Blue and White Cross Stitch and some creating at Kainga."

Hello,

Surprise surprise I have started another cross stitch. This one is from the book called Cross-Stitch Samplers by Marjorie Massey.

 I am using DMC 312 to stitch this, just started the second skein of thread.

On the weekend we put up this old door that my Mum had and she didn't want. This door is very very old. We had to pull some nails out of it as we had to do a bit of re-constructive surgery down the bottom and we found that the nails were made by hand. The door knob is a insulator thing that are on the electricity poles. We found this in the load of wood we purchased recently. Just perfect for the door knob as it came with the screw already for us to put on.

 This is the other side, so much character on this door.

Bonnie made this stool at school many years ago in Woodwork class. It has been in the shed not being used. So yesterday I got to it with a coat of "Gilly Stephenson's dark restoring and new timber polish. It now matches in perfectly with our other furniture. It was plain pine before.

Hope you enjoy the rest of the week, can't believe it will soon be May.

Happy days.
Bev.

"Good Tidings with Jane Austen cross stitch, Lucy and a win."

Hello,

Happy Monday,

Wow I can't believe that if you put your mind and hands to something you can actually get it done. Yes I am talking about a cross stitch which I started last week and finished last night. There wasn't any border on the pattern but  I am planning to add a simple one around the sampler. I will have to audition threads over the next couple of days.

Good Tidings with Jane Austen.

This sampler is called Good Tidings with Jane Austen, designed by Tanya Marie Anderson of the Sampler Girl. 
I noticed I still had the docket in amongst the linen, threads and pattern. I purchased these from a lovely shop in North Perth back on 25.6.2011 which I think has now closed . I can't believe how time has flown since then. I can still remember the lady helping me. This was stitched on 28 count linen in Platinum. There is a mix of DMC threads and Gentle Art and Simply Shaker threads.

Last week was a pretty good week for me and a very happy one.

Blog Hop winnings and a beautiful linen towel from Lucy's travels.

You see on Monday we were at the International Airport to pick up Lucy from her travels in New Zealand. She had such a lovely time that she wants to go back again. She was back to work a few days later so is saving for the next trip. David is still in New Zealand and plans to travel to a few more countries while he is over that side of the world.

Tuesday I received a lovely parcel in the post from Cherilyn. I was her winner in a recent blog hop and the prize was this wonderful Better Homes and Garden Quilting Magazine and a jelly roll. Please take sometime to check out Cherilyn's lovely blog called A Farm Wife's Journal.

Friday Ian was back at the Domestic Airport with Lucy to pick up Bonnie. When they walked in Bonnie said  "You have got half your family home" Of course it is a different matter today with Bon of for this week in another direction.

Life is never still here, which is a good thing.

Hope you have a Happy Monday and a wonderful week ahead.

Happy days.
Bev C

"Gardening in a dry climate."

Hello,

Our garden is in a dry climate. We keep records of the rain that has fallen here at Kainga.

1. 2012- 320.25 mls
2. 2011- 438 mls
3. 2010- 207.50 mls
4. 2009- 369.5 mls
5. 2008- 483.75 mls
6. 2007- 410.50 mls
7. 2006-422.40 mls
8. 2005- 406.75 mls
9. 2004- 366.75 mls
10. 2003- 446.75 mls
11. 2002- 267.50 mls

The garden was also started when water restrictions were introduced here in West Australia. So our garden is fairly tough. I now know which plants will do better here. I don't bother too much with punnets of flowers, it would cost a fortune to full a spot. Roses and tough perennials are the plants that do best. We had a heatwave again last week. Temps of up to 39 degrees Celsius. Roses are enjoying a flush of Autumn blooms. It is a bit of a dull day here today the clouds are here and a bit of rain has fallen. I went out for look around the garden and took plenty of photos.

 These Roses and the Diosma and Powis Castle planted alongside the fence near the house receive no water at all except for when they were first planted.

 Last Saturday morning Ian and I went to a garage sale. There was nothing near the house we wanted but took a walk up the back yard where the man of house had his "crap" as I called it. He had cleaned out his shed. There was a pile of red and cream  brick off cuts that were free. I was happy to take them of his hands. Ian went and picked them up just after lunch. Then I got to with the rubber mallet and laid the crazy paving. It only took a couple of hours work.  This weekend it will be cemented around the edges etc. Over the years I have laid this paving as bricks have become available.

 This section of garden has lots of old fashioned roses that are in bloom.

 David Austin roses thrive here in West Australia and grow a lot bigger than if grown in England.

Quince tree.

 This Quince tree is full of fruit. It also thrives on only rainfall.

This garden bed of roses receives only rainfall. This bed contains some Delbard  Roses and roses by the Australian grower Mr Alistair Clark. I have several books about his roses. There is a lot of history involved with roses and it is interesting to read as Mr Clark named all his roses after people he knew.

Olive Tree.

 The Olive tree down the front has produced lots of Olives this year. We are currently soaking some  in brine and today another lot is finished soaking and ready to put into jars.

 This bed of Roses are all David Austins. Love going out and looking at these each morning. I am currently dead heading roses every day for at least half an hour. Dead heading keeps the bushes healthy.

 After the hot Summer the Alyssum  is back to good health. It took a knocking from the Summer heat. This small plant is a good one to have as a fill-in in the garden. I  originally got a couple of plants amongst some others that a friend gave me when we first started the garden.

Radio Times Rose.

The Radio Times roses are in full bloom. I cut these back last year for the first time. I mean I really cut them down to a stump. They have since thrived.

We use lots of mulch and collect water in rainwater tanks to provide some extra water. The water from the washing machine is also used on a small part of the garden. Last Winter I even ran the water onto the garden as we don't always receive the rain on a regular basis. Gardening in a dry climate can be a bit of a battle at times but when Autumn comes you tend to forget about those awful hot days. 

Happy days.

Bev C

"Cross Stitch, "Where my heart blooms."

Hello,

Today marks an important date as far as I am concerned. I put the last stitch into the cross stitch I have been working on. Introducing "Where My Heart Blooms" This is a Blackbird design.

"Where My Heart Blooms."

I won this chart from David at a Cottage on the Hill. It is stitched on 27 count Linda Linen in Cream with a mixture of DMC and  The Gentle Art threads. The only thing I did differently is I have two different coloured trees beside the house. I mixed up the colours because the numbers were so close. Decided not to take out one of the trees, besides it still looks great. I would say the hardest part was stitching the saying Home is where heart blooms. As this was stitched with one strand of floss over one thread, lots of concentrating while doing this. I will be visiting the framer later on this week.

Happy days.
Bev C

Sewing with Friends finish and some Apples and Cross Stitch."

Hello,

Happy Monday.

I had plans to make a little holder for my rotary cutters and 6.5 inch ruler on Friday. I had a piece of fabric that Fiona sent me last year as the centre piece. I also used up bits and pieces of fabric from the stash as I went along. The wadding for the inside were scraps that I joined together. I join these with the "Serpentine" stitch I have on my machine.

I used one of the buttons that Chris gave me. I think the Ruler button works in perfectly.

I did some circle quilting on the back, using some tins of food from the pantry. No need for fancy patchwork templates, just look around you.

On the inside I used some of the braid Chris also gave me. I used the "Serpentine" stitch to quilt the wadding and the fabric together. There was no pattern, just made it up to suit the fabric as I went along. I love working like this, no instructions  to follow.  Thanks must go to Cheryll for hosting this sewing get together.

There is always something growing in the garden that is edible. Picking loads of apples at the moment. We had quite a windy day a few days ago. This lot was picked and washed. No chemicals were sprayed on the apples. Completely organic. It has been great to walk past the apples in the shop and thinking that ours are growing just out the back door.

I have been working on a cross stitch which has been a long work in progress. I can't work on it in Summer as it is far to hot and I want to keep the linen very clean.

I have had to teach myself two new to me stitches with this one. The Smyrna Cross Stitch and the Eyelet Stitch. I only have a little bit to stitch on this one. Hopefully it will be finished sometime this week.

I hope everyone has a Happy Monday.

Bev C

Miss Rosie and Dainty Bess will be there, are you coming?"

Hello,

I was lucky enough to win one of Fiona's Mug Mats. I chose Miss Rosie and she has met a wonderful friend here at Kainga called "Dainty Bess."

Dainty Bess Rose.

Miss Rosie is hard at work earning her keep as a Mug Mat. She has made friends with a fella called Earl Grey. They will be joining me and lots of others on Friday Night With Friends, which Cheryll is kindly hosting. Hope you can join us.I won't be working on the hexagons, I found something else to do. Back on Monday with the results.

Happy days.
Bev C

"We won a car!!!!"

Hello,

Happy Monday. I hope everyone had a Happy and Holy Easter and are enjoying the down time we have at this time of the year. I made some Hot Cross Buns for Easter. While they we being made Bonnie reminded me that she doesn't eat fruit, so I had to make a second lot with Chocolate drops in them. We will be eating these for the next week. I have had a fair bit of luck lately which is a good thing.

Here is the progress on the hexagon flowers for the Country Garden project. My garden had to have some chooks scratching among the flowers. I mainly stitch these each evening while watching TV.

Last week I had to call into the sewing shop I sometimes pick up supplies from. While waiting for the lady to find the correct green machine embroidery thread I was after I spied a basket of embroidery cards going out for only $20.00 each. They normally retail from about $90.00 to $150.00 depending on the designer etc.

With the recent rain the garden really is coming ahead in leaps and bounds. This bulb is a member of the Amaryllidacea family. Some people call them the rain Lily but I refer to them as a Easter Lily as they always seem to spring up then. They are tough as old boots and come up after the rain. Whatever you call them they surprise you as one day they are just a tall stick on a bulb and then delight you with a head of flowers that last for ages. Definitely welcome in the garden here at Kainga.

Salvia's are another plant I love and purchase often. They are easy to grow from cuttings as this one was. Thanks Mum. Salvia's are tough and produce a wonderful array of colour and structure and survive the heat. Though some don't get along with Jack Frost.


You probably want to see a photo of the car we won.

A beauty isn't it. Seriously did you think we won a car. Happy April Fool's.

The car is in the garden of a local winery not far from us. Two of my Sister's and I enjoyed a cuppa and cake and browse of the gift shop back in January.We all took some photo's and I have been waiting to share it with you.

Happy Monday.
Bev C