Fruit & Veg Sampler

Warm days, some sunshine and the greenhouse is blooming into an eaters paradise.

There are plenty of cucumbers growing and lots and lots of tomatoes.

At the weekend we picked the first cucumber of the year and also a few of the tomatoes, they were a delicious compliment to the lovely lettuces that we have growing in pots too.

There is something so satisfying about going down the garden and picking things, bringing them back to the house, washing them and putting them onto a plate, knife and fork in hand and then popping them into your mouth. Garden to tummy in 5 mins ... wonderful!!

As i mentioned in my last post, the fruit and veg show will soon be upon us for 2011. Saturday 10th September is the date for this years show. I've now sorted out a chart for the Best in Show sampler and made a start.










This gardening ABC is from an old World of Cross Stitching magazine, Issue 87, August 2004 to be exact. It's designed by Joanne Sanderson and is stitching up really nicely. There are only 6 actual different pictures to accompany the letters so i'll have to be a bit creative with colour and design and see how i can swop them about to make it colourful and yet attractive. The name of the show and the date will of course be along the bottom as usual. So far i'm really pleased with how it's turning out.

Last week The Sampler Girl - In The Meadow went with me to the stitching club as usual and 2 little people were added as well as another word, the red diamond, and more of the zig-zag line along the bottom.

Unfortunately, i wont be taking it with me this week as i really need to crack on with the sampler so thats my priority now until it's completed. Sorry Barb, please can i be excused this week from SAL Class?? We also have a birthday this week, so we'll be eating cake too, a homemade beetroot cake to be precise!

Life here has been somewhat hectic this past month. We had a major leak in the bathroom that resulted in a new floor and airing cupboard being needed. We had been intending to replace the bathroom suite for some years but never got round to it, cash saved was always spent on something else, always a more pressing use for the savings.

Trawling round bathroom shops in an emergency is not my idea of fun, but these things have to be done and progress is happening now. DH is off work this week to try and make a big dent in whats left to be done, but that does mean that my crafting and computer time (what little i have been having since Isabelle arrived) will be even less this week with me helping to fetch and carry things up and down the stairs for DH, and of course as you girls will know, we always get the cleaning up job when the day is over.

I love this picture of Isabelle, and just had to share it with you... (yawn, nanny's at it again, i can hear you all saying LOL)

She is now smiling a lot and we have tried so hard to get a smiley picture, she laughs and giggles but as soon as you get the camera out, she goes all camera shy and coy.

Poor little treasure if off to the dr's tomorrow for her first round of injections, OUCH. As i have told her mum, who is really not looking forward to watching her little one suffer at the hands of a professional, these really need to be done and you will be so grateful when she only gets some of the childhood diseases slightly instead of the full blown strength. All us mums have been there and we can all identify with the terrible guilt you feel when letting someone hurt your baby intentionally but knowing it's for the best. It's the same for us pet owners too when you take your animal to the vets isn't it LOL

Thanks for stopping by, i hope you are all well and life is going along smoothly for you all

Something nice...

A neighbour of mine called in with something carefully wrapped in bubblewrap and asked if i would like it ....

What could it be i wondered as i carefully opened it's packaging.

She knows that i love old china and use it at every opportunity, old cups and saucers and one off plates etc and as she was having a clear out, wondered if i could give this beautiful cake stand a new home.

Could i give it a home?? YOU BET I COULD

The design is by John Russell and was circulated in the 1960's by Midwinter. It's called 'Oranges and Lemons' and i think it's just fabulous.

I already have some glass cake stands that my late dad used to bring me from car boot sales and flea markets. I was wondering where to put it when inspiration struck... does a cake stand have to have cakes on it? Of course it doesn't, so i now have the most fantastic fruit stand instead of a fruit bowl and it looks magnificent on my kitchen worktop.

It got me thinking and wondering, what else do people have that definately has a different use other than what you use it for, i'd love to see and hear what you have?

Sock happy dancing

Hubby was all excited when i did the kitchener stitch to finish off the second sock yesterday. Do you all remember 'Mr Boring and Anything Blue and i'll wear it' buying the two odd balls of wool for his funky socks and telling me he would definately wear them.

Yesterday, we were having a nice cup of tea and some relaxation time in the conservatory, watching the rain coming down in buckets and he was so excited they were finished, he just had to whip off his socks and try on the new pair. He said he wanted funky and thats what he got, and they don't even match each other! You can see by how his feet are placed just where the wool pattern match is..... and yes i did it on purpose, well he did say he wanted to get a bit more funky, i wont tell him if you don't that it wasn't a mistake LOL He's really pleased with them so a big thumbs up for another knitting project.

Stitching progress

Shores had a little attention this week, filling in the brickwork on the house.

The Sampler Girl - In The Meadow - was taken to the stitch club and page 1 is now complete.

I've had a horrible thought over the weekend though, we are now in mid July and i still haven't sorted out chart, fabric and thread for the Fruit and Veg sampler for this years show in early September. I think i had better make this top priority otherwise the Best in Show winner will not be getting a sampler this year to take home with the cup.

Too much to do and not enough hours in the day...arrgghhhh, i often hear you all shouting the same messsage

Wednesday wafflings!

Sunday 3rd July, DH and i went along to the local botanical gardens where they were holding a family day. A variety of plants for sale and also lots of stalls and demonstrations. We had a great time wandering around the sculpture exhibiton that is on show during the summer, lots of marvellous works have been created and exhibited. This is the third year we have been to view the sculptures, before we have been with picnic on a weekday when it is free to enter the gardens and wander around.

It was good to see lots of craftwork going on too. Ladies were sitting on blankets teaching lots of youngsters to crochet bunting and knit squares. One lady had a stall with items from her felt making workshops. Beautiful things and i could have spent a fortune on her stall alone, i did pick up a leaflet with her blog name to give it a plug here as i was so impressed, it's called Creative Bumble Bee.

It was hard to take pics of things as there were so many people about, but inside the house tucked away in a little room i came across some ladies from The Leicester Guild of Spinners, weaver and dyers.

I loved being able to see and feel the fleece of the sheep in it's raw state, watch the three spinners at work, all on different types of spinning wheels and also see some of their finished wool and items that had been knitted and crocheted with it.

I asked one lady if i could take her picture for my blog and she gladly agreed. I've been reading the blog of Alice at Crochet with Raymond and she has recently taken up spinning, so it was fab to be able to see it in action and get some idea what really goes into this craft. I can tell you the thought of having a go at this really interests, seeing the wool in the raw state and being responsible for taking it to the finished item really does appeal.

A little crafting has been happening here but not a lot.

Karan had a birthday last week and i came across this little free design of an owl bookmark for her, the perfect design as she is an avid read and also a great lover of owls. I hope you had a lovely birthday Karan, i wont tell which milestone birthday it was this time!

Unfortunately, my printed out copy doesn't say where the free chart came from, the only clue i have is the title on the page is Permin of Copenhagen (DMC117).

Thanks to all that said last times Christmas freebie was from Nan at Threadwork Primitives, you guys are always ready to offer help and advice, i really do appreciate you taking time to come over and visit.

Block 5 of Shores is growing ... slowly, it's hard work building a house!

Lots of filling in on this block to be done, but it's another lovely block to watch grow.

The Wednesday Sampler Girl SAL had some attention last week too, but not a lot was done. I take this one with me to the stitch club, but we had some bad news last week, one of our ladies has to have life saving surgery so not a lot was accomplished by any of us, no pic to show of that, i'll show you that after this weeks progress.

Nanny duties are still keeping my busy. Amy had her 6 week post natal check yesterday and all is well, she is almost back to her pre-pregnancy weight. She's delighted by this and all down to the breast feeding as she's eating lots. Little Isabelle also had her 6 week check up on Monday and is doing well too.
She now weighs 8lb 11 1/2oz so has put on 3lb since her birth.

Here she is, for those who needed a baby fix, this was taken last Sunday.

Grandpa and Isabelle having some quality time together, i think he's reminding her to be a good girl for her mummy and try to have a big sleep .... no chance of that happening, she's way too nosey and likes to be awake most of the time!

Take care my dear friends

Round Robin returns home

Postie called today and i signed for a package, as soon as i saw the name on the back i knew what was inside. It was my very first round robin returning home that we started way back in February.

I was so worried about doing a RR that i've put it off for such a long time. As regular readers will remember, last October when we had the stitchers meet-up, Clare and Tina (no blog) persuaded Hazel (who also hadn't done a RR) and myself that there is nothing to fear and it really is good fun.

We caved in and gave it a go, and i must say i have thoroughly enjoyed stitching on other ladies work, some different designs that i would not normally have chosen to do.

I'm really thrilled with how mine turned out, thank you ladies for your beautiful stitching and hard work, it really does look fabulous and will be something i'll treasure.









Here's a close up of Hazel and Clare's blocks









and of Tina's and mine

I think all the robins have arrived safely home now, so definately a good experience for us all. You often hear such awful stories about problems with RR's and bad experiences with people not stitching and them getting lost.

Thanks again ladies for making my first experience so enjoyable, maybe i'll have another go sometime...