAL) meeting on Sunday. No pictures...I felt that as a guest that would be overstepping. 

Then my little group went to lunch, followed by the Covington Arts Festival downtown. That was great fun. First a delicious Fat Spoon Restaurant salad. Then all manner of inspiration and visual delights at the festival. These pictures are from the festival.

We were a little pressed for time, so we strolled down maybe four or five blocks, each one lined on both sides of the street with vendors, and at sidewalk level were the permanent boutique shops and stores. There were also a few live musicians scattered about and occasional live DIY displays. 

The day could not have been more beautiful: bright sunshine and cool weather. Perfect. 

These are just a few of my favorites. Some artists requested that photos not be taken, others had "No Photography" signs, and some encouraged photos. Where there were no signs, I asked. Now I wish I'd also asked for business cards.

All in all, it was well worth the trip. I'll add it to our calendar to return next year. 

Part 2 -- South Louisiana jaunt

On Tuesday Richard and I drove south to a couple of small towns. The plan was to see a bit of the landscape, perhaps a little culture, and the Vatican exhibit at St. Joseph's in Rayne. 

In Crowley, home of the rice festival, we saw this fabrication shop where swamp boats are made. We had to pull over and get a few pictures. How my husband knows about this sort of thing always amazes me, but he was able to answer all of my silly questions. 

So the way these things work is that the boat sits on top of the rice field, or crawfish pond or marsh, wherever. The big paddle wheel on the back "floats" on the bottom and pushes the boat. The hydraulic arm is long so that it can sink deeply or just roll along on top of the swampy ground, and the driver can adjust the depth as needed.

Farmers and fishermen can purchase boats in different widths, lengths, and paddle wheels, depending on their individual needs. Interesting, no? Notice the tarp on the top? That's because it's hot in Louisiana. The tarps provide some shade for the human and for the product on board. That question I did not need to ask.

As we drove through Crowley, I took a few pictures of the downtown area. We saw some beautiful old homes, but the rain and time didn't allow for pictures. Have you noticed the rain splattered windshield?

Isn't this a fabulous picture? Yes, those specks are
raindrops, but I still like it. The cross makes it perfect.

And on the way home we were enjoying the beautiful sunset when Richard realized that I was taking pictures of the sun setting from the town of Sunset. Cute, no?