Galbi!

We usually go out to eat on Friday nights and eat Galbi downtown. Yummy! Delicious! I think this is one of the best meals in the entire universe and there is no hint of sarcasm!

The restaurant is a traditional Korean restaurant where you sit on the floor next to a low table that has a grill in the center. After taking your order, they bring a container of hot charcoal and place it in the center of the grill to cook your meat on. On top of this is a metal grate..

The salad (in bowl with chopsticks) is a vinegar/sesame concoction and is the first thing to be served. The rice is served in the small silver bowl- each serving is about a cupful. The meat is in the bowl to the left of the grill and is in a marinade of soy sauce, garlic and possibly vinegar? (not sure and would love to know!) In all of the other bowls there are side dishes such as kimchee, pickled radish, sesame oil, samjang sauce, and soy sauce. The meat is in thin long slices and you place it on the grill to cook. By the way, that is my husband doing the cooking...

They also bring you denjang chigae (in the brown clay bowl) which is soup that is flavored with a fermented paste called denjang. It has green peppers, potato, and cubes of tofu in it. They cook it fresh for you and each serving is cooked in the same clay bowl it is brought to you in . When it comes to the table it is still boiling. They also bring you a huge plate stacked high with lettuce, carrots, korean green peppers, onions,cucumbers and peeled garlic cloves.

We Americans get sidelong glances because we put carrots, onion and cucumber in our meat when we cook it. Normally- and we do both- you would eat the cucumbers by dipping it into the sesame oil or samjang. To cook the food you are given a pair of scissors and a pair of tongs. When the meat is cooked you cut it into bite size pieces.

Now comes the eating part! =) Take some denjang, and put it on the lettuce leaf

Top it with side dishes of your choice, some rice, a piece of meat and roll it up in the lettuce like a mini burrito.

And just like eating tortillas and eggs WITH YOUR HANDS, eating galbi has to be done WITH YOUR HANDS! It just woudn't taste the same with a fork, knive, or any other utensil. =)

Cotton Crazy Seam using Miss Carole's templates

This is for dd- and is another seam from my vintage 30's crazy quilt- using all cotton fabrics.

She was wondering how to use Carole Sample's templates on the hand embroidery group and I think a pic would do it better justice. That blue thread that is hanging around the colonial knot is pretty irritating, isnt it? =)

Button and Bead Swag!

A while back, I was inspired by Pam Kellogg's blog where she connected two buttons in a button cluster by a 'chain' of seed beads. I immediately knew I wanted to try this and it led to my experimenting last night.

Originally I tried it with solid creme colored beads and I didn't like how it looked. I almost gave up but decided to try again with some pearlescent seed beads and I love it!

I am doing a jig because I love the way it turned out and also because the possibilities are endless. I still need to add more encrustment to the button cluster but I had to share my excitement!!!

Isn't it neat??? I love learning new things!

Gypsy Purse Block- slowly but surely

I worked a little on my gypsy block today and am pleasantly pleased. I have to admit that I am my worst critic but I really like how this is shaping up. I haven't sewn the floral lace applique down yet as I might change it- not sure yet... I also want to add some seed beads, floral beads and flowers... I also want to add some beads to the tatting but I haven't even begun to dig into my beads yet. Possibly tomorrow.

The pic is blurry but will have to do for now.

Jun!

Yummy- another cooking class this Monday and it was delicious once again! We made jun, which is an appetizer of various kinds -Korean style.

Sesame seed leaves were the wrapper and filled with a meat/garlic/tofu mixture dipped in flour, egg and fried. Stuffed Mushroom, peppers with filling, shrimp and lotus root were also fried. I had never tried lotus root before, and it has a similarity to deep fried sweet potato, except it is much more starchy. We made a dip that was part soy sauce, a bit of vinegar and a bit of sesame oil.

I think my husband is right. He says I should go to the Korean embassy in Taegu and get a Korean citizenship. I think I belong here! =)

CQ Failure =(

I have watched Sharon do her 100 stitches for 100 days and I have wanted to participate so badly. (Here is the link if you want to see the original )

http://www.inaminuteago.com/blog/

Well, last night I put thread to fabric and am definitely not pleased. The herringbone stitch is okay, but Sharon wrapped the stitches with a thick thread and I DON'T HAVE any thick thread! The thickest I have is a pearl 8 and so I decided to wrap twice. My silk CQ is 'beadless' (stitches and lace only) so it really is lacking since the beads are such an integral part of the design. I improvised a bit with the colonial knots. I don't think I will rip the stitching out since it is a small seam and I will press on. I am sure the seam stitchery will get lost amongst all of the other stitches.

Of course human nature wants only to blog your best work- but I am defying it and posting this since it is my latest work. Talk about frustrating!

Vintage 30's Cotton Crazy Quilt

Since I was so busy this weekend I am posting pics from a cotton crazy that I have started since being here in Korea.

The theme is 'vintage 30s since the feature fabric is fabrics that have postcard designs from the thirties on them. I only have 5 blocks done and need to get busy. I have three ongoing UFO'S (unfinished objects) and I really need to get something done. The quilting cottons were all fabrics I purchased here in Korea at the market.











This was worked in pearl cotton. I was having a difficult time wondering what to do with a perfectly round appliqued patch and found the perfect solution in softening it with the lace collars.

Taegu Daytrip

Yesterday we had to go to Taegu for business errands and in the evening met friends at Out Back Steakhouse in Dong-song-no. (In case you are wondering- it really is Outback!) That left us with a few hours to wander around Taegu.

I love street scenes and I these are two of my favorites that I took yesterday in Dong- song-no. It was getting to be dusk and the neon lights were starting to shimmer and it is so pretty. Dong-song-no is a very hip place to go shopping and where all of the young couples and people hang out. It has restaurants such as Outback Steakhouse, Bennigan's, McDonald's, Burger King and all sorts of eateries.

The second pic is my husband Dave eating Instant Ramen on the bus. If you haven't tried Korean ramen (pronounced ramyen in Korea) it is very spicy and very good.) Ramen connosieurs - of which I am not one- say a slice of cheese in it melted and stirred up makes it very tasty. The best brand is Shin Ramyun.

Korea has been a whirl of activity with the World Cup Games. Since there is a game against the Swiss today, everyone has been decked out in the team color, red and decorating anything and everything!

Hand Dyed Motifs and Button Bucket

I dyed some of the motifs that I bought at the market using the Ribbonsmyth dyes for silk ribbon and am pretty pleased with the results. It is recomended that you dampen the motifs with a bit of water, but I used it straight on the motifs and I am pleased with the results.

Here is the link for Ribbonsmyth by the way-
http://www.ribbonsmyth.com/ You can also buy white dyers ribbon and save a bundle of money! Dyeing your own silk ribbon only takes about five minutes and you heat set it in the microwave.

The Button Bucket! I first saw one of these on Louanne Sassone's blog, and knew since that day, that I HAD TO HAVE ONE! =) I had found one without a lid on ebay but wanted a complete set including the cord handle. Yesterday, on a whim, I did another search and there it was. I woke up at 4 am this morning- yes I am a glutton for punishment- and won the auction! Yippee!

Bibimbap and Denjang Chigae

=

Ahhh... Yesterday I went to the the Waegwan Cultural Center for the Monday Korean cooking class. I dont think I will share a recipe this time, as it is far more time consuming then the chicken recipe I previously shared.

Bibimbap is a mound of rice in a bowl topped with various Korean vegetables, (some of which I have never heard of but I have been eating all along...) zuchinni, sliced egg, and topped with a small bit of chopped beef sauteed in garlic and gochujang. To eat it, you stir it all up together and eat it with a spoon, Some variations are topped with an easy over egg. Yummy! The first time I was here in Korea about ten years ago I didn't take a fancy to many Korean foods. I really didnt like Kimchee, bibimbap or many foods. Over the last ten years, I dont know what happened!!! Maybe my taste buds did a 180! I love Kimchi, bibimbap, seaweed, among many other Korean foods! They make my mouth water!

We also made a soup called Denjang Chigae. This is one of my favorite soups in Korea. It is basically soybean paste (Denjang) with dried shrimp, dried anchovy, tofu and usually a smattering of fresh green onion on top of it. Yummy!

The flowers and rice field pic was taken on my way to the class.

Gypsy Purse Block- progress so far

I've been playing with my Gypsy Purse Block and here is where I am at so far.

All of the laces aren't stitched down. I am thinking of dying them as I have received much inspiration from Pat Winter and her dyed laces here-

http://gatherings100.blogspot.com/

I want to dye the individual little lace flowers below the lace motif. As far as the placement, I really like where they are, and how they lead the eye on a swoop around the bottom of the block.

I still have yet to do the pink patch seam in embroidery above the lady and also the salmon/ beige seam.
I also have a golden key button I am thinking of using after I dull it down some way. (Thank you ladies from the hand embroidery group for suggesting this... you gals are great)

Lillian

Hanbok- Traditional Korean Garments

Yesterday I was talking about the Korean traditional garments called a 'hanbok'. (the a is pronounced like ah and the o is pronounced with a long o)I took this pic about three weeks ago during a trip to Seoul when there was a wedding where we were having a late lunch. When I lived here about 10 years ago you would see these more often and now it is not so common. I have heard that they are a beast to put on. The underlining has no buttons or snaps but has to be tied on and it is very laborious to get it just right. The bride in this wedding was wearing a western wedding dress. It is Sunday today so this will have to suffice for my posting today. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Gypsy Purse Block

I pieced my Gypsy Purse block this week and wanted to post a pic before it gets embellished. In the hand embroidery group we are working on the Gypsy Purse together starting with an 8 inch block. The purse and pattern are by Lilla Levine and the link and pics can be found here-


http://www.art-e-zine.co.uk/lillapurse.html

The tone on tone silks used in the gypsy bags (minus the goldish paisley) are silks that I purchased here in Korea at Seo Mun market. They sell 'hanbok' fabric in the market. A hanbok is the traditional Korean garment usually worn to special events and holidays. The colors are luscious. I will post a pic of a hanbok tomorrow so you can see what it looks like.

The silk print was made using vintage dover books and the heat transfer method used by Pat Winter. There is no color to the print so I used my micron brown pen and colored over some of the lines.

I asked the hand embroidery group for any suggestions and I ask the same of any of you.

Stay tuned for more progress! =)

Lillian

Pathways

The houses in Korea are pretty tightly packed since there are so many people and the land is relatively small. Even in the country there are high rise apartments- as you can see in the background of one of the pics taken. (It is common for them to be as high as 20 stories!) Although the high rise buildings are a solution to the ever growing population I love the traditional homes with character, and the meandering pathways that lead through residential areas. Since they were built in a time where it was not common to have a car there was no need to have street access. Following a path can get you lost no doubt! But it is fun to explore!

Seo Mun Market in Taegu

Fridays are usually the day that I can get out and go shopping. When I get the chance I usually go to Seo Mun Market in Taegu. It is a great place to shop for Crazy Quilting and any other thing that you could possibly think of. There are so many things to look at and buy. To think that this market is smaller then the markets in Seoul is mind boggling . There are literally thousands of stalls to look at here in Seo Mun. Some are in buildings that are 4 stories high and some are outdoors like you see in the pictures. Most stalls are about 8 feet by 8 feet and are piled high with goods. Other stores are a bit larger. (like the lace store pictured)

I take the bus to Taegu and then I walk to the Subway line and catch the underground to go to the market. While walking I couldn't resist the pig that was hanging in one of the butcher shops so I snapped his pic. Following are pics of the market street, one of the sewing aisles where you can buy any kind of notion you can think of, one of my favorite lace shops, and the motifs that I purchased today.

Shopping in Korea is so much fun!

Memories of Grandmother's Quilts

I admit it! I am a bit nostalgic...

When I first saw my great grandmothers flower garden quilts I knew that I would one day want to learn how to do something of the sort where I could pass it on. When my grandmother saw how carefully I handled the family quilts she passed them onto me upon her death- including the oldest quilt (my great great grandmothers) which was an applique orange peel quilt . (or variation) She knew they would be well cared for.

I always find myself wondering...Where were they when they pieced these? Were they traveling West when my great grandmother was quilting it? Was it at a difficult time in their life? Who were the quilts intended for? Was it for relaxation or neccesity to make the quilts?

I also often wonder what they would think of my crazy quilting.... Would they think it a thing of beauty or some horrific thing that is pushing the limits of decency and propriety? lol!

I stitch for many reasons. One of those reasons is because I hate to sit idle. I always try to carry something with me when I might have some spare time. Another reason is because I feel a connection to the women in my family, who in an unknown way, passed on the love of needlework even if I never sat down to stitch with them. But one thing is sure, I love the results. I love them not for the reactions of others but for myself.

All of this being said, when I first saw my first featherweight sewing machine I knew I wanted one!!! 12 years later has brought one to me and here is a picture of her. Her name is Julia. I just pieced a crazy quilt block today and she sews like a dream. She is so easy to use and can be threaded in a minute. She is durable and will last a lifetime with proper care. Reasonably priced with a bit of nostalgia thrown in... i love my gem of a featherweight!

Sad to say, the quilt in the background isn't of my ancestry. It is my silk quilt that I have taken a break from as of late. I need to finish it... three more blocks to go.

Hand Embroidery Yahoo Group

Here is my 'shameless plug' for my embroidery group on Yahoo. It is quite new and we are working on many projects together.

We are a friendly group and we are currently trying to stitch for 15 minutes a day and share the results. Unfortunately I havent been doing much stitching lately. =( We are also working on Lilla Levine's gypsy purse together as pictured here-

http://www.art-e-zine.co.uk/lillapurse.html


A fine bunch of ladies makes the group what it is- and I wanted to invite everyone who is interested in hand embroidery.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hand-embroidery/

Ddak Galbi

Yesterday I went to a cooking class at the Waegwan Cultural Center. We learned how to make Ddak Galbi which is a spicy Korean Chicken and is absolutely delicious!

Here is the recipe if anyone wants to try making it. You might have to buy things at a specialty Korean store.

Korean DDak Galbi

Ingredients:

Chicken- 300 grams boneless with skin on or off your preference
5 green onion stalks
Garlic- 2 cloves
Sweet Potato- ¼ peeled and sliced
About 7 Sesame Leaves

Sauce Ingredients:
Pear- Half of a large Korean pear, peeled
Onion- small one
Ginger- thumb pieced size
3 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP corn syrup (called Mul Yot- (long O) in Korean) it is not as sweet as American corn syrup. If you use ordinary corn syrup I would cut down on the sugar called for in this recipe
1 TBSP Gochu Jang (Korean Chili Paste)
1 TBSP Goch Garu (Korean Chili Powder)
1 TBSP 7 up or other soda
½ TBSP sesame oil
½ TBSP ground sesame powder (found in Korean stores but I suppose you could do this yourself)
1 TBSP sesame seeds

Wash Chicken and Veggies. Slice Chicken into bite size pieces. Cut Sweet Potatoe into long pieces. Cut Sesame leaves in half then in thirds.

Sauce directions-
Using a grater and saving the juice, grate, pear, onion and ginger. Save as much of the juice as possible. You might have to press it with your hand.
To the pear juice add the sugar, corn syrup, garlic, gochujang, gochugaru, garlic, green onions, 7 up, sesame oil and sesame seed. Stir well.

Add the sauce to the chicken and place in wok style pot. Add sweet potatoes and sesame leaves. Cook until chicken is done under high heat until some of liquid evaporates and cooks down, making sure sweet potatoes are cooked. Mix in sesame seeds.

Lay mint leaves on plate with edges pointing out and pour chicken on top. Looks lovely.

Serve with Rice, lettuce leaves(not iceberg-) , samjang sauce, kimchi. (Take a piece of lettuce and place some samjang sauce on the leaf, some chicken on top of that some rice and roll up.

MMmmm Delicious.

Trip to Dong Ah Temple

In April I went to visit a Buddhist temple with a bunch of ladies- most are married to soldiers and contractors wives. We went to Dong Ah temple near Taegu to see the cherry blossoms. (We were told it was famous for that.) Upon arriving there wasn't a cherry blossom in site (and we learned there never was) but we were able to walk around the temple.

The first pic is one of my favorite pictures that I took while I have been here in Korea.

The second pic is of a Buddhist Monk. Okay- I am not one to miss a great photo opportunity lol! There was a British monk at Dong Ah who has been there for quite a while. I dont know why, but it seemed strange to me. I asked for his picture but he kindly refused me. =(
After his refusal I did the next best thing- asked a monk who was walking my way and these are the results!

Crazy Quilting in Korea!

In April I started a class in Crazy Quilting and I wanted to share some of the ladies work on their blocks. It is hard to believe that most of the ladies have never embroidered before when you see the quality of their work! I wish my camera could give their stitching the honor due- I need to remedy that. And dont miss Ms Yi's stitching of Yu Jin's name- better then machine embroidered! Simply Stunning!