Inspiration from the Water Garden

Since the water lilies are blooming in my water garden, I thought it might be a good time to post this wall hanging, finished in 2004. I apologize for the poor photo -- The creases should be steamed out. This piece has been in storage for a while, so it's a little warped at present ...

Detail of dragon fly in Water Garden.

The pattern is modified version of Stephen Seifert's pattern in Foundation Pieced Nature Quilts.
I'm not much of a foundation-piecer, so I used fusible web applique with a satin edge stitch. I also changed the perspective of the water lily as I wanted to show off the flower petals. Overlaying everything is a collossal dragon fly with silk wings. All other fabrics are cotton. When I pre-washed the silk, it "crinkled-up" and took on an interesting texture perfect for dragonfly wings. This was the first piece I used beads for embellishments.

Here are the water lilies in my pond that inspired the wall hanging above.

My pond is a 110-gallon stock tank from Fleet Farm, the kind horses and cattle use for drinking water. It stays above ground because I just don't have the gumption, or energy, to dig it into the ground. What you do not see in this photo are the 2 beautiful goldfish I bought about 5 years ago when I set up the pond for the first time. I think they were 29-cents each. I never bothered to name them because I didn't think they'd live for long. If they didn't get sick and die, some bird or raccoon would pluck them out of the water. That hasn't happened yet! They eat lake flies, bugs, and algae all summer. Before Halloween, I tear down the pond and transfer plants and fish to their winter quarters in the basement where everything goes dormant until spring. It's a system that seems to be working remarkably well.

When I bought plants, I got them mail-order from a wonderful place in Sugar City, Colorodo : eWaterlily.com The owner actually bothered to spend time, via email and phone, helping me choose appropriate plants for my small pond. I really appreciated her time with me then, and I've become a loyal customer. Now the plants are fat and happily established (as you can see).