A finish, an exchange and a bit of gardening

It's opening day tomorrow for the exchange I took part in but as I wanted to put it on the blog I opened it a day early. The piece I stitched that ended up in the bin was replaced by this one that I'd just finished, I hope she likes it and the extras that I sent.

This is the gift I got from Cathie, it's really pretty and will go on the wall as soon as I can find a nail to hang it on, such a lot of work has gone into it,

and these are the goodies that she sent with it.

I finished Hedge Row by Plum Street samplers, it's not a very good photo, no sunshine today to brighten things up. I just need to finish it now, not sure whether I'll frame it or make it into a cushion as it is on the pattern.

We've been out in the garden again this past week, everything seems to be growing well apart from the parsnips that are still sleeping.

Just a few pictures of the garden, the plants we grew are at last beginning to flower.

This is a new rose we planted this year, it's called Ice Cream and has lovely big flower heads and a really nice perfume

Another rose that has bloomed beautifully this year, so many flowers but also so many thorns.

We had our first lot of beans for dinner in the week, can't wait for some more to grow. 

We spent last weekend walking round Lullington, a village not to far away. We try and go most years when they have their annual open gardens, it makes a nice day out looking at all the different flowers. Tea and cake on the village green and plants for sale too not to mention the ice cream where I usually end up with raspberry sauce on my clothes.

I think that's about it for now, enjoy your weekend everyone,

take care, Sue x

a little bit of stitching

A cooler start to the day, even the birds seem quiet this morning after their antics over the past week or so. We have had so many baby birds this year, the garden has been like a flight path with all the comings and goings of the parents feeding their young.

We thought we'd missed the baby wrens but there they were at the bottom of the garden trying out their wings, it was so lovely to watch them and so comical. Thankfully we've not had a problem with cats this year, I think it must be too hot for them. Our old cat Gizmo just lies and watches everything going on, I don't think he has the energy anymore to chase anything. He's very demanding at the moment, wants his food put under his nose and shouts when he doesn't get his treat at tea time. He is nearly 18 so he should be looked after.

It's been too hot to stitch, I've only managed a little bit on Sunshine Susan but every little helps.

I finished my exchange piece but then Tony accidentally tripped over the rug while he was passing me a cup of tea and most of it ended up in my basket where I keep my stitching. Thankfully most of them were in bags but the exchange piece got soaked. I tried to wash it in cool water but the colours ran so badly that it ended up in the bin as there was no way I could save it. I did manage to send something else.

I was lucky enough to win a chart from Maggie at Black Country Wench a couple of weeks ago, such a lovely Autumn chart.

The garden is growing well, some of the bedding pants I grew are flowering and most of the veg is now appearing despite the two days of dreadful thunderstorms when I thought everything had been flattened but most of it bounced back the next day. The wind pulled the climbing hydrangea off the roof of the outhouse but it was due for a cut this year and it takes a lot to kill it. The roses lost most of their petals but other than that no more harm was done and the garden really needed the rain.

Tony has been busy repairing the shed roof, he frightens the life out of me when he's climbing ladders and walking on the roof, can't tell him that he's getting too old to be doing things like that though, it doesn't work. He never had much time for the garden when he was working but he's always out there since he's retired and it's keeping him busy.

That's all I can think of for now, take care all, Sue x

A finish and a lot more in the garden

I finally have a finish to show, it seemed to take ages doing all the confetti stitches and it does look better in real life, I'm not very good at taking photos so this will have to do.

Summer by Rosewood Manor

A few more stitches have been put into Sunshine Susan by Lesley Teare, I want to get this finished as it's been hanging around for too long but the colours are lovely.

I've been stitching for an exchange and making a few bits and pieces to go with it but I'll show them another time, I don't think my partner reads or even knows that I have a blog but I don't want to spoil the surprise.

We've been out in the garden again while the better weather has been around, shame it seems to have gone into hiding this week. The seeds that I sowed in the garden are coming through, we just need to keep the pigeons away from them or like last year there will be none left for us.

I love roses and this year we are having a lovely show,

as you can see we lost the tree fern even though we wrapped it well in the cold weather.

The baskets outside of my craft room window are beginning to fill out.

And the fish are getting more lively now that it's warming up

and what a better way to start the day than making some homemade bread.

Well that's about it for now, the sun's shining so I'm going to make the most of the rest of the day.

Take care all, Sue x