The World's Most Photogenic Roses

Work has been energy-draining and de-motivating so aside from attending class nothing creative has happened in this house this week.

I took these this weekend of the most beautiful roses I certainly have ever grown. I've been looking forward to the blooming and here it is.

Gardening and Quilting

I have been busy with projects. I'm in a "doing" mode. Springtime creates a sense of urgency for me and gets me moving. It is that window of time when some things must be done. I've spent a lot of the last two weekends gardening and the weeks quilting on my three simultaneous projects (see posts below)

This rose is called "Hot Cocoa" I think. It is as close to chocolate brown as a rose is going to get.

My petunias that I can see from inside my kitchen through the window. It makes a remarkable difference to be able to see growing things through a city window.

Spiderwort. I don't know how it will do but we'll give it a try. Nothing much really thrives in this planter but if anything can it is spiderwort!

My Quilt Show

Last night and tonight I uploaded some of my archive of quilt show pictures to Flickr. I love to to go to quilt shows and I love to take pictures of the quilts. I've enjoyed the activity in and of itself but I also think it has been a form of study. I think I've actually learned things. It has certainly expanded my visual vocabulary related to quilts and given me lots of material to refine my sense of what I like, how much I like it and what is ultimately important to me about this craft/activity/art that I find so compelling.

As I was sending things out to that photo cloud in the sky tonight one in particular caught my eye.

I took a lot of pictures of this one.

It is simple in terms of piecing and yet it is pieced. It has complex surface design: hand-dyed looking, hand-embroidered, embellished with pearly buttons and quilted and finally it is a diptych so the theme gets developed twice.

Pictures of Current Projects

These are the fabrics from the red work quilt. Since I'm using a snowball block for the embroidery and I used the "cheater" method of sewing squares to the corners diagonally and cutting the middle layer out I have many little 45 degree triangles and, of course, since quilting for many of us is a form of OCD I started sewing them together. So I've now started a miniature quilt.

The hearts and bows quilt that I still have three more classes coming up for. Except neither the folk heart or the bow were really suited to me. So I drew three different sized hearts and I'll try to combine and vary them. I've been collecting the densely-packed flower prints for a few years.

The strata project. This will make a wall hanging and it is the first chance I've had to use any of my hand-dyed fabrics. These are colors that I really love.

No Posts For Two Weeks and Here's Why...

I have been traveling, sewing and taking classes.

First, I've nearly finished the red work quilt. I'm determined that it not become another UFO and I am almost done. It is in fact queen-sized and that makes it the largest quilt I have ever made. I had everything embroidered and cut out when it was time for the Stratavarious quilt class (May 3rd). It was a full-day class. I enjoyed the instructors very much and the technique was easy and interesting. Much of the cutting and sewing was done the day of the class. But I wanted to finish the red work quilt and take it to be quilted in Ohio. Despite several late nights piecing I didn't finish by my departure time but I really only have one (very long) pieced border to add. But when I came back I had to do all of the cutting for the Hearts and Bows class this past Tuesday evening. Mom and I did some of the cutting at home but I had to finish up on Monday. Now I have to have the first two rows done by this coming Tuesday. It is a bit breathless but I feel really productive.
Pictures soon.