Eggsactly

Click!  (Or would that be, cluck?)

Around this time of year, one often sees workshops offered on the art of pysanky, otherwise known as Ukrainian Easter eggs.  In 1978 (it says so on my eggs), while living in a small town in upstate New York, I learned this art from the wife of one of M's coworkers.  Our husbands were all engineers on the same large construction project (a nuclear power plant...what ever happened to those?) and we had relocated there from different parts of the country.  A number of us started getting together on a regular basis because there really wasn't much else to do there.  It didn't take long to tire of sitting around drinking coffee and soon we were teaching each other our *specialties* ...gardening, needlepoint, batik.  I taught quilting, which seemed humorous at the time since I was the youngest of the group, by many years.  Quilting had long been out of style until that time, the mid-70s, when interest was sparked by the Bicentennial.  So during the first snowy winter, I guided them through piecing & quilting and when spring arrived, one of the women offered to teach us pysanky.

I immediately fell in love with this craft.  I purchased my own tool & wax, made a little egg dryer support and taught myself to light a match.  (Quite a milestone for a fire phobic.)  After a dozen eggs, I knew it was just the beginning.  I'd make them every year.  The pattern possibilities!  So easy, so gorgeous.  I stored the materials in a little shoebox on my shelf....where they've remained all of these years.  Untouched.  Luckily, the eggs have survived and I take them out to display each spring.  They bring back memories of my old friends, whose faces I can see so clearly, though some names have faded.  If you ever have the opportunity, take a workshop.  Or try it yourself...they're really quite easy!

Speaking of eggs, aren't these funny?

 
Tokyo tamago

Another example of quirky Japanese specialty food, these little egg-shaped cakes are individually wrapped and sold in kiosks in Tokyo station.  Not only are they yummy, but they're cute, too.   Look inside!*  I finished my last one last week.  On to the Girl Scout cookies!

*To answer several who've asked, the filling is sesame paste, which surprisingly has a somewhat peanut butter-y taste to it.  Mmmm.

Comments

[Kay]

One of my singing class diction exercises:

Nama mugi
Nama gome
Nama tamago

Raw wheat, raw rice, raw eggs? xox Kay

[Jane]

Oh, they are beautiful. I remember painting eggs with inks as a teenager. The ovoid shape is a real test of your design abilities and I kept to the simple and graphic, so I'm really impressed by these.

[Tracy]

Your eggs are beautiful!
I did take a Pysanky class ages ago, and I loved it. I made a few eggs... but haven't touched my supplies in years. It's just a little difficult for me to spend that much time on something that's pretty but... well... entirely useless :)
Interesting, though, that the Pysanky dyes are so beautiful and dark, and the usual egg dyes are so pathetic. Is that just because they're non-toxic?

[Carole]

Those pysanky eggs are gorgeous! Thanks for showing them to us. So, what's the filling in that little cake?

[Aurora]

Gracious! What exactly IS inside those things?!

Beautiful decorative eggs, BTW.

[Norma]

Oh, I love Ukrainian Easter Eggs. I had a small collection of them that got broken, and my heart nearly broke with them.

[Blair]

Those eggs are gorgeous! I've always wanted to learn how to do those, I just covet them every time I see some.

[schnoobie]

Oh!! I've been searching for the supplies to do this but wasnt sure what the original name was....I attended a gathering of quilters once and we tried our hand at this.Mine was funky almost African inspired. Unfortunately it got broken....but I still have a few pieces of it to remind me.Thanks again for the perfect seasonal inspiration!!!!!

[Cordelia]

I love the eggs! those are great! That's one steady hand you have...

[Kristin]

The eggs are beautiful Jan! Children's book author Patricia Pollaco has a book about Pysanky and we once saw her on Reading Rainbow (kid's tv show) making them. I've always thought it was a fascinating process, but have never tried it myself.

[Snowbear]

You have a knack for those eggs! I've tried it; it ISN'T easy at all.
They are gorgeous!

[Chris]

Wow - I'm in awe that you made those eggs! You can just rest on your laurels forever and not worry about making anymore. :)

[debbie]

such an interesting craft, and such pretty eggs! the tamago looks interesting - did it taste good - it says, i think, white chocolate, (?)sponge cake and an....hmmmm...

[carolyn]

sesame is one of my favorite japanese flavors. i love it in pocky. and in bubble tea.

[molly]

I love those eggs! You can write a little "M" on the bottom of that box. :)

[scribblesnbits]

Those eggs are so lovely! I always tell myself I'm going to learn how to make those one day, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. Probably just as well for the moment since I hav so many other irons in the fire and quite a few more lined up to go in.

Those cakes sound delicious!

[Elizabeth]

Are you sure you're not in the ABC Along? Eggs are going to be my E entry. And we are planning on trying these on March Break week. Yours are so lovely.

[mati]

happy mom's day to you!!!
i love the eggs! i made them once and it was so much work and fun:)

[lyn]

!
Wow.

[Rosa]

I love your traditional patterns!! Mine are a mess this year. Oh well. Good years, bad years.

[Simmyb]

Your eggs are real works of art. Something I would love to add to my easter egg collection (pretty but cracked when you have 3 children).