Seems Odd to Say This Today...

Give me a L!

 Give me an E!

 Give me a T!

 What do you get?  LET it snow first three letters all stitched up.  Do they not look great together.  I'm pleased how my adaptation of the female Cardinal to a female Blue Jay turned out.

 I did go out and check out some of the lovely Cherry Blossoms.  Unfortunately the day turned grey and rainy so we didn't have a spectacular blue sky to show off the blooms.

 Here are some huge white star Magnolia trees on the same street.

 You can see the pink Cherry trees farther along.

 A mix of a Camilla Rose, Star Magnolias and Pink Cherry blossom through the mossy trunk.

 Another mix of white Star Magnolia trees and pink Cherry blossoms.  Soon those cars will be covered in petals.  Often there are people posing in the middle of the street for pictures with cars trying to navigate their way.  I had to honk to get one lady to move, she almost got run over by two cars.

 Love the moss on this tree.

 The grey skies and a couple of people standing taking photos.

 Such a delicate pink.

 The trees have been peched to arch over the street.

Cherry Blossom time in Vancouver, breath taking yes?

World Quilting Weekend, Sakura and Magnolia blossoms on a rainy weekend.

In East Vancouver there is a street that is amazing each Spring.  Unfortunately our Spring started as a rainy weekend although Saturday had some lovely sunshine.  Located just north of East 1st Avenue and Windermere Street is this lovely two block stretch of flowering Star Magnolia and Cherry trees.

Looking west under the Magnolias you can see the pink of the Cherry trees at the bottom of the hill.

 Across the intersection of Windermere you can see the cars parked under the Cherry Trees and one Magnolia on the right through my windshield.  It was raining and I didn't want to block traffic by getting out of the car to take pictures.

 Driving up the hill you can see how the trees have been peched to arch over the road.  They have been battered by the wind and rain over the weekend and are dropping their petals like pink snow.

These trees have been here for more than fifty years, I love the interesting shapes to their trunks and branches.

 Grey with a touch of blue sky beyond the shades of soft pink.

 Check out the size of that trunk and how the centre branches have been trimmed to shape the tree.

 A few blocks away an incredible pink Camellia tree.  There are several spectacular ones in this neighbourhood and a pink Magnolia behind it.

 Looking back down the street offers a different perspective of the trees.

 Just gorgeous and breath taking.  Cherry trees are planted in many neighbourhoods in the city.

 The blossom are huge!

 Saturday to celebrate World Quilting Day I decided to start a new wool project.  I used a piece of Osnaburg cotton as a template.  I traced the edge of my design and then 3/4" in a second line to show an edge of what is going to be made.

 I interviewed several turquoise wool fabrics including a plaid but decided on this softer mottled one and a strip of green plaid.  I basted the fabrics onto my base and then stitched the ink lines to give me areas to work within.

 My first piece of stitching was using a variegated shades of green to join the green to the turquoise wool

I've added some motifs to the project but you will have to wait and see what comes...what is your guess?

Early Spring Flowers.

Gorgeous orange tulip in Rita's garden yesterday.



Mini yellow iris also in her garden.


Tulips in bloom along the quay.


Forget me note.


Pretty blossoms below the roses.


Daffodils with Forget me nots amongst them.


View of a weeping Cherry tree in my condo courtyard beside the pond.


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Life in the Banana Belt of Canada!

Saturday I spotted this cherry tree in bloom but didn't have my camera with me.

 Sunday I picked up my mom and took her for a drive to see it.

 We also found these old cherry trees in bloom along Victoria Drive in Vancouver.

 Graceful silhouette!

 Sitting on the grass enjoying the sunshine, life on the west coast of Canada is beautiful in the winter!

Peche Cherry Blossoms in Vancouver.

There is an iconic street in Vancouver that at this time of year speaks to Spring. On Sunday I took my mom for a drive to enjoy these lovely trees.



They have been trimmed in the Peche or Peach manner to make easier picking and this causes the trees to meet in the middle of the street.


Sunday was a bit overcast but bits of blue were in evidence. Today when I was visiting my friend Ethel who lives nearby the petals were starting to fall like snowflakes and cover the parked cars.


A street away you can see some lovely star magnolia trees in full bloom.


Another nearby street. Vancouver in the Spring has hundreds of these along with pink magnolia, flowering crab apple and soon dogwood trees to enjoy.


Today I got a copy of Quiltmania their 100 issue.


Look what I found, a lovely little piece on my dear friend and mentor Mary Lou Weidman. If you've never visited her site before, click on the link I have on the right side and it will take you there.


Congratulations Mary Lou! Continued thoughts and prayers to you wonderful Husband Mark.
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Grey Sunday morning but the cherry blossoms are in bloom.

It's another grey morning on the west coast the rain started up again this morning but the bright spot are the cherry blossoms in the courtyard.


The weeping trees are a deeper pink and they have a double blossom.


On Friday I received some more camera blocks this one is from Nancy Chan.


Beckie Stewart made this batik beauty.


Debbie Miller who owns the local quilt shop The Needle and I made this one.


Tricia Brown my twin eleven years and a day apart made this one. She also co-ordinated everyone who participated.


Sandi Bajcar chose to capture the lens as it was closing.


Lynne Fanthorpe made me this red camera.


And to finish off my first red flannel spool as a companion block to the wool calendar blocks. The next two are cut out and started to be stitched. Each spool block is a different size or sizes and colours.


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