Tuesday 16 June 2020

June Blooms, Patchwork Blocks and Relishing Sunshine

Quarantined still; however a few restrictions are relaxing which is giving me mixed feelings.  I'm adopting a wait and see attitude about it as much as I would love to hug certain people.

It's going to be another happy week in the garden. Every day now something new is opening.
More iris blooming...this one not at all showy like the purples.
A little hard to appreciate their colours which are delicate. There are two large bunches of this Yellow Flag Iris here.
And all the sun we've been enjoying encouraged the rose bushes that border the front walkway to come into bloom, a little earlier than usual.  They will now bloom for the summer months.  The bees love them.  These are not a favourite of mine (though I appreciate their beauty)...they wither quickly into brownish blobs and with the thorns, I have to use shears to cut them off. And there are a lot of them. I've not been able to pin down their name but they remind me of a hardy old style garden rose like the wild ones I'm familiar with in Newfoundland. Let me know what you think they are.
 I'm still weeding lots, an hour or so each day, but now nothing urgent to do or overwhelming. 
I'm happy to say that the flowering Weigelia, Sonic Bloom, that I planted seems to have rooted well and the bees are also enjoying those pretty blossoms.
Hubby found a surprise when he checked our propane tank.  This looks like a red squirrel's nest. It would have been very cosy indeed with all that white fluffy insulation gotten from the nearby garage ceiling.  Make no wonder we have so many of those little guys running around.
  I like this latest Grandmother's Flower Garden block because I love indigo shades. 
I've hemmed and hawed and finally settled on white for the centers.  I tried blue, grey and black; the black probably worked the best but I'd had my fill with black centers when I worked on the dresden project. It was a toss up really.  This week I hope to sort out how many to stitch together to begin hand quilting them. I have a lot of blue in my cupboard but as we know, not all shades play well together. But I'm good for the meantime and still enjoying the EPP stitching.

A couple more of the Solidarity blocks have been stitched by machine. Good practice for me. And two of the appliqued ones ready to be stitched this week.  This is Jane Gregory's block and I was pleased with how it turned out. I might even be able to handle a log cabin design which is on my bucket list. 
And this one which is Jane Bromberg's block.
Well, my sunny world outside my door is completely enchanting me.  Every green possible is there and all the pretty flowery colours too.  Am I so taken with it all because for so much of the year our world is made up of greys and white, I wonder. 
I hope your June days are as interesting to you where ever you live and whatever season you are experiencing. 
Linking this post with Home Sewn By UsLove Laugh Quilt and Our World Tuesday.






22 comments :

Mary in Peoria Handmade said...

Oh my -I don’t think I would get much done if I had your garden. I would just sit there in awe.
Janes block is adorable. Enjoy your day.

Brian's Home Blog said...

Your flowers are so darn pretty, we can almost smell their magic!

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Those iris are really beautiful, Jocelyn! They do look very delicate. I love the combination of reds and pinks in your Solidarity blocks, too. That one that has the log cabin-ish shape is so pretty! Enjoy your beautiful garden and yard - it always looks lovely!

PaintedThread said...

That squirrel nest does look very comfy. What a surprise when you opened your tank! Your blocks are beautiful - I especially like the indigo one.

Jenny said...

It's always nice to see garden photos, and admire the latest blocks you have stitched. Am I right in thinking that red squirrels are not as common as grey ones?

Home Sewn By Us said...

Hi Jocelyn! Wow, that's one large nest. I'm glad you found it in time and were able to encourage them to move on. I just planted a small Wegelia plant that is happily blooming this Spring. I'll have to remember to take a picture of it to share next Thursday! I love your blocks especially the Solidarity ones. Those fabrics are fab. Thanks for linking up this week. ~smile~ Roseanne

Deborah said...

Beautiful flowers. I am also bei g cautious as our province jas just gone to stage 2 opening. June is beautiful after having snow since September.

Nancy J said...

Squirrel nest, I have learned something new.wish we had them down here.love your flowers,brightening our dull almost winter day.

Ruth Hiebert said...

I am not a quilter, but the last two blocks are gorgeous to in my eyes.

Michelle Ridgway said...

What beautiful blooms and what a treat for the bees. That's one clever squirrel and definitely looked cosy and snug. Your sewing blocks are looking great too!

audrey said...

So nice to walk through your garden with you.:) I'm sure there is some uncertainty with how to proceed after such strict lockdowns and cautionary tales. Thankfully, there are more recognized and tried and true procedures for those who may eventually fall ill to this virus. Now that they know more about it, hopefully they are experimenting less and less on people!

Vicki in MN said...

Oh boy I love all your posies, thank you for sharing, they are just so uplifting!

MissPat said...

What a lovely view of your garden and so many projects going on. I'm finishing the binding on my Centred quilt-along quilt. I need to post the finish this week. We've had a couple of very nice days weather-wise, but the heat is coming back for the weekend.
Pat

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

I love your iris's!! so very pretty I think they are one of my most favorite flowers. The red and pinks go so well together I love the tiny red squares. I don't feel comfortable going out yet even though some restrictions are opening up - I think there are still too many increases of virus cases here for me to wander around much

Yvonne said...

Beautiful flowers in your garden. It is so nice to spend time outside isn't it?
That and a little patching, quilting and sewing can make a day perfect. Your blocks are pretty.

Michele McLaughlin said...

It's so much fun visiting your garden! That squirrels nest is fascinating! I never saw one up close like that! I love your indigo hexie star. I think the white center is great because it makes the star really show up! Have a wonderful day!

Chopin - A Passionate Quilter said...

Pretty flowers, the Solidarity blocks are almost a salmon/coral color way. Very pretty. Like the Flower Garden block also. Hugs

Nana said...

Such a cosy nest, how nice it must have been being a babybird there.

Nana

Mary Ann Tate said...

Your garden is beautiful. I love your blocks especially the last two :)

Angie said...

Ah, Jocelyn, the joys of a garden. It continues unseasonably cool here (we have a fire going in our fireplace tonight!) and so it is taking a bit longer for things to flower. But they sure are lush from the rain! I agree with your comment about all the shades of green. A couple of years ago, a squirrel built a nest in the bottom of the barbecue, inside a wood chip bag. They are master builders!

QuiltGranma said...

What a beautiful ruffly rose that is!

Magpie's Mumblings said...

I think you have a couple of comments that just might be spam??
As for rose identification, I'm sorry that I have no idea. I think it's one of the old-fashioned roses and thus might not have a specific name and likely has many. I imagine yours has a lovely scent because most of those type do. And I think the yellow flags are pretty. I like that log cabin block variation - would make a beautiful quilt.