Early Risers

It's a couple of weeks early, but we're getting some beautiful color outside now.  The trees are still bare and grasses are dormant, but many bulbs are starting to come up.

Daffodils...

 Hyacinths...

...and snowdrops are all showing their faces.

It's almost crocus time!

Strangely, many of our azaleas are budding out.  They really don't get going here until mid-March through April, so hopefully they don't all blaze out and wither prematurely.

 

I love seeing all the green.

I planted tons of muscari (grape hyacinth) and peonies, but the ground in front was so churned up by machines when our trees were felled, chopped, and carted away that I don't hold out hope that any survived.  Still, we have our "old faithfuls" in the helleborus:

Carolina Jessamine:

And, of course, camellias:

I don't mean to pick more flowers when I go out to take photos.  But they're so beautiful and plentiful, and those not picked just fall to the ground in a few days.

So I pick.

And every room, from late February to mid-May, is full of bouquets.  Big bouquets, small bouquets, single stems, whatever. 

I read a story about a famous gardener who regularly cared for over 60 bouquets in her house in spring, so at least I'm not the only one who's crazy for them! 

I've been too busy to do any crafting, but I did find time in the past two weeks to start and finish a mini-quilting project.  Eight wedges are sewn together separately and then pieced together.  I did make ONE mistake:  I used a white piece instead of tan.  Overall, though, I don't really notice it.

I decided to hang it over the back fireplace.  It blends in well, I think.  

I found more vintage craft books at a thrift store this weekend, so hopefully I'll have time soon to pull some design ideas from them.

Have a great week!

Planning ahead...

After an absolutely frigid week, we're finally warming up.  The cats have assumed their customary stations.

I've been too busy with work - and too cold - to do much outside.  I've brought in a few flowers that survived the cold...

...to add a little color to the dining room.  Camellias and helleborus are in full swing...just waiting on the bulbs and forsythia, and finally, the azaleas!

In the absence of outdoor activity, I've mainly enjoyed the view from my office window...

...and planned future projects.  I'm bored with my octagon quilt project, even though I'm only a row away from being done (lap blanket size), so I started a large square that I'll hang up somewhere when completed.

I finished the second panel of my embroidery project.

The two identical pieces fit perfectly in the front wooden panels in our back living room cabinet.

As soon as I locate the first fabric panel, I'll wash, iron, and frame both pieces.  Hopefully it will fit my vision!

I measured the dining room hutch that holds my German pottery for shelf edging.

It's kind of an old-fashioned European style, with embroidered lace or fabric edging hanging down 2 - 5 inches from each shelf.  Sometimes the fabric is embroidered with pictures, or sometimes words.  I'm thinking of embroidering in German one of my favorite quotes about marriage:

"Es ist niche mehr schon, freundlich und charmant Beziehung, Gemeinschaft oder Gesellschaft als eine gute Ehe."

Or, "There is no more lovely, friendly, and charming relationship, communion or company, than a good marriage." 

I found one I *loved* on eBay, but it was $65 and also too long for these shelves.  I'll probably start on my own this spring! 

Speaking of love, we had company on Valentine's Day so didn't do much in the way of "officially" celebrating.  I did make a batch of cookies to mail out to friends and relatives, although much smaller than I usually do due to lack of time.  I just baked basic chocolate sugar cookies and dipped them in melted candy melts.  Then, sprinkled them with candy hearts.

They were individually bagged and I made a little Valentines-themed label for each bag.

Hopefully I'll have more time at Easter for a bigger baking session. 

Have a great week! 

Look for red, instead

We're deep into January now!  Ice in the bird bath.

Camellias, wilted by the cold.

All the japonica are drooping.

A brief flourish of Carolina Jessamine before the freeze.

But there's still a lot of life and color if you know where to look.  Bright red berries on various bushes around the property.

Beautiful red leaves.

And the promise of future life:  snowdrop bulbs are starting to send up stalks.

Hyacinths, too.

The camellias will be back.  They have amazing regenerative powers!  The bushes will be heavy with blossoms within a week of warmer weather.  Here are some I picked right before the temperature drop:

I just have to focus on the color we've got instead of the general brown of winter.

I've been working on indoor projects. Several years ago, I bought a 36" x 12" canvas painting of tall birch trees at Target.  It was an awkward size and just didn't fit anywhere.  I put it away but have always kept it in the back of my mind.  Could I repurpose it somehow?

This weekend I selected a 12" quilt square pattern and made 3 squares.  I sewed white fabric around the edge and stretched it over the wood frame of the painting canvas.  I was really pleased with the final result and have it hanging in a dim corner of the living room.

It provides a nice pop of color and I am now inspired to make a full-size quilt with the same pattern.  I can see how the spiky side strips will come together to make stars.  Love!  And also love getting some use out of that old frame!  I've been really inspired by various textiles lately, like the herringbone pattern and deep maroon color of the big cowl I recently knitted.

We also recently acquired some vintage embroidery items from Todd's grandpa.  There are several table runners, a giant tablecloth, some pillow cases, and lots of napkins with varying degrees of staining.

I no longer want to fold up my projects/textiles I love and put them away and am going to look for new ways to display them around the house. 

In other news, I started a new pair of socks.  I chose a variegated yarn for the colorwork and I'm afraid that it obscures the pattern too much.

I also decided that I don't enjoy patterns with long 'floats' - that is, patterns where you have to carry yarn A for more than 8 stitches of yarn B before knitting a yarn A stitch.  See the chart below and all the white squares on either side of the bird?  I was carrying long floats (catching them in the middle so they didn't sag or snag) on either side of it for quite a while before deciding to quit.  Just didn't enjoy it.  I'm now happily working on a different project with no long floats and hope to have a finished pair before too long.

Have a great week!