wildflowers

Friday check in: apologies, iris, and works in progress from With Strings Attached

I apologize that I haven't commented on your blog posts this week. I use Bloglovin and it was down for several days. It's back today, fortunately. (Barbara recommended Feedly and I'm going to set that up. Better to have two blog feeds than none.)

The AAUW summer luncheon was Tuesday. No program, just pleasant conversation. We had was a silent auction to benefit our STEM scholarship. I contributed some of the patchwork potholders I made for Joy's Table Scraps and this quilt as well as a stack of books that I'd read or that I ...

added by Nann 1 year, 10 months ago. under finished or not friday , mug rugs , wildflowers

Weekly update: wildflowers, work in progress, and a lot of reading from With Strings Attached

Spring Bluff is just a mile from home so I walked there and back this afternoon.

A bumble bee on wood betony (also called Canadian lousewort). Wild geranium, Virginia creeper (with horsetail in the background), false Solomon's Seal, golden Alexander, horsetail, fleabane.

Blanding's Turtles are an endangered species that is closely monitored. From Wikipedia: "Blanding's turtle is of interest in longevity research, as it shows little to no common signs of aging and is physically active and capable of reproduction into eight or nine decades of life."

This one is about a foot long. There are three ...

added by Nann 1 year, 11 months ago. under cwrsrp , design wall monday , lake county forest preserves , monday making , oh scrap! , reading , weekly update , wildflowers

Weekly update: wildflowers, saying goodbye, music, the payoff, some music + quilts + reading from With Strings Attached

Wildflowers at Lyons Woods: trillium, yellow rocket, garlic mustard. Bristly buttercup, forget-me-not, cow parsnip, white and purple violets. (It's a great year for violets -- there are a lot in our yard, too.)

Apple ("eating apple," the app called it), crabapple, brand-new oak leaves.

The memorial service for our good friend Bob was Saturday morning. Such a wonderful tribute to a long life, well-lived! (Here is his obituary.) There were many people -- his widow, four daughters, most of the 17 grandchildren, and many of the great-grandchildren -- and so many friends. Bob and Liz hosted more than 30 exchange students through ...

added by Nann 1 year, 11 months ago. under design wall monday , lake county forest preserves , monday making , mug rugs , oh scrap! , reading , weekly update , wildflowers

Weekly update: signs of spring, almost finished, and two good books from With Strings Attached

Though it was a chilly, windy 19 yesterday, today it got up to 52. I snapped a photo of just-emerged skunk cabbage along the trail in the ravine at the end of our block. Spring is in the air!

# # # # # # #

I'm up to the binding on the Double X / Old Maid's Puzzle quilt. (I did correct the mis-turned hourglass block....see Wednesday's post.)

This wooden binding bobbin was a favor at the Magpies' 2018 meetup. It's very handy. I fold the binding in half as I sew it, rather than pressing it ahead of time.

UPDATE (Monday ...

added by Nann 2 years, 1 month ago. under cwrsrp , design wall monday , monday making , oh scrap! , reading , weekly update , wildflowers

Weekly update: wildflowers, golf, and a wedding from With Strings Attached

The last week of summer has been sunny, warm, and dry.

Top center: closeup of goldenrod florets; middle center: liatris with a bumblebee; right center: aster; lower right: another aster. Lower left: thistledown!

Fringed gentian are blooming now. Look closely at the petals to see the fringes. What a beautiful color!

# # # # # #

The 21st Annual Jack McElmurry Golf Outing was Friday. We used to have the event in May when it was likely to be chilly. The pandemic pushed the 2020 outing to September. The change worked well both years and we're going to stick with it.

We are 'major ...

added by Nann 2 years, 7 months ago. under illinois beach , rotary club , wedding , weekly update , wildflowers

Weekly update: wildflowers, monarchs, baskets, RSC, and reading from With Strings Attached

Not-too-hot and not-too-humid meant comfortable forest preserve walks this week. We stayed close to home (Spring Bluff), twelve miles (Raven Glen West), and 35 miles (Heron Creek). Just south of Heron Creek is Reed-Turner Woodland Preserve owned by the Long Grove Park District. A nice bonus!

Right: a monarch and a bee with compass plant.

Sawtooth sunflower, tall boneset, goldenrod. Jewelweed, false aster, Drummond's aster. Panicled aster, grass-leaf goldenrod, purplestem aster.

# # # # # # #

The guild met in person on Wednesday evening. There were eight entries in the challenge. Voting was easy: choose your favorite. I didn't win but I'm ...

added by Nann 2 years, 7 months ago. under design wall monday , lake county forest preserves , monday making , oh scrap! , reading , rsc 2021 , weekly update , wildflowers

Weekly update: turkeys, flowers, scraps, OMG, and reading from With Strings Attached

It's been too hot and too humid for energetic explorations. I stayed closer to home today with a walk in the ravine at the end of our block.

Jewel weed, lobelia, elderberries, and an aster.

On the street on the other side of the ravine I saw a car come forward, back up, come forward, back up, and come forward again. It was Glenn and Patty. She rolled down the passenger window and said, "Wild turkeys behind the red house!" and they drove on.

This is as close as I could get -- I don't know the people who ...

added by Nann 2 years, 8 months ago. under design wall monday , monday making , oh scrap! , omg 2021 , quiltville , reading , scrap quilts , weekly update , wildflowers

Weekly update: wildflowers closer to home and reading from With Strings Attached

The Lake County Forest Preserves have published the 2021 Hike Lake County Challenge list. Every year they designate 13 of the preserves for HLC and put up trail markers. Go to at least seven of the designated sites and walk the trails between August and November, then send in the completed log to get a souvenir medallion. We're off to a good start -- we've checked off three!

New England aster or Michaelmas daisy -- first aster I've seen. Fall is coming. (Michaelmas is September 29.)

Bridge over Sequoit Creek at Sun Lake

Touch-me-knot or jewelweed.

Fencepost at Waukegan ...

added by Nann 2 years, 8 months ago. under lake county forest preserves , reading , wildflowers

Weekly update: wildflowers and reading from With Strings Attached

Storms blew through at the beginning of the week and ushered in a string of absolutely perfect days: 80 degrees, low humidity, no clouds.

Swamp thistle, spotted joe-pyeweed, white snakeroot.**

Field thistle, cutleaf coneflower, mullein, Baldwin's ironweed, woodland sunflower.

** [ Also tall boneset, white sanicle, richweed. "Exercise cation. This plant contains a toxin called tremetol which causes a potentially fatal illness. What's more, if animals who are lactating eat white snakeroot the tremetol can be passed on to humans who drink the milk. Many early European settlers are suspected to have died of this so-called'milk-sickness' before they understood ...

added by Nann 2 years, 8 months ago. under hawthorn hollow , illinois beach , reading , weekly update , wildflowers

Weekly update: getting closer from With Strings Attached

As we were returning from one of our forest preserve walks we saw the crane family enjoying the summer afternoon. (I think it's two parents and their young.)

We, too, took advantage of the sunshine and visited three forest preserves (Old School Van Patten Woods Des Plaines River canoe launch (the latter has a trail along the river)) and Hosah Park (Zion's piece of the lakefront, wedged between the north and south units of Illinois Beach State Park).

Purple coneflower, lady fern, common reed. Sumac, woodland sunflower. Purple loosestrife with a bumble bee, burdock in flower (a little ...

added by Nann 2 years, 8 months ago. under design wall monday , illinois beach , lake county forest preserves , monday making , oh scrap! , reading , wedding quilt , weekly update , wildflowers

Friday update: design change, interrupted (RSC) from With Strings Attached

A wildflower medley at Van Patten Woods

Barn Quilts was the topic at the Zoom quilt guild meeting on Wednesday. Suzi Parron has traveled across the country to document these bold outdoor art installations. She says there are at least 16,000 barn quilts and the list keeps growing.

# # # # # #

I made a significant design change on the wedding quilt that required three evenings with the seam ripper. I'll show you the details in the Weekly Update next Monday.

To keep my spirits from flagging I took a break and made and finished a quick project. Here are the 16 ...

added by Nann 2 years, 8 months ago. under can i get a whoop whoop , finished or not friday , rsc 2021 , table scraps , wildflowers

Weekly update: lots of wildflowers, OMG for August, and the week's nonfiction from With Strings Attached

Rabbit, rabbit! Yes, I remembered to say that first thing this morning.

Our afternoon outings this week took us to two units of Illinois Beach State Park and to two forest preserves (Pine Dunes and Grant Woods). The wildflowers are stunning. I know they've always been there but I am really alert to them this year as I've taken 'destination' walks (rather than just in the neighborhood). The Picture This app on my phone makes identification easy.

It was 90 degrees on Monday when I walked 2+ miles on the Dunes Trail at Illinois Beach. I wanted to ...

added by Nann 2 years, 9 months ago. under design wall monday , illinois beach , lake county forest preserves , monday making , oh scrap! , omg 2021 , reading , wedding quilt , weekly update , wildflowers

Weekly update: wildflowers! , blocks assembled, and reading from With Strings Attached

Signs of progress: the Zion Woman's Club board and the AAUW Waukegan Branch board met this week. Both groups met in person for the first time in over a year. It was so good to be together!

(Left: though this is specifically AAUW, it's representative of the other groups I'm in. Sitting next to one another in someone's living room after a potluck dinner!)

Stevens and I made several visits to different parts of Illinois Beach State Park and also to one of the forest preserves this past week. Here are just some of the many ...

added by Nann 2 years, 9 months ago. under design wall monday , illinois beach , lake county forest preserves , monday making , oh scrap! , reading , wedding quilt , weekly update , wildflowers

Weekly update: wildflower bounty, new scrappiness, and reading from With Strings Attached

Wildflowers are in abundance at Illinois Beach State Park and the forest preserves (McDonald Woods).

Left: creeping juniper, also called Waukegan juniper because it is native to this part of the lakeshore; shrubby St. John's wort.

Center: evening primrose. Left: white meadowsweet. Right: butterfly bush.

Soapwort, pinnate prairie coneflower, creeping thistle. Turk's cap lily (twice), bladder campion, pale purple coneflower, sawtooth sunflower.

This was new to me. rattlesnake master, eryngium yuccifolium. Also called button snakeroot or bear grass. Note the yucca-like leaves. It's very invasive. The upper-left photo shows an entire meadow of them, with a few ...

added by Nann 2 years, 9 months ago. under design wall monday , flying geese , illinois beach , lake county forest preserves , monday making , oh scrap! , reading , scrap quilts , weekly update , wildflowers

Winding up June: ALA and wildflowers from With Strings Attached

My One Monthly Goal for June was to decide on the block and design for the wedding quilt. I have many ideas but I don't have a decision. I'm close. I think.

The ALA virtual conference ended on Tuesday. Lonnie Bunch, Secretary of the Smithsonian (and former president of the Chicago History Museum) interviewed Pres. Barack Obama. In 2005 I was in the third row when then-Sen. Obama was the featured speaker at the opening session of the ALA Annual Conference. Sixteen years I had a front row seat in my studio and my husband was in the ...

added by Nann 2 years, 10 months ago. under ala annual conference , lake county forest preserves , wildflowers

Weekly update: a few wildflowers, convention and scrappy multitasking, and reading from With Strings Attached

Each year I search for flags -- wild iris. This afternoon I found them everywhere I looked. I think that's because it's been so very, very dry (as in ZERO rainfall) that the other vegetation is not as lush as usual. Even so I'm surprised that the iris are blooming in such profusion. The wild ones like wet feet. This year they're high and dry.

See the exposed roots? (Yellow are invasive; blue are native.)

I found another patch of hybrid iris. (Last week I posted a photo of the clump that comes back annually.)

Daisies are ...

added by Nann 2 years, 10 months ago. under design wall monday , monday making , oh scrap! , p.e.o. , reading , scrap quilts , weekly update , wildflowers

Midweek: Stash report, RSC, OMG from With Strings Attached

I woke up at 4:00 this morning, muttered "Rabbit, rabbit," and woke up again at 6:00. Here is why. (I first learned about RR in a Trixie Belden book I read when I was 11. Only in more recent years have I said it each month. Maybe I need good luck more these days?)

# # # # # # #

The stash report for May:

Fabric IN: 19-1/2 yards, $57 Fabric OUT: 34-3/4 Fabric IN YTD: 99-5/8, $158.50 (average $1.59/yd) Fabric OUT YTD: 217-3/8 Net reduction: 117-3/4

# # # # # # #

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge color for June is purple ...

added by Nann 2 years, 11 months ago. under illinois beach , midweek makers , omg 2021 , rsc 2021 , stash report , wildflowers

Weekly update: similar but different (part 1) from With Strings Attached

[I'm breaking the Weekly Update into two parts.]

It was warm when the week began and I pushed to get the vegetable garden planted. I bought tomato, herb, and squash and cuke seedlings but planted seeds for beans and sugar snap peas. Midweek we had a little rain (hardly enough) and a real cold snap -- we had to turn the furnace on!

The poppies are popping one by one -- the flowers don't last very long.

The peonies have lots of buds but no blossoms yet.

Farther afield:

On Saturday afternoon we revisited Pine Dunes forest preserve. Wildflowers were ...

added by Nann 2 years, 11 months ago. under lake county forest preserves , volo bog , weekly update , wildflowers

Weekly update: wildflower time and some progress from With Strings Attached

The water is still cold!

My sister came to visit on Friday. We walked in the ravine (at the end of our block) and in the state park. Though the drought continues the wildflowers are beautiful and the migratory birds are trilling away.

Phlox, false Solomon's seal, Golden Alexander, Star of Bethlehem (a garden escapee), fringed puccoon aka narrowleaf stoneseed, sweet Cicely, mayapple, wild columbine (aquilegia).

Puccoon, blue-eyed grass, lupine, chokecherry, daisy fleabane, and what the i.d. app calls Umbellate Bastard Toadflax which to me sounds like a Shakespearean insult.

Every year I look for this patch of ...

added by Nann 2 years, 11 months ago. under design wall monday , illinois beach , monday making , mug rugs , oh scrap! , reading , weekly update , wildflowers

Weekly update: workshop WIP, a goal met, a surprise project, and books from With Strings Attached

I hope everyone had a pleasant Mother's Day!

When we began exploring the forest preserves the walks seemed longer because I wasn't familiar with the trails. The path around Lake Carina, a reclaimed gravel pit, is just a mile.

Upper right: strawberries. Middle right: black mustard (an nasty invader). Lower left: puccoon. I haven't identified the other two.

# # # # # # #

Eleanor (Ellie) Levie was the quilt guild speaker Wednesday evening by Zoom (she lives in Philadelphia). Her lively presentation "American Quiltmaking 1970-2000" is a version of the book she wrote (see photo). I have owned Great Little Quilts, her ...

added by Nann 2 years, 11 months ago. under batik quilt , design wall monday , eleanor levie , monday making , nlcqg , oh scrap! , reading , scrap quilts , wildflowers

What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?