Flower Moon

 Oh my gosh, now that I'm making a block for every full moon it seems as though it's always full moon time! I wanted to post this before May's full moon which is Sunday, because of it's alignment to the Earth it's suppose to look a lot bigger than usual. They say the best time to see this is when the moon is first rising above the horizon or as it is going down at sunrise.
This months full moon was known as "Flower Moon or Planting Moon or Milk Moon by the North Eastern Native Americans. Called flower/planting moon because they could tell by the wild flowers blooming that it was time to get ready to plant their gardens and harvest wild berries.
When the wild rose bloomed it was the best time to gather basket grass and cedar roots. When the White oak leaves we're  the size of a mouse's ear it was time to plant corn.
Planting corn, beans and squash together was a traditional practice, they called them the three sister.
Also called milk moon because many types of animals give birth at this time and nurse their babies.
This information comes from the book Magical Moons and Seasonal Circles by Susan Betz. This is only a small amount of information in her book. It also has a lot of great ideas to share with children.
So this is my May's Flower block, I picked a piece of fabric with a pale pink flower on it as most years all of the pink flowering trees are in full bloom now, granted this years their already finished. Last night I began appliqueing it in bed. Sunday night I will be quilting it by the light of the moon, (ok that sounds wonderful but I will be near a lamp).

I made this block two years ago when I started my "earth journal" quilt, just planning on doing a few moons now and then. The May moon is also know as the "pink" moon due to all the blooming pink tree blossoms and flowers.
I embroidery in the dates on all the blocks,