This quilt block shows a corner. In the bottom right is a green patch of grass. This grass is smooth and is bordered by a strong stitch. On top of the corner grass is a lime green recycle bin with a gray entry slot. The recycle bin has a dark green recycle symbol penned on it and below it is a sign that's barely yellow with the green word, "Recycle" written on it. This is against a blue salmon-patterned background.

Block-A-Day 225 – The Recycling Bin

Tina August 13, 2021Block-A-Day Leave a Comment

Recycling is an important part of being a responsible member of the community. This bin is really quite large and will hold a week’s worth of recycling for this neighborhood.

This quilt block shows a patch of grass at the bottom indicated by a dark green fabric cut with a jagged edge pointing up. The grass is outlined with a yellow stitching. To the left is a small birdbath. It's a simple tan cone with a small bowl at the top to make the bath. On top of the bowl, and about half as big as it, is a red bird. It is made up of duotone polka dotted red fabric. There is a similar bird mid-flight coming to rest on the other side of the birdbath. This is all against a blue salmon-patterned background.

Block-A-Day 224 – The Small Birdbath

Tina August 12, 2021Block-A-Day Leave a Comment

The scale is appropriate and fits in nicely. It also attracts the smaller birds, even hummingbirds. The young man who lives here keeps it super clean and consequently the birds flock here.

This quilt block shows a little garden water feature (pond) against a blue background. The pond is surrounded by gray rock made of gray fabric. The rocks are individually outlined in yellow stitching. There are three patches of tall grass leaves along the back side of the rocks made up of green fabric. And inside the pond, are a couple of lily pads and a red water flower, made up of green and red fabric with some extra pen drawn details. This is all against a blue salmon-patterned background.

Block-A-Day 223 – The Garden Pond

Tina August 11, 2021Block-A-Day Leave a Comment

When you see a garden with a successful water feature where all the details are taken care of it’s a delight. What details? You know, bug control, algae control, live plants and or fish. Water gives a cooling element to a garden, a freshness that’s hard to achieve.

This quilt block shows an archway against a blue salmon-patterned background. The archway is one you would walk under for a wedding. It is covered with vines indicated by careful stitching, and flowers indicated by star shaped two holed buttons. The buttons are various colors ranging from orange to green. At the top of the archway is a larger pink heart button.

Block-A-Day 222 – Mary’s Wedding Archway

Tina August 10, 2021Block-A-Day Leave a Comment

It was decided by George that the wedding would take place on his very impressive landscaped grounds. Mary Elizabeth wanted to walk through a floral archway. The florist offered her very best temporary flower covered trellises. George was having none of that!

This quilt block shows a barrel made from brown boards with a dense topiary coming out of it. The topiary has been fashioned into two separate layers, with the lower layer being much larger. In this topiary are two bird heads poking out and looking around, one in the lower bush, and one in the upper bush. There is a small gray-white bird below the large layer on the barrel and a similar bird (a Junco bird) on the top topiary perching. The topiary is made of a green fabric. This is all against a blue background.

Block-A-Day 221 – The Junco Birds

Tina August 9, 2021Block-A-Day Leave a Comment

Juncos are actually ground foragers scrounging insects and weed seeds. They will come to a feeder, but you need to let them know where to look for it by sprinkling a few seeds on the ground.

This quilt block shows a weeping willow tree. The trunk of the tree rests in the center of the bottom of the block and grows upward, tapering to the end point at the top. Then yellow and green stitching comes out of the top like a fountain and "sprays" downward. With each stitching line there are green leaves outlined by stitching to indicate the leaves of the tree. On the left leave vine closest to the trunk there is drawn a dark green caterpillar with yellow spots.

Block-A-Day 220 – The Weeping Willow

Tina August 8, 2021Block-A-Day Leave a Comment

One day when I was walking by I saw the most hideous creature I had ever seen (I swear I just had an involuntary shiver). On the end of a branch, about a foot off the ground was a horned tomato worm.

This quilt block shows a birdhouse with a bird against a blue salmon-patterned background. The birdhouse is near the center of the block and stands on a black pole. The house itself is a light blue with a black hole in the middle. The roof is angled like a triangle and is black. There is a patch of grass underneath indicated by a jagged cut piece of green fabric. Coming out of the grass are red flowers with long stems. Each flower is a red circle with a black middle. To the left of the birdhouse in the air is a bluebird. The bluebird is drawn in with pen and is in mid flight.

Block-A-Day 219 – Bluebird Of Happiness

Tina August 7, 2021Block-A-Day Leave a Comment

Bluebirds are a small thrush and can be seen hovering in a hawk-like manner about a yard off the ground looking for insects. If you would like to feed a bluebird at a feeder they eat mealworms, suet dough, fruit and sunflower bits.

This quilt block shows a leafless tree, made of brown fabric, against a blue background with a cloudy full moon behind it. The full moon appears to be made of a ring of fabric/stitching with a filled in body of yellow pen. To the left at the base of the tree is a black cat. The cat is outlined with white stitching and white pen on black fabric to resemble a cat sitting facing to the right.

Block-A-Day 218 – Smudge The Halloween Cat

Tina August 6, 2021Block-A-Day Leave a Comment

In the meantime, she’s pretty happy with living with this tree. Lots of food scurrying about to feed and entertain her. There is a little girl on the street that comes over at least once a day to pet her and give her little treats. She brings a water bottle and pours it into a dish so Smudge has a drink.

This quilt block shows five very tall pointy and skinny trees in a row against a blue salmon-patterned background. Each tree has a short little trunk at the bottom that is brown fabric, and then a long skinny and pointy foliage going up. The trunk and the greenery are outlined with yellow stitching.

Block-A-Day 217 – McCall’s Lombardy Poplars

Tina August 5, 2021Block-A-Day Leave a Comment

A poplar can grow 6 feet a year. Poplars should be planted well away from your house and outbuildings because they have shallow roots. Fast-growing trees are, as a rule, not long-living trees. They start to decline after about 20 years and die out in 30-50 years.

This quilt block shows a water tank. The tank itself is a gray rectangle with a water spigot coming out. However, what stands out is all the vines and greenery that are growing over the tank, outlined in yellow stitching and red pen with green pieces of fabric for the leaves. The spigot is a piece of rough gray fabric outlined with black. The tank is facing to the right against a blue salmon-patterned background.

Block-A-Day 216 – The Garden Water Tank

Tina August 4, 2021Block-A-Day Leave a Comment

It has a spigot so a hose can be attached to water out into the garden. It sits higher than the rest of the garden area so gravity helps the water to run. The top is open and rain water collects and grey water can be added.