I know!!!!! Where have I been, you ask! (or perhaps you don't!)
Well, it's Summer here, and DH and I have been out and about exploring.
I've taken lots of photos that I wanted to share with you .... but, our painfully slow laptop has prevented me from uploading any before today! Oh, I've even got a new phone, because I thought it would be easier to add the photos to the blog, but that hasn't worked ..... I've forgotten passwords so the photos on the new phone ..... still are!!!!
Luckily my latest header photo was taken on my "old fashioned" camera the day we had an enjoyable trip to a local lavender field.
It's been a busy summer, with very changeable weather ..... so some of my photos are a little dark!
We went on a guided walk around a stately home (now a school),
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| Carshalton House |
and on another day we toured the fascinating water tower in the grounds of the same house;
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| The grassy area from the tree to the hedge used to be a lake |
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then a visit to a wonderful Indian Summer Festival (despite the drizzling rain) held in the grounds of the Horniman Museum, with a story told in music and dance (I took many photos and might show more another day). Their Indian Summer season finishes with a Mela celebration this Sunday!
and, as we were leaving, we popped into the orangery (an ornate Victorian conservatory or greenhouse) where a trio of Indian musicians were giving a recital on their amazing instruments;
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We also visited a short exhibition, held at the Quakers Friends Meeting House, near Euston station (London, UK), of 20 Quaker tapestry panels. The panels live in Kendal normally, and there are actually 77 panels in all. For further information visit here
Again, I took lots of photos ..... however I can't show any of them because of copywrite ..... I bought a calendar, fabric and tea towels and their Quaker Stitch Guide book which I thought would be handy for more Crewel Work - well you don't get the opportunity every day!
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interspersed with a guided country walk with a wild flower specialist
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interspersed with a guided country walk with a wild flower specialist
who was able to name the many different wild flowers we saw (but I didn't make notes of names unfortunately)
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| and named these little caterpillars too! |
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then there were walks on our own, where we found these painted rocks, strategically placed at main entrances onto our local common
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| A wonderful idea! |
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| but every single one is gone now! |
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there has been stitching too ..... until it got too hot here.
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| Burning the "Midnight Oil" |
And, after a "little" corrective work, i.e ripping back two rows of squares because they were wrongly orientated, I stitched the rows together.
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| Testing fabric for top and bottom borders |
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Oops, you may have seen this next piece of cross stitch before ..... but a friend was asking how I decide which colours to work on first and how I keep track of my stitching.
Of course, it's down to personal choice, but to begin I take a photocopy of the pattern, enlarging it at the same time, then I use marker pens, in five fluorescent colours, to help me keep my place, colouring in the pattern as I stitch (but do be wary ..... it would be all too easy to colour the fabric by mistake).
Although this doesn't necesarily prevent errors, it does make them a lot less likely.
In this project I stitched the border first. Then stitched from the bottom upwards within the border.
On larger projects I usually work from the centre outwards.
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Do forgive me if I haven't commented on your blog lately ..... I've been so tired after our adventures, I haven't even been checking in on my own blog!
And then, for the last two weeks I've had a problem with my eye, and looking at the bright computer screen has just been making both eyes water, and then they both just wanted to shut, and once that happens I want to fall asleep, no matter what the time.
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Anyhow, as I squinted at Blog Reader a few days ago I saw that it is time for PPPP - that's "Perfectly Pleasing Pincushion Parade" btw!
The brainchild of Ida Jo of "My Sister Made Me Do It", you can read all about how it works here, and take a peek at last year's party here! You can see my last year's entry here.
How about it everyone?!? There are lots of amazing sponsors and prizes, so what are we waiting for .... get stitching or gather your pincushions, and join in!!!!!
I am soooo looking forward to seeing what you've all made!!
