Louise, of course we bring people into the music room when the sun hits it in late afternoon, and your quilt glows like Chartres. But it’s 5:21 a.m. now, no light at all, and the quilt is equally wonderful and comforting. Thanks for your great gift to us. –FT
Subject: 3 more reasons to love your work
Louise, 3 more reasons to love your work; 1. Acoustics. The music room is so quiet now it’s thrilling. 2. Warmer: mid-April was chilly here, but not in the music room with your quilt, which warms it up. 3. Cooler: early May is HOT here!, but not in the music room with your quilt, which cools it down. –FT
10. I love IKEA’s idea of a hold-everything bag but I hate blue plastic. 9. It has two kind of handles- making it versatile when holding. 8. It is bigger than our Big Bag. 7. It’s easier to make than our Big Bag. 6. It is more fun to make than our Big Bag. 5. It makes use of our ever-increasing pile of scraps. 4. It eliminates the need for large white garage bags when shopping for used denim. 3. It is part of our Second Collection soon to be seen at SilkDenim.us. 2. It is big enough to hold a quilt commission. 1. It is the most perfect container I have ever found to take to the beach.
The big question that I am getting lately is- How long does it take you to make that? Oh my, what a loaded question. There are so many factors that go into each and every quilt: the purpose, the budget, the materials, and the use to name the most basic. That requires a face-to-face meeting with the client- asking critical questions to understand the needs and goals for the project.
I begin with my experience- recalling past projects that fit into the same classification. For example, someone is interested in a curtain- I look back at all of my curtain projects and see what will help me this time. I search through other pieces of art that will engage my creativity looking for innovations that will help make this piece better. I go through the materials and organize them to make sense for this particular project. I decide on the format- do I need a drawing? a pattern? a series of cuttings? Are there different components to the project- does it need a border- will it be used as wall art? What is the backing? Finally, the work begins, a very organized and speedy process of cutting, piecing, ironing, pinning, observing, correcting, noting, quilting, binding………………..
Using BubbeWisdom, I create art to inspire growth and learning that emphasizes process rather than the achievement of an outcome; moving beyond everyday triviality into a depth of spirit that enacts dignity and humility with love, humor and perspective. Louise Silk
Louise Silk:BubbeWisdom now showing at the American Jewish Museum of the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh through April 17th. Hannah’s Children; 72″WX60″DX49″H; Tent made from remnants of mechitzah from Museum Of The Diaspora Protest Project circa 1994; Pillows Made From Remnants of Jacob’s Ladder Project.
Bubbe’s Memory Quilt; 85”H X 87”W; Machine Pieced and Hand Quilted Personal Materials of Memory including clothing favorites such as Sun Dog shirt, Dana Buchman vest From Eli’s Bar Mitzvah, first cashmere sweater, Lilith Fair and JJill hemp clothing, CP Shade and Panache garments. Heath’s corduroy shirt and pinstripe nightshirt. Dad’s golf hankie, navy blazer and NRM sweater logo. Mom’s 75th birthday suit, poke-a-dot dress, stripe shirt and Pieces of Memory remnants. Materials from Biblical Women projects including Erased Out Of Herstory Tee-Shirt. Billy Siegal’s molas, MaryAnn’s batiks, Israeli hand-embroidery, Indian kurta and pants. Sadye and Howie silk appliqué found by Dana at Triftique. Hand embroidered prayer. General Sisters Underwear, Childhood blanket and Nana’s afghan. Jim’s Bubbe’s 60th Birthday Schlep Tee-Shirt.
Jacob’s Ladder; 60”H X 56”W; Machine Pieced and Hand Quilted Materials of Memory from JCC Community including challah cover, logo tee-shirts, napkins, biker shirts, men’s sport shirts, baby onesie, tie-dye shirts, bedspread, table clothes, quilting fabric, chemo-cap, Mexican embroidery, African fabric, Holocaust Star and photo, rags, crocheted doily, beads, apron, painter’s pants, pajamas, upholstery materials, knitted shawl, hand-batik fabric, curtains, woman’s blouse, hexagon quilt pieces, denim jeans, men’s work shirts, men’s khaki shorts, woman’s skirt, carry bag, woman’s suit jacket.
From the archives: Almonds were always a favorite of ancient middle-east cooks. Before modern packaging and preservation, twice-baked hard breads made sense. Mandelbrodt, almond bread, is a tradition perfected by Eastern European Jews and passed on to us. Here is my mother, Sadye Shapiro’s, most coveted mundel bread recipe. Let me know how you like it!
Cream together: Stick of margarine or butter and 1 Cup Sugar
Add: 5 eggs and beat Add: 3 Cups unsifted flour 1 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. salt 1 tsp. almond flavor 1 tsp. vanilla 1 Cup almonds Form into 2 smooth logs on a cookie sheet. Bake at 375degrees for 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven, slice, turn slices onto side. Bake 10-15 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the slices in the oven until it cools.
to: Louise Silk date: Tue, Jun 17, 2014 at 1:01 PM subject: Thank you Louise, My mom and I want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts. The quilts are just so wonderful, special and so very, very comforting. What a very special person you to use your talent in such a heartwarming way. We are very blessed that we found our way to you and will help other find their way to you also. Thank you again for all your hard work and sharing your very, very special talent to help and comfort others.
This year Seder night will include a total Lunar Eclipse. It begins at 2 AM when the edge of the moon first enters the amber core of Earth’s shadow. This video from 2011 has a nice explanation of the what, how and why and Michael Zeiler’s field guide to the total lunar eclipse of 2014 is a simulation of what the coppery-red moon will look like.
I searched for a special prayer that might be added to the Seder to acknowledge this eclipse and found that Hebrew word for eclipse Likui means defect. The Talmud states that because a lunar Likui is a bad sign for Israel (a solar eclipse is even worse as a bad omen for the entire world), an eclipse does not have a blessing.
But in today’s world, we know that the eclipse is not a defect. It is a beautiful act of nature. Here is the perfect addition for your Seder: the blessing for a nature wonder or phenomena:
Barukh attah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam osei ma’asei vereisheet Blessed are You, The Infinite One, Who reenacts the works of creation.
Barukh attah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam shekocho ugevurato malei olam. Blessed are You, The Infinite One, Whose power and might fill the world.
BubbeWisdom 