Morning Glory Memories

this morning i went for a visit to see what Bonnie at Pixel Dust Photo Art was up to. i like her artistic style and today she was offering two of her beautiful textures as a freebie to play/test out. they were irresistible and this evening i've given them a little workout.

this first photo is one that was taken while i was in Honduras this past Christmas. i didn't think it was a great shot for a variety of reasons but i wasn't ready to totally give up on it either. so i tucked it away for possible future photoshop play and today while i was looking through my photos it popped out at me as a possibility for using with Bonnie's textures.

so this is what i did:

• cropped it square
• duplicated it
• added the Silent Memory texture at 40% opacity - hard light
• added the Fleeting Memory texture at 30% opacity - overlay
• flattened it

i'm very happy with the results. thank you Bonnie. i hope to play with these textures again very soon.

Morning Glory Memories

it's interesting how seeing and experimenting with this shot brought back so many different memories from this special trip. it was the first time i had seen my daughter in over a year and a half. not only was i happy to see her again (all whole and happy and oh so freckled) i was also pleased to be able to experience the country and people that she had been involved with during that time. while there with her i realized that she was a young lady with extraordinary discipline. she's tough as nails on the outside and amazingly resilient but inside she has a heart/spirit that aches to make the world a better place. what a winning combination (!!) and such a blessing in my life.

today's gifts included:

• a visit from a close friend
• trying out the newest kitchen gadget: a handy dandy cherry pitter.
• smelling the fresh lemon that i sliced for iced tea ~ lemons smell really good~!!~

the weather today is a bit grey but so far we've only gotten rain . . . the weatherman says it could turn to snow but the temps are currently in the mid 40's so i've got my fingers crossed that it won't. the leaves are beginning to bud out and the trees are wearing that misty light green veil that they get before their buds all go completely into leaf . . . very pretty and very promising~!

this first one is one of the ornamental fruit trees that we have in the yard. there will not only be leaves soon but also blossoms (if the frost doesn't get them).

last summer i planted false spirea in one of the gardens. i like it's feathery leaves and it's supposed to be a fast growing shrubby/ground cover. so the second shot is the leaves just beginning to form for it's new year. it's always good when a plant makes it through it's first winter here and i have hopes that it's going to be happy and healthy. i really like the way the new leaves have a rosey red blush to them. the plant that i planted last year had only green leaves so this was a surprise. possibly the color will only be a spring thing . . . ?

the columbine has been growing leaves for a few weeks now and i'm also pleased at their robust sturdiness. i love the way that the leaves look like a blossoming rose at first.

i have quite a lot of artemesia in various places throughout the yard and it does very well here. this year it began to show some growth way back in late february/early march which is VERY early here. i'll be making this a staple. i like it's sagey green color and it's feathery soft growth. it makes for a lovely small shrub-like plant along walkways and around the pond and i have a feeling i'm going to come up with a lot of other places to plant it as well.

so all of these spring leaves have gotten me in the mood to applique some vines and leaves of my own. and if there's a vine with leaves . . . there has to be berries, right?!?
i always keep my leftover vines and leaves from past projects. i tuck them away in a box and draw out of it before i cut more for new projects if i can. i have used this design element in so many quilts that i have  quite a few little bits and pieces to choose from.
i happen to really like the look of a pieced quilt with some appliqued accents or features; sometimes within the border, sometimes an oddball applique strip or block tossed in among the pieced ones, sometimes a surprise bird or blossom randomly placed onto an otherwise pieced top, etc.
i think the possibilities are probably endless.
one day recently i felt the urge to applique but didn't really have a project in mind so i went through the box and chose a length of prepared vine and started sewing it down to a 5 inch wide piece of muslin cut from selvedge to selvedge (approximately 40 inches long). what you see here is a portion of that strip which i have now completely filled with applique. it was so satisfying i think i'll start another.  (-:
i have no idea what exactly i'll do with them but i do know that they will find a "home" within something eventually, after all, is there any quilt that can't somehow benefit from a bit of "greenery" within it~!?!
feel free to share your ideas on how you have added applique to piecework projects.

i mentioned in a recent post that i was playing around with using paper, fabric and stitch. i'm still playing but this is what i have so far. the hexagon pieces are a variety of papers that i had on hand. i've added a piece of an old embroidery linen to one corner and a fabric fussy cut butterfly as well as some random embroidery stitches. i've used a thin scrap of muslin batting for the base. i think i may be cutting a postcard and some atc's from it and then finishing them up according to what each small piece "tells me" it needs . . . still experimenting and having a great time with this and as you can see my "green garden fever" has infected this piece as well.
i hope to show more as i get further along.

today's gifts included:

• the soft light of a foggy morning
• the shimmery veil of green leafy buds that trees wear in the early spring
• bearing witness to my daughter's blossoming into womanhood.

i've been so busy that i forgot to post a finished photo of the baby quilt that my daughter and i made.
the blocks were put together while she was in Honduras and sewn by hand as she had no electricity. she used thrifted fabrics: the large middle squares were salvaged from a cotton man's shirt and the strips were salvaged from a set of flannel receiving blankets. upon returning from a Christmas visit i was able to bring them home and set about finishing the quilt. i squared up the blocks, set them together and added borders. then quilted using a heavier thread and a utility stitch.
i used the same fabric on the back as i did for the borders.
the binding is a double fold chambray.
i have forgotten the measurements of this one.

i happened to find a small bear that fit nicely into the pocket from the man's shirt that she used. it looks pretty cosy in there~!

the patch that she sewed onto the pocket was salvaged off of a thrifted baby garment.

this is the quilt top that i recently finished for an upcoming community fundraiser/auction. it measures approximately 40" square and i used only scrap fabrics to complete it.
i've pieced a flannel back for it and it's going to the machine quilter very soon.

i've created a banner/bunting in celebration of my wonderful daughter's homecoming. we knew she was coming soon but not the exact dates . . .

we'll be picking up our grand-pup from the airport tomorrow evening and then WD on friday. the poor girls are both going to have need of some winter wear as we're getting our typical mountain spring snowstorms and they're coming from a two year acclimation  to a tropical climate.

anyway, i've managed to complete this welcome home gift just in the nick of time. i'll share a few details with you.

 i began with a very tattered antique cutter crazy quilt piece that i purchased off of e-bay several years ago. i have managed to create some Christmas stockings with this piece and still had some bits left. enough to cut out some triangles as the base parts for my bunting.

do you recognize the bird? it's one of those fabulous dictionary images that i posted a while back. i did some cropping and printed it out on vellum. then stitched it into place.
both plain and fancy embroidery as well as other mixed media embellishments have been used.
i attempted to stick to a "home" theme while also trying to make it something that she could use decoratively later on if she chose. not too celebration specific but definitely festive and suitable for this occasion.

 i may share more photo's of it at a later time. these were all taken in a hurry and, as you can imagine, i'm in fits of excitment so they aren't the best.
but all in all i'm quite pleased with the outcome and can only hope that she will be as well.

if you notice me absent from the blogging world for a few days it's because i'm happily gathering them up and enjoying my little family's reunion~!!~

: D

my most recent ATC's:

 "Thinking of You On Valentines Day"

this one was made for my daughter.

 "Tribe" - traded to Terri Daugherty
 (Pixels and Paste)

 "One Wired Bead" - available for trade

 "Journey" - in my own collection for now

 "Diary of A Windy Day" - traded to artchick501/Pixels and Paste 

 

 "Rhythm of A Heartbeat" - traded to Terri Daugherti 
of Pixels and Paste

"Twinkle" - traded to "The Sparkly Fairy"

i have finally taken a photo of my finished Strawberry Fields Forever doll quilt. i finished the top in June and completed the hand quilting/quilt in November. it measures 20.5 inches x 26.5 inches and i'm quite happy with the way that it turned out. this fun little doll quilt was done as a quilt-a-long project with Lori over at http://www.humblequilts.blogspot.com/. i see that she is just finishing up with another really cute one called Midnight Stars. i'll have to add that one to my wish list . . .

meanwhile i'm working on getting a baby quilt finished.

my daughter pieced the four center blocks in a liberated log cabin style using thrifted fabrics that she found in Honduras. she does not have the luxury of electricity where she's living so she pieced them by hand. she did a good job too~! i was able to visit her over the holidays and the blocks came home in my backpack so that i could square them up, set them together (with a border), back and layer the piece and finally quilt it. i decided to use a perle cotton and big/utility stitch. that goes pretty fast and seems appropriate for this cute little gift.

the baby was due in late january but surprised everyone by arriving in early january instead~! so i've really got to hurry up and finish it. i'm happy to be a part of the whole process as the mother has been a very good friend of my daughter since their elementary school days and is practically part of the family. this is the second of two boys in their growing family. the first little guy also received a quilt (jungle theme) that was collaboratively done by my daughter and i.

i have been working on this piece for years. in truth, i work on most of my pieces for years simply because i have the worst case ever of quilter's ADD~! i used to want to be cured but have pretty much given up on that. when i pass on to that great quilting guild in the sky i will leave behind massive amounts of fun fiber "surprises" for my daughter to benefit from in whatever way she chooses.

btw: if you're reading this Miss Tiffanny, i expect lots of gratitude (prior to the passing) whether your feeling it or not. after all there are plenty of people reading this post who would love to be in my will right about now . . . this is where you all get to chime in and leave a comment as proof that my daughter really is getting something of value here. please help me out.



anyway, the middle four-block area of this piece in progress currently measures 20 and 1/2 inches square.

i've hand appliqued and used "old" colors which i love. i can no longer remember what my first germ of inspiration was but almost all of my work is done in a willy-nilly design as i go kind of way. due to the fact that i rarely complete anything quickly this results in many and various bursts of inspiration from all sorts of places. in the end it's a conglomeration of ideas, techniques and happy accidents that make it my own. i'm good with that.

the berries are compared here to the bobbin that comes out of my featherweight (the machine that i use the most). they are pretty small but i loved working on them so much that i have a surplus . . . the quilt's not finished yet so who knows where they might land in the end . . .

this is the back side of one of the berries which i created much like one makes a yo-yo. i wanted them to have a bit of dimension to them and this allowed me to achieve that and gave me a nice smooth circle to applique down. i'm pleased that they have just a bit of pop to them without sticking way out once they're sewn down.

the border pieces are constructed using Sew and Fold on a Roll: Tri-Angles 22.5 in the 3" finished width. it's very accurate and i love the dragon's teeth border but i did feel like there was a bit of waste. pros and cons i guess.

now why have i brought this piece out of "storage" i can hear you asking. just where exactly did my latest burst of inspiration hail from?

let me tell you.

i was doing a bit of blog hopping this a.m. and ran into a fantastic post over at:

www.funwithbarbandmary.blogspot.com

that totally inspired me and reminded me that i had something similar in the works. the post includes luscious photos of several quilts that have been created using a similar style and LOTS of orange (aka cheddar). AND there's a give-away going on that looks pretty spectacular too. it's sort of a catch 22 situation: if i announce and link to it in my blog i get an extra chance at winning but i also give that many more people their chance . . .

so here's the deal; think of me if you go over to this great blog and happen to win due to my heads up.

;-)

otherwise what i will have "won" is a gentle reminder about my very own (and unfinished) project. this project is now in the front of my mind instead of the back of a cupboard and that's not a bad prize either~! and you, well you have "won" the discovery of a really beautiful and inspiring blog. i think we've all come out pretty shiny with this deal regardless of what happens ~ don't you?

p.s. i'll keep my fingers crossed for you if you'll do the same for me.

today is my daughter's 25th birthday. i've been missing her a lot but we have been able to speak on the phone and she is happily celebrating with a couple of her near-by Peace Corp. friends. apparently her Honduran community was also very kind in wishing her a happy birthday as well.

in an effort to distract myself from not being able to be with her on this day i took both of my cameras out into the garden.

this first shot was taken using my older Canon Powershot SD750. i think i miss it . . .

i'm not sure if this is garlic or onion blooming but i thought it was really pretty.

this is the first (one and only (so far) crookneck squash. it's still pretty small. i liked the way the leaves made a nice natural vignetting for it.

the geraniums are throwing out lots of flowers and i'm enjoying their happy red jubilance.

i took several shots of Emmitt. this one struck me as quite cute. as if he is saying "enough already!"

i hope to be getting around to some blog visiting tomorrow. just too tired tonight.

i've finished and mailed my daughter's birthday postcard. she'll be 25 this year~!~

this morning brought an unexpected visitor to my garden. i don't think i've ever had a pigeon here before . . .
he(?) stayed quite a while, hanging out by the bird feeders but never partaking, and then went on his way.

the sky was mostly blue this morning and the sun shone brightly for a while.

this is the first year that i've had any success with artichokes. they require a long growing season and so this year i started them in the cold frame and hope to erect it back around them this fall while they finish up. i actually really like the look of dried artichoke flowers so i'm not sure yet if i'm going to eat them or just dry the flowers and keep them around to look at . . . maybe i'll get enough of a harvest that i can do both.

i am beginning to wonder if they are going to grow too large to get back inside the frame . . . the plants are huge~! it might be a good thing that i only planted two of them.

the Japanese eggplants are beginning to show some fruits and are full of promising buds. these are one of my favorite summer time treats: grilled with a little olive oil and salt & pepper.

there's something about a pear shape that is just gorgeous ~ even when it's actually a tomato~! these will turn golden as they ripen. it's the first year that i've tried them so i'm quite interested in how well they do and how tasty they might be.

shortly after getting these morning shots it got quite dark and the thunder and lightening commenced and we had a downpour of a shower. very nice. since i was rained out of the garden i went into my studio.

i'm working on a postcard for my daughter. her birthday is in august and i thought i would "bake" up a celebratory cupcake for the front of the card.

still working on it but it's coming along nicely.

i've managed to get these broken dishes blocks all sewn into rows. tomorrow i will sew all of the rows together and the body of my next charity quilt will be done. then it's on to deciding on a fabric for a four inch border to go all the way around.
the blocks were made from scraps that i've both accumulated myself and traded with others over a 20 year period of time . . . some of them seem quite dated and as i look at them i realize that i really have to do more to get rid of all the scraps as they make me feel old. i have made a dent but only a small one. sometimes i wonder what it would be like if i just gave them all away and started over . . . would i suddenly feel like a spring chicken again~!?!~

after the thunderstorms were past i went back out into the garden and shot some more photo's. the light was much better and everything was all moist from the rain.

this very tiny tan grasshopper was enjoying the newly freshened and cooled garden too.

i think it thought that it was well hidden under that small leaf . . .