Flora

Today is reveal day on the Art Quilts Around the World Blog. The theme for this challenge is "Flora"

In February I had a chance to take a class with Beth Wheeler and Lori Marquette about Altered Photo Artistry. I learned SO MUCH about my Photoshop Elements program, which fabrics are good to print on, printers and inks. There was even a little bit about rust dyeing. I really enjoyed this class and plan to play with this technique again and again! The possibilities are endless.

I took this photo last summer at our farm in Southwestern Wisconsin (in the US). This is the nodding thistle or musk thistle. Although it is classified as a noxious weed in many states I always looks forward to seeing these flowers each summer. They are so complex and interesting. Click here to see all the other quilts from this challenge.

Prairie Renewed

This flower has many names around here: Wild Bergamot, Bee Balm,

Monarda Fistulosa and Horsemint Wild Yarrow and Queens Anne's Lace

Green headed Coneflower

We have lived on our farm for 6 years now. We do not have livestock. My husband likes to joke that we grow rocks and weeds. In actuality we are growing a habitat to help preserve wildlife. Every year I see new flowers in the fields. They are multiplying and spreading. The population of birds that nest here is growing too. This year the bluebird population was much larger than it has been. For the first time we had a nesting pair of Baltimore orioles stay the season.

The heavy rains early in the season produced grass taller than I have seen before, some coming up as high as 5 1/2 feet tall. I can see where Frank Lloyd Wright received his design inspirations. He was born in our county and his summer home and studio are in nearby Spring Green, WI.

The Road to a Friend's House

I stopped off at the Homestead Cabin Retreat on Friday to drop off an order to one of Patsy's guests, Amy, who I met at the retreat last December. It turned out the rest of Patsy's guests were women I had met at an earlier retreat from the Life's a Stitch Quilt Shoppe. It was great to see everyone again. I had been lamenting that I wouldn't be able to attend the next meeting of the Piecemaker's Quilt Guild which meets at the retreat monthly. The entire drive to Patsy's place is blazing with wildflowers in July. I was very glad to have an excuse to stop in. Thanks Amy! Patsy has created a wonderful setting to come relax and create. Oh, and the food! I can't wait for my next stay at her Homestead. This photo was taken enroute to the retreat. It features a mix of Black Eyed Susans and Daisies.

I also had a stop at my friend Susan's house. This is the first time I have been to her house in the summer time. What a treat. She has flower gardens everywhere, each garden is it's own "room". Her husband purchased a train caboose a few years ago. As far as I knew it was filled with junk. Much to my surprise She and her husband had cleaned things up and made it into a wonderful guest cabin for their kids. TOO COOL! I wish I had taken pictures. She had couple old iron beds with lovely quilts on them and all the furnishings were early antiques. Susan had been hand dyeing silk scarves and they were all strung out to dry in the windows. Susan has an amazing spirit and is always wonderful to be around.

I took my time driving home and stopped to take pictures along the way. I found a teepee tucked away in a little island of mowed grass.

The sun was obscured by clouds on and off all evening. I love seeing the rays of light from filtered sunlight.

The shot below was taken on the road to my house. The yellow flowers are a small wild relative of the sunflower. They grow on many roadsides throughout the Midwestern US.