Not So Fancy Nancy

Project Linus, sweet peas & a tea party for one

My garden is my art project this month. Tilled and toiled from 10 - 7 yesterday and I'm sore. Photos soon, but it's raining today. Yeah! TEA PARTY TEA PARTY TEA PARTY ("toga" for homebodies)

Usually I just plunk the tea ball in a large mug and make a cuppa, but this little ritual pleases me on quiet days. The candle warmer really works too. All supplies from Adagio Teas except the cup. Their tea too - mango - which I love. Start with a sampler though, as Deb can tell you, it's not to everyone's taste. I know Deb ... you really want to like it. I feel that way about opera.

That's Van Gogh's Crows over the Wheat Field ... on the tea cup. Yes, I'm guilty - I sometimes buy trinkets at those ubiquitous exit shops at art shows. Often I fly through them, not wanting to sully my mood with commercialism, but other times I browse. Not picking on the museums for staging them - big shows support all the other shows - and not picking on anyone else for buying in them.It's just that I've been known to cry while looking at paintings and shopping is a buzz kill (if you can call crying over art a buzz, which in my warped psyche it is). Over the last 20 years I've been lucky enough to travel to see Van Gogh shows at the Met, Musée d'Orsay and LCMA and this cup brings those memories back. Ack - TWENTY years - Ack. Funny, I also remember hiding how much I loved Van Gogh. As an Art History major you're supposed to have passion for obscure artists with "difficult" work. Accessibility = boring (the artist and you). Now I'm loud and I'm proud:  I adore Van Gogh. Please, before I get emails regarding that "supposed to" above, I'm talking about arty university students only - a Impressionists poster on your wall was the equivalent of loving the latest American Idol winner when all your friends are into indy bands. One advantage of getting older - no one gives you crap about your artistic tastes except your family. We've been training our kids up right though - Emily has developed a passion for The Raconteurs and Tom Waits, whom she calls "the grumpy guy". OK, I'm still particular about music and I've never seen American Idol, but I'm pretty accepting that people like all styles of painting, though I can't stomach big-eyed children and anything by The Painter of Light™. If you love them, just don't tell me and I won't crank Jack White on you.

I know many of you are snowed in, but it's planting season here. I can't justify sitting down inside when there are beds to fill and bulbs to plant. In just a few months it will be too hot and dry to plant so I'll be back to crafting - bascially the inverse of most of you. Luckily it rained a little last week too, so I got busy and made two Project Linus quilts for their 8th Annual Make a Blanket Day. Both are out of scraps of flannel I had left over from my baby quilt making years. With those days never to be repeated and grandkids just a glimmer, I thought it should be passed on. Nice to use up stash - I've literally a handful of narrow strips of the retro print after finishing this. It couldn't have been an inch bigger (36" x 46"). Anyway, I may not get grandchildren. Emily informed me yesterday that she's not having kids because they're "too much work". Right on.

Sorry for the dark photos, but it was gloomy. Immediately after this I washed and bagged them to take to my LQS Sowing Sisters in Carlsbad. Click to check out their photos of the Kaffe Fassett class. 

I'm proud of myself for trying a different quilting technique on the second one. I've always quilted in the ditch or diagonally, but this time I did a 1/4 inch inside line for each block. Free motion is next.

Today I'm going to cast on the Forest Path Stole. There's a great KAL for it if you've ever eyed it but felt uncertain about the entrelac or lace patterns. Me, I got my rear kicked by the nupps in my swatch, but I'm bravely going forward. Photos when I have something to show.

Now ... drum roll please ... I finally remembered Eye Candy Friday!

My neighbor got her sweet pea seeds in early enough for a winter crop. I've promised her roses. I borrowed this antique vase from my dad's collection many years ago (yes Dad, borrowed) just for sweet peas and every year I'm reminded of how much I love it. Thanks Dad.

   

Gardening, knitting & other acts of faith

Funny, most people would not describe me as a woman who lives by faith alone. I am logical. Scientific. I believe in the the power of Google. But I must have faith. Faith that a ball of yarn can become something more. Faith that a stack of fabric can become a quilt. Maybe even two quilts.

Lonni Rossi fabrics. Bento Box pattern.

Sorry the photo is so terrible. The room doesn't have much lighting at night and this was taken by flash in the dark. In some ways I think the lack of clarity helps clarify the pattern ... if that's clear.

It still needs work on the contrasts, so I took it all down after this to make a few more blocks and start fresh.

What to do with the extra Lonni Rossi fabrics? Well, I'm becoming predictable.

Lonni Rossi prints with the Turning Twenty pattern. Yeah, I know. It seems I'm stuck on that pattern. It's so useful though. I had a lot of fabric left after I did the Bento Box design and the sofa in the family room needs a quilt. I didn't want too many seams (it will be used hard) or too much work and I loved these fabrics. The red is balanced with the border strips I added after this photo was taken.

You'll have to have faith that I'm knitting. Progress on various projects and some swatching. Next post. Knitting has taken a back seat to gardening these last two weeks. We've been in the 70's and even up to 80 and this is the time to plant for our zone. When the garden calls one must answer. I've weeded and mulched until I'm cross-eyed and we've put in loads or young plants. More to go, but we're getting there.

The following photos are for those of you in the arctic this week.

I have faith that these will become David Austin roses in all their glory. Huntington has me very excited by its new growth.

Faith that the Crape Myrtle tree (behind the lemon) and row of pittosporum Silver Sheens will obliterate the fence and view of our neighbor's garage.

Nothing against the neighbors, just the garage. It's the closest structure to our house and my hope is to make it disappear by 2009. Faith also that those little light green plants in the foreground will fill that space in six months. And the dog, when she stands in that spot, will be hidden by a huge rose bush, currently in transit.

Here's a better view of the dog who was chasing birds (thus making it difficult to get a good photo).

Faith that fountain grass really does get 5x5' and that it and other grasses will hide the fence on this side.

The wooden fences around this house are beyond hideous. Many people have replaced them, but because of our lot shape we share two very long stretches with neighbors on both sides and we'd all have to agree on what to do. Instead we're just planting the heck out of the side yards. A row of clumping bamboo lies hidden behind that fence and before the bamboo in the background. I have faith it will grow to NBA proportions.

A few plants are being supportive by showing blooms. Very kind of them.

I just planted this penstemon yesterday and I can get over how happy this blue makes me.

  The tiny daisies will spread and the lavender will go from 8 inches to 3 feet. I believe it.

I put in three of these Mexican Desert Lobilias this week. Drought tolerant and hummingbird favorite - pretty too.

Including this full shot to show its habit. The three together will expand to a 10 x 3 swath of goodness.

I'm feeling it.

 

But by far, my biggest act of faith is the belief that the nine year old caught reading a book in her pj's ten minutes before she must leave the house will grow up to be a contributing member of society. The same child who always takes twenty minutes to dress (alllways in verrryyy sloooow motionnnn) and who this morning still required a shower and toothbrushing as well. Changing speed seems rational, but when it comes to getting ready Rachel only has one speed and it's slow. A reasonable person would think the bus leaving for a field trip to Sea World would serve as motivation, but not for my darling child. I kept my cool. I told her if she missed the ride she could stay home with me and do school work. Since the school's not called I assume she made the trip. I have faith.