Lynn Carson Harris

Attracting Fairies

This spring P and I started a flower garden over by her playhouse. She has been hoping that the fairies would like it well enough to move in. She has been working to attract them. She has put interesting rocks in the garden.

Most recently she added a shell.

The plants have started to fill in a little.

 

She is thrilled that some of the plants are getting more "fairyly".

 

Just look at these Jack-in-the-Pulpits. How could a fairy NOT like that?

And don't these hosta flowers look like little dancing fairy skirts?

The other day we found THREE mushrooms and the following flowers that we didn't even plant!

 

Johny Jump Ups must be very fairyly. Just the name sounds like it.

Little Miss Petunia is VERY encouraged.

I'll let you know if we have any fairy sightings.

Team 'Quilter Butts'

I joined the team!

When I saw Jacquie's post yesterday about her Improv(E) Your Butt Challenge to ward off the dreaded Quilter's Butt - I think you know what I'm talking about - I thought about my situation here and knew I was in danger.  I had to get moving and join.

I hopped on over to the government site, Tools to Keep You Active, signed up, and scooted out the door for a walk.

Although my walks here will look much the same every day, with the website I can track my progress on a trail across the U.S. that shows ground level views of where I am in my journey.

The fun part is that for each mile logged you reward yourself with a piece of fabric for an improvisational project or projects.

If nothing else I will feel a little less guilt tonight when I dig into the freshly cooked blackberry cobbler.

Grandmother's Garden Trellis

Here it is. The finished star strippy quilt. I am really happy with the quilting in the floral strips. I think the echo quilting was just right to fill in around the feathered vine.

I love the contrast of the straight grid quilting with the curves of the vines. It reminds me of a vine growing up a trellis in a garden.

I like the repeating patterns of the stripes, similar but not exactly the same.

The quilt fits a queen size bed but would also make a nice coverlet for a king size. 

It measures 90 x 90 inches.

The back has a pretty floral fabric with a stripe of the fabrics used in the stars. The quilting really shows up in the pieced area.

 

You can find the quilt here in the shop.

Thoughtful Sunday

"We often speak of a family circle, but there are none too many of them. Parallel lines never meeting, squares, triangles... these and other geometrical figures abound, but circles are comparatively few."

Mother Carey's Chickens, Kate Douglas Wiggin, 1911.

Wet

We have been having some rain, a few days of rain, heat, and high humidity. Yesterday we even lost power for a few hours.

I am feeling sluggish and unproductive. 

I DID finish the strippy quilt though. I'll show you when it dries out, brightens up, and I can take some pictures.

How the Garden Grows

We didn't get off to a great start with our gardens this year. The mosquitoes and then heat wave meant that I didn't spend much time fighting the weeds. We only got a handful of peas earlier but now we are having a little better garden success. We have onions ready for harvest and have already pulled all of the garlic.

We have some green tomatoes

 

and the promise of more to come.

Our chard is doing well but the carrots and beets are still small. Patience. We just need patience.

In the mean time the local u-pick farm has some really great blueberries!

Butterfly Migration

Look! The butterfly quilts had a chance to meet!

JEK's quilt, on the left, was the inspiration for my butterfly quilt on the right. I knew I had to make it as soon as I saw a picture of her quilt.

 

Isn't that a clothesline of happiness?

I am glad JEK had it with her on her trip.

Thoughtful Sunday

"And when I put on longer skirts I shall feel that I have to live up to them and be very dignified.  It won't even do to believe in fairies then, I'm afraid; so I'm going to believe in them with all my whole heart this summer."

Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery, 1908.

goin' with the a-go-gos

We had loads of fun with the a-go-gos!

We toured the Jiffy Mix factory.

 

They really gave the big selling push for their mixes. Yes, you can buy it by the case.

 

Hairnets are required to go on the factory tour. Don't we look cute?

I wish we could have taken pictures on the factory floor. I love the old machinery and all the conveyors going from one place to another. The box building and filling stations are really fun to watch.

I enjoy being a tourist in my own town.

We went to the famous Manchester Chicken Broil. 14,000 chicken dinners in four hours. What more can we say?

 

We got some fantastic cole slaw with our meal. Apparently the recipe is heavily guarded.

 

We saw the fairy doors in Ann Arbor.

I always enjoy peeking into the fairy shop to see what's for sale. There are always a few baby teeth in the display case.

 

We picked blueberries

and hung out around the house.

 

I am so glad to have gotten the chance to meet the a-go-gos in person!

 

I hope they have a marvelous time on the rest of their journey.

I Knew They Were Coming So I Baked a Cake

The a-go-gos are on their BIG trip and have stopped here for a visit. We have had our cake and are ready to see the sights. First up - the Jiffy Tour.

Have a great day!