Wordless Wednesday 06-02-21

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Flowers 06-01-21

Daisies are part of one of the largest plant families with 24,000 or maybe 32,000 known species, depending on which reference you are reading!  The family Asteraceae, or Compositae, includes daisies, sunflowers, asters, chrysanthemum, calendula, dandelions, and on and on!  

This is African Daisy (Osteospermum) belonging to the Calenduleae group.  They come in many colors.  They do well in Southern California because they like heat and lots of sunshine.  There are growing across the street so I can enjoy them when looking out our front window. 

They are growing in a raised planter that abuts the sidewalk, so an easy jump for KoKo to have a sniff.  Although they don't have a sweet fragrance at all. 

 

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A Quilt from TCQC 05-30-21

I'm trying to get back to posting a quilt from TCQC every Sunday.  Pamela Allen includes birds in many of her creations and this is my favorite. 

"Terns"  Pamela Allen (Ontario, Canada)  2016  27"LX36"W

Commercial cottons (some recycled), cotton lace.  Hand applique, machine quilted

The clouds are blue fabric overlaid with cotton lace.  All hand stitched. 

In addition to the label on the back Pamela has added this funny cartoon copied on fabric.   She is witty and whimsical and very tongue in cheek.  

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More flowers 05-29-21

So quiet around our neighborhood, many people are away for the holiday weekend.  It is almost eerie.  During the pandemic it was quiet, but there were always cars parked on driveways or at the curb.  Today there are very few cars and no noise from garden or garage work,  Not even kids playing in the cul de sac in the evening.   I hope you all are having a quiet time or are vacationing some place fun.

I am still struggling with weakness and need to do something about it before I sort of grow into my chair.  The doctor took blood for blood work and I will see her again next week for results.  I also have an order for PTherapy and need to see if I can get some day this coming week.  Probably not with the three day weekend.  Meanwhile I mostly read and nap and take care of KoKo, who can be VERY demanding.  But also very loving.  

 

This is a hybrid penstemon that I have not seen before.  The yard where it grows is always loaded with lovely flowers and the owner keeps them trimmed and tidy.  

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Wordless Wednesday 05-26-21

 

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June Underwood quilt from TCQC 05-24-21

I failed to post a quilt from the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection last evening, Sunday, as I had planned to do.  Just got so interested in the strange wood planks, I forgot.  Refer back to the comments on yesterdays post to see more information about this product.  Interesting.  I hope to take another picture tomorrow morning, if the planks are still there.  

"Crowsline"  June Underwood (Portland, OR) 2002  45"W X 20.25"L
This is whole cloth quilt using June's hand dyed and painted fabrics.  The crows are painted using fabric paints and the line is stitched.  

I sometimes hang this quilt backwards so I can enjoy the wild fabric on the back.  Some fabric dyers/painters recycle the fabric that covers their table under the fabric they are working on.  And that is what you see on the back of June's quilt - experimental strokes and "bleed through".  

I frequently mark the measurements on the label so that I don't have to keep measuring the quilt every time it goes out to exhibit.  June printed the label and I wrote the figures. 

When the quilt arrived in the mail and I hung it on the wall I was skeptical about this crow, how unlikely it is.  However, later I was watching the crows playing in the water along the gutter across the street and, lo and behold, there was this same crow on the curb complaining to his fellows.  He looked just like this, hump backed and screeching.  

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What kind of wood is this? 05-23-21

There are two renovation projects going on in the neighborhood.  One had a pile of lumber delivered the other day and noticing the texture on the top piece I had to stop and look.  

 

This "plank" is about 12" wide, 6' long, and 4" thick.  

Here you see the top and the end.  Weird, huh?  The bottom part of the image is clear plastic. 

And this is an end view.  Rather beautiful I think.  I thought about having it printed on fabric.

I wonder how this compares to "old fashioned" planks considering the astronomical increase in the price of building materials in the past year.  I may have waited too long to have my deck rebuild.  Maybe now I can't afford it!  

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