Summing Up Summer

Summing Up Summer 

"It's really hot but I'll take it" seems to be the mantra these days.  We all want to prolong summer and do anything to delay the cold weather that will surely come.
Still summerish as I write this summary.

One of the best things about this summer was I did get home to visit my parents and they loved having their littler great-grandchild visit.  Mom still talks about how lucky and blessed they are to live to see great-grandchildren.  And they are!

Stitching

My two WIP's are still WIP's.
 That would be the Strawberry Thief and my blocks for Hazel's Summer Wildflower Quilt.  As disappointed as I am that these are not done, Thief is getting there as I showed you recently.  Mostly the edging left to work and I am stitching Block 4 of 6 for the quilt.  I did lose time with my hand, bad hand and had to go easy for about three weeks.
 But I had thought these two projects would be done by now.

 Why does it always take longer to finish than we think it will.

 I did get in a number of good sessions of free motion quilting practice though the basement sewing room is less than ideal. For some reason this year, it has begun to smell worse than usual.  An air exchanger and generous sprays of Febreeze hasn't really helped.  And we can't keep the windows open because that adds  moisture to an already dampish basement.  I'll have to re-evaluate the sewing room situation which probably means Dining room will be pressed into sewing service.

What I Thought I'd Be Well and Away With

The Granny Stripe Crocheted Blanket
I finally just got a start made in September.   I really did think I was going to get that up and running long before now but didn't. Now it slides into the autumn slot.

As you know, I've bought my own copy of Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt book.  I had the first 10 patterns downloaded and all ready to begin the paper piecing process.  It's been sitting on the living room table in front of the big window for a couple of weeks now waiting patiently for my inner quilter to leap out.  Any minute now...


Garden

Geraniums are always the winners in my garden.  They will bloom until October when I will repot them to bring them inside.  Gotta love a plant that keeps on giving year after year, all year round.

My Morning Glories were a bit of a bust this year; not nearly as many flowers as in other years.  For the second year in a row, some insect has eaten the tiny plants; why it leaves some, I don't know.
 The Lupin still eludes me.  As a perennial I'm really hoping for next year. 

Other flowers, the annuals such as the Impatiens, Cosmos, Marigolds, Butterfly Plants, and Begonias  grew well.  All the perennials returned and bloomed in turn.
All in all I think the flower garden was a success this year.

My Giant English Daisies, just about the last of the flowers to blossom and linger.  Another wonderful perennial.  They helped me wave good bye to the summer of 2015. 

Earlier I showed you a picture of one of the apple trees in glorious bloom.  We had high winds and a sudden temperature drop right about that time, and it had a disastrous effect on the blossoms of all four trees.  Most of the bloom was destroyed with the result that only a few apples have appeared.

I may get enough for a pie or two.
So Summer of 2015 was not good at all for our apple trees.
 The tomato plants have all sprouted fruit but I just may have to put them in the greenhouse to give them a chance to grow bigger.  The continued warmth is doing wonders for them though. 

We have enjoyed lots of fresh vegetables thanks to the farm stands around here.  It is a real summertime treat to have fresh from the field produce.  Going to miss that soon. 

 So overall, it was a good summer.  And better yet, it isn't quite done yet.