Sun on a Stalk

| Flower Roberts

Every spring is welcome. I need this spring more than all the previous springs. I bet you feel the same way.

The faces of flowers lift my spirits. The early flowers are especially appreciated.

I have many types of daffodils. I like to call them little suns on stalks.

Their brightness is a cheerful sight.

Even on cloudy spring days, I can always find some sun on a stalk to bring some joy.

Flow is ready for spring.

The Fight for Flowers

| Flower Roberts

It is hard work protecting my precious plants from the local deer herd.

I have to be diligent. If I wait, it is too late.

This week I noticed the front of my ‘Professor Sargent’ Camellia japonica was missing.

Yes. the entire front of an evergreen shrub had been eaten overnight.

Good thing I keep a selection of posts and fencing handy.

Now Professor Sargent’s front and flowers will be safe.

‘Professor Sargent’ Camellia japonica

I circled the yard to check on ‘White by the Gate.’

White by the Gate

It was safe and blooming inside its year-round fencing.

Edgworthia also has its own enclosure.

I am not sure if the flowers would get eaten, but the leaves were nibbled on last fall.

Edgeworthia

I guess I will start enclosing my daylilies as they sprout.

No point in growing snacks for the local wildlife!

Flow

Gardens on Cloth

| Flower Roberts

Rain and cold have kept me inside far too long.

I have surrounded myself with bright colors and pleasing objects on cloth.

Mandalas, moths and microbes.

The threat of new variants has kept me sewing masks longer than I had intended.

Birds, bird houses and diatoms.

When the weather improves, I will be in my garden.

Microbes, gnomes and mushrooms.

That is where I belong.

FLOWER

Mrs. Pibwib

| Flower Roberts

I sincerely hope that Mrs. Pibwib will make an appearance today.

She has been gone far too long.

The house is in complete disarray.

The chaos and clutter are beginning to be a distraction.

Things are not where they should be.

Only she can sort out mess of this magnitude.

Only Mrs. Pibwib has the skill to Put It Back Where It Belongs.

If you see her, please send her my way.

She is desperately needed here.

FLOW / no feng shui

The Covid Thong

| Flower Roberts

I wasn’t expecting witness pandemic porn on my outing to buy mask materials.

I was innocently looking at sturdy 100% cotton cloth, when I noticed another customer chatting it up with the employee who cuts the fabrics.

The employee’s face was my first clue that something was amiss.

The older, hefty customer was buying a lot of lace and tulle’.

I had to do a triple take after glancing at her face.

Where there should have been a full coverage mask was a tiny patch of black lace.

Her nose played peek-a-boo as the air from her nostrils blew the lace up and down.

I felt as though she had exposed herself right there in that store that plays Christian music.

Her husband silently stood by her side in his whitey-tighty mask.

I couldn’t just whip out my camera, so I tried to discreetly peek from behind a 30% Off sale sign.

I wanted to remember every detail so I could draw one when I got home.

I tore this photo from a magazine. NOT the actual thong wearer. (Sorry lady)

No! I will not be making Covid thongs to give away.

Maybe someone will pass along the idea to Victoria’s Secret. They are experts at making things that don’t cover what they are supposed to.

Maybe that woman was Victoria? She was buying quite a quantity of lace!

Fleur

Mask Making

| Flower Roberts

Here are the steps I go through to make masks.

MATERIALS: cotton fabric(9′ x 15′), polypropylene(8′ x 12′), elastic straps (8.5′-9.5′), pipe cleaners, heat bond, threads, toggle beads.

Fold material face in. If it has an orientation be sure the upsidedown side is pinned to the folded polypropylene. Mark a 3 inch gap to remain open for flipping mask right-side-out and inserting nose piece.

Sew the two sides of the gap. Then take it to the ironing board to iron along seam, shift seam down 1/2 an inch and iron again.

The space you created is where you will glue the nosepiece / pipe cleaners.

Clip elastic straps to the corners to be sewn. These are inside which will be the outside.
I sew back and forth across the straps three times to make them secure.
Flip the mask right-side-out through the three-inch slot. Pull the straps out to square the corners.
I twist two pipe cleaners together and then iron heat bond glue on both sides.
I iron in the nose piece either before or after sewing the pleats in.
Sew down the pleats after pinning them. I make two pleats. One for the chin and one for the nose.
I sew down the pleats and iron the mask flat.
I sew along the pipe cleaner nose piece to keep it in place.

I WASH THE WHOLE MASK.

After a last ironing, I put toggle bead on the straps for adjustment.
Do I look tired to you? I am tired…sew tired.

STAY SAFE and STOP THE SPREAD

FLOW on the SEW

Sewing Instead of Sowing

| Flower Roberts

I hope you have noticed my absence as The Flower.

I have been dealing with the pandemic in my own way.

Since proper PPE has been so hard to procure,

I have been manufacturing it in my basement.

I have my own cold little “sweatshop” which I call Purgatory.

I have been making masks and sending them where I think they are needed.

I have designed them to be comfortable and beautiful.

I am trying to curb the culling of Covid-19.

This is what I am doing instead of being an epidemiologist.

Flow…biologist turned seamstress.

Who knew? Nobody. That’s for sure.

Flow

These Waves

| Flower Roberts

These waves

random yet relentless

dark and blue

knock me down

again and again.

I must

fight to stand

over and over.

I wonder

what would

become of me

if I

stayed down

and let

gravity win.

Would I drown

or could I rest

from the wrest?

Hurry spring!

Bring your

bright sunshine

to warm

my face

as it

breaks through

these waves.

Flow