Spring rains finally here and One Flower for Wednesday

Well, fortunately we have been getting much needed rains the last couple of days... just in time to sweeten the berries forming on my blueberry bushes and raspberry & blackberry canes.  Ymm.

Here is a photo of a flower added to my Grandmother's Flower Garden lap quilt; it is nestled in my favorite rose: Alchemyst.  As an inconsistent gardner in zone 7 who doesn't use chemicals, I am always delighted when my rose leaves are free from blackspot... short lived I'm sure.

Go on over and check out other lovely hexis and great tutorials for English Paper Piecing at Karen's Journey of a Quilter One Flower Wednesday sign-in

Now, I will most likely take a month long break from One Flower Wednesday to focus on some quilting UFO goals and because next Tuesday, May 1, will begin MadMay 2012 on Ravelry.

For those who may not know, this is a wonderful free website for knitters.  I looked on the site to try to figure out how many members there are, but couldn't.  I joined in December 2008 when I think there were about 250,000 members.  Seems like I remember there are over a million now.

At any rate, in May, one of the groups "Madelinetosh Lovers" has a competition/Knit&Crochet Along; Madelinetosh is a fantabulous yarn, in luscious colors.  There are over 6,200 members in this group.  Our goal in MadMay is to begin and complete knitting projects using Madelinetosh yarn.  I think it is so funny that knitting can be made competitive!  Now, I am too slow & have too many irons in the fire to win anything... but I just love, love external accountability to help with completion of projects.  So I plan to knit a pattern by one of my favorite designers, Carina Spencer: Scalene knitted scarf in yarns from my stash:- colors: Gingham (a silvery blue) and Fathom (a deep blue.)  We start our swatches tomorrow & cast on May 1. 

Hope you are all enjoying yourselves.  Happy stitching!

One Flower Wednesday 4-18

My this spring is really flying by.  The combination of a beatiful spring in full swing, the end of tax season and a couple of decent night's sleep has me feeling more energetic!  Yeah!

Today, I have a completed two-round flower to post; granted the inner flower was done & posted earlier, but right now I'm focusing on small victories!

This block is nestled in an azalea Myrtle gave me to put in my yard.  She has been my second Mom since I was 8 years old.  Myrtle moves every couple of years and wanted this plant to have a permanent home.  This spectacular azalea was a gift to her from my Mother when Myrtle's dear niece passed away due to complications following a kidney transplant.  It is a an incredibly lovely, low-growing plant with personal and poignant memories... this year even more than before.


OFW in Azalea from Myrtle

To see more lovely hexi's, head on over to Karen's linky for One Flower Wednesday, better yet, consider joining us!
Happy stitching!  Becky G in NC

One Flower Wednesday April 11 2012 with what's blooming

Here in the States, we are zooming up on our income tax filing deadline.  This year it will be Tuesday, April 17.  Usually tax day falls on the15th, but whenever the 15th falls on the week-end, taxes are due the following Monday.  However, Monday, the 16th is "Emancipation Day" in the District of Columbia (DC), so our due date is moved to the 17th.  In the past, I was unaware of this holiday.  In 2012, this holiday marks the sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary of President Lincoln's signing of the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act.  He signed this about 9 months before his famous national Emancipation Proclamation.  This act freed about 3,100 enslaved persons in the District, and is the only case in which the federal government compensated the owners for the emancipation of their formerly enslaved persons.  Since DC is where our Federal government meets and this a Distrcit holiday, we all get an extra day to get those taxes (or extensions) filed! 

But, now to my weekly One Flower Wednesday check -in; again, just a single row flower (after all, I am most busy getting my client's work done for 4/17 tax deadline.) 


Hexi in Miss Kim Lilac

 Making these hexi's still delights me!  Go on over to Karen's blog for links to the whole group's hexi postings:  One Flower Wednesday linky party.

I only wish you could experience the heavenly fragrance of Miss Kim.  There are not many lilacs that thrive down here in zone 7, but she does!  Here's another close up of a blossom...

I took some photos from a distance, but her blossoms look all washed out.  She is absolutely covered in blossoms.

I posted about my Lady Banks rose a while back when she was just opening and now here she is in her full glory...

This photo shows a bit of her shape

This one more clearly shows how covered in blossoms she is.  Plus, I see she has overtaken my tomato stake which needs painting.

Here's wishing you a great week, with a bit of extra time for those who need to get their returns filed! 

April 4 One Flower Wednesday

Just one today... and just the inner ring 7 hexi flower, but I am happy with how it turned out.

This photo includes a rose bud from my very favorite rose, a climber named Alchymist (the original spelling, now you see it as "Alchemist.")  It is very fragrant, with old fashioned blossoms which are usually in the apricot/salmon/peach range.  One Mother's day, my 7 foot bush was so laden with blossoms and buds, I counted them; I stopped at 145, having included only those buds that had opened enough to see the color of the petals.  Here is link to info on this wonderful rose: Alchymist Rose source 

Now here is this week's hexi sitting upon an Alchymist bud:

Go on over to Karen's wonderful website Journey of a Quilter One Flower Wednesdayto see the other fun hexi's on her link-up as well as links to wonderful info on how you too can make these fun flowers... Happy Stitching!  B

A change of plan....

Well, I laid out all the flowers for my hexi quilt thinking I only had one flower and  gazillion connectors to go... what was I thinking?  17 double flowers with one row of connectors using 1" hexi's it not big enough!  So, I've started on more flowers... not sure how many I will end up with.  Here is photo of a 7 hexi flower I did (actually, mine aren't really completed until there are 12 more hexi's for double flower...still, here's photo.) 

First Blooms of my Lady Banks Rose

In addition to this little flower, I made 20 connectors and prepared about 15 more hexis to make more flowers.

Take a trip over to Karen's blog to take a look at her fun projects and for her linky with other folks' weekly One Flower Wednesday posts!  Journey of a Quilter

I took all my flowers and connectors to my Bee last night & Anne, a very knowledgeable quilter, helped me make some design decisions.  She has made two Grandmother's Flower garden quilts (one with 0.75" hexi's), and a Dear Jane quilt (in a year mind you!)  Now, I have a better plan for moving forward... for instance, decided not to do half flowers at the edges, but rather use the other brown fabrics in this line to blend, but add a bit of interest.  The upshot of it all is I best push forward with this project so I do not lose interest!

This past week I also almost completed a large applique block I'll make into a wall hanging and made progress on my embroidery Christmas project: photos to follow!

A note about the flowers... this rose, Lady Banks, is an heirloom rose with clusters of tiny yellow blossoms on thornless canes with leaves which seem impervious to the normal pests and diseases of roses.  It only blooms for a relatively short period (and has just started in the last 2-3 days) but it is spectacular as all along the top of the 12 foot long canes will be covered in blossoms!  Great for trellises.  Mine has outgrown its location, in 4 years... think I'll have to prune some this year as it is taking over the blueberry bush next to it.

I'll have to figure out the best time to trim as it is home to bird's nests!  I love the idea of my little backyard neighborhood.  I absolutely get Beatrix Potter's stories... I'm sure there are community dramas amongst the wildlife in my own backyard!

Thanks for stopping by, and happy stitching!

One Flower Wednesday

Ironic that spring is officially here and I have no hexi flowers this week!  But, I DO have connectors....

Isn't that tulip something?  It is on a stem @ 14inches tall & the perspective makes the hexi's look small!  This is an old fashioned tulip which is not reliably perennial, but this may be it's 5th year.  I am fairly sure this is a Fosteriana "Red Emperor" variety.  It is an early bloomer.

As to my hexi's... I've got about 70 connectors made (the photo has 7 stacks of 10 each, but the perspective obscures this detail.)  I have about ten 2.5" WOF strips cut, which will become 160 more.  I didn't have many meetings last week, and I focused on other projects so although I added to my stash of completed connector hexi's, I already had a bunch made. 

Thanks for stopping by, and go see the great tutorials and link-ups over at Karen's Journey of a Quilter for more hexi fun!

March 14 One Flower Wednesday

Photos can really help one see.  I've got one lavender hexi made from a different fabric!  This cracks me up... I didn't see it until I looked at the photo.  I mean this is HAND work, not strip piecing!  What a hoot.  Now the dilemma, at an insane 22-24 stitches per inch & super strong knots, do I want to try to take it out?  Used to be I absolutely would, but then this attitude contributes to my difficulty in completing projects.   And although it is a bit humbling, it isn't what I think of as a humility block.  My understanding is one has to PLAN the mistake and make it intentionally... boy is that tough on perfectionism... tho I bet I could come up with a plan for the 'perfect' intentional mistake! lol  So, for now, I'll leave it.  If I can't live with it, I'll change... but the likelihood of me making a bigger mess and injuring the adjoining hexis is pretty dog gone high!

This makes number 17.  I only plan on having 18 for my largish throw.  There will be 5 rows: 4 flowers each in rows 1,3 & 5; 3 flowers each in rows 2 and 4.

This week, I'll work on the layout before selecting the colors for the last flower... keeping my fingers crossed that they'll all play well together and none will stand out.

Also, I'll concentrate on making connectors; some are made but I have boatloads to go!  Not even sure how many I'll need, nor how I'll finish the outside edges.  I've got 3 or 4 jelly roll strips (and 10" squares) of other browns I could use to fill in the dips in the sides.  Sixteen 1" hexis can be made from each strip.  Haven't used much of the 10" squares so do not know how many can be cut from them.  There are also 3 or 4 golds in the grouping I haven't used yet.  (This is when I wish I had EQ 7!)  But, as I do not, I guess I best get busy. 

Stop by Karen's lovely blog to see others who are making progress on their gardens... and Karen has the best links to tutorials so check them out and come join us!  Here's link: Journey of a Quilter

Thanks for stopping by!

One Flower Wednesday March 7 2012

Welcome!  We seem to have had a long spring of a winter here in NC and Virginia.  Not that I am complaining... with all the travelling our family and friends have done in February and March to the mountains of Virginia, mild weather has been a true blessing.  There was no ice and only a day's worth of snow (beautiful snow.)  My sister's driveway is almost a quarter of a mile dirt & gravel narrow road, though I could have sworn it was a third of a mile when I hiked up it.  So when they get their typical 6-8 inches of snow and ice every couple of weeks, navigating it can be a bit tricky, even after Swede has applied his fantabulous tractor to it.  If the winter had been as normal, Mom would not have had her precious time with so many of our far flung relatives.

While sitting with Mom in February, I stitched on a Hop to It block, a couple of my hexi flowers as well as making a bunch of connectors.  Handstitching brings great comfort to me... so timeless, I'm not the only one who has sat by a loved one's bed and stitched my heartache and hope into fabric creating beauty through tears.  Whenever I look at those blocks I will always remember where I was and whom I was with.... preserving memories and prayers with each stitch.

Here's a photo of the two hexi's I completed....

There are quite a number of folk who link in at Karen's blog to post our progress each Wednesday....To take a look, click here:  Journey of a Quilter One Flower Wednesday  Thanks for dropping by... so many of you gave us great strength over the last difficult month.... thank you.

One Flower Wednesday

One would think it is March here in NC as warm as it is.  I've been taking the opportunity to get outside to make my photos for the blog... a great improvement!  Here's this week's flower:

The pale peach dotted fabric always seems to read as offwhite.

The Camellia is from a bush that was just tee-ninesty when I moved in; I think it was a volunteer.  We are in zone 7 for planting... to my knowledge folks have trouble growing camellias much north of here.  My sister in zone 6 can not grow them (even with her very green thumb!).

I do love mine.  They are of the Japonica species which, according to my records, are blooming a bit early this year.  Their blooms often peak through snow which will fall in February & early March.

Thanks for stopping by and hope all's well in your world!

First One Flower Wednesday post for 2012

The flower with the lilac center and light outside ring is my most recent flower.  I was not tall enough to get them all in (and was too afraid to stand on the crumbly cement benches), so I recruited a tall (very nice) fellow in our office to get a higher vantage point.  He stood on the bench, perspective is a wonderful thing!  His photo follows....

Wasn't that nice of him?  I love working with wonderful folk.

Take a visit to Karen's wonderful blog where she has great links to hexi instructions and others who are in One Flower Wednesday:  here you go One Flower Wednesday link up. 

I did do some sewing & knitting over the Holidays (which starts in November and runs into January for my large, extended family.)  I gave some away, made progress on other projects, but only am now getting a new flower completed.  To me that means life is getting back to normal!

Our family is quite close... (and did I tell you LARGE?)  I have a son and a step daughter, between them, they have 8 children.  My daughter in law's family counts me as one of their own, and she is one of 4 children with 4 additional young ones.  I have 4 siblings with thier own children & grandchildren.  (My younger sister & her husband have 7 children.)  My mom is one of 4 girls, each of whom have 3-5 children of their own.  So when we gather, it is a happening, and we gather a lot.  My holidays include most week-ends away, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I hope you all had wonderful, joy filled holidays, and warm wishes for joy, hope, health and family in 2012!  B

One Flower Wednesday # 13 (but who's counting?)

A short post for today.... 
I am delighted to say that I find endless joy and satisfaction in English paper piecing.  Each new flower feels like a discovery as the color play unfolds.  Thank you to Karen who has hosted a most wonderful website to instruct and encourage us as well as helping to build community.... Go see her site as well as all the fabulous flowers at  Journey of a Quilter sign in page

So here is number 13:

Thanks for stopping by... and have a great week!  B  

One Flower Wednesday First of Advent 2011

Winter has arrived.  Yesterday afternoon, in anticipation practically freezing weather, I picked some of my last roses.  I must admit though, they looked better from a distance than they did up close! 

On a different note, I am delighted to finally have been able to "grab a button."  I learned how from Konda Luckau from her blog Moose on the Porch Quilts.  The link takes you to her blogging tutorial, so be sure to click to get over to her blog too!  She has other tutorials and a stars quilt-along happening too. 

My life has been a bit discombobulated lately, so not as much sewing or knitting getting done, but I do have a new flower for my garden...

Take a look over on Karen's wonderful blog for more hexis... Journey of a Quilter; she also has a wonderful tutorial page with great links too.

For those of us who celebrate Christmas in the western christian tradition, this past Sunday was our entrance into the liturgical season of Advent.  The word comes from the Latin "adventus" meaning "coming."  Advent begins the fourth Sunday prior to Christmas day and ends Christmas Eve.  It is a season in which we renew our focus on our faith in anticipation of a new birth of God in our hearts.  Despite the hustle and bustle and distractions of my preparations for all our celebrations, when I take a moment, that feeling of being grounded in the great mystery brings me great peace.  Regardless of your faith tradition, I hope you accept my wish for you: May you be filled with "...the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding."  Surely our loving Creator desires this for each of us.

Peace, B

Back again!

Well, long time, no see!  Being a CPA, I was swamped for the October 15 final due date for personal tax returns here in the US of A.  We even had some which were filed late!!! Eeeyikes!  This was followed by a complicated corporate real estate transaction... so no blogging, little sewing.

Still, now all's right with the world and I am resuming what I now consider "normal routine;" this includes blogging. 

Now, be warned, I think these photos were taken while I was in a daze, as they are a bit fuzzy...



Oh my gosh.... not only fuzzy, but where o where was my iron?
 
I also want to share with you all my mostest favoritest paper clips... they are rectangular, with a heart of sorts in the middle.  They are shorter than the normal "trombone" shaped clips, so they stay out of my way.  They are also a bit wider, so they hold my fabric a bit more secure.  One can get them at most office supply stores.  Hope you can give them a try sometime!

You can check out other folks hexi postings at Karen's One Flower Wednesday page on her fab web site Journey of a Quilter  Don't forget to click on her page One Flower Wednesday (different than sign in page) for fantabulous tutorials which ensure elegant and wonderful hexi flowers.  Thanks Karen!
Hope you are all well.  See you next week!

One Flower Wednesday Week 10

Well, I am excited to see my garden grow, but now I feel like I want to start to see them joined together.  I've been debating about this a bit.  They are scrappy and I want to ensure they look balanced once put together... So I don't want to start yet.

Still, I have some of the joining hexi's made.  I think I'll start making them each week... but not until AFTER October 17th (the final tax filing date for indiviuals in the US.)  I am an accountant and can hardly do anything but work for the next week and a half.

See all the wonderful hexi's folks are making by visiting Journey of a Quilter where the wonderfully generous Karen hosts us all. I had to laugh, that after writing about having a desire to start joining my hexi's several of the posts showed how they are joining theirs!  One person had just this week started that process, so I guess I am right on time.


Hope all's well in your neck of the woods!

First One Flower Wednesday of Autumn 2011!

Last Friday was the Autumnal Equinox, the first day of Autumn.  Autumn, a pensive second spring wherein the earth explodes in color, bearing seeds and fruits, all in anticipation of Winter: a season of rest... well, I don't rest in Winter, but if I took my cues from Mother Earth I would!

Still, I love the warm colors of Autumn.  I love how the light is different, with the sun in a lower trajectory the air seems clearer, brighter.  I bought local honey and quilted crystal jars to make up spiced honey for gifts for the fall.  Well, I could go on and on... perhaps another day.

For now: One Flower Wednesday!  Please check out Karen's inspiring blog where you will find great information about how to do English Paper Piecing as well links to the wonderful flowers posted this week... Click here for Karen's blogs with links 

And here are my flowers for today.  I usually do 2 row flowers (19 Hexi's) but I'm a bit over-extended, so I have two 1 row flowers (14 hexi's) this week. 

Hope you have a wonderful week!  We are expecting some cooler weather... and our trees are beginning to change... all good!

One Flower Wednesday

We have had a change in season here in North Carolina.  Today we are having a wonderful rain... soft, steady, refreshing our dry soil and rinsing the dust off of our plants and trees...most welcomed.  It is a bit cooler also.  So my desire is for fall colors, comfy sweaters and a good book.

Today is also our weekly check in for One Flower Wednesday hosted by our dear Karen... stop over at her blog and take a gander at the great English Paper pieced flowers folks are posting.  Karen's blog

This past week, my public English Paper Piecing has garnered lots & lots of interest... I gave a mini lesson to folks in my 3rd Monday applique group, and generated interest Tuesday while attending Sew Original's Block of the month.  This makes me so happy... I feel like an English Paper Piecing evangelist!  Join the fun!

One Flower Wednesday... A weekly event!

Karen's One Flower Wednesday is so helpful!  A week can easily slip by if I don't have something to help me keep track.  See more folks' flowers at Karen's wonderful website here:  Journey of a Quilter... and if you have any interest in English Paper piecing... even if you are already doing this technique, check out her page with all the weblinks by clicking on the One Flower Wednesday button.  I love the How-To Hexigon Flowers Part 2 instructions  Link to favorite Hexi instructions.  I probably do too much work, itsy bitsy whipstitches (@ 18-20 per inch) using a buttonhole type stitch (see instructions link above) and knotting at each corner, but the neatness & results front and back give me great pleasure... plus I think it will really hold up over time and use.  Hope your garden is growing!

One Flower Wednesday Loving English Paper Piecing

This week's flower:

Hmm, my screen shows the center hexi fabric a tad on the blue side, but it really is more of a lilac, less of a lavender color.  Occasionally, the Ralph Laurenish ribbon fabric lines up where the hexi's meet giving the illusion of a continuous line.

Here in this neck of the woods, we are gearing up for our first quilting Shop Hop with 8 stores participating. The stores are a bit far ranging: one is @ 25 minutes southeast of there, another is @ 40 miles northwest.  Since I can be a very lucky girl, I'm going to try my best to make them all because of the possible prizes: a Bernina 430, Baby Lock Sohia II, Janome Sewing Machine, or a Sizzix Big Shot cutting machine... any one of these would be a well loved tool in my home!

Happy stitching... and if you too are going to be on the road... Travelling Mercies!

One Flower Wednesday A growing garden

Another flower.... Two of the best things about Hexi sewing are that they are very portable and always a conversation starter.  Some folks say they do not have the patience, but really, I find I gain patience... I am not just waiting in a long line to check out, but working toward getting another Hexi basted!  Makes me happy, stolen moments add up! 

The light color is not as light as it appears in photo.  It has small coral dots in tiny flower shapes.

Have a great week!

One Flower Wednesday, becoming routine

One Flower Wednesday is now part of my routine... a happy part.  I love going to participants' blogs, looking at their truly inspired and exquisite work, reading their captivating thoughts and ideas, admiring their great photos and absorbing their warm kindness.  Here is the link to Karen's wonderful blog where we all post our links... enjoy!
Journey of a Quilter  Click on One Flower Wednesday tab & follow the numbered links to other posts.

Last night @ Kernersville Bee, two ladies were working on Grandmother's flower garden hexi's.... one using tee nintsy templates... maybe half an inch?  the other using 3/4 inch hexi's.... she said she'll need over 2 thousand hexi's... but then she completed a Dear Jane quilt in a year, so there's no question she'll succeed.  I wish I'd thought to take a picture... next time.

For now, here is my latest flower for my garden: 

I'm venturing into scrappy with a lighter value center & the darkest on the outside.  This will be a lap quilt, so I only need 32 [corrected math!] double-row flowers.  Seven rows: four rows 5 flowers wide and three rows 4 flowers wide and their connectors of course.

Thanks for stopping by & hope your week is a great one.