Flower Evaluation and a Hollyhock Quilt

Today was the most beautiful, a 10 best day weatherwise . Cool dry and sunny after a couple of grey days. One day it even rained a little, enough to send the impatiens planted in so many public spaces into riotous mounds of color, though not enough to reverse the dry sere summer's effect on my deck garden.

My garden is tiny, just a few big pots, but it means a lot to me. 

As the plants fade into September I like to look back and evaluate: what grew, what did not, which did I love.

The cannas did beautifully, Costco tubers from my kids. I learned to plant them shallow and only once the soil was warm.

Volunteer and reseeding coreopsis are amazing. Zero effort!

As you know I plant a lot of zinnias. Here are some of the unusual heirloom seeds I chose. Pretty much NONE of them grew or bloomed.

Just one plant, one flower of the Peppermint stick variety grew and bloomed. I loved this one, wish more had grown.

                                         

What did grow and flower seems to have been from two ot three mixed seed packets, picked up at random from the Dollar Store.

Lilliputs from last year? 

Rewarding for under five dollars. The center flower is brilliant chartreuse green!

One pack was wildflowers, and I had cosmos, bachelor buttons, candy tuft, baby breath, and a tiny blue sprig that is unknown to me [see it above, w the yellow coreopsis]. Not much of each, but again fun to see,

Oddly I had marigolds appear in one of the canna pots. 

These were the two Baker Creek marigolds I chose, but they were seeded out in the lily pot to take over after the lilies died off. I did not put them in the canna pot. Mystery.

  

These are the impatiens I stupidly ordered from Amazon when I couldn't get to the nursery. You may recall they came as crumpled rotting sticks. I babied them along and they may be pretty in a month or so.

I had a huge amount of crabgrass in all my pots. I don't really know how I will overcome it next year, as I have no idea where it came from. The potting soil was new.

My Mexican Hats from Lori again didn't grow, I have a few nmore seeds for one more try and also more of the peppermint zinnias.

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On a flower/ quilty note: I made this table runner many years ago.

It's supposed to be Hollyhocks. Sun, Moon, Stars hand quilting.

I think inspired by a Linda Brannock "Miss Jump" design. Before Hurricane Sandy, now years ago, there was a big ugly electric transformer near my house. It was surrounded by a low grey weathered fence and somehow the two feet or so of sand surrounding the green metal monster [DANGER stenciled all over it in huge peeling white lettering]---had become a self-made garden. Goldenrod, morning glories, trumpet vine. A scraggly hydrangea even. But the best part was the hollyhocks that must have reseeded each year, deep almost black, dark ruffled red, scarlet, pink. I'd walk over almost daily with Mo's predecessor to admire the hollyhocks. One year we even had a feral cat family make their home under the hollyhocks, mama was all black, but her four tiny babies were assorted. I'd bring them food and water, feeding them on the sly as it is forbidden here to help feral cats. Anyway the hurricane washed everything away, all the flowers, the green metal thing, the vines and left only sand and rubble behind. [The kitties survived for years, though I don't see them now; the years are passing, plus I don't walk that way anymore.] So---summer/ hollyhocks/ memories.

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Drying some of the zinnias for seeds for next year:

so pretty!

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I am doing an online class on mindfulness and self-awareness. Presented by a woman, an artist, writer, maker, thinker, whom I admire very much. But I am failing a bit at the exercises. They make me cry, they make me so sad. Yet I try. This week we are to think about a small bucket list thing that we can accomplish in real time. I sure hope I do get that rootbeer float before I die.

Snapdragon Life/ Wilder Way click here   Jane, on Instagram:  @snapdragon.life 

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For all who kindly ask, Mo has a new [but old] ear care plan. The meds arrived today; I will do my best for my little man. He continues to love our sewing hour each afternoon.

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Enjoy your days, cherish each one. 

below, a treat from artist  @sosunammy : a ladybug pugs family, enjoying peaches.

                                               

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach....

scribble journal pages, just for fun.

September ~ August Round Up

 

"The trouble is---you think you have time."

                                                                                         attributed to Buddha

September is here, school starts next week, but it is so summery and beautiful! Every day must be cherished, winters are long, dark, and oh so cold. [Schoolhouse quilt]

So...not so much was accomplished in August, I admit sheepishly. I have projects with no pics, like late last night I finished piecing Cartwheels' backing, will get it to the quilter asap. And all the hourglass blocks for Giraffe at The Pyramids are done and trimmed. 42 so far. Only to find that I miscalculated and will need an inner border for things to fit. I so want it done for September/ October deck sewing time, so that was a disappointment. The good news is the points do meet.

Pineapple languishes on the work table. With its problems and loss of raison d'etre [reason for being [made]] gone, I am stumped. I also need to make a Christmas gift quilt on the first rainy day, if one ever arrives. I even washed the windows, usually a surefire guarantee of heavy and filled rain. But no. Carwash next?

As mentioned a few weeks ago I am doing primitive whipstitch applique on the stars for a handwork busy work project. 

Seen here with the first machine app'ed stars I am less than thrilled, but I suppose in the end it will all be okay.

I need nine total. Three more to sew this holiday weekend.

Some backgrounds, especially the batiks, reference the weeds and pods and snowy days of the marsh. The setting sun will be the pale white winter sun always so low in the sky.

I drew up a rough but definite plan for the final design since it is so different for the original Jan Patek pattern.

I was disappointed not to be able to use Flying Geese strings vertically but needed them as horizontal spacers.

As drawn I think I need 4 more XL Stars, but probably will only do three. I made them once already in the ugly blue and garish chrome yellow plaid colorway that was quickly discarded a few years ago. Once was enough. Not thrilled with how they bunch up lower left and also how big and clumsy they are. I may use more of the small stars or this Geese in Flight design that I quite like instead. [photo from IG]

Some of the words will [maybe], be appliqued around the border.

I hope I don't hate it.

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Happy mail!

From Lori / Humble Quilts, a historic panel for her challenge. I had looked everywhere for a Statue of Liberty, was not in the mood for CW generals or George Washington. I have an idea for this, won't be ready for due date though.

And from Julie/ Julierose, such pretty things! Lovely cards, how charming to get a real envelope and a real card or two. julierosequilts

Her special hand dyed fabric she creates. I love this. It may encourage me to do a fabric junk journaL And also to get focused and try this myself.

And her beautiful marsh grass print she often uses. It is intended for Marsh, maybe a border? Too special to use?

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Lori / Humble Quilts is doing a Fall sewalong! Her large quilt sewalongs years ago were what got me truly hooked on quilting again. Here it is if you missed it. She goes too fast, i plan to take my time. There is always that someone who zips out the project in minutes and makes us slowpokes feel like sh#t.💩 Not happening this time, I have matured, LOL LOL . 🤣

It is from Little Quilts, a group of quilters from the early 90s maybe. From a time I was not able to find the time to sew. So something fun to look forward to. If you look closely it is quite a detailed sampler quilt. Not sure of my colors or fabrics, it's in the mulling stage.

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Off topic, I have been getting my friend L out more often, saying we need girly time and retail therapy!

Just an hour each week! Home Goods looked like Halloween Party City. Not wonderful, kinda garish and uncool. I said that cute orange Rae Dunn BOO dish for Mo is gonna look really stupid in February, so no. I got him a great Halloween costume instead.

We also did Old Navy another day. A couple Fall-ish tee shirts and Halloween tees for me an Mo. Can't show you the Halloween stuff. L talked me into a medium for Mo's tee, I am pretty sure it is too small. [eye roll].

Tees are Butternut squash and Zuccinis, in my imagination.

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Mo finds cross ventilation!

Happy long weekend! Summer! Bring it on, no pumpkins here........

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach...

for blog friend Bonnie who also loves beach pebbles, a screen grab from IG, not mine.

What look like weedy vines here are native bittersweet, so beautifully orange and red in November!