Inspiration to Interpretation to Reality.

When I saw the cover of Quiltmania No. 118 I knew I would have to buy the magazine.  My maternal grandparents were born in Holland and Tulips have always been a favourite flower of mine.  About April 18 I started choosing fabrics for the flowers and then the stems and leaves.  I prepped them making Mylar heat resistant templates for the tulip pattern provided and decided that it needed leaves which I sketched and also made of Mylar templates.

I flipped the templates of both the tulips and leaves so I had reverse images to work with and decided on some blue prints and some black and whites for my backgrounds.

 Last night I finished stitching the last of the leaves and flowers.

 I had fun mixing and matching my stems and leaves.  I cut 5 sizes of tulip tops each in the same fabrics.  I think I made 21 fabric choices in the end for the flowers.  For the leaves I mixed and matched to the stems and didn't cut leaves to match all stems.

 These were hand appliqued, I have the callouses to prove it!

 Late in the game I realized I needed a few more flowers as some had disappeared so I chose two orange prints as I had a heavier pink and purple range.

 This black and white print seemed like they were birds when I first chose it but now realize they are mystery critters.  We had a lot of rain this Spring so the umbrella print seemed appropriate.

 It was fun playing with placements of the flowers, Living on the Quay there are breezes that shape the angle of the the tulips.

 Sometimes I placed similar prints close to each other as we all know not every bulb grows to their true height.

 I love the yellow to orange prints in this picture.

 This mix is one of my favourite flowers and petals.

I took this picture at the end of April.

Then on May 2 I took this one from another angle, remind you of the quilt.  They weren't even in bloom when I had chosen my fabrics!

Now to prepare a backing and get ready to quilt this piece.

Staying Focused on Tulips, Spring on the Quay and Throwback Thursday.

 I've got the first four rows sewn together,,,

 I've also got the last four sewn together.

Here they are laid out to be sewn together as a whole piece.  I'm now working on appliqueing the tulips and a few more leaves and then it will be ready for the next step.

 This is the cover quilt on Quiltmania that I used.  I've changed the size of the block, the width of the stems and designed my own leaf shapes.  I'm also doing template and starch method of applique rather than fusing as the pattern calls.

 This little guy has been visiting me and singing to me almost every day.

 I managed to creep a bit closer the next day to get this photo.

 Here is a short video of the wind storm we had the other day.

Here is another short video of trying to find him in the maple tree as he is singing to me.  When the video is still you can just see his head jerking as he cheeps at the bottom of the tree close to the horizontal branch.

Spotted a heart on this poppy in the centre.

 The heart poppy is the top of the five in this photo.

 Look at all the flowers on the Rosemary plant in Rita's garden.

 Walking down to Rita's there were two seagulls enjoying a respite on the deadhead tree.

 Coming back a crow came to visit with a Cormorant?

 Deciding not to talk to each other.

 Crow gone but Cormorant enjoying flexing his wings.

 The trees are filling out and the rhododendrons are in full bloom.

 Throw back Thursday to 1995 when I was interviewed by the Royal City Record about the mohair Teddy Bears I used to make and teach classes at a local quilt shop.

 I think the photographer must have taken 50 or more photos.  The big bear on my left is almost 2 feet tall and my original design.

What's going on in your neighbourhood?

Tulip Quilt in progress.

I decided to make my blocks larger and in a combination of low volume black and whites along with blue and white fabrics.  Here are the blocks laid out on my design wall.  This is from the latest Quiltmania magazine and is on the cover .

 Then I added stems which will be stitched between the blocks.

 I then started laying additional stems that will be appliqued down. Some stems will cross over two block heights. At this point I had 7 rows.

 I put up a few flowers and leaves to see how it was looking. The leaves are my design not included in the magazine.

 I decided I wanted one more row to make it 8 and also made it wider. The rows have been sewn into pairs so some of the stems will extend over the seam lines.

 Playing with tulip placements and a few leaves.

 Adding some more leaves.

 The top two rows are finished I think...you never know.  They are not the same length so I can play with how the sewn in stems will stagger down the length.

 A closer view of the tulips from left...

 Centre...the top one will be partially sewn into the binding.

and the right side.

 Now to start on rows 3 and 4.  I'm loving how this is coming together.

Tulips, projects, walking along the quay.

Here is a sampling of the tulip fabrics I'm using for my newest project.  I have one other fabric I think I'll add but haven't prepped them yet.

 Some of the stem fabrics.

 I also used them for the leaves.

 Backgrounds cut and ready to sew.

 Some of the leaves and tulip sizes and fabrics.

 Still working on my Live Each Season blocks by Stacy West of Buttermilk Basin.  The Summer first block is now available to download for a few more weeks.

 Got the latest instalment for my Down the Rabbit Hole on the weekend.  Four sides of whimsical houses, the corner blocks will be next month's goal.  Decided to wait for the house pattern before deciding on the first border print.

 Tuesday i went out for a walk along the Quay, our tulips are blooming in the cul de sac.

 These ones remind me of the colours I've picked for my tulip quilt are at the front of the building.

 Lovely white daffodils.

 So many lovely varieties of tulips planted along the public gardens on the Quay.

 Pincushion daisies are in full bloom.

 Love these yellow and white tulips against the red ones.

 Pretty mauve edged bloom matches the plant stems and leaves in the background.

 Some of the tulips are losing their petals to reveal their centres.

 Forget Me Not so delicate.

 More rhododendrons in bud.

 Rust orange mini tulips.

 Love these with their polka dot centres.

 Looking up the river there is still snow on the mountains.  April was our forth wettest in 81 years!

 Love these tulips growing up between the branches.

 Rich dark blue centre to this one.

 Hm...I wonder if he realized he matched the tulips in the foreground and in the planter behind him?

 Love these windblown tulips.

 Having a large Americano at Tre Galla with the doors wide open.

 A couple of birds decided to look for a treat.

 Gorgeous look to these yellow tulips.

 Found in Rita's Garden this pretty pink and white one...

 This one almost looks like a water lily...

 Lost in the foliage of the daffodils.

 One of her neighbours, love the dark pink accent.

 Walking home along the brickwork, the trees leaves are filling in.

 Pink with two lovely buds.

 A Great Blue Heron flew by me, I was set  for a closeup picture and he got by before I could get a profile of him flying.

 One of the tulips in the cul de sac to end the walk.