Garden and Stitching

Spring is most definitely making herself felt. Our small garden has suddenly become a treat to see with buds bursting on the fruit trees and early flowering climbers are out as well. Must admit it makes me feel as though we live in the South of England when we really live in the North West. I have a soft spot for Pansies as they always look like 'Smiley Faces' bobbing in the light breeze. I have no idea what the name of this pansy is but I bought the original plant several years ago and since then it has gone through varying stages from looking lovely to a bit straggly but each year it comes up again a mass of flowers. I now have patches of this plant all over from where I have taken a piece off and planted it elsewhere and also from the myriad of baby plants it has had. I have other colours but this one just seems to be the one that really likes my soil.

My stitching has been coming along well again so my 'mojo' must be well charged. Last week I finished off the 'Country Cottage' part on 'Castles in the Air'. I did a mix of the speciality stitches and the straight cross stitch.



If I was starting this now I would have chosen greens with a greater shade difference between the two darker shades. One is 3362 rather like a moss green and the other is 937 which is a slightly 'yellower' green. When they were next to each other in the full skein they looked very different but now stitched up the difference is hard to see, particularly on the photos. But 'hey ho' you live and learn.
True to form just when I thought I was on my 'catch up' a new download arrived. I looked at the chart and must admit it took a while for me to realise what it was!! I quite surprised my self and have actually finished it


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Again I have altered parts to suit me, this is from colours to stitches and also some positional adjustments. I gave the 'bunny' a small nose (1/4 stitch) as I thought it needed one and a lighter tail. I also changed the cross stitch eye to a french knot on both the bunny and the hedgehog. The full cross stitch to me didn't look right but as usual that's just my opinion.
I've just got one section to catch up now and that goes back a few downloads to No 17. It's a mermaid. Guess what I don't like it !! So this is a 'Watch This Spot' space at the moment.



I've done a little on my TLC Santa, not huge amounts but as this is my handbag stitch when grandchildren minding, I'm quite pleased. I must make the mustache for the one that all the cross stitch is completed on and then I can finish it off completely.



With Winter in Mind (Ho Ho Ho) I've been getting on with 'Warm Winter Wishes', my Waxing Moon Design. I was doing very well until I ran out of 'oatmeal' by Gentle Arts and also realised that I hadn't bought the 'Snowflake' Buttons by JABC.


This led me to a new discovery..... I have been given the name of a supplier, Mary Jane Collection . I haven't been to it in person but I do know someone who has. Apparently it's a bit in the wilds of Wales but they do post out to you. It could well be worth a visit to the web site, their prices seem very competitive.

Now to warm me up .....my second African themed piece, Kuihugura (Looking Back) I enjoy doing these as the colours are blended into each other in the back ground so well that sometimes you can hardly see the difference when you are sewing it, but when you hold it up the subtle difference adds just that extra 'little something'.



Well I'm off now, back to 'Castles' to make some decisions.

Once again many thanks for popping in and leaving a comment if you've time. Until next time 'May your Mojo be with you.'