Mid June

Mid June is when I usually moon about the garden, admiring uncounted hours of work and worry. When we went to Lucas's convocation, we stopped for lunch at a nursery and bought an old-fashioned scented lilac. It smells lovely. This mid June, I am going to pat myself on the back for keeping up with the stitching and not throwing a tantrum that the garden is taking away studio time. Or visa versa.

The last two summers taught us that it is better to set the timer and do only 1.5 hours in the garden. When the buzzer rings, it is time to sit down with water and then clean up.

All weeded, trimmed, 10 pots with potato chits, the square bed has new herbs and peas, the deutzia is about to bloom.

Fewer shoulder injuries, better state of mind, fewer peanut butter sandwiches for dinner (that was my cooking meals, Steve refuses to even discuss peanut butter sandwiches and he's the glorious cook) and best of all, we have time and interest to return to the garden and sit in it.

Seedlings protected from a coming storm, the benches cleaned and ready for arses, the neighbour lads not shooting their BB guns for a change.

I've used a similar approach to the studio. Small tasks, smaller time allotments and no freaking out when there is a visitor or phone call. I'm enjoying everything a lot more. But then, the blues struck a lightning blow and I couldn't stand stepping over all those small projects one more time. There is a shortage of intelligence in use, you see. The shelves hold all the items needed to do things with and the floor holds all the fragile works in progress. I tore the joint apart. I was so steamed up, I didn't stop for photos. Imagine a subway station after a hockey game and a windstorm hurling fabric about.

It is nearly over. What remains is a pile on my painting table and a pile in the dining room.

The dining room pile is either things that Must Go! or things that attract moths. The moth attractors need a trip to the clothes line for a beating and then sealing in zip lock baggies. The things that Must Go!, must go.

My nerves settled, the cat has harumphed off and a video from Karen's class is on. I am relaxing in a chair, finishing off projects.

Started this 3 years ago and forgot about it.

Can you imagine I thought an entire wall hanging would result? Forget it. I'll piece this together one day at the camp and call it done.

We transferred images from Broderie Anglais to create our own collection of motifs, then began embellishing. It doesn't show up well, but the second colour is a lilac purple ink and two mauve coloured threads plus a goldy yellow.

A project emerging from Karen's latest class. I'm not too committed to it. The hanky is very fragile and can't take being stretched over the hoop much more. The band to the side is a little too short for what I had planned, so now it will have to sit around until I figure out a solution.

See that medium hold right beside the mauve bump? That was supposed to be as large as one of the three to your left, only the fabric was too frail and it just kept growing. The mauve bumpy bit covers up a disaster I just couldn't fix.

I like this bit but it is too short side to side with a hem and it needs a hem for where it is meant to go. If it doesn't go there, then anything could happen to it.

Photos are blurry. I tried doing a close up using the telephoto lens so as to avoid shadows. I think it is time to get serious about a photography set up this fall. I also sorted out threads, buttons, fabrics that are being used for something and fabrics that are just loitering around. We are heading out for an overnight trip to PEI for an adventure involving hippies. Stay tuned.