Summer so far

We’ve been having a busy summer with gardening, working, drawing, harvesting, knitting, art projects…..

This is the garden in mid-July.  We’ve got lots of volunteer okra that comes up every year.  Using painted tires as planters added such fun and color to the scenery.

The yellow zinnias are a stand out sight this year.

 Katie and the monster melon

The cantaloupes were monstrous!!  I used compost this year in my garden. Funny thing, about compost.  Most of what went into my garden were volunteers that grew from the compost. 

I made fabric strip dolls with the kids and moms (and even the Branch President) at our Pioneer Day celebration at church.

Patrick ordered a Ukulele this summer and has been having nothing but fun!

Mary learned to knit two gloves at once on circular needles and has been knocking them out fast.

She is trying to get ahead with the autumn- colored fingerless gloves. They are her biggest seller every fall and winter.

We had my birthday.  I made a yellow cake with home made orange frosting.

Mary knitted a pair of socks for me.  Love them!!

My mom came to see me on my birthday.  *;-.)  Bad Granny!

I have been making lots of Peach Vanilla jam and lots of Strawberry Peach jam.  Yum!!

Buddy’s Side of the Story

New Guardians of the Garden

My mother has been in my garden again. 

Sparkly Rose!!!  Luckily it did not scare off the butterfly on the yellow Zinnia to the right.

Are you very afraid?  It works though, because I am still harvesting Chinese Red Noodle Beans.

 

Another Guardian of the Cantaloupes.  Don’t be fooled by the Precious Pink color.  

Don’t be fooled. She only looks sweet…..

Fabric Strip Rag Doll

                                                                                                             Doll I made  using Batiks

    Looking for something to make to commemorate Pioneer Day in July?  We have just the thing. My 16-year old son came home from Trek with an adorable fabric strip rag doll that he had made in a workshop one day.  He was so proud.  (Thanks to Sarah H. for teaching him)

                Patrick’s Christmas-y doll he made on Trek

Materials:

• For the body: 20 strips of fabric, 1 -1/2 inch wide, in as many colors as you wish, cutting the full 44-inch width of fabric.  (You may trim the length at the end as you desire. I just left mine long)
• For the arms: 10 strips of fabric, coordinating with the dress, 1 1/2 inches wide, 16 inches long.  I just took 5 strips, folded them over to make 10 and cut.
• For the head:  4 extra strips of fabric (color doesn’t matter, as they will not show)
• narrow scraps to tie at head, neck, waist and cuffs.

I have selected Batik prints for my doll.

To begin, stack your fabric strips evenly.

Lay them on a flat surface (yes, my flat surface really is a tie-dyed damask table cloth).

Find the middle and tie with a narrow strip of matching fabric.

 

Roll 4 strips of scrap fabrics into a ball, forming the head  (I neglected to measure the size. Sorry.  It fits in the palm of your hand).

Tuck the ball under the tied middle of your stack of fabrics.

Begin closing fabrics around the ball to cover.    

When you are satisfied with the coverage and the look, form a neck with a narrow strip of fabric and tie off.

Choose 10 fabric strips , 1 1/2 inches wide, for the arms. (I selected 5 and folded them over to make 10.)   Cut so their full length is 16 inches long.

Stack them evenly in an order that suits you, if order is what you want. 

Lay your doll “face up.”  Lift half the fabric strips of the doll and lay your arm stack inside, below the neck.

If you wish, as this step is optional, tie the arm strips in place using a strip of fabric from the doll body in front of the arms and a strip from the fabrics behind the arms (note the two tightened green strips).

Replace the “doll front”  fabric strips over the arm strips. Tie off each “sleeve” with a narrow strip of fabric.

Tie a waist with another narrow strip of fabric.

Tug at sleeves to “poof” them, if desired.

And we are done!!

Have Fun!!   Wouldn’t these be lovely made up in seasonal colors?

Gardens in July

Lush!!  Cantoloupe plants growing in with the yellow Zinnias, Purple zinnias in teh back ground, chinese red noodle beans growing up the poles.  Pumpkin growing next to the blue tire which is housing a pot of Rose Moss and lots of tomato plants in the background.

Chinese Red Noodle Beans

These are so fun to grow!!

Sun and Moon guardians of the Garden

Knik-nak  planter I found at a flea market now holding Rose Moss

The big picture.  I could look at my garden all day.

I thought this was a volunteer Butternut squash but the leaves weren’t quite right!  Pumpkin!!!  Yahoo!!

I love this Bee Balm!  It reminds me of fireworks!

Guardians of the Gardens

The Ghosts of Gardens Past haunt my mother’s squash plants

These are all the birdies that guard against tomato worms.

A warning to all creept, destructive bugs who want to harm my garden…or me…. *;-.)