WIP cross stitching

This is on one set of hoops

I want to finish it for Christmas

I last stitched here 

 Another WIP on hoops 

I last stitched this here

 This is my current stitching, not done much to it

I last stitched it here 

 Winter Watergarden

I love this design, but it is stitched one over two, which I have never done before and I was struggling with. So I packed it away.

 It is stunningly beautiful

it's on my radar to get finished. 

The sparkly threads and beads bring this stitching to life. 

My tea towels purchased for the fabric.

I have some heavy duty pale green cotton fabric, 

I can use for lining and handles. 

I have had a busy time so far this week, but I can't list what I have been doing, the days have run away with us, we have spent time with friends, babysat Will, and I have had a stash sort out. So basically enjoying the time to myself this week.
How quickly I have slowed down on clock watching, knowing I have tomorrow to finish things and if not, next week will do.
We are planning a BBQ on Saturday, my family and loads of our friends coming, just keeping everything crossed the weather is dry. We have been to Lidl's for extra food, we were both very good and only put food into our trolley, it is so easy to add other items and bump the cost up.
My back I thought was improving, I had a good night's sleep and woke up without pain, but having Will here today, playing with him on the floor, where he loves to be, I am in pain again. If by next week it has not improved I have promised hubby I will seek help.

Happy New Year

Finishes in 2014

Failed - Winter Watergarden, one day

Finally I am looking at threads and deciding what to stitch.

I have been very naughty and popped to Hobbycraft and purchased cutters for my Xpress machine, I managed to get a couple Christmas ones, these will enhance my card making. Plus the embossing for the whole card. 

On the plus side, I did look at all the half price Christmas decorations in the garden center next door and decided we did not require anything. I can not find anywhere with simple white tree lights on sale, oh well I will have to get them in December. 

I have recorded my weight this morning, 

not sure how I'm going to  lose and keep off the excess.

Colours

I have managed to skip a section and stitch these corners on Winter Watergarden, I did have to unpick the bottom left design twice, once I went wrong on the design, and when I finished re stitching it, I noticed it was in the wrong place, miss counted, now it is right.

 Where the curves meet over the reed beds, I have a bird to stitch, it's not that big, but I will use all of these 10 colours, all found in my stash, 

then I can do the outer walls and gates.

 The window sill in my office

The sun pours in here and plants love it

Lemon and Lime plants are doing well

 My Avocado shoot has doubled in size, I am still keeping it growing in mud, and I'm very please to see shoots on the top. The Lillie's are from my anniversary flowers from hubby, he hate Lillie's so it was really nice for him to choose them in the tied bunch, I love them.

  These are the plants I purchase last week for the pots in the garden, the Cyclamen are next to my back door and the mini Asters are by the front door. The Cyclamen cost £4 and the Asters were a £1 each in Tesco sale, I picked off the dead heads and it has come back quickly (there is second pot, the other side of the front door).

 This potmum, was given to me as a present, I love them, and this pink to fantastic, 

I do need to get it into a bigger pot for the next couple of months and then into the garden for next year. 

I am doing very well on Lowspend/nospend September, I have not spent any money since last Friday, we have been eating leftovers for two days, I will not require anything for a couple more days, and then only bread, milk and veg. Tomorrow we have a local market, I normally do not visit it, but I will look at the veg stall, my aim is to keep spending under £10 this week.
I am meeting my daughters for our weekly coffee tomorrow evening, but it's not my turn to pay, so one week I will have a coffee bill, but  we all have so much fun when we meet and chat, I would rather give up something else.
I am still very tired, so today is going to be a lazy day, I am going to spend most of the time stitching, Kev is away tonight, so I can get on with Winter Watergarden, I have a good feeling this will be finished this time, I first stitched it in March 2011. I have marked September as the month not to start anything new, which will be hard, because I do have some fantastic patterns to stitch, and a couple of Christmas gifts to make.
Now for a cup of tea and stitching......................

Loads of cake

Another good harvest this week, 

This is the second picking this week for tomatoes, cucamelons and sweet peppers, plus my last two cucumbers

I have been nibbling Raspberries all week 

 

 Tomorrow we have been married for 28 years

we do not do wedding anniversary's

But hubby always buys me flowers. 

 I told my friends I was making cakes for our BBQ tomorrow, 

so Cat got us this anniversary cake, she pinched the photo from Facebook,

 and Steve got Kev is Red Velvet cake for his  birthday

I will still make another Pavlova with loads of soft fruits on.

 My last purchase in August arrived today, I will not be able to stitch it yet, I need a longer piece of linen, and can't purchase it until October, but I am working on Winter Watergarden, well I have not stitched it in the past couple of days, real life has gotten in the way.

I have cleaned the house top to bottom, which is silly, after tomorrow after everyone has gone it will be a mess again, but I do like everyone to arrive to a tidy place.
Tonight we are home together, tomorrow we will have loads staying over, including Sam and Logan, both are excited.
I have only spent money on our BBQ for tomorrow, most of the meats have come from our freezer, with loads of salad from the garden, and our gifts of cake, it is still a low spend event, normally we spend over £200.
Just a quick post tonight, photo's tomorrow.

Kev 65

I have stitched on Winter Watergarden

These swirls are in the correct place, I will stitch the bottom set and then stitch the next outer section, to get me back into this project, I plan to come back to these four sections later and work them from the top. 

 We have had some sunny days again, I have been removing loads of plastic covered metal stays from the garden, most of the flowers they were holding up have now finished. The week of cold weather has tricked parts of the garden into going over, which for here is a couple weeks early.

 I was sorting my shed, it has alot of items to be stored in here over the winter, 

Purdey was as always close by, lying in the shadow of our bird table. 

This back garden is still productive with salad items for the weekend.

 Memories of the week we had all three boys, I put together these photo's as a small extra birthday present for hubby, the frame was in the attic for ages, I purchased it for another project which did not work out. This extra little gift, did not cost anything this week, the photo's were printed at home.

 My 1st attempt at Pavlova, not the best looking but tasty, The raspberries were from the garden, we tried to pick blackberries but our local ones were all still very hard, so I had to purchase the strawberries and blackberries. I also made a lemon cake to share with Josh and Sam. So other than the two soft fruits every thing came from the store cupboard.

 I am getting into Lowspend/Nospend September, I was worried with hubby's birthday, it would be harder, it was nice to make his cakes, I normally have one made, I have already been asked to make another Pavlova for Saturday's BBQ. We are not self sufficient in any way here, and do have to shop for food, but now we only get what is required, no little extras.
Yesterday afternoon Josh and Sam came to spend time with Grancha, eat his cake and play, we went back to the park, another happy afternoon.
Later Fliss, Su and David came for tea, Lamb Biryani followed by Pavlova all wheat free so Fliss could tuck in. With a  nice glass of pink champaign to wish happy birthday, which was given to us and tucked away for a special moment, hubby's 65th birthday.

One of Kev's birthday cards.

We are hoping to go out on the bike this afternoon, no plans on where to go, I only go on fine sunny days, so we have to make the most of what summer weather we have left.
Tomorrow I plan to spend in the garden, ensuring the place is ready for Saturday, Friday I will be baking for Saturday and getting the house ready.

Garden in June

This is Lotus berthelotii, which I planted in front of my Jasmin, in the pot on my decking. The first flowers are forming and they are rather pretty, the petal colours are stunning against the foliage. 

 This morning we built the second of my lean to green houses, the dull one on the left is two years old, we could not move the big tomato planter, so once we had built the greenhouse we had to place it and then add the back. You should put these against a wall, but here by the fence is a very sunny spot, so we have added a perplex back. I am so please the plastic ones have gone the windy weather breaks them so quickly.

 This view was taken earlier in the week, today had been blowy and dull, I am very pleased with our garden, Josh and Sam visited yesterday and picked and ate all the very small strawberries, they promised to come back once more were ripe. Both my fruits and herbs are doing well, it is great to eat some thing you have grown.

 Kev decided to clear the garage, a big job, he has ditched one cupboard and sorted loads of stuff we no longer use, he is now on freecycle, a local web site where we offer these things for free and the person who wants them, just pops to ours and collects. It is the most fantastic site. He is clearing a space, we have purchased another motor bike, we pick it up on Saturday.

 I do not have any sewing to show you, I pulled out Winter Watergarden, I am having a nightmare with the next stage, which are bare trees, so I tried counting to a further stage, but I was one stitch out and still it did not work, so loads of unpicking, I am going to have to work on this stage, it is so frustrating!!

Friday I was offered a job, which I have taken, I am popping in tomorrow to deal with the paperwork, and should start on 8th July, which gives me two Wimbledon weeks off.

Regarding my last post, Paula has asked for Sweet Flowers, I will pop in into the post for you Paula, I have your address, unless you have moved. I still have Romantic sampler if any one wants it.

TUSAL May

 My ORT pot is low this month, not alot of stitching done. 

there is shiny threads from April and 

dark colours from Winter Watergarden

I have started part 3, the trees, lots of counting, it's going well, but with four corners and eight trees ask me again in a while. I stitched on the trees last night.

The sun is shinning here and we have the promise of a nice day, typical it's Wednesday and most of us will be at work, but I do love to have an hour in our garden after work, just picking off a few dead heads, watering and enjoying all our hard work.

Getting along well

I have done some more to Thomas on my family sampler, I added some glitter threads to the steam for impact and got on with some back stitching, I have the wheels and rails to do now. I still need some blue for his engine. I hope Josh is going to like this.
I took the sampler off the wooden frame and now am using the Q snaps, for the first time I can see the whole area when stitching. I am very pleased with the work so far. Next I will stitch a motorbike under the guardsman, I have the pattern I need.

I did a bit more to the Winter Watergarden, before put it aside, I have just the reeds to stitch, but as I am still feeling the effects of this tummy bug, I wanted to sew a easier project.
The tidy bug in me is still active, I have been through my cross stitch drawer, looking at all the booklets I have purchased over the years, many never used, so I have put loads on e-bay, the magazines I did sort before we moved, so I intend to keep them. If you are interested in what is on e-bay, my seller ref is marlenej1955.

I have also uploaded my CV on job sites, it's time for me to look for work, with the summer coming and so many things to do, pennies are tight for any luxuries. Our washing machine has just gone BANG, and we had to purchase a new one, and we have the engineer coming to fix a filter to our boiler, which should stop an ongoing problem.

I am not planning to go out for the next couple of days, so I hope to do loads of stitching.

TUSAL March

It's been another busy month of stitching, and my dish is full again, Loads of pinks from my hearts, browns from the ABC heart, blues from Winter Watergarden, and a few mixed colours from my family sampler.

My jar is stuffed with threads,
I'm not sure it is going to be big enough for the coming year.

I am working on the second part of Winter Watergarden, the fourth part was published this week, so I am behind, I will catch up soon enough.

I love these reed beds, the designer has used fantastic colours, each stage the colours change and makes it perfect. I hope to finish these four beds this week.

It's Mothering Sunday here in UK, we are having a day at home, I caught the tummy bug going around, and don't feel up to going out far, so I hope to be able to stitch later, I am lucky and had lovely gifts from my daughters, Kev brought me flowers, and the Q- snaps stitching frames I keep telling you about.

I hope you have a good day, and you see some sun shine, it's gone from here