Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/1519369
SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | MAY 2024 17 By Clare Mendez, Resident Quilting takes a lot of time, practice, and know-how, but in the end, if all goes well, you end up with a beautiful art piece worthy of gi-giving or displaying in your own home. Unfortunately, due to time restraints, loss of interest in a project, or a change of seasons, not all quilts get done in a timely fashion. In fact, some are stored away for months or years. ese are called Unfinished Objects or UFOs. So, how should one go about tackling UFOs? First, get organized by storing all your UFOs in an easy-to-find place. en, when you have extra sewing time, make some progress on one of the projects by setting a goal. It's mentally rewarding to see a project to completion. Once it's finished, you can keep it or give it away. If you are "stuck" on how to do a step or want a suggestion, bring it to the cra room on Friday mornings where you will find fellow quilters eager to help you out. I didn't quilt until I moved here and joined the SDV Quilter's Club. Many of the women (men, you can come too) are members of quilting guilds and are a great resource for quilting knowledge. While e Lodge was closed for remodeling, it was suggested that we devote some of our time to completing our UFOs. Shown here are some of the UFOs our quilting group finished these past two months. UFOs By Suzette Strauss, Resident For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth… It's a perfect time to enjoy the garden and the Paseo. As I walk through our lovely community during this time of the year, I look forward to seeing all the plants pushing forth their buds for a showy spring delight. During the chilly winter months their dormancy makes everything seem dull and almost lonely. If you can relate, perhaps a little time in the garden is just what you need. Since the heat is coming, it's important to give new plants their best chance to flourish. My husband, Ric, an avid horticulturist, taught me how to make the hole "field ready." I was used to just digging a hole big enough for its current pot and pushing it in the ground, watering it, saying a prayer… and hope for the best. As with most things in life, there's a more excellent way. Dig your hole slightly bigger than the current pot. Fill the hole with water to the top and let it soak in. is will alert you of any drainage issue. Ric says, "Plants don't like keeping their 'feet' wet." If the hole doesn't drain completely, dig the hole deeper and add several inches of pumice in the bottom. Mound the center of the hole as a seat for your plant. We like to add a time-released fertilizer like Osmocote to the fill-in soil. Aer your plant is placed in the "DRC approved" spot, press firmly down on the soil all around to remove air pockets, then water. Voila! Enjoy! Springing Forth