What to plant this fall?

My impatients aren't looking too great lately, and it's reminded me that I need to decide what I want to plant along the front of my house this winter. Everybody and their uncle plants the typical purple & yellow pansies for winter.

Pansies are okay, I think they're pretty, but I want something a bit different. Burpee has these varieties of pansy, now I just need to decide on one!:

Pansy - Chalon Supreme Mix
Pansy Antique Shades
Pansy Moulin Rouge Mix

I can't think of any other small plants that flower during the winter... and I think I'd like to keep planting annuals there so I can have color year-round.

Why can't I grow lettuce?

I was out in the garden yesterday. Onions are ready to harvest, jalapenos are ready, there are some tomatoes starting to form, the carrots are looking okay, the bean plants are starting to die out so I need to plant some more...

But for some reason, I have not been able to grow lettuce! I planted 4-5 different varieties in March and April, and they all grew a teensy bit and then died. Frustrating! Everything else has grown, but not the lettuce. (Oh wait, the Swiss Chard didn't do so well, either...)

Upcoming sewing plans?

Sometime this week I hope to finish my daughters' dresses... on Saturday I picked up some interfacing (which is something I really ought to have in my stash!)

I'm starting to think about what I want to make next. First project, I suppose, ought to be a sun hat. I'm just itching to make a historical outfit of some kind, but I have no reason to! (And honestly... I gained a lot of weight over the last several months and at a pattern size 24, they would not look good on me anyway!) I'd hoped to make something (like an 1880's polonaise) for our county's Fall Festival in September, but now we have other plans during those days and won't be able to attend... so, maybe next year, huh?

Almost done with the dresses

Well, not quite 'almost', but I think I got past the most difficult part... putting on the sleeves. That's always a nightmare for me because I hate doing all that gathering and then trying to fit the tiny little armscyes around the presser foot to stitch them together. Phew!

All I have to do now is apply the interfacing to the facing, finish the raw edges of the facing, and add them to the dress... and then gather & stitch the ruffles at the hemline and add the buttonholes & buttons.

I have a great dislike for facings... I'd rather do a full lining or bound edges. But they're not really the best option for this dress.

Lisianthus blossom!

I found this as I was checking the garden this morning. Too cool! I don't even have a proper vase for it, LOL. There are several other buds out in the garden, ready to bloom.