S P R I N G.

note to our friends still battling winter weather

spoiler alert!!  spring in Cali....

 it seems as if it were just yesterday

that the skies were cloudy and dark and threatening

oh how dapper the dog walking friends were in light weight down jackets

and knit caps and scarves

we complained wholeheartedly about the temps dipping into the 30's here

oh my, we are a spoiled bunch

but before I could even think about planting bulbs around the yard

the avocado tree started blooming

 and I had to hustle to get the remaining fruit out of the tree and into the hands

of my neighbors - in exchange for lemons, tomato plants and tangerines

 this year, I am hopeful I will outsmart the birds when it comes to the blueberries

and a friend suggested tulle tee pee instead of the icky sticky bird netting I tried last year

live and let live...they will eat seed, I will eat blueberries!!

 my arugula has served me well fall, winter and spring, so it stays, along with the flat leaf

parsley and mint, but I added cilantro - oh how I love the scent of the greens

it's true

in my small little garden, one of the few here by the beach

I grow arugula, spinach, flat leaf parsley, cilantro, mint, chives (from a dear friend's yard),

rosemary, blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, lemons, limes and avocados!!

this year I am going to try cucumbers and spaghetti squash

what does this have to do with quilting, you ask

I do know that many of you

will have your last frost in May

I apologize

(I did put a spoiler alert at the beginning of the post...)

it seems the light in the sky, the reflection on the water, the smell of rain on the dirt

influences our work

colors change in our projects to reflect the light of the days

many people say the best quilters in Hawaii are from UpCountry because it is cooler there

and they can sit with a quilt for longer periods of time

for me, I know that everything changes with our California Seasons

so I know they must really change for those of you that are still under the monochromatic world

of snow on the ground and no leaves on the trees

in this house

soups and stews are being replaced with salads

and a nice spicy hot chai tea has been replaced with cucumber water

purple really does go with green

if you look really, really close, you'll see just a spot of bright orange red in that purple

and if you squint your eyes, there's chartreuse green in there too

honestly, cmmon now, where do YOU get YOUR color ideas?

dust off those bright colors and low volume background prints

spring is coming!!  spring is coming!!

be.do.create.

natalie.

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com

next post:

how to find beyond the reef

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