Earth Day 2012

Today is Earth Day - a day to celebrate and promote environmental awareness around the world.  One huge rally that takes place annually is Earth Day on the National Mall.  This greenspace lies between the Nation’s Capitol Building and the Lincoln Memorial encompassing the Washington Monument and the WWII Memorial.  The event includes concerts, speakers, renewable energy exhibit and other demonstrations.

Even if you are nowhere near Washington, DC, you can participate in the Earth Day on the Mall event on-line at http://www.earthday.org/mall.

April is also National Lawn and Garden Month.  This is NOT my backyard:

http://www.hgtv.com/landscaping/

It is the backyard of my dreams if I won the mega-lottery and could afford a team of gardeners – LOL.

My DH and I have been busy transplanting some bushes that have never thrived in the front of our house and placing them in better locations in the back.  We will never make it as landscapers because our backs and every joint in our bodies ache now!  And I won’t even mention the unusual bruises, scratches and bug-bites that magically appeared.  But our plant beds look better and will be even nicer after I get the mulch put down next week.

There is a good website sponsored by the National Gardening Association.  They have lots of great articles, including one about edible landscaping.   Their project of the month for April is about making plant-based dyes.   I have always been fascinated by the possibilities, but have never tested the waters, so to speak (ok – that pun was intended).   They have a varied list of plant possibilities on this site for different color results.  Maybe someday I’ll get around to trying  the technique.

Meanwhile, I have been using my Go!baby to cut up all my small pieces of 30s reproduction fabrics into 4 ½” squares.

I’ve also purchased the Star cutting die so I can make appliqués but I haven’t started on them yet.  I’m keeping my eye out for Go! dies at clearance prices so I can gain further control of my scraps.   I’m having good luck with a scrap savers system that an on-line friend suggested but it’s taking me awhile since I tend to play with my fabric while I try to sort it!  And don’t tell me you don’t do that, too …

Drawer Before - no sense of order



Drawer After - More uniform for selecting for scrap quilts