4.20.11

A new friend, K, took me to two quilt guild meetings. The first one met in the United Methodist Church and must have had 300 ladies there. It was every bit as organized and hierarchical as the guild I briefly joined in Orlando. It is a very busy guild and has a lot to offer if I can overlook the rigidity of some of its features.

The second one met in Blue Ridge, in a community room of our bank. It is sponsored by a quilt shop, Country Stitches, in Blue Ridge and had about 25 ladies in attendance. It was a friendly and happy group and I really enjoyed myself. The leader of the day showed several samples of what was new in the shop, there was show-and-tell, ladies turned in blocks they did to be assembled into a charity quilt, there was a reminder for a local challenge fabric contest, and then there was the fat eighths pieces challenge which I will write about another day.

The fabric picture at the top is the Shop Hop challenge fabric. I was reluctant to attempt a small quilt for this contest since I only had two weeks to get it ready and everyone else has had months. Not only that, I did not really find the fabric inspiring for a small wall quilt. The shop ladies and my new friend urged me on with it so I dove in. I managed to find fabrics in my stash to round out the palette, created a design, and drafted it out on the first day.

On the second day, I cut and began some of the piecing.

On the third day, I finished the piecing and found batting and backing in my stash and applied the borders.

On the fourth day, I basted.

On the fifth day I quilted and then took out the quilting since I did not like the effect. Luckily, I had hand-quilted and four hours of work only took one hour to remove.

Day six, new experiments with quilting and a new direction. Today is day seven and I expect to do some more quilting. I probably will not put the binding on today but I might. It is early still.

4.19.11

One day last week I happened to bring my camera with me to the library. I was glad to see the pink dogwood up close. When I was almost finished taking pictures, I saw a robin beneath one of the white dogwoods.

He posed very sweetly and didn't seem at all afraid. If I had had food and time, we might have become friends.

4.18.11

In our own front yard. The oak and the maples are showing leaves and we have had visits from quite a few birds: gold finch, titmouse, cardinal, hummingbird, and a new one I don't recognize.

In case you forgot what dogwood blossoms look like close up!

When our tree first bloomed, I thought the blossoms looked pale pink. They did lighten up to bright white a few days later. Just the same, I am glad I got a picture when they still had a pinkish glow.

4.17.11

Lucky for me, I brought my camera to the library! I haven't seen pink dogwood for more than 30 years. Aren't they lovely? It makes me want to have some of the pink variety as well as the white.

4.16.11

But soft! What yarn from yonder box revealed? Chocolate brown for R's owl hat and socks, purple for my dickey--I am already on ball two and all is going well--and some variegated brown gold just because it was on sale and made great hats for sailors last year.

4.15.11

Yes, in our own front yard.

I was ready to immediately run out and buy more dogwood trees. I decided to research best planting practices. The flowering pear trees were beautiful this year, too. I will have to figure out when to put those in. I have not bought them but I know where there is a very good nursery.

4.14.11

There are no words to express how this looks first hand.

4.13.11

J cleaned off the porch and railings. It looks like the wasps have been busy even though we have only had one good weather week. As I was walking around the garden, I noticed J had found several of these and knocked the down.

I transplanted some of the irises from the west side and found several more on the eastern most border of the driveway. Also...WE HAVE DOGWOOD! watch tomorrow for pictures!

4.12.11

Oh, MY! I was lazy about transplanting the wild iris and it made new blooms! Beautiful! Actually, I think there is a second one. Maybe I should let them finish their season and transplant later.

4.11.11

Wild violets in front of the house. They seem to be a different variety from the wild violets on the west side.

West side violets seem to have leaves of a different variety. None have the blooms of deep violet I remember in my own grandmother's garden in Maine. BUT... I have a WILD IRIS!!! If the weather is good tomorrow, it will be transplanted, too! When the Day Lily lady in our neighborhood has her sign out, I will fill the rest of my front garden with more bulbs.

4.10.11

My 4 onion sets. We were in Big Box Depot and I saw them--Georgia Sweet Onions--only $1.68 so I thought I would give them a try. I will let you know how they work out. I haven't had a VIDALIA onion in over a year now. I miss those things like crazy. I hope this will be a better season for them than last year.
Finally put the daffodils and tulips in the ground. We will see how they turn out. I spotted some lovely wildflowers on the other side of the house. J sprayed for hornets over there so I will begin some transplanting tomorrow. I DID have wild strawberries but I think the deer got them before they got very big. I will scout around again tomorrow. Gotta get some snake boots, though.

4.9.11

Today was a good knitting morning. I set up my computer to play my favorite movie and used this sock heel method. Lifestyle. That is the name of Charisa Martin Cairn's take on making short rows. Worked for me--easy as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.





Hah! Don't believe it. I did and redid the heels about seven times until I got it just right. Then I did five in a row with no problem. Part of that was doing it during the day light instead of by the light of a very dim reading lamp. I will say one thing, though. This is the best short row method I know.

Anyway, check out her website and click the HOME button. See what else she has to offer.

4.8.11

Here is the necklace I made for the new Momma-to-be. The little stork is so cute and the baby rocks back and forth from the beak. I enjoyed these baby projects. Now I will have to dig into my quilting and see what is baby-able.

4.7.11

There is going to be a new baby in my extended family. J's brother's eldest daughter is expecting in October. Soon there will be a GRAND niece or nephew--GRAND!

In honor of being made one generation further removed from modern times I made a grandmother's necklace for my sister-in-law and a mother's necklace for her expectant daughter.

BD-McV has a January birthday, so her birthstone is garnet. Her husband, RMcV, is February, so his is amethyst. The stone for October is open to discussion. Besides, with babies, one never knows. It may come in September! So the necklaces have no specific birth stone for the focal pieces. Today, look at the grandmother necklace, made for S.

The bib is significant because when she heard the good news, S went right out and bought a package of bibs for her daughter. She wanted to buy everything in the store, but restrained herself. I am proud of her and happy for her upcoming new role as first grandmother of our generation in the family.

4.6.11

I bought some more yarn. Yes, I do have a few skeins tucked away here and there. Someone actually wanted me to knit them something so I bought some yarn for an owl hat, some socks, and because it was on sale, some yarn so I can try out this new (to me) French dickey pattern. Great sale prices. Hope I like the yarn.

4.5.11

I have been making jewelry like crazy. The baskets, knitting, quilting, spinning, bear making, and doll making have been on hold.

I have done some weeding and some indoor gardening and it looks like the weather is going to cooperate for more outdoor pursuits like planting and basketry but today is the biggest day of the month. Yes, that's right, grocery, library, pharmacy, AND the dump. We only go about once a month to the dump but it adds excitement like you would not believe to an otherwise typical grocery and library day. I will leave you with that thought.

4.4.11

What I made last Sunday

Tiny bobby pins.

A spring pendant. I am pleased that the beads on the tiny frog kind of hop along from dark to light green like a frog moves. The snail connector echoes a snail trail and I tried to give the idea of water droplets from the watering can. The flower just pleases me because it is a flower.

4.3.11

I had lots of fun making charms last weekend. I intend for the recipient to have all of them and mix and match them on a chain, give them to best friends, maybe even share with her sister. I photographed them in small groups according to the color of the wire or beads but they look good in any combination, even solo.

4.2.11

I made earrings! I like the unmatched yet related look to them.

4.1.11

PEYOTE STITCH!

I really enjoyed my jewelry class. I worked on my bracelet at home. It is hard to show the colors because the beads are iridescent.

OH, NO! I did not get enough beads in my packet. Good thing I keep a few beads on hand in case of emergencies.

I worked in some round beads to finish out the cubes. I like the texture change and although the flat planes of the cubes push the light back in photography and do not show the true color, the two beads are very similar. "Close enough for government work," as my current basketry teacher says. I have been hearing that all my life, since it was a favorite quote of my father's when I was growing up.

3.30.11

I am all set to sit on the porch and enjoy the weather but the weather has not cooperated. It was nice enough one day to get some pictures even if it was too cold to stay out long.

There are pads for the footstools, also, but they did not fit so I need to take some needle and thread to them.