Mandevilla

This year's mandevilla plant has reached the top of the garage and is winding around the eave trough.   The flowers are huge this year....one of my favorite climbing plants - ever!

More flowers.....

The first is flowers in a quilt.....it is nothing fancy, just a panel I found I had forgotten I owned.   I wanted to try a different way of quilting feathers.   I don't mark my quilting feathers.....I just free motion quilt them.   I may add some beading. I had a border on it which I ended up hating, so chopped it off and added a binding.   It would look nice in a frame, or as is.  I will probably donate this to my guilds silent auction.

More flowers are starting to arrive everyday.

My lovely butterfly bush near the front door is just starting to put out its flowers.

Not the best photo yet....but the very first hibiscus bloom.   These things are HUGE!

A "Day" of "Lilies"

These are my day lilies right now.  I'm having trouble with blogspot right now, so uploaded photos there and typing on my ipad.   I hope it works.

This lovely pink lily has several flowers, ALL facing the neighbors fence.   It has been hard to get a good picture of it.

Photo A Day

Yesterday I joined a group called "Photo A Day".   This group has been going on all year, but.....well, even though I found it a couple months ago, it took me until this month to decide to join.   Each day you are given a different prompt - and asked to take a picture, any picture, however you might be inspired, regarding this prompt.   Yesterday's prompt was "FAVE SMELL".   Even though I am very sensitive to some smells and frangrances such as soaps and perfumes, I do have a few that I really like.   One is bread that is baking - but since I wasn't baking bread I chose another favorite - Cinnamon.

This is photo is taken peering down into my jar of "Chinese Cinnamon".

Happy Birthday Sammy Renee

Today my oldest granddaughter turns 16.   How did this happen???   Everyone asks that, but the last 16 years have been such a joy!   I am so proud of the person she has become.   She loves life, tries everything...but mostly loves theater and being on stage.

 Brand new baby............the blanket I crocheted for her!

 Dancing with Grandma at the wedding!!!!

She loves Grandma's quilts!!!

 Anything Goes - on stage as Evangeline Harcourt!

Oh...........the drama!!!

All dressed up and ready for the prom - with Grandma Elaine and Grandpa Mark!

Quilt for Library Fundraiser

This quilt caught my eye at the recent Genesee Valley Quilt Club Show.   A member had made it as a fundraiser for the Fairport Library.   Each of the books has a person or family's name embroidered on the spine - for which they paid a fee ($25 maybe??) for that honor.   The quilter said she was able to set her machine to embroider 4 names at a time.   Very impressive - both in the concept and execution!!!

Clematis ......and........other fun!

The clematic by my mailbox is blooming heavily - taking over the whole mailbox.   I love it!!!!   Purple of course!   Actually, all 3 of my clematix are blooming right now - but this is the mailbox version!!!

 I knew I wanted to train it to go over the mailbox - it goes over, under and around!

 A little closer view!

 This is my favorite single blossom flower that I took yesterday.

 Then I decided to have fun in Photoshop with the liquify filter - still recognizeable, just a little more playful.

 OK, that wasn't enough.........time to play even more and add some "twirls and swirls:".   Really like this one, might have it printed!

Finally - a posterized view - just to highlight shadows, contrast etc.  

Photoshop is a lot of fun - if you have the time and patience to play.........and can remember what you did.

Given that my eyesight is still healing - this was something" big" on the screen to see.   Taking pictures has been good - easier to see things on the screen which are clearer with more detail.   Who knew????Still having a lot of trouble with print on the computer.   I do some emails, some Facebook posting , but really don't read  a lot, seems to be harder.   Typing here has been problematic!!!

Two of my friends with blogs - have a special section at the end.   I love both of their insights!!!  One says   "I Have Learned" and adds interesting tidbits.........so, I have learned I will need to be patient with myself and with others!  

The other friend says  "I Am Thankful" - I am thankful today for good friends I could call in a pinch to help me out!!!!

Still...........No Quilting! Moving Up day for Jacob

Still no quilting in my world, but I was able to work and complete something that finished off a project this morning.   I am anxious to get back to it - but.....maybe I'll take the time to clean and reorganize my sewing room............or.............maybe not. 

Anyway, here are a few photos of my Grandson's moving up day from elementary to middle school.   The last of my grandchidren have now left elementary school.   How the time flies.............

 The opening credits before the ceremony began.   The last hidden word is "Broadway"!   Big dreams!

 Being congratulated by his teacher!

 Showing off his diploma!

Jacob and his buddies!  

Such special times!!!!

Flowers and flowers - no quilting

Eye surgery this past week has stopped my quilting - DEAD IN ITS TRACKS!    I have finished one, but can't show here as it is a gift!

I have been taking pictures of some of my flowers.....through the camera lens and up close - they are quite visible!   I have a yellow columbine that is just gorgeous.   It is tall - with lovely "lemony" flowers!

 The leaves on the canna lilies are starting to unfurl.   Strange looking little things, but the colors are quite nice.

 The first coneflower is in bloom.  

 This is the clematis "covering" the mailbox - this was taken late in the evening with the west sun from behind the flowers.   Unfortunately, this clematis doesn't seem to stay in bloom as long as some others.

The lantana in pots..........they have been absolutely soaked with all the rains.   I move them to a more sheltered spot in the heavy rains, but they are doing well.   The colors attest to the fact they must like the water!!!!

Iron Quilter - Art Quilt Intensity at the Quilt Show

Saturday I took part in my first ever Iron Quilter project.   This was part of the Genesee Valley Quilt Club show in Rochester.   At 10:00 we were introduced to the crowd, at 10:15 we were given a theme (which we didn't know ahead of time) called "A Disappearing Act".......and a pile of fabric and 3 hours in which to create a finished quilt.   After everyone made a mad dash to the fabric table we began to work........intensely........for 3 hours.   Most everyone was using every possible second until we were told to "put down our needles".   This was my creation called "Watch Me Disappear" (a song title by the group 32 Leaves).   My theme was the disappearing leaves every fall!

 Fortunately, I had packed the perfect fabric (we could bring 3 of our own fabrics) for a background!

 I love thread work so you can see real leaves from fabric, and thread work leaves that disappear even more.  Notice the top left corner leaf seems to have a portrait silhouette......from someone who believes she was "born to live in nature"!

 More disappearing leaves in pinks, purples and reds.

I wasn't the "big" winner, or even second or third.....but......if you know me and my personality, you will know that I am methodical, organized, take much time to ponder everything hoping it is just right.   Therefore, I consider myself the "BIG" winner because I finished (without a nervous breakdown)!!!!!

It was a good show for me!   I entered 3 quilts and 2 won ribbons!!   I was thrilled and honored!

 "L'Autumno" won "Best Interpretation of Theme" for the Nature behind Bars Exhibit!

"Then...the Crocus" won in the art quilt division!!!

 This was my digital manipulated Bird of Paradise - just finished in time for the show.   This was from a class given by Julie Brandon and printed by her at Red Dog Enterprises.   You can find more information about Julie and her business at http://red-dogenterprises.com/.   A lot of threadwork and bead embellishments complete the quilt.

Both of my quilts, for judges comments, mentioned excellent use of embellishments as a positive!   Both also mentioned excellent quilting design and execution!!!!   You can't see either in these pictures......but always good to know our hard work is noticed!   As I said - it was a good show!!!!!!

On Facebook this morning, my friend Patrick posted this picture of his rose plant (actually his father planted it many years ago).   I love the way the shadows play on this, and enlarged you can see the dew on the leaves.   It almost looks "posterized"....    I can see it in a quilt with varying shades of pinks and sheer fabrics.   Just beautiful!!!

Spring Flowers + perfect weather = no quilting!

This has been the most perfect weather - warm, sunny days, blue skies, cool nights, everything is starting to come up green!   The spring flowers are everywhere.   We are in for a change of weather, but this weather has made me SO happy!!!!  I sleep well every night because I work so hard in the gardens all day (I'm afraid to come in and sit down because I know this can't last and there is much to do)!

 The hostas grow a couple of inches every day.   The ones in the pots and box are going to the garden club auction next week.

 My new bleeding heart bush - I wanted one to replace the dead azalea at the corner of the sunporch.   I can see this every morning from the kitchen window.

 Last year's bleeding heart bush - doing well. (I thought it was a goner last year)

 We have lots of lilacs this year - the first time in our 3 years in this house.

 Euphorbia bush.   I happened upon this at Garden Factory and I just love it - all the different colors!

 Candytuft

 The dogwood is in bloom - again, the first time in the 3 years we've been here.   (I guess the 3rd time is a charm!!!!)

I can't have spring flowers (other than daffodils) because the wildlife like them too much.   So I planted in pots.   They didn't look like much when I dragged them out of the garage a month ago, but they have been putting on a real show this past week.

It's spring!!!!!! Flowering Trees.......

It's springtime at my house.   Loving all the flowering trees and spring flowers.   It has been perfectly, perfect weather for over a week now.   A few more days and we will be getting rain - which they say we need.   Maybe only at night - like Camelot!!!

This is our plum tree in full bloom.............the forsythia is on the way out and the sandcherry has come and gone!!!  

Brookgreen Gardens - Sculptures

While in Myrtle Beach, we visited the Brookgreen Gardens - known as a sculpture garden, but also had wonderful flowers and flowering trees and a butterfly exhibit.   Here are some of the sculptures!

 My husband, sharing the newspaper with a figurine as we entered the park.

 I loved this one - called "Motherhood".

 I also thought this was a neat one - of a girl retrieving something from the pool.

 The local pipe player!

Always a fun scultpture, seen in many gardens!