Scattering the 4 Esses

Female, Ice Cream, Empty & Stash

S Female : Strelitzia but don't think pink! 

 A sexist guess at the colour of the strelitzia's female part might be anything but blue. 
However, the blue petals are the female organs. 

Have a look at the link below to gain further insight into the fertilisation process and the role of the blue petals. The white stamen is described as a spathe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strelitzia

S Ice Cream: Semifreddo with Strawberry and 'Shockolate'

These are the ingredients and Donna Hay's recipe for Semifreddo, an Italian ice cream which I will not be making this Easter! The strawberries are my addition as I like strawberry ice cream with chocolate.  Ice cream is my enemy! I will have to continue my regime of strawberries and yoghurt as my feet appreciate not having to carry around all those ingredients. 

S Empty: Shibori

 In Shibori, indigo tie-dyeing, it's really about what's not 'there' and the beauty of empty space.

 I started with a length of pale blue silk. I folded the piece in three diagonal sections and then blocked areas on these pleats with string, pegs and jumper-lead clamps. The excitement came when undoing and taking away all the 'hardware', revealing the 'empty sections' where the indigo had not penetrated/permeated. I'm now waiting for the second workshop in May so that I can complete the coverlet with some mocha silk and perhaps do some sashiko quilting on it.

S Stash: Selvage Strips

A few years ago, Down Under Quilts published an article about using selvage strips to make skirts, dresses (yes, mega metres needed), bags etc. So I started collecting them but have never used them. In a recent, online, pincushion swap, my partner, Chris from Lansing, Michigan sent me this wonderful pincushion which she had made from her stash of selvage strips. I love it!

Perhaps we should call them 'salvage' or 'upcycling' strips?!? 
The DUQ article is at the following link: 
http://www.downunderquilts-digital.com/downunderquilts/issue139?pg=24#pg23