Fall Festival Sewalong ~ Pineapples

Hello, everyone! Time for my March quilting show and tell posts. I'm afraid I was quite the slacker here, I couldn't begin to get all our assignment done. Sorry, Lori [Humble Quilts]. (Colors are off in today's photos, I don't know why. They are all lighter and prettier in person.)

Pattern by Jan Patek
 to help you see what's going on here

The month flew by and I focused mainly on other projects during March but I did get  part of our March sewalong blocks done. We are rushing through this project. I know some quilters would love to have it done for this autumn. Understandable, and fine! But I can't begin to keep up and truly did not try.

I was so looking forward to making my pineapple blocks. They are the main reason I decided to make this quilt, I just love these funny folky guys. Yes, Kelley says they in no way look like pineapples! And Mel says pineapples do not belong on a Fall quilt. (Not so---they are a symbol of hospitality and plenty since colonial times.).

I chose to make my pineapples using reverse applique. For my non-quilter friends, it goes something like this:

It was a new skill for me and was a challenge. I think I improved as I did the three pineapples, each with five holes to be sewed. I love learning new things and enjoyed taking my time, getting it --well, not  perfect--but good? Pleasing? My mantra or focus this year is ''good craftsmanship". It may slow me down but I hope to be proud of my work.
It's always interesting to see a project in photos on the computer screen, despite the odd colors that sometimes appear. The leaves on the the three pineapples are the same green textural print, yet it looks so washed out on the aqua version. I may come back later and redo that one.

I would love to do an entire Pineapple quilt someday--maybe not reverse appliqued, though.
........
As I often mention, winter is, for me, a time for being indoors and machine sewing. So it wasn't easy to find days for handwork, which I usually do outside, either on the beach or on the deck with Mo.

 This is Mo's almost most favorite thing to do, after car rides and gnawing greasy chews. He just loves our sewing hour in the sunshine. (Yes, okay, we sat out in the snow a few times! He's a very determined little man.) It looks odd to see a pug at home wearing a vestie or harness; I am training him not to bark when he is on the deck and I attach a short leash to bring him to a quiet sit. He barks at seagulls and other dogs and the feral kitties and the neighbors. Not a lot, but he should not bark at all!

At the end of the month we had one more lovely day and I quickly set up and sewed one of the March Basket blocks.
I wish I had more of the taupe polka dots, love them!

The others are just inklings on my work table.

And I didn't even approach making the 40? 60? Wild Geese spacer blocks. The method I prefer using requires multiple  5 1/2" squares of fabric, and I am eke-ing out fat quarters as it is. That little job will be last of anything for my Fall Festival.

Later this week I'll show you my other March projects. I have THREE quilts at the quilter right now, and two more almost ready to go, once I save up the quilting money. I wasn't such a slacker after all? And I'm making the roasted radish/ parsnip recipe, even as I type. I'll report back on that too, the good, bad, or icky results.
See you soon.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...

Check out Lori's blog to see everyone else's FF blocks : Humble Quilts beginning Monday 3/3

Spring Flower Show

Hi! Happy last days of March! I can't let March fade away without sharing the annual March flower show. It's always lovely, like a suddenly May day. click to enlarge photos, to see details...

Come walk with me? The big greenhouses are filled with trees, shrubs, spring flowers and ideas!

                                         

This large garden center is on the north shore of Long Island, an area of rolling hills and trees. This year the show featured delightful woodland scenes, with lots of ferns and moss and tiny creatures.

A fairy house! If I had a wooded yard I would have to have a tiny dwelling under a big old tree. So magical and wonderful. I can just see me and my dad creating this in his Cape Cod woodlot.

Even a Hobbit House this year.

It was about 3 feet high, with round door and rounded windows that we could peek into and see the little pantry and kitchen, with candles, a tiny rocking chair and an itty bitty pie cooling on the window sill.

I loved the tiny resident Hobbit couple.

Nearby was a lovely pond, with koi and butterflies [faux] , and [caged but real] birds.

The featured flower this year was Lenten Roses, or Hellebore. Lovely in a subtle woodland sort of way.

 Remember I mentioned early blooming Andromeda? This is a beautiful specimen.

Some tropical gardens, still popular despite being difficult to achieve.

A waterfall. And weird hanging jelly fish?

Hydrangeas and hardy colorful flowers for us beach dwellers.

Ideas for deck planters.

Then : Easter~

I wanted the mercury glass Easter eggs , of course. But got an elephant ear bulb and canna bulbs instead.

Pansies! So sweet and hopeful. And salt air hardy.

Bedding bulb plants for those of us who forgot to plant last Fall.

This was one of my favorite things! Sweet and tiny and perfect. Lily of the valley are another fave of mine.

*******
Today we have torrential rains, in expectation of April's showers. Mo likes his new raincoat. [For those who think doggy raincoats are stupid--they're not for the doggy, they're so that a wet smelly pooch doesn't destroy one's white sofas. I lay out a towel for Mo, he jumps up on it for me to dry his feet. Perfect!] Now the wind has picked up to 47 mph. I think we may skip Mo's sunset walk.

And something for the weekend. I plan to make a roast. And maybe try this new recipe? Never had cooked radishes, have you? RECIPE

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....