The Joy of Gardening

...all of the berries are ripening at the same time...

or so it seems.

two rows of bramble - about thirty feet of berries

and that's not counting the strawberries

so I had this idea for some 'breakfast pies' of mixed berries wrapped in pie crust

to the garden I went

but look what I found!!!

spring.

gardening will bring you many pleasures

and lots of inspiration for your quilting

I'm thinking eggs, chickens, little birdies

happiest days

beginagain

2010

natalie

Bloggers Quilt Festival

I am pleased to be participating in the

BLOGGERS QUILT FESTIVAL

and the quilt I have chosen to tell you about

was designed for

Robert Kaufman

Well, actually, they asked for one quilt, and we ended up with three quilts

and a pattern book

"Moondoggie & Gidget"

There was "Moondoggie's Quilt", "Gidget's Quilt" and

"A Day at the Beach"

I agreed to do the project, my good dog of 7 years became ill,

and took his last breaths

all within the same week.

But I had a fabric line in front of me

and a project to complete.

So I did what any quilter in the history of quilting would do.

I made quilts to honor Moondoggie.

And while the fabrics are all but gone, and the quilts have been passed on

to others that loved Moondoggie too,

the legacy of making quilts

out of love

and out of sorrow

still remain.

Thank you for letting me share these quilts one last time.

BeginAgain

2010

natalie.

beyond the reef

Celebrate!

It's not that I don't appreciate

the cards, the dinners, the presents

the cake...

(instead of cows)

It's just that I think

we should celebrate our life

on our birth date.

Just imagine what was going on that day the year you were born.

And today,

quietly and peacefully

while walking the dog

watching the redhead hawks soar

and tending to the garden

I give thanks to all of YOU

that have brought me this far

...those still among me...

...and those that have gone on...

thank you.

natalie

How does your garden grow?

how does your garden grow?

If you follow beyond the reef on facebook

you will see more 'how to' and more 'quilting'

If you follow beyond the reef on the blog

we aim to inspire

your life, your projects

On facebook, today, we asked, "how do you start your garden?"

I have had a great time on the Central Coast

tending a garden

(while friends tend my tomatoes - and the house - at the beach)

I have planted seeds directly in the ground

I have planted seeds in flats, in my secret soil mix

I have planted cuttings

And I have planted runners

And I have learned

patience.

Mind you, I can make a quilt top of 45 squares 

each containing 54 pieces each square

but I just can't wait for the seeds to sprout.

I mean, shouldn't we be already eating the veggies?

I planted them a week and a half ago.

Isn't it time to grill the goods?!?

Okay, okay.

I do eat a handful of fresh strawberries every morning.

And for a late morning snack, I saunter over to the berries bush.

And in the afternoon, there are oranges.

Dinner will yield asparagus and artichokes as we speak.

So I shouldn't complain.

But I want warm peaches, nectarines...

I want radishes and spinach and kale and arugula

and zucchini and squash and garlic and corn

and carrots and cantaloupe

and I want the sage and leeks and chives and basil

that were planted in the giant barrels by the house.

I want it,

and I want it now.

(Buddy's paw next to sprouts, for some scale)

So what do you have going on in your life

that your quilting habits

could help you with?

And what is going on with your quilting

that your garden could

shed some light on?

How does your garden grow?

p a t i e n t l y

beginagain

2010

natalie.

(for more information about the beach cottage

please go to www.vrbo.com/257702 or www.vacationrentals.com property #59945)

"it's not a quilt until...."

"it's not a quilt until it's quilted..."

How many of you have heard that saying?

I have had a great time lately working with fabrics

and patterns

and liberated quiltmaking - modern quilting

tops, runners, and more tops

But I can't give those gifts until they are

q u i l t e d

I read a lot of what is published

about patterns and fabrics and quiltmaking

but I just recently subscribed to a blog

highlighting

free motion quilting

so

tomorrow I'm gonna get that batting stuff out

and look for some backing fabric stuff

and get

quilting

oh, and the first pic?

inspiration.

who needs a template

when pattern and design is all around us

natalie.

BeginAgain

2010

Celebrating Mothers Everywhere!

whatever your shape

whatever your style

whoever you "mother"

however you 'mother' someone

be it your child or not

hope you had the chance to be with the ones you love

natalie.