Creative Prompt #138: Sunrise

Sunrise on the Hills  by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow [More Titles by Longfellow]

I stood upon the hills, when heaven’s wide arch
Was glorious with the sun’s returning march,
And woods were brightened, and soft gales
Went forth to kiss the sun-clad vales.
The clouds were far beneath me; bathed in light,
They gathered mid-way round the wooded height,
And, in their fading glory, shone
Like hosts in battle overthrown.
As many a pinnacle, with shifting glance.
Through the gray mist thrust up its shattered lance,
And rocking on the cliff was left
The dark pine blasted, bare, and cleft.
The veil of cloud was lifted, and below
Glowed the rich valley, and the river’s flow
Was darkened by the forest’s shade,
Or glistened in the white cascade;
Where upward, in the mellow blush of day,
The noisy bittern wheeled his spiral way.

I heard the distant waters dash,
I saw the current whirl and flash,
And richly, by the blue lake’s silver beach,
The woods were bending with a silent reach.
Then o’er the vale, with gentle swell,
The music of the village bell
Came sweetly to the echo-giving hills;
And the wild horn, whose voice the woodland fills,
Was ringing to the merry shout,
That faint and far the glen sent out,
Where, answering to the sudden shot, thin smoke,
Through thick-leaved branches, from the dingle broke.

If thou art worn and hard beset
With sorrows, that thou wouldst forget,
If thou wouldst read a lesson, that will keep
Thy heart from fainting and thy soul from sleep,
Go to the woods and hills! No tears
Dim the sweet look that Nature wears.

Sunrise, Florida

Tequila Sunrise

Sunrise Township, Minnesota

Sunrise by Norah Jones

 

Definition: Sunrise is the instant at which the upper edge of the Sun appears above the horizon in the east. Sunrise should not be confused with dawn, which is the (variously defined) point at which the sky begins to lighten, some time before the sun itself appears, ending twilight. Because atmospheric refraction causes the sun to be seen while it is still below the horizon, both sunrise and sunset are, from one point of view, optical illusions. The sun also exhibits an optical illusion at sunrise similar to the moon illusion.

The apparent westward revolution of Sun around the earth after rising out of the horizon is due to Earth’s eastward rotation, a counter-clockwise revolution when viewed from above the North Pole. This illusion is so convincing that most cultures had mythologies and religions built around the geocentric model. This same effect can be seen with near-polar satellites as well.

Sunrise and sunset are calculated from the leading and trailing edges of the Sun, and not the center; this slightly increases the duration of “day” relative to “night“. The sunrise equation, however, is based on the center of the sun.

The timing of sunrise varies throughout the year and is also affected by the viewer’s longitude and latitude, altitude, and time zone. Small daily changes and noticeable semi-annual changes in the timing of sunrises are driven by the axial tilt of Earth, daily rotation of the earth, the planet’s movement in its annual elliptical orbit around the Sun, and the earth and moon’s paired revolutions around each other. In the springtime, the days get longer and sunrises occur earlier every day until the day of the earliest sunrise, which occurs before the summer solstice. In the Northern Hemisphere, the earliest sunrise does not fall on the summer solstice around June 21, but occurs earlier in June. The precise date of the earliest sunrise depends on the viewer’s latitude (connected with the slower Earth’s movement around the aphelion around July 4). Likewise, the latest sunrise does not occur on the winter solstice, but rather about two weeks later, again depending on the viewer’s latitude. In the Northern Hemisphere, the latest sunrise occurs in early January (influence from the Earth’s faster movement near the perihelion, which occurs around January 3). Likewise, the same phenomena exist in the Southern Hemisphere except with the respective dates reversed, with the latest sunrises occurring some time after June 21 in winter and earliest sunrises occurring some time before December 21 in summer, again depending on one’s southern latitude. For one or two weeks surrounding both solstices, both sunrise and sunset get slightly later or earlier each day. Even on the equator, sunrise and sunset shift several minutes back and forth through the year, along with solar noon. These effects are plotted by an analemma.[1][2]

Due to Earth’s axial tilt, whenever and wherever sunrise occurs, it is always in the northeast quadrant from the March equinox to the September equinox and in the southeast quadrant from the September equinox to the March equinox. Sunrises occur due east on the March and September equinoxes for all viewers on Earth.

Post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and/or your blog, and how your work relates to the other responses.

The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to post your responses. Are you already a member? I created that spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses. Please join and look at all of the great artwork that people have posted.

Sketching #113

CPP Response #113: Stem
CPP Response #113: Stem

What else could I have drawn? I thought about putting something on the wall and making it look like the fruit was on a plate in the dining room, then I just didn’t.

Having a daunting number of responses to get through means I am not spending as much time as I should. Perhaps I should stop? Or cut my losses and start from where I am.

Block-a-Long #37: Big Stack & Square Line

Big Stack & Square Line #37
Big Stack & Square Line #37

Happy New Year! I hope one of your resolutions was to participate int he Block-a-Long!

This is the first block of the New Year! Another simple block with rectangles. Yes, I am definitely continuing my rectangle love.

It looks good with four fabrics and I encourage you to select your own fabrics and not try and match mine.

Rotary cutting directions for Big Stack & Square Line #37 are posted.

If you have made blocks or a quilt from these patterns, please post a link in the comments section of the relevant block or on the AQ Block-a-Long Flickr group. I would love to see what you have made.

Creative Prompt #137: Baby

Baby, it’s cold outside

baby names

Rock a bye baby

Hush Little Baby

baby bunting

cry baby

baby pictures

Baby Einstein

Million Dollar Baby (movie)

Angel baby

cherub

baby doll

baby talk

new baby

baby shower

infant

baby clothes

you and me, baby

baby steps

American Baby Magazine

Post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and/or your blog, and how your work relates to the other responses.

The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to post your responses. Are you already a member? I created that spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses. Please join and look at all of the great artwork that people have posted.

Block-a-Long #36: Stacks & Line

Stacks & Line #36
Stacks & Line #36

I find it fascinating how many blocks can be designed using squares and rectangles. This is another block that uses squares and rectangles and five great fabrics.

The Stacks & Line #36 rotary cutting directions are straightforward.

If you have made blocks or a quilt from these patterns, please post a link in the comments section of the relevant block or on the AQ Block-a-Long Flickr group. I would love to see what you have made.

Boxing Day Sew In (BDSI)

BDSI Button
BDSI Button

Welcome BDSIers!

Just so you know: I am not writing this at 3am. I am sleeping, but I scheduled this to post at 3am for you crazy people 😉 who live in different timezones and are already up and sewing.

Other organizers and participants:

Sandy of Quilting…for the Rest of Us. Sandy has a post or two up about #BDSI already. She is the main gal, so head over to her site for all of the instructions and excitement!

Pam of Hip to Be a Square Podcast. If you don’t listen to her podcast, you should. If nobody can make you sew, Pam can.

Tanesha of Crafty Garden Mom. Love her podcast, especially the book reviews.

Sandy of Quilt Cabana Corner. Sandy has a book out. Have you seen it?

Katie of Katie’s Quilting Corner. Katie has made the most amazing progress in her short career as a quiltmaker. If you look “all in” up in the dictionary, you will see Katie’s picture next to the definition.

There will be prizes.

Giveaway #1
Giveaway #1

Sandy and Pam are organizing all that and I am just contributing. I want people to have fun, but I don’t want to do too much work. Mostly I am lazy. After racing around for 3 weeks with holiday preparations, houseguests, having a cold and not sleeping, with a sprinkle of major baking on top, I am tired.

Here is some info about when #BDSI starts at which locations. This chart/information is completely cribbed from Sandy’s post. She did such a good job, I only had to edit it a bit. 😉 Thanks, Sandy.

BDSI Giveaway #2
BDSI Giveaway #2

To help you with the time zone math–starting at midnight at Sandy’s house means that BDSI starts at:

7:00 p.m. Dec. 25 in Honolulu (PST)
9:00 p.m. Dec. 25 in San Francisco (PST)
5:00 a.m. Dec 26 in London
6:00 a.m. Dec 26 in Berlin
2:00 p.m. Dec 26 in Tokyo
4:00 p.m. Dec 26 in Sydney
And, Sandy says, “24 hours is 24 hours no matter where on the globe you’re standing. So, for some of you, BDSI will be ending on December 27th. And that’s OK with me.” We on the West Coast will get an extra 3 or 5 hours, though fat lot of good it will do those of us visiting the rellies or sleeping.

Boxing Day Sew-In will officially end again at midnight EST–as soon as December 26 ends at Sandy’s house (frigid North) –24 hours of fun! Giveaway winners will be announced on December 27th.

Sandy writes “(Thanks to The World Clock time zone converter at www.timeanddate.com, ’cause I sure can’t do that math myself!)” I added San Francisco and Honolulu, because SF is a very important city and who doesn’t love Hawaii?

Follow along on Twitter using the hashtag #BDSI. Even if you do not have a Twitter account, you can go to Tweetchat, enter the #BDSI hashtag and follow the tweets. People have already been tweeting.

____________________________________________

Now to the fun stuff:

I think I am going to continue to work on the Stepping Stones. I have boatloads of Half Square Triangles (HSTs) to make. I have been using the Triangle Technique, but would like to try Katie’s fish technique again. I have done it before, but it has been awhile. The site where she found the Fish ‘template’ does not have a template for the size of HSTs I need and I don’t want to take the time to make one. Perhaps for another project.

I also received some pizza fabric with which I want to make some pillow cases for the Young Man. My mom made him a Food Quilt (yes, he will end up with two eventually) with a pizza border, so I thought some pizza fabric pillowcases would be a nice addition. We’ll see if I get to that. Perhaps in between HSTs.

I also have the G block for the A-B-C Challenge to make

I could do anything on the 26 Projects list and make progress, so the ‘future is wide open’ as that song says.

I have pillowcases planned for the nieces as well.

Never a dull quiltmaking moment around here!

Hope you enjoy BDSI! Look for the Block-a-Long block tomorrow.

Creative Prompt #136: Holly

Heigh Ho, The Holly
Blow, blow, thou winter wind,
Thou art not so unkind
As man’s ingratitude;
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art not seen,
Although thy breath be rude.
Heigh ho, sing heigh ho, unto the green holly;
most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then, heigh ho, the holly!
This life is most jolly.

Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,
That dost not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not so sharp
As friend remember’d not.
Heigh ho, sing heigh ho, unto the green holly:
most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then, heigh ho, the holly!
This life is most jolly.
~William Shakespeare

Holly Golightly

holly tree

European holly

Holly Springs (place in Jan Karon’s Mitford series)

holly berries

Holly Hobbie

Buddy Holly

Mt. Holly

Definition: Ilex is a genus belonging to the family of the Aquifoliaceae, native of Afro-Eurasia, Australia and the Americas, established by Carl Linnaeus. It has over 300 species in the subtropical regions of both hemispheres. The genus includes species of trees, shrubs, and climbers, with evergreen or deciduous foliage and inconspicuous flowers. The genus was more extended in the tertiary and many species have adapted to laurel forest habitat. Ilex is adapted from sea level to more than 2000 meters with high mountain species. Ilex are dioecious and have smooth, glabrous, or pubescent branchlets. The plants are generally slow-growing but over time can reach more than 10 m. The genus name is derived from the Latin (Acer = acute & folium = leaf). Many are evergreen tree with some species growing to 25 m tall. Type species is mediterranean Ilex aquifolium described by Linnaeus

Originally the name of “ilex” was that of the european species (Ilex aquifolium ), many representatives of the genus Ilex were also called by the common name Holly because of the obvious resemblance. In Roman times, the Roman people in Latin language originally designated as Ilex the evergreen oak, named today scientifically (Quercus ilex). The leaves of the Holly actually recall those of the oak.

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas!

Post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and/or your blog, and how your work relates to the other responses.

The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to post your responses. Are you already a member? I created that spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses. Please join and look at all of the great artwork that people have posted.

Block-a-Long #35: Floorplan

Floorplan #35
Floorplan #35

I couldn’t think of a good name for this, but Floorplan came to mind and it kind of fits. This has more pieces, but is still pretty straightforward and I am providing the Floorplan rotary cutting directions.

This block would look good with five fabrics, but you could also use four.

If you have made blocks or a quilt from these patterns, please post a link in the comments section of the relevant block or on the AQ Block-a-Long Flickr group. I would love to see what you have made.

Creative Prompt #135: Clouds

cumulous

rain clouds

cloudy day

Cloud Appreciation Society

Definition: A cloud is a visible mass of liquid droplets or frozen crystals made of water and/or various chemicals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of a planetary body. They are also known as aerosols. Clouds in Earth’s atmosphere are studied in the nephology or cloud physics branch of meteorology. Two processes, possibly acting together, can lead to air’s becoming saturated: cooling the air or adding water vapor to the air. In general, precipitation will fall to the surface; an exception is virga, which evaporates before reaching the surface.

in the cloud

save to the cloud

big fluffy clouds

cirrus

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

iCloud

cloud formation

Post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and/or your blog, and how your work relates to the other responses.

The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to post your responses. Are you already a member? I created that spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses. Please join and look at all of the great artwork that people have posted.

Charity Wednesday

Postage stamp-type block
Postage stamp-type block

BAMQG has afforded me the opportunity to participate in charity projects without doing the whole thing myself. The group will start 2012 with a whole group of “coordinators” who are organizing different elements of the guild.

Jen and Deborah have started early with their charity duties. They provided kits for making these blocks at the last meeting and I whipped mine together in about 10 minutes. I was so thrilled and wished that I had taken more of the parts! They will assemble the various blocks they receive into quilts. I am not sure they have chosen a charity yet, but they are throwing around ideas for different local organizations.

Block-a-Long #34: Sashed Squares

Sashed Square #34
Sashed Square #34

I think that this would be a great corner block. I think it would frame or point to other blocks very well.

This block would be great with three fabrics. I have the Sashed Squares rotary cutting directions.

If you have made blocks or a quilt from these patterns, please post a link in the comments section of the relevant block or on the AQ Block-a-Long Flickr group. I would love to see what you have made.

Creative Prompt #134: Flicker

Flickr

Northern Flicker (bird)

what a candle does

Definition (intransitive verb)

  1. to move irregularly or unsteadily flutter
  2. to burn or shine fitfully or with a fluctuating light a candle flickering in the window
  3. to appear briefly

2008 movie

a flicker of hope

Post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and/or your blog, and how your work relates to the other responses.

The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to post your responses. Are you already a member? I created that spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses. Please join and look at all of the great artwork that people have posted.