Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Bees and Cats and Flowers

Design - "Spring and Summer"
Chart - "Quaker Seasons Purse II"
Designer - Crown and Thistle
Fabric - 30 count R & R Iced Cappuccino 
Fibers - Crescent Colors & GAST - 2 strands over 2 threads
Started - 29 June 2014
Completed - 22 August 2014

I changed the colors and used: GAST "Baby Spinach" for the vines, GAST "Tarnished Gold" for the bees, and Crescent Colors "Ye Old Gold" for the hive.

After stitching and stitching and stitching this month I've finally turned a UFO into a WIP and finished it!

Today's theme is flowers and bees (and cats).  

Perfect for taking part in the Tuesday Garden Party.

Today we'll take a look at the Front Porch area.

On the right side of the porch the bed has a couple of kinds of Rudbeckia.

These are 'before' photos as the deer seem to love Rudbeckia.

So do I - I just wish they'd stop munching on the plants.

But even with fences, they manage to nibble.

This coneflower is blooming up a storm.

My verbena self-seeded much to the delight of the small finches.

It's August. It's hot.
So I bought 24 pansies and violas!

The north-facing Front porch stays pretty shaded so I sprinkled some yellow violas among the ferns on the bench. 

And I added white violas to my mix of fuchsias.

This has been a perfect summer for my begonias.

They are lush and healthy and loaded with blooms.

A small success - I was able to start a couple of begonias from the tubers that I saved from last fall!

I bought the watering can on the right at Ikea in Portland on Friday.

It's been a good summer for coleus too and I've managed not to over-water them for a change!

I bought a couple of ferns to 'freshen up' some tired looking pots.

Here's the long side of the Front Porch. The cats have taken to spending the afternoons here as it is the coolest place (outside) to be. 

Despite competition from the deer...

...my sister was able to pick several pounds of blackberries.

That inspired me...

...so I made a couple of cobblers!

9 comments:

Melody said...

The flowers are lovely, and the cobblers look delicious!!

Carol said...

Such a cute finish, Beth, and I wish I were there to taste those blackberry cobblers. Blackberry pie was always my dad's favorite and my mom always used to make it for his birthday (which just happens to be today :)!!!

Barb said...

The cobbler looks delicious! I love the finish, I think it was worth the frogging!

Mary said...

The cobblers look so good.....If I had to chose between flowers or watching deer nibble the flowers, I know I would choose deer...and just plant more flowers. Cats always manage to find the coolest spots, I often find my own and neighbor's cats sleeping under the large leaves of my hostas in the heat.

Vickie said...

Your finish is very neat!
My mouth is watering from your cobblers. ;)

Melissa said...

I love that latest finish, Beth!

Yes it is very warm indeed. My husband was nudging me to go out to weed this new bed he put in this year (for me). With the overturned soil the weeds were "freed" and happily blooming. So that's where I'll be.

You and your sister make a good team! She grows it, you bake it and you all get to munch happily!

Samplings from Spring Creek said...

You've been busy! Violas such a sweet flower--am surprised you have any flowers with the deer--ours eat everything in sight--especially berries!

Margaret said...

I want some of that cobbler! OMG! Yum! Loved the tour of your porches and grounds. Seems the deer always manage to nibble no matter how you try, doesn't it? Love your stitching too! And the cats of course!

Andrea said...

A great stitching finish. Your cobbler looks delicious.