Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Filling in the blanks


I guess I could be quilting the outer sashing by now, but I decided to go back and fill in the areas not covered with the feathers.

It probably isn't needed but I think the extra quilting adds a bit more balance,

The areas next to the border were a bit smaller than those along the sides so I modified the simple pattern to just a wee bit smaller ... template B.
It isn't taking long so maybe I can begin the outer sashing by tomorrow.


I turned the template as needed to fill in the areas that had been left between the feathers.


This busy print does not show the quilting well but I still think having those areas filled is more satisfying.









Last night I had to get up and run through the house shutting windows because a sudden thunder storm came through.

Today I had to go open them all again as it is a lovely sunny day.

Here in this picture, among the pink-headed knotweed, is a flower I found blooming at my last house.
The "lawn" was planted with "dragon's beard", not really a grass but a nice green-all-year ground cover that is popular in Tokyo gardens.

It spreads by roots or rhizomes and never needs cutting. Among that "grass" were a few flowers popping up. The leaves are the same size as the grass though they are bulbs and die back during the winter. There purplish-blue flowers are such pretty half-day wonders and the seeds I brought and planted have multiplied over the years.

BUT, if one wants to enjoy them ... one needs to get out early. By noon they are curling up and by evening they are in a tight knob at the tip of the stem. Those will dry and open like a cup full of tiny black seeds ... not unlike poppies.

Luckily, they don't all bloom at once so each morning different ones appear and we can enjoy them for a few weeks in spring.

I have not found this flower in any of my wildflower books, but even without a name, it is a pretty addition to the plants along the wall.

It seems there will be plenty of seeds to spread and I have a few ideas of where they might look good in the future.

10 comments:

  1. what delicate flowers .. with some pretty colour to liven your day x It is up to you how much... or little quilting your project needs x looks good to me x

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  2. I think you were smart to do the extra quilting. It looked lovely before, but now it looks more finished to you and that is important. I find it easier to just do that extra step, than to fret about "I should have....."

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  3. Quilting always adds structure to the surface and that is the reason why balance is important. Good of you to take care of those empty spaces.
    What lovely flowers you have!

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  4. Those flowers are so pretty and very unusual shape. We are still waiting for spring to come back here!

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  5. You're moving right along with the quilting, what lovely work you do, and so quickly it seems. Well, I know it seems a lot quicker when I'm not the one doing the quilting. None-the-less, it looks wonderful. I like those unusual flowers also.

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  6. I love the extra quilting. Your are such a good example that one can do hand work if one just keeps at it. Love those little flowers - what a clever way they have of spreading their seeds.

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  7. You are getting a lot of lovely detail into your quilting.
    Looks like your weather is very changeable at the moment.
    And the flowers are quite pretty.

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  8. They are equisite. How such small gifts of nature (and nurture in this case) delight us. They look lovely when closing as well - Mary in Canterbury UK

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  9. Those seeds will be good at "filling in the blanks", nature always seems to put herself in the best place (although it might not suit us humans and then the seeds become weeds). Happy stitching my friend.

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