And This Little Pig said More -How I Did It- Than -Tutorial

This is more of a 'How I Did It' than a Tutorial, as there are plenty of tutorials out there for this sort of thing, I just chose to do my pincushion/pinkeep a little different.

When I was doing my Rabbit/Rabbits, I didn't want to 'hop' on the sewing machine and sew round the edges, turn it back the right way out, stuff and then try and hand stitch a neat little edge which I hoped wasn't 'that' visible.

I know my limitation, when I did a quilting course many moons ago, a couple of us decided to create an AA group... Appliquer's Anonymous.

I digress, first, I don't like to stuff, the feel just isn't right for me, it's always lumpy even when it's not, so I use wadding the flat quilting kind.

Copied a template from the outline of one of the Rabbits, just a little smaller. Folded the wadding so it was four pieces thick, pinned the template, and cut out. Loosely tacked/backstitched the pieces of wadding so they wouldn't move.

Whip stitched round the top of the Rabbit/Rabbits, then inserted the wadding, and continued whip stitching the edges together.

The shape made it difficult to pull the edges together in places, but overall not too bad. I think that if and when I do something like this again, I won't have as many acute angles, make it more square.

And This Little Pig said Wet, Windy = Miserable + Long Post

I seem to be saying this alot lately, but this is the first wet winter we have had in quite a few years, leading everyone to hope for a really good spring and summer. We have been more in drought than out in the last 10 years.

Today was so strange, woke up to pouring rain and then became more windy as the day went on. This also means there were less cattle yarded, and to be perfectly honest, not a day for taking photos.

But by the time I had finished weighing, this is what the day looked like. Above photo taken at 8.34am the photo below 10.58am. 2 hours and 24 minutes difference.

Now for an Evie update she is settling in well, learning to get a long with Quincy an energetic, roughhousing seven month old, who won't take no for an answer, well she did that one time, but that is the natural order of things.

And a snooty Meah, who does not want another thing taking away Meah-time.

She seems more happy when we are out in the yard, not as ridged, enjoys running round, always comes when she is called, tail wagging, even if she does drop to the ground, when you bend down to pat her, but I believe this is a symptom of not being patted, not of anything sinister. She has begun jumping up on my leg for a pat, so progress.

Toilet training is going great, even if it means getting out of bed between 5 and 5.30am when she starts to whine, but for a girl who has spent no time inside.

How much time has Evie spent inside, well she did not know what a lounge/sofa was for, I mean they are for laying on right? We showed her how to get up, and she laid their and watched me iron my work clothes, and what a quick study, showed her in the morning, and that afternoon after I came home from work, and we came back inside, straight up on the lounge. Good Girl.

Yes we have taught her some bad habits :D but isn't this the natural order of things?

One sad note, Evie has not learned to give kisses… yet.

Note to Moo (that's Meah's nickname) you sleep on the bed, Evie sleeps in a crate.

About a week ago I complained about my camera, well before I went home for my newphew's Christening, I invested in a new little camera (discounted), this one is a Panasonic Lumix, and I am happy with the results to date, I have not enhanced any of these photos, and my geranium now looks red, and dead :D

Definitely one of the last of my roses, a Delbard, I think Camille Pissarro.

And my ever faithful Gourmet Popcorn.

Plus a macro, a dandelion gone to seed, or as children we called them wet the bed.

And This Little Pig said Rabbit or Rabbits Finished

I finished by Rabbit or Rabbits light and dark the day after my last post, just haven't had a chance to update.

I had to make a quick trip home at the weekend for my new nephew's christening, up and back in one day is a reasonably long trip, with five hours of travel time, but it was good to see the family and Harrison, who I had only seen in photos.

Plus, and this is going to sound awful, but I got to take photos of Tatty's pups, will post them later in the week along with some Christening photos.

Then yahoo lost my ID, and kept telling me my ID was available and would I like to register, after much frustration, I did try to re-register only to be told the ID was taken. I was just going round and round in circles, and then all of a sudden this afternoon, it let me back in. So it will take a couple of days to catch up on my groups.

So to my Rabbits, I decided to whip-stitch the edges, the bend in front of the ears was worse than the slope/bend at the back of the ears and down the back, but it worked!

I did take photos of the putting it together, but they are still on a camera, will grab them off later.

Also back in June I posted a picture of a small piece I was doing, and called it my mystery piece, now seeing as it is obvious what it is going to be I have named him, oops her my le Tour de Pig.

The chart is from an English magazine Cross Stitch Collection Issue 183, she was originally in pinks and purple, but I changed her to suit the blog.

This is how NOT to photograph anything!

Can you say too close, and watch the focus.

I love sitting up in bed, stitching away, and watching men in lycra labour up hills, and then race down the overside, the big bonus... the countryside magnificent.

And This Little Pig said Cattle Puzzle

You rarely see this type of cattle in our saleyards, it is all Angus, Hereford, Euro (Limousin, Charolais, Simmental) or their cross, with some Dairy cows, but a Southern Highland beast is a rarity.

I just love the look of them, maybe I should put one on the wish list.

I just love the face of this one, it is so sweet.

And this one looks just like that missing jigsaw puzzle piece I need. 

And This Little Pig said Rabbits and New Start

Finished stitching my Rabbits last night, just have to 'finish' them, have it mapped out in my mind, and that is scary.

Also a new start, chart is from a photo (you will have to wait to see what it is) and PCStitch9. Photo was black and white, and I allowed PCStitch 50 colours, I know a glutten for punishment, it gave me 23. The colour missing is navy, thank God it was still at home. I thought I had missed buying, when DMC floss was on special. Linen 32 ct Antique White, which you will not see, when finished, linen was also on special.

Plus must remember to rotate with my small mystery piece, I am doing as well, it is quite bright, piccie posted in June.

And This Little Pig said Last of the Roses

As I pruned the last of my roses this past weekend, I found a few still hanging on, and at least one of my 'Gina Lollobrigida's' with a beautiful strong bud, so I have left it to see what happens.

So the last of my roses

Gourmet Popcorn, miniature. I love this little rose it just keeps going and going, but I have to prune. Look at all those buds.

Topsy Turvy, released 2009, and I think this poor flower is a little confused, two centers in one.

And a geranium/pelargonium which ever takes your fancy. I had a whinge about my camera in my last post, this geranium is as red as my Topsy Turvy rose, I am so disappointed, but it was detail I was after, and I suppose it gives it a nice shimmering look... see looking on the bright side

And This Little Pig said New Arrival

We have a new addition, this is Evie, I picked her up yesterday, a 2 year old black & tan mini smooth Dachshund.

She is a little out of sorts, I don't think she has been handled or patted, no house training, there is not a lot of confidence, but there is much wagging of tails, she comes were she is called, not that she has wandered far from me.

Most importantly, all three dogs are showing each other proper amount of respect. Quincy is just, 'Yes, another Dachshund!' Meah, is 'Oh... another Dachshund.'

I am her new best friend, I have liver treats. Well now that she knows what they are, which is a little sad, but in true Dachshund style, once she knew it was food, and tasty little tidbits, like she has never had before, she was all for it.

Exploring... I'm telling you there is something there! It was the next door neighbour.

And the collar has to go, but not just yet, we'll give it about a week.

I'm about ready to murder my camera, it takes a good photo, one minute, and then well... these four photos were taken one after the other, virtually the same place in the yard, same light, same distance. Two are as clear as, the other two look, well I don't like how they look, like the zoom is all wrong, and I used the same setting for all four.

I've never been happy with the colour, it's always been a little wishy. Looks like it time to pull out the old Kodak, it never fails.