SPRING IS A PROMISE

When the Douglas Irish bloom in Oregon, spring is really almost here. My second most favorite flower reminds me that eventually it will stop raining, but without the rain, we wouldn't have these beauties. My first favorite flower is the Trillium. Seeing them return every spring always makes me remember how much I missed Oregon while I lived elsewhere. Did you know that if the Trillium is disturbed or picked, it will not bloom again for 7 years?

NATURAL DYEING IDEAS

Yesterday was EARTH DAY, which makes me think of natural dyes. No heavy metals and no chemical dyes that can hurt the environment.
While traveling in the southwest last winter, I read in the CHACO CANYON interpretive center that textiles have been found here that were dyed with juniper berry, which is really not a berry, but a seed cone. A few days later I found a juniper bough that I just had to bring back home to Oregon. We have juniper all over the eastern side of the state, but nothing like these! The berries are enormous! I don't know if they will make any difference in the dye process or color, compared to the juniper berries I could gather here, but I am going to try.

LESSON LEARNED & CLEVER VINTAGE DISPLAY

BITTERSCHOKOLADEKUCHEN ODER MILCHSCHOKOLADEKUCHEN? 60"X70"

(transaltion ~ Bitter chocolate or milk chocolate?)

A kaleidoscope, made from a large print fabric cut into triangles & then assembled into hexagons. It so reminds me of Deutscher Kaffeehauskuchen.

I recently finished this wall hanging. Last summer in Sisters, Oregon, I took a class on Kaleidoscope quilts. Initially, I was disappointed in the fabric I had selected for this class. The other participants quilt blocks seemed more bold and alive than mine. Consequently, I learned so much, just from that realization. I liked mine well enough. But when I came home, it sat unfinished for months.

BACKGROUND: We were to bring to class 5 1/2 yards of fabric with large repeating images. The repeat of the images was to be 24 inches. This was really hard for me. I don't really like to use large prints, so it was a daunting task finding a print that I liked. BUT, what I soon realized while making the blocks for the quilt, is that it doesn't matter what the print looks like. Once you begin to cut and assemble the blocks, it is no longer about the original image on the fabric. It's about COLOR! I do like the colors in this finished quilt, but had I selected a fabric based only on liking the multitude of colors rather than worrying about the image I liked, I'd have ended up with a very different looking quilt. This one is subtle and pleasing, but next time...next time I will GET A WILD, COLORFUL 5 1/2 YARDS!!!

VIKI'S WOW FACTOR

When I first spotted these WONDERFUL FRAMED PIECES in the entry way of the home of a dear friend, I was not sure what I was seeing. The three large frames are hung on the wall above a stairwell, side by side. They are so dramatic, colorful and at once contemporary.

Eventually it was clear to me what I was seeing. And what a stunning collection they are! All of these vintage potholders were made by the owner's grandmother. Each is in pristine condition, brilliant and unique. Certainly an example of the whole being more than the parts.

DOMESTIC DRAMA

These orchids bloomed about 3 weeks ago. Half of the ones I nurture and baby have bloom stocks and flowers. I can't say that I know what I am doing to get them to bloom, but we're enjoying them. The blooms generally stay from April until September. So we'll enjoy them for a long time yet.