I know that you have heard it all before, but I really didn't intend to be MIA for so long. I kept thinking about blogging but that's as far as it got, something else always got my attention. I feel a bit bad because i had lots of wonderful comments about my sampler wall in my last post, and i want to thank you for that, they really made my day :-)
I'll catch up quick about what's been keeping me away from you all (don't want to bore you all to death now i'm back ;-)
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At the beginning of July me and DH went to Skiathos for a week and spent a very relaxing time at this pool, drinking copious amounts of wine and gorging ourselves on delicious Greek food.
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end and we came home to rain and a mountain of washing the girls had kindly left.
On the following Monday the workmen arrived early to start the new patio, in fact, Monday was the only day they arrived early, late starts and early finishes seemed to be their way of working.
After the digging out
I suppose I'm just being picky, but starting at 9am and finishing before 3pm (most days) when they could clearly carry on with things is a bit much (or not much) IMO. There were other issues with what they did which i wont go into, lets just say a one week job took them two weeks and would have taken longer if DH hadn't got on the phone and insisted they come the next day and finish off, otherwise he was going to get someone else in to finish and charge them... strangely enough they were knocking my door at 7.30am the next day!
This was no fly by night company, they are quite well known in this area and always seem to have lots going on, perhaps we were just unlucky with the team sent to us. Anyway, it's done and it looks OK.
DH has been busy re-coating the shed and the walls where the ivy is has to be painted which DD#2's boyfriend is coming to start tomorrow afternoon
Talking of Jo, she and her boyfriend have moved into a place together. They are renting a lovely house that has recently had a make over so everything is new, kitchen, bathroom, decorated and new carpet throughout. Although that wasn't without problems, they had a bit of a leak in the bathroom which came into the kitchen, no real damage but there may be some water marks left when it's dried which the landlord has said he will get re-painted if it does. There was also no plug to connect the washer, but he got that fixed right away. So now we are 3, and boy is it quiet, lol.
Stevie now wants to move into the bigger bedroom so we have a decorator coming next week to strip the paper off and re-paper.
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Stevie has a new part time job too, she is working at a hotel, the hours are very unsociable and because college is finished for the summer she is working lots of extra hours, the poor girl is shattered, although she did brighten up when she picked up her wages last week, she could very well be one of the richest students at college in September because the hours she works don't allow for much of a social life!! It also means that mum and dad, (but mostly mum) have to be available at 4.30 to do the taxi run to work, dad will fetch back unless she is on after 12.30 then a lift if provided for staff. I'm thinking of getting a taxi sign for the top of the car and charging by the mile!!
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You can see why computer time is limited, when I did manage to get some stitching in last week I worked on Sampler aux Chat. I didn't show an update last month because of our holiday, so this is two months progress.
Molly got in on the act when I took it into the garden to photograph
Until next time x
On the following Monday the workmen arrived early to start the new patio, in fact, Monday was the only day they arrived early, late starts and early finishes seemed to be their way of working.
After the digging out
This was no fly by night company, they are quite well known in this area and always seem to have lots going on, perhaps we were just unlucky with the team sent to us. Anyway, it's done and it looks OK.
Stevie now wants to move into the bigger bedroom so we have a decorator coming next week to strip the paper off and re-paper.
~~~~~
Stevie has a new part time job too, she is working at a hotel, the hours are very unsociable and because college is finished for the summer she is working lots of extra hours, the poor girl is shattered, although she did brighten up when she picked up her wages last week, she could very well be one of the richest students at college in September because the hours she works don't allow for much of a social life!! It also means that mum and dad, (but mostly mum) have to be available at 4.30 to do the taxi run to work, dad will fetch back unless she is on after 12.30 then a lift if provided for staff. I'm thinking of getting a taxi sign for the top of the car and charging by the mile!!
~~~
You can see why computer time is limited, when I did manage to get some stitching in last week I worked on Sampler aux Chat. I didn't show an update last month because of our holiday, so this is two months progress.
Molly got in on the act when I took it into the garden to photograph
I'm using Threadworx 1089, but I'm not sure I like the stripey effect it gives on the cat, what do you think? Should I change the thread to a non variegated just for the cats?
I was going to show the cakes I've been baking and a wonderful coffee set that my sister gave me, and tell you about the stitching group I'm trying to set up, but I'll save that until next time because way back at the beginning of this post I did promise a quick update and now I think I've just about outstayed my welcome ;-) so If you have made it this far, thank you for staying with me!Until next time x
17 comments:
You did a lovely job in your garden. It looks fantastic. And you shouldn't feel guilty about lack of blogging. It should be fun to do after all and not an obligation.
Lovely sampler too. Threadworx 1089...isn't that "Bleeding Heart"? It's such a lovely color.
I wouldn't do the cat with a different red if it was me. Or I would do the cat with a complete different color, or if I don't like the stripy effect, then I wouldn't work the cat in straight rows, but would stitch it in more irregular lines that looks like stripes cat naturally have.
lovely garden and love the variegated cat. please don't change.
hellooo waving small paw at you :) welcome back ..lol and the garden looks fab .. glad you had a nice hols ... I've lost one DD to moving out too :) still playing taxi to her but elder dd has passed and got her own car yipppe .... and love the sample and wouldn't frog it to be honest looks like sunshine shadows on the fur :). take care and happy stitching :) love mouse xxx
Great catch- up post! Love the brickwork - workers can be hard to deal with sometimes can't they!
Hmm, excuses, excuses, lol, and I'm a fine one to talk re posting! Patio looks lovely but definitely not more than a hard week's work I would think. Agree with Gabi, wouldn't do a different red but could try not doing in straight lines as she suggested. Absolutely charge per mile, think of all the stash you could buy :)))))!
Your new patio looks great but I know it can be frustrating working on home projects. I was going crazy early this year when we remodeled our bathrooms.
Your sampler looks great. I like the varigated threads for letters but when you are doing a block of stitching I too don't like the stripe effect very much. I don't know if I would re-do it though which is a pain.
Patio looks great. I like the red stripes on the cat but then again it is because it gives it a different look.
The garden looks beautiful. I love it. :)
Your patio is just lovely. I would want to live out there! Beautiful stitching too.
We stayed at that hotel in Skiathos in 2006! In fact my husand proposed on the harbour whilst we were there - it was so romantic! Glad you had a fabulous time.
We also had a patio put in this summer. Although they completed the job in 3 days (and it's great), they left a real mess of our yard. Sod was not laid properly and they didn't clean up the remainder of the gravel left in our driveway. DH is on the case.
I love your cat sampler and I think if it were me I'd leave the cat just as is.
Your new patio and garden look lovely. So inviting.
I LOVE the red in your sampler. it is gorgeous. And the "stripey" part look just fine to me. Can't wait to see it finished.
It looks like a lovely holiday! Gorgeous garden--let's just hope the weather improves a bit for you to use it! I can't believe that about the company--you'd think they'd be happy for the employment with the way things are nowadays.
I think the cat looks great as is. I wouldn't change it.
Sorry to hear about all the rioting. I'm sure it breaks your heart and scares you when you see it happening in your own country. xoxo
I love your back yard. It is so neat and tidy and lovely. Can't wait to see the painted ivy.
Your sampler is coming along beautifully. Here's what I do with some motif's using varigated thread: I go around the outline and then around again going smaller and smaller towards the middle. It gives a kind-of shaded appearance instead of the stripe effect. However the cat could be a tabby, in which case, he would be striped!
Your patio is lovely. Even though the tradesmen took much too long it is worth it in the end.
Your cat sampler is just so pretty and I love the red.
Hello Maggie,
I am glad you had a nice holiday!
Your garden looks fab despite the 'workmen-story' and I like the stitched cat as it is, to be honest ...
Have a nice weekend! Carolien
Don't change the cat. Keep it as it is. I am glad the team did what they were meant to do, be it one had to put some pressure on them.
Your garden is lovely! As is Molly, of course.
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