Mom's Stitching

Design - "Acorns & Pines"

Designer - Little House Needleworks

Fabric - 14 count Ivory Aida

Fibers - DMC - 2 strands 

Started - 2014

Completed - 30 July 2014

Today I'm feature a stitch that my Mom finished working on yesterday. 

Way to go Mom!

This is what it looks like as Cat Meal Time approaches.  We gather and we pace about and we talk!

While the bunnies are pretty quiet, the quail do talk at meal times! 

They also talk as they march along.

I wonder how far these little ones walk in a day.

After breakfast it is time to groom and doze in the early morning sunlight.

They're still here!  Strictly speaking I've not seen a guy in a couple of days now, but there is a female Evening Grosbeak still coming to the feeders.

Can you tell Courting Time is over for the American Goldfinches?  They guys are starting to look dirty or smudgy. 

I never know what garden art might provide a good resting spot.  This Junco likes one of my dragonfly plant stakes.

The Acorn Woodpeckers eat peanuts and acorns and other 'hard' foods.  And as they do not have teeth, they 'eat' gravel bits which are used in their gizzard to help break up the food and make it easier to digest. 

I sat on the Front Porch and watched the Acorns. 

They did not appreciate me being so close to the peanut feeder and let me know how they felt! 

But finally they decided to ignore me and grab a peanut or two. 

Dinner - it's what to eat!

One year ago today Mom and I headed north to Carlisle. 

July Stitch July Walk

Design - "America"
Designer - Heart in Hand
Fabric - 32 count raw Belfast linen
Fibers - WDW - 2 strands over 2 threads
Started - 28 July 2014
Completed - 29 July 2014

Once again I used "Linen" instead of "Beige". I'm really pleased with how this little stitch turned out. I like the lettering and simplicity of the design.   

It's going to be hot again today, so we'll take our walk soon after the sun rises. 

At the end of July most of the wildflowers have bloomed at set seed. 

The Goldfinches are feasting on the thistle seed.

They are some of the latest birds to nest as they need the ripe seeds for 'baby food'.

I think children must be some of the best weed seed distributors on the planet. When I was a young girl I used to strip the seeds of this weed and

use it as 'pretend food' serving it in small bowls to my dolls.  

The glossy white Baneberries (Actaea rubra)are ripe now.

Hot days are good basking days for the Western Pond Turtles.

It looks like someone has eaten most of the ripe Thimbleberries.

Faded and well past its prime, the Ocean Spray is still a thing of beauty.

I'll bet a Jay - Steller or Scrub - extracted the Hazelnuts from these husks. 

A perfect day for a cool dip in a spring wouldn't you say?

Even weedy plants such as Teasel can provide necessary food for pollinators like this Painted Lady butterfly. 

One year ago today Mom and I visited Scampston Hall in Yorkshire.

As July Comes to an End

I still have two or three more Patriotic Stitches I'd like to get started on before the month ends.  First up will be Heart in Hand's "America".

Yikes - July is quickly coming to a close.  Let's take a look at what is going on with my gardening efforts.  Then we can head on over to the Tuesday Garden Party at an Oregon Cottage.

While I'm usually all about bright Crayola crayon colors, I do really like my dark chocolate brown Coleus.

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Back to Bright! I've been exploring orange plants a bit this year.

I planted out four different colored Thunbergia vines. This one - Orange Beauty is the best performer so far.

And I'm really pleased with the two large pots of bright orange New Day Gazanias.

Back to Blue and my Comfort Zone.

This is the first year I've grown Marine Blue Salvia - Salvia chamaedryoides - the hummers like it fine.

Speaking of blue, just looking at this glass cascade of white and blues is calming and cooling just like water, or so I think. I picked up this beauty on my trip to England last year at Saltram.  The blues are the colors of the ocean and sky in Devon. 

"I'm just a girl who can't say no..."

I ordered five Fuchsias from a local nursery. 

I've become enamored with the smallest types of Fuchsias like this F. procumbens.

So then I had to buy F. procumbens variegata.

I planted up this great basket in early May with four small starts of Dark Eyes.  It's everything I could ask for now and much less expensive than buying a pre-grown basket. 

I've also started 'collecting' triphylla-type fuchsias such as this one - Traudchen Bonstedt. 

Here's another triphylla-type - Koralle. Gardenmeister is probably the best known triphylla fuchsia. 

This is basket number two - with that old fashioned favorite - Swingtime. 

Here's a Green Comma Butterfly resting on Fuchsia Autumnale.

It was 96f yesterday - far too hot for my tastes.  I watered everything well last evening and as the temperatures are to remain around 90f through Sunday, I'll be watering every two to three days. 

One year ago today Mom and I visited Hampton Court - there are two posts about our day there.  Here's the first, and here's the second. 

Deer Deer Monday

Design - "Uncle Sam"

Chart - "Seasonal Mementos III"

Designer - Mary Garry's Sewing Cabin

Fabric - 32 count Sandstone linen

Fibers - GAST & DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 24July 2014

Completed - 27 July 2014

I changed GAST "Mulberry" to "Cranberry" as I found the original color far too orange/brown for my tastes. 

On my walk earlier last week, I startled a group of five deer including a doe with twin fawns.

A curious young buck held ground for a moment to give me a once over.

Then he too dashed off.  When I headed up the driveway the doe and bedded down in a meadow with the twins and I startled them all over again. My sister said that young family was bedded down in our backyard Thursday night.

We have three young bucks at the moment. 

They are all in velvet.

The dandelions are very popular with the deer and the bunnies.

This doe seems to find something or someone amusing! 

Here's the third buck with just the littlest of nubbins!

After getting this post ready for publication Sunday afternoon, look who showed up Sunday evening!

Yep, the doe and the twins.

What's the one fawn looking at you ask?

Quail - very curious about the quail.

The twins are pretty good-sized. 

The spots have faded a bit, but they are still adorable.

Time for an afternoon nap!  Sounds like a good plan to me!

One year ago today Mom and I visited the Courtauld Gallery.