Goodbye Florida

It's time to finish off with the last photos from my Florida trip. I've been so busy... Time marches on and I have other things to share with you!


Spring seems to finally be making its way here.. The snow has gone down considerably over the last week, and spring bulbs are poking shoots through the leaf mulch on my side and back perennial beds. I have loosened up the layer of mulch and hopefully by the weekend I can clean off the beds completely. You can tell the gardener in me is getting anxious.... looking at these wonderful Florida blooms makes me yearn for blossoms in my own backyard. Hurry up spring, let's get on with it!





A walk around Sandi's neighbourhood provides lots of colour.. just about any colour you could want! Of course the bougainvillea come in lots of colours... I especially liked the variegated one in the lower right corner.

This passionflower vine grows just up the street; it was loaded with buds and blooms this year - last time I saw it, it had only one bloom so I was happy to see it thriving.

If you like bright oranges, peaches and reds, here you go.. lots of beauty! Can anyone identify the plant in the lower right corner? It was sooo beautiful... and looked very exotic!

I prefer the pinks and purples...here are bougainvillea, plumbago, hibiscus, jasmine, mango, and again several I cannot identify.

Ah, such a beautiful world we live in. I DO appreciate the seasons, and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else...but I wish our summer (ie gardening season) was a little longer and winter was considerably shorter...

Of course, when visiting Sandi one also has a lovely view of the St. Lucie River and all its goings-on... the birds, the boats, the sunsets... Here's the back of  the house from the river, and from that lovely deck one can relax and enjoy the river view...

Because I didn't take my long lens there aren't  any great bird shots, but I enjoyed the daily visits from the osprey and pelicans, and occasional sightings of a blue heron and a male cardinal, and porpoises! Mr. Osprey who visits every morning loves to sit high in the old live oak - what a great vantage spot to watch for fish... Can you see him?

I'm sure you can understand why it's hard to "come back to winter" after spending time in this paradise...  But come back to reality I must! "Thank you Sandi" hardly seems adequate for such an awesome week!  ♥

Peace,
Linda

"Be happy in the moment - that's enough. Each moment is all we need - not more." ~ Mother Theresa

Florida Fish and Flowers

As I started this post this morning, it was snowing, yet again. (Insert sad discouraged face here.) Our ground is still covered, although there are some bare batches appearing at the base of trees and along the driveway edge. I am so very ready for some significant signs of spring to arrive. Those of you who are enjoying spring, please send it our way. I just had to change my header, I couldn't stand looking at the wintery photos any longer!
So to appease myself, today's post will feature lots of green, and some Florida blooms. Although we spent a lot of time indoors at the quilt show, and shopping throughout the week, of course we had some outdoor time too to soak up some Vitamin D and enjoy "nature."
We visited a wonderful exhibit ("Our Body, The Universe Within") at the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium.  Photos were not allowed, but I strongly encourage you to see this amazing exhibit if it ever comes to your area, if you are interested in the human body and how it functions. From the publicity website: "OUR BODY: THE UNIVERSE WITHIN is a fascinating, artful and educational exhibit consisting of actual human bodies and organs. Appropriate for all ages, this exhibit literally goes "under the skin" revealing the mysteries of the human anatomy. The bodies, specimens and organs have been preserved using a process known as polymer impregnation."
We both thoroughly enjoyed it.

 At entrance of South Florida Science Center in West Palm Beach

Of course we took a stroll through the aquarium as well. I love aquariums so wasn't going to miss this chance. Good photos were not easy to acquire as of course the fish haven't been trained to stop swimming and "pose".. haha

I did manage to get one good shot of Mr. Lionfish. He was so beautiful to watch, with all his fan-like "plumage"....

And these two fellows were happy to pose...

Aren't they cute? Who would like a baby 'gator?

Okay, enough of the "Florida wildlife"... let's move on to some green....

When one is a gardener, winter "here in the north" is far too long. It just does my heart and soul good to be able to have a few days of sunshine, warmth and GREEN to "tide me over" until we see spring arrive. I so enjoy the gardens and blooms, the trees and the palms... Let's go take a walk around Sandi's front and back yard....

Banana trees, mandavilla, bougainvillea, hibiscus, split-leaf philodendron, ti plant, and several which I cannot identify... yes, it's a beautiful spot...

Not to mention the trees and the river..... which will have to wait for another day. It is late and I must get my beauty sleep...

Peace,
Linda

"Stop, take a moment, look around you and appreciate the beauty in your life."
~ Gail Lynne Goodwin

Last of the Quilts...

I've been spending a lot of time in the studio these last few weeks, trying to get several new pieces done. Now I'm busy preparing for a weekend teaching trip to Nova Scotia. Can't wait for the Quilt Atlantic Retreat at White Point Resort!  So, I've been a bad girl and haven't been blogging much... let's fix that right now!
I promised to show you the Best of Show and a few special exhibits from the Broward Quilt Expo. Here we go.




First up, Best of Show.  


Night Blooming Rose of Sharon by Rose Hunter Valentine.

Best of Show and also first place, Appliqué Duo
 
















This is one talented lady, and appliqué is obviously "her thing."
You saw her two other entries, both ribbon winners, in this previous post.



















This was a beautiful quilt, the colours were vibrant and rich, the appliqué was skillfully done, as was the quilting.






One of the special exhibits was by the Miami Art Quilters. The fourth Saturday of July has been set aside as the National Day of the Cowboy to preserve the pioneer spirit and heritage, and to promote "cowboy culture." As part of this celebration, the Miami Art Quilters have displayed their cowboy-inspired works for a number of years.











Cowboy John by Sandy Marietta was my favourite, even though I thought he looked more like a Jake or a Sam...  wink!

This piece was also very well done. Sadly I did not record the maker's name..
My apologies.

Another small special exhibit was by a group of Brazilian SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) artists. The exhibit was titled Brazilian Amazon Inspirations. The one piece that really caught my eye was this parrot, made entirely from Kaffe Fassett fabrics. Again, my apologies for not having the maker's name. (If anyone can provide names, I'll happily add them...)


























Lastly, here are two photos of some of the small quilts awaiting the auction. A "Mini Quilt Live Auction" was held on Saturday afternoon; we had left by then, but I'm sure it was great fun.
123 small quilts were made and donated for auction by members of the six participating guilds! Very impressive indeed!

Peace,
Linda

There should be an eighth day of the week called SEWDAY, where all you do is sew all day long.

And... More Quilts!

Are you ready for another walk around the Broward Quilt Expo? Got your comfy walking shoes on? No need for a lot of chat, let's get going. Again, in random order, here are more of my favourites (yes there were many favourites!) Warning, this post is photo heavy...

First a few more wonderful pieced quilts...






You know anything blue always catches my eye.
This quilt hung so beautifully, perfectly straight and square.















Dimensional Star by Joanne Oelschlanger

So beautifully quilted by Eleanor Sasnett







Although blue will always be my most favourite colour to work with, I have to admit, red is growing on me...


Free Range Sheep by Elena Madara
Quilted by Nora Bordach

The border fabrics were cute sheep prints, and I really liked the block design...



(This RED one is for you, JKS!)

Owl in the Nines by Charlotte Noll really appealed to me visually. Isn't the optical illusion well done?

Honorable Mention, Small Pieced, Single Maker.

There were some wonderful appliqué quilts to admire.. Appliqué is not my thing, but I sure do appreciate them and how much time and skill goes into them....


Anna's Blue Baskets
by Rose Valentine
(I am sorry, I don't have the quilter's name for this one.)

Honorable Mention, Appliqué Duo








Wow! Look at all those perfectly turned edges...
And what a great choice of background fabric.


ULV Breadfruit by Rose Valentine

1st Place, Appliqué, Single Maker

Another beauty!

Ella the Elephant is Watching
by Linda Levine

Honorable Mention,
Appliqué, Single Maker

This one was incredibly beautiful!

Hungarian Rhapsody 
by Elizabeth Kiss

Special Merit for Hand Quilting



And did I get a good clear closeup shot of that beautiful hand quilting? Nooooo.... Sorry! Trust me, her hand quilting stitches were fine and even.






And we'll finish off with some wool appliqué.

Safari by Cheri Guariglia

3rd place, Appliqué, Single Maker

This was another that I could have spent a lot more time studying... the longer you looked the more you saw.















There is so much to enjoy at a quilt show. Not only are you treated to seeing some incredible work up close and personal, you can learn so much from studying the quilts... design elements, technical skills to admire and aspire to, colour combinations that you would not have thought of, border treatments, quilting designs, and so on. I feel very fortunate to have been able to attend this high quality show.

Next up I'll show you a few of the special exhibits and the quilt that won Best of Show.

Piece!
Linda

Appreciation is the act of feeling the beauty around you.

...And More Quilts

I've had a busy week, with appointments and commitments, and working on several pieces for  upcoming classes. But you don't want to hear excuses for my absence here - let's just look at more quilts from the Broward Quilt Expo. It seems like ages ago now, especially as I look out at our snow covered backyard, chickadees on the feeder, snowflakes in the air... a far cry from green grass, palm trees and dolphins seen from Sandi's deck. Sigh....

Let's look at more quilts, in no particular order... these are just some that caught my eye. I'm proud to say I know the first two quiltmakers; Carol Cheek and Brenda Sirmans are both members of Sandi's guild.

Big Yellow Sunburst 
by Carol Cheek

2nd place, Small Pieced - Single Maker

Carol made this quilt for a 2016 Guild Challenge to use half square triangles.
Well done Carol!!

Colors by Brenda Sirmans


You really have to see this quilt close up to appreciate the quilting...














Wowzers, Brenda! These lines must be 1/4" apart! Bet you worked on that for "a while"....

Meandering Thru Time and Space by Annie Weinstein

Honorable Mention, Innovative Design

Sunflower Study by Jo Wilson

So pretty! I love sunflowers.

Summer Solstice by Carl Stevens
Quilted by Helia Ricci

Honorable Mention
Two Person, Large Pieced


I thought this quilt was spectacular. Such great use of color and it hung perfectly straight and square.

This is a poor quality photo, a little blurry, but I loved the quilting design in the border.

Rainbow Gallery by Carl Stevens
Quilted by Helia Ricci

Honorable Mention
Two Person, Small Pieced


I think Carl likes Color!!

Rabbits in my Garden by Linda Nastro
Quilted by Helia Ricci



This was a quilt that you really needed to look at closely to appreciate... look below to see the amazing quilting...

  More to come tomorrow....


Piece!
Linda

Quilts are a lot like chocolate... it's hard to pick just one.

Quilts, Quilts, Quilts.

It's time to show you some of the quilts from the Broward Quilt Expo in Fort Lauderdale. The entries were varied - traditional, modern, improv, challenge pieces... there was a good variety, just what I like in a show.
I'm more of a traditional quilter but I must admit, there were a number of "modern" quilts that I really liked. Since today was the first full day of spring, and also my birthday, let's start with a big bouquet of flowers!

This is Flower Power by Sarah Michaels.

3rd Place, Appliqué Duo

5 More by Karla Irby

3rd Place, Large Pieced, Single Maker

Confusion of Life 
by Deborah Krajkowski

Design: Flutterby by Jen Kingwell
















A Day at the Sklar Museum
by Barbara Kline

Diamonds in Luxe
by Jane Taylor

Honorable Mention, Modern Design

Curiosity by Karla Irby

3rd Place, Modern Design




















The Space Between 
by Deborah Krajkowski

The darks in this quilt are from shirts worn by Deb's husband and sons when they were younger.















I really liked the quilting on this one. I thought it was very effective, with the wavy lines softening the graphic angular lines.  Deb is a friend of Sandi's. She has recently opened a long arm quilting business, Quiltographic. She is doing great work, be sure to click on the link to see some of her awesome quilting.





Peace,
Linda

"The older you get, the better you get. Unless you're a banana." ~ Betty White