Earth Day/ Birthday/ Full Moon block

Our skies cleared in time for the Full moon and I was ready for it with my moon block waiting to be quilted.

This year with it being Earth day, my 60th birthday and a Full moon I had fun making a block to include all.

I appliqued on the moon, padded with extra batting, embroidered on the "60" candles and flames on top, and also embroidered on trees representing the Earth.

Hopefully this isn't an omen that we will have to plant trees on the moon to live:(

Full moon night I sat in bed and quilted it under the moon and my new "beam and read" battery light.

I designed this summer wall hanging to stitch with my wools.
Each layer of the bee skep will be a different yellow.
This past week I began dyeing, a little each day.

A couple of layers were dyed with Osage orange tree bark.

I love these little pieces of plaid and striped wool. I buy them from www.primitivegatherings.us  It's a wonderful quilt shop I buy little bundles of this wool, just enough to use for applique. (There's no chunks cut out of them.)

Another row was dyed with dried dyers chamomile from my garden last summer.

Of course, I needed daffodils and was not able to find any cut daffodils in the stores, my friend put a message on Facebook and one of her friends donated these to give to me! How wonderful was that, thank you Deb.
I soaked them a few days in water than simmered them in the dye bath with a piece of wool.

 

Saturday I woke to find this pail full of dandelions picked by my young neighbor girl and left on my porch. She came back later and helped me dye the wool. She's 10 and love herbs, natural dyes and making natural skin creams with me. She'll be a great herbalist someday.

Dyed with dandelions.

And this is the "collection"
Starting on the left, daffodils, dandelions, chamomile and two Osage orange.

I planted some "Ancient sweet pepper" seeds.

I wanted to show you the "green house" I started them in.

This is an organic egg carton you buy filled at the store.
It has a drain tray on the bottom and the plastic lid on the top that the sun will shine through.

Tribute to my mother

Since my last post 6 or so weeks ago my life has changed as it does for so many with elderly parents. Mine are now in need of help with their daily life, I spend a couple hours or so with them almost every day, finding many blessings in this time. I was fortunate to have wonderful parents and lucky to be able to give my time back to them. (not to say I'm not exhausted and in need of some "me" time but I'm trying to squeeze that in).
My mom was never really a quilter but loved to mend clothes. In the mid 1980's when trapunto quilting became popular using young girls bright thick hair yarn for the stuffing, my mom fell in love with it and made several pieces.
I've been appreciating them all over again, they have my moms quiet, kind spirit and love of flowers and nature in them.
I wanted to share a few with you.

She made quite a few pillows.

And I love this happy sunshine with butterflies.

And don't forget Friday, Earth day and full pink moon. I'm working on a block to add to my moon journal. And the "60" candles on top represents my "earth day birthday".
Hopefully,  I'll see you next Tuesday or Wednesday and share my completed moon block and new quilt design and natural dyeing with you!