Hi Everyone

This is just for fun – does anyone remember Johnny Morris- who used to do a talk over with animals.  Well this is my version

We have two ring necked doves who frequent our garden and have laid eggs these past two years successfully raising one chick and unfortunately losing their baby earlier this year.  I have named these birds Romeo and Juliet as they continually coo to each other.

Today, Romeo was very brave and came quite close – within a metre of us to feed from the little bowl we put out

His mate Juliet is not so brave so we moved the bowl further away

but she quickly changed her mind and went to the water  in the little pond and to our surprise jumped in getting her tail and bum feathers wet.  Her mate went wandering over to see what she was about (didn’t notice the blackbird come scurrying down the garden for the food) ……….

“What are you doing, Juliet” “Bathing” she replied dunking her head and giving it a shake.  “Do you mind if I drink your bath water darling?”, he quizzed.  “No feel free, my love”, she responded dunking her head and splashing about then she quickly jumped out, and leaving footprints all over the patio went back to the food tray and then up the garden squatted down to sunbathe. ………what a life!

The End.

Daisy

 

 

 

 

Hi everyone

In England it is our August Bank Holiday, so 4 days off work.  For the school children it signifies the holidays’ are about to end and school will start.

On to other things, the garden is looking good, but the Bank holiday weather is looking to be a scorcher. (29 – 31 degrees C) – so I have taken some pictures of different flowers before they wilt in the heat.

Firstly the little Patio Dahlia that my husband bought at a local supermarket.  All of a sudden it developed a ring of flowers and just by chance it is the same colour as the one in the chimney pot at our back door.

There are geraniums planted around the bottom of the pot on our little front garden

My husband loves his lawns.

Next I photographed the beautiful hibiscus flowers that look so delicate but such a beautiful shade of pink.  Shocking I think.

Sitting down with a cup of tea after doing the weekly grocery shop, a friendly bee kept visiting the fuschia plant so I tried to capture it collecting the nectar.  They have all been white bummed bees – no yellow bums which is a little worrying.  I love how on one plant you get so many different shades of flower as they open out and then go through the process of dying changing colours deeper and deeper.

Well that’s all folks for now on the garden.

Thanks for reading.

Daisy

 

 

I’m not sure whether I mentioned this before, but I had to wait some time before I received my order of Stonehenge quilting material, and up until now, I have forgotten that I haven’t revealed it to you all.  I can’t wait to start it – but – I must finish some other projects first.  Below is a selection of the material that I will use.  I haven’t totally sorted out how or in what style I will produce this quilt.

This is the centrepiece – it’s quite large and the following are the other materials I chose to make a patchwork pattern with.

The colours are quite vibrant and yet mystical.  My intention is that the green stripe material will be the border, but that is all I have planned for this – more thought required.

I like archaeology – in fact when I was younger I was studying at college after work and we went to a local site and helped unearth and collate some pottery.  It was fascinating and the dig helped towards getting points towards a certificate from Cambridge University.  The college course was one where you earned credits towards the certificate.  Unfortunately, life got in the way and the purchase of my first house meant some studying had to go.  I have never returned to college to complete the course but hey ho! I met my husband and my new life.  You can’t have it all!

Bye for now.

Daisy

 

 

Good Morning

Another wet Sunday – what is one to do if not sewing?  Read books, plan next project but  I have a few already on the go – WIP’s.

I have made small progress this week on all projects.  Firstly whilst I was sewing Audrey I suddenly realised that her beauty actually shone through to the reverse – what do you think?

 Front

Reverse

On the patchwork front I have been creating the white hexagons and have attached some to the autumn section – small progress but still one stitch at a time.  I’m still not sure whether to stitch one white hexagon at a time to the autumn section or whether to create a whole column of them and then attach it.  What would anyone else do?

 

On the book front I have completed reading Cecelia Ahern’s “One Hundred Names” – it was an interesting read and a beautiful ending.

Secondly I also finished reading the Kate Humble walking book.  I thought it was well written and didn’t dwell on her career too much, but more on what one can achieve if you put your mind to it.  The book clearly makes a point on the therapeutic act of walking.

Thirdly, I found a half finished book in my bottom draw at work so have added that to my reading list.  It is Nancy Mitford – a biography by her good friend Harold Acton.  She is very witty and I like her sense of humour.

Well until next Sunday, when hopefully I will have achieved more work,

Thank you for reading .

Daisy

Slightly different post – non sewing based.

I just received this package and my Husband agreed to buy them for my Birthday.  Yippee!!! an early present but it is raining so cannot wear them today.  Described best as a posh suede Hiking Boot.

Well that’s all for this post.

Bye

Hi everybody

I have been busy again this week but feeling a little up and down really much like the weather.  Perhaps being a Virgo I am very close to Mother Nature.

Firstly some more patchwork – the hand stitched one ………

These two sections are now sewn together and I did not find it easy – the card board templates kept popping out at the corners when I bent the fabric to enable sewing.  Perseverance and patience were certainly required.

Next up, I attached some hexagons and diamonds on my blue block – this wasn’t easy either.  I am certainly pushing my boundaries and learning little things as I go along.

Finally, some more stitching on Audrey and the eyes have it …….

From spooky …

to beauty ….

Well that is all folks, hope you have an enjoyable week and thanks for reading

Daisy

 

 

Hi Hetty Here

Well it has been some time since we had such a funday.  My human mummy has been very busy lately.  I see her lay out all these brilliant jewel coloured fabric but she doesn’t let me near them as I’m sure she knows I will bite them and possible pull them to bits.  Hey I am a shredding type bird – what can a girl do!!!!

It’s been really warm lately and mummy has very kindly sprayed me with water on a couple of occasions and making sure I’m locked in my cage as I am fully flighted has opened the windows to let a channel of air blow around the house.

Here are some pictures of us together – I do love my mummy.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend.  See you again soon!!

Hetty

Peck Peck

Hi Everybody

I have been very industrious this week on the sewing front working on both the patchwork and cross stitch.

First up – cross stitch of Audrey

This is from 21st July to 3rd August – some progress made.

Secondly I have been stitching the Seasonal Quilt.  Unlike my other quilts this one is all hand sewn.

As you can see I have starting sewing the base colour that will link it all together.  I pondered quite a while on how to attach the hexagonal blocks.  Whether to attach each single block or to create a strip and attach that.  As is obvious I opted for the strip/section .  Do you take the card inserts out when totally stitched together or can I remove some now whose sides are all linked to another hexagon?

Other patchwork projects – I have sewn together some of the scrappy quilt I am planning.

The blue one in the middle will look like this when finished …..

I found the diamonds a little fiddly, but I am enjoying this process of learning.

Other news is the garden is looking lovely – we are very fortunate in our area as to not suffer the weird weather other areas have experienced………as yet!  I feel very sorry for the people who reside at Whaley Bridge.  Lets hope all the authorities can work together to find a solution and fix the failing dam.  I cannot imagine the anguish of losing everything to a torrent of water like that.

On a brighter note here are some flower pictures …..

The Day Lily is doing exceptionally well this year.  My husband took a photo of the first 4 flower heads to come out when I was at work and by the time I come home they were gone over.  The fuchsias are late flowering this year but still a splendid display.

And the birds …..

The doves were kissing and necking – so sweet!

That’s all folkss

Daisy

 

 

Hi Everybody

Well yes I have been a bit slack on my 19 for 19 review but here it is …

1. Read 19 Books (5 books read – 2 on the go at moment)
2. Sewing Projects (1 new start – no new finishes – 4 already done) (owls coloured in ready to be used in a sewing project)
3. Learn Something New (Learning Patchwork  – 1 Bee Quilt Top Finished – Pirate Quilt top nearly finished – 5 more partly sewn together by machine and 1 new Seasonal Quilt hand sewn half finished)
4. To Not Buy Clothes as much (Total failure – bought 2 maxi dresses and 1 denim jacket and 1 denim  skirt)
5. To Eat more vegetables (moderate success – growing Aubergines)
6. To write To Penpals (wrote 2 letters to Australian penpal and 1 letter to best friend)
7. To create something and sell it for Charity nothing to report here
8. To watch 19 DVD’s or Movies (watched 2 new DVD’s – Mary, Queen of Scots – good, and another one – obvs. not so good can not remember title)
9. To Finish my 1st Novel (Still a W.I.P.  Have wrote another chapter)
10. To write a Small Poetry Book (2 more poems written)
11. To laugh more (laughed quite a lot)
12. To Play my Saxophone Nothing to report here
13. To try and Learn the Ukelele Nothing to report here
14. To Learn Pilates and Deep Breathing – (watching Darcy Bussell Pilates DVD – does this count as a No. 8 on the list – guess so!)
15. To Visit National Trust Houses/English Heritage places Nothing to report here
16. To visit the V & A Museum Nothing to report here
17. To visit an art Gallery Nothing to report here
18. Go On a Long Walk Nothing to report here
19. Go to Local Craft Fairs More Nothing to report here

Hi Everybody

Hope you are all well.  Well this is going to be an allsorts type of blog again.  Firstly on the sewing front it has been too hot to concentrate properly so not a lot has been achieved.  At work it topped 40 degrees C in the office but I managed to stitch or baste a few shapes during my lunch hour.  (See pictures below in blue).  A little more achieved on Audrey – no photo.  No knitting and no Lady Greensleeves sewing.

Secondly I found some A4 pouches that fit into a Lever File so have decided to keep various shapes made into these until sewn up together.

Thirdly, I am the first person up in our house and after the storm on Thursday night I found this little fellow in the bathroom – a cricket (scoot by quickly if you do not like them – don’t want to freak anyone out). ……..

so I ran downstairs, grabbed a glass and piece of kitchen towel, captured him and ran back downstairs to let him out into the garden on a fuchsia plant.  Whilst near the back door noticed this little lady on the carpet so again glass and paper, captured and placed on the sunflower in the pot outside.

I am not sure why these creatures keep coming in when we recently purchased a perfectly good bug house for them to reside in ….

Went about our normal life and after putting the groceries away and going upstairs my husband called me back down to reveal “old jimmy cricket”  had re-appeared on the inside wall by the back door.  What is his game – does he think he has squatters rights (literally)?  So again I captured him and put him up the garden further away from the house.  Whilst there I took this picture of a rose and raindrop – just because …

This rose is called “Friendship” – is it not beautiful.

On that note – I thank you my online friends for stopping by and reading my blog.

Daisy