A Friday finish

Autumn Dream by Cottage Garden Samplings 

The Songbird's Garden Series # 11

Stitched on 36 count Vintage Country Mocha using the called for Weeks Dye threads

I found the frame in a charity shop early in the Summer, It's not very often you come across square frames and I knew it would be the perfect size for this piece.  Although, I would like opinions on the colour, it's brighter than I first thought, do you think it's too bright? should I paint it and distress it?  If I paint it, what colour would you suggest?  

At the moment the stitching is just pinned, not laced so that If I do need to paint the frame It won't be a problem.   Here's a close shot of the frame, I'd love to know what you think.

It was this cute little pumpkin house that first drew me to the chart,

and of course that Tufted Titmouse

The piece wasn't without it's problems to stitch, those Bittersweets look lovely but were a bit of a pain to stitch, I miscounted, a lot, some I ripped out and stitched again, others were fudged, the piece is so fluid I don't think you can tell.

Isolating update

Thank you to everyone that sent get well wishes on my last post to my daughter to Joanne, she is doing ok, she did have a bit of a melt down a couple of nights ago, more to do with panicking than Covid but when she called 111 they said she could go to the walk in centre and get checked out.  She was there until the early hours but they did an x-ray on her lungs and blood test, all came back fine so that put her mind at rest.  She still has no sense of taste or smell and it still coughing but that should get better day by day.  Her husband's test came back inconclusive and he has been fine, as are the children.

There is another woman who Joanne works with who tested positive the day after she did, so more than likely one passed it to the other, but which one it was is anyone's guess! 

I'd been in contact with Joanne for a couple of hours the Friday she tested positive, (I hadn't seen her all week, isn't that just sod's law!), so I've been doing a lateral flow test for a week because of going to mums.  I got up with a sore-ish throat on Tuesday and Wednesday my nose was blocked, although my LFT had been negative Stevie suggested I get a PCR test done, again because of going to mums, so on Wednesday afternoon I did and I got a text yesterday to say my test was positive for Covid.  So now I have to isolate for ten days.

I feel like I've got a cold, I'm sneezing and my nose is bunged up, I have got a cough, sort of a bark, not all the time though, and today it's better than it was yesterday, and it's not as bad as Joanne's cough.

I haven't had a temperature nor have I had a headache, I have felt lethargic today, just like you would if you had a cold, in fact, if it hadn't been for me having to go to mums most days I wouldn't have done a test and I've have just said I'd got a cold.   

I haven't been going anywhere except for food shopping, I haven't been meeting up with friends or going anywhere that's crowded, I even gave our first stitching meet up a miss a couple of weeks ago because I didn't want to be in close contact with people I hadn't seen in almost two years and have refused to go for a meal with some friends recently too because I just wouldn't feel comfortable, and I still wear a mask and sanitise when out, so the only place I could have got it is from Joanne visiting for those couple of hours last Friday.  She feels really bad about it and keeps saying sorry but she had been testing for work and was showing negative all week, so how was she to know?  

  I am thankful though that the symptoms I'm having are mild.

We decided that It's best if Mark stays in Glasgow this weekend as it would be difficult to keep separate in home and It wouldn't  be good if he took it back and past it around the job!

I've got plenty of paracetamol, tissues and tea to keep me going and of course I've got crafty things to keep me occupied, I just need to find something good to watch on TV and I'll be sorted.

I hope you all have a good weekend, and if you are out and about stay safe, it's still out there!

-X-

The almost done's

 As we are fast approaching Christmas and the end of the year I want to try and get as many of those 'Almost Done' things crossed off my list.  

My Dandelion cardigan is now cast off and all that remains to be knit are the button bands.  I knit the sleeves flat so I have those to sew up as well, but the end is in sight.  I've tried it on and i'm pleased to say that it fits!  Can't wait to start wearing it.

I've been knitting on this cardigan for Jacob on and off for a good few weeks, as it's only garter stitch it's easy to knit on when I only have time to do a few rounds.

Both fronts and sleeves are finished and I'm about half way done on the back, so again, not much left on this on.  I'll probably knit on this Wednesday and Thursday when I'm at Jenny's.

Once I'd finished making my Quaker Drum last week I pulled out my Autumn Dream hoping to get it finished in the week.  Unfortunately there was more left to stitch than I thought there was and It's not done, but it's not far off.  It would be nice to get this one finished so it has a few weeks on show in the right season.

I do have some other things that are 'Almost Done' but these are the ones i'm focusing on at the moment, once they are finished I will choose others to work on.

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On Friday Stevie and Darren went to London to see a show, they were only staying overnight but she didn't want their cat, Ralph, to be on his own all night, he'd never been left overnight so she asked if I would have a sleep over at theirs to mind him, so of course, that's what I did.

Isn't he a handsome boy?

He plays catch like a dog, he spent ages with this piece of silver foil, I threw it, he ran and fetched it and bought it back to me to throw again.  My cats are old ladies now and you forget just how playful kittens are.

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Also on Friday Joanne, my middle daughter, called to say she had done a lateral flow test at home and it was positive.

Joanne, Gavin and the children all went for a PCR test that night and only Joanne's came back positive the next day, so she is currently confined to her bedroom.  She said she feels rough but better today than she did yesterday and in the night, she has spoken to a doctor by calling 111 and he has reassured her and told her that if she feels she wants to she can go to the walk in centre and someone will see her.   Hopefully the worst has passed now and she will start to feel better, I think she said they are all having to isolate until October 12th, I'm not sure what the rules are now but the children can't go to school or nursery anyway because of Gavin isolating too.

Autumn has well and truly arrived here, we even had the heating on for a while last night, not that I mind, I quite like the cooler weather.   The rain keeps coming though, It's certainly making up for the dry September we had!

-X-

A tale of two stitches

I've been wanting to have a go at sewing something wearable for a while and I got a load of fabric off Mark's auntie a few months back, mainly for finishing cross stitch items but, there were some larger cuts of fabric in there too. 

I chose this pattern by Tilly and the Buttons because it said it was a beginners pattern, it takes you though all the steps from cutting to assembling and sewing.  I also liked the idea of a tunic as I do wear them a lot.

Tadah!

I did it!

I set aside last Tuesday when I knew I would have no distractions, and good job I did because it took me most of the day :-)

Now I'm not saying it's perfect, but for a first attempt I'm pretty happy with it and....it fits.  If I wanted to be really picky about the fit,  It could do with taking in a smidge, but I could still do that If I decide I want to.  

I've also been stitching on and off.

I haven't been feeling like stitching lately but I did get Autumn Dream out recently to see if it would spur me on.

This is where I'd got to when It got put away.

And this is how it looks now it's had some attention.

I'm going to keep plugging away at this though June in the hope I can get it finished, although If I'm honest I don't much like stitching on it, I do however love the design so it needs to be finished.

Today is another Bank Holiday here in the UK and for once the weather is beautiful, not that we are going anywhere, I would imagine there are crowds of people out and about today because of the sunshine, so I'd rather stay at home.  We've worked in the garden all morning before it got too warm and enjoyed a quiet afternoon.

Mark is back at work tomorrow and as it's half term I won't have to pick Oliver up from school so I have the rest of the week to myself :-)

-X-