Harvard's Peabody Museum

In search of indoor entertainment during our recent visit to Boston - it was really cold - we took the T across the Charles to Cambridge to visit Harvard's Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology. I spent most of my time in the North American section where they have all sorts of interesting pieces, such as a pipe bag used by the Sioux chief Sitting Bull.

Pipe bag carried by Sitting Bull; beaded and quill on leather, leather fringe partially wrapped w/ quill, ca. 1883

Like so many of their other North American objects, such as baskets, rugs, and clothing, the pipe bag has a strong graphic design and bold colors.

Micmac birchbark box, ornamented with quillwork, 1850

Navajo saddle throw blanket, wool, 1885-1889

Seminole patchwork "big shirt," ca. 1900

I have reinterpreted the design of this Seminole "big shirt" for a quilt top.  I originally intended to include the vertical stripes but decided I preferred the simplicity of exclusively horizontal stripes.

Sarah defending my new quilt top

An afternoon's work and now I have a top to practice quilting with a long arm machine.  Stay tuned to see how it turns out!

Massachusetts in Winter

Visiting the girls at school in Massachusetts is always fun but this year's winter parents' weekend brought some special joys. Campus was sparkling with fresh snow under a brilliant sky.

Memorial Chapel at NMH School

On Saturday we watched Eva compete in a Nordic (skate style) ski race at Notchview in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts.  Even in this, her first, season on the Nordic ski team she is a graceful and powerful skier.  With a little more experience I suspect she will learn how much harder she can push herself and how very good she can be.

Skiing at Notchview, Windsor, Massachusetts

Every knitter worth her needles is delighted when someone asks her to teach them to knit so you can imagine my pleasure when the girls asked me to teach them.  To be fair to the girls, they mostly figured it out themselves, relying on a little prior experience and on-line resources.  We stopped at Metaphor Yarns in Shelburne for supplies and were warmly greeted and eagerly assisted by the proprietor, Meta, who helped us choose some non-scratchy yarn for headbands.  As you can see, Isabel is just about finished with hers.

Isabel's headband

I just may have to start one of these myself.  It would be great for Austin's cool, but not cold, winters and a small enough project to carry around in my purse.