Back to real life

My stash list is not great reading 

after my shopping trip with my sister

I've saved £165.25 on last years spend so far

It's going to be hard to hit the target of £200

I have about £25 left for the year.

To cheer myself up, I picked a few flowers from the garden

The sweet peas scent is beautiful, lovely colours

 The plant from Tenerife is doing well

Taken from the top, it looks much brighter now. I held the clear cup which formed the top beside the plant to see how much it has grown. Because it was filling the clear top, I got some clear plastic and made a ring around the plant, and the put the clear top back on. I won't do anything with this for a few weeks, other than leave it on our sunny windowsill. I want the plant to get stronger before I think of re-potting it. 

 I managed to do a bit of stitching, I have completed two more boxes

just need to fill them now

I will wait and do December's box when I see the design, I am thinking if the design is Christmasy (is that a word), I will do the box in a different colour. I am hoping my daughter will like this stitching, I would like to frame it and put on the nursery wall, but only if she likes it, if not I'm not sure what to do with it. 

How quickly has September flown by, our garden is slowly going over, having a week away did not help, no dead heading done. The outside tomatoes have been removed, they were looking past their best, the plant in the greenhouse has loads of flowers on, so I am still feeding them, I can only hope they grow, they produce a small fruit.
I love all the seasons for different reasons, Autumn is the time for coming home in the rain and into a warm dry house, because our climate is changing the leaves stay on the tree's longer, and the russet colours are stunning. We also turn our minds to the glitter of Christmas, whilst I love the glitter again we will have our much smaller budget, and have a family celebration, after all that's what Christmas is about, sharing with those you love, enjoying happy times.

Happy Feet

I have finished both rugs, which I will send off, they should appear on this web site,  pop there if you like dolls house miniatures, Laura had nice items at a good price. I have already started another small project. 

 Dream Sampler is off the frame, I have finished the centre panel, yet again I used my own placement of colour's. I have just two birds to stitch, but I need to mirror image the design so I get it in the correct place.

 This is heading for our bedroom wall, 

most of the colours are in our curtains, so it will fit in well. 

 My big projects I always place on the floor to take photo's, and every time Purdy has to inspect what I am doing, today is dry so she got closer than normal.

 Give away; Sweet Flowers, 

I stitched this last year and it has been in my work box ever since, I really loved stitching it, the design was very different for me, the stitched area is 14" x 9", the whole fabric size is 19" x 17", colours used are grey, green and shades of pink.

 Give away; Romantic Sampler, 

I stitched this two years ago, and it has been in my work box ever since, I really loved stitching it, the design was very different for me, the stitched area is 8" x 8", the whole fabric size is 17" x 15", colours used are pale mustard, shades of pink and purples, this is stitched and a natural colour fabric..

If you would like either of these, please leave a comment at the bottom of this post, remembering to state which one you would like, I am happy to send to any where, but you will have to make it into a finished item. I will be very happy to see them being used and loved.

It was very rewarding to go to our local hospital on Monday and it not be about me, my friend has to wait for her scan results, so soon another visit for support.
My job interview is put off until next week, the lady I am to meet is unwell, but I do have another interview on Friday. I have to go to our local job centre today to sign on, it's an awful place,  our government decided they would not offer me any help, hubby has a good job and our income is just above the threshold, but I have to have signed papers from them to get our mortgage paid, I'm not sure if it is the building or the staff.

I have been home most of this week, the house is very clean and the garden looks good, I have purchased another lean to green house, I now have two, we just have to put it together, it's just like Meccano.
This weekend I am on cat duty, our daughter is off camping, so for two days I will pop in and feed and play with them, hope to see Josh and Sam at some time as well.

A finish

Sweet Flowers is finished.

 It looks so pretty, charming and very old fashioned, perfect for the retro look going around now, I have no idea what to do with it, I don't have a room it would fit into. But it was such a joy to stitch!

 The top panels I was not going to change, but the leaves called out to be green, such cute flowers.

 Close up its a nice neat design, almost everyone who stitched this design, changed some of the colours, so mine is unique, that brings a smile to my face.

 I played with some beads and added a decoration to this photo frame, it was two hearts joined together, I added the daisy to cover the marks from the smaller frame, but I fancied some more colour, I would like to stitch a small heart to go in here.

 We were away last weekend, home to the village of my childhood, we had a fantastic time, I am so pleased to have time with my two brothers and sister, Saturday night was loads of laughter and fun.

 On the way home, we always pass Stonehenge, this photo was taken from the car as we drove past

 we had the most beautiful rainbow, at one point I hoped it was going to be near the stones but as we got closer it moved further away.

 Two perfect grand son's, Logan above and Sammy below, we were with Logan on Sunday and Monday Sammy and I had a day together.

I have no stitching planned, I have not done any for days, I have lost my mojo, I am not in the correct frame of mind, I have loads of things happening here, and much is not resolved, all I can do is watch and wait. It feels like limbo, roll on the weekend, see what that brings.

More of the same

 I have done more on Sweet Flowers, I so love stitching this, I'm on the top final panel, just grey and pinks here. Kitty won't be finished by tomorrow evening, but she is too pretty to be packed away once done.

 My 2nd book has arrived, it's 2009/2010, which really makes it my 1st book, the two years are together, which makes it about the right size to match 2011, and 2012 looks to be heading for the same number of pages. I am really pleased to have these records of my blog, my oldest daughter is very keen to have them once I am done with them.

 Inside it's just my post in date order, I have tried to set the page layouts so they are not all the same, I did put all the titles at the same level, so there is some order. 2012 in my work in progress, I will take them to my sisters this weekend for her to see. You can see more on my 1st book here

This post is number 399, so I can see a RAK in my next post, not sure what it will be, but I will put a package together to send anywhere, so leave a message here . I will post over the weekend and find items to send out.

Work is manic at the moment, we have far to much to do, so I am running out of time each day and I refuse to work late, they do not offer overtime, so we will have to see how things go. But I do have a half day on Friday and Monday off, then I'm next off between Christmas and the New Year, so I am loving these short weeks.

I hope you are all OK in America after the storm, the photo's on the news are terrible and I hope every thing settles soon, and you all stay warm and safe.

Stay with me

 Sweet flowers are out again, I stitched last night, completing the second to last flowers, after I have stitched the top bunch, I have just the header to finish. Next time I will show you it as a whole. Life is great when my stitching is on the go. I am looking forward to doing a small quicky for Halloween next.

My travelling penguin, is on the move again, you can see how Nicole of The Best of the Best, stitched him here.  He is now with Katie from Just a Little Stitching, I'm not sure where Katie is based,

My knitting is finished, Su just needs to pick it up, it's for her bed, I am pleased with the finish, here it's in Kev's big chair, I loved stitching cable, but with 120 stitches and 32"/ 82cm in length, it got very heavy. I love the back better than the front, the chunky buttons make it, I won't know until Su see's it finished, which she prefers.

 The pattern I loved, The triple cable is very easy, stitched over 12 sts, 3 x 4sts, with a twist every 6 rows, each time taking the outer 4 stitches to the middle, bringing them to the front. The centre V is 20 sts, 1st row purl2, knit1,P14,K1,P2, on the next row you move the V a stitch closer to the centre, doing this by slipping the K stitch on a 3rd needle purl 1 and the knit the stitch on the 3rd needle, once the two knit stitches are together, on the next row you start again. Every 24 rows you should be at the start of the patterns. I did 7 stitches of moss stitch on each side and also at the top, where the buttons are placed.

 These Cyclamens are on my desk, the white one is mine and sits on the sunny windowsill by my desk, the pink one is for a friend, she has moved just around the corner, so it's our 1st visit to her new house this asfternoon.

 Grace is having her treats, she helps herself from the tub, she is not greedy, if I put the tub down for Purdy, she would eat most of them. Both cats have decided again they do not want to share their basket, so I have packed it away and got out the two smaller baskets, but they are sleeping all over the house.

It's a very lazy weekend here, hope to go out on our bikes soon, we do have  light rain here, but I hope it will stop soon. I saw Joshy on Friday, he went to his school disco, I babysat,  Sammy was asleep, I did check him, but he was fast asleep. After the disco Josh was showing me his dance moves, I got him some glow in the dark Moshi Monsters, so he was keen to go to bed to see how well they worked.
The most exciting thing so far is having my hair cut and booking my pre Chrismas colours. I was not as extreme as Paula, she had her pony tail cut off.

If you stayed to the end, thank you, hope you are having fun with your loved ones.

PS I'm looking for a book to read, any suggestions!

26

 Today Kev and I have been married 26 happy years, we have had our ups and downs, but had loads of fun along the way. Work today and then a nice evening in together, will go for a meal at the weekend, I love my hubby xx

As the label says, Fliss made her 1st jam this weekend, I feel scones and cream to go with it at the weekend, she is a blogger  here I had a lovely evening with her, Joshy and Sammy last night in their little happy home, daddy was away in France.

 This section is finished, and I LOVE IT, I am again so pleased with the way it stitches up,  this is a very colourful part of the design, only 2 sections to go and it will be finished, I know I am going to frame this, and put it on show.

I have done a few stitches on my Christmas design, life has gotten in the way of stitching, we are having a sunny heat wave here, and we are making the most of our evenings.

I'm off to work today, very busy I'm doing 2 peoples work, but it makes the day go quicker.

Birthdays

It's Kev's birthday today, and we have had a full house, everyone popped in for afternoon tea, as always Sammy is a Grancha's boy, having loads of tickles and fun. Shannon and Josh were playing Flow free, once started both played for ages, Josh has been playing this for ages, but it was the 1st attempt for Shannon.

 Lemon cake, treacle tart, jam tarts, fresh fruit and jelly and cream, I did not do the trifle, Fliss could not eat any, so we went with jelly and fruit which is gluten free. All the tarts are gone, and just a bit of cake left, tea was fun. Sammy enjoyed the jelly most.

 I am almost finished on this section, I hope to stitch tonight, I have decided to use the middle pink shade for the last flower and just a few leaves left. After which just two sections to go.

I enjoyed Doctor Who last night, I have been waiting ages for it to come back, I love Matt Smith as the doctor, would love to see Rose (Billie Piper) back, what fun they would be together.
We have nothing planned tonight, it's more a case of trying to stay awake, enjoy your Sunday evening.

Busy weekend ahead

 I chose a 4th shade of pink to use in this section, I wanted something bright and full of colour for this dramatic flower and chose a slightly brighter shade of pink. It is the only flower stitched in full, every other flower has bits of their petals missing.

 Not much more to stitch, I hope to finish this tonight, there is still loads of green to stitch, I hope when I send  the photo to Angie the designer, she likes my work. It has been a pleasure to stitch.

We have a busy couple of days ahead, today we are off to our local farmers market, it happens the 1st Saturday of each month, I would like some hardy herbs for my garden.

I have to proof read my 1st blog book, I have with Blurb, created a book of my blog, in fact I am doing 3 books, one for 2009/2010, and then 2011 and 2012. I have worked hard to ensure each page is balanced in both words and photo's. I have not changed much of my post. I am ready to publish 2011, but I want another check on it, to ensure there is nothing out of place. One tip, I have worked on my book for a while, in it pays off in more ways, I had an e-mail offering me 20% off my first book, I love a discount!

Tomorrow is hubbies birthday, he is playing golf in the morning, so I have to prepare him a birthday tea, our girls are coming over, with the grand sons and Shannon, I am making a sherry trifle for him, his favourite, and loads of other things, I won't do a chocolate cake, it will be all to rich, I want to make a treacle tart, as seen on British Bake off and a lemon cake.

Sweet stitching and stash

 I am loving this section of Sweet Flowers, my needle just flows through the linen, the colours just tumble into each other, just like nature intended, I have decided the main flower in this bunch will have a new shade of pink, it will lift the design, it will sit just above the big light pink section.

 I intend to stitch again tonight, hubby is left on his own, but just a couple more days and this section will be finished and back to my Christmas stitching. There is more green in this section and it's coming alive.

 I met Su for lunch and we went shopping, popped into Hobbycraft and found this cotton material, and I love it, not sure what I will do with it yet, but it had to come home with me.

 I am beginning to think about this years Christmas cards, the snow globes has fine beads in to shake, and the ornaments are so very pretty, if a buy a few things each month, nothing becomes too expensive, well that's my excuse.

 They are Divine.

 And beads, the photo does not show the true beauty of the colour of these beads, all very fine, I would like to use these for a necklace. Su is the jewelry person in our family, so we intend to get together to make this.

I have also purchased a couple of crochet hooks, now's the time, I want to do more than granny squares.It's a normal week here, work is OK, we have good weather fore cast for the weekend, at the mo we have a thunder storm, so I am sat with our lights on, summer is leaving us behind, the gardens are turning, it's not been the best year for my garden, but there's always next years. I always have plans.

Late summer bank holiday

 We have had a great few days off, most of the time spent at home, but on Sunday we drove to Littlehampton, we have not taken my brother, Martin here before. The black clouds cleared and it was a very nice day.

I have never seen the tide completely out before, the beach is huge, the river Arun runs into the sea here, and all the people are crab fishing mainly with nets, keeping their catch in buckets until the end of the day, when they are put back.

 Further back from the beach, with all the sailing vessels, this is just past the Lifeboat station. It was very busy here, loads of people catching the sunshine. It's a very traditional resort, I just love it here.

 Sweet flowers has been released and I started stitching last night, with Martin here, I did not pick up my stitching, it's been a busy few days. I am keeping the changed colours, to match my work so far, but I always knew this was going to be the challenge of the design.

 It will be a bunch of flowers, with different types of blooms in. I have always in my mind had this stitched using all the colours, 3 shades of pink and the green. Last night when I was making my notes, I felt I could not do it using just the 3 pinks. So I have pulled out a couple more shades of pink.

 The full design is shown here, excuse the pencil lines added for my notes, my plan is to stitch the flowers, who's colour I have already decided, then see what is left and use one other colour.

Today is my last day at home, tomorrow I will go back to work, I am still a bit tender, my role at work is an easy sit at my desk and type, answer the phone, so it won't be any problems. I am not good at being home all day, I do like the stitching time.