The Future of Orchids

The Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum is a lovely place to be on a winter day, especially when the orchids are on display.

“The Future of Orchids: Conservation and Collaboration” features orchids from the Smithsonian and Botanic Garden collections alongside the work of Phaan Howng.

Hope Grows Here

My husband gave me a yarn bombing book by London Kaye for my birthday last year. The next day I saw a call for yarn creations for Adkins Arboretum’s Yarnstorming 2023. I raised my hand and picked a tree. I starting crocheting in January and installed with snow coming down yesterday. 44 granny squares. 1 double crochet block. 13 letters. 3 butterflies. 12 flowers. 14 leaves. 2 vines. Many stitches holding it all together. Excited to see the other trees on display March 5-April 2 at Adkins Arboretum. The grounds and trails are beautiful—you should definitely stop by! Yarnstorming reception March 12, 2:00-4:00 pm.

First Quilt

Back in February I picked up Palmiers Kiss, Icelandic Poppies Bluebell Metallic and Climbing Branches Kiss from Jen Hewett’s Unruly Nature collection from Gather Here. No real plan for them, they were just too lovely to resist.

I liked the notion of trying a quilt/throw, but didn't want to cut those yummy patterns into tiny pieces. Several searches of big block quilts later, I had some ideas, but no real pattern. Then I picked up a fourth print from the collection, Metallic Bluebell Cup And Saucer Vine, from Three Little Birds along with some speckled backing fabric.

Some more thinking had me finally cutting into the fabric, using my ruler as the size guide.

I arranged the pieces, mixing and matching as I went. I have pieces and fabric left, but like where it landed size-wise after a day of sewing.

I'm my mother's daughter, so this one was destined for hand quilting.

Stitch, stitch, stitch, then it was time to give self binding a try.

Fabric from Jen Hewett’s Unruly Nature collection
Assembled blocks using Jen Hewett’s Unruly Nature fabric

Love Across the USA - 2022

Love Across The USA is a public art project led by renowned street artist London Kaye. The collective of stitchers creates large, powerful crochet art installations that amplify the voices and visions of women from the past and present that are changing the world. The organization was founded by OLEK in 2017.

I had the pleasure of taking part in two of this year’s murals.

The first was the Peace for Ukraine mural. I contributed a square to one of three murals displayed. I was excited that my square made its way to New York City and I was able to visit the finished piece hanging in the Oculus.

The second mural I contributed to was in celebration of Ruth Bader Ginsberg. This piece hung outside the Dallas Central Library in Texas.

Love Blooms Here

I’m excited to share that my piece, “Love Blooms Here,” now graces a traffic box in Riverdale Park. The basis for this piece is hand-stitched felt rectangles. I arranged the pieces, photographed them, and tranferred them to a digital file. The finished rendering was selected for display on a traffic box at 4801 Madison Street, Riverdale Park.

Thank you to the Hyattsville Community Development Corporation and Town of Riverdale Park, in collaboration with Verizon and the Maryland State Highway (SHA), for making this opportunity available. Learn more and see the list of other newly installed traffic boxes.