Garden and canal catchup . . .

. . . with some celandines - amazing colour, and they grow so neatly somehow. We have little cushions of them all over the garden.

And on the canal at the bottom of the garden, some swans, maybe a pair we aren't sure.

They may not stay. At the moment the canal is quite clear (by canal standards!) because there have been very few boats lately. Now there are more passing and the silt is getting churned up again. Here's the reason for that -

Just up the canal from our house a retaining wall below some houses fell in and in order to have access for machinery the canal was filled in and a 'road' built across it. So of course it was closed to boats and nowhere for them to go. The white bars on the left are the new wall and the canal has just now been cleared and opened again.

Tast catchup . . .

. . . with the tail end of my long sampler strip. It's a bit scrappy, but there are examples of up and down buttonhole, including a seam treatment on the left with bullion stitches and beads. I've also 'invented' (maybe!) a detached version of the buttonhole - the four-legged stars. There are some more of them on the bottom strips of the postcards (which still need their edges doing). There's also some couching using various stitches, including alternating barred chain. And a separate piece of couching. I need to do more barred chain as I don't find it very easy. The loop always seems to collapse and squash up to nothing. Must try harder.

After some thinking about maybe changing the form of the sampler I've decided to use another long strip, and will be turning the finished one into a scroll for storing.

Ullswater weekend . . .

. . . with a nice bunch of people from church. The first evening was a lovely sunny one . . . . . . but it became less friendly the next day with fog over Kirkstone Pass. But on the Sunday there were nice spells again and a walk round Aira Force with the river and waterfalls was lovely.

Found some nice examples of texture of course for close ups:

Journal quilt February

Better late than never. It is the next in the series of one a month being made by members of the Contemporary Quilt group in the Quilters' Guild.

Oh, exasperatiion, it has come up sideways, even though I turned it round in the relevant software!!! Anyone trying to view, just lie down sideways please!

My thinking behind it was the greys of February being split by the brilliant colours of flowers e.g. crocuses. Oh, and there's a few snow sparkles, we did have some here.

It's time for lunch really, but I daren't close this blog down in case I can't get back in!

Icons back!

Hooray, thank you, blogger. But please let me load some pix! Don't just tell me the page cannot be displayed!

Well, at the third try I got this photo up. Hope it inspires someone! I must update the SilkTownStitchers blog now before spending any more time here, they have been waiting a long time!

Thnks for comment Pat.Yes, I did and same posting problem was there! Can't get to post comments either, here or on your blog!

Still can't get to load pictures and publish main body of post. Any advice, anyone? 'Help' is no help.

Still can't get anything to publish except what I put in the title slot . . .

Its gone again . . .

TAST but no more . . .

I've got the correct window back for loading pix, but am struggling to get more than one on. I had a nice post nearly done earlier but the pc froze - was it them or us? Don't know, but I lost it all and have started again. I'll publish it quick!! Here's a bit more cross stitch and the barred chain.

The last post was censored, only the title has been published!

Blogger being contrary

TAST CATCHUP . . .

It is time I caught up with posting TAST pics - I've been doing the stitching, just not getting things together regarding taking pics, loading onto pc and putting on the blog. So here on my continuous sampler are feather stitch, fly stitch, cross stitch, barred chain, and alternating barred chain. On some small pieces of felt there is more cross stitch. These are in a small book I made.