turkey feathers

CALIFORNIA: Poppy

 
Now here's a little flower that's near and dear to my heart, being the transplanted, native California girl that I am.  I really can't think of a more appropriate flower to represent the golden state than these little dollups of satin yellow sunshine.   From February to September, they scatter themselves freely throughout grassy fields and the natural landscapes in the western U.S. throughout California--and up into Oregon, southern Washington, and many of the southwestern states. In other countries though, they may be listed as an invasive species. 

The California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), can grow to about a foot tall with delicate branching blue-green foliage.  Flowers appear on long solitary stems, are silky-textured with four petals.  Colors can range from white to dark orange--but are most commonly bright yellow-orange.  The flowers are drought-tolerant and sun-loving and have a curious habit of closing up at night or in cloudy weather, and open up again in the morning.  In the right climate, they grow easily from seed, preferring full sun and sandy, well-drained poor soil.  Animals and insects don't seem to bother them at all.  Another plus in my book!

Sometimes known as the flame flower, la amapola, and copa de oro (cup of gold), the early California Indians cherished the poppy as both a source of food and for oil extracted from the plant--the seeds were smoked and used medically as a mild sedative.  Its botanical name was given by Adelbert Von Chamisso, a naturalist and member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences, who dropped anchor in San Francisco in 1816 in a bay surrounded by hills of the golden flowers.  In 1903 it was chosen as the state flower--and more recently; April 6th has been designated 'California Poppy Day', and since 1996, May 13-18 has been proclaimed 'Poppy Week', with festivals and fairs celebrating its spring arrival. 

COLORS:  Petals #741/720; center #725; stems & leaves #703 

Stitches used were stem (for outlines), and satin stitching (for fills), and back stitch for the letters. 

BLOCK SIZE:  Images should be about 4 x 4-inches---to fit a 6.5" quilt block.  To get the image::  RIGHT CLICK to save it as a file, or for size options--LEFT CLICK and use the flickr 'all sizes' link.

STITCH GUIDE: For general color and stitch guide; print out the original PDF Directions here:

STATE FLOWER QUILT DIRECTIONS

That's it for now...I'm off to do the lovely Indiana peony next. 

Iris on Parade

Finally it seems, the garden is waking up!  Right now, the Iris are standing tall, front and center.  It's their turn to shine. 

 

I want to EAT these.

Nautre at her finest.

A delicate dance.  A brief encounter. 

 
But never to be forgotten!

On the homefront:  Our two year-old granddaughter has been staying with us the last couple of days, and boy, have I been BUSY!  Mostly learning things all over again.  I'm amused and somewhat shocked, at how a mother of four (nearly grown) children can forget how to change a diaper.  You never think you'll forget, because you've done it so often--but without practice, you do!  Funny.  Thank goodness this child is patient. 

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I have lots to 'show and tell', but my time is short today.  Still catching up on a few things.  But I did finish another flower block and will share it on the next post.  Have been adding more state flowers to the list as they come in too.  Soon to start on the next flower--a peony--for Indiana!

 

 

NEW JERSEY: Violet

Another violet!  Actually, four states claim it as their state flower, so be prepared to see two more; Illinois has been done, but Wisconsin and Rhode Island (#25 & #26) are yet to be stitched, and back-to-back at that---by happenstance it seems.  The flower blocks are similar, so I did this one in shades of purple to give my quilt blocks variety!  Besides, common meadow violets in eastern North America run a range of colors.  In New Jersey for instance, from March to June, native violets appear as white, blue, and purple, so any shade of those could be adopted to suit your own color aesthetics.

One thing they all have in common though is, they self-seed.  The seeds are tiny and are easily carried by the wind and weather.  That's why they often pop up in empty lots and fields, cracks in sidewalks, in manicured lawns and gardens alike, anywhere they find a little earth, water, and dappled sunshine.  I like to stick them in hanging flower baskets too.  Beyond their use as a garden plant though, the violet has historically been used for food and medicine.  Flowers and roots can be eaten.  The Cherokee Indians used it to treat colds, and headaches.  In the Manual of Medical Botany of the US of North America (1821-1830), it was claimed to be useful for colds, sore throats, and constipation.  I wrote a little more about its fine qualities, and uses in baking over here.

Historically, the violet was the chosen favorite by New Jersey residents, and in 1913, the common violet (viola soroia) was designated by legislature.  Unfortunately, the resolution was overlooked for one reason or another, leaving the status for the state flower uncertain for the next fifty years.  Another attempt was made in 1963, but it was contested and failed to pass.  Finally, with a collective push by garden clubs and other states declaring the virtues of the violet as a prized plant, the bill was approved on February 15, 1971, establishing its position once and for all in the 'Garden State'.

COLORS:  I chose these--but again, don't feel you have to do them exactly the same.  For the record I used #155 & #3746 for the petals; leaves #3346; stems #581.  Stitches used were stem (for outlines), and satin stitching (for fills), and back stitch for the letters. 

BLOCK SIZE:  Images should be about 4 x 4-inches---to fit a 6.5" quilt block.  To get the image::  RIGHT CLICK to save it as a file, or for size options--LEFT CLICK and use the flickr 'all sizes' link.

STITCH GUIDE: For general color and stitch guide; print out the original PDF Directions here:

STATE FLOWER QUILT DIRECTIONS

That's it for now...I'm off to do the (sunny) California poppy next. 

Perfect for this rainy day! 

Day Dreams

 

Planting a garden = hope in action.  Our garden has been underway for a few months now in one form or another.  Both in dreaming and in doing.  Early peas, beets, carrots, lettuce, and a variety of tomatoes are already sprouting up---most of it, still under-cover or under the gro-lite inside, safe from danger of frost; always a possibility here, even in May.  I'm actually shivering at the moment, watching a cold wind ruffle the trees outside. 

In between storms there's been a little sunny weather though, like on the day I took this picture.  And a beautiful Saturday it was too!  Spent mostly outside preparing beds, digging weeds, and dragging myself around gasping and wheezing from the exertion of it all.  After a cozy winter curled up with hand-stitching and books of every sort--not exactly in ship-shape.  It happens that I forget to remind myself to ease back into the yard slowly. . .I get so crazed with excitement that I never remember until it's too late.  It's annoying sometimes, to accept the fact, that I'm no spring chicken anymore. (ahem!) A languid two-hour soak in a hot bath after wards, with all the windows flung open, smoothed my feathers and revived me though.  A 'just reward' for all my toil.  I was like a limp noodle when I finally crawled out. 

And now, I am totally re-considering an outdoor bathtub like this one, pictured from MaryJane's Farm Bed & Breakfast.  Some ideas take time to warm-up to.  I read the article entitled, 'the art of outdoor bathing' in the April-May 2010 issue of MJ's Everyday Organic Lifestyle magazine, with dreamy photos and directions showing how one can rig-up an "outpost bathtub", heated with a propane tank.  Looks easy enough. 

But while I'm daydreaming about that claw-foot bath tub nestled in the trees off the beaten path, we will be building instead, a "hot house" designed for tomatoes.  And I'm pretty happy about it.  Because here in the northwest, tomatoes NEVER seem to ripen in ANY predictable way.  Or in abundance before summer ends.  And I'm hoping for abundance, so we can make ketchup and chutney and marinara sauce, and yummy stuff like that to fill the pantry shelves.