Three project updates!

As you know, I didn't get my slow stitching Sunday.

That had to wait until Wednesday. Yes, I know, Tuesday is also my day off work but, as Tony had some hours owing to him at work, he took Tuesday as a day off and we went out for the day. We drove to Ashburton, just an hour up the road. We had lunch and a look around the town and shops. Sorry, no pics. There are, as you know stitchy shops in Ashburton, but I opted not to visit them, I'll save that for a day out with the girls.

Wednesday was Waitangi Day, so Tony had another day off. We spent the day quietly at home, doing our own things.

In the morning I prepared Block Two of 'Down in the Garden'. 

The instructions in block two had me fussy cutting the yellow feature fabric for the whole quilt top. So that is done. Then as I was constructing the block I discovered that I had made a mistake while cutting the quilters muslin last month and my piece for this month was too small!! Uh oh!

There were two pieces required the same size, the other one is also too small!

Fortunately I had an off cut that I could trim to size, but will need to purchase more before I get to the next butterfly block. (There were a few choice words!!!)

So after that wee drama the block is now all ready for me to commence the embroidery. There is more stitching to do on this block than there was in January, so I had better make a start soon. Tony happened to come into my room as I was tracing the designs and noted that life would be easier with a light box. He asked how much of this sort of work I do...?

So I showed him the next seven blocks and one or two other projects I plan to look at ......(I didn't mention when.....)

Before we sat down to lunch, he showed me a light box he had ordered for me!

What a sweetie.

After lunch and the morning dramas with fabric I really didn't feel like starting the embroidery so  I sat down with Spring Queen instead. M'Lady has grown.

And finally has an arm.

I'm hoping to sit with her for an hour before work today. But first I have things to do. 

And the third of the updates is my brothers blanket. It has also grown a little.

I sit in the evenings and hook away while we watch some tv. It's easy mindless stuff to do.

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If I want to play with M'Lady, I had better move and do some domestics!

I have more extra shifts coming up so the slower crafty pace looks set to continue.

Block one done.

And it was finished before the end of January, even though I didn't start until mid way through the month.

I'm rather happy with the first block of Down in the Garden.

I'll be making a start on block two this week hopefully.

I was hoping to have another slow stitching Sunday yesterday, but sadly that didn't happen.

NZ is finally having some very warm and beautiful weather and our green house is producing more tomatoes than we can keep up with, so I spent some of yesterday in the kitchen. I made a huge pan of tomato soup for the freezer. A friend had given me a big bag of apples, and some apple crumbles joined the soups in the freezer.

We had a roast chicken the other day, so stock was made and chicken soup also went into the freezer.

Two loads of laundry were washed, pegged out, brought in, ironed and put away.

Then I went in to work for an extra half shift. 4-8pm.

I'm off to work for my normal shift today, but that's not until 10.30, so I'm hoping to get to sit and stitch on my Queen for a while this morning.

But first I have a pattern to find.....

I know I have it stashed somewhere!

Down in the garden.

I didn't do any more stitching on anything last Wednesday. I opted instead to clean out the fridge.

It was a nice cool job to do on a hot day. Once I was finished I sat down with a cold drink and did a little work on my brothers crochet blanket. I've done some more since and now it is no longer something small I can pick up on a hot day. 

There are seven of those squares you see below, all joined corner to corner and I've started to work rows across. 

I did get back to my stitchery on Sunday though, for another slow stitching day. Tony went fishing with his Dad and his brother, so I had a day to myself. I made some more progress, working on the bird house block. As I thought, it was much easier to work on in a wooden hoop rather than on a roller frame. I may get back to it later today and tomorrow. 

We'll see what life brings.

Speaking of down in the garden, I've just been outside with the camera. I thought you might like a look. Firstly, in the green house. Due to the cooler than usual summer we have been having, the tomatoes are a little slower than usual. But I see more colour out there every day.

 There is loads of fruit and I hope it all has a chance to ripen. We had to support these vines from the roof as we were afraid the weight of the fruit would break the stems.

 I couldn't resist taking a photo of this guy!! 

I might call him Pinocchio!

Also in the green house and in spite of an aphid problem, we have chilli peppers again.

They are also bearing fruit.

Outside, my rose bush is putting on a beautiful display

 And my rather slow Christmas lilies are flowering. This one has finally opened all but four of its nineteen buds!

It smells divine.

I'm off to find some lunch, then I might sew for a while.

Started the stitches

Yesterday was a very warm day here in Timaru. I'm not sure what the official records will show, but out on my deck the thermometer in the shade said 32 degrees C.

Lovely and warm. I got two loads of washing hung out and dried before lunchtime.

It was too hot to do anything much, but I got some other domestics done early, then settled in with my stitching.

I didn't get loads done as you can see, but the herbs are finished as is one of the chrysanthemum flowers and I made a start on the main panel. I'm beginning to wonder if I might be better off working with a hoop rather than my frame. There is some chain stitch in the main panel and I'm struggling a little with it, especially just after a change of direction.

It's not quite so warm today, but I got on and finished the domestics early again, now it's me time.

I'm not sure what to do though, continue with the stitchery or do some cross stitch on my Spring Queen.

I'm itching to play with Queenie, but also keen to try out the hoop on my stitchery....

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Slow Sunday Stitching.

On Wednesday I hinted that I might be starting on a new project, and here it is.

By the end of play on that very same day I had gotten this far.

Then it was back to work. But as you know, I don't start until 11 am on Fridays, so I had time to play before going in, so I cut and made up not one but all four of the churn dash blocks needed for the project.

The overseer kept an eye on me while I sewed. 

 Things rested again on Saturday and I returned to it yesterday, my slow stitching Sunday. 

The wee Dresden flower you see in the image below is English Paper Pieced. Something I haven't really had much of a go at before. I tried some hexies years ago and they were not very nice, so I didn't continue. So after some googling and youtubing I set about having another go.

I sat myself outside in the sunshine and made me a flower. It's not perfect, some of the petals are a little uneven, but on the whole I'm fairly happy so it was appliqued into place and as you can see, block one is on my roller frame ready to have the stitchery parts completed.

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Of course that is not all I've been up to. The green house is quite productive at the moment and I had a big bowl of tomatoes that needed using up, so I prepared pasta sauce for the freezer. YUM! 

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In the evenings I sit with my crochet. I've made a start on another big blanket. 

This one is for my brother.

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The postie brought me a package on Friday, something I had ordered from the UK.

I showed you this Christmas gift a couple of weeks ago. 

 I had fallen in love with the hare character and had an inkling that I had a pattern for something similar. I hunted around and couldn't find it, so purchased one from UK and waited for it to arrive.

And here it is, my newest acquisition, Brighteyes. 

(Yes, I know, the book, the movie, rabbits not hares. But look at those ears, this guy is definitely a hare. I might rename him.)

 Wouldn't you know it, on Wednesday, I found the pattern I was sure I already had!

This guy is called clover.

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Nothing has changed on my Spring Queen cross stitch. LOL

Maybe I'll get to have a go at her on one of my days off this week.

I don't start work until 10.30 on Mondays, so I'm off to do some necessary stuff and maybe I'll have time to play before it's time for work.