Life as I see it

We have not had George for a sleepover in ages, Will loves to come, but last night we had him, I picked him up early so we could play and have fun together, Purdy our cat loves him, so they play for a while, he slept in our spare bedroom as he does wake up often most nights, with both doors open we could hear him, hubby is a very light sleeper. Later today mummy is bringing Will and Molly over, we are having a family lunch, another neighbour has passed on some games and toys, George loved this keyboard.

Again these beautiful blooms, they brighten up our sitting room and make me smile every time I see them. Even Will comments on their big flowers. I do have a passion for white blooms, in the corner is my real Orchid with silk blooms, hopefully it will bloom again. 

My 3rd and final bulb has growth, 2 lovely buds, this is going to be a riot of colour, for a nice change, watching these bulbs grow so tall and bloom is a pure joy. These are super easy to grow, pop them in a pot, don't bury the bulb and let them grow, our sitting room is a cool darker room at this time of year, but they don't mind, only thing I do is as they grow towards the light, I turn them regularly so the stem stays upright. 

I asked my friend Shelia if she would make me a few small chicks to use on our Easter egg search, her crochet skills are brilliant, exactly 1 week later she gave me these, she has filled each chick with eggs and there are a couple extra in the bottom of the basket. Firstly her chicks are beautifully made, each one is safe for the children to play with, and her generosity is as always wonderful. I can't wait until I can use these, George and Molly are going to love them, we have other things for Will.

I have been working on my 2020 book, I am now into July and feeling better about the process, re-reading my words at the time with so many fears and worries, was not easy. 

I have not picked up a book this month to read, working on my blanket with such dark colours in the daytime, leaves my eyes tired at night, normally I would only work on something so dark for a couple of hours, but it's pointless finishing it in April, when the warmer weather arrives. We have noticed again how much warmer the house is, both our front windows are huge, the old ones were blown and not keeping the cold out. We always used to shut both room doors at night, now we can leave them open longer and get any daylight through the house. 

I am sorry for my moan in my last post, I am feeling better, the fence panels are booked to be replaced this Friday, fingers crossed it goes well. I have not seen my neighbour across the road, I will drive myself to sign group this Tuesday, as I will go to my daughters in the afternoon and pick Will up from school, daughter will attend a parents evening  a bit later. I am letting go of the nasty comments, there is nothing else I can do, I won't argue with anyone if I can help it. 

20 small's makes.......

 one big finish.............

 I have done my silly cow and my union jack flag, 

both different than you would expect, I really enjoyed the patterns.

 

 I love the centre panel, it has a bit of every thing and alot of me, my sewing, gardening, Grace my cat with five birds above her head, each bird is the to remember a much loved cat.

Lizzie Kate spring "ABC" was perfect for the centre, I added a couple of butterfly's and a bee. Faye Whittaker "All our yesterday's" provided the Guard, I added the green and white plume to make him a Welsh Guard. Most of the other patterns were from magazines The World of Cross stitching being  the most used.


I have put our grandchildren name and year they were born in the panel, I used a modern text style for this side, I also added Fliss and Su, they were always going to be here, but until the last minute I had not decided where.

 I have on this side three hearts, one for both Kev and myself and one celebrating 25 years of marriage. There are 5 hearts, one each for our children, I have 2 daughter's and Kev has two son's and a daughter.

Below is my sewing machine and books, both I always have close to me.

My bottom panel I decided to keep simple, I did half cross stitch in the pale creamy yellow

Now all I have to do is frame it, I have all I need, so it will be displayed on our sitting room wall for Saturday.

 One big tip, each time I chose a thread colour, after I had finished using it I popped it into my clear bag, as a result I was able to use the same colours more than once, I felt this helped hold the sampler together and kept it from being messy.

Now my plan is small projects for a while and read a book, after 5months of stitching one project, it's time for a bit of fun.

Thank you for every one who has left me comments along the way, it's has helped me to choose and stitch this very special project.

More gardening

 I have finished the garden section, adding colour with the flowers, I have tried to keep it looking tidy, by using the same two shades of green for each planter. plus every garden I have has a bird table and feeder in.

I have added the Welsh flag for Kev, I am still unsure where to put the Union Jack, I have a couple spots. Next I am going to stitch my "mad" cow, I finally found a pattern in my drawer, if fact I found I had a choice of a couple. Below is the frame I shall use. The inner card frame was the template I used for the size of my sampler.

It's been a busy weekend here, spent time in the garden, it's now tidy and I have planted a few late flowering plants for the next few months. I read some of our bloggers are looking forward to the end of their winter, here our summer will be coming to a close and like a true English summer, we have had more wet days then sunny ones,  I feel robbed. I'm off this work week, and the fore caste is rain! at least on wet days I can stitch.

Gardening - in stitches

 I'm stitching my garden section, 

just a few flowers here to fill this space along the bottom green line, 

I will add a bird table as well.

I have just selected my anniversary present from Kev, a couple of weeks ago we went to the Jewelry shop, I choose a nice diamond pendant, as the sales guy was boxing it up, I had one of those moments, shocked Kev and said let's leave it for now. I wear the same garnet pendant every day, I also have a beautiful emerald pendant, which live's in my drawer. I suddenly thought do I want to spend all this money on a diamond which will live most of the time in a drawer,

No is the answer.

So today we have ordered a new half green house for the garden, I know I will have more pleasure every day from this, and we can enjoy all the vegetables and flowers.
I am on holiday this week, staying at home, jobs to do, family and friends to meet and of course loads of stitching.

I can see the finish line

 Every thing is about my sampler at this point

I kept the hearts simple, I love my silk card holders, I have made them a bit different than the pattern, I did half cross stitch in the centre and the stitched the lengths over to make it look real.  I have space I could put a few more in, or I have a pattern for a pair of scissors

 Taunton in Somerset is were I was born, with my date of birth. I am now going to  put plants along the bottom, I have to have my garden on here. I also have the Union Jack and the Welsh flag to stitch.

I think I now have a couple of "silly cows" to stitch, and then just a few spaces left, none of them too big. The last thing I will stitch is the grand children's names.

Work has been manic today, I've not stopped, but I do prefer it busy, but maybe not so busy as today.  Kev is away tonight so do I stitch like crazy, or have a girly evening with a bath with oils and loads of pampering.............................think the stitching might win out.

Stitching won out.

Summer in the country side

 On Sunday we went for a ride on the bike and passed this.

A music festival, it was big and looked great in the natural dip, across the road the farmer was cutting his hay, don't you love the country side. We could not make the music out , the natural contours of the land kept the sound down in the dip.

Sampler update... I have added buttons and beads, as well as different stitches and a last minute find, don't you love the silk (floss)cards, Fliss brought me the magazine with the pattern in last week.  I am giving myself just 2 weeks to finish this, I would like it framed and on my wall for our anniversary.  I am drawing cows like mad over graph paper, I have sorted the last few patterns to finish this, they are in a pile by my chair, the rest of my life is on hold this week.

Comming along

 I have finished the half cross stitch in my hearts for the side panel. But I have not been able to purchase a charm with 25 on. I have searched craft shops for stitching and card making and also looked at cake decorations, and can not find anything the right size.

So I have my reference books out and I am going through them again, I want to put my name in the pink heart, Kev's name in the blue heart and the date 1986 -2011 in the silver heart, but I wanted a charm for the 25 years.  So I am rethinking, so I will stitch the centre panel whilst finding a solution.

 Josh and Sammy are in Manchester with their Grandmother (Steve's mum) with Fliss for a week, and I shall miss our little lad calling nanna to tell of wonderful things done in the day. They are back home next weekend just before Josh's birthday.

 These photo's were taken last Sunday evening, Josh wanted to run on our local beach, so we went along, Sammy spent most of the time with Grancha, with loads of smiles. Josh was wet up to his waist, but very happy to go home to a warm bath and bed, and both boys slept very well.

It's a nice day here so we are off on a bike ride later, my energy levels are rising again, later I would  like to work in the garden, and then pop and see Su and Gav, they have just finished decorating the hall and today will purchase their new kitchen, it's great to see them doing up their first flat together.

Cry for help, I can't find any smallish patters for funny, silly black and white cows fro my sampler, can any one help.....................Please

Last panel

 The date is finished, and again it's just as I planned it.

I have tried using colours already used in the outer panels, trying to stop it looking messy, I have an idea how I want to finish the background here, but I want to do more on the last side panel, to check every thing is going together well.

 This section is about Kev and myself and our 25th wedding anniversary (Silver)  this year, the main heart has a silver edge, inside I am going to stitch in grey with an occasional shinny stitch. I think I will do this in tent stitch ( half cross stitch), so the background is lighter, the other two hearts will be pale colours.

I am now adding the embellishments as I go along, I have others to add once I have finished the main part of the stitching. I'm feeling good about this project and I can feel it's going to be finished in a few weeks.

Sunday morning quickie

 Kev is out, so I have free time, and here's an update, the date was always going to be the title of this piece of work, and as normal I am making it up as I stitch.

I have tried using the same colours used before, I don't want this to become messy, The flowers on "2" will be done in silver thread with a pink or white seed bead as a centre, I will also have a glitter thread in the last "1".I have an idea forming for the back ground, but it will not be solid colour as done at the top.

The side panel is now formed so later I want to count out the space and stitch the three hearts, one each in silver, red and blue, but I'm not telling you any more.

I am really excited about this sampler, I can smell the finish line and it's calling to me. I know what I am doing around the centre, which is going to be fun, hence the leaving it to last.

I wish I could say this is all my own work, but I have a list of designer's who's work I have placed in my sampler.

I'm off the real world is calling, ironing and the if the weather permits a trip to our local castle with Joshy, Sam, mummy and daddy.

Is this a finish

 I have finished the cross stitch in the top panel of the sampler

I have still loads to  do on this sampler, but the amount of stitching which went into this section, makes me feel it's a finish,  and I am so pleased with it. I love the colours, the pattern and just everything about it. The pattern details are here   Fliss has taken the colours and the pattern details, she wants to make a mobile phone cover.

,

 It fills the top, between my two patchwork corners, I have some back stitching to do, my date of birth and place of birth, but like the granchildren's details, I will do them later, using all the same style of lettering.

I have planned and marked out the bottom panel, I am going to put "2011" which is the name of my sampler and the year in which I stitched it. I have also been marking up the left hand side panel, I am going to put there three tumbling hearts, the main heart with have 25 years and the date of our marriage.

I have decided not to feel guilty about doing nothing on Winter Watergarden, I now know I'm not a rotation stitcher, once I am into my work, I'm best left to finish one thing at  a time, unless a small quickie comes along.

Have a good weekend.

Thank goodness it's Friday

 It's been the worst week ever here, Monday I came home from work feeling unwell, by Tuesday I was off to the dentist with a huge abscess, I could not get to see my dentist, so the guy I saw wanted to remove my front three teeth, I refused him and came home with antibiotic medicines, I will see my own dentist in two weeks once all the swelling has gone. I have been told it's yet another after affect of the chemo drugs, so I have every thing crossed we can save my teeth.

I have sat and stitched most of the week,  above is the top panel as of Sunday night, I finished the left side and went back to the right side, I like to have all the panels counted and in place so the rest of the stitching is easier.

 I then stitched the thinner panels and back filled the wider panels, once all the stitching is done, I will back stitch my date of birth and the Town "Taunton" in Somerset, where I was born, these will be in the same purple I have used for my name. I also managed to finish the rug for Christine as seen here.

We have nothing planned for the weekend, I hope to see Fliss and the boys, Josh is getting excited it's his birthday in 3 weeks. The other silver lining, 1st is all the stitching done, I have lost loads more weight, I have not eaten much at all this week, cold grapes have been my best thing.

Sunday afternoon

 Josh wanted to go for a bike ride yesterday, and locally we have the perfect weekend spot.

This beautiful lake is 25minutes drive from our house, it is on a big estate filled with office blocks, but at the weekend when everyone is home with their families, it's the perfect quiet spot. Josh riding his bike, does not like having his photo taken so I have to be sneaky.

 Sammy spent most of his time with Grancha or daddy, I don't mind, I get all the brilliant smiles as well, he loves my chain and pendant. I got to spend time chatting with Fliss, catching up on everything, plus a bit of gossip. We walked around the lake twice and once around a smaller lake, every thing here is man made, and so perfect, we passed families with picnics and loads of happy children. It's so great to hear Fliss is feeling so much better, finally having found out she has an allergy to wheat, she has stopped eating wheat and almost instance she is back being our happy smiley Fliss, and losing a few pounds each week.

 After our walk, a pub garden and a needed cool drink, I love this photo of Josh, Sammy and daddy, another sneaky one, here we were sat near water, all made safe with high fences and mesh covers over the water.

I did manage to get some stitching done, this section is going to be alot of stitching, but it's quick and easy and it does look fantastic. I have ordered the silks I need for the carpet, just waiting for the parcel, should be here later this week.

On top of it all

 I am now stitching the top panel on the sampler, I decided not to stitch the grandchildren names until I have almost finished, just in case I hitch them whilst stitching other area's, and as always I never take the simple route.

I have loads of books with different styles for letters, but I loved the style I have used, it was a quote on another piece of work, there was no capital J so I have had to make mine up, I am pleased with the results.   I want loads of colour in the four outside panels, I have loads of bright areas, so I wanted the background here to be pale.

I have 7 colours to use in this panel, I am doing three rows and then eight rows and then back to three row, so as the pattern goes on, each time one colour is stitched ie PINK, it will be in a thin panel and then next time it will show in a fat panel but I have alot of stitching to do!

I am also going to make another rug, I have 200 followers on my blog Somerset House, so I decided to make the 200th follower a gift, Christine has decided which design she wants and I am pleased it a pattern I love.

What is Friday night

 Friday night's are heaven, this is ours tonight, no pub with friends we are off to a birthday party tomorrow night. A good start is a glass of wine with our meal, always red and always shared. Music is fun, often the radio or Cd's. Laughter and fun together just the two of us.

Kev my hubby is cooking, we are having risotto, with a great Spanish smoky bacon and tomato bread. I love rice dishes, but we are so lucky to have such a huge range of different foods from different cultures. Kev loves to mix flavours and create stunning meals.

 

 Grace is always in as I get home from work, a welcome, she is looking for a lap to snuggle on.

 My chair, with my sewing box and all my silks stored in the drawers beside me, tho no stitching tonight, not if I am going to have a glass of wine, or the frog will be out tomorrow. This is one of my comfort zones in this house.

 I have finishes the 4 boxes for the grandchildren names, and I have done the edged, all I have to do now is put their names and their date of birth, again I am so happy with the way this has turned out. it's a great burst of colour.

 I have been asked to show the whole sampler again,  the white spaces are getting less and my stitching is filling more canvas, the more I add the more I love it.

The title of this sampler is simply "2011", I will have that in the bottom box with my name in the top box. The box/panel on the left will be all about this year being our 25th wedding anniversary. I have ideas, but once I look to stitch there, things will change they always do. Next I want to sew more in the centre panel all to do with my sewing, top right is going to be buttons, beads and shinny things, top left is going to be stitches.

So enjoy your Friday night, what ever your are doing and 

remember Friday is the welcome mat to your weekend.

Stitch after stitch

I am really in the groove with my stitching, it helps I'm doing a simple background pattern

Top photo is from Sunday, I managed to do alot after my brother, Martin had left, I needed to sit after such a busy weekend, and my needle swam through the cloth.
 Below is from last night I have added the last colour for Logan, I think the colours all blend well. As I am stitching the design for the centre is growing in my head, I will be ready to start once this is finished, I want to add buttons and beads and make it all about my stitching.

Yesterday was very interesting in work, I was in the repairs unit, learning about all that goes in CCTV equipment and a bit about what can go wrong, I had a great time playing with 16 camera's and watching everyone working in the warehouse.
We have nothing planned for this week, the weather is hot and by the time we get home from work all we want to do is sit in the cool. It would be nice to go for a nice walk to the water front.

Friday morning update

I changed my mind again, as I often do

I decided I would do the grand children's section, I sat and designed this, well I made it up as I went along, top blue is for Joshua, with pink for Shannon, I will do the same blue below for Sammy, they have the same colour because they are brothers, and below that I would put another blue block, but a different shade. I will add their names and date of birth. I want to put some babies hands and feet around this area, then this side is finished. The photo below was taken at the start of my stitching last night, the one above was at the end of the evening.

We have a busy weekend coming up, my brother Martin is with us, which means laughter, red wine and loads of fun!! and extra children and grandchildren over.

Tomorrow is an important morning for me, it's my first hair cut with my new curly hair, it's a year ago I last went, I will post photo's after my cut, my hair is still very short, but it needs a tidy up, and  a style which allows me to dry it straight, can't get used to curly hair.

Sunday we are sorting all our plans for our garden party in September for our 25th wedding anniversary, we hope to have a blessing at our local church before.