Foto-finish Saturday - red

First I want to wish all the May for Me Bingo players lots of luck as you fill out your Bingo quilts!  I like bingo but I never win, though.


Barbara at Cat Patches chose the color red for today's foto-finish topic.  I've always liked red, and I always like the strawberries I get from Costco!  I had a few left in the fridge, so I snapped a picture before I finished them off, by now they're long gone - time to get some more! 

Why is it my reds don't look truly red when I take a picture? 

Years ago I used to look forward to strawberry season at Butler's Orchards at the end of May; then I'd go pick oodles and oodles of strawberries to make jam!  As time went on I didn't like all that stooping, bending, or moving about on my knees that you have to go through to pick the berries, so I would wait for blackberry season the end of July, because they grow on bushes -- not hard on the knees or back, plus they pick faster.  Because of the unusually warm weather we've had lately, I understand Butler's strawberries will be ready early, maybe in a couple weeks.  Maybe I'll do apples this year.

I believe Barbara's weekly themes are always interesting because you never know how the theme will be interpreted. Go visit her blog at Cat Patches, where you'll see other foto finish links.

Sew forth and sew on, have a great Saturday!

Foto-finish: ribbon

Is it Saturday already??  They say time flies when you're having fun, but I believe it flies whether you're having fun or not!  Not that this week hasn't been fun... I went shopping with a friend, had lunch with another, got to trundle one more time in the Hancock's store, saw a movie and managed to get a little sewing time in!

This morning I was sleeping peacefully when a large truck woke me up just after 8 o'clock - there's an alley behind my house and for some reason he/they chose to go grinding through there.  When I realized today is Foto Finish day, I decided to photograph some ribbon I happen to have in my sewing room upstairs....

I usually buy new Christmas ribbon on sale every year and the ones that don't get used are stored away in a Christmas wrap bin.  But those pretty ones that come in a large bag or on a cardboard?  Somehow they get crushed, and I end up buying more anyway!  I've gotten better at resisting the sales, though. 

Isn't this pink ribbon pretty?  It was given to me earlier this year at Bath & Body Works when I bought some soaps and lotions.  It's not Christmas ribbon but I thought I'd throw it in.

I believe Barbara's weekly themes are always interesting because you never know how the theme will be interpreted.  Go visit her blog at Cat Patches, where you'll see other foto finish links.

Have a great Saturday, I got sewing to do after I finish breffus - sew forth and sew on!

Foto-finish Saturday - Holiday Decor

This week's Foto Finish theme is "Holiday Decor"

Yesterday evening a friend and I visited Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland, to view their walk-through holiday light show, now in it's 15th year. 

According to their brochure, the display has close to 1 million lights shaped in displays such as a flock of flying geese, an 11 foot giraffe, and the four seasons.  It was a very interesting display, the walk-thru took about a half hour.

I saw some designs that made me go "awwwww", such as this loch ness monster with her wee babe, complete with sound effects.  Her name is "Nessie" and she floats atop a sea of blue lights...

Close by was her friend; we couldn't decide if it was a poipoise or a dolphin...

... lets assume it's a dolphin, since I'm not sure how to spell the other word!

There were so many other displays that were really beautiful to look at, but when I took a picture it lost A LOT in translation.  It's tricky trying to photograph bright lights - the pictures just looked like unidentifiable globs, so I didn't even bother to save em.  I think we can recognize this as a beehive though. See the little bee in the corner?

There was a polar bear pulling a wagon that the kids could sit on for a picture, a lovely gazebo that in real life is used for weddings, clusters of grapes hanging from trees, a gigantic giraffe, flowers, squirrels chasing each other up a tree, a rainbow.  This moon came out pretty good though...

At about the halfway point we went into the hospitality center to warm up a bit, where the Rockville Swing Band was preparing to perform.  And wonder of wonders, the saxophone player was someone who used to work at my agency!  Small world.

And speaking of small, inside the Conservatory there was a train display set up, complete with a tiny village. 

It was a very attractive display, we saw lots of parents with kids and they were having a ball.  The entire conservatory was well laid out and cleverly decorated.  It was all about lights though; not much of a nod to Christmas.

You can click on the Foto-Finish icon on the right to see other interpretations of this week's theme.  It will take you to Barbara's blog at Cat Patches, where you'll see their links.

 

Sew forth and sew on

Foto-Finish Saturday - Cold

Barbara at Catpatches has a weekly Foto-Finish challenge and since December is upon us, this week's theme is "cold".  These pictures were taken during "Snowmageddon" last year.

The first one is looking out my front door...

looking over the fence at the alley in back of my house... 

brrrrr!!!

Click on the Foto-Finish icon on the right to see other interpretations of the theme. 

Sew forth and sew on til later...

Foto Finish: Birds

Felicia slices The Bird on Thanksgiving day.

To see other Foto Finish entries, please visit Barbara at Cat Patches!

Sew forth and sew on

Foto-FInish Saturday - What is it?

Barbara at Cat Patches has chosen "What is it" as today's foto-finish theme.

So, what is it, can you tell??

fungus? spaghetti?

Nope, it's a package of rubber bands!

Click on the Foto Finish icon at the right to see more of today's theme.

Foto-Finish Saturday - "Pink"

This week's photo subject is pink, as in "pretty in pink". 

Bath & Body Works is one of my favorite shops, you can always find something both affordable and good to smell!  In January I got the two 8 oz. bottles of peppermint scented anti-bacterial hand soap pictured above because they were reduced to $1.25 each, not a bad deal.  Their products are not tested on animals, so I guess they use people instead?

Now, one of my favorite products in my favorite shop is the Aromatherapy soaps and lotions.

I really like the Stress Relief eucalyptus spearmint fragrance; it smells great, maybe that combination relaxes you?  I know it clears your nose. 

My second favorite is the Energy mandarin lime, it smells so good, makes you want to hop around! I haven't tried the Sleep yet, so I don't know if it encourages sleep or not - this one is lavender vanilla.  I only buy these when they're on sale!

You can click on the Foto-Finish icon on the right to see other interpretations of this week's theme.  It will take you to Barbara's blog at Cat Patches, where you will see their links.

Sew forth and sew on til later

Foto-Finish Saturday - "Spring"

For this week's photo finish assignment, Barbara at Cat Patches chose "spring" and I'm ready for it!  So long snow, icy roads, uncleared sidewalks, messy commutes, and maniac drivers showing off their 4-wheel drive. 

What says spring better than good ole forsythias!?  I was over at the Fabric Peddler (in Capitol Heights, Maryland) yesterday and I just happened to have my camera with me, so I snapped a couple shots of the forsythias in front of Nadine's shop.  

The close up below is from another angle, they're really full and look so pretty in real life. 

 

As pretty as these are, my intention was to go to the orchid exhibit at the museum down on the Mall and get some shots, but I didn't have time.  I didn't get any pictures for today's theme but I still have until sometime next month to see the exhibit!

Well, that's my spring photo; click on the Foto-Finish icon on the right to see other interpretations of this week's theme.

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Today is also national quilting day!  This is a springtime postcard I made for a coworker's birthday last year; her birthday was March 14 ...

I free-cut the branches from a piece of fused brown fabric, and the music came from a piece of black-and-white fabric.  She loved it!  She said "oooh that's nice, maybe I'll keep this!"  sheesh.

Well, enjoy your Saturday!  Sew forth and sew on til later...

Foto-Finish Saturday - "Weather"

Hi everybody, I'm back!  When I started out I meant to do a post every day, but that's not necessary, is it?  Sometimes life has a way of jumping in!  Oh well ...  :o)

It's ironic that Barbara at Cat Patches chose "Weather" as this week's photo finish assignment because of all the devastation caused by the weather this past week.  This photo was taken during a windstorm on Thursday, March 10 in Seattle, Washington:

Waves are shown crashing against the State Route 520 Bridge as the sun sets over Lake Washington. During the evening commute winds gusting to 50 mph slowed traffic to a crawl and dumped water on cars stuck on the bridge.  Notice the sea gull silhouetted in the foreground.

I undestand that the bridge usually closes when wind gusts reach 50 mph for a 15 minute period, but for some reason this didn't happen on Thursday. 

Click on the Foto-Finish icon on the right to see other interpretations of the theme. 

Sew forth and sew on til later...

Foto-Finish Saturday - "Stripes"

I found the perfect candidate for this week's photo-finish theme - "Stripes"

While I was at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival last week I saw this lovely quilt and had to get a picture!  I regret that I lost the paper with the owner's name, but it's really pretty, isn't it?  The parallel stripes moving in different directions is what caught my attention...  it has clean lines and has a simple elegance of color and style that makes it stand out.

You can see other interpretations of the theme by clicking the Foto Finish button on the right.  

Foto-Finish Saturday - Dots

Today's photo-finish theme is "Dots."

Can you guess what this is a close-up of??

My guild is giving a bus trip to the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival in Hampton, Virginia, today - see you there!

Foto-Finish Saturday -- Love

Barbara at Catpatches has a weekly Foto-Finish challenge, and this week's theme is "love".

I made this quiltie for my guild's 2010 "quiltie of the month" for February - the theme was "Love is in the Air."  The couple were fussy-cut from yardage that I bought just because it intrigued me, with no idea what I'd do with it.  But look, I used it!!  A small piece, anyway.

I remember getting the background fabric on a shopping trip to Lancaster last year.  I think the XOXO really adds fireworks to that kiss!

Well, it's my guild meeting day - two workshops and lots of fun in store!  A nice employee at the Container Store in Rockville gave me some fabric that she doesn't think she'll use anytime soon.  I'm taking it to the meeting to share with everybody... I love opening packages, don't you?

Sew forth and sew on...