a la O'Keefe

In the last few days I made the small quilt on the header with two seashells, and then made this even smaller quilt (about 8x10) for a challenge to make a quilt inspired by an artist. I chose Georgia O'Keefe and tentatively named it, "If Georgia lived on Cape Cod ..." I did not know she had ever painted seashells. That was because I did not go to the book of her life and work that is on my book shelf until after I had  finished both. I found the picture here as well as others similar to the two shells on the blue background in the header. 

Like nearly everyone on Cape Cod, I have a collection of shells I've picked up when walking on the beach.  These shells rest on a book shelf in front of to-read books. I love their shape and color and texture. This was a wonderful challenge.  I rarely quilt in close rows as I did here but they seemed to need a quilty background.

Roses in the Rain

I just made this little art quilt for a partner in a swap (on Swap-bot), it's called, Roses in the Rain --the rain being the quilting and the many little crystals following the "rain". 

We don't have roses yet, it's a very late spring that seemed to be  holding its breath -- partially opened daffodils and forsythia for a week of chilly rain the end of the April. But now that May is here the sun is out and the temperature heads toward 70 in the afternoons. The flowers are abundant, the grass is brilliantly green. Yes, spring finally came. The roses are not going to wait much longer either. But we will have rain too.