Blueberries!

Oh, it's been such a wonderful weekend with beautiful weather, it's such a shame to wake up to rain today. It's good for my vegetables and flowers that I've planted so I'll accept it.

Rachel, my baby, is no longer a teenager. She turned 20 on Sunday. Her dear boyfriend, Carlyle, came to stay for the weekend and now I'm wishing that I would've thought to get some pictures. Darn. But anyway, Jen, Jason andthe grandson came for dinner and birthday cake.


Yesterday, I spent the morning with Jimmy at Home Depot, purchasing the supplies for the fencing that he will be putting up over the next few weeks.


I have a blog post about our horrible view of our neighbors that the storm downed trees created. We will have fencing ... SOON!


The rest of yesterday afternoon I spent planting veggies and flowers. My weather predictor husband warned me of the impending rain so I wanted to get it all done.

So with all that going on, I really didn't get much sewing done ... GO PENS! ... sorry, that reminded me that I was able to do some sewing during the Pens game on Saturday. The Pens won again! (Sorry Lisa)


Last night, I was looking at a blueberry embroidery pattern by Bareroots. I don't do a lot of embroidery, preferring instead to do wool applique. So naturally, I try to figure out in my head how to turn the lovely embroidery into wool applique. Making wool blueberries look real is important, so when the lightbulb lit up in my head, I put all other projects aside and started on the blueberries. I'm just thrilled with how they are looking but I can't decide if I want the blueberries to be on a navy blue background or a mottled brown background.
I know! I'll make it both ways!


Tomorrow, if I get the time, I will take pictures of the blueberry making process.

I'm really not that much into making americana but I do have an idea for a candle mat that I'd like to try. I made this little star pincushion to get me into the americana mood. I just need to make some cute little wool straight pins to go with it and it's going up on Ebay. I've a billion old vintage buttons but I'm so greedy with them ... never wanting to use them in my projects. I don't know why I save them ... I'll never use them and it's not like I ever really look at them except when I contemplate using them for a project, only to put them away again because I can't bring myself to use them! Oh it's really a silly inner struggle for me.
So last night, after making the star, I knew it would look so much nicer if I could only force myself to part with a few old buttons. So upstairs to the sunporch, where I store the button tins, I went. Right away I found that big clunky deep red button and right away I felt that urge to not use it. It was threaded in with 5 others that were exactly the same, so there would still be those 5 left to admire in the future. But even with the duplicates, I really had to talk myself into using it. I'm kinda glad I did because it really adds a nice touch to the star but I'm still so tempted to cut it off and save it. Someone tell me what's wrong with me? Ok, I hoard buttons, I admit it. I'm trying to work on my addiction but if you happen to see this listed on Ebay without the buttons, you'll know why!
This is the Lily of the Valley pincushion that was Ebay listed as well as the Pussy Willow pinkeep. I have a set of these that I made a few years ago for myself so I thought I'd make a few to Ebay sell .

I really think this might be the last of the Pansies for this year. I know I've said that before, but unless more special orders come in, the pansy dye pot will be put away.

This post is really getting long but I have to show the climbing clementis that is growing by our front walk. This is the view of it from our upstairs spare bedroom window. Every year it just grows bigger and bushier. I just love it.

We used to have a wonderful Golden Retriver. I could never grow Clementis when she was alive. I remember so many years trying to grow it and every year, she would dig it up and eat it. It must have been a delicacy for her because no matter where I tried to plant it, she would find it. Oh, I'd get so angry with her! I finally just gave up.

These are as-big-as-your-face blossoms!

After she died, I planted them and you can see, they are flourishing. I guess I can consider this plant a memorial to that precious dog because everytime I look at it and see the beautiful blooms, I think of how much she would enjoy those tasty leaves!

She was always a hungry dog. She loved summertime, because there was always something outside growing that she could eat. We have apple trees and pear trees so when they were in season, she had a feast on the dropped fruit. I remember one time, she came inside with tomato seeds on her snout and I knew she was in my garden feasting on the tomatos. She'd get this guilt expression on her face that kept us from scolding her too much. She really was just an exceptional dog. I really miss her.
Goodness gracious this is a looooong post!

happy day everyone! GOOOOOO PENS tonight!