Quilt block

When a family member asked for quilt blocks for my dad's wife I knew just what I would do. Sandy has lived in Florida all her life, so this is perfect for her. I took my state map pattern, but I decided it needed a bit more excitement. I added a sun, and a bit of stitched lines and some more writing. I hope she likes it.

The embroidery has been  a little slow since I finished the bluebird project last month. I had some kind of mini crises - didn't know what type of project I should do, but the way is getting a bit clearer now. The stitching school has given me a focus. I feel like I am finally learning how to embroider. Tomorrow, another lesson.

In the meantime I can't help a little photo essay on summer's bounty. This year has been good for all the fruits - except the wild blueberries - which happen to be my favorite. A late frost wiped them out, so I am forced to compensate with other berries. I read in the local paper that homemade jellies and jams are making a comeback, but picking yourself is definitely out. I know not everyone has access, but if you are making homemade things, why settle for anything but the best, and I don't know anything better than home-grown, hand-picked, and untainted by unnatural intervention.

 Cherries!  This year is a great year for them here. The trees area loaded with them. You can fill a bucket fast even if you eat half of them along the way.

 A different cherry variant - these are black when ripe.  They are sweet and juicy.

 The gooseberry is best in pies slightly before it is fully ripe.  The acidity is perfect with the sweetness of the sugar.

 So many currants. These are hard to find in the store, so delicate and beautiful - they are easily squished.

The pink currants are the sweetest of all the currants. These look like little pink pearls on the vines.

 An apple slowly ripening.

 The blackberries take a long time, some vines still have flowers while others are well on their way to ripe berries.

 

The pear trees is loaded this year. I'm looking forward to them.

Home grown plums are amazing. The supermarket can't compete with these lovelies.

 A gooseberry pie.  There's no need to do a fancy lattice over your pies. A simple one is well appreciated.

The wild raspberries last the shortest and are the hardest to get a pile of, but they are worth it. I baked some into muffins and saved some for later. I freeze as much as I can, a taste of summer in winter is just the thing to remind you that it isn't long until the sun shines again...