What happened to FNSI ?

 I fell asleep.... that's what!  I was so looking forward to a cosy evening in front of the wood stove stitching along with all my FNSI friends too.   Rats!

I did manage to focus my one good eye long enough to choose this little stitchery kit to work on....

The perfect choice given my tenuous hold on consciousness .... a kit.   It had everything.   Fabric, threads, wadding and even a needle.  All I had to do was open the packet and stitch.   That's not quite true.  I did have to trace the design onto the fabric...

You can just about see the design there.  I ditched my Pigma pen in favour of a fabric pencil to do the tracing.  Felt it was a bit safer to use something I could correct if my wandering eye strayed off the lines.

I settled down in my recliner to stitch....  so warm... so cosy.... so sleepy!

Much later... when I came too I stitched...... during TV time in the workshop with Mac.  No mean feat given it's dark in there....

seems that wonky trees are my new speciality!

Since I last posted I did finish the three Stonefields blocks I was working on.   I've taken hundreds (!) of photos of them and still can't get a decent one to show you.    I'll try again.... you will get to see them... whether you want to or not.

I have a new pattern to love.....

 up

from the Temecular Quilt Company in California.    As the finished quilt is 40" x 40" I figure it'll be a nice one to work on as a little light relief when the 'biggies' are decimating my brain cells.   I have another pattern combo on the way from this company too.... more minis to relax with.

Now... a little news on my Natures Journey project.    No sewing on the April blocks yet I'm afraid.   My block of the month for April arrived just yesterday.   No worries.   There are still 13 days to stitch before the wrath of Chookyblue  is unleashed..... gulp!   I am not afraid... I'm not... honest!

That's it for the stitching news. I hope you all you girls that joined in the stitch-a-long  managed to do better than I did on Friday.   If you don't know what FNSI is go  HERE to find out what it's all about and to find links to everyone who joined in.    Who knows... you might be tempted to sign up next month.

Now. Do you know what this is.....

It looks so exotic it's hard to believe it's humble Rhubarb!   Weird how that leaf  looks like a brain isn't it.   Maybe one day thinking Rhubarb will rule the world.   It might just make a better job of it than politicians too.     One day they really will take me away......... ho hum

It's that time of the year when the weather has improved enough for me to start clearing up the winter mess in the garden.    I started by clearing the veggie bed and tidying the flower bed by the greenhouse then power washing all the paths......

Can't clean the greenhouse itself because.... it's about to collapse!     Mac needs to decide whether he wants a replacement greenhouse or a couple of poly tunnels.   It could take a while for him to get around to thinking about it.... put it this way... I'm not holding my breath.     At least it has somewhere tidy to fall onto.

I carried on power washing the conservatory and the patios until rain stopped play for a couple of days.   Last Monday was fair.... cold and windy but dry.   An opportunity to power wash the very last dirty patio of spring.    By the time I'd set up the hose and the power washer I was frozen.   Not to be daunted I put on a second fleece and pinched borrowed Macs Peruvian hat complete with tassels.   Not a good look on me it has to be said.

Three hours later I was done.... done in!  Frozen to the bone, soaking wet, stiff as a post but still standing.   Impressive eh!   Did you know that fat freezes fast and hard?  Well it does.  It's been a week since I cleaned that patio and I can still feel the permafrost in my bum.  

Now... they say every picture tells a story.   Miss Maisie guarding what she sees as her personal supply of cat biscuits.  Note... she's already been busy opening the pack.....

Along comes Mimi.     Honestly.... does she look like a biscuit thief to you?  Seems Maisie isn't prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt......

A preemptive bop on the bonce will show her who's in charge of the biscuit bag....    

Poor Mimi.... she didn't see it coming.    Happy to say the only thing hurt was her pride.  Cats... don't you just love them.

I really must go to bed now.  It's way past my bedtime.    It remains to be said that if you sewed along on Friday I will be popping by to see what you got up too.  Might take me a few days to get around you all but I will.  

Thanks Wendy for another lovely sew in.   I'm already looking forward to the next one...:o)

OK... it's up the golden staircase for me....

Hope you all have a great week
See ya soon..
Hugs
Josie xxx

Friday Stitching with Friends...

Another lovely FNWF was had by me..... how about you.   Did you join in?

Last night I felt the urge to stitch.... back stitch.   Recently I joined Jenny at Elefantz Stitchery Club....

what's not to love about a surprise bundle of stitcheries arriving in your inbox every month.   March patterns are a gorgeous Alphabet Sampler which I really.. really want to stitch. 

Don't know if you've realised but I'm a real information junkie.  If I see a tutorial I just have to try it. Of course I had to try Jennys stitching method... well her stitching is fabulous so why wouldn't I.  So Friday night I traced and started work on this.... stitching 'a la Jenny'.....

I ditched my hoop and stitched rather than stabbed.   Popped a cushion under my hands as recommended and boy did it make a difference.    Just goes to show it's never to late to teach an old dog new tricks!

Wish I could have made more progress but I'm stuck with another bout of Blepharitis... in both eyes this time.   It's testing my patience for sure.   So... if you see any wobbly bits cut me some slack ;)

So... that was the sum total of my FNWF.   Not a lot!  I hope you all managed to do better.

Thanks Cheryll for hosting another lovely stitch in.    Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Now for a general update......

I finally finished this Stonefields block.....

and I'm really happy with how it turned out.

Realised I'd posted my completed Natures Journey blocks to the SAL blog and hadn't blogged about them here.   So.... without further ado... here are my March blocks....

Little ones.....

and big ones....

No accidents with this batch....  kept the Bourbon in the bottle this time.   I'm getting really antsy waiting for the next months blocks to arrive.   I know I've got lots of other lovely things to work on but I'm a bit obsessed with NJ at the moment.     

I have started work on another batch (3) of Stonefields blocks and hope to have them finished quite soon.... blurry eyes permitting.

That's it for the sewing news.  

On the 'log' front.... Mac is still pretending he's a lumberjack....

That's not ear defenders on his head it's earphones.    He couldn't possibly venture 50 yards from his workshop without  radio contact with his TV!    He's sawing along to one of his favourite programmes .... Alaska the Last Frontier!

Have to tell you about that cardigan/jacket he's wearing.   Early in our relationship I knitted him a lovely Aran cardigan.. It was perfect (if I say so myself).  It fitted him like a glove and he loved it.
Then one day while we were out and about with our caravans (we had one each) he decided to wash his 100%  wool lovingly hand knit cardi in the industrial washing machine on the caravan site.

Now.... Mac is blind to every setting on a washing machine except one.... hot!!   He loves to kill bacteria... mostly imaginary but still satisfying.   Not content with that he popped it into the tumble dryer on full heat... he likes that setting too.    All in all... a smart, well fitted cardigan went into the wash and a knee length XXXXXL coat with a collar that would fit a bull elephant came out.  Don't ask me how.  I'd expected he'd end up with a garment that would fit his teddy bear (!)

OK... I'm a forgiving soul and I did eventually regain the power of speech.   But what rankles to this day is that he tells everyone I knitted it like that!!!    I swear... one day........

Well.... I'd better get going.   I've got things to do not least of which is visiting other FNWF'ers who stitched along this month.

I know just what will happen.... I'll get sidetracked on their blogs and end up lost in cyber space for hours.   Better get a cup of tea and a biscuit before I start.   It doesn't pay to start a journey on an empty stomach....;)

Bye then....
See ya soon
Hugs
Josie   xxx