Tag Archives: scavenger hunt

Color Inspiration Thursday {56}

August 6, 2015 kittywilkin 4 Comments

This week showcases the results of what may be my favorite summer scavenger hunt yet. We mixed it up a bit this time and instead of searching for flowers and objects in the yard of a particular color, we collected one of each different lily that grows in our gardens. It’s amazing that one genus of flower can have such a vast variety of size, shape, color, and intricacy. According to wikipedia there are more than 35,000 daylily cultivars alone. We only have a very tiny sampling. Color palettes are made using my photographs and Play Crafts’ Palette Builder 2.1.

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Kona Gold, Kona Grellow, Bella Key Lime, Kona Baby Blue, Bella Plum, Bella Deep Burgundy

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
2155 – Cinnamon
2975 – Brass
5015 – Gold Yellow
2710 – Lt Robins Egg
2566 – Wisteria
2568 – Mulberry

An aerial view of our full collection, this photo shows the range of size, shape, and color. You can see that one of these things is not like the other; one of the lilies is a double or maybe triple, meaning instead of one rosette of petals, there are multiples. I cannot take credit for planting any of these, but I’m again grateful that the woman who first created our gardens had a deep love for anything that flowers.

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Kona Cinnamon, Bella Kansas Red, Bella Cheddar, Kona Cheddar, Bella Peach, Bella Periwinkle

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
2355 – Rust
2350 – Copper
2214 – Golden Honey
6010 – Toast
2320 – Lt Toast
4140 – Wedgewood

Here’s a more detailed view of the odd lily out. The petals on this species are wild and swirly, reminding me of the gorgeous magnolia blooms that kick off spring. The range from peach to orange paired with the grey blue of the wood make such a gorgeous palette! It’s also kind of fun that the “Cheddar” color from both Kona solids and Moda Bella solids fabric lines appear in this palette.

Max selected his favorite flower, which happened to be the biggest and brightest of them all:

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Kona Yarrow, Bella Tawny Olive, Kona Grellow, Bella Grape, Bella Graphite, Bella Deep Burgundy

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
2920 – Lt Brass
2975 – Brass
2132 – Tarnished Gold
2630 – Pewter
2610 – Lt Blue Grey
2345 – Raisin

The largest lily of them all shines like the sun. I love the delicate curl of the pistil and stamen, which reach up toward the light.

Here are a couple more photos of these gorgeous lilies for your viewing pleasure.

Which one is your favorite?

Color Inspiration

Color Inspiration Thursday {55}

July 23, 2015 kittywilkin 7 Comments

It’s time to share another color scavenger hunt! Today’s inspiration comes from the findings of the red-orange-yellow scavenger hunt around our July gardens and fields in rural Maine. Color palettes are made using Play Crafts’ Palette Builder 2.1 and my photographs. Flowers were found by my five and three year old kiddos.

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Bella Lead, Bella Cayenne, Bella Clementine, Kona Grellow, Bella Acid Green, Kona Mint

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
1158 – Med Grey
2395 Pumpkin Spice
2390 – Cinnamon Toast
2975 – Brass
2120 – Canary
2886 – Lt Avocado

This was a very fun scavenger hunt, since the yellow flowers just kept multiplying. It was great to look at each new flower and try to decide whether it was one we already had, or if it was a different species. The environmental scientist in me was thrilled to see my daughter reason through similarities and differences in the flowers, and of course the quilter in me was thrilled to play with flower arranging layout once we retreated to the cool porch.

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Kona Steel, Kona Sunflower, Bella Sunflower, Kona Citrus, Bella Orange, Kona Gold

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
2625 – Arctic Ice
2125 – Wheat
1135 – Pale Yellow
2120 – Canary
2975 – Brass
2155 – Cinnamon

Oh, these yellows! I will never cease to be amazed by the varied textures within flowers. It’s like a whole new world within the center of this tiny, dime-sized flower. Want to explore? Me, too!

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Kona Pewter, Kona Nectarine, Kona Cayenne, Bella Clementine, Kona Persimmon, Bella Golden Wheat

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
2620 – Stainless Steel
2215 – Peach
2395 – Pumpkin Spice
2350 – Copper
2150 – Pumpkin
6010 – Toast

The woman who originally planted our gardens LOVED lillies. There are such a wide variety of colors and species of lily, it’s impossible to capture them all. We chose two different flowers as a sampling, and this vibrant orange daylily is like a fiery volcano (you can thank my three year old son for that comparison; he’s all about hot lava these days). So gorgeous!

Color Inspiration, Life

Color Inspiration Thursday {54}

July 16, 2015 kittywilkin 11 Comments

This is the time of year when colors pop up all over our gardens and the surrounding fields. We spend much of our days outside, either swimming at the lake or staying around home, where Finn and I relax in the shade while the big kids play in the kiddie pool and jump through the sprinkler, snuggle chickens, or just explore like curious kids do.

Earlier in the week, when I started thinking about my color inspiration post this week, I decided that I really would love to get some color sans green. Don’t get me wrong–I love green! But sometimes, the gorgeous colors of the flowers beg to be the star without the background sea of green. This thought led to a fun, family-involved activity: color scavenger hunts. So far we’ve completed two color scavenger hunts, where my big kids and I walk around the yard, finding and collecting colors from a specific color family. Then, we head to the shady porch to lay out our finds and arrange them in a fun way.

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Bella Lead, Bella Plum, Bella Berrylicious, Kona Violet, Kona Mulberry, Bella Baby Blue

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
1246 – Grey
2566 – Wisteria
2535 – Magenta
2479 – Med Orchid
4225 – Eggplant
2562 – Lilac

Here’s our fun collection of pink and purple flowers both cultivated and wild found in rural midcoast Maine in July. I’ll be sharing our results from different color scavenger hunts over the next few weeks, with the full palette and then some closer detail shots purely for the fun of seeing the tiny variations in floral anatomy and color.

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Kona Medium Grey, Kona Ash, Bella Peony, Bella Orchid, Bella Berrylicious, Kona Sunny

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
2625 – Arctic Ice
2600 – Dove
2479 – Med Orchid
1103 – Burgundy
2535 – Magenta
2214 – Golden Honey

Such gorgeous details jump out at you when you get really close. The sunny little flower bursts dancing around the center of a zinnia is my favorite part of the flower.

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Kona Pewter, Bella Lead, Bella Plum, Bella Magenta, Bella Petal Pink, Bella Barn Door

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
2606 – Mist
1246 – Grey
2566 – Wisteria
2455 – Med Carmine Red
2562 – Lilac
1103 – Burgundy

If you have young children and are looking for a fun activity to help them explore and notice details in the environment around them, I definitely would recommend going on a color scavenger hunt. Finds don’t need to include only flowers; yesterday at the lake, my daughter found a tiny blue jay feather and some berries from a Blue Bead Lily and the colors matched beautifully. Sadly, I didn’t get a photo, but at least the idea of finding colors in nature stuck with her. If you have older children, they can each conduct their own hunt and displays can get even more intricate–think mandalas and imaginary scenes! I’d love to see what colors you find!

Okay, back outside we go! Enjoy your day and enjoy the color!

All color palettes were created using Play Crafts Palette Builder 2.1 and my photographs.