A New Appreciation

....for a color that I have never been fond of. It's rather well known among my quilting friends that I have a strong dislike of the color orange. It's true, I've been rather vocal about it. Orange just isn't a color that appeals to me. I've taken a lot of grief about this from some people -- you know who you are. So, it was with much surprise that I recently found myself admiring some beautiful orange batiks. I put it down to going to a quilt show immediately after spending a weekend camping. I must not have been in my normal frame of mind.

So, here's the result of what those batiks (plus a requisite trip to the LQS for even more) turned into. I have to say, I actually like it. As difficult as it was for me to work in a color I'm not fond of, I am really, really pleased with the outcome. I hope the recipient of this bag likes it as much as I do.

Not only did I make this in orange, but you will note that there is also a good bit of pink in several of the fabrics, including the inside. That pocket fabric is pink with tiny orange polka dots. I still cannot believe that I a) made something with all orange fabrics b) even added pink with the orange -- holy batshit, what was I thinking?!?!? c) like how it turned out. It MUST be the Sudafed I've been taking for this congestion in my sinus/ears....
Last week more friends from California were in town for the day on another cruise. We basically did a repeat of Steve & Ray's day minus the 10:00 a.m. cocktails. The flowers in the market are all iris, peonies, poppies and sweet peas. Check out the really dark plum colored sweet peas in these bouquets. I've never seen sweet peas that color before. Aren't they just gorgeous?

Productive Weekend

For the last month or so I've been working on a project that has been rather challenging for me.

It's been challenging because I've been using a bunch of orphan blocks, leftovers and lots of pictures to make a quilt for a special friend. I've borrowed a phrase from Finn that seems to fit this quilt "Everything But the Kitchen Sink". Here it is before the borders.

My freestyle letters didn't come out as nicely this time as they did the first time around. However, the first time around, I had set them with black and decided that the black background was just too much. So, I redid them with the blue background. I'm not as happy with them.

The Bearded One surprised me and made the suggestion of the split border with the light and dark blue. He also rejected the only blues I had in my stash that there was enough of. Oh darn, I had to go to the LQS. I really have to try to get a better picture of this. I got pictures from several of Bev's friends and tried to incorporate all of them. We call Bev the matriarch of our WetWesties camping group. It is a privilege to be able to boast an "I know Bev" bumper sticker on your Westfalia.

Considering the mish-mash of leftovers that I started with, I really didn't think this was all going to come together but yet, somehow, it did. I'm happier with the way this turned out than I thought I would be.

After just two years, my little patch of columbine has spread considerably. This year I've also added some new, red ones but I've put them up in the garden on the left, just below the shed. I love the patch of forget-me-nots in the background. They're spreading like crazy and I just can't bring myself to pull them, even when they're in a place I don't want them to be. I only wish the Magic Garden Elves would come visit and get rid of all the weeds!

And, in case you haven't figured out by now, I like to take weird pictures of a certain spotted one. How's this one KD?

Because...

....a girl can never have too many tote bags.

And because I decided that it needed a little "bling", I added some hot fix crystals. The picture doesn't do them justice. They really do sparkle quite nicely.

After being knocked out flat with the crud last week, I finally managed to get the Go in Peace banner quilted. It has been delivered to the church and will be hung shortly, I hope. Once it's hung I'll take a picture.

Meanwhile, my lilacs are blooming and my patch of columbine has doubled. Spring has most definitely sprung.




I'm hoping to get some serious quilting time this weekend. We won't be going anywhere and the Bearded One is now suffering with the crud so I KNOW he won't be doing anything. For once the weather in the PNW is actually cooperating too. Which most likely means that NEXT weekend, when we are supposed to go camping, it will probably rain. Such is life in the PNW.