Fritillaria Meleagris

Day 176: Many bulbs benefit from being "lifted" every few years, and although Fritillaria meleagris does nicely when left alone, mine have responded well to being brought to the surface and divided. Also known as Chocolate Lily, Checkered Lily, Guinea-Hen Flower and several other names, this plant has its origin in Eurasia. A related species (F. affinis) is native to western Washington. Mine are the European species, and were commercially grown. They currently occupy a outsized flower pot in the company of Snowflakes. Snowflakes will bloom concurrently or shortly after the Fritillaries. Snowflakes also benefit from lifting, although neither species requires it. Lifting and dividing is best done in autumn after the foliage has died back.

Dibble Time

Day 175: It's dibble time! I waited a little longer than usual to start my "8-10 weeks before last frost" seeds this year because we've been having rather chilly nights. The Pixie Bells of Ireland probably would have been okay to plant earlier since they require a chill period and have been in the fridge for ten days, but I didn't want Tricolor Daisies or hot peppers to stand too long in the sponge cells while they wait to be transplanted to the garden. That's all I'm growing this year. Tomatoes have been a remarkable failure three years in a row now, even when I've bought commercial starts. And if the truth be told, I have never, ever successfully grown any type of pepper, so Pot-a-Peño is probably doomed from the get-go. Still, the urge to plant and grow things is strong. You almost might think I believe a better world is coming.

Agate Cabochons

Day 174: Many of the types of agate shown in this image are no longer available as rough, mined out of the locations in which they were found. I was fortunate that my interest in rockhounding occurred when rock shops were common and the materials were readily available. By the time I moved here over thirty years ago, I was ready to retire from cabochon cutting, and sold my saws and grinding machinery, as well as several dozen crates of rock. I kept my mineral collection and the stones I'd cut, but they've seldom seen the light of day in the intervening years. Most of the minerals have lost their labels, but I had it for this Riker-mount display. The cabochons are all 20mm x 30mm, and include the following:

Row 1: Blue Lace, Scenic, Royal Blue, Crazy Lace, Cathedral, Tree, Montana;
Row 2: Sunset, Calico, Graveyard Point Plume, Flame, Purple Lace, Green Moss, Carnelian;
Row 3: India Moss, Buckskin, Tube, Sagenite, Anderson Dam, Seafoam Chrysoprase, Fortification;
Row 4: Parrot-wing, Chalcedony, Utah, Sunset, Mount Rainier Plume, Yellow Moss, Citron Chrysoprase;
Row 5: Dendritic, Carnelian, Horse Heaven Moss, Banded, Laguna, Arizona Flower, Powell Butte.

Faster And "Funner"

Day 173: After many years of making elaborate costumes and other clothing, I came to a conclusion: I hate machine sewing. However, I love to sew by hand. That said, I've pieced dozens of quilts with the machine, although I almost always finished them with hand-quilting. The machine-sewing phase has always been the part I least enjoyed, and by "least enjoyed," I mean asking myself over and over why I ever wanted to do this again. This new project is entirely hand-stitched, and what has come as the greatest surprise is the fact that it's going far more quickly toward the finished product, partly because each piece is fully completed once it's sewn in place...all backed, batted and quilted, done! In addition to these assembled pieces, I have an equal number done except for stitching them together. That part goes quickly, and I decided to do it that way in order to randomize the second half with hexagons identical to those in the first half. The photos show the front and the back of the quilt respectively. It's not only faster, it's "funner" to do it by hand!

Weaving Honeycomb

Day 172: With both shafted looms currently loaded with projects, I decided to do the April Weave-Along on my 16-inch rigid heddle. I suppose I could have set it up with two heddles, one functioning as one of the pickup sticks, but it was too much to think about, so I opted for using a heddle rod instead. To weave this particular pattern (cells of five up, five down), the pickup stick or the heddle rod are used with the main heddle in the up position, one row of cell sbeing formed with the pickup stick, and the staggered row of cells with the heddle rod. Each sequence is eight throws of the main colour, followed by a simple up/down made with the heavier dark blue thread. The sequence is as follows: *heddle in the up position with the pickup stick, heddle down* repeated four times; heddle up with heavy thread, heddle down with heavy thread; *heddle in the up position with the heddle rod lifted, heddle down* repeated four times; heddle up with heavy thread, heddle down with heavy thread. Honeycomb does not come into its own right until the tension is let down, and preferably, the piece has been given a good wash. Then the cells will be in greater relief. If desired, cells can be made narrower, wider, taller, shorter or in combination depending on the texture desired. It's a fun little weave!

Merry's First Birthday

Day 171: No foolin', today is Merry's first birthday! It's hard to believe that he was just a little "teacup cat" not so long ago. In fact, when I brought him home last June, he was still so small, I could hold him in my two cupped hands. I put him on the scale this morning...15.2 pounds, and still not into his full growth. And such a silly he is! Every day, he makes me laugh, sleeping on his back with all four legs out to the points of the compass, coming at me all sideways-walkin'-Hallowe'en-cat, insisting on toothbrushing and face-washing, cuddling in my arms, getting tickled. And he is very much his own person, and quite a character at that! He's still an early teen in human years, still testing the limits and boundaries, still inquisitive and anxious to learn about anything and everything. What a dear companion you are, my little Merry-cat! Happy birthday!

North To Alaska

Day 170: Seriously, I did not intend to part with this Double Wedding Ring quilt, but when a friend in Alaska asked me if I had a quilt she could purchase, I told myself, "Well, you can always make another one." Y'see, I have a Double Wedding Ring my great-grandmother made. That's one. I have a rather plain Eight-Pointed Star, hand-quilted, which my Cockatoo Cocoa helped me make (he thought it was a bird trampoline), and I have my Cathedral Window kitty quilt (also hand-quilted). I also have a hexagon kitty quilt still in the process of being quilted (it went on hold when Merry decided he liked to eat polyester fiberfill), so that brings the total of quilts in my personal possession to four, and really, how many quilts does one person need? I'm working on another one even now. I decided I could back, batt and bind the Double Wedding Ring for my Alaskan friend on a timely basis, tying it rather than quilting it by hand (an option I had considered anyway). She was thrilled with the prospect! I completed it on Sunday, and will ship it off today. I love seeing my handwork go to people who appreciate it for what it is.