Spring? Is that...is that you?!!!

Oh, my, goodness. I think Spring has finally put Winter to bed. And about time too. Temps are finally rising
and we are getting more rain than snow.

This week I worked on a wall hanging from the Spring 2014 issue of Quilters World (digital issues available through Google Play).








It's quite an easy piece. It just takes a bit of time to sew over all the raw edges left from the reverse applique and the start/stop
quilting around the design. I watched some programs available on HULU on the Kindle while I worked on it. It really turned out and I love it! I've had the background fabric for two years. It was too pretty to cut up so it was waiting for the perfect project. It was a fat quarter from a local shop.

The itch to get some seeds planted has started. I purchased a new type of tomato from Bountiful Gardens (.org), a non-gmo-organic-sustainable seed nursery, to try this year. It's called Soldaki:

 "If you're looking for an heirloom with big yields, try Soldaki. We had such a great harvest when we trialed this one that we sold the extras to a local restaurant. The owner wanted to know what kind they were because, she said "They are just what we want--great color, great flavor, great texture, right size for sandwiches--perfect.", Cherry-red, slightly ribbed fruits average 3" across, medium "navel" on the bottom."

I hope they do well. I'll start 4 plants and I am NOT buying any extra this year. I had so many tomatoes last year from the 16 plants between two plots! Well...I might have to get black cherry tomato, those are always good to munch on while tending to the garden. Also gonna try a new type of melon called Haogen:

""Widely coveted", flesh of fragrant sweetness. Thick medium-green flesh tinged salmon. Smooth pale-yellow rind with green sutures. Vigorous vines, heavy crops of small fruits -- six per plant is normal. Grows anywhere in mainland U.S., dependable and prolific. Considered a drought tolerant melon - it will need water to become established and regular watering until fruits set where after reducing the water will make sweeter fruit. This is an Israeli adaptation of an ancient SW Indian melon."

The community garden coordinator said last year the gardens donated over 1000 pounds of fresh produce to the local pantries. WOW!!!

I'm also gonna grow Zucchini again and hopefully eat more than I give away this year. The plants I had last year were insanely prolific. And beans, of course, because canned garlic beans ARE DA'BOMB. Best canned beans I have ever had. I can't wait to see if the garlic survived our long ass winter that I planted last October. I'm also sharing my plot with a couple of friends this year. In exchange for some gardening space, they have said they will help with watering and weeding. Well, we shall see how well that goes. Everyone wants to garden, but some peeps don't like to work in the heat or do the things necessary for upkeep...so we shall see. I'm a little concerned how well I will be able to manage with my back issues.

And of course I am growing salad greens around the patio again for quick access and something to take care of here at home. My greens last year did really, really well.

Another project on my list of To-Do's is to make rag yarn from my old T's that are no longer fit to wear. I made a couple into "Too Hot to Give a Fuck" shirts which will be comfy home only wears. Cut the sleeves, collar and bottom hems off. I tied one in the back and the other I did not. They are surprisingly light and very comfortable. They will be perfect for when the hot weather comes, although they are predicting a cooler than normal summer. I did a couple of my rags made into "yarn" last night after coming home from a friends Bday celebrations. We had a nice walk through a local woods surrounding some indian mounds and a chilly picnik.

While visiting the local coffee house yesterday I saw this poster and thought, what a perceptive young man this one is. A local school read a book about how Community Gardening changed the authors life (I cannot recall the title now, of course). There were many others posted around the shop, and one was quite disturbing. A young woman, 16, pregnant and she wishes her baby would just die, but, community gardening helped her cherish all life; even that growing within her. So happy that story ended on a happy note!









Today I am gonna work on the April calendar block, shred some more rags and hopefully get the loom set up, start on the next clue for the Spring MQ through Just Us Quilters on facebook, and also pick out and cut fabrics for a new project that my friend Bellezza and I are doing. It's a neat collage looking wall hanging from a book called "Happy Villages". We are going to do a Hallow's themed one. Wewt!! So for that we are exchanging cut pieces.

Weekends are so busy for me. All these projects and never enough time nor energy to get to them all during the week. Spring break is in one week...and I cannot wait for the time off. OYE!!!

Then it's two months for summer break where my hours will be drastically reduced. I've been putting money back for a new smart TV and will hopefully have enough for that before summer break begins.  I've been doing the weekly savings game and it is quite amazing how quickly it adds up!! I'll have a new TV and new computer in no time!

Mystery Quilt Clue #1 complete!

Until next time...
***All content is Copyright year and date of posting, and are the sole property of C4G/CCW unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this website(text, photo's, etc)is strictly prohibited(linking to the post is OK).***