Spring is such a grand time!!!

Firstly-

... it turns out, Olive. Olive you (with a heart- can't post emoticons) is a winner!!!!

Yes, she won an Honorable Mention in the Quilt Alliance members choice awards and I also won a Judge's Choice Award!!!!!

So very exciting!!!!

My online friend Lisa (check out her wonderful blog!!! and here too!)

spotted Olive in person last night and posted a photo 

(even more exciting!)

Apparently, as a sponsor of the Quilt Alliance "Animals We Love" contest,  

Handi Quilter  currently is displaying the quilts at their quilt gallery!

Now that homeschooling is over 

(except the final report to the school district, pending results of exams),

I am starting to get back into the swing of the art thing....

I heard this stated by someone I know last week

and just had to whip it up in fabric....

Nothing like some improv piecing to soothe the soul!!!!

And if that isn't enough,

nature is displaying its many fine colors...

 and specimens....

I love NOT winter!!!!

It's here!!!!

Spring has sprung

The grass is ris

I wonder where the birdies is.

(My dad used to like to recite this poem!)

but....

It finally IS looking like spring!!!

The strawberries are sprouting...

The bugs are buzzing...

The rhododendron is budding...

The rhubarb is growing...

The hostas are appearing...

and the birds are preparing to nest!

Inside I have been doing some spring cleaning...

(that's a photo I don't need you to see!!!!)

But I did come across my very first quiltie...

from a class I took at a shop in Skaneateles NY

many, many moons ago...

I like to think that I have improved since then

but those first pieces still warm the heart :-)

hope SPRINGs eternal

Tonight at 6:45 PM, spring begins officially...

REALLY?!!!

Okay...

the temperatures are beginning to climb. 

Ever. So.  

Slowly. 

The snow...

yes, that dirty, nasty stuff is supposedly snow...

and the ice is melting...

somewhere...

But

it is not exactly spring like!!!

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: 

when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~Charles Dickens

Yeah, something like that. 

Inside, I am returning to normal time

though I would much prefer to be on Hawaii time...

and I have started yet another new project

just because I can't possibly have enough at one time!

Either that, or I am avoiding completing the myriad of other projects,

some with deadlines!

Even though I am no longer in Hawaii, 

I am trying to create some memories with what I have from my vacation,

like this lei

from our Luau...

It may shrivel up before I do. 

So I've taken up the sport of flower pounding!

I took apart the lei,

carefully placing the flowers on a piece of prepared fabric

(washed in a bit of Synthrapol, soaked in soda ash overnight and air dried).

On one of the pieces of fabric, I laid the flowers on their sides

like they would look strung together on a lei..

on the other piece, I opened the flower up placing the petals flat 

as it might look opened up..

(no photo so you will have to use your vast imagination)

Then, I carefully taped the petals etc down with masking tape

onto the fabric..

I flipped the fabric over onto a flat surface

and pounded away...

You may want to warn your family in advance about the noise!

Just sayin'. 

Though there doesn't seem to be much difference,

this is the piece with the flowers laid on their side..

and this piece had the flowers opened up...

so... now what?!