Friday 22 May 2015

Green reflections

Oh gosh, I can't believe where the time has gone these past two weeks: so much for my good intentions.  I have hardly managed to do any sewing and the main reason is gardening.

It is that time of year again when, if you don't put in the hours when you can, the garden gets away from you and you can't get in between the plants to weed.



The time when you can almost see the plants growing, pumping sap into every cell, causing each leaf to expand in a glorious green explosion of life and growth.



Every morning I stroll round in the cool and quiet to check on progress and savour the different greens and the shapes/textures of the leaves.  I love all the differing shades of green, and it made me wonder why I hardly ever sew with green; it's just not a colour I am drawn to for clothing, home decor or quilt making.  And yet it is all around us, especially fresh and beautiful at this time of year; the most common colour apart from the blue of the sky (and sea if you live at the coast).



Why do we all have our favourites, do you think?  I definitely veer towards cool blues and pink/purples rather than warm colours like orange and brown.  Is that because of my own colouring, because those are the colours I prefer to wear?



You can see it in my choice of plants for the garden too - I have to force myself to throw in the occasional yellow or red as an accent.  What colours do you like best and do you find this a recurring theme in other aspects of your life?

The other reason I am spending every spare moment in the garden is that in a couple of weeks' time we are opening to the public with several other gardens in aid of our village school which needs some funds to equip the new school hall.  Although I have organised other Gardens Open events in the past I have never actually had visitors to our garden and I am starting to get nervous.  I have to pretend not to be, however, and to keep encouraging the other kind owners who are also opening!  Fingers crossed for a warm and sunny day, lots of visitors and a happy time - I will keep you posted.

I did manage to quilt this little flannel quilt (last mentioned here) one evening when I wasn't feeling too shattered.  Just a small finish but good to get it off the UFO pile.



Plain navy fabric on the back, simple straight line quilting 1/4" from every seam, tan thread on the top and navy underneath - a bit risky, I know, but the tension was ok so I got away with it.



Here is my friend Alfie, come to see what is going on and whether a walk might not be out of the question.


Linking to Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday.  Hope you have a great weekend - Bank Holiday here in the UK.  Guess what I'll be doing?

3 comments:

  1. I plant a lot of yellow, orange and red flowers (marigolds, butterfly weed, zinnias, bee balm, daylilies) because I'm trying to attract butterflies. These are also the plants that tend to do better in my yard during our hot, humid summers. I have some blue plants too (irises, false indigo, lavender, butterfly bushes), but most of
    them are in the supporting cast in my yard, not the stars.

    My quilts tend to be scrappy, a lot like the hodgepodge in my flower beds.

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  2. The colors of your quilt are amazing, I love that vintagy look!

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  3. Beautiful garden. I wish I had a green thumb but I enjoy seeing everyone else's successes. Best wishes for a successful event. How kind of you to help the school.

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