Wildflowers

It is springtime in central Texas and that means wildflowers. Now that the bluebonnets have faded, Indian blankets have taken their turn in the spotlight, filling meadows with waves of orangey red blooms.

This year I've had fun playing with a macro lens and a 100-400 mm lens to zoom in on details. If you get close you can see yellow petal tips on Indian blankets.

If you get even closer you can see who likes to nibble on those petals,

You might also find other flowers, like these tiny mountain pinks, hidden in their midst.

By getting close you can really appreciate how saturated wildflower colors are. This bloom is from a six-foot tall cactus.

There is also a surprising variety of lavender and purple flowers, such as Texas skeleton plant,

horse mint,

American basket flower,

prairie verbena,

and Venus' looking glass.

I've had my share of color in the sewing room too. I stitched up a wall hanging with the blocks I received last year though Barb Vedder's broken dishes block swap. The colors are every bit as varied and saturated as spring-time wildflowers.

I added a sawtooth border,

and quilted it with a simple geometric pattern on the long arm machine. If I were to do it over again I would use red thread on the top rather than white.

Still, I'm pleased with how it turned out and it certainly brightens up my sewing room.

Wishing you a happy spring!