We have new neighbors! The house they moved into has two bedrooms and around 1500 square feet. They unloaded three big UHauls into the house – I’m not sure how everything got squeezed in.

The zebra UHaul parked at the end of our alley caught my eye. In studying the photo I think what makes it more interesting is the pattern in the asphalt in front of it.

I just found this on YouTube. BroadwayWorld.com’s “Give Us Your Voice” Contest was in 2007 so you can see that I’m behind the times. Nick Pitera, the guy in this video, didn’t win but he’s fascinating to watch. How does he sound so much like Ariel?

Many of you know that I wear a lot of green, but I don’t always wear green. Elizabeth Sweetheart does! I am a regular reader of Joanna Goddard’s design blog and somehow I missed her post from February 2008. In it she refers us to an article she wrote for New York Magazine about New Yorkers who dress in monochrome.

Like all quilters, I love color. In fact, I love color so much that I can’t choose just one favorite color. How did these folks choose just one color!? I could not do that – but I do admit that it makes for a lovely closet. I’ll bet their drawers are fun to look at too.

The background in an applique block is the “negative space” that surrounds applique. You don’t want your negative space to overshadow the “positive space” – you want it to enhance the applique.

Our next book is titled Applique Outside the Lines. It’s all about constructing a quilt with freer lines. Imagine a line drawn with a soft pencil on paper, without a ruler. That line has a flowing quality that a ruler-straight line does not. We want to capture that flowing line in our quilts.

Most piecing is comprised of pieces that are cut with rulers. The sewn lines are very straight, very exact. Take away the ruler and you can cut flowing lines using a rotary cutter. The key is to not use a ruler. You’ll learn a whole lot more about this in the book when it comes out in July or August.

Linda and I put a lot of interesting backgrounds behind our applique – it’s part of the signature Piece O’ Cake look. In Applique Outside the Lines the backgrounds are scrappy and constructed without rulers. I’m constructing the backgrounds for my new quilt the same way. I’ll show you pictures of this block as it progresses over the next week or two.

My next door neighbor, Doug, told me last month that he is a guerilla gardener. We live in a cul-de-sac neighborbood. Much of it is surrounded by unkempt land. Tangles of vine and trees stand next to the alleyway drive. Doug decided to tame the wilderness and grow his surplus plants there.

He is making a lot of progress. Now, what I find to be the most amazing thing is that Doug has/had liver cancer. He was diagnosed 4-5 years ago and at that time the prognosis was not good. We don’t discuss his treatment, but he must be in remission – great news! In addition to clearing land and cutting down trash trees, he has spent much of the winter digging and preparing beds. He ordered a bunch of rare cannas that he planted a couple of weeks ago in his front yard. I’m looking forward to seeing them!

He’s had lots of little plants in all kinds of pots next to the alley. Every time I drive by I feel like a gardener who is just not keeping up. Lately his plants have been on the move. I have a feeling his yard is going to be more exciting than mine this year! But – I’m making quilts :-)!

This is a red columbine. They are native to Texas and are very hardy. They go to seed but are not so prolific that they make me crazy. They pop up all over the place because, after I cut them back, the seeds drop as I carry them away. I could be more careful but I like the surprises.

It is still mostly spring here, although we had a freeze last weekend. I’m not complaining though. There are way too many people who are experiencing dire weather conditions. We covered our seedlings. The Texas bluebonnets don’t care if it freezes.

I don’t think the yellow columbine is native to Texas, but it likes my yard too. Columbines are sort of scary-looking, don’t you think? Scary, but lovely and graceful at the same time.