turkey feathers

KANSAS - Sunflower

 
Hello Sunshine!

Christina informed me that Saturday, January 29, 2011 is the sesquicentennial (150 years) of Kansas statehood, and thought it would be appropriate to post the Kansas block on that date--so here it is--with kudos to Kansas! 

The sunflower was recognized as an official state flower in 1903.  It is also featured on the Kansas state quarter and the state flag.  The nickname for Kansas is "The Sunflower State."  This nickname and subsequent identity with the flower reportedly happened when a Kansas state lawmaker attended a rodeo that was out of the state in the late 1800s.  He noticed something that surprised him: Kansans were wearing sunflowers to identify themselves as being from “the Sunflower State.” Inspired by this, George Morehouse returned home and filed legislation to make the sunflower the state’s official floral emblem.

 

But even before that, the sunflower had found it's ancient roots in Kansas.  Nearly 3,000 years ago it was discovered and domesticated for food production by the Native Americans.  The large species we find today is the result of cultivating only the largest seeds over hundreds of years.  Lewis and Clark made mention of this in their journals. Eventually, it was brought back to Europe and widely cultivated there also. Today it is a common alternative food crop in the Great Plains and elsewhere for oil production.

 
A splash of sunshine--memories of our 2009 backyard garden...

 
...and later--drying on the kitchen table. 

In September the fields and roadsides of the Great Plains erupt in a blaze of yellow as the sunflowers and goldenrods (also members of the sunflower family) emerge and take center stage. While many sunflower species may begin blooming in July, they are not as noticeable until they have grown up and over the surrounding vegetation. There are eleven species of sunflower recorded from Kansas. Most of them are perennials. Only the common sunflower and H. petiolaris, the Prairie Sunflower, are annuals. Identification of sunflowers can be very complicated because they frequently hybridize and even within species there is a high degree of variability.  

 

DMC Colors:  Always your choice, but here's what I used; #444 for petals; #436 flower center; and shades of dark green #987-989 for stems and leaves.  Lettering #645 (smoke gray).

WASHINGTON - Rhododendron

  
I've been finding time to work on the flower quilt project and have finished a few more blocks, but finding time to blog about them is another story!  These winter days are short and the nights are long--some things are getting done faster than others I guess.  With so much gray fog around, it's nice to lay my eyes on a splash of bright color, and this block was a delight in that respect.  It's also got me dreaming about spring when my garden will be alive and vibrant with these gorgeous blooms again. 

For the temperate climate of Washington we have the "coast rhododendron" (Rhododendron macrophyllum).  Sometimes called, the California Rhododendron or the California Rosebay; but it's also known as the King of Shrubs, for they are extremely popular and proficient throughout the northwestern landscape.  The bell-shaped flowers are usually tinged in shades of pink, but can also take on a soft purplish hue.  The large flower heads are made up of clusters of blooms that linger for many weeks after opening from May through June.  I have several varieties in my own garden and appreciate them as an evergreen because they give structure to the landscape when everything else has either died off or gone dormant, and also because the deer avoid munching the flowers and leaves--which are basically quite toxic (to both animals and humans).  They seem to grow best under the shelter of larger trees where their roots can remain cool and moist and the delicate blooms are protected from too much sun. 

It was again the 'National Garland of Flowers' for the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago that was the inspiration for choosing a flower to represent a state.  This was a time before women had the vote, but it was the women of Washington that made the decision.  Many flowers were "nominated" and the campaigning began in earnest.  Voting booths and ballot boxes were set up throughout the state--in post offices, drug stores, hotels, and other public places.  Surprisingly, the "Rhodie" only won by 53% of the 15,000 voters.  Washington Senate approved the selection on February 10, 1893, in plenty of time for the Exposition's opening on May 1st.

 

DMC Colors:  Always your choice, but here I used #3326 (lt. pink) & #956 (dark pink) for petals; #307 centers, and shades of darker gray greens #987-989 for stems and leaves.

For more information about my 'State Flower Quilt Project' and how to download the free patterns--just click on the link in the sidebar.

 

HAWAII - Hibiscus

 
I've picked up my stitching again, and one of my "stitching goals" for 2011 is to wrap up the State Flower Quilt project by the end of spring or early summer.  But with about 30 blocks to go--I'm going to have to step it up a bit-- so next here we have #19: the Hawaiin Hibiscus. 

The Hibiscus is probably most associated with Hawaii, but I saw these tropical flowers everywhere growing up in southern California, and they can be found in other regions where the climate is warm and humid.  The colorful blooms are big, bold, and beautiful, but interestingly, their glory is short-lived as they tend to shrivel almost to nothing and drop off after one day.  I know.  Sad isn't it?

It's believed that there are only five species of Hibiscus that originated from Hawaii, and that others came from various Pacific Islands.  The yellow hibiscus (brackenridgei), also called, "pua aloalo", is original to Hawaii though and was adopted as the official Territorial Flower in the 1920's before becoming a State in 1959.  In 1988 yellow was the color officially defined as representative of the State--before that, and when this State Flower Quilt pattern was originally printed sometime in the 1960's-70's, any flower color was generally accepted, which is why the original directions call for a "terracotta" colored flower.  I colored mine "sunny yellow" reflecting the current choice and added a bit of bright red in the center to define it.

 
 

DMC Colors: Are your choice as always; I used #307 for petals;  #743 for center; leaves #470, and #645 for lettering.

NOTE:  I often get requests for information about this project, so I made a new page for quick reference with all the links gathered into one place--so you no longer have to search the archives to find them.  The link to the new page is accessible in the right sidebar and will contain all the info needed to download the patterns and other things, so I won't be repeating it all here anymore with each new addition.  Whew! 

Queen of Tarts

 
By the time these came out of the oven, what little light there was had gone, so pix aren't too good.  But you get the idea:  YUM!  Once in awhile I try and make something unexpected and special, and cranberry tarts were the highlight last night.  I discovered a new way to do the crust which made these super quick to put together.  Instead of rolling out the pastry, just pinch off bits and smoosh them into the tart dishes and up the sides to create the pie shell.  (Of course, you can also use frozen pastry if you like.)  The filling is cooked first, so it only takes about 15-20 minutes to bake these off. 

Cranberry Tarts

Pastry:  Put 1-1/2 cups flour (I use spelt); 1/2 tsp. salt, 2/3 cup vegetable shortening in food processor; pulse a few times until it becomes coarse like cornmeal.   Pulse and dribble in 3 to 4 Tablespoons ice water just until dough gathers and cleans the bowl.   *Don't over process as this will harden the dough.  Fill tart dishes with small bits (about a teaspoonfull at a time) pressing into the dish and smoothing out as you go.  Reserve about 1/4 cup for topping.  Poke holes in the bottom crust with a fork; chill tart shells on a foil-lined cookie sheet while you make the filling. 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Pie Filling:  In a medium-size heavy saucepan--whisk together 1/2 cup sugar, 3 T. flour, and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Add 1/2 cup cold water, whisk until smooth.  Stir in 2 cups whole fresh cranberries and bring to a boil.  Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until  mixtures thickens.  Remove from heat; add 1 T. butter and 1 T. of fresh lemon juice.  Cool 5 minutes while you make the topping.

Topping:  Add 1 T. flour + 1 T. sugar + 1/2 tsp. cinnamon to the remaining dough mixture.  Return to food processor and pulse a few times until mixture becomes coarse enough to "sprinkle" evenly.

Fill tart shells with slightly cooled pie filling; add topping.  Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees, or until crust is golden and pie filling bubbles. 

Serve warm on a winter's eve.

Enjoy!

IOWA - Prairie Rose

 
Thanks for the snowball scarf love, it's snug around my neck as we speak.  Winter is truly here in the northwest and "baby, it's cold outside" (as the song goes).  From the window I'm looking at a lovely wintry scene; frosted towering pines surrounded by a misty fog, but I'm thankful I don't need to go out there just now with the temperature hovering at just 26 degrees.  I know there are places colder and much more harsh, but for this native California beach girl, it's bone chilling.  

With that in mind, let's visit the flowers of dreamy summer days shall we?  That's where I let my mind drift when I'm stitching these up.  Next on the list is the Prarie Rose of Iowa. 

 

Despite Iowa's dry, flat landscape the delicate-looking little prairie rose emerges year after year. 

To early European settlers it symbolized 'resilience'. 

Lawmakers also recognized it as a hardy survivor and thought it represented the state so well that its picture was etched on a silver tea service that was presented to the crew of the USS Iowa in 1896.  When the subject of choosing a state flower came up, advice was sought from the Federation of Women's Clubs in Dubuque, and everyone agreed that the attributes of the wild prairie rose fit perfectly--and on May 6, 1897 it was so designated by the state legislature. 

A native species, Rosa pratincola (aka rosa arkansansa), is the most often cited, but other varieties were also recognized officially, because due to the nature of the wild rose, in that it hybrizes naturally, it was difficult to distinguish one from the other.  So it was decided that any species of wild rose within the state boundaries would qualify and that agreement still stands.  Wild roses are found throughout the state, in meadows, prairies, and open woodlands; some varieties preferring specific locations.  Flower colors range from pale pink to dark pink with a yellow center fringed with long stamens.  Mildly fragrant blossoms appear on shrubs from June to late summer, reaching a height of three to four feet, and produce a small red, apple-shaped "hip" when blooms fade in the fall. 

These same rose hips help sustain the Indians and Pioneers when food was scarce.  In fact, the leaves and flowers are also edible.  Just three hips contain the same amount of vitamin C as one orange; and boiled with honey or sugar produces a highly nutritious syrup or sweet jelly.  Hips also provide a valuable food source for wildlife--which helps to propigate it naturally.  And there you have it!

 
DMC Colors:  Your choice as always; for this block I used the following colors for petals #894; center #743 & #312; leaves #988.

NOTES:  Images should be 4 x 4 to fit a 6.5" quilt block.  This allows for a 1/4" seam allowance and a finished block measuring 6 x 6.  Click on image to open for download.  (If anyone is having trouble getting the right size block due to changes on Flickr; click on the pattern image to open flickr--for size options select the ACTIONS tab; select VIEW ALL SIZES from the drop-down menu; select MEDIUM 640 (640 x 556) for the 6-inch block size; now print or save to a file.) 

 If you are visiting my blog for the first time, and/or just starting this project--you can download the original stitch guide and color chart here as a PDF for a quick reference: 

 STATE FLOWER QUILT

Snowball Scarf

 

I have to say, I am pretty pleased with how this "snowball" scarf turned out.  And it was pretty simple.  Which is just the very best kind of sewing! 

I started with two strips of cotton flannel 46"x 9".  Next I embellished both ends with a little embroidery--these particular motifs are from my 2011 January Bonus Collection.  

Both pieces were joined with an overcast stitch to eliminate fraying.  The sides were doubled over about 1/4-inch and stitched with a wide zigzag.  The effect of using a wider stitch leaves a nice soft edge--perfect for this type of scarf.  The bottom edge was turned under twice about 1/2"; ball fringe was stitched across the top edge.  

I liked the texture of the band--but you could hide it underneath if you like.  A nice thing about adding this type of trim, besides the cute factor, is that it adds weight to a scarf that would otherwise have little "drape".  The flannel is cozy, yet light as a feather.  

 
The ball-fringe trim was salvaged from an old cotton bedspread I picked up from a yard sale for a couple dollars.  The bedspread wasn't in great condition, but parts of it were usable and in the bargain were yards and yards of this fantastic cotton ball-fringe.  (Individually they make cute cotton-tails on stuffed bunnies too!) 

*Happy New Year*

 
Hello again!  Hope your holidays were merry and BRIGHT!  Speaking of which, I've discovered flameless candles.  I can't believe how realistic these are.  This one is from Land's End, it has a nice vanilla scent and is programmable--it turns on and off automatically.  Love that!! 

Our holidays were spiced up with other sweet things too.  The girls made lots of cookies, including these tradtional favorites that we all helped decorate.   And eat.  Of course.

 
And they made organic chocolates for their Dad...which they hid in empty ice-cream boxes in the freezer.  He never suspected a thing.  Seeing his face light up when he opened the boxes on Christmas morning was well worth all their efforts.   
My mini apple turn-overs were also appreciated. 

 
When the presents were opened, Lilly was absolutely delighted to claim her place under the tree again. 

 
 
New card games like 'Apples to Apples' kept things lively.  'Horse-opoly' went on for two days.  With lots of knitting and nibbling in between. 

Ahh...and now it's all over for another year.  Thank you for the Happy New Year wishes.  Here's wishing you all a mighty fine 2011!