Three Watermelons and a Pomegranate

Hi everyone! Time to show off our July-August progress on the Summer Porch , P2, sewalong. Hard to believe it is almost the third Monday of August, our official sharing date. Summer is changing now, it's much hotter, the light is dense and tired, the sun is setting earlier--though thankfully not really early. Some ad I saw said "44 more days of summer!!", which sounds quite nice.

This month our blocks were the Watermelons, how perfect for midsummer.

Mo and I sew diligently every afternoon.

This is my sewing box, my dad made it for me.

The cherrywood came from the perimeter of our Johnny Appleseed orchard where we lived when I was a tiny girl. My dad had to cut some of the biggest trees, and had the logs cut into furniture boards, which he used for many years. Native cherry and black walnut were two of his favorite woods. He made me this c. 1780 Chippendale-style box with heart cutouts. Daddy was baffled by my love of heart motifs but he did this anyway.  Something I treasure. [It's actually a writing box, but now that I no longer write letters home twice a week, I use it for my sewing.]

The Watermelons were harder than they look! Despite using freezer paper templates the fabrics tended to stretch and grow. And--big curves, lotta points. Though they are maybe not as crooked as my photos seem to show.

Instaed of sewing many little black seeds, I used fabrics to convey ''watermelon''.

I threw in the two Moon spacer blocks, since they were part of the pattern page.

And this is my first Ohio Sampler block, a pomegranate or as it is embroidered, a Love Apple.

Again, more challenging than expected. I think I thought there would be three ovals, set one atop another. But NO. These are, again, crescents, with many converging points. I enjoyed working on something new.

Today as I dipped into the pool, the big clouds suddenly filled the sky. Lightning made me cut my pool time short, though the storm never came.

Mo enjoys storms. He looks everywhere to see WHAT is making that funny noise?!

Lori will have a post with more Watermelon blocks, on Monday. I'll add a   link then. It's always fun to see everyone's versions.HERE

love

lizzy

gone to the beach.

PS my morning glories are blooming! I expected traditional Heavenly Blues, but these are the sweetest pale shell pink.

So pretty...

PugLife.....

Baby Steps

Hi! I am so pleased to tell you  that I have ''graduated'' from sitting sadly on my deck,

to being able to take small teeny tiny walks outside! Hooray. Most days I can even pull on my swimsuit [not so easy with painful wrist/ hand!] and dip into the cold pool.
The pain is hovering still, waiting to pounce if I so much a bend the wrong way, but the cocktail of biologics, pain meds, rest, and prednisone devised by the rheumatologist has worked well enough that the excruciating pain is ''gone''. Sort of. I guess ''less'' is a better term? I can sleep a little now, without waking from the sudden jerks of  pain.
I am so hopeful and my little daily walks and swims are my baby steps to rehabbing myself, looking forward to being functional again.
Let's all cross our fingers! I took some pics on today's adventure round the block:

Not a great hydrangea year, too bad.

Crape myrtle?

Cinnamon Sunflower.

My lavender has rebloomed!

 
A nice shady bench for me and Mo! Someday.

My faithful little friend! I bet he misses our walks as much as I do.

Mo led his dogwalker to his beloved bench by the beach entrance. She said he hopped right up ans smiled! I hope I can join them soon. Another friend brings him there most evenings. Mo jumps up, doesn't even need his leash!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...

Summer Still Lifes

Hello! Summer is a time for sorting treasures. A starfish, a special stone, favorite shells, a bit of old rope.
I arrange, rearrange my best finds, on my favorite pieces of blue and white or black and sepia and white English china.

I fill my old pitchers with summer flowers.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....