Talkeetna road trip

On the last day in Anchorage, we decided to rent a car and travel as far north as we could in a few hours time.  We went to Talkeetna, where we had heard that we could see Denali if the weather cooperated.  It didn't.  Happy ending to the story... we had a marvelous time and enjoyed every minute of our drive. 
While in Talkeetna, we  stopped at a cafe for a beverage and pie.  I don't usually eat pie, so now I say that this is my favorite place to eat Blueberry/Raspberry pie.  It was yummy, and so was the coffee.

Anchorage Museum: Caught my eye...

Some more lovelies that caught my eye:

Anchorage Museum: Beading

I was thrilled to not only stumble upon this exhibit, but to also be alone with plenty of time to wander and take in the exhibits.  Too often one must rush too quickly, but I was given the gift of time and enjoyed every minute of it!

Anchorage Museum: Gut Parka

 Hooded parkas sewn from seal or walrus intestines were stron, light, and waterproof.

I especially like this one with the dog hair trim. I'm not sure what the little "beads" were made from.  They looked like kernels of corn...

Anchorage Museum: Dog Blanket

After seeing this dog blanket, I decided I must create something special for my dog when we go on walks! He will not like it at all, but what a fun project to bead and applique!

 For special occasions, Gwich'in chiefs and wealthy men dressed their sled dog teams in beaded, embroidered velvet blankets with sleigh bells and long yarn fringes.

Anchorage Museum: Tunic

From the exhibit...  the exhibits were all behind glass, so my photos do have some glare.

K'uudaats' kaahlii

Tunic

This dance tunic was made from red wool cloth appliqued on black with a bear crest outlined in shell buttons.

I see a button project in my future!

natural dyes: onions, garlic, and rust

I was given a bag full of onion and garlic skins to play with.  Thank you Beth!

For starters, I made bundles by wrapping the skins in fabric around smashed cans, and boiled them in water with some vinegar:

I let them sit in a bowl for about 3 weeks until they were good and dry. (Usually I am not patient enough to let something sit that long, but I was out of town on vacation.)

Everything was very dry when I started unwrapping my little gifts

I'm very excited to play with my new fabric!