Makers Collage - coming in December from Windham Fabrics!

Thursday, March 21, 2013

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.




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how to find beyond the reef
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2 comments:

Bennett and Graves said...

Thanks to your lecture at road I now take pictures of color combos I see out and about and in nature, cuz Who Would've Thought? Happy Spring (even tho our 'winter' is well, our version)

Carrie P. said...

Oh, your very own avocado tree. I am envious. I do have my own blueberry bushes. Last year we used that bird netting and we had black snakes get tangled up in it. Thanks for the suggestion of tulle.
Those fabrics are so pretty. Spring will be here in NC soon.