National Jelly Roll Day

 So, I chose a Riley Blake fabric jelly roll for my National Jelly Roll day quilt on Saturday, 9/16. Then, I chose a pattern that looked good in the a quilt I found online. I must say, the top is not to my liking. It would been be better with all blocks separated by lattices but it is colorful. The next 2 quilts shown used 5" precut reproduction strips of fabric (which were not all cut at 5"). I like those tops the better. These 2 tops were made over the past week with one finished today. Now, into the UFO pile until I have time to get them quilted.

Around the Yard ~ Birds, Butterflies & Bugs

Pink Southern Moth that feeds on the calyx of Saliva's 

Painted Lady

Variegated Fritillary

Variegated Fritillary

Snowberry Clearwing Moth

Peck's

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Peck's

Silver-spotted

Peck's

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

 

My Yard ~ Giant Swallowtail

 Wow, wow, Wow! I am excited! My eyes spied a worn Eastern Giant Swallowtail this afternoon while I was out working in the garden. I ran inside to get my camera. It's still here and is a female. I have rue, so it would be great if she's fertile and lays some eggs. New yard butterfly #36 and #31st species for 2023.

Giant Swallowtail

Giant swallowtail ~ Female

Sachem

Meadow Fritillary

Variegated Fritillary

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Black Swallowtail

Ruby-throated Hummingbird ~ Male

Snowberry Clearwing

My Yard ~ First of the Year Butterflies

 Over the past 5 days I have seen 2 more FOY butterflies here in the yard.  This brings the butterfly count up to #30 for 2023.  Last year I had 33 species in total.  I still have 4 species of skippers that haven't shown up yet or I just haven't noticed them.  There are Sachems and Zabulon skippers flying everywhere.  I am not inspired to pick through them to see if the missing skippers are in their midst.  I also haven't had either Question Mark or Mourning Cloak yet but they didn't arrive in the yard until almost the end of October.

Painted Lady ~ #29 2023 butterfly ~ 8/27/2023

Common Checkered-skipper ~ #30 2023 butterfly ~ 9/2/2023

My yard ~ Monarch Caterpillars

Lots of Monarch Caterpillars in the yard right now.  I counted over 15 on the Swamp Milkweed in the front yard and several in the back yard.

 

My Yard ~ Sleepy Orange Butterfly

I found a Sleepy Orange caterpillar on the cassia on 8/20. Yard butterfly #35 ~ 2023 butterfly #27

8/23, it went into a chrysalis. On 8/31, I had a birth of a new generation of Sleepy Orange. Very exciting and hopeful that more Sleepy Orange's will find the yard and the host plant.

 

My Yard ~ Pileated Woodpecker

About an hour ago in my yard ~ male Pileated Woodpecker!  A short but nice visit.