I HEART ELEPHANTS

Hot.  Too hot to comment.  Good sewing weather.

My pieced flag didn't slide under the 4th of July deadline, but I am pleased with my progress - there is major avoidance of the star area though, because I am not interested in piecing together 1 1/4" squares.  Since I learned how to do foundation piecing, the old fashioned seaming no longer appeals to me.   I guess that I will have to hunker down and create my own paper pieced pattern if this has any chance of being finished.  In 2010. 

Hilary's bathmat was tied and delivered today - she really seemed to like it.  I'm knitting wash cloths out of Rowan organic cotton to go with this gift.  A ruffled hand towel or two might be nice as well.

The completed 4th of July banner - love the finished result - maybe it's time to take down those white holiday lights, what do you think?  We actually like how they appear summer evenings when all of the other house lights are turned down low.  The little white lights are especially festive when they compete with the July fireflies outside the door.  (I can see that the white gutter downspout has to go too.)  

Do you know people who collect caches?  You might walk into their homes and notice, in a subtle, or not so subtle way, a little theme thing going on.  My coworker collects frogs.  My sister has a fondness for vintage botanicals and a pottery that I cannot put a name to.  My girlfriend is all about apple motif.  I.  Adore.  Pachyderms.  This pattern is one of Linda Hibbert's creations.  It graces a linen jacket that I made quite a while ago.  I'm getting ready to return to this theme again because it keeps whispering in my ear - each time I sort through the greens and grays that I've been gathering, elephants reappear.  It's becoming increasingly clear that I've not finished with these amazing creatures - at least, not in my fiber life.  One day, when I have the luxury of time and disengagement (whatever THAT means!) I plan to visit an elephant sanctuary.  I'm hoping to sign on as an intern - I want to work with the baby elephant orphans.  They touch my heart where words do not follow.

This elephant themed batik is truly one of my all-time favorites and I wish that I had purchased many more yards of it than I did when I originally found it.  Now of course, it is impossible to locate.  If anyone out there has any -  and wants to sell it - PLEASE drop me a line!  

SIZZLING SUNDAY/4th OF JULY

Do you get tired of hearing about my northeastern weather?  Most gardeners are a little bit obsessed with the weather, specifically speaking... will it rain?  Not this 4th of July weekend.  Temps are expected to advance the 100 degree mark and hold.  This could be a death sentence for some of my new and fragile crops.  I'm especially worried about the cinderella pumpkins, which I sowed later than usual.

I always try to provide numerous watering stations about the gardens for drinking and bathing.  Believe me, the birds appreciate this and wait for refills.  It is so heart warming to be able to observe their joyful antics in the water!

This natural 'pool' was uncovered when digging a new border.  It was clear that the rock wasn't going anywhere without heavy equipment involved, and so it stayed and became an important water feature in this small section of the garden.

A 'makeshift' birdbath, using an old terra cotta tray to substitute for the broken original.  This one resides under the gingko tree and is a very popular watering hole for the doves. Everybody seems to have their particular favorite hang out - the sparrows fight for this one -

Location might be a factor as this bath is closest to the bird condos under the porch eaves (gggrrrrr) Eviction plans are underway for that situation which grows more repellent by the day!  Everyone is getting tossed (as soon as the last babies leave their nests) and we are screening the porch in.  One last watering hole -

Looking around, I see that the 4th of July is being observed all over Cloudwalk;

Doesn't the Hungarian Breadseed Poppy sport some patriotic colors?

Seems like someone gravitates toward a red, white and blue combination - a true patriot!

Well, maybe this is stretching it - the stone could be considered 'blue', or perhaps Mr. Turtle's head has a touch of blue to it.  I brought one of the 911 quilts out and hung it on the line to air - 

   

Worldwide peace should be a religion.

It has to start at home, in each and every individual American heart.  We have to shrug off complacency and concern ourselves with others, especially those less fortunate than ourselves.  

I'm going to get my knitting and go sit on my porch for a while.  Here's wishing you all a safe and happy Fourth of July!  Do something nice for someone - a single random act of kindness.

THE SILENT ONE

We should have named her Shadow.

Miss Bella - Keeper of the Dark.  Slinkiest of the Slinky.  Ruler of the House.  My little rescue, found on the city streets of Poughkeepsie one Halloween.  She has few endearing qualities, but she keeps the rodent population down to a dull roar.  Which is ok by me.  She wardens both canines as well - there is no doubt who is In Charge.
SEWING ... summer projects.  Izzy and Ivy have a fabulous line, go see them ...

More of my favorite motif - never can get enough of anything cherry.

Secret projects - have to be finished and mailed before revealing!

Up with the birds - the countdown has begun.  Including today I have five days left before my summer vacation officially begins.  These are a few of the projects that I hope to complete.

I am desperate to make these cafe curtains from Fresh Figs.  I love everything that this designer puts her hand to.  Summer reading will include;

I hope to vist the Edward Gorey museum/house when I get to the Cape this summer.  I remember seeing his set design of 'Dracula' years ago in Boston when Frank Langella (swoon) played the leading role.  I returned for the showing on press night.  I sent yellow roses backstage to Frank and I called him in his hotel room.  He answered.  Gracious, provocative, memorable.  He is one of my favorite actors of all time.  Do you remember seeing him in 'Diary of a Mad Housewife'?  Outstanding.  And that voice ... compelling.  Let's not even talk about his eyes.  OH!  I got off track - I was talking about Edward Gorey, illustrator and artist, genius.  

I plan to stop in West Barnstable on my way to Chatham - I want to visit a shop called YummyGoods.  I've been following Melissa Averinos' blog for some time now and she is an inspiration and a delight.  When I look at her work I am reminded that we MUST follow our bliss! 

WORDY WEDNESDAY

How could any hydrangea admirer walk past this new variety without pausing?  Two pots came home with me and I'm going back for the third!  I confess to being partial to the lacecap and of course the brilliant blue, but this is not a common color in my garden theme and I am interested in seeing how it fares.  It is not zoned for my part of the world, but I think that good placement and protective 'cages' will see it through a NYS winter.
We had beets last night!

This is a deeply satisfying crop because the entire plant is consumed.  I prepared the greens last night and they were amazing!  

 Would you even consider discarding such handsome greens?  This early in the season they are virtually bug bite free and vigorous.  We like them as well as the swiss chard which is making its way to maturity.
I made a trip to LFS.  I had to stock up on my favorite Kona cotton, "snow" and, as is always the case, several fabrics found their way into my heart.

I love this batik so much that I can hardly stand it.  Isn't the Amy Butler print a perfect twin?  I have no idea where these two are going, but I'm pretty sure that it will be together, hand in hand.

And yes, I AM considering signing up for a summer class - I need to get out more.  If I don't impose limitations upon myself, I am in the garden from sun up to sun set - ALL SUMMER LONG!  Remember, I have an academic year position and in less than a week I am FREE for 10 weeks!  Gardening is good.  Complete isolation is bad.

sssshhhh - this is a present for Pauline.  I plan to hand-deliver it when she moves to New Hampshire this fall.  

PITCHIN' A FIT

Around here "pitchin' a fit" is a good thing.  It means that someone GOT BUSY!  As in, he pitched a fit in that potting shed!  Or, she's out there pitchin' a fit in the border!  Both Scott and I assigned ourselves to yard duty this weekend, despite the heat and humidity.  Since I've been spending so much time in the vegetable garden, all of the other gardens have suffered my neglect, but none more than the long border.  It's a jungle out there with the plume poppy standing well over 15 feet.  I was hacking pruning the poppy when Scott wandered over and shouted for me to retreat!    We stood staring at this most magnificent and private creature that my pruning had revealed:

I didn't even see him/her, but luckily, Scott has better eye sight than I do.  Its wings serve as perfect camouflage.  I could not believe how beautiful this moth is - does anyone know what kind it is?

It's body must have been at least three inches or longer.  Nature's perfection.  This moth reminded me of another garden mascot that I haven't seen in many years - the praying mantis.  There is so much herbicidal spraying done in the surrounding orchards that we never see them. (I wish the same was true of the japanese beetle)  I miss them.  (the mantis, NOT the beetles!)

This is what was left of the poppy when I finished my fit ...

It's a bad idea to neglect all other gardens in favor of the vegetables.  I have my hands full with this long border- it's embarrassing to realize what a MESS it has become in my absence.   Look at this sweet little veggie garden, all tucked in and planted - I think that it might have been worth it.

The birds are enjoying these gardens - my "downtown" girls are back ... I cannot figure out how pigeons arrive at my rural setting ... to me, they are and always have been a city bird!  But no!  

The lacecap hydrangeas are very beautiful this season - this one came all the way from Chatham on Cape Cod to live in my New York State garden.  I scattered some sand around its perimeters so that it wouldn't miss its Cape home!

There was some sewing.  Sadly, no knitting.

More bathmats - one for me, one for Hilary who is painting her upstairs bath a pretty salmon and cream combo.  I have been trying to finish the 4th of July flag as well as a fabric banner.  I LOVE the banners for all occasions.  This one is simple to make.

8" squares, right sides together - mark the halfway and cut off the corners -

Sew a scant 1/4 seam around three sides, trim corners and turn -

I then topstitched mine - you don't have to, but I think that they hang better.  I purchased bias tape (gasp!) because I am a lazy girl sometimes, and you simply sandwich them between double fold, double wide bias and sew -

When I run out of this package of tape I plan to use a royal blue, and then a white, and then back to red ... a real patriotic banner for the 4th!

It's a special banner - one that I will look forward to pulling out in July.  I'm planning to make birthday banners for the children - and, - get this - I'm going to do paper-pieced alphabets spelling out their names .. woo-hoo!  Don't I wish that I had this kind of energy and TIME when my adult children were small?  Many regrets - single parenthood, not a good time!  SO!  We do what we can with what we have today.  It has to count for something, yes?  Grandbabies.  NEED. THEM.

MIND AT WORK, HEART IN THE GARDEN

After watering the garden this morning I took a few quick shots.  I brought my camera to work and loaded them into a different program than what I use on my Mac at home, but they retrieved nicely.  How about that beautiful broccoli?

A long shot of the tomatos and the only patch of unplanted soil which I will remedy tonight and tomorrow.  Black bush beans.

Beet foliage, tiny arugula sprouts (that melt in your mouth with a peppery little pop) and nasturtium.

The first zucchini!  You know how THIS story ends - with your friends and neighbors avoiding you ...

Is there anything as pretty as a cabbage?  Maybe an entire row of them ...