Peak of the season

I think our flowers are at their best right now. I mean today! I walked outside this morning and found the lilies in bloom, and everything else looking wonderful. This area, pictured, is right in the middle of the front yard, where it used to be lawn. As Ray was digging up sod to make the pathways and the patio area, he piled it here to make a little hill. He covered the sod with layers of newspaper, then a thick layer of mulch and started planting things. He had brought a lot of starts and plants from our old garden. We bought some things. Friends swapped plants with us and a whole lot ended up right here. It is a blowsy, overgrown look that I love. That pile of sod and newspaper seems to be pretty fertile.

Lilies are favorites and they are putting on a show today.

Another one I have come to love are crocosmia. They are just starting to bloom. That red is so beautiful with those little pokes of yellow green.

I am feeling so much better today! I left the house for the first time in several days and enjoyed the sunshine and cool, lovely weather. I had enough energy to do a little grocery shopping, sweep and mop the floors and start on my teal linen dress. After saying I would not make a muslin for such a simple style, I ended up not only making a muslin but completely redrafting the bodice. I could tell from just pinning together the paper pattern how odd the fit was—gape-y neckline, too wide shoulders, yet tight through the bust. I am having a hard time picturing the body is was designed to fit. I hope my work yields something wearable.