March Madness is here! I’m working on my block and it will be revealed this week. Got this photo from a reader – her March Madness quilt!!
Today while out by the garden, one of those special spring events happened – the blackbirds!
They just kept coming and it was deafening! The first day of spring is this week.
Sue, what a gorgeous quilt you made for Hudson! I am really impressed by your choice of colors and pattern–it is a quilt that will grow with him, one that is great for a thirteen-year-old and one that he will love for the rest of his life. It sounds like you have some experience choosing patterns and fabric to meet these requirements, though. What a great tradition for your lucky grandchildren.
I watched a blackbird try to run a hawk off today. Quite a site to see. My son hung rubber snakes in the trees around the house to scare the woodpeckers. Nope, I have to go out with a fly swatter to run them off. Why don’t they get a headache?
I heard a fun fact. There are 60million Irish descendants around the globe…40 million in the USA! I’m one in 40 million.
Great quilts today. I’m anxious to see what becomes of the charm pack.
Wow! That’s a lot of birds! We’ve had blackbirds for a while now but they don’t arrive in swarms like that! Who’s son or grandson is that? Did he make that beautiful quilt? He did a great job, if so. The March Madness quilt is beautiful, too! Poured here last night and this morning but it’s just overcast now. 56 degrees! My chickens are happy that the rain stopped. Jan in MA
Jan, that is my grandson, Hudson, and I made the quilt for his thirteenth birthday, which has become a tradition in our family. When the grandchildren turn thirteen, they receive a quilt from Nana to take the place of their baby quilt, which believe it or not, some of them are still sleeping with because they were large and not too babyish. They all love these quilts and sleep with them every night. They live nearby and I see these quilts on their beds all the time. It makes me feel very blessed.
Sue, handsome grandson and gorgeous quilt! What a great tradition you have going. I didn’t start quilting until my grandkids were young adults but I have caught up and all of them have at least one. Now I’m working on the greats. Only have 3 left!
Ilove the March madness quilts! I want to make one now also.
SNOW!! We got over a foot of snow over the weekend here in Central Oregon. I’m craving visions of flowers! Please post some so I know they still exist somewhere. Thank you.
Jamie, thanks for the link, I will check it out. I have family that lives in Neb, and I have always wanted to visit them when the birds come or go from the Platte River area. I love the sound of loons on a lake when all is quiet. I can’t imagine so many birds in the sky at once. The movie The Birds is a classic and I remember the first time watching it with a girlfriend. Our parents had gone out to eat together and her and I watched the movie while she pierced my ears (yes with a potato and a needle), To this day that movie can frighten me. Love the new block that you have started, and I look forward to seeing more of this fabric line.
Loved the quilt pictures, lived the trick with the template and LOVED the pics of the blackbirds going over. That would make a beautiful blue/black fabric!!! Thanks for sharing always.
Absolutely LOVE March Madness 🏀 so looking forward to this coming Thursday when the 64 get underway! Each year i do a bracket with my sister and the first 4 days I get special snacks and do nothing but watch basketball!
I laughed so hard about the dog joke – it’s so true!
Looking forward to seeing how the new quilt progresses
Love the Match Madness quilt. It sparkles. Can’t wait to see what you are doing with the triangles cut out of the squares.
Marie – this is such a gorgeous fabric line that whatever I do will be very simple.
I live near the Rowe Sanctuary which is the site of explore.org’s crane cam. I also volunteer at the sanctuary. If you ever get a chance to come and see the cranes in person do it!! There is nothing like being in a blind on the banks of the Platte River at sunrise or sunset and watching 400,000 birds right in front of you! We have even had a couple Whooping Cranes from time to time but they are usually a little later in the season. Go to the Audubon Rowe Sanctuary website to get all the details. Tours are sold out for this year but you can start making your plans for next year. It is a once in a lifetime, bucket list experience!!!!
Theresa – I envy you! Jamie sent me the video of the cranes and I told her I love the sounds they make. What a sight this must be!
Mary,
I love the picture of today’s March Madness quilt version also with sashing added. And the flag wall hanging is just beautiful! Very nice job. The young man looks happy with his quilt too.
The birds remind me of the Alfred Hitchcock movie, The Birds. Scared ourselves silly watching that as kids but couldn’t not watch it! I have been seeing and hearing many Sandhill cranes flying over the lake. The echos over the lake make their rattly call so loud! Been seeing many red winged blackbirds, cardinals and robins too. We have seen loons the last two springs as well. They usually stay a few weeks on their way further north. I like to see them dive underwater and count the seconds til they reappear.
Your new block looks interesting. Will look forward to seeing what you do with it.
Returning home from Indy later today. Take care everyone! 🌻
Sunflower – I saw my first Robin yesterday but it has to snow three times on the robins before spring is really here. We’re under a storm watch through Thursday. Yes, I remember the Hitchcock movie, too – scary and I thought about it yesterday when I saw that flock of blackbirds fly over.
Sunflower, the young man is my grandson with the quilt I made for his thirteenth birthday, a family tradition.
I spent an interesting day on Sunday. I finally got to be in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Buffalo. NY where they still have a heavy concentration of an Irish population. I rode in one of the Salvation Army’s vehicles where my brother is the manager there in Buffalo. The weather was warm , 66 degrees, but very windy. The rain held off but started just as the parade started at 2:00. We were lucky because we were riding in the cab of the truck but I was amazed at how many stayed out in the heavy rainpour along the parade route. Irish green was everywhere and it was fun to see everyone having a fun time, rain, wind and quickly dropping temperature. Went from 66 to 47 degrees in less than an hour. Of course we enjoyed an Irish beer at the Statler Hotel Bar prior to the start of the parade which is under renovation. It was once the center of alot of Mafia events which lead to it being haunted, so the gossip goes. Buffalo is an extremely interesting place for all kinds of stories and history.
Barbara – very interesting about the hotel! You’re looking good!
Last week my husband saw lots of geese flying north. Signs of spring coming. So many days of Red Flag burning bands. Warm days today and tomorrow and POSSIBLE SNOW on Wednesday and Thursday. Iowa weather. Finished my porch panel yesterday and will try to get a picture today.
Rita – so windy already this morning that I can’t open the dog door!
Love the blackbirds. Today the cranes also returned to the Platte river in Nebraska. Quite a spectacle, over 100,000 birds! If you’re interested you can go to explore.org. I love watching nature webcams.
Jamie – really? I have loved hearing about the cranes for years but have never seen them in person.