Christmas full moon - 2015!

A full moon on Christmas is a rarity.....the last one in 1977 and the next in 2034.    Here are a few shots I was able to get.   The first picture is actually early evening on Christmas Eve.   The last 3 are Christmas night!

It's Christmas in Longwood

Here for Thanksgiving....some of the sights tonight!!!!

The full moon.....

I'm in Houston.....or at least my quilt is!!!!

Triptych...the Leaves of Florida is on display at the Houston International Quilt Show this week.   I am honored to be one of 25 quilts chosen to be part of Jane Dunnewold's "Digital Alchemy".    These are my photos, taken in Silver Springs, Florida and manipulated in Photoshop to form the triptych and printed on fabric by Julie Brandon of Red-Dog Enterprises,   The quilting follows the shape, form and texture of the leaves.

Georgia's Pearl.....photo to fabric

My latest photo to fabric quilt.  Georgia's Pearl hibiscus. My little Sisterhood artist inspired group decided to take field trips this summer with our cameras and interpret one of our photos in textile.  This trip was to the Lamberton Conservatory in Highland Park in Rochestet, NY.   My photo was printed on cotton  by Julie Stern Brandon, owner of Red-Dog Enterprises, Inc, and  quilted and embellished with beads and crystals.  (There were raindrops that day)

It's still summer in my gardens

The calendar says fall, but my gardens say "not so fast, we aren't done yet."  The impatiens are gone and I did replace with some fall flowers, but having trouble putting out fall decorations yet.

I have 3 clematis....one usually blooms twice a season, the others at different times but often only once....until this year.   All 3 have bloomed non stop once the weather decided to get warm.

This is the one by the front door that usually blooms late May and again in August.   It's still going .... since May.

This is a small one by the light pole that I rescued from overgrown brush when we moved here,   It has never bloomed more than once.....until now.

The one by the mail box....usually gone by now,   Speaking of mailbox, look at its companion flower....the Mandevilla.

This is the hibiscus started from A little 4 inch cutting two years ago when we wintered in Florida.  It's now over 5 feet tall.

This is our largest grass....of which we have many different kinds.   I think it will need to be divided.

Gustav Klimt inspired art quilt challenge

I belong to a small art quilt group of friends who started out by inspiring each other to create on the works of famous artists.  Our most recent artist to interpret was Guatav Klimt.  I am often drawn to nature, and while he did not do a lot of nature subjects, I did find a few.   He is most noted for his painting "Woman in Gold" and gold was prominent in all of his work as were swirls and lots of color.   Below is my piece.....

The background fabric has gold flecks and the background trees are edged with gold thread,   The birch trees in the foreground are colored with Inktense Pencils which are then brushed with water to enhance the color saturation.

In and around the yard....

I really like this time of year when all the flowers seem to be going to town!   Many of the perennials and summer flowers are starting to look bedraggled.....but there is plenty to look at yet!

A portion of the Mandevilla near the garage

I love vertical gardens and this is my own little version....the sweet potato vines are vining all over the place.

Anyone who knows me knows I would have a  purple butterfly bush

The hummingbirds have been prolific this year and this is one of their favorite spaces,

Hydrangea up close and full bush below,

Love the big leaf cannas and they are just starting to send up flower stalks

I call this hosta row,   This is why I spray against deer,   I hate chemicals, but I love my flowers more!

More favorites from the Caledonia Quilt Show

Here are some more of my favorites from the Caledonia Quilt Guild show. I don't have info on all of them..so please just enjoy!

Best of Show by Mary Christopher,   A gift from Xantopia plant Nursery was part of her prize.   In an interesting twist, the owner of Xantopia Nursery was the winner of the Caledonia Raffle Quilt,   Well deserved!  

Now to continue with some more quilts....

The best jelly roll quilt I've ever seen, by Joyce Blowers,   The colors graduated within the strips...she did not plan the layout.

 Leaves by Glynnis Hunt, using her own hand dyed fabrics.   Glynnis was also a popular vendor at the show.

The next two quilts were done by Valerie Connor.

By Patty Cline, owner of Chestnut Bay Quilting, also a popular vendor.

Daylilies continue to bloom

I have had a deer problem....everyone knows that ad nauseum by now.   I have sprayed and that has helped most of the plants.....except one Orange daylily that I bought last year.   It is huge and called "Primal Scream".   It lives up to its name as it is gorgeous,   It has varying colors from yellow to gold to orange to red to a reddish pink. 

I was getting buds, but then they were half gone, apparently eaten by the deer, even with spray.   So this week I started to tie netting around the blooms.   Lo and behold, this bloom today, is the third one I have had.   There are at least 6 more buds so I continue to wrap every night and unwrap in the morning,   A small price to pay for such gorgeous flowers,   

This one yielded 3 flowers as it is a new plant from a friend, this year.   Same thing..,,tied netting around them.

This is my purple Stella d'ora Lily,   I have had the yellow variety for years,   This is my second year of the purple plant,

Longwood Gardens and the Waterlilies and more Waterlilies!

This past week we took a trip south and part of it was a stop at the Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA.    I was on the hunt for a good waterlily photo that I could turn into a quilt.  138 photos later it turns out I got at least 6.   These first 3 are my top contenders; 2 and 3 are the favorites among my friends. 

But I think the next grouping is also really nice.

 

Happy 4th of July!

The day lilies arrived right on cue..... The first ones being open today!

 

Obviously I loved this one as I bought 2 plants .... even though they had different names on the tags!   That's ok as they make a nice row along the walkway!

This one is a much deeper red...almost maroon!

This is such a delicate flower... pale yellow with pale pink shading.   A small plant with few flowers!

This is not a lily but a Bears breech.  I moved this to this house 5 years ago when we moved here.   This is the first year it has flowered. Nice foliage too but I almost dig it up this year!  Glad I waited!!

Finally a view from my seat on the patio of the canna lilies growing in their huge pots.   I have these various places around the yard!!!