Reflections on the Fifth Week of Summer

 “You are smashing flowers with a hammer?” was Mom's reaction to me registering for a pounding flower class. In a back alcove of Fox Sew and Vac, my friend Cindy and I joined Terry and her friend Pearl Rose for an intimate class with teacher Margie. She showed us pounded flower scarves, bags, cards, and quilts then demonstrated arranging and tapping flowers with a carpenter's hammer. On a cutting board, I lay a piece of muslin and arranged pansies. I covered the design with more fabric and tap-tap-tapped. When I peeled back the top layer of muslin, the picture resembled a water color. Flowers oozed off or just blended into the fabric. Sharing supplies, we pounded flowers on muslin and fancy paper. Thick geraniums and pansy stems squirted. Thin garden phlox stamped. Tapping vibrations danced the strands of grass I tried to place. Women obligingly paused till I settled my pieces and covered the design. Because it was quilt guild discount Saturday at the store, many quilters paused at our table to ooh and aah. Margie demonstrated stamping our pounded design. Inspired, we scooped up left overs. The others planned to tap their flowers into designs. With Ellen and Chris' quilt to finish, I smashed mine for worm food.