Twice the Fun!

Now that the Christmas gifting is over, I can share with you one of the projects that occupied my time this fall.
As a bit of background, one of my sewing/quilting bee friends, Chris Z., brought a felt appliqué project to show off at a bee meeting early this fall, or perhaps it was even late in the summer.  Chris followed the Crab-apple Design "Frost Flowers" exactly, doing her usual exceptional appliqué of wool shapes on a linen background and embellishing it with beads so that it was an exact replica of the pattern picture.  (I believe that the pattern was designed to be a pillow top.)
I was immediately attracted to the design, since it featured a basket (I love baskets) of flowers that were actually stylized snowflakes.  I immediately thought of my friend Barb, who also is a basket maker, and who loves anything related to snow.  I did not especially want to invest in linen and wool felt and thought I could adapt the design and recreate it as a wall quilt in cottons.  As I started to gather my materials with the intention of making this for Barb for Christmas, I realized that it was something that I would like as well.  So soon I was doing every step in duplicate!
So here are the two finished pieces:

They each measure about 16 inches by 16 inches.  I had originally planned to do them on a blue background because Barb loves blue, but when I went to the fabric store I couldn't find a blue combination that I really liked and I thought the green would give the piece a more seasonal feel... or maybe a warmer feel.  Barb is the snow lover, I am not!

Here is a view of one of the pieces:

I'm not sure if this is Barb's or mine.  Like identical twins, there are some subtle differences that only a mother would notice, so I could compare this to the one on my wall and see if it is mine or hers.  But I don't really care.  

And here is a close up so you can see some detail:

The construction is primarily fused raw edge appliqué that has been overstitched with various decorative stitches that are programmed in my sewing machine.  Originally I had planned to do some more hand embroidery, but once I got going with my sewing machine, things started to fall into place easily.  I ended up adding a layer of felt on the snowflake flowers because I thought the sparkly white cotton flowers looked a little too transparent.  Once I made the decision to add the felt layer I realized that it also created a nice texture and really made the flowers pop.  I did add some extra bling with tiny pearls nested on iridescent sequins to give the flowers a little sparkle.  The original pattern also had a few hand embroidered snowflakes, but I found these snowflake buttons that I also think gives the background a little more texture and interest.  

So it was a fun project from start to finish.  I'm always delighted when I get something done, as I am much better at thinking up projects and starting them than I am at finishing.  It does help me to have a firm deadline!

So a couple of weeks ago, I hung my "Frost Flowers" on the 

thermostat wall in my dining room.  It's a small section of wall that has a couple of shelves and I think the wall hanging looks nice tucked under the bottom shelf.

Yesterday, after opening her Christmas presents, Barb immediately hung her "Frost Flowers" in a space in her sunroom between two windows.

She sent me this picture.

It's a perfect fit!

I just love Pansies!

A couple of weeks ago I planted some pansies in containers, thinking that they would look cheerful on my deck this winter.  Until I moved south, I wasn't really aware of how resilient pansies are.  Of course in the below zero temps of the north, under a foot of snow cover, they might not be survivors, but in North Carolina they tend to add a bit of color throughout the winter.

We had one of those clear cloudless nights and as I sat in the sun room enjoying breakfast on the clear cool morning today, I noticed that we had a particularly heavy frost last night.

Here is what my pansies looked like, heavily frosted in the morning sun:

 We spent the day golfing.  There was a heavy frost at the golf course as well, causing a little delay.  And there were spots of frost in the shadows on most of the first seven holes or so.  But by noon we had removed our jackets and it even felt warm in our light sweaters.  Of course, I didn't think of checking on the pansies until it was almost dusk, but I'm glad I remembered to take some pictures to show you how nice they looked once they warmed up!

Don't they look happy after a day in the sun!  Actually, we looked happy, too, after a day in the sun!

10:11, 12/13/14

Today we went on our first Asheville Ambler walk in a long time.  The promise of an Italian buffet lunch in Waynesville was a little bit of a motivation, but it also was intriguing to participate in a walk that stepped off at 10:11 AM on 12/13/14.  And the forecast of calm, sunny, seasonal weather made for a trifecta!

 The starting point was the Welcome Center at Lake Junaluska.  The walk was a 10 K that not only circled the lake, but also went up into the residential areas above the lake.

The sky was a clear blue and there was virtually no wind, so we got lots of nice reflections in every direction.

We have done this walk before, but a new little spur was added that brought us to the far side of the dam that forms the lake.

As we rounded the lake, I was glad that two friends hesitated with me before the "big hill" and we decided to just stay on the level path that hugs the lake.

The rocking chairs on the sun drenched porch were inviting, however we decided to check out a craft fair that was being held downstairs in this building before heading along the lake edge to the end of the hike.

To the right of this path there is a summer rose garden that is a sweet addition to a walk in warmer seasons.

We arrived at the end just a few minutes before the hardy folks who tackled the last hill, Russ included. Here he is visiting with a new friend.

We all started with jackets and many people had gloves or mittens, but you can see by the end that the jackets and gloves were off.  The sun was warm, temps eventually got into the 50's, though we did still see some evidence of snow and frost in shaded areas.

It was a pleasant walk, even though I dodged a couple of the kilometers, and a large crowd of folks enjoyed a wonderful lunch in Waynesville afterward.  

The next Ambler walk we will likely do is New Years Day.

WINTER LIGHTS

This past Wednesday evening we volunteered at the Arboretum at their evening Winter Lights event that started 11/22 and runs through early January.  

The welcome center is the Baker Building and it was nicely decorated for the season with large snowflakes suspended from the ceiling, snowflake lights projected on a bare wall, and a large lighted tree near the fireplace decorated with ornaments made of twigs and nuts and other natural findings.

We had a "cushy" job.  We sat at the table you can sort of see in the bottom of the photo above and greeted ticket holders and helped them with wristbands and questions.

We did have a bit of time before the event began to wander the grounds and nearly an hour toward the end, after admissions had dwindled down.  One of the perks of working is a free hot beverage at the cafe in the Education Building, so we strolled and visited, picked up our drink, and then worked our way back through the displays.

Most of these photos were taken with just my phone and at dusk, so they really don't do the event justice, but they do give you a sample of what to expect.

The open space just outside the Baker Center had a collection of these interesting formations made out of two liter bottles of water!  They were quite impressive. 

Here's a bit of an overview of that area.

And there were many of these interesting white sprays of light.

The central garden was lovely and I actually think the little bit of light in the dusk sky enhances this picture.

 The quilt garden looked especially nice with this chevron pattern.  The lights stayed on constantly the evening we were there, but I was told that it was choreographed to actually light up different sections at a time.  I can't imagine that would make it look any better, though.

 Taking photos of people was a little problematic, since the lights tended to confuse the camera sensor, but here is a photo of me with my volunteer neck gear within an arch of blue lights and snowflakes.

 Many of the trees were nearly totally covered with light and there were even a few faux trees in the bonsai garden.

 Here's another shot taken at dusk that shows a corner of the quilt garden and a cluster of green foliage.

Another feature that is debuting at the Winter Lights is a train on a very elaborate display a level below the walkable garden.  Lighting was poor for taking pictures, but it was an impressive display with a lighted village, several bridges and two trains.  The photo below shows both engines passing just in front of the bridge.  During the orientation we were told that this G gauge train was donated and the engineer on duty said that the staff worked out the logistics of the display which they hope will be able to be used intermittently during the rest of the year.  It's nice and seasonal to see it at night, but I for one would like to see it in daylight, too.

We will volunteer again in a couple of weeks and that evening we will be at the fire pit, helping people make 'scores and keep warm.  Looking forward to it!

First Snow

This morning I felt compelled to document our first snowfall of the 2014-15 season.

Though we definitely live in the "south," our area of western north Carolina most assuredly has four seasons.  I have to admit, this first snowfall took me a bit by surprise.  Oh, I knew it was forecast, but often those snowfall predictions are targeted to the higher elevations to the north of Arden.  I think that I was still in my "summer mode" from our return from Puerto Rico last weekend, because the start of our week was absolutely lovely.  On Monday we golfed in 80 degree afternoon weather (definitely short sleeves and shorts) and then on Wednesday we saw spectacular foliage color on a drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway to Pisgah Inn for lunch.  By Thursday I was looking for my jeans and something with at least longish sleeves to wear.  According to the almanac in our daily newspaper, average temperatures for this time of year should be 64/40.  This week we saw large deviations from that average in both directions!  (Yesterday's was 41/32, which surprised me because we had some pretty fierce winds throughout the afternoon and I'm sure it didn't feel like even 41 degrees.)

We had not had a hard frost at our house, so our encore azaleas and our knockout roses are still in bloom, as are a few dahlias in flower and other later season flowering plants.  Earlier this week, Russ and I had commented on the fact that we saw several clumps of iris in bloom and wondered if it was just the unseasonably warm weather that triggered that, or perhaps there is an encore version of iris, also.  My gardener experts who read this blog can let me know what they think/know about this!

Anyway, here are some photos from yesterday morning and this morning.  I tried to take roughly the same photos both days.

The one(s) on the left are obviously yesterday and on the right this morning.

I had posted this first one on Face Book yesterday.

We usually estimate the amount of snowfall by looking at the table top.  You can see there is still a little icy stuff on the tabletop this morning because it was only 29 degrees out this morning. (But it's already into the 40's and on it's way to the 60's as I write this.)

And a couple more views:

I love how this one looks almost like a black and white photo turned back to color!  You can really see those azaleas in today's photo!  

And, as you can see, the roads were completely clear.  By 9:30 AM yesterday I was driving to UNC Asheville, about a half hour drive north, to help with the Super Saturday class where members of our quilt guild are teaching beginning 8-12 year old quilters our craft.

But yesterday was a miserable weather day here, that's for sure!  

Bello Horizonte

We just returned from a week in Rincon, Puerto Rico.  My son-in-law rented a house with a magnificent view, westward, over the ocean.  This photo was taken from the pool deck and shows the daytime view, which only gets more spectacular at sunset.  The island visible in the distance is Desecheo Island, located about 12 miles from the coast.

 The island is not inhabited and federal law prohibits people setting foot on the island because of the possibility of unexploded military artillery!  It is inhabited by wild goats and is essentially a nature preserve.  They say, though, that it is a great place for scuba diving and snorkeling along the island's perimeter which has lots of protected coves.

The house is called Bello Horizonte, which I assume means "beautiful horizon," due to it's ideal view of the sunset and some very easily identifiable Rincon shore landmarks, including not only the island, but also a large white dome that supposedly was built to be a nuclear reactor.  A clump of trees obscures the Rincon lighthouse.

Anytime I am in a tropical place, I am amazed by the vibrant flowers, and Puerto Rico has that type of climate that encourages lush growth.  The home owners have had Bello Horizonte for over 30 years and they obviously have taken an interest in doing some gardening to encourage lots of beautiful ornamental flowering plants to thrive.  One morning I took some photos of some of the flowers for you to enjoy!  Here they are in no particular order...

Some are easy to identify, like the bougainvillea above and the hibiscus.  Others are not so familiar.  I realize I didn't take any photos of the abundant bananas in the banana trees, but here is a shot of a couple of mangoes that will likely be eaten by a beautiful yellow bird when they are ripe because they are too far up in the tree to harvest.

I came home with a little more sun color from lazy days at the beach and in the pool, some bug bites (I think from tiny mosquitoes that appeared at dusk), some wonderful memories of time spent with my two wonderful grand babies, their parents and Russ, and a desire to return and do it all again!