Quilts And All Things Fabric...

As an avid fabric enthusiast, a blog about quilts and all things fabric just seemed the obvious thing to do.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Barn Block Update and Garden News

First, I hope everyone has a SAFE and FUN holiday weekend and please keep in mind those that paid the ultimate price in service to our country this Memorial Day.
And to those that are currently serving...THANK YOU!

It is so hot and humid outside today, it seemed like a good time to sit down INSIDE and do a little blog update. Last blog showed the start of the Little Red Barn quilt. Although, I do have all the patterns, this is a quilt-along with the "Barn Blog Quilt Along" on the Quilt With Us group from Connecting Threads. So,  I am trying to pace myself and not get way ahead. Don't you just love having THAT kind of an excuse for what would otherwise appear to be procrastination? LOL  (There are still way too many projects in the works in my little sewing room.)
Well, block number 2  entitled "The Country Spool" is constructed.
The applique stitching is not done yet, and will wait until all blocks are completed. That way there will be less thread changes. And there is a little "spool button" that goes atop the weather-vane when completed.

These are the cutest little barns!

In other news around Beachwood Cottage....the garden is growing beatuifully this year. One of our daughters gave us a gift packet of heirloom seeds for Christmas last year and it has been a lot of fun experiencing and experimenting with some new-to-us seeds. One of which is a Zucchini officially called "Cocozella Di Napoli Squash", an Italian Heirloom zucchini. We grow or at least appempt to grow zucchini's every year and it is always a 'crap shoot' subject to weather and garden critters as to whether or not we get a squash or not. This year we planted the seeds in a different bed (we do all raised beds in the garden) and they are loving it. Might also have something to do with the 'natural turkey fertilizer' that Gary added LAST year too. ;-) Anyway, the plants are huge and BEAUTIFUL!
 There are some Butternut Squash plants growing in front of the Zucchini's and Cantaloupe and Watermelon (out of view) also .  This is a very large bed that can handle a lot of plants.

This morning (5/26/12) I picked these two beauties! They both measure approximately 11" long. The the place mat that they are  laying on measures 12.25" high and 16.5" long, so that should give you a better idea of actual size. It's looking like a lot of Zucchini Bread to me!!! Yum.  As hot as it is right now, I will probably just go ahead and shred the zucchini's, measure out the 2 cups needed for the bread and freeze it for later use. I just don't like turning on the oven when it's over 90° outside!

In other garden news, we have already enjoyed a few tomatoes and cucumbers. The onions are looking really good this year, too. The Sugar Snap Peas are just about done for the season. We only did two short rows this year, but have seven bags in the freezer (enough for 2 people per bag) and have had the for dinner twice. The green beans are looking good and should be ready to pick in about a week. Of course we keep lettuces and spinach going year round. Other garden items include an heirloom carrot (from that same gift pack), beets, turnips, corn, okra, and butternut squash, and 3 different types of pepper plants. WHEW! Yes it is a big garden. Grapes, Blackberries and Hazel Nut bushes abound on the outer sides also. Retired people don't have anything else to do, do they?????
 Just in case you are curious.....here is an over all view of the garden:

 And a view 'through the garden gate':
It's no wonder I don't get THAT much SEWING done in the summer!!!! 
And, by the way...yes it is a very big garden and usually produces prolifically.We eat fresh out of the garden until we are sick of it (believe me, that really does happen); then I freeze and can what we will use for the year. Anything that is left is given away to friends, neighbors, and anyone that just stops and wants something. 


No comments:

Post a Comment