Myrtle Beach Quilt Week, spring

While this photo has nothing to do with either quilting or the beach, it makes me happy to post it.  When I returned from the annual trip with my Quilting Peeps, of course I took a tour through the gardens.  Things visually change so quickly this time of year! I watched a juvenile hummer working the blooms on an azalea.  Time to hang the feeder!  Our terrific power-wash dude, Reuben, was scheduled to clean the winter mildew this week, so I waited until yesterday to hang the feeder.  The first thing I saw through the kitchen window this morning was a hummer at the feeder!

We arrived at our perfect condo on the beach last Saturday in time to unload and go to lunch.  The previous tenants, in a moment of drunken silliness, switched the keys for the multiple units they rented, and returned the keys to the office.  Of course, the keys we were issued didn't work!  The women at the office implied that we didn't know how to operate a key...until the housekeeper came by with her key and discovered what happened.  We spent a quality hour, sitting on the porch, waiting for keys that worked.  Afterwards, we went to a outdoor restaurant Karen and Bev visited last spring during the week.  Well, on pretty spring weekends, it becomes a biker bar!  Five middle-aged women  had them laughing.  At least I was wearing black leggins and a "tuttu".  Just for fun.

Time to get to work!  I partially quilted a top Gini made.  Kari will complete the quilting, and it will go to one of Julie's daughters.  It was fun to quilt!

 Bev brought out her Hawaii fabrics, and completed this top.  With a little diversion due to some math difficulties, it finally came together beautifully!

 Karen finished the fusing of this intricate piece...lots of little bits of fabric to trace the pattern, cut and fuse.  It is beautiful!

 Joanne worked on this quilt, which will be a gift for her SIL...golf fabrics, for a golf pro.

For some reason, I have NO pics of Kathy, hard at work quilting.  She quilted at least FOUR quilts last week.  All gifts.  GO, Kath!

 I was exploring colors for the hydrangea quilt that has been hanging around, waiting for attention for the past 3 years.  All those little blossoms have been cut and pressed, now it's time to sew them on the background.  I'm really pleased with the beginning, and am eager to work on this quilt.  I love hydrangeas.

We all worked on several projects during the week, and the weather allowed me to walk everyday on the beach.  It was a productive week!

 Back at home, the gardens have made a giant spring leap.  The few azaleas the deer managed to miss are blooming; the dogwoods are blooming; the species loropetalum are blooming.  And, the hummers are back.  The day after our return, I also put the tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and okra in the ground.  Basil, parsley, dill and fresh oregano,too.  The horseradish is springing up, and the perennial onions are happy. 

It's going to be a great garden year!  Stuart replaced the faucets in the garden, with two heads:  one for the irrigation system and one for the hose.  I'm a happy girl, now that the plumbing is finally in good working order.  Thank you, Stuart!

An out-of-focus tiger swallowtail butterfly.  They are out in full force, the tulip poplars having hosted them.  The milkweed is beginning to bloom, so soon we'll see Monarchs. What a great week!