turkey feathers

MONTANA--Bitter Root

 

I was looking at the weather channel over the weekend and noticing how hot some of the southern states are already.  Me thinks we are in for some serious summer heat.  Currently, we have glorious sunshine here in the pacific northwest.  A miracle in June.  Summer has found us early and we are relishing in it.  But as soon as temperatures soar above 80 degrees I'm a cooked goose!  It's true that weather can affect our state of mind and productivity.  My girls were busy little bees over the weekend.  Without any prodding, they cleaned their rooms, tidied their closets, washed sheets, removed the feather-comforters from their beds and replaced them with light summer quilts, opened all the windows to let in the fresh air, and later got out the guitar and started singing!  Perhaps it was the *organic* chocolate buttermilk cake on the premises that added to their giddy excitement, as we celebrated someboy's graduation, somebody's birthday, and somebody's anniversary.  And even if we didn't have anything to celebrate, we'd invent something just for a slice of this cake.  It's that good.  In case you are still poking around in my fridge, yes, those pickles are from our garden last summer.  Blogged here. They are going fast.  Time to plant again.  Very soon we will be picking berries for jam too.  Things are about to get very busy around here.   So time is of the essence to get this quilt project wrapped up.  Today we have the perennial bitter root (Lewisia rediviva) for Montana.  The taproots were considered a precious food source for the early Native Americans, who also used it for trade.  Later, Lewis and Clark discovered and collected it, and wrote about its beautiful pinkish flowers in their travel journals, although some flowers are white.  The genus name was derived from Meriwether Lewis.  Most species are ground-hugging, and bloom all through the spring and summer in the mountains of western and south central Montana making it the perfect candidate to represent the state.  When the election was held to choose a flower, the evening primrose and the wild rose were also in the running.  But the bitter root received 62% of the votes and was adopted as Montana's state flower on February 27, 1895.  A variety of bitter root species can be found throughout the north and south western states.  They prefer light shade and grow naturally among loose rocky soils; if cultivating, they do best when grown in a rock garden with adequate drainage.

 

COLORS:  flower petals--pink #3687 & pale pink #963; flower centers--light pink #3688; leaves--green #906; stems--yellow green #704; roots--reddish brown #356; lettering--smoke gray #645.

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Almost forgot to mention . . . the new JUNE bonus transfers are up.  I love this little bird.  A reminder of the western bluebirds nesting in our backyard birdhouses this year--a happy sight.  And speaking of BLUE, the blue poppy wiggled its way into the designs too.  Enjoy!

 

ARKANSAS--Apple Blossom

 

Hello ladies...here it is, block number forty-one...and do you know what that means?  It means, we are entering the home-stretch with only NINE more blocks to go! Woot!  I'm stitching like mad now.  How about you?  Putting my pretty maids all in a row--they look amazing.   I can't wait to see them finished and assembled. So, let's begin the count down . . . are you ready for another apple blossom?  

In some places they are just starting to bloom and how glorious they are too--like fluffy pinkish white clouds.  Some pretty photos here and here and here to inspire you.  At one time Arkansas was a major apple producing state, and for this reason the apple blossom (pyrus coronarial) was chosen as the state flower, but not before the "battle of the blooms" ensued.  It was between the Arkansas Federation of Women's Clubs who favored the passion flower, and the Floral Emblem Society who supported the apple blossom.  Protesters rejected the passion flower declaring it nothing more than a common weed.  And so, the apple blossom was adopted as the official state flower of Arkansas on July 30, 1901.

COLORS:  petals--variegated pinks; center--yellow #744; leaves/stems--green #989; leaf veins--dk green #702; letters--smoke gray #645.

WYOMING--Indian Paintbrush

 

Well, well well.  Here it is Memorial Day weekend and I have the chicken pox!  I thought at my age it might be something else, but one of the girls got them too.  Counting back two weeks (the incubation time), we were at a birthday party with lots of little ones around, so it's possible we got exposed then.  The illness is much less severe than I remember having when I was eleven, but still quite miserable.  I'm trying not to scratch.  No oatmeal baths or calamine lotion this time though, instead I'm trying Aloe Vera on the blisters and taking Lysine as an immunity booster.  Seems to be working--no new outbreaks since yesterday.  Thank goodness.  So..I guess that means no heavy lifting this weekend--the garden will just have to wait.  Gee, I'm going to miss doing all that work.  *wink*wink*

 Before I head back to my nest with my books and magazines and my basket of sewing and some fun embroidery (might as well look like I'm getting something done--while I doze), I'll leave you with the next state flower quilt block--just in case you find yourself homebound for some reason with some time on your hands...and hopefully not because you have the chicken pox.

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This lovely flower belongs to the figwort family!  It's also called the 'desert paintbrush' and 'prairie fire' and is a native plant in Wyoming, making it a perfect selection for the state flower.  The Indian Paintbrush (castilleja linariaefolia) was thus adopted on January 31, 1917.  This is one of those rare plants that can be both an annual or perennial depending on the climate.  Various Indian tribes throughout the region used it as medicine and also as a rinse to make their hair glossy.  (So that's their secret!) 

COLORS:  upper petals--bright red #349; mid petals--orange #721; lower petals--yellow green #734; stems/leaves--olive green #730; letters--smoke gray #645.

I chose bright colors for this block and filled in most of the areas with lots of satin stitching.  Love how it turned out. 

Have a great weekend everyone!

TENNESSEE--Iris

 

Currently, it's a perfect May morning with blue skies and sunshine.  That could change at any moment of course, so I'm basking in it (fully) while it lasts.  We had a frost yesterday morning.  Fortunately, the new beet sprouts that were planted several days ago didn't seem to mind.  But I'm thankful the tomato seedlings are under the protection of a gro-lite.  Looking out the window, I spy Iris standing tall, still in bud.  Any day now I expect a beautiful show.  From past seasons, a few were blogged here.  And here.  Who can resist this gorgeous confection of spring, I ask you?   

Surprisingly, it wasn't an easy shoe-in as the Tennessee state flower.  In 1919, Tennessee legislation started the process of choosing a state flower.  School children were to designate a favorite.  The "flower candidates" were listed in the newspaper and the voting began.  To the surprise of some, the Passion Flower was certified the winner, when apparently, it wasn't even known to be in the running.  Poems and pamphlets were quickly issued to usher in the selection and it was accepted--for a time. 

Eleven years later, as the gardening clubs gained attention for its efforts in cultivating the Iris, and Nashville became known as the "Iris City", dissatisfaction for the passion flower as a representative for the state grew.  A claim arose that the passion flower had never been officially adopted which prompted the Tennessee Legislation to get involved and it approved a joint resolution on April 19, 1933 to adopt the Iris instead.  The passion flower had not been forgotten however, and garden clubs, botanists, and newspapers across the state all had something to say.   For a time, Tennessee it seemed, had two state flowers.  Indecision and confusion about which flower was legit lingered for years. 

 From my garden.

Finally, in 1973, there was resolve when the General Assembly designated the passion flower as the official state wildflower, and the Iris as the state cultivated flower, making everybody happy.   No specific type was designated out of over 170 species of Iris (Genus Iridaceae), but today purple is still the most commonly recognized and accepted as the official state flower.        

 

COLORS:  outer petals--purple #550; upper petals--lilac blue #3839; knots--yellow #744; leaves--yellow-green #989, center--navy blue #823; letters--smoke gray #645.

If you are new to the project--the State Flower Quilt Block list is updated with each new addition, so if you are looking for a specific flower, it's a handy resource.  Enjoy!

SOUTH DAKOTA--Pasque Flower

 

May is on the way.  Hurray for May, I say.  That's when so many of these flowers (that we've been stitching up all these many, many months) finally make an appearance in meadows, fields, and backyard gardens.  It's also bloom time for the beautiful Pasque Flower (pulsatilla hirsutissima).  This little lovely grows wild throughout South Dakota; one of the first signs of spring there.  They are common in most of the U.S. and Canada, but not so much in the south east and east coast regions, but grow as far north as Alaska, so maybe some of you are starting to see them now...these small purple harbingers, living up to its motto "I Lead", which was attributed to it when it was adopted on May 5, 1903.  This flower is also known as the May Day flower, the Prairie Crocus, Easter Flower, and Meadow Anenome.  But given all that, it actually belongs to the buttercup family--and is highly toxic.  My goodness, looks can be deceiving.   

 

COLORS:  petals--violet #552; centers--yellow; stems--gray-green #552; letters--smoke gray #645.

DELAWARE--Peach Blossom

 

I've been SO loving the different types of ornamental fruit trees that are in bloom up and down the neighborhood streets right now.  Somehow, all seems right with the world when it's in bloom, and bees are buzzing and birds are babbling from the branches.  I give thanks to God for the continuity of nature, and feel hopeful.

Peach tree flowers are the prettiest shade of pink!  These trees are generally small, reaching up to fifteen feet at the crown, with a spreading canopy of low hanging branches.  They are also relatively short-lived, ranging from 15 to 20 years, and even less in cultivation lasting an average of just 8 years.   At first, the peach blossom (prunus persica--a native of China), was considered Delaware's state flower, but a movement developed in favor of the goldenrod instead.  That goldenrod again !  Guess, you either love it or hate it....but anyway--a petition drive to keep the peach blossom ensued--lead primarily by agriculturists and school children which swayed the decision--making it official in 1953.  Delaware, which had over 800,000 peach trees growing there at one time, was nicknamed the "peach state", but a blight forced the collapse of that industry during the 1900's.  The peach flower remains as the state emblem as well.  

 

COLORS:  petals--pink #3706; centers--yellow #744; stem/leaves--greens #989 & #472; letters--smoke gray #645.

NEW MEXICO--Yucca

 

"Spring", as lovely as that word sounds, has bitter days.  Today we huddle under dark skies, and more rain.  I remind myself of the old adage, "April Showers Bring May Flowers".  That's true enough, and so I'm patient.  Gladys Taber once wrote that, "if spring came all at once we would probably die of it".  Of this, I am convinced--remembering the pain and utter exhaustion following the first forays back into the garden.  So, it arrives slowly--for our sakes.  But  today, dampness mingles with anticipation because it's Friday after all.  Hurrah for Friday!  That most lovely of weekdays to some of us, anticipating, as we do, the breaking with routine for a time.  Or at least, a routine of a different sort--full of possibilities at any rate.  And pancakes!  (We seem to only cook them on Sunday mornings anymore.)      

Anyway--rainy days and pancakes aside, we now move mentally  to a warmer climate (where a wonderful and sunny spring normally arrives early and without delay), to New Mexico, #36 on the state flower quilt list---offering up the lovely Yucca (yucca glauca).  This plant was adopted as the official flower March 14, 1927 after school children voted for it to represent their state.  It is a member of the lily family, and can grow to the size of a small tree.  The yucca's beautiful white blossoms are edible, and can even be ground up to make a type of candy.  The fruits, seeds, stems, and sometimes even the roots are all edible. Early settlers who came to the deserts of New Mexico saw the lovely flowers and called them, "Our Lord's Candles". 

As I recall, Yucca's have very sharp tips on the leaves.  My "little brother" loves to remind me about the time I pushed him down a hill in a wagon, which he clumsily steered straight into one.  Fortunately he survived to tell the tale.  Again, and again--while showing off his "battle scars".  We laugh about it now, but the horror of that moment will be etched in my mind for all of eternity.  One of many that I was to experience in those growing up years with my dare-devil bro.  He was fearless!

Off to the weekend we go. . .have a safe one!

    

COLORS:  petals--white; shadow on petals--beige #612; stems--green #320; leaves--dk green #3346; letters #645.

KENTUCKY--Goldenrod

 

Number thirty-five!  Can you believe it?  That means only fifteen more blocks to go.  I'm seeing light at the end of tunnel.  Oh yes I am.  This has been a long project, I know--in more ways than one--and it's not over yet.  Nope.  I haven't even begun to sew the blocks together which are trimmed and at the ready.  Actually, I'm still trying to decide which layout I like best.  Fifty is an odd number of blocks for a traditional square or rectanglular quilt.  No matter how you stack 'em up, there's always odd numbers that don't fit, or one left over!  And you can't just add one without adding an entire row.  And then it gets too long, or too wide.  So it gets tricky if you are concerned at all about proportion.  Which I am.  Next week, I'll present the options I've come up with and you can weigh in on your favorite or throw out some ideas.  And then I'll get rolling....  

This block was fun for me because I like making French Knots.  I know.  Crazy.  Not everyone's favorite stitch.  It's fiddly.  It takes time and patience to learn how this mysterious stitch is done.  There are quite a few good tutorials on YT--I found this one to be clear and concise.  If you absolutely cannot make a knot, then tiny satin-stitching will do fine.  Try taking a stitch in one direction then stitching over it in the opposite direction for a padded effect.  For the knots, I used three strands of floss, with two twists on the needle.  It matters not whether you insert the needle back in, from above or below the thread.  Sometimes, the angle in which you are holding your piece will determine which is easier.  If you want perfectly uniform knots, always "wrap and dive" in the same direction.  I staggered mine, for a more natural look.  And just a little heads-up:  there will be another block exactly like this one down the road.  (Was that a loud groan heard coming from the peanut gallery?) 

This little flower--it gets a bad rap.  But Goldenrod (solidago altissma) has been a favorite among the state flower contenders from the start.  It was selected many times by many states--only to be replaced and/or out-voted for others in the field.  And this was even true for the state of Kentucky. However, it remained the flower of choice as a "native" plant despite it's wild flower reputation and was made official March 16, 1926.  The bright yellow flowers dubbed, 'precaution' and 'encouragement' by LOTF prevail!  They continue to grace roadsides in the fall, adding glorious spots of color to the landscape.   Be they ever so humble.    

 

COLORS:buds--bright yellow #307; stems & leaves--dk green #3346; letters--smoke gray #645. 

LOUISIANA--Magnolia

 

A few years ago, we planted a magnolia tree on the premises and it has been a delight.  In summer it produces wonderful large creamy blossoms that emit the most intoxicating lemony scent that calms and refreshes.  But another thing I love about it, is the fact that it's an evergreen.  Here in the northwest, when just about every other plant and tree goes dormant, the magnolia shines--with large glossy leaves.  It's said to be hardy to zone 6.  And they're deer proof!  What more can I say?  

 
One thing you should know before planting one though, is that magnolia grandifloras tend to develope surface roots over time that can crack sidewalks, driveways, and concrete patios--so location is important.  We put ours (above) in a corner of the front yard where rain and ground water is abundant, as it drains down the slope.  Magnolias do well in rich soil such as this, but will tolerate occasional drought; they just won't grow as quickly.  I took this picture of our tree yesterday--it was planted three years ago (as a sapling) and seems to double in size each year--and will eventually reach a height of 25-30 feet tall.  I'm counting the days until I can spread a quilt underneath it and have a summer picnic.  (It is raining again today--so that will be awhile at any rate.)

A bit of history:: The magnolia was adopted as Lousianna's state flower July 12, 1900, but in 1941 a society was formed by a group of Louisanna Iris enthusiasts, and they proposed legislation in 1950 to replace the magnolia blossom with the Iris.  The Iris supporters contended that  the Iris could grow anywhere, and that the magnolia was not a native plant.  Their argument did not stand however, and the magnolia remains as the official representative.  (The Iris went on to become the state wild flower  however, so everyone was happy.) 

 

 

COLORS:  inner petals--peachy-pink #353; outer petals/bud--cream #746; center--yellow #744; leaves--lt olive greens #471 & #800; letters--smoke gray #645.

ARIZONA -- Cactus Flower

 

Are you ready for another flower block? OK then.  Today we have cactus from the Arizona landscape.  I love the desert in spring!  It's truly an awesome place, for this is the time when everything comes alive and the heat index is still relatively mild so you can cover a lot of territory on foot (the only way to experience and really appreciate what's out there), without worry of heat stroke.  But in any case---don't forget your hat. 

Native to the Sonoran Desert in the southwestern US and northern Mexico, the saguaro cactus is an iconic symbol of the region.  Slow growing, and commonly living between 150 to 200 years--it can take up to 75 years just for an "arm" to appear.  The flowers grow forth from the ends of these upshoots with the entire cactus reaching heights of fifty feet tall.  It blooms in spring through May and June, producing a beautiful waxy, lightly scented flower that attracts bees, and which later develops into a red berry that provides food for doves migrating from South America.  The flowers open during the cooler desert nights and close during the midday heat.  (Click photo to view larger.) 

The saguaro cactus blossom (camegiea giganted), was adopted as the state flower for Arizona in 1901 but was not made offical until May 16, 1931.  The saguaro cactus is slow at propogating making it a candidate for the endangered species list-thus it is illegal to remove or harm them in the State of Arizona.

 
COLORS:  flowers--ivory #746; center--variegated yellow/orange; buds--greens #3348,3346,472; needles--reddish brown #839; letters--smokey gray #645.

See ya tomorrow with #34!