Tag Archives: Flowers

Color quandry

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14

I’ve been preparing to make a purple quilt for a gift, and it’s a bit of a challenge. Purple is the one color I am just not drawn to in fabric (well, that and peach, but I dislike the color peach in all things, not just fabric). So, by preparing, I mean buying fabric in purples because I have very little none in my stockpile of fabric. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this post today on design sponge, with the color of the day:

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I was reminded of the significance of the color purple in the Church, and in regards to royalty, because of how rare and expensive the dye was in ancient times.  It is a rich, vibrant color… I just don’t know why I’m not drawn to it.  Purple in the garden?  Adore it!  Photos of fields of lavender have always given me a warm, happy feeling (maybe because I’d love to be there seeing the sight firsthand!):

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and in a perennial garden?  Almost a necessity for me! I have crocuses and hyacinth blooming in my yard right now.

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Those are some lovely petals, right?! And my favorite Spring buds?  Lilacs:

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I had a part in making this gorgeous purple and grey quilt, and I even had a hard time parting with it!

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Yet I have no purple clothing and until some recent online shopping, no purple fabric.  I guess I’m just not drawn to it in textiles.  However, this Tyrian Purple yarn could change my mind, especially when I get around to watching my Craftsy knitting and crocheting classes:

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So what’s your color?  The one that just doesn’t draw you in?

What color do you buy the most often (in fabric or other products)?  Mine has to be green, hands down I have more greens and blue-greens (aqua, etc) than any other color of fabric.

I’ll share my purple fabric purchases (and hopefully some purple quilt blocks) soon…

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Dry as a bone

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9

and hotter than… well, you know.  That pretty much sums up our Summer here in Des Moines.  We had a brief thunderstorm Saturday morning, with maybe a half an inch or so of rain falling in a very short span of time, and that was the first rain we had in. a. very. long. time.   The sound of the thunder and the flashes of lightning were such a welcome sound and sight.

Typically, mid summer in Iowa the grass is a bright shade of green, the flower beds are bursting with color and blooms… (these pics were taken mostly in Des Moines Water Works Park, professionally maintained and manicured flower beds).  Most of the grass in Iowa has gone dormant, dry brown patches are the new norm, and many flower beds outside of area homes do not look nearly as nice as these.

The day I was at the park snapping these photos, and trying to get good style shots of our newest quilt, it was 98 degrees, and the humidity was incredibly HIGH.

It’s been hard to enjoy typical summer activities like bicycling, sightseeing, going to the park, etc., because it is just difficult to remain outdoors for any period of time.  Thankfully Saturday’s thunderstorm brought a little relief, and my sweetie and I were able to take the bicycles out for a ride Sunday afternoon–a very welcome break and a wonderful diversion.

I love the shot of that pink zinnia, one of my favorites, but the colors and the sunlight are just so rich.  The bumblebees and dragonflies were busy that day, and not minding the heat nearly as much as I was…

See the eye of this bumblebee?  Wild, huh? It’s amazing what you can do with a point and shoot camera when you put in a little effort.

As I said, my main reason for being out and about that day was to snap pics of our newest quilt for the new pattern cover.  I received a lot of strange looks as I carried two quilts around in nearly 100 degree weather!  This shot shows the Des Moines River in the background.

Hard to get a good quality, true color shot in such bright sunlight, but when the sky doesn’t provide you with cloud cover, you gotta do what you gotta do… (and Photoshop helps!)

Question for you quilters out there: Do you take your photos inside or outside?  Do you wait for the perfect weather conditions to come around to take your pictures?