First of Many

Marion and I are turning into a younger version of Tom and Barbara Good from The Good Life (oh boy she loves that one) and we're growing lots of our vegetables - if the slugs and snails would just move away, we'd have plenty more veg too.

This is the first crop picked off one of the courgette plants. I cut and froze one and the other we had with our dinner this evening. Usually Marion can't stand courgettes, she prefers the french beans, but tonight she tried a bit and then asked for more. Home grown are so much nicer than shop bought I think. Even if you don't have a big garden, just get a container and plant them, that's all I've done.

Frosty Pumpkin Finish

Just Nan Frost on the Pumpkin
Stitched on 30 ct Weeks Dye Works Suppernong Linen

It was lovely to stitch, but I found that putting the beads on I was slowly going insane and it took all my willpower not to throw it out the window.

Now I just need to find 10 minutes to myself to mount it in the matching frame.

Some Card Making

Making cards is something I enjoy doing and I decided today that I'd just make a few cards to keep me occuppied after mowing the lawn earlier on.



I have a lot of card making stock that I've had for ages and just not managed to make, or I've bought and then not come up with any ideas as to how to finish it.



I found that I had kitted up the cameo card, but I'm not sure how long ago I did that. So it's another card made :)



Marion played on the adventure playground at school for a little while after school and then got stroppy with me because I said we had to leave to get changed for the Activ8 BBQ. The whole way home she sulked, I know she's a little off colour because she's got toothache, but for goodness sake she's the one that demanded we were to go.

I got her home, changed and then off we went. Not her normal self, a little quiet and then at the end got kicked in the head by a boy swinging on the railings (an accident, but if he'd stopped when he was told to, it wouldn't have happened) and then it was straight off to Brownies for their party. She was a bit tearful when she got there, but she came out smiling, so she must have had a good time.

No stitching tonight, I'm too tired and it won't be long before I head off to bed.

It Scared The Life Out of Me

Last night we were bringing in everything from the garden, so we could get showered and an early night. Marion was already upstairs getting undressed when she heard me scream. I'm not frightened of them, but when they jump up at you and head underneath the dishwasher inside the house, it is a bit of a shock.



Oh boy the little thing didn't want to go back outside. Everytime we got it out, before we could get back in, it had jumped back into the house. Eventually after about 45 minutes, it stayed where it was long enough for me to shut the door quickly.

Tomorrow we're off to another school to visit their penpals, should be good fun.

Thank You's To...

Sally and Barbara. Sally sent me the Just Nan Winter Humbug chart that she was finished with and the leftover beads. I knew that there wouldn't be enough of the peanut shaped beads, but I found these peanut shaped ones at one of the local shops. One set is different grey shades with clear and the other is blues and yellows. All I have to do is decide whether the grey or blue will be best when I've completed the stitching.


Barbara sent me her Drawn Thread chart, I'd admired her stitching on her blog and asked who the designer was and she asked me to email her with my address. In the post came this gorgeous chart "you must stitch this for Christmas Mummy" says the beady eyed child.

I'm beginning to wonder whether I should keep looking at these blogs, Barbara is going to have to join Sally on the naughty step a lot more if I do ;) Oh I've just thought, Barbara could just send me her finished piece instead ;-)

First Crop Picked

Yesterday we had a busy day. First off to the library to sign up for the Space Hop Summer Holiday reading programme. We made some space puppets and then went and chose two books for her to take out and read and then it was straight off to the school for the church centenary celebrations. We had a couple of hours there and then we had to rush back home because her Dad was coming, something she wasn't best pleased about, but she had to endure it.

When he did eventually turn up, he wanted to go to Bolsover Castle and of course we had to go too. She did complain, but he said it was somewhere he wanted to go. After that she refused to call him Dad, instead calling him Mark (it is his name), something he wasn't best pleased about, but she wasn't about to change her mind about it.

She did seem to enjoy herself when she was there, but of course got stroppy when he, just like her Grandma, refused to buy her a bow and arrow. Instead she came away with a pencil & notepad and a pencil sharpener. I bought some postcards.

When we got back home, she wanted to show him how she can ride her bike now with the seat raised more and then helped a neighbour in search of his rabbit and then her friend Paris came along and she wanted to play with her. I did try getting her to come in to spend some time with her Dad, but I could also see that she was making sure she spent as little time inside with him as possible. She only came in when I told her Toy Story 2 was on, but Paris came in too.

He eventually left at 6.15pm and it was a struggle to get her to get up and say goodbye to him. She knows her own mind and doing her own thing was all that mattered to her.

When Paris had gone, I went into the garden to look at the vegetables and Marion picked this handful of French beans. Yummy, she loves them.

Hula Girl

Marion's school summer disco last night and was a beach theme this year, so she went in her Hawaiian outfit. She had a great time.



She also received another swimming certificate. So that's two to add onto her towel, this one and her 25 metre badge. We're still waiting on the 20 metre badge and certificate, which she achieved either just before Christmas or in February, it was that long ago I can't remember.

It's a Finish

SanMan Originals Spice Stamp
Stitched with DMC and GAST cinnamon

It might be small, but it's a finish all the same. I will either make it into a card, or an ornament. For now it's going in the finished box.

This morning I received the replacement kit I'd had to order from Superstitcher in order to finish my blackwork Japanese Lady. Very speedy service, never used them before. There'd been a paypal error problem, so I said I'd send a postal order, which I did on Tuesday and it was mailed out to me yesterday. So far I have found the enlarged photocopy of the fan, I had to do that because it makes you go just a little boss-eyed when you're looking at the chart and then onto the fabric to do that part - and lots of concetration.



This is the best photo I have on my computer of the whole piece, but the bottom of the skirt is filled in, the fan is completed and there's more done on the dress than that. Anyway this is what I shall be working on tonight and most nights until she's complete. I might do the odd little piece in between.

Actually I've just remembered tonight it's the school disco, so I might just work on something small instead, depends on when her ladyship goes to bed.

Romans and Stash

Marion had a Roman Day at school on Friday and they had to dress up, so I made this for her. A 'Stola' (not a toga, as that's for boys, men and women of ill-repute). The straps are plaited and so is the belt and she's wearing my pashmina to finish it off.



She had a wonderful day, they were baking Roman bread and cakes and learning all about what the Romans did for us in the UK, as well as everything else to do with Romans.



Onto today and the order I placed with Down Sunshine Lane last week arrived this morning. Very quick :) 2 packs Piecemaker needles, size 26, LHN Robin Hood and Just Nan Hootzi Humbug.

The engineer from Virgin came this morning, saw that I still had one of the old modems and said that was most likely the cause for lack of service. He replaced it, removed a couple of things from my toolbar for me and after half an hour of slowish service (he said it would be until it had rebooted itself a couple of times), I now have very good, speedy broadband once more.

I'm in the mood for Christmas, so I might see about stitching an ornament or something later on.

Giveaway Alert!

Missie over at Eat, Stitch, Love is holding a Christmas In July giveaway! She is going to give a pair of Ghinger scissors to one lucky winner!

Last night I stitched a little, I frogged a lot and then I suddenly remembered that I can't do anymore stitching of any kind until I've made the Roman costume for Roman Day on Friday.

Up into the loft to see if I have any cot sheets, or a sheet I'd kept for using as dust sheets. Botheration, I need to go and buy some new sewing needles, I snapped the last one when I was stitching a badge onto her swimming towel.

Some Friends are............

...........a bad influence. Take Sally for instance, she's been put in the naughty corner; actually I never put her there, she took herself there, along with her stash LOL

Sally updated her blog with her latest purchases and one in particular caught my attention, Poinsettia Tree by LHN and so I popped along to Down Sunshine Lane to take a look. I never came across that particular design, but I did stumble upon Robin Hood and with my 7 year old daughter standing behind me at the time 'oh Mummy look, Robin Hood, I want it NOW. Please Mummy I love you very much' and Marion got her wish. I purchased it, along with some more Piecemaker needles because I'm on my last one and I've been wanting to purchase some more for a while (it was a bit pointless just purchasing needles on their own).



Not that I mentioned anything on my blog, but Marion and the rest of the year 3 went to Sherwood Forest on a 3 day camp. They stayed in the youth hostel and all the rooms are named after characters from Robin Hood. Marion and 3 others were in Guy of Gisborne. She had a fantastic time, saw where Robin is buried, measured trees, did rubbings and various other activities. This chart will just add to the memory for her.

Anyway while she was away, I did some more stitching on the letter I and this is how far I've got. It's almost complete, so I may sit and finish it tomorrow evening.

Alphabet UFO

The other day when I was looking for the chart for my blackwork Japanese lady, I came across my alphabet sampler, which hasn't seen the light of day for many years.

It's by The Cross Eyed Cricket.

I forgot to take a 'before' photo, but I finished stitching the 'H' and have started on the 'I'. I haven't done much, but I plan on sitting down tonight and stitching as much as I can.



I still haven't found the chart or one of the colours for my Japanese Lady, so it looks like I might have to purchase another kit so that I can complete it. When the kit arrives, I plan on stitching on her until she's finished, because she's half completed.