Random Stuff

Yesterday I kitted up the 'Bees in the Greenhouse' project. I enjoy the process of getting all the floss organized, picking a project bag, and deciding where to start on the fabric. I usually start in the centre and work out but this time I decided to start in the bottom left corner.

I'll stitch the left half of the chart, then will do the right half above. I'll have all of the fabric on the right left over for another project.

I'm finding this 40ct fabric very hard to stitch on. It's Fiber on a Whim 'Silver Fox'. I believe the dyeing has made it an even smaller count. The holes between the threads have really closed up are hard to see and I have to use both magnifying glasses and the magnifier on my lamp. Very 'squinchy'. However I shall persevere - at least until I can't stand it any more.

I've had the cardboard backing for the Altoid tin projects cut out for weeks. Yesterday I sprayed them with basting spray and mounted the pieces with batting between the cardboard and the stitching.

My preferred thread for lacing is #12 perle cotton. This one is ready for glueing onto the tin.

I'm not happy with the alphabet one so will re-mount using two-sided sticky tape on the back.

Now I get to decide how I'll finish the insides. A refrigerator business card magnet will work well to hold needles in the lid.

I saw a huge raccoon in my garden today. I ran out there to try and scare it away but I think it just climbed the evergreen tree. Not sure how much damage it can do to the garden - I don't throw any food scraps out there other than stuff in the compost bin. It's impossible for the raccoon to access. Hopefully it will find someone else's yard to frequent.

While out there, I noticed some elements of my garden are doing great so I ran back inside to get my phone to take a couple of pics.

My Shasta daisies are starting to bloom. I'm so pleased. 

Our late stitching friend, Sharon Tomlinson, gave me a bunch from her garden last year. I planted them in an open spot and they got established quite nicely. This spring, I went to see how they were doing and there were holes where I had planted them last year. 'Oh no', I thought. I must have yanked them out and disposed of them during the fall garden cleanup. I was so bummed out at my mistake.

Then last week, I saw a bunch of daisies start to bloom at the front of one of my garden beds. They were Sharon's daisies! I had totally forgotten I had moved them to that spot last fall. 

There are so many buds! I think they like it there and I hope they continue to bloom throughout the summer.

My sea holly is just starting to bloom. I have several plants around the garden. This one is on its own in another garden bed and it's grown to epic dimensions compared to the ones crammed into a narrow bed beside the fence.

I love the blue 'flowers' and so do insects. I'm sure the poo-like scent emitted by the blooms are what attracts them.

And on a completely different topic, during the latest heat wave, I've been closing the window blinds in the upstairs windows on the south side of the house Boy! Does that ever make a difference in repelling heat. I've always done that downstairs because the windows are so big, but doing that on the second floor has made such a difference. Yes, the house is darker in the daytime but the temperatures are much more comfortable and I either don't need the A/C at all or its cycles are much shorter now to get to the desired indoor temperature. Just goes to show one is never too old to learn.