With Fall officially here we have installed the pool cover netting over the fish pond to try and keep the fallen leaves from clogging the filter. It’s not beautiful but it helps!

The mornings have been cool but the afternoons get pretty warm, still. I love walking this time of the year through showers of falling yellow leaves. It’s very dry though, so I hope the predicted rain for tonight happens. Then maybe I can get something done in the garden.

With cooler weather, I have been working outside more, but still, quilting at least a little most days on the current work. It is maybe half finished at this time. The Daylily club had their show and contest and I usually go to admire the flowers and get some of the free plants they hand out.  This year I chose “Cinnamon Circle” and was given two – my husband right behind me also got two, so I planted then on the bank next to the storm shelter.  They should bloom yellow with a lime green throat and cinnamon edges with a bit of a ruffle. Should look nice next to the gray concrete.

News came this week that my entry to IQF in Houston was juried in to the contest “World of Beauty” in the category for “people”. It is a relief to have the acceptance letter!

I had already heard earlier that “Fur Family Portrait” will be there in the “Raining Cats and Dogs” contest, so this means I will have two pieces there this year – maybe I should think about going!

We were recently blessed with some cooler weather, so having completed the sewing of the new art quilt top, I was able to dedicate the whole morning to the bank between the house and the new storm shelter. Earlier in the spring we planted some burning bushes and a few perennials there, but then it went to weed grasses. At least they held the soil in place during the heavy rains. I pulled most of the weeds and started to plant Liriope. I’ve mentioned this plant before as it does so well here that I always have an excess ready to be thinned and planted somewhere else. It will hold this bank wonderfully well and look good doing it! Then I added the stepping stones to channel the dogs and us through the plantings. So far I have Liriope every 4-6″ in the top half, and the bottom half yet to do.

It will fill in quickly- probably too quickly! I left a few weeds to temporarily hold the soil in the meantime. In the fall, I think I will transplant some Plumbago to the space between the stones and the wall where it will drape over the edge.

I love the brilliant blue flowers, but it is a pretty plant even when it is not blooming. And it grows well enough for me that I have plenty to move . And maybe a few Dayliles will go nicely.

Every year about this time the blister beetles hit the Clematis and they can strip it overnight.

This year, since the Clematis has grown so vigorously they were only able to eat half of it overnight and with the cold morning, I was able to knock many of them off into a container of soapy water. Usually as soon as they sense you coming they dive off the plant, but the cold makes them sluggish. I checked a couple of times throughout the day and they seemed to be gone, but by morning the next day there were hoards again so – more knocking them off into the container. By then there was not a whole lot of green left so I applied some Sevin to try and save what’s left. So far, so good!

This morning I got word that “Fur Family Portrait” was accepted and will be a part of the “Raining Cats and Dogs” exhibit premiering in Houston this fall! YEA!! Still can’t show it til the show opens……

Also had a very nice note from the folks at the Brigham City, Utah museum where “Harrier Hunting” and “Who, Me?” are on display, saying how well received the current show is and how much they love my two pieces. If you find yourselves in that area between now and August 23 be sure and stop in.  They are saying it’s their best quilt show ever!

I’m a little over two weeks into the new work and a little over half finished with the top. I am taking my time and not pushing to finish as there is no rush this time. It is fun to work with no pressure for a change!

Outside things are looking good; lots of things blooming right now and the work I did last fall, thinning and moving and transplanting is paying off with happy plants. Look at this daylily – Oklahoma Kicking Bird! It’s never been this huge for me before!! This was yesterday and today there are three blooms just like it.

This pink lily has multiplied nicely from the one original potted plant. Luscious color!

These rocks are held in place only by weight and balance. If you are good at doing this, you can balance that top one on it’s point, but I am not that good. It stays through storms and snow, but a squirrel can take it out in a moment, much to his surprise!

I am loving the new project and making good progress.

Had a computer scare on Sunday when my older computer, the one that I keep to run my old version of Quickbooks and Photoshop said it’s disk was full and died.  Since that happened I have also had problems printing because my laptop communicates through the other computer to the printer, and problems sometimes getting online.  My computer guy came today and rebooted the old computer and it came up good as new.  Turns out it has plenty of disk space and just had some kind of a glitch perhaps due to weather or old age. It was scarey, because, of course I don’t back up as often as I should!

A couple of years ago, I planted Liriope as a ground cover along the top of the bank along the driveway, hoping it would make a neat edge between the grass and the bank that can’t be mowed.  It is taking off nicely and I have been weeding the grass so it shows up. Now, hopefully my husband will cut up to it when he mows and it will continue to grow and fill in.

Liriope does so well here that the original 6 pack has multiplied to the extent that I have plenty to transplant wherever I need groundcover.  I recently put some on the bank by the new storm shelter and it will look great once it fills in.  Things are growing so well right now that I am having to treat some of my plants, like Lamb’s Ear and some herbs, like Mint and Oregano like weeds and just pull them out and throw them away before they kill their neighbors!

I’m excited to be sewing again! Lots of progress yesterday, but I am considering this one for another exhibit that does not allow showing of the work prior to the exhibit. I enjoy showing the step by step, and I know you enjoy seeing that, so I am sorry that this seems to be a trend these days. I am taking pictures and can show them later.

I have a weakness for blue flowers, here are some campanella and I think that is some kind of a sage. Everything is lush and lovely right now.

The Clematis Rugguchii grew so big and heavy this year that it toppled its support and sprawled on top of its neighbors. There is a lot of that going on in my garden this year, I think some thinning out is in my future.

I thought this was dead last summer after it was attacked and stripped by the blister beetles, but it has come back better than ever!

This coneflower was purchased last year, cheap and unmarked.

I got only one thinking it was just your basic purple coneflower, but I wish I had gotten more; this is quite nice! I have had bad luck with coneflowers in the past, it seems they like a well drained spot so I put this one at the top of a bank where it seems to be very content.

The weather Sat was perfect for my meeting here of the SAQA regional group. We were a small gathering, but had a great time visiting, sharing, eating and showing off our work. Plans were made to meet again in September.

It rained 6″ on Monday and into Tuesday. Our farm pond which has been dry for several years now is full and overflowing. Today it is raining again.  The gardens are so happy but I know that the hot dry weather to come will stress them badly after this excess.

I packed 5 quilts for shipping on Monday.  Two, “Harrier Hunting” and “Who, Me?” to go to the Brigham City Museum in Utah for an exhibit lasting from July 1 to August 23,

and three, “Bignonia”, “Majesty” and “Colorado Kids” to the Aullwood AudubonCenter in Dayton, Ohio for their show “Wild Lands, Wild Life” from June 28 to August 24. Check them out if you are in the areas.

Locally “Raven Brings Light To The World”, Baltimore Oriole” and “What’s Up At The 4-H Fair?” are showing at the Topeka Art Guild Gallery  in the “Fur, Fins and Feathers” exhibit.

Yesterday I cut the first pieces for the next project and put them on the wall. This has been in the planning stages for some time, but one thing or the other has kept me from it. It feels good to be creating again.

I am woefully behind, can’t believe it has been so long since I have posted, but I have been busy!

I did manage to get a photo of “Jesse At The Lake”, on display at the art guild.  This guy was impressed that  I had even included the pulley mechanism!

With the sewing machine off to the shop getting cleaned I was able to spend some time working outside and drawing some new projects for later.  After I got the sewing machine back, I made 25 more matted 4X6’s to donate to the Topeka Art Guild’s fundraiser, last time I checked there were only 7 left.  30 @ $7.50 = $225.00 for them- nothing for me!

I also made my annual 12 x 12 for the SAQA auction, which needs to be there by the 1st of June.  It went into the mail this morning.  I had a challenge to use the hand dyed material

that I made at an art quilting group that I belong to, so I used those fabrics in the flower and leaves plus another hand dye by Judy Robertson for the background.

The little quilts will be auctioned off online this fall.

While the dogs quilt was hanging on the design wall, finished, I saw something that bothered me, so after I got my machine back I fixed that; time was becoming an issue as it needed to be entered soon.

Actually there were quite a few entries that needed to be made, entries that were due from May 29 – June 6, so for the last two days I have entered IQA World of Beauty and Raining Cats and Dogs, AQS, DesMoines, Aullwood and the SAQA auction.  It sounds easy, but involves getting and preparing photos with differing requirements for each one and generally jumping through a lot of hoops.

It was cold and rainy, a good week to stay inside, though my husband ventured out and found some of the best morel mushrooms ever. Big and plentiful, we enjoyed as many as we could handle and froze the rest for later. The asparagus as well. To further mark the arrival of spring the hummingbirds and orioles have begun to arrive. Alas, I have seen no bluebirds yet. Still planting new stuff that loves this kind of weather in which to get established.

I finished the dogs quilt and named it “Fur Family Portrait”.  No photos til after the entry as requested by the venue, sorry. It is bound and only needs to be taken outside in the bright light to be scrutinized for stray threads. I plan to do that tomorrow when the temps return to the sunny 70’s. It’s time to get the deck furniture out!

Yesterday I took my sewing machine in for a past due cleaning and tuneup since I thought I had a small window of time when I could part with it. Sadly it is going to be three weeks before they can get to it. I have a spare if I get desperate.

Today is First Friday at the Topeka Art Guild Gallery and I will be there from 2-8. “Jesse At The Lake” is still there on display. The members were challenged to do a small artwork to fit in 4×6 mats to donate as a fundraiser for the gallery. They are to be sold for $7.50 each to benefit the gallery.

Mine of course are quilted. I showed these plus one more last night at my small quilting group and one, a landscape was snapped up early!