Red Butte Gardens in bloom

Red Butte Gardens in bloom, a photo by nanotchka on Flickr.

I enjoyed the gardens so much last week that I went back for another stroll! what a nice way to spend the morning! There is nothing more inspiring for the creative spirit than nature itself!

I Often Go Walking

Today is a bittersweet day as I remember my mother who passed away just one year ago.  I wanted to remember her by spending the day doing the things that she loved.  My first stop was the Red Butte Gardens where the 234,000 bulbs that have been planted there were in full bloom.  My mother was known for her love of flowers and for her garden.  It was a beautiful sunny spring day and my mind was filled with sweet memories  and thoughts of my mother.  I have been thinking about the words from a favorite childhood song that I learned in Primary.  I will let the words of that song tell my story because they describe beautifully just how I felt today as I walked through these beautiful gardens and remembered my mother.  I miss you Mom.

I often go Walking in meadows of clover,

And I gather armfuls of blossoms of blue

I gather the blossoms the whole meadow over

Dear mother all flowers remind me of you.

Oh mother I give you my love with each flower

To give forth sweet fragrance a whole lifetime through;

For if I love blossoms and meadows and walking,

I learned how to love them dear mother from you.

                                                                            Phyllis Luch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkpxz27MYb8

Flickr Swap/The Simple Thimble Longarm Quilter Salt Lake City

PLP swap sneak peek, a photo by nanotchka on Flickr.

I love taking part in online swaps! It have met so many wonderful quilting friends online from all over the world! I love following their blogs, chatting with them online and sharing with them through a variety of swaps from mini quilts to "Pretty Little Pouches"! This one is for my secret partner in the Pretty Little Pouch Swap number 4! I saw this design online and have had it in the back of my mind for months. I spent all morning trying to find it again so I could post the link but with no success! I hope someone will remember seeing it too and will be able to help me find the original designer! I thought this was such a clever way to use a simple hexie log cabin with extending the final row out to the edges and adding some handstitching. I am using an imported characoal grey linen for the base and my favorite new Moda collection of hand dyed design prints for the bright pop of colors! I love taking the time to do the handstitching. It gives the bag such a personal finished touch. You will see more tomorrow when the little bag is finished and ready to be mailed! If you haven't done an online swap! Do it! It's so fun to share what you love and it gives you the opportunity to try new techniques and designs.