Mandatory Staycation

Photo of a fabric notebook cover. The image printed on the fabric is of a tabletop with dried paint all over it.

In this issue:

Why I'm having a staycation
Recent experiments in the studio
Last chance to see Common Threads at Myriad Gardens
What things are making my staycation better

Happy Saturday! We’re getting a snow flurry in OKC, so I’m thinking it’s the perfect time to stay indoors and sew all day. “All day” may be an exaggeration because there’s probably gonna be a nap in there too. I’m staying home because I’m most of the way through a Mandatory Staycation, aka a mild case of covid*. Put your masks on, friends!

*It’s really not bad. I’m taking the meds and I have everything I need.

This Week in the Studio

Finishing up a 2023 sketchbook of watercolor paper

Photo of a small ink and watercolor painting sitting on a spiral bound notebook.

Close-up photo of a small mixed media painting, with swipes of blue-violet, light green, yellow-orange, and other colors.

Starting a new homemade sketchbook (fabric cover by Ann)

Photo of a homemade sketchbook in a fabric cover. The left page is a piece of cardboard cut from a cereal box. The right page is full of drawn stripes and squiggles.

Close-up photo of a homemade cardboard sketchbook sitting on its fabric cover. A tag on the fabric reads "AnVille QuiltDesign@gmail.com"

Watch a video flipthrough of this sketchbook on my Instagram feed.

This HST (half square triangle) quilt top is coming together. I’ll tell you the whole story about these triangles in a future issue.

Photo of a patchwork quilt in progress against a white background. The fabric pieces are mostly triangular, in various shades of pink, gray, and blue.

Fabric pull for an upcoming group show at Factory Obscura

Photo of fabric scraps in various colors placed on a white piece of quilt batting.

Speaking of shows, you have a few days left to see Common Threads at the Myriad Botanical Gardens in downtown OKC. Here are a few installation shots from opening night back in December.

Photo of "Concludium," a patchwork quilt made by Sarah Atlee, displayed on a gallery wall.

Photo of several fiber art works displayed on a gallery wall.

Photo of a gallery space in which quilts and other fiber art pieces are displayed on the walls.

These Make My Staycation Better

Sipping: yogi tea (recipe below)

Eating: moatmeal (that's not a typo) (recipe below)

Listening: Wintering by Katherine May (Audiobook narrated by Rebecca Lee)

“Ultimately Wintering invites us to change how we relate to our own fallow times. May models an active acceptance of sadness and finds nourishment in deep retreat, joy in the hushed beauty of winter, and encouragement in understanding life as cyclical, not linear.”

Watching: Birds eating seeds off my back porch. There’s a gorgeous pair of cardinals that visits daily, along with juncos and the occasional blue jay.

Yogi Tea (Sarah’s version)

Fill a big pot with water and put it on the stove to simmer. Add slices of fresh ginger and turmeric root, a cinnamon stick, a few black peppercorns and whole cloves, cardamom pods, allspice berries, whole star anise pods, coriander seed, fennel seed, and cumin seed. Quantities are according to your personal taste - you can always add more. Simmer all day. Ladle some into a cup and replenish the water in the pot as desired. When I’m sick I like to add lemon juice and honey to my cup.

Moatmeal What Now?

Once when I was little I tried to say “oatmeal” and it came out “moatmeal” and my Mom and I made it into a joke. We talked about owning a bed & breakfast someday and serving Moatmeal, which would be the house oatmeal with lots of extra stuff added. These days I like to cook a big pot of oatmeal and add chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, and pecans) and dried fruit. I love jumbo raisins, black figs, dried apricots, dried peaches, and dried apples. (If you’re in the OKC area you can get all those in the bulk section at Winco Foods.)

Both moatmeal and yogi tea keep well in the fridge.

Let’s connect.

You can also find me on my website, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Linkedin.

A GIF For Those Who Read This Far

You know, there ain’t no party like a Liz Lemon party…

Animated image of Tina Fey's character Liz Lemon saying "Cause a Liz Lemon party is mandatory."

I hope you are warm, safe, and as well as possible!
xoxo Sarah