color journal :: all together now

I am finding this squared cycle of seasonal color very encouraging today and not just because all the blocks are finally pieced together.

White, gray and brown will eventually turn to green and then it will turn brown and then white again. Over and over and over.

color journal :: August sunflowers

In the very early spring of last year we lost our biggest and favorite sugar maple tree. The huge empty unshaded space left behind was a constant reminder. I planted many perennial plants and also lots of varieties of sunflowers by seed where the tree had been. The plants grew throughout the summer to help fill the space. I would have much rather kept the tree, but the sunflowers we had by the end of the summer were beautiful. I look forward to planting them again.

The goldfinches enjoyed them too and let us get quite close while they munched on the seeds. You can click and enlarge this photo taken August 2013. The goldfinches are in the middle.

This is my last block for the color journal quilt. I hope to have them all sewn together very soon.

color journal :: July rain garden

 

We had a pretty rainy spring last year and our rain garden had its best year yet. This photo was taken mid July 2013 and it looks like it had just rained, the best time to photograph plant I think. The purples and yellows still the favorites. Native Tall Ironweed in deep purple, Joe-Pye weed in the dusty pink and Stiff Goldenrod is the yellow.

Just one more block to put together, and then the whole color journal quilt!

let there be green

I need more green fabric to finish the last two blocks for the color journal quilt. I painted some beige fabric that I already had with moss green Pebeo Setacolor Transparent fabric paint. I have been using this paint since the boys were very little. It is non-toxic and that was important as they were always close by. I still love to use this paint. I add some of the paint to a jar of water and then can keep what I don't use for later. A wide foam brush works well to apply to damp cotton fabric.

The paint will migrate to high points and edges - so interesting things can be done there. Folding will also create lovely effects.

Iron both sides of dry fabric on cotton setting to heat set.

color journal :: May and June

These two have so much to do with the green I am all too anxiously waiting for. I am all out of green fabric now.

I am in a late winter mood and I am ready for a little color. Aren't lavender and yellow the first to arrive? (this blue-eyed grass from May 2013) Some insects would be nice, and not just the stinkbugs that are hatching from the potted plants overwintering inside. (Butterfly weed and Great Spangled Fritillary June 2013)



It always seems like winter is taking her sweet time moving on out of here but I have been looking back on a lot of photos lately and I found a few of us last year wading in the creek no coats on March 10 and then a few snow photos dated March 25. So, whatever.

It's predicted to warm a little these next few days, maybe even a thunder storm and possibly some flooding. If all of this snow and ice melts I will be out there looking for the first signs of any daffodils - even if I have to dig a little.

color journal

The snow is falling outside while I am in working on bringing all these blocks together.



and a little heart for today, plain as the nose on her face.

cabin fever

Feeling stir crazy today. Wondering if this muddled feeling is just a bit of cabin fever or the start of the stomach bug that's been making it's way through our house. I have spent these last two days working quietly next to my biggest boy while he's on the mend.

I woke up this morning thinking about opening all the windows and rearranging all the furniture.

acorn dreams

 Growing some acorn dreams under this blanket of snow.

Have a lovely weekend.

under the bright white

Our snow layer has been restored to bright white (again).

Thinking about the hope we hold in what lies beneath all the snow - the sleeping seeds and green.