The Yo-yo Flower Big Day

 On Thursday we had a "Big Day" for our sewing/coffee (mainly coffee) group.  This means that we spent a few hours dedicated to a specific activity.
The topic for the day was making yo-yo flowers.   We were under the guidance of Linda, who is our expert in such matters. 
Here you can see that you first gather all the necessary tools and materials:

buttons, wire-cutters, thread, coffee,

 including seriously cute felt needle storage booklets.

 These are similar to button flowers, but you can use all sorts of things for the flowers, including crocheted ones,

 L has a stash of leaves to add to the bouquet,

 You can even stuff the yo-yos for a bit more volume,

 Although some of us made lots of flowers, and some only a few, it was definitely a great time to enjoy the colors and textures of little objects that make us happy.

-N.b, ----What others are up to today on the needle and thread network

Small coincidences

 As you can see, I have Finished! the Curved Arcs table runner.  Although the edges had a slight tendency to ripple, I steamed them into submission. 
As I photo-ed it, I noticed the flowers in the 3 vases on the small table behind.  I don't know what these are called, but they are amazing.  They were part of a larger bouquet that DH brought home some weeks ago.  They are probably between 3 and 4 weeks old now!

 I also noticed that the colors of the flower seem to be echoed in my table runner! 

A Colorful Thursday

Today was a busy day, starting this morning with my coffee group, which was very nice, and we had a wonderful cake, with walnuts on it, and an orange glaze, accompanied by whipped cream with Grand Marnier. Amazing and delicious, especially with coffee!

Actually, before that, I went out to the yard and marvelled at the ferns, which seem to grow an inch or two every day now!! these ones are just starting to unfurl,
also, I know that I've talked about the fat robins before, but really, this one is crazy! He must be 4 inches wide!

I think that the main thing I have discovered by doing this blog is this:  That my life is richer and more interesting when I take the time to look at small details-- which I look for now that I keep a camera close at hand.

So, when I sat in the yard yesterday, I noticed the way the little bush by the backyard shed has new leaves, and how nice they look against the wall under the window.

I spent a very happy time at the garden center picking out some plants for my largely unplanted flower beds that I built last summer!  Enough to fill the trunk of my car.
Later, at the store, Jackie was putting the kits together for saturday:























Carol very kindly has loaned us another gorgeous tea-towel she appliqued -you can't really see in this photo, but there are really pretty multi-color stripes down each side of the towel ,

And in the classroom, Jenn was teaching her class on lone star quilts, and the color combinations were gorgeous!

 Actually, they're sort of the same feeling as in these button flower bouquets that I snapped shots of earlier at my friend's house!

 I am lucky that I live in such a colorful world!