On The Mend

 I've been in the hospital, but now I'm on the mend.  Today is the first time I have felt real good.  Yipee!  I received some beautiful flowers and a candle and snuffer from my niece and family, brother-in-law, nephew, and sister.  My daughters pitched in and helped me alot.  I love my family. 

WOW! It is so nice to be feeling better---Thank You Lord!  Do not take your health for granted.

My back yard is getting out of control.  Some volunteer cherry tomatoes and lemon basil came up and they're out of control.

As you can see, the basil is growing up through the chaise lounge and the tomatoes have grown all around the chimnea.  You wouldn't know it, but the patio pavers are underneath a lot of that.

More tomatoes are growing out into the yard.  It has really been extreemely hot and dry here for a while. 

Did I tell you how nice is is to be feeling better?  Wahoo!

My hubby has been really good to water our plants so they are doing well.

Our gold fish have really grown this summer--they are about 6 inches long now.  You can't see them because they are camera shy.  The outdoor pictures would have been better if I had waited until this afternoon to take the pictures--- because of more shade, but I was in the mood to do it now.  I hope to get some sewing done soon.

Another Bag and Flowers

Well, I had to make another bag.  I really like the colors of this bag, even though it might not go with too much of what I wear.  It looks tropical when I wear white--very summery.

I made the white one below last week, and my hubby asked if it was a new bag or one of my old ones turned inside out--thanks dear.  I tried putting an embellishment on it and didn't like how it looked, so I made another one just because I can.

The aqua bag is made slightly different than the white one.  I added piping to the seam around the outside of the bag (I made the piping with cord and small--3/4 inch--strips of fabric).  This bag took two fat quarters for the outside of the bag--1 for the body of the bag, and 1 for the handle, piping and handle sleeve.  It took a little less than 1/2 yard for the lining and backing of the quilt sandwich for the outside of the bag.  I had some smaller pieces of polyester batting that I pieced by zig-zagging them together to make them big enough for the middle layer of the quilt sandwich.  I quilted it with straight lines, and I rather like that.

I also took some pictures of our flowers--Here's our front flower bed.  I bought a couple of rudbeckia a few years ago,  now I have more than I need.  I gave quite a few to our daughter Erin this year and last, and sold about 40-50 small seedlings at our garage sale this spring.  I still love these flowers.  They do get a little top heavy and tend to flop over, but I have some of them propped up with wire supports.

The begonia is potted in a concrete planter on the driveway.  Believe it or not it is only one plant.

Another bedding plant that I love in pots is Sweet Potato Vine.  It just goes crazy.  Soon I will have to either trim them or walk around them on our porch.  I took these pictures last week and the vines have grown about 10 inches since then--WOW, or as Ben Stein would say--wow.

Another favorite in containers is impatiens--I haven't been real good about feeding them Miracle Grow this summer or they would be a lot bigger.  They're big enough though.

You can see the begonia's planter below.  I've had this planter quite a few years, 8-10 or so.  It's starting to get that aged look.

 It's been quite hot lately, but I love my summer flowers----and air conditioning!!!

Pincushion and Needle Books

 Well, I've been sewing again.  Here are some small projects.  Three needle books and a star looking pincushion.  I saw this pincushion on several blogs and decided to make it a few days ago. 

First, I cut out fifteen squares.  Five in three different colors each--2.5" square.

I joined the squares like a four patch leaving one side open and stitched the fifth square in that spot.  I did this for the top and bottom colors to make two 5-patch assemblies.

For the middle color I joined the points and two sides of the middle color to the top color points and two sides--(actually I did it wrong the first time and had to take it out, because I ended up with a bubble instead of a star)--the way I'm telling you is the correct way--points to points. After all the middle squares are joined to the top color assembly, you sew the middle's remaining  points with each of their two sides to the valleys in the bottom color assembly all the way around leaving one side open for turning and stuffing--points to valleys.  Turn and stuff.  Stitch opening closed.

Add a button--I used a button off one of my daughter's first coat. I also cinched it down by using strong thread to bring the needle out through the bottom and back up several times and pulling tight, then knotting securely.

This pincushion is large enough for my flat flower head pins--they are pretty long.  The little doily I tatted quite a few years ago when I was learning how to tat.

The needle books were made from a pattern I got from the book
Sew Pretty Home Style that I bought a few years back.  I use these needle books for my embroidery projects.  When I cut off some floss and pull out a few strands to use, I roll up the remaining strands on my finger and lay them in the pages of one of these books to use later.  I keep that needle book with its needles with that particular project until it is finished. 

A Summer Bag and Summer Fun

I made a new bag today.  I wanted a summer looking bag, and I had the instructions for a purse tutorial from some one's blog written in my notebook--so I just got with it and made one.  I'm sure I will have to wash it often since it's white, but it's washable.  I used thicker cotton filler cord than it called for, so I should have made the sleeve a little bit wider, but --OH WELL.

Here is the first part below; I made two of these.  I quilted batting to one side of each of the two assemblies before joining them together.

In the following picture I'm joining the ends of the covered cotton filler cord and cover before burying the joinery in the sleeve.  I made one 27" handle for each side.

TA-DAA!

Filled and ready to go.

Thursday we went to the lake with our relatives and friends.

There was a lot of tubin' goin' on.

Just look at those clouds--beautiful.  We had a good day.  The kids also went wake boarding, but I was on shore with my sister and brother-in-law while that was going on and didn't get any pictures.

I think the kids flipped the tube 3 or 4 times and dumped all four of them out.  I think Erin found out what it was like to tube with 3 boys who were out to have fun--two cousins and her boyfriend.  After we got finished with it all we let the kids tube on the way back and a storm blew up.  It was quite an ordeal getting the pontoon out of the water with the wind blowing so hard.  Good thing my nephews were there to help guide the boat onto the trailer.

Fun, Fun, Fun.