My Summer Vacation

This summer has been full and busy! We've done so many fun things (visit friends, zoo, drive-in, swimming, sleepovers...) A few useful things (huge workday at school, fund-raisers, yard sale...) And some things we did not do nearly enough ( hang at my mom's, have friends over for dinner, freeze pies, go camping...) But, I think I'm satisfied. Maybe this fall and winter things'll slow down just a little...but not likely...these boys keep me hopping.

In crafty news...I really wanted to try batiking fabric this summer. I have a 70's craft book with a couple cute batik dolls in it. I want to make them! School starts in just 2 weeks! That means Back to work for me! I wonder if I can still squeeze it in. Maybe.

I want to rearrange and maybe paint the boys room before school starts, too. It's gotten a little scary in there! And crowded. Time for stuff to go.

AND...I have TWO quilts that are so close to being finished! Oh Summer, where did you go?!

Busy Little Quilting Bee. The end.

So, these are the last blocks for the last person for the Busy Little Quilting Bee. I've completely enjoyed this game!! And I got to make a lot of quilt blocks that were hidden away in my head for later! Like these! I saw a quilt once in a shop made of similar blocks and have wanted to replicate it since...now I have!!

A

And This is my Quilt! It is so perfect!! (ok, plenty of flaws, but I won't mention those!) Just what I envisioned!! I really really hope my nephew loves it!-The back has some skull & cross bone fleece and some red fleece pieced..shoulda had a pic-oh well! I really think it is one of the best I've made!--And I love that 16 different women all over the country had a hand in it! So rad!!

So, that's it. the end of this sewing adventure. Now I'm off to finish the 3 other quilts I have in various states of progress. Hopefully sometime before the end of the decade!(or2)

Sometimes I Mend

Poor Blue Bear. (He's damp and smelly, too. Why do some kids chew fabric? Ew.) Stitches and fresh guts first. Then, a bath for Blue Bear.

My Green Thumb

This is my garden. It is a little weak and meager compared to some of my friends, but I'm so proud of it! I haven't tried for a few years, and I've never had much success. My green thumb is a little wilty. Even so, I've already overcome blossom end rot all by myself! Now I have 2 biggish zucchini in the fridge that I grew!! Yay! They will soon be zucchini bread. How's that for homemade!
Tomatoes! I always have mild success with tomatoes. it makes me happy.
The one in the middle was tiny (3 inches tall) and broken and sad when I planted it. It's the tallest, happiest one. Good job, tomatoes.

My "self-planted" pumpkins are doing all right, too! There are 2 hardball sized baby pumpkins and several very tiny baby ones. The leaves and vines aren't as big as other people's plants, but I'm so proud of mine!

In the box my love built for me, I have happy lettuce, stunted radishes and carrots, used up green onions and (unpictured) stunted kohlrabi. This is the second crop of radishes I've planted this year. I'm gonna try again, but I'm not very hopeful. who cant grow radishes! Me apparently.

There are strawberries back there, too. I thought I'd killed them in June but, there are now happily producing there second crop! (the first was about 10 or so berries one or two at a time that the bugs ate before we could--this crop is about the same minus the bugs).

This is my garden. I will definitely try again next year! maybe my wilty thumb will turn green after all!

This & That

I made another drawstring bag. This one to match my beach bag!-(Thanks friends! It's so perfect I made accessories!) The bag will hold my suit or water shoes. Yay!

And...I'm still working on Christmas gifts. Oh, yes. I said Christmas! It's really just around the corner. Merry! Merry!